The Message of the Torah Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Message of the Torah - Essay Example Therefore, it is kept and dressed in Synagogue. The significance of Torah can be substantiated by the message conveyed in it, which is about blessing i.e. God will always bless human beings1; which contains an abysmal severity of magnitude and importance for the mankind, particularly the followers. The literal meaning of the term Torah is to teach. The book teaches Jewish people how to pray, eat, and live2. The message of the Torah is that God provides all that mankind needs and give commands to choose the way of life. â€Å"The Torah conveys the message that God has blessed the humanity by providing them the required guidance in the form of this scripture† â€Å"male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created â€Å"3 The Torah delivers the message that God has blessed us by keeping us alive and sustained in this earthly environment. The message it conveys is about self-satisfaction. Everything that human beings need in order to be happy has been provided by God. No matter how many difficulties we face in our lives, the recitation of Torah will fill ourselves with happiness and satisfaction. This shows that Torah is the source of solace and a means to achieve contentment in this highly materialistic world of today. In the present times, when materialism has heightened to extreme extents, individuals have forgotten to find happiness in nature and to be thankful with what one has. Torah acts as a reminder which aids to achieve contentment and inner peace. â€Å"and He said: If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee†4 The central message is predominantly preoccupied with human actions. It further teaches individuals to follow the commands of God

Article Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Article Critique - Essay Example The authors establish their case by first reviewing the available literature regarding how front office work is represented within school public relations research. They reveal numerous studies that examine the roles of parents or caregivers in student learning, looking at the "triad" of parent/carer, teacher and student, completely by-passing the front office as a potential participant. The researchers do provide one example of a study conducted in 1991 that is similar to their own inquiry, but point out that the data is relatively outdated. In spite of this, they use this outdated study to help support their own conclusions later in the article. These researchers also point out that a few studies have referenced front office work as an occasional participant in helping shape parents' overall experiences of educational practices. To illustrate how these studies have looked at the front office, the researchers go into a lengthier discussion of four sample studies that they found. The se sample studies tended to show the front office as a negative impediment to school-to-home relations. ... Another sample study showed the negative role the front office must play as gate-keepers of the school, frequently translated within parents' minds as impeding their ability to participate in their child's education and actually the result of inadequate communication between administration and parents regarding school policies, again demonstrating the front office as an ignored space. The other studies mentioned describe the importance of a welcoming entrance to the school, but focus on the architecture and entry procedures without giving any attention to the personnel that carry out these functions. The researchers effectively demonstrate that while the job of the office workers might be valued, the workers themselves are largely ignored or viewed in a negative light. The study the article reports on was conducted by gathering a great deal of school documents and parent/administrator/staff interviews, and observations. Although the study was not intended to be focused exclusively on front office work, its primary purpose, to examine how to build good home-school relations, revealed this gap in understanding. The researchers point out that the study sample was not representative, but their findings seem widely applicable. Within all of the collected material, there was a great deal of information about what was expected of parents and how the front office played a role in various activities relating to the children, but none of the office staff were ever mentioned by name or specific area of the front office itself. Because the focus of the study was not originally intended to be about the front office work and the invisible role of front office staff, questions pertaining to these

Music Since World War II, Concert Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Music Since World War II, Concert Review - Essay Example There are many types and styles of music written since World War II, the only limit is the composer’s imagination. They are looking for different modes of expression. Composer Arnold Schoenberg experimented strange and unorthodox tonal schemes and harmonies. Bela Bartok, a Hungarian composer, combined the Twentieth Century forms with music of Hungarian peasants. Edgard Varese who belongs to the group of ‘Avant-garde’ experimented with the manipulation of rhythms. Igor Stranimsky, throughout his entire career made experiments with kaleidoscopic rhythms and instrumental colors. So it is very clear that composers since Second World War made lots of experiments with traditional instruments and modes of expression. Yet some of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, such as Giacomo Puccini, an Italian opera composer and Sergei Rachmaninoff, the Russian composer, followed traditional forms of music history. Music since World War II has seen several new and ecle ctic styles. Under the musical direction of David Currie, the Ottawa Orchestra presented a concert entitled ‘A French Connection’ comprising of the compositions of Pierre Merure, Steven Gellman and Camille Saint Saens. Pierre Merure discovered French music and developed an interest for orchestration which was very much visibly noticeable in his very first work ‘kaleidoscope’

Revenge Themes In Hamlet English Literature Essay

Revenge Themes In Hamlet English Literature Essay Hamlet is a tragic play by William Shakespeare that consists of numerous deaths. It is believed to have been written between the year 1599 and the year 1601. The play is set in Denmark and describes how Prince Hamlet demands revenge on his uncle Claudius for killing his father, who was the previous King, and then rising to the throne and getting hitched to Gertrude, who was Hamlets mother. The play intensely moves the course of real and contrived madness, from devastating grief to livid rage and looks at the themes of revenge, treachery, moral corruption and incest. Hamlet is among the most quoted literature works in the English language, and it is time and again included on the lists of some of the worlds greatest literature. In this regard, it echoes through the literature of the later centuries. One academic, Laurie Osborne, identified the direct control of Hamlet in copious narratives of modern times, and splits them into four main categories.   Ã‚   In this play these two characters Laertes and Hamlet both want to revenge their fathers deaths. Hamlet with his inert and devious approach at the end manages to kill his fathers murderer, who was his uncle Claudius. On the other hand Laertes with his straight and vigorous dedication kills his fathers killer, who was Prince Hamlet. Even though Laertes took a more direct approach than Hamlet not wasting time, they both accomplished their aim but at the eventual price of their lives! During the early 17th century, this Shakespeare play was renowned for its ghoul and vibrant dramatization of misery and lunacy, leading to a demonstration of mad aristocrats and ladies in Caroline and Jacobean drama. Although it stayed well-liked with mass audiences, the late 17th-century restitution critics viewed Hamlet as archaic and disapproved of its lack of modesty and unity. This view drastically changed during the 18th century, when critics considered Hamlet as a champion-a brilliant, pure, young man propelled into ill-fated circumstances. But by the mid-18th century, the advent of Gothic literature brought mystical and psychological readings, returning the Ghost and madness to the forefront. It was not until the late 18th century that performers and critics began to view Hamlet as inconsistent and confusing. These advancements represented an essential change in literary criticism that came to center more on character and less on the plot of the play. By the 19th century, the re were romantic critics who valued Hamlet for its inner, individual divergence that reflected the strong modern emphasis on inner struggles and internal character in general. Even then, critics began to concentrate on Hamlets delay as a character trait and not as a plot device. This focus on internal struggle and character persisted into the 20th century, when criticism split in several directions. Synopsis The central character of Hamlet is Denmarks Prince Hamlet, who is the son of the recently departed King Hamlet and his spouse, Queen Gertrude. During the time the young Hamlet is away at school the brother of the newly deceased King, Claudius, is nominated king and hurriedly marries Gertrude. The play begins on a cold night at the royal Danish castle. Francisco, who is one of the guards, is relieved of his watching duty by Bernardo, another guard, and goes away while Bernardo remains on stage. There after a third guard, Marcellus enters in the company of Horatio, who is Hamlets best friend. The guards notify Horatio that they have seen a spirit that resembles the departed King Hamlet. Once Hamlet heard of the appearance of the Ghost from Horatio, he decides to see the Ghost for himself. During that very night, the spirit comes out again. It guides Hamlet to a secluded place and discloses that it is the actual Ghost of his father and reveals that he, the senior Hamlet, was killed by Claudius who poured poison in his ear. The spirit demands the vengeance of his death. In the course of revenging his fathers death, Hamlet in one way or another caused the death of numerous innocent people. When Gertrude sent for Hamlet to her closet to demand an explanation for his recent behavior, Hamlet obliges. On his way to see Gertrude, Hamlet passed Claudius who was in prayer but vacillates to kill him, thinking that passing away in prayer would send him to heaven. On reaching the queen, a squabble erupts between Gertrude and Hamlet. Polonius, who was spying on the scene, panicked when it looked like Hamlet was about to kill the Queen and cried out for help. Hamlet, believed that it is Claudius who was hiding behind the arras and stabbed violently through the cloth, and instantly killing Polonius With the sad loss of her father, and also her recently lost relationship with Hamlet, Ophelia becomes mad. Her brother, Laertes wants revenge for the death of their father Polonius. Claudius suggests a fencing match that was to be between Hamlet and Laertes, because Hamlet was envious of Laertes expertise with a sword. Because Laertes was enraged at the slaying of his father, he informs the king that he would also poison the tip of his sword so that even a mere graze would mean certain demise. If that plan does not work, they would have a glass of wine containing poison that Hamlet would drink from. What can be learned from this is that the thought of revenge is healthy, but, actually going through with it by trying to murder a person who you have a bad connection with may not be a very good idea. The entire events took place mainly because of the slaying of Hamlets father ending up in a big tragedy because of the death of many others even more than the two who were concerned, Claudi us and his nephew Hamlet. Revenge is also demonstrated by Claudius after the death of his friend and most trust worthy chief counselor. Because Claudius feared for his life, he finally came up with a legitimate excuse to get rid of the prince, making plans to send Hamlet to England apparently on a diplomatic trip, and to be closely watched by Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. Alone, Claudius reveals that he is sending Hamlet to his demise. Afterwards a story spreads around that Hamlets ship was assailed by pirates on its way to England. Luckily King Claudius plan fails and Hamlet survives and goes back to Denmark. Claudius wanted to kill hamlet because he was a threat to him and also because he had killed Polonius. The lack of thinking that is used in executing the revenge was what led to the deaths Hamlet and of Laertes. This can be demonstrated when Laertes was planning with Claudius to kill Hamlet using the poisoned tipped sword. Strangely they had not thought that the sword could be used on them. Laertes having believed the Kings accusations that Hamlet had killed his father; he fought Hamlet and wounded him with the poisoned sword. Hamlet went on to wound Laertes with the same poison tipped sword, leading to his death. Hamlet had many opportunities to kill his uncle, but his wrath overshadowed his sound judgment; so he chose to wait until he could find the perfect chance, to smack him down into a world of everlasting damnation. Now might I do it pat, now he is prayingA villain kills my father; and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven?[Act 3, Scene 3, lines 74-98].   Hamlet waits until when he can slay his uncle while he is sinning but unluckily for Hamlet, his n ext chance to take revenge on Claudius is during his own death.   Revenge is also seen when the troupe of actors came to town. Because Hamlet was uncertain if the Ghost had told him the truth, he devised a way in which he could know for sure if his uncle is the one who killed his father. The entrance of a troupe of actors at Ellsinore presented him with a solution. He decided to stage a play that will re-enact his fathers murder so as to determine Claudiuss innocence or guilt by reading his reaction. People assembled at the court to watch the play; Hamlet provided a frantic running commentary throughout the play. When the murder scene is presented, which was a scene of king being killed; Claudius suddenly rose and left the room, which Hamlet sees as proof of his uncles guilt. Work cited Bradbrook M.C. Shakespeare: the poet in his world. Oxon: Methuen and Co. Ltd, 1978 Michael Innes, John Innes and Mackintosh Stewart. Hamlet, Revenge!. Cornwall: House of Stratus, 2001. Prosser, Eleanor. Hamlet revenge. California: Stanford university press, 1971 Rebecca, Dunn. Hamlet. Minnesota: Magic Wagon, 2009

How can acousmatic music communicate its intention to the listener? Ess

Acousmatic music can be challenging to communicate its intention to the listener. Unlike traditional music their is 'no score, no system and no pre-segmented discrete units like notes' (Anderson, 2007; p. 2). Acousmatic music uses what is heard without seeing or knowing the physical origin of the sound as a compositional tool (Contrà ©, WWW). 'It is a type of electroacoustic music, which exists in a recorded format, transmitted and perceived, during performances, via the loudspeaker' (Anderson, p. 2). Rather than understanding conventional musical forms acousmatic music may rely only on communication. Communication primarily focuses on language. There are different forms of language when introduced to electroacoustic music. Language can be understood through listening, perception and identification or understanding (Adkins, 1999; p. 2; Delalande, 1998; pp. 26 - 49; Nudds, 2007; p.7; Seddon, 2005; p. 1). These will be looked at to see if they can help in communicating the intention o f acousmatic music to the listener. Understanding language beforehand may help in better understanding listening, perception and identification. Language is the bearer of meaning and is a universal medium of communication (Evans, 1973; p. 42; Stenlund, 1990; p. 14). With in electroacoustic music, language is used as a 'tool for establishing an aesthetic' (Keane, 1986; p. 118). Pierre Schaeffer considers it as being 'presupposed' (Windsor, 1995; 1.1.1). Although, both talking about language they talk about different aspects of language in relation with electroacoustic music. Schaeffer talks about the creation of music, Keane talks about the process before making music. Schaeffer's theory of language may mask the communication between composer and liste... ...eane's suggestion of explaining and expressing the intention to the listener through speech or literature (communication) seems like the most plausible way of making sure the listener will know the composer's intent. This way the listener could put the composer's intention together whilst listening, which may make the listening experience more enjoyable. 'The more informed the listener is about the music the more pleasurable and meaning the listening experience' (Burton, Cavalier, Hoffer, Hughes, 1997; p. 1). Although, there are listeners who want to make their own listening experience through their perception regardless of knowing the intention of the piece. The only listeners who enjoyed the pieces were the musically trained listeners. Their theory was listening to acousmatic music may help them in gaining a wider understanding on the subject as it is ambiguous.

My Experience Essay

As I reflect upon my life I will describe facts and events believed to have contributed to the person I am today. I like how Merriam Webster’s online dictionary explains experience as something personally encountered, undergone, or lived through. I have encountered difficulties, circumstances, and triumphs that have helped me to grow as a person. I am pursuing a higher education as my future goal. In this paper, I will apply theories from Adult Development and Life Assessment in my explanation of challenges I have faced during childhood to adulthood. I was born in Chicago, one of six girls and the middle child of twelve. As early as I can remember we worked as a group. We played together and we worked in the garden that my parents made in our back yard. I hated the garden because every time I wanted to go play, I first had pick vegetables out of the garden. I didn’t understand at the time that my parents used the garden to help feed our large family. My dad always worked two jobs; his primary employment was with a company called Central Soya. When my father retired from there we moved to Alabama because the cost of living was cheaper. We didn’t have a lot of material things like clothes and shoes. My mother would buy tennis shoes from the grocery store and my brothers would be so embarrassed because their friends saw them trying on the shoes in the store. I can remember my dad making me a pair of pants for school; I thought they were the prettiest pair of pants I had ever seen. It was cheaper to make a pair of pants than to buy them. My parents cut corners any way they could. We may not have had material things but what we did have was love and lots of talent. Not real talent but talent that’s appreciated in a family. On rainy days mom and dad would have us put on a talent show. It was so much fun that we kept the tradition even until adulthood. On birthdays and holidays we would use our talents to entertain mom and dad. Birthdays were especially special because my dad would make me a birthday cake. He was a really good cook and everyone in the neighborhood wanted a piece of his cake. My sixteenth birthday marked a significant shift in my life. I became pregnant and it was one of the biggest mistakes that started a downward spiral in my life. I hung out with older girls that had children. They were into partying and so called having a good time. Our environment plays a huge role in how we develop, what pathways are open to us, and which are closed (Witt, G.A., & Mossler, R. A. (2010). I feel like the environment that I chose to be in led to early exploration of drugs and alcohol. I could see myself going in the wrong direction with more terrible consequences if I didn’t make a change. I stopped hanging out and got my first job. It was on a military base in the mess hall. I met a soldier and we got married on our way to work one day when I was twenty one years old. We dated for four months then he went overseas for a year. We married a year later after he returned to the states. Being married was a challenge because he was abusive physically, verbally, and mentally. I had listened to his insults for so long that they became part of my own vocabulary. I began to think that maybe he was right, maybe if I could cook, clean, dress or talk better it would fix our problems. In our text Freud believed that the mind uses defense mechanism to protect itself from severe distress. In the beginning I rationalized everything he did, in rationalization: we look for an acceptable reason to justify our thinking or behavior (Witt & Mossler 2010). I got involved in church and accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. As a result I think a lot of the abusive behavior was able to continue because I simply forgave, thinking it was the Christian thing to do. According to Haan (1977), coping strategies involve choice and purposive behavior, are oriented toward reality, involve differentiated thinking that integrates conscious and preconscious aspects, and permit affective satisfaction in an open, ordered, and tempered way (Psychology and Aging 2000 ). It came to a point after seventeen years of abuse I couldn’t take it anymore. I had done all that I could physically to have a successful marriage but it wasn’t working out for me. I had to face the cruel reality that my marriage was over. Finally I filed for a divorce, which was one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life. Going through the divorce gave me a sense of freedom and strength that I had never experienced in my marriage. Getting a divorced was the best thing I could have done for myself. It started me on a journey to find out what I want out of life for myself. It marked a new beginning to a better, brighter future in my life. I was free to make my own decisions that impact my life. One of those decisions was returning to school for a degree. I really want to be an example to my daughter and her children that education is the key to success, and you are never too old to be successful in life. I must admit that I was very afraid of returning to school because I thought that I would not be successful. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to remember things or comprehend how to do the work. Some researchers contend that intellectual functioning is a process of irreversible decline. However, most scholars agree that intelligence either remains relatively stable through the adult years, with substantial intellectual changes occurring only very late in life, or that intelligence declines in some respects, remains stable in others, and may even increase in some functions, depending on a person’s educational level, life experiences, and overall health (Intelligence and Aging 2007). I am now encouraged to pursue my education. I’m not too old, I plan to finish my courses and earn my degree. My goal is to apply for higher positions that require a degree. There will be many opportunities open to me once I earn my degree in my field of study. In conclusion, I have shared different experiences that have influenced my personal life. I have used theories from this class to support my experiences and I have shared my future plans to achieve my academic goals. Every lesson I complete moves me one step closer to my goal. References Intelligence and Aging (2007) Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/wileyla/intelligence-and-aging Witt, G. A., Mossler, R.A., (2010). Adult Development Retrieved from http://content.ashford. edu /AUPYS202.10.1 Vief, G. L., Diehl, M., (2000) Cognitive complexity and cognitive-affective integration. Psychology and Aging. Vol.15 (3) US: American Psychological Association pp. 490 -504.doi:10.1037/0882-7974.15.3.490

Technology Is the Solution to Overpopulation

Technology is the Solution to Overpopulation About ten years ago while in a science museum, I saw a counter that estimated what the world population was at that given moment. Innocuous at first glance, since a number in excess of five billion is difficult to comprehend, what became alarming after watching the counter for a minute was the continual increase in the population. Thinking about the circumstances related to the population rise logically made the problem seem apparent. The earth is finite both in terms of physical size and in resources but the population is growing towards an infinite value.At some point the steadily rising population will move from being a problem that is geographically distant to one that is immediate and more salient than just an increasing value on a faceless counter. This problem of population growth leads to a number of solutions that could have significant implications on the quality of life. Taking no action and allowing population to grow unchecked could possibly risk the entire human species if food or clean water were to become unavailable worldwide.Aiming for zero population growth would in theory maintain the existing quality of life since a stable population would not increase their use of resources. However not all resources are renewable, so scarcities could still occur with a fixed population size. In an extreme case permanent resource depletion under zero population growth could have the same extinction effect that unchecked growth can lead to. Despite the escalating risk of unchecked population growth, technological advances necessitated by the increase in population will at least maintain the quality of life and could possibly improve conditions.Southwick in â€Å"Global Ecology in Human Perspective† says that human population has increased geometrically over the past two millennia. With a high number of people in their reproductive age the potential for continued growth is likely. Southwick says that scient ists think the world population has increased far beyond an optimal size of one to two billion. The optimal population comes from a standard of middle class quality of life. A more critical analysis of population growth relates it to a cancer in an organism.Despite the level of pessimism on population growth, future research needs to be conducted with a more objective viewpoint to counteract cultural and emotional origins (Southwick, 1996). With the likelihood that population will continue to increase when considering Southwick’s observation that many people able to reproduce, the population will continue to move further from its â€Å"optimal† size. This deviation implies that the quality of life must be decreasing for many. In reality this decline has not happened. As discussed in class, increased agricultural yields have allowed for a larger population to be adequately supported.Even with the increased amount of food, Southwick says that 20 percent of the world popu lation is malnourished (1996). More food may be available but it still is not being distributed to all of those who need it. The lack of rapid worldwide transport of all goods including food may appear to be a hindrance to well-being but this disconnection between locations may provide an important health safeguard. Diseases are another negative factor to human population growth and some highly contagious fatal diseases can risk human extinction.A virus can only spread if it can find someone else to infect before it kills the carrier. A fatal disease that leads to death after a long period of time increases the chance that the carrier can infect other people, in turn bringing population closer to extinction. In terms of transportation, if people and goods in the world are too well connected, then a fatal disease that has the potential to lead to extinction would be able to infect many people over large area since the disease can spread quickly over trade routes.The World Health Orga nization has found that the current spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS is facilitated by international travel and can quickly infect many people around the world. Originating in Southeast Asia, speedy transportation has turned SARS from a regional problem into an international issue (World Health Organization, 2003). To avoid the risk of mass deaths due to rapidly spreading diseases, international policymakers need to avoid the creation of a level of world interconnectedness that is too quick. A slightly disconnected world may mean oods may not reach all places where in demand, but the risk of fatal diseases affecting large regions of population would be less. The ideal model of resource distribution is to have necessities be located near areas of population. Localized resources would reduce the need for goods to travel long distances over a lengthened period of time to avoid the spread of disease. Increased levels of population could live well off of added amounts of food that are nearby. This best case of locating populations near resources would be difficult to obtain in practice as resources and populations are already in fixed locations.If people were unwilling to move near where food is available it would be difficult, except in times of war and famine, to force them to relocate. A compromise solution would accept the fact that not all people of the world will be able to have a high standard of living but the potential for improved quality exists. This potential cannot be reached immediately since resources and population remain geographically separate and faster transportation would increase the spread of fatal diseases.Improvements in resource production such as increased crop yields makes it possible to support higher populations and improve the quality of life at least at a local level. References Southwick, C. H. Global Ecology in Human Perspective, Chapter 15. Oxford Univ. Press. (1996). World Health Organization â€Å"Frequently Asked Questions on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS),† Communicable Disease Surveillance & Response (CSR), March 24. (2003). World Health Organization . Retrieved March 29, 2004.