Rock and Hip Hop the most Loved Forms of Music free essay sample

Hip Hop Rock and Hip Hop are two of the most loved forms of music today. Unfortunately many lovers of Rock despise Hip Hop and vise versa. Personally, I love both and believe that both genres are great in their own ways. I am going to compare and contrast Rock music and HIP Hop music In the categories of lyrics, beats, and sound. First I will discuss lyrics; lyrics are the words In the song. Artists In both genres use lyrics that many people find offensive.This is more typically found in Hip Hop artists. The artists degrade women, talk about drug abuse, theft, gun usage, and many others. Rock is also guilty for doing this but it is not as common as in the Hip Hop community. The lyrics of many rock groups are somewhat rebellious and often a downer. Rock music talks about becoming fed up with life because someone you know hates you. We will write a custom essay sample on Rock and Hip Hop the most Loved Forms of Music or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some HIP Hop and Rock; however, can be funny but with Hip Hop funny, Is also vulgar. In this case many people would choose Rock due to less widespread vulgarity.Now I will compare beats; beats are the tune to the song. In Hip Hop beats are combination of sounds from any number of instruments are added one at a time and each one varies in volume. In Rock, beats are created mostly by band members in a group normally consisting of a guitarist, a bass player, and a drummer; the lead singer may also play guitar. The band members come up with the beats to play. In both genres the artists may sample or borrow a part of another artist. A sample Is usually small such as a drum solo. T some can be entire songs save the lyrics. Sampling is very common in Hip Hop. Artists constantly sample a song that is years old. Many Hip Hop songs on the radio sample old songs popular from the sixties to the nineties. Rock tends to be more original in its beats; this makes the songs more unique than Hip Hops. Sound is one of the, if not the most, important aspect of music. If people dont Like the finished product they will most likely pay no attention to anything else In the song. The sound Is the song Itself when the beats ND lyrics are mixed together. All Rock songs have a sound that sets them apart. In Rock songs the guitars and drums are extremely recognizable, but what really stick out are the screams. Screams are the yells and screeches the lead singer often uses in a song and if used properly can give a great boost to the music. Hip Hop also has a distinct sound. No other form of music mixes beats like Hip Hop does. In a Hip Hop song the beats may sound like drums but are synthesized to sound differently than NY real drum. These genres are very different. Rock songs are loud and explosive, and like a plane taking off they make you shake. Hip Hop songs can be smooth or rough depending on the artist. A smooth song lets you relax and enjoy the music with soft less vulgar lyrics and a calming sound. Rough Hip Hop makes you want to dance with fast beats and any lyrics that rhyme.

Last Twenty Years essays

Last Twenty Years essays The article I picked to do my summary on was about the changes in technology over the past twenty years. Americans have adjusted to include technology in their daily lives. Americans find that having a computer is just as common as having a refrigerator or other various household appliances. Different countries including Europe and Asia have included technology in their daily lives just the same as we do, but we are still the most interested in the future. A lot of changes have occurred since 1982, including computers and vast array of technology. The prices have dropped dramatically on computers, which makes them more available to Americans. If you bought a computer in 1982, $3,000 dollars would get you a computer that is no comparison to what you get today. The computers of twenty years ago were used for one task at a time but now Americans have adjusted to doing multiple things at once on a computer. If you were able to use a computer in 1982, you were one of the few people who had access to them, but now it is just as normal as using a telephone. The internet as we know it has changed a lot since 1982, where only one percent had access, now nearly half of the population of the united states has access. Technology is going to be everywhere, whether you want it or not. Children have been affected by technology today, but would it have been different without computers and other technologies? Dan Bricklin states in the article about, Right now you have a generation of Americans growing up who cant imagine life without PCs, in the same ways that the previous generations could not imagine a world without telephones or automobiles. Even though technology is still incredible, there are still households in America that do not have computers. Many parents cant find the money to buy computers for their children. They usually access computers from friends, community centers and libra ...

Quotes About the Meaning of Home

Quotes About the Meaning of Home Home sweet home, a place that gives you unconditional love, happiness, and comfort. It may be a place where you can bury your sorrows, store your belongings or welcome your friends. A happy home  doesnt require the trappings of opulence. Any place can be home as long as you are comfortable and secure there. If you are homesick or looking for a home of your own, these writers and thinkers can do wonders to lift your spirits. Jane Austen There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. Vernon Baker Home is where the heart can laugh without shyness. Home is where the hearts tears can dry at their own pace. William J. Bennett Home is a shelter from storms - all sorts of storms. Sarah Ban Breathnach Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need. G.K. Chesterton ...the truth is that the home is the only place of liberty, the only spot on earth where a man can alter arrangements suddenly, make an experiment on indulging in a whim. The home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks. Confucius The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home. Le Corbusier A house is a machine for living in. Charles Dickens Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the strongest conjuration. Emily Dickinson Where thou art, that is home. Ralph Waldo Emerson The house is a castle which the King cannot enter. Benjamin Franklin A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. Billy Graham My home is in Heaven. Im just traveling through this world. Jerome K. Jerome I want a house that has got over all its troubles; I dont want to spend the rest of my life bringing up a young and inexperienced house. Joyce Maynard A good home must be made, not bought. Christian Morgenstern Home is not where you live but where they understand you. Kathleen Norris Peace - that was the other name for home. Pliny the Elder Home is where the heart is. Catherine Pulsifer Home is where we should feel secure and comfortable. Helen Rowland Home is any four walls that enclose the right person. William Shakespeare People usually are the happiest at home. Charles Swain Home is where theres one to love us. Mother Teresa Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home. George Washington I had rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. Angela Wood If you know youre going home, the journey is never too hard.

Feedback to the previous 2 argument design paper's comments Essay

Feedback to the previous 2 argument design paper's comments - Essay Example In this argument paper, I used the necessary evidence to support my position, but did not define utopianism. My choice of language did not clearly put my supported position, which was a considerable flaw of my initial argument design paper. The paper was not argumentative, and I failed to use the necessary structure and format to make my writing an argumentative paper as I did not correctly highlight the concept, argument, evidence and conclusion. I used exceptionally good grammatical language though it had some minor errors in the paper, which could have been avoided by being keen. With the teacher’s comment, I was able to correct wrongly presented evidence. In my original argument design paper, I had stated that CCP required intensive and extensive ideological work among the peasants which was not necessarily the truth as they needed to work on some sections of the bourgeoisie, the intellectuals, and upper class people. By highlighting that the paper failed to qualify as an ADP, I carefully restructured my paper and presentation of the evidence to finally write a persuasive argumentative paper. The teacher’s comments highlighted weaknesses in my paper, which helped me write better by going over the literature again making me understand some key concepts I had overlooked. I wrote a good argumentative paper with superb presentation of evidence but failed to write a satisfactory conclusion. I used outdated evidence, which is not acceptable, and the paper had some grammatical mistakes. With the teacher’s comments, I was able to correctly write some of the statements with all the necessary information that I had omitted. I corrected the grammatical mistakes and paraphrased some of the sentences to make them have more impact and meaning. I corrected the weaknesses in my conclusion that were occasioned by the wrong choice of words, tense and sentence structure and was able to write a persuasive conclusion. I

Golden Rice Report (Environmental Biotechnology Course) Essay

Golden Rice Report (Environmental Biotechnology Course) - Essay Example The reasons for the creation of the specific type of rice are explored; also the methodology employed by researchers working on this project will be presented. It is proved that despite its prospects, ‘Golden Rice’ has not managed to meet the expectations of its creators; in fact, the benefits of ‘Golden Rice’ were not actually the ones promised by the researchers who developed it. The above fact leads to the assumption that the development of the specific product was not carefully planned; in this way, its appearance in the market was not finally justified – despite the approval and the support of the international community, for instance, the European Commission. Golden Rice was developed in Europe – under the pressure for improving genes in rice in order to respond to the health needs of people in developing countries – where rice is the food most consumed. In any case, Golden Rice is a genetically modified food; more accurately, Golden Rice is ‘a genetically engineered strain of rice’ (BioEthics Project Education, 2010); it was presented to the public for first time in 2000; since then, the researchers have tried to further develop Golden Rice but it seems that this target is far from being achieved; in fact, through the years, it was proved that Golden Rice could not guarantee the benefits of health that its creators claimed. The pitfalls reported – in regard to the benefits of Golden Rice – have led to the development of a new strain – referring to the 2nd generation of Golden Rice known also as Golden Rice 2 (BioEthics Project Education, 2010). Golden Rice has been created mainly in order to help controlling the deficiency in Vitamin A which has been found to be related with severe health problems of million of people worldwide – leading even to death when the level of deficiency of Vitamin A is high; in accordance with a series of data published by

Economics and United States Essay Example for Free

Economics and United States Essay Introduction to Allstar Brand Allstar Brand is a United States based consumer products company that produces and sells ethical (prescription) pharmaceuticals, OTC (over-the-counter or nonprescription) drugs, and consumer products. It is an $8.9 billion firm that was formed in 1924 and competes with a variety of larger and smaller firms, depending on the product market. It has a number of leading brands in various product categories. Over the years, it has expanded its product category width through internal new product development and acquisition of brands as well as companies. Allstar has operations in Europe and alliances in Asia. These have proven to be very successful markets that performing exceedingly well. But these markets are maturing very quickly, and with increased competition and slowing populations, it is now necessary to look elsewhere for continued growth and profit margins. The Allstar Board believes that to generate the kind of growth needed to drive their stock price, Allstar needs to develop a market presence in South America. South America is a region of great potential. With a population of approximately 450 million, the region represents a population that is 50 percent larger than that of the United States and Canada. The dominant national language across South America is Spanish, as is the case with Argentina. A variety of trade enhancement actions have put in place in recent years. The MERCOSUR agreement was set up among the South American countries of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, including association agreements (but not membership) with Bolivia. This agreement reduces trade barriers among these countries and has encouraged a variety of companies to establish production inside their borders to take advantage of low labor costs and fairly seamless access to neighboring markets. For accounting purposes at Allstar’s corporate offices, revenues and costs are converted into US$. Therefore, fluctuations in the exchange rate will affect consolidated reports directly. Allsmile Demographics Allsmile, a toothpaste brand, is a key asset of Allstar Brands. It is one of the company’s highest recognition brands in the United States. It is produced in the United States and in Germany for the United States and European markets, respectively. A large number of stock keeping units (SKUs) are produced. South Korean and Japanese manufacturers also produce Allsmile under license for distribution and sales in Asia. There have been reformulations of the brand, but as of today, the product formulations are essentially the same across all markets for a given SKU (although there are slight differences in packaging and in the type and intensity of flavoring that are thought to reflect regional preferences). With an entrance to South America, it may end up being cost effective to build a plant in South America instead of shipping products from the United States. Current world toothpaste sales total approximately $10 billion. The largest country market for toothpaste is the United States, with $1.4 billion spent during the past year. Toothpaste is available in a number of sizes, delivery systems, textures (paste or gel), and formulations. The basic toothpaste product is a paste or gel with flavoring and one or more active ingredients that provide specific benefits to consumers. A general description of these variations in the United States market is listed below. It is important to note that not all companies produce all possible combinations as each company determines where the holes in the market are and where the most money can be made. Why Argentina? Below is a market attractiveness index for the potential countries Allstar could enter. We have listed five criteria which we believe most accurately provide the best comparative results. The importance weight displays the percentage of importance to the criteria compared other criteria. Under each country is a rating. The ratings illustrate the importance of the criteria in that specified country. The assessment combines the importance weight of the criteria’s and the overall assessment of the country. As you can see by this chart, we have determined that Argentina would be the best country to sell Allsmile toothpaste. Background on Argentina Argentina is a large country comprised of approximately 1,068,302.2 square miles, slightly smaller than 3/10 the size of the United States. It has a democratic government that was set up in 1983. It has a population of 39.9 million people of which about 49% are male and 51% are female. Of the population, 97.1% of the people ages 15 and higher can read and write. Eighty-eight percent of the population lives in urban areas. The population of Argentina is pretty steady and is only growing at 0.96%. At 97%, Argentina is comprised primarily of Spanish and Italian (white-skinned) people. The life expectancy of Argentina is quite high with males living to 76 years of age and women living to 80. The age structure of Argentina is typical of what it to be expected for a South American country. The Age Structure Chart below shows the different classifications. Argentina’s Economy Argentina currently has a strong economy compared to its neighbors. Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, and an export-oriented agricultural sector. It has a large industrial section. Over the past decade however, the country has suffered recurring economic problems of inflation, external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was at negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the governments ability to pay debts and maintain the pesos fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and investor confidence. Government efforts to achieve a zero deficit, to stabilize the banking system and to restore economic growth proved inadequate in the face of the mounting economic problems. The pesos peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso was floated in February. The exchange rate plunged and real GDP fell by 10.9% in 2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized. GDP expanded by about 9% per year from 2003 to 2005. Growth is being led by a revival in domestic demand, solid exports, and favorable external conditions. The government took corrective action and boosted spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm congressional elections, but strong revenue performance allowed Argentina to maintain a budget surplus. Inflation has been rising steadily and has now reached 12.3%. The unemployment rate for Argentina is currently 11.5% which translates to businesses the people have money to purchase products. As you can see on the Market Comparison Chart below, Argentina is the leader in GDP/Capita and is second in GDP Growth and CPI Growth. Argentina’s Infrastructure Argentina, while smaller than some countries in South America, has a great infrastructure. Argentina has 21,183 miles of railways, 129,463 miles of highways, and 6,835 miles of waterways. In addition, Argentina has 11 ports and harbors and 1,333 airports. This expansive infrastructure makes doing business in Argentina very reliable and smooth. As mentioned before, Argentina falls under the MERCOSUR Agreement which allows for seamless transactions between the countries under the agreement (Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, and Bolivia). This agreement reduces trade barriers among these countries and has encouraged a variety of companies to establish production inside their borders to take advantage of low labor costs and fairly seamless access to neighboring markets. The chart below shows the benefits of doing business in Argentina. It also points out the extra costs of doing business outside this agreement. When deciding whether to build a plant in Argentina, we recommend looking at another country. It is important to take into effect all factors. For example, one may at first glance think Mexico is the most suitable to manufacturing, and this may be the case if the company was going to do business in the United States or Canada. However, when doing business in South America, it is important to stay within whichever trade agreement you will be doing business under. Otherwise, high tariffs and duties will blanket your company. It is also very important to look at means of distribution, specifically shipping. The table below shows the per unit costs for shipping toothpaste from various manufacturing locations, assuming the usual shipping mode for each origin – destination combination. As you will notice, having a plant in the United States is not so valuable because imports to Latin America come with a high price on shipping comparatively from shipping from within Latin America. As mentioned earlier, it is of great importance to note that in addition to shipping originating within Latin America, one also has no import duties or tariffs if shipping is done within the regional shipping agreements, such as is the case with the MERCOSUR agreement. Distribution channels in Latin America have traditionally been grouped into four categories: traditional, self-serve, hypermarket, and newly emerging is web purchases. Traditional channels are small, independent stores or open market areas almost exclusively served by wholesalers (indirect distribution). Self-serve is a more developed store where customers serve themselves, but that typically offers a narrow line of merchandise. These may be independent or part of a regional chain but are almost all locally owned. Convenience stores and grocery stores would fall in this category. Hypermarkets are a new style of channel that is found primarily in cities. These are usually large stores with a wide variety of goods and typically purchase items directly from the manufacturer (direct distribution). Many of the hypermarket chains are foreign owned or allied with a global distributor, such as Wal-Mart or Carrefour. The chart below shows the toothpaste distribution within each channel.

Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis is the story of a commercial traveler, Gregor Samsa, that one morning awoke turned into a gigantic insect. It is no dream but, simply and plainly, a real metamorphosis with no rhetoric in between. Facing this incredible fact, Kafka does not do any realistic concessions and keeps the new condition of the character to the end. That makes of The metamorphosis a hard work of fiction, in the way of Odyssey (with which, besides, it is closely related) or in the way of the Medieval fairy tales, specially those in which the wicked witch turns The Prince Charming into a hideous animal. >From the other side, the work, that belongs to a trilogy about marriage in relation to the individual, the family and the so-ciety written by Kafka, has a highly autobiographical contain. In The Judgment the subject is the engagement assumed as a treason to the literary calling; in The metamorphosis there is a view of marriage and family relations from a masochistic and incestuous perspective; in The Trial, it is the settlement of accounts, related with the incapacity of accomplishing the acquired compro-mises, according to an unwritten law, he must pay. In the three cases, the story ends with the protagonist's death. The Metamorphosis is built on a fiction level with two faces, Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, superposed in a way they get in contact with a real level with two faces too, the family relations and his dreams of Felice. By the merging of theses two levels, Kafka gets a fantastic reality which allows him to express his deepest dreams and desires in relation with marriage and sex in a poetic language that turns The Metamorphosis into a classic of erotism, aspect not considered until now. (Such a pleiad, Kafka, Sacher- Masoch and Dostoesky, met in The Metamorphosis turns into a height of masochism this work). PART ONE The Metamorphosis has three parts: the first one describes both the transformation of Gregory and his family's reaction to this respect; the second part shows the new cotidianity of the fami-liar group whose fragile estability crush with Gregory and sis-ter's bringing face to face; and the last part, where we attend Gregory's frustrated attemp of reconquering his sister, ends with his death. The foreground onto which Kafka builds his work is Dostoevsky's novel. This one brings to him a textual base that he lightly, mainly through substitutions, varies for adapting it to the intentions of his own story. For the first part of The Meta-morphosis, Kafka takes three

An Analysis of Jack London’s Revolution Essay

â€Å"The time should be past for the mental attitude: â€Å"Revolution is atrocious. Sir, there is no revolution. † Likewise should the time be past for that other familiar attitude: â€Å"Socialism is slavery. Sir, it will never be. † It is no longer a question of dialectics, theories, and dreams. There is no question about it. The revolution is a fact. It is here now. Seven million revolutionists, organized, working day and night, are preaching the revolution–that passionate gospel, the Brotherhood of Man. Not only is it a cold-blooded economic propaganda, but it is in essence a religious propaganda with a fervour in it of Paul and Christ. The capitalist class has been indicted. It has failed in its management and its management is to be taken away from it. Seven million men of the working-class say that they are going to get the rest of the working-class to join with them and take the management away. The revolution is here, now. Stop it who can. † Final paragraph of Jack London’s ‘Revolution’, (1905). This extract from Jack London`s essay ‘Revolution’ was written during the 1905 Russian Revolution, which would culminate (and subsequently fail) later in the year. The purpose of the essay is to persuade the reader that revolution is not only a necessary and positive occurrence, but also an inevitable one, ‘The revolution is a fact. ‘ The extract develops in conviction throughout, opening with an almost passive recommendation to the reader, ‘The time should be past for the mental attitude,’ and closing on the only imperative sentence used throughout, ‘Stop it who can. ‘ I do not believe that the two quotes within the extract are from any specific person, but that they represent the former opinion of the working class as a whole, ‘Sir, there is no revolution. ‘ This is due to London describing this as a ‘familiar attitude’, and also the use of Sir suggests a person of lower status. Alliteration and sibilance are used to make particular phrases more memorable to the reader, ‘Socialism is slavery†¦ capitalist class. ‘ This may be subtle form of manipulation in itself, as phonetically the repetition of the ‘s’ provides a more pleasant sound than the harsh ‘c’, and communicates to the reader a more positive association for socialism than capitalism. This negative association for the capitalist class is then reinforced through the use of legal jargon, ‘capitalist class had been indicted. ‘ An indictment is a formal written accusation of a criminal offence (this would have been handed up by a grand jury in 1905), which implies that London believes the Russian leader’s failure is so great it amounts to an offence against the state. It is also somewhat symbolic, as in essence ‘Revolution’ is an indictment, with the essay serving as the written accusation and the London and his audience the grand jury. London uses many rhetorical devices throughout the extract, such as ethos, logos and pathos. Ethos relies on the reputation of the author or speaker, and London was one of the most successful writers of his time. I believe he was reasonably well known in 1905 (particularly as The Call of the Wild was published in 1903) and this would have given him the required credibility to successfully convey his opinion based on his name alone. He was also associated with socialism, having run (unsuccessfully) for mayor of Socialist Labour Party in his hometown. Pathos is an emotive tool and the essay title ‘Revolution’ could be considered as such as it is a concept that has strong emotional connotation. Pathos is also employed somewhat through the analogy made between revolution and religion, ‘it is in essence a religious propaganda. ‘ London may have chosen the comparison as religion (if it can be considered movement) is very successful. The comparison is also of note as London himself was an atheist and fond of deriving the Christian religion, which may explain why he chose the post modifier ‘propaganda’ as it has negative connotations. His lack of respect for religion is shown when the religious comparison is developed further, and the revolution becomes, ‘passionate gospel,’ with the ‘Brotherhood of Man’ revolutionaries becoming its followers. Logos is the logical element of rhetoric, and London presents a coherent argument as to why the revolutionaries would succeed. This begins with ‘Seven million revolutionists’ and ends with ‘with a fervor in it of Paul and Christ’. It is built of clauses and sentences that carry equal influence, arranged in a particular order that starts with fact and escalates into blasphemous hyperbole. London uses inductive reasoning as this allows him to use particular facts to form a theory that explains the relationship between them, therefore allowing predictions of future knowledge as claimed at the end. Many specific types of rhetorical features are also present, all of which communicate London`s ideas and persuade the reader to agree with him. Chiasmus is used, ‘It has failed in its management and its management is to be taken from it,’ to encapsulates two important ideas into one sentence, connecting them and highlighting their significance. London also uses a sentential adverb to interrupt the syntax, ‘The revolution is here, now,’ and this ensures the words ‘here’ and ‘now’ are stressed, as lexis either side of an apostrophe is emphasised. Antithesis is used to highlight a contrasting relationship between two ideas, ‘There is no question about it. The revolution is fact. ‘ By juxtaposing the simple declarative sentences in parallel form it appears obvious that something cannot be both a question and a fact, and placing ‘now’ at the end of the sentence provides it with the most emphasis and makes it more memorable. There is also an example of tripling, ‘a question of dialectics, theories, dreams. ‘ This provides contrast, both semantically and structurally, to, ‘revolution is a fact,’ and the hypothetical nature of the former increases the strength of the latter. In conclusion I believe Jack London successfully communicates his beliefs in the extract, and the rhetorical devices used allow him to make the piece confluent and consequently persuasive.

Peoples behavior Essay

Whenever I encounter any person from another culture, I am often struck by how much that person represents and is different from the idea I have of that culture. Particularly if the idea I have of that culture’s person is seen from his perspective. A recent conversation with a student of Japanese ancestry highlighted to me this realization. When I first saw him, I assumed that he would speak English with an accent or with some difficulty. To my surprise, it turned out that he was a native English speaker having been born in the United States. Sharing the experience with a friend, she related to me that one of her acquaintances who was born in Hong Kong who had difficulty with being understood in English because of a difference in accent despite having English as a first language. These incidents are prime examples of how cultural stereotypes. Considering the number of foreign students alone, many universities and other social institutions should be developing the competencies to accommodate their communication and cultural assimilation needs. Like in the article written by Brink Lindsey in 2007 titled The Culture Gap for the Cato Institute, culture, statistically and in practice, is an issue that is asserting itself significantly. Without these measures, many people are liable to have negative experiences associated with cultural difference which can motivate them to be ashamed or defensive about their heritage. Having had my own positive and negative experience in being associated with my culture, I know first hand the need to understand culture on an individual level. It has been very helful too that my recent experience with other cultures has been positive and has allowed me to constructively learn from the experience. Had it been otehrwiese, I can easily see myself to develop negative concepts regarding Japanese or Chinese cultures since I believe in positive reinforcement. More than anything else, communication ad technology is creating new dimensions to cultural exposure and exchange. Many of the stereotypes we have of cultures is being challenged not so much because of changes in these cultures itself. Even more importantly, I realize that my culture influences what I see in other in the same way that other peoples cultural backgrounds influence what they see in me.

Characteristics of Squamates Reptiles

Characteristics of Squamates Reptiles Squamates (Squamata) are the most diverse of all the reptile groups, with approximately 7400 living species. Squamates include lizards, snakes, and worm lizards. Two characteristics that unite the squamates. The first is that they shed their skin periodically. Some squamates, such as snakes, shed their skin in one piece. Other squamates, such as many lizards, shed their skin in patches. In contrast, non-squamate reptiles regenerate their scales by other means- for example, crocodiles shed a single scale at a time while turtles do not shed the scales that cover their carapace and instead add new layers from beneath. The second characteristic shared by squamates is their uniquely jointed skulls and jaws, which are both strong and flexible. The extraordinary jaw mobility of squamates enables them to open their mouths very wide and in doing so, consume large prey. Additionally, the strength of their skull and jaws provides squamates with a powerful bite grip. Squamates first appeared in the fossil record during the mid-Jurassic and probably existed before that time. The fossil record for squamates is rather sparse. Modern squamates arose about 160 million years ago, during the late Jurassic. The earliest lizard fossils are between 185 and 165 million years old. The closest living relatives of the squamates are the tuatara, followed by the crocodiles and birds. Of all living reptiles,  turtles  are the most distant relatives of the squamates. Like crocodilians, squamates are diapsids, a group of reptiles that possess two holes (or temporal fenestra) on each side of their skull. Key Characteristics The key characteristics of squamates  include: most diverse group of reptilesexceptional skull mobility Classification Squamates are classified within the following taxonomic hierarchy: Animals Chordates Vertebrates Tetrapods Reptiles Squamates Squamates are divided into the following taxonomic groups: Lizards (Lacertilia): There are more than 4,500 species of lizards alive today, making them the most diverse group of all squamates. Members of this group include iguanas, chameleons, geckos, night lizards, blind lizards, skinks, anguids, beaded lizards and many others.Snakes (Serpentes): There are about 2,900 species of snakes alive today. Members of this group include boas, colubrids, pythons, vipers, blind snakes, mole vipers, and sunbeam snakes. Snakes have no limbs but their legless nature doesnt stop them from being among the worlds most formidable reptilian predators.Worm lizards (Amphisbaenia): There are about 130 species of worm lizards alive today. Members of this group are burrowing reptiles that spend most of their life underground. Worm lizards have sturdy skulls that are well suited for digging tunnels.

The Ancient Illyrians Connection to Todays Albanians

The Ancient Illyrians Connection to Todays Albanians Mystery enshrouds the exact origins of todays Albanians. Most historians of the Balkans believe the Albanian people are in large part descendants of the ancient Illyrians, who, like other Balkan peoples, were subdivided into tribes and clans. The name Albania is derived from the name of an Illyrian tribe called the Arber, or Arbereshà «, and later Albanoi, that lived near Durrà «s. The Illyrians were Indo-European tribesmen who appeared in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula about 1000 B.C., a period coinciding with the end of the Bronze Age and beginning of the Iron Age. They inhabited much of the area for at least the next millennium. Archaeologists associate the Illyrians with the Hallstatt culture, an Iron Age people noted for production of iron and bronze swords with winged-shaped handles and for domestication of horses. The Illyrians occupied lands extending from the Danube, Sava, and Morava rivers to the Adriatic Sea and the Sar Mountains. At various times, groups of Il lyrians migrated over land and sea into Italy. The Illyrians carried on commerce and warfare with their neighbors. The ancient Macedonians probably had some Illyrian roots, but their ruling class adopted Greek cultural characteristics. The Illyrians also mingled with the Thracians, another ancient people with adjoining lands on the east. In the south and along the Adriatic Sea coast, the Illyrians were heavily influenced by the Greeks, who founded trading colonies there. The present-day city of Durrà «s evolved from a Greek colony known as Epidamnos, which was founded at the end of the seventh century B.C. Another famous Greek colony, Apollonia, arose between Durrà «s and the port city of Vlorà «. The Illyrians produced and traded cattle, horses, agricultural goods, and wares fashioned from locally mined copper and iron. Feuds and warfare were constant facts of life for the Illyrian tribes, and Illyrian pirates plagued shipping on the Adriatic Sea. Councils of elders chose the chieftains who headed each of the numerous Illyrian tribes. From time to time, local chieftains extended their rule over other tribes and formed short-lived kingdoms. During the fifth century B.C., a well-developed Illyrian population center existed as far north as the upper Sava River valley in what is now Slovenia. Illyrian friezes discovered near the present-day Slovenian city of Ljubljana depict ritual sacrifices, feasts, battles, sporting events, and other activities. The Illyrian kingdom of Bardhyllus became a formidable local power in the fourth century B.C. In 358 B.C., however, Macedonias Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, defeated the Illyrians and assumed control of their territory as far as Lake Ohrid (see fig. 5). Alexander himself routed the forces of the Illyrian chieftain Clitus in 335 B.C., and Illyrian tribal leaders and soldiers accompanied Alexander on his conquest of Persia. After Alexanders death in 323 B.C., independent Illyrian kingdoms again arose. In 312 B.C., King Glaucius expelled the Greeks from Durrà «s. By the end of the third century, an Illyrian kingdom based near what is now the Albanian city of Shkodà «r controlled parts of northern Albania, Montenegro, and Hercegovina. Under Queen Teuta, Illyrians attacked Roman merchant vessels plying the Adriatic Sea and gave Rome an excuse to invade the Balkans. In the Illyrian Wars of 229 and 219 B.C., Rome overran the Illyrian settlements in the Neretva River valley. The Romans made new gains in 168 B.C., and Roman forces captured Illyrias King Gentius at Shkodà «r, which they called Scodra, and brought him to Rome in 165 B.C. A century later, Julius Caesar and his rival Pompey fought their decisive battle near Durrà «s (Dyrrachium). Rome finally subjugated recalcitrant Illyrian tribes in the western Balkans [during the reign] of Emperor Tiberius in A.D. 9. The Romans divided the lands that make up present-day Albania among the provinces of Macedonia, Dalmatia, and Epirus. For about four centuries, Roman rule brought the Illyrian-populated lands economic and cultural advancement and ended most of the enervating clashes among local tribes. The Illyrian mountain clansmen retained local authority but pledged allegiance to the emperor and acknowledged the authority of his envoys. During a yearly holiday honoring the Caesars, the Illyrian mountaineers swore loyalty to the emperor and reaffirmed their political rights. A form of this tradition, known as the kuvend, has survived to the present day in northern Albania. The Romans established numerous military camps and colonies and completely latinized the coastal cities. They also oversaw the construction of aqueducts and roads, including the Via Egnatia, a famous military highway and trade route that led from Durrà «s through the Shkumbin River valley to Macedonia and Byzantium (later Constantinople) Constantinople Originally a Greek city, Byzantium, it was made the capital of the Byzantine Empire by Constantine the Great and was soon renamed Constantinople in his honor. The city was captured by the Turks in 1453 and became the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Turks called the city Istanbul, but most of the non-Muslim world knew it as Constantinople until about 1930. Copper, asphalt, and silver were extracted from the mountains. The main exports were wine, cheese, oil, and fish from Lake Scutari and Lake Ohrid. Imports included tools, metalware, luxury goods, and other manufactured articles. Apollonia became a cultural center, and Julius Caesar himself sent his nephew, later the Emperor Augustus, to study there. Illyrians distinguished themselves as warriors in the Roman legions and made up a significant portion of the Praetorian Guard. Several of the Roman emperors were of Illyrian origin, including Diocletian (284-305), who saved the empire from disintegration by introducing institutional reforms, and Constantine the Great (324-37)who accepted Christianity and transferred the empires capital from Rome to Byzantium, which he called Constantinople. Emperor Justinian (527-65)who codified Roman law, built the most famous Byzantine church, the Hagia Sofia, and re-extended the empires control over lost territories- -was probably also an Illyrian. Christianity came to the Illyrian-populated lands in the first century A.D. Saint Paul wrote that he preached in the Roman province of Illyricum, and legend holds that he visited Durrà «s. When the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves in A.D. 395, the lands that now make up Albania were administered by the Eastern Empire but were ecclesiastically dependent on Rome. In A.D. 732, however, a Byzantine emperor, Leo the Isaurian, subordinated the area to the patriarchate of Constantinople. For centuries thereafter, the Albanian lands became an arena for the ecclesiastical struggle between Rome and Constantinople. Most Albanians living in the mountainous north became Roman Catholic, while in the southern and central regions, the majority became Orthodox. Source [for the Library of Congress]: Based on information from R. Ernest Dupuy and Trevor N. Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of Military History, New York, 1970, 95; Herman Kinder and Werner Hilgemann, The Anchor Atlas of World History, 1, New York, 1974, 90, 94; and Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15, New York, 1975, 1092. Data as of April 1992SOURCE: The Library of Congress - ALBANIA - A Country Study

Tata Group Global Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Tata Group Global Business - Assignment Example Since Ratan Tata took leadership of the company, till his retirement in 2012 and the current president, Tata Group of companies has been headed by a common chairman to enable centralization. The Group Corporate Centre (GCC) and Group Executive Office (GEO) have been two crucial bodies involved in decision making of the Tata Group, to direct and define its business endeavours (Goldstein, 2007). It has a board that is chaired by the head of Tata group currently Mr Cyrus Mysty, who took over from Ratan Tata and consist of a CEO and a team of directors. That is just but the top executive of the conglomerate of companies. According to One World Trust, Tata group takes the form of an informal supra- organizational structure; such that it’s distinct high level corporate GEO and GCC has managing directors from Tata group companies, and allow various Tata companies to operate as separate legal entities with their own structures (n.d.).In its hierarchical structure, Tata group has diffe rent enterprises that operate in specific sectors and which also have their affiliate companies, either wholly acquired or merged with other local or foreign companies. For example, Tata Steel Company, Tata Motors, Tata Tele-Services and Tata Power among others.   Each of the companies has their own shareholders and managing director, and an independent board of directors with a chairperson that are held accountable to (tataaia.com, n.d.). Similarly, each of these companies organization structure may be modified with time., depending on the number of mergers and acquisitions. Some of Tata enterprises have very committed committees that address varying issues necessary for the company. For example, departments in an enterprise could depend on audit, remuneration, ethics, and compliance committees to support their function. In 2008, some of Tata enterprises like the TSC and Tata Steel unveiled new organization structure that enhanced company integration. Focusing on the Tata Steel G roup, which consist of Corus group limited and Tata steel, it has a strategy and integration committee headed by the Tata Group of companies chairman (initially Mr Ratan Tata), its hierarchical structure of management begins with the Board, managing director (M.D.), as well