Free Essays on The Struggle For Gay Rights

The struggle for gay rights continues in America. Most Americans believe we have come a long way in the civil rights movement and in some facets we have. It’s wonderful that African Americans can drink from the same water fountain as anyone else. They no longer have to sit in the back of the bus. Women can now vote and smoke in public (where smoking is allowed) if they wish. People are given the freedom of religion as long as it does not involve practicing this in a public school or other public venues that bar practicing religion. But where are the rights for gay men and women? Many believe the Stonewall Riots of New York City sparked the modern gay rights movement (Altman). They occurred after the police raided a popular gay bar, the Stonewall Bar, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Although other homophile groups did already exist in America, the new energy and militancy generated by the riots created new organizations with different goals and methods. The country was greeted with vocal and demanding groups such as the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. The liberal movement called for equal rights for gays. This would entail the abolishment of all anti-homosexual laws, as well as the inclusion of all rights accorded to heterosexuals including marriage. It’s sad to think that in the 35 years that has past since that Stonewall raid on June 27, 1969 we are still working on equal rights for gay individuals. Not all anti-homosexual laws have been abolished and gays are still not allowed to marry in most states. Still today gays are denied the rights that other American Citizens hold. The gay community declares that they are stigmatized and indeed oppressed, denied basic civil and constitutional rights, solely because they are viewed disfavorably by the majority of American citizens and because of the popular belief that they are sexual, psychological deviants or inherently immoral according to th... Free Essays on The Struggle For Gay Rights Free Essays on The Struggle For Gay Rights The struggle for gay rights continues in America. Most Americans believe we have come a long way in the civil rights movement and in some facets we have. It’s wonderful that African Americans can drink from the same water fountain as anyone else. They no longer have to sit in the back of the bus. Women can now vote and smoke in public (where smoking is allowed) if they wish. People are given the freedom of religion as long as it does not involve practicing this in a public school or other public venues that bar practicing religion. But where are the rights for gay men and women? Many believe the Stonewall Riots of New York City sparked the modern gay rights movement (Altman). They occurred after the police raided a popular gay bar, the Stonewall Bar, in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. Although other homophile groups did already exist in America, the new energy and militancy generated by the riots created new organizations with different goals and methods. The country was greeted with vocal and demanding groups such as the Gay Activists Alliance and the Gay Liberation Front. The liberal movement called for equal rights for gays. This would entail the abolishment of all anti-homosexual laws, as well as the inclusion of all rights accorded to heterosexuals including marriage. It’s sad to think that in the 35 years that has past since that Stonewall raid on June 27, 1969 we are still working on equal rights for gay individuals. Not all anti-homosexual laws have been abolished and gays are still not allowed to marry in most states. Still today gays are denied the rights that other American Citizens hold. The gay community declares that they are stigmatized and indeed oppressed, denied basic civil and constitutional rights, solely because they are viewed disfavorably by the majority of American citizens and because of the popular belief that they are sexual, psychological deviants or inherently immoral according to th...

A History of the Horn, Better Known as the French Horn

A History of the Horn, Better Known as the French Horn Throughout the last six centuries, the evolution of horns has gone from the most basic of instruments used for hunting and announcements to more sophisticated musical versions designed to elicit the most melodious sounds. The First Horns The history of horns starts with the use of actual animal horns, hollowed out of the marrow, and blown into to create loud sounds announcing celebrations and the start of feasts, as well as for sharing warnings, such as the approach of enemies and threats. The Hebrew shofar is a classic example of an animal horn that was, and still is, widely used in celebrations. These culturally significant rams horns are used to announce major holidays and celebrations, such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However, the basic animal horn does not allow for much manipulation of sound other than what the user can do with his mouth. Rafael Ben-Ari/Getty Images Transitioning From Communication Tool to Musical Instrument Making the transition from a method of communication to a way to create music, horns were first formally seen being used as musical instruments during 16th-century operas. They were made from brass and mimicked the structure of the animal horn. Unfortunately, they provided a challenge for adjusting notes and tones. As such, horns of different lengths were introduced, and players had to switch between them throughout a performance. While this did provide some added flexibility, it wasnt an ideal solution, and horns werent widely used. During the 17th century, additional modifications to the horn were seen, including the enhancement of the bell end (larger and flared bells) of the horn. After this alteration was made, the cor de chasse, or French horn as the English called it, was born. The first horns were monotone instruments. But in 1753, a German musician called Hampel invented the means of applying movable slides (crooks) of various length that changed the key of the horn. In 1760, it was discovered rather than invented that placing a hand over the bell of the French horn lowered the tone, called stopping. Devices for stopping were later invented, which further enhanced the sound that performers could create. In the early 19th century, pistons and valves, instead of crooks, were used, giving birth to the modern French horn and eventually the double French horn. This new design allowed for an easier transition from note to note, without having to switch instruments, which meant performers could keep a smooth and uninterrupted sound. It also allowed for players to have a wider range of tones, which created more complex and harmonic sound. Despite the fact that the term French horn has been widely accepted as the proper name of this instrument, its modern design was actually developed by German builders and is most frequently manufactured in Germany. As such, many experts assert that the proper name for this instrument should simply be a horn. Who Invented the French Horn? Tracing the invention of the French horn to one person is tricky. However, two inventors are named as the first to invent a valve for the horn. According to the Brass Society, Heinrich Stoelzel (1777–1844), a member of the band of the Prince of Pless, invented a valve that he applied to the horn by July 1814 (considered the first French horn) and Friedrich Blà ¼hmel (fl. 1808–before 1845), a miner who played trumpet and horn in a band in Waldenburg, is also associated with the invention of the valve. Edmund Gumpert and Fritz Kruspe are both credited with inventing double French horns in the late 1800s. German Fritz Kruspe, who has been noted most often as the inventor of the modern double French horn, combined the pitches of the horn in F with the horn in B-flat in 1900.

Business Social Responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Business Social Responsibility - Essay Example As the attitude of society concerning the commercial activities began to change with the beginning of 19th century, it led to gradual growth of capitalism and strengthening of corporate potency. The businesses were allowed to utilise fully the resources of society for the generation of uttermost profit. Thus, the corporations exploited their employees, customers and suppliers without any due considerations for social welfare. Luthans et al. (1990) illustrate that businesses assumed no specific social responsibility in that era and remained concerned with maximisation of economic gains without respite. They also elaborate that the situation aggravated when firms entered into competition with each other in the pursuit of market supremacy and wealth maximisation. The most important factor contributing to the precipitation of corporate barbarism in the 19th century was the fact that there happened to be minimal or negligible government regulation over the corporations that led to a socially irresponsible behaviour on the part of businesses. Hence, the society soon lost trust in capitalism and economic instability cam to prevail at a wider scale. Luthans et al. (1990) explain that the notion that businesses should be regulated by government for socially responsible behaviour emerged and uprose soon after that, which led to the imposition of government restrictions on corporations concerning social responsibility. The infliction of laws and regulations for the perpetuation of social responsibility among the corporations led to the great extent a change in the attitude of corporate world towards society. These laws initially prevented the businesses to cause any harm or damage to the society during its course of profit maximisation. Hence, government regulations seem to have played a great role in bringing about this 'socially responsible' behaviour, rather than the pure intention of social and human welfare on the part of the corporations. In the modern era, the concept of social responsibility evolved into the 'corporate social responsibility', which is a further enhanced concept embodying much more responsible behaviour than is required by law. Businesses should not only refrain from afflicting any harm to society as restricted by law, but also endeavour and strive within its possible capabilities for the betterment of society and the individual altogether, even when it is not circumscribed in its legal requirements. Bloom and Gundlach (2001, p142) as pinned down the term 'corporate social responsibility' as, "The obligations of the firm to its stakeholders; people and groups who can affect or a who are affected by corporate policies and practices. These obligations go beyond legal requirements and the company's duties to its shareholders. Fulfilment of these obligations is intended to minimize any harm and maximize the long-run beneficial impact of the firm on society" Thus, in this definition, the social responsibility of business encompasses a wider spectrum of a firm's responsibility. It leads a

Reed market case analyze Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reed market analyze - Case Study Example The new items on display at DG seem to be compatible with the technological trends within the market of such goods. However, Reed has not yet considered this option and is still also doing business the old way despite many suggestions posed by management. The other problem lies in the level of customer loyalty. The level of loyal customers keep going down and the supermarket has lacked the capacity and means to retain attracted customers since it does not have a well thought out procedure for ensuring that customers who come shopping actually keep coming whenever a shopping need arises. This could also be attributed to the fact that many retail chains have sprung up and are offering better services. The growth of private label merchants seem to give Reed a big headache considering that it mainly depended on the branded items which now find little appreciation within the market. This is one of the tools that new entrants into the market are trying to implement successfully. The consumers in this locality and whole of America have become health conscious and would not go for the traditionally sold goods which are thought to affect their health status. Reed has not implemented a food retail store that caters for the changing food needs of its customers while other chains are doing so. The pricing model for Reed seems to get it in trouble since it happens to have higher prices as compared to Aldi and DG, which is actually reducing the sales of Reed. This issue has also been compounded by the fact that Reed is poorly located and access by many customers is limited as compared to other stores. The above issues and more to be identified have made it hard for Reed to keep its shares growing and instead they keep dwindling (Quelch and Carlson1-12). The 14% market share held by Reed in Columbus is not enough. If it could adjust and find new ways of doing business,

WICKED ANALYSIS PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

WICKED ANALYSIS PAPER - Essay Example When this is coupled with her high intelligence and her activist aspirations, the conventional society within the book perceives her as evil, eventually dubbing her The Wicked Witch of the West. Because she can be seen as having a difference in the way she looks and because her belief systems do not agree with the current trends in government, Elphaba is viewed from her society as an instrument for evil. Author Gregory Maguire has given Elphaba many attributes beyond her green skin that make her different than the people around her. She was born with sharp teeth and her first act after the experience of being born was to bite off the finger of a fishwife (20). Maguire writes of her as she imitates a dragon during her infancy that â€Å"Her green skin made her more persuasive as if she were a dragon child. She roared again - â€Å"Oh sweetheart don’t† sad Frex - and she peed on the floor, and sniffed her urine with satisfaction and disgust.† (44). In developing the many aspects of her personality with stories that support her differences to the social setting around her, she is being set apart for aspects of physical representation that foreshadow differences in her social assimilation that will eventually turn her society against her. human beings themselves judge that conductâ€Å" (48). For Elphaba, this begins with her physical appearance. After this initial physical identifying characteristic is developed by Maguire, her defining moments become more deeply established in the disagreement she develops with societal decisions that she feels leave others in a disadvantaged position. The government had put restrictions on Animals - creatures who were capable of speaking and thinking in the same way as humans. In a compassionate stance, she begins to act on their behalf, behaving as a revolutionary. Because of her actions, her character begins to

Fashion from the sixteenth to nineteenth century

Fashion from the sixteenth to nineteenth century Fashion, which was a norm only used to describe upper class people between 13th Century and 16th Century, was dominated by court and aristocracy. At the beginning of 17th Century, which is also known as the end of European Renaissance, clothing represented the social standing of the wearer. The dressing code could be used to distinguish classes. It is believed that during the Renaissance, fashion was experiencing a lot of transformation in terms of colour, clothes and accessories (Jones 2000). Some people argued that Renaissance is the turning point of fashion since it reflected changes in self-esteem, erotic appeal or social advancement (Rublack 2011). In the meantime, lower class started to acquire status by adopting the clothing styles of the upper class, fashion became widely interested. Therefore, it is important to understand the fashion development since 17th Century. This paper first discusses the fashion plate, which is considered to be the first fashion magazine and early f orm of fashion. Secondly, it discusses the development of printing technology and its effects on fashion dissemination. Then it illustrates modern fashion disseminations including Internet, television and other social media and their influences. Fashion plate is defined as illustrations of clothing fashion or style, originated as early as 16th Century (Nevinson 1967). The original fashion plate was in a form of either drawing or engraving of clothes, accessories and shoes on metal plates (Holland 1955). Initially, it was used in portraiture of nobility and aristocracy (Nevinson 1967). Loyal families drew portraits and clothes on the fashion plates and sent them away to other loyal families as display of marriageable members (Nevinson 1967). With the development of fashion plate and fashion, at the beginning of 17th Century, fashion plate becomes the most effective way to promote fashion workshops in Europe (Steele 2005). People distributed fashion plate to convey fashionable information around Europe. Shop owners sent fashion plates by messengers to potential clients while friends and relatives sent each other fashion plate for comparisons and communications. Fashion plate is also regarded as the earliest form of fashion mag azine since the popularity of fashion plates led some publishers to use fashion plates as their publications materials to demonstrate trends and clothes instead of using plain text (Holland, 1955). However, fashion plate did not occur at a systematic level until 18th Century when weekly publications such as the Lady’s Magazine, La Belle Assemblee, and Les Modes Parisiennes became widespread and publications became massive. At the beginning, fashion plates only depicted fashion information and predicted fashion to those who could afford. With the development of economy and technology, fashion plates soon became popular even within lower class people. Although fashion plates were pricy, people showed strong interest in them. It was the mainstream medium of fashion dissemination until the early 20th Century when printing became dominant. Fashion plate remained on fashion stage for another significant period of time until late 20th Century when other social media such as television and Internet became popular. Today it is regarded as fine art collection and most of them have the value of research study. Another development of fashion dissemination is the invention of printing. Fashion information was delivered by printed paper ever since the invention of printing press. However, formal publication started only in 17th Century when the French publication Mercure de France was published. Mercure de France was a significant development since it was considered the first gazette and literary magazine (DeJean 2005). It played an important role in the dissemination of fashion news, fashion stories, and reviews of the latest fashion. But due to relatively slow improvement in fashion itself, weekly publication seems to be too fast and unnecessary. Fashion plates, which could be preserved over a significant time and transported multiple times, were easier to accepted by the social perception (Nevinson 1967). The real improvement in print production started in the nineteenth century when steam power press became available. The magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book quickly became a large circulation in the country (Nevinson 1967). Massive fashion production by printing press flourished the second time after the transition to rolled paper, which significantly improve the paper feeding speed and printing speed. The invention of lithography, which is regarded as another important improvement, enabled artists and designers to print their drawings and illustration any smooth surface. Since lithograph can print on all surfaces, fashion plates started to die off from the market simply because it was too pricy for most of the people. For textile and clothing fashion, under the impulse of evolution in printing technology, the printing became an industrial process which significantly decreased the price of textile and clothes. In contemporary fashion, variety of prints could be identified. It b ecame the trademark of a diversity of designers such as handbags and clothes. The printing technology started with simple printing press, has experience uncountable developments, today, it is still the mainstream platform of fashion dissemination. But the biggest step forward happened when half tone printing technology was invented. The invention of half tone printing allowed people printed photographs together with text without affecting their quality. This new technology gave birth of the modern fashion magazine. In the 1820s, the first photography was developed (Hirsch 2000). Fashion photography appeared first time in a French magazine. In 1909, Vogue magazine was took over by Condà © Nast, which contributed significantly to the era of fashion photography (Angeletti 2012). In 1911, photographer Edward Steichen promote fashion as fine art by the collection of photography (Niven 1997). Paris was the centre of the fashion photography at that time. Fashion photograph has generated some of the most influential materials. Although fashion was developing slowly during World War I and World War II, there continuous to be growing numbers of women increased in fashion information. Magazines and newspapers, which contained a lot of p hotographs, began to cater to the lower classes in cheaper, specialise and accessible manners. By the 1960s, fashion magazines became more specialised while photography became the ideal medium for recording and disseminating the fashion information. Changes in the fashion dissemination in the 20th century were facilitated by new methods and approaches, mainly because of the evolution in technologies. More people were seeking more convenient ways to follow the trend. These new mediums such as Internet and TV created new access to fashion information and changed the ways people create fashions. Film, as another mainstream presentation of fashion, became popular during the Great Depression (Barthes 2010). However, due to the limitation of technology, film did not improve a lot until late 20th Century. The fashion elements in film include clothes, make-ups, accessories, bags, and even cars. While films are representing themes in virtual world, most of the elements can be used to predict fashions once a particular film becomes popular (McNeil 2009). In the late 20th century movie stars began to establish their role as the fashion elite by stapling fashion design labels in their daily life. For instance, Audrey Hepburn fashion icons include fitted pants, oversized sunglasses and little black dress affected women wear still today. Another example is the car collections in James Bond’s movie series had lead car collection fashion over decades. Victoria Beckham, who had transformed herself from singer to fashion designer and businesswoman, is leading the women fashion in di fferent fields. Another important fashion dissemination tool, television, began to compete with film as a medium of fashion from the mid-20th Century (McNeil 2009). The advent of the video clips had introduced another approach for fashion. Since film is much longer than video clip or music video clip, it is hard for people to find a particular piece of information throughout the whole film, and it is obviously impossible to repeat the film over and over again, TV has its own advantages than film. Commercials and advertisement can be broadcasted on TV repeatedly with a reasonable cost. With the invention of cable and digital networks, today traditional media have been assigned with different meanings. The improvement of Internet provided increasing amounts of information to people. Internet TV could reach all levels of society and more fashion information than conventional way. A variety of formats including news, magazines and other forms of fashion dissemination are transforming into digital way. The social networking has enabled a faster fashion diffuseness. Celebrities, fashion designers and other fashion related parties started using social media as their primary dissemination tool. With the impacts of new technology, fashion is experiencing faster evolution than ever. In conclusion, the development of fashion between 17th Century and 19th Century was slow due to the limitation of technology. Fashion plate was the mainstream dissemination tool from 17th to 19th century. With the industry revolution, fashion dissemination had extended magazines and newspaper. The development of technology had empowered fashion dissemination a cheaper and convenient approach. However, it was until the invention of film and photography could fashion become widely spread. Throughout the 20th century, the social media’s role in the fashion dissemination process has become more and more important. The concept and understanding of fashion became integrated with digital technology. Reference Angeletti, N. O. A. W. A. 2012, In Vogue : the illustrated history of the worlds most famous fashion magazine, Rizzoli : Distributed in the U.S. trade by Random House, New York. Barthes, R. 2010, The fashion system, Vintage Classic, London. DeJean, J. E. 2005, The essence of style : how the French invented high fashion, fine food, chic cafà ©s, style, sophistication, and glamour, Free Press, New York. Hirsch, R. 2000, Seizing the light : a history of photography, McGraw-Hill, Boston. Holland, V. B. 1955, Hand coloured fashion plates, 1770 to 1899, Batsford, London. Jones, A. R. S. P. 2000, Renaissance clothing and the materials of memory, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge [England]; New York. McNeil, P. K. V. C. C. 2009, Fashion in fiction : text and clothing in literature, film, and television, Berg, Oxford, UK; New York. Nevinson, J. L. 1967, Origin and early history of the fashion plate, Smithsonian Press, Washington, D.C. Niven, P. 1997, Steichen : a biography, Clarkson Potter, New York. Rublack, U. 2011, Renaissance fashion: The birth of power dressing, History Today, vol. 61, no.1. Steele, V. 2005, Encyclopedia of clothing and fashion, Charles Scribners Sons, Farmington Hills, MI.

Coal :: Energy Resources Fossil Fuels Essays

Coal In the world today, Coal is one of the most used Fossil Fuels in America. The black gold, which I like to call it, affects America in so many different ways. Have no worries coal is no where from becoming extinct or replaced. "Coal will be popular big time, in 2005," says Jim Thompson, who edits the weekly report U.S. Coal Review out of Knoxville, Tenn. "There will be more test bums than ever." In Wyoming alone they shipped out over four hundred million tons. I can’t even imagine how large that quantity is. Coal is so useful and America depends on coal greatly (Gransbery). Coal is utilized for combustion, which benefits the Residential areas and Power Plants. The coal used for that is known as Bituminous coal. That can be found in the Appalachian Mountains and even some central states. This type of coal is used due to its high heating value and high sulfur content Coal is also capable of being converted into gaseous or liquid fuel. Before any of thi s can happen, we need to find the mother load of the coal. Another word for that is the reserves. The major reserves in America for coal are found in the Northern Great Planes, Texas and Gulf of Mexico. Fossil Fuels are known for making a mess and causing a lot of environmental problems. They can create some serious pollution to the environment. One of the worse air pollution episodes occurred in 1948. In Donora, Pa twenty were found dead and over six thousand became quite ill quickly. The main cause of this disaster was the due to the high concentrations of SO2. That is why it is important to do whatever you can to eliminate as much as the pollution factor as you can. Cleaning the coal before combustion pretreatment will reduce pollution and even when your done cleaning you can clean the stack gases after combustion. This is an often-missed step in the pollution elimination process. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham has a new idea why to clean the coal. This isn’t just for environment safety but he believes that it will be a major source of hydrogen in the years to come.