Early Ages Essay Example for Free

Early Ages Essay The Middle Ages is a catchall phrase often used by historians alluding to the thousands of years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the period of discovery and reawakening. The term Middle Ages was coined during the period that followed it, which was the Renaissance (Roseinwein, 2008). Since people from the Renaissance period thought of themselves as â€Å"advanced and civilized,† they deemed the time between them and the earlier world as the â€Å"Middle Age† (2008). The term derived from the Latin medium, which means middle and aevium, referring to age (2008). The Early Middle Ages, which occurred from 5th – 8th centuries, was dominated by Christianity which eventually became the rationale for uniting Europe culturally and linguistically (Herrin, 2002, p. 609). It was also a period marked by distinctions of social classes- the noble, the peasants and the clergy, with peasants populating more (Kamien, 1998, p. 62). This was the reason by medieval society was often described as a period with lack of food supply, poor agriculture, and poor economic conditions (p. 612). As aforementioned, the Early Middle Ages brought forth the importance of religion, specifically that of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during this time when the Holy Roman Empire was established. . One outstanding work from this period and perhaps had the earliest record was medieval music, particularly the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant was the official music of the Roman Catholic Church (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Although the Gregorian chant was named in honor of Pope Gregory I, it was said that the pope was in fact not its creator (p. 65). Historians accounted the existence of Gregorian account or what they believed was its evolution to psalm singing in Jewish synagogues in the first centuries after Christ (p. 65). However the case may be, Pope Gregory could still be held responsible for the popularity of the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant is actually a body of unaccompanied vocal music. It was meant to set the mood for certain religious services (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Set in Latin, Gregorian chants swept the music of the Early Middle Ages. Gregorian chant is like no other music for has no meter nor regular rhythms (p. 65). However, it is this distinct characteristic that makes the Gregorian chant a somewhat free-flowing disposition. Listening to a Gregorian melody invokes serenity, as if disengaging the listener from any anxieties. It is considered monophonic since it is music for one line and is sung in unison. It is said that there are only few names of Gregorian chant composers. This is because composers did not think of themselves as composers but as conduits of the voice of God. One of the most known contributors of the Gregorian chant was Hildegard (p. 68). A nun, Hildegard composed O Successores (You Successors), a chant intended to give praise to the â€Å"holy confessors who are successors of Christ† (p. 68). In the period that followed the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the predominant sound continued to be unaccompanied vocal music. However, the dawn of the Baroque period saw the musical style embracing the use of musical instruments like the harpsichord, violin and viola (Kamien, 1998, p. 104). Likewise, the melody has become wider instead of the narrow range that accompanied the Gregorian chant. While the Renaissance period still had Mass music, the Baroque period ushered in opera, sonata and concertos (pp. 100-115). Church music, especially the Lutheran service, was called a church cantata (p. 129). Whereas the Middle Ages was limited to the culture of the Church, the succeeding periods created new attitudes- that of showing that people have the capacity to create and shape their world instead of merely serving as conduits. The Gregorian chants, which was passed on by oral traditions, ebbed away slowly until a 1994 release of ‘Chant† by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. This made Gregorian chant popular again due its similarity with New Age Music- smooth, uniform and non confrontational. The Early Middle Ages may have focused on sublime spirituality but the beauty of it has emanated throughout the centuries. Listen to a church hymn and feel how it has evolved from a simple, monophonic music to the finely crafted yet polyphonic texture of today. References Herrin, J. E. (2002). Early Middle Ages. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 16, pp. 609-612) USA: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Kamien, R. (1998). Music an appreciation 3rd ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Rosenwein, B. (2008). Middle Ages. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from Microsoft Encarta Web site: http://encarta. msn. com/text_761578474___0/Middle_Ages. html

Trumans Domestic Policy :: American America History

Truman's Domestic Policy Despite strong opposition from a Republican congress, Truman attempted to extend Roosevelt's New Deal policies by strengthening social security, conservation, implementing rent controls, and providing housing to low-income families. At times, however, Truman was inconsistent with his own party's beliefs and the ideal of the New Deal in order to suit the immediate situation and retain public support. Furthermore, Truman supported civil rights actions and for the first time, increased the political status of African American citizens. Truman's various other reforms were much like the proposals of Roosevelt, but the mood of the nation due to its affluence and that of Congress opposed his efforts and the changing times proved that Truman's Fair Deal was not as necessary as FDR's New Deal. Truman's organized policy to elaborate on the New Deal was termed the Fair Deal and aimed to improve social conditions like Roosevelt's plan had done previously. His immediate goals were full employment and an improved economy, as well as to provide for the common good. The Fair Labor Standards Act increased the minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents and the Social Security Act increased benefits to the elderly by 77.5%. Also, to the advantage of those who lived in rented homes and apartments, Truman lengthened rent controls to March 1951, and in addition, the Housing Act vowed to eliminate slums and established 810,000 low-income houses, thus providing a good amount of citizens with affordable housing. The president also implemented the Employment Act in 1946 to help stabilize the postwar economy. The act created a three member council of economic advisors and a joint committee to study and propose stabilization measures. Moreover, Truman attempted to establish a Missouri Valley Aut hority while extending the power of the Tennessee Valley authority, but was unsuccessful. However, the president did obtain increases in hydroelectric, water control, and irrigation projects in the west. Like Roosevelt, Truman was concerned about the welfare of farmers and encouraged the Brennan Plan to maintain farm income standards through price supports, loans, and storage of nonperishable commodities. Although the plan failed , the Agriculture Act of October, 1949 continued price supports at 90% parity through 1950 and then at 75-90% afterwards. This act was consistent with New Deal farm policy. Truman made other New Dealish attempts, like National Health Insurance and federal aid to education, but both were defeated with the help of protests by interest groups, namely the American Medical Association and the Roman Catholic Church.

In Act V, scene i of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play is coming to a close as disorder has evolved into order

In Act V, scene i of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the play is coming to a close as disorder has evolved into order. Shakespeare concludes the play with words from Oberon, and then Puck. With his final words, Oberon enlightens the audience as to the will of the fairies- to bless the bridal beds of Theseus and Hypolyta, Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Through various literary devices, Shakespeare states the will of the fairies, proclaims their positive dominion, and concludes that this very dominion will allow the shift from disorder to order. Shakespeare proclaims the dominion of the fairies and emphasizes the positive nature of their will through sound value, imagery & diction. Oberon takes an authoritative stance at the very outset of his monologue as he begins with, â€Å"Now,† and immediately gives commands to his fairies. Such diction occurs once again when Oberon tells his fairies to â€Å"stray† through each house. That the fairies are able to enter into the house and â€Å"stray† about implies a certain authoritativeness about them. Also, in giving his commands to the fairies, many of Oberon's words have powerful, pounding sounds: break of day, best bride-bed, and blessed be. His repeated use of ‘b' sounds creates a commanding tone which tells the audience of the dominion that the fairies have. These very words also act as images of a new beginning- the â€Å"break of day† indicates the possibility of a fresh start. Such use of imagery re-occurs with the use of â€Å"bride-bed† which also denotes the optimistic opportunity of a new beginning, as marriage is often looked at as a reawakening experience. Oberon next instructs his fairies to â€Å"bless† these bride-beds and allow for â€Å"issue† to be â€Å"created. † The creation of issue, meaning children, is another example of a new beginning. Thus far, Oberon has established not only that the fairies have true dominion of what happens in the human world, but also the positive nature of this dominion as new beginnings are often looked at as positive and bright. As the monologue continues, through ailment diction, repetition and the personification of nature, Shakespeare elaborates on the outlook of the fairies' dominion and exemplifies the utter control that they have upon what will come to pass. Oberon personifies nature when he speaks of the â€Å"blots of Nature's hand,† suggesting that nature and the fairies are one and the same. If these two forces are at par with one another, it is implied that humans depend on the fairies as much as they do on nature. What Oberon refers to as the â€Å"blots of Nature's hand† is the fact that Nature (represented by the fairy world) is not perfect and the specific â€Å"blot† he has in mind is the fight between Oberon and Titania. Oberon says, however, that such blots â€Å"shall not in their issue stand,† meaning that the fairies do have control over such imperfections, and no negative effect will be bestowed upon the children. This is further expressed by the diction of ailments: â€Å"Never mole, harelip, nor scar. The fairies clearly have power over the â€Å"nativity† of the children which are to be conceived, and therefore have power over everything in the human world. This idea is emphasized furthermore by Oberon's repetition of the word â€Å"shall† as his ability to repeatedly declare what shall happen indicates the absolute dominion of the fairies. After having established the existence and positive nature of this dominion, Shakespeare concludes, through change in tone by sound value, religious diction and imagery, and the use of rhyme scheme, that it will bring about the shift from disorder to order. In order for there to be such a shift, much determination on the part of the fairies is required, which is established through religious diction and imagery. The word â€Å"consecrate,† as used by Oberon, refers to a religious dedication which the fairies have to the well-being of the humans. Oberon instructs each of his fairies to â€Å"take his gait† and â€Å"bless† the chambers of the humans. Such diction again implies a religious and dedicated protection that the fairies have over the humans which will enable them to bring order from disorder. Shakespeare asserts that it is indeed the fairies who will bring order to the human world by the use of the rhyme scheme which is apparent throughout the monologue. The monologue consists purely of rhyming couplets with 7 syllables. Such rhythm and structure implies that the positive dominion of the fairies has an orderly fashion to it, and ultimately expresses that the fairies will bring order from disorder. Finally, words with harsh sounds such as â€Å"trip,† â€Å"stay,† and â€Å"break of day† are used and Oberon ends his monologue in the same tone with which he begun- one of great authority. He calls upon his fairies to bring about order to the human world. By the end of the monologue, Shakespeare has enlightened the audience as to the absolute power that the fairy world has over the human world and has highlighted the dependence of the humans on the fairies. He has furthermore explained that this absolute power is of a positive nature and is the very reason a shift from disorder has occurred in Athens- the human world. While this could be a suitable conclusion to the play, Shakespeare concludes with words from Puck, who, being the protagonist leaves the audience with a choice- to walk away a realist, or to walk away a dreamer.

Bacteria Growing

Bacteria grows everywhere and there is no way to hide from it. Bacteria can be harmful, but most are not. They're strategies to help kill bacteria on human skin. The answer is soap. It doesn't matter if the bacteria is from its natural source or a petri dish. There is always a cleaning substance out there ready to kill the bacteria that grows on our body and other places in the world. People wonder what soap works the best and why it works the best. Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with understanding bacteria. A great deal of research has been done to figure out what kills bacteria. Scientist at the University of Toronto did research and believe that hand sanitizer works the best (Hall, 2012). Bacteria is everywhere and scientist want to find the best resources to kill it fast and well. Cleaning agents are hard to find, but they are worth it when human hands end up clean. There are many substances that are used to wash your hands, but only some are used to kill bacteria. Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with microorganisms. Bacteria grow when one cell splits into two during a process called binary fission. This can happen in a matter of twenty minutes (How to Grow Bacteria, 2017). Bacteria grow in sets, one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, and so on (Bacteria, n.d.). Bacteria can be harmful to the human body. That is why it is very important to keep clean. Bacteria can be grown using agar. Agar does not grow bacteria on it's own. Agar is a red algae, that when it is mixed with water turns into a gel. Growing bacteria in petri dishes work better because it provides the nutrients and moisture to help it grow. Bacteria grow better in a moist and warm environment. Usually, water and oil don't mix. This causes water and oil to separate into two different layers. Soap then breaks up the oil into smaller pieces so it can mix with the water.This works because soap has molecules with two different ends. The first end of the soap molecule loves water. Which is called hydrophilic. The other end hates water and is called hydrophobic. Hydrophilic ends will attach to the oil, as hydrophobic ends attach to the water. The drops of oil will then be removed under the running water. Soap causes bodies to be free of dirt and grease (Biology, n.d.). This is an important process when washing your hands. Studies show that hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap work the best. Soap removes soil and germs from hands, while sanitizer evaporates the germs and bacteria found on hands (Kania, 2011). Some people love to use the colorful, smelly soaps that come in a variety of types. Does they really kill germs? Not always. Not unless it contains antibacterial properties. Ethyl alcohol is also effective. Ethyl alcohol kills most bacteria and fungi. When putting hand sanitizer on human hands it takes between 15 and 30 seconds to kill 99.99% of bacteria, after one minute possibly 99.999% of bacteria. In order for the substance to kill that many germs, human hands need to continue to stay wet and let the substance evaporate after being used (Editors Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). In conclusion, bacteria grows everywhere, any day, and at any time. Bacteria can be harmful to the body, but bodies have immune systems to fight them off. Keeping clean is very important in order to have a healthy body. The delicious smelling soaps are not always the best. Beliefs are that hand sanitizer works the best and kills the most bacteria and fungi, although, some might think antibacterial soap does the trick. Scientist who study microbiology have made important advances in learning how to keep people safe from bacteria. Ethyl alcohol is the most important ingredient to killing bacteria. Always keep clean to keep the harmful bacteria away.

The Ultimate College Graduation Checklist

The Ultimate College Graduation Checklist Graduation is coming, and you most likely are dealing with ten million things at the same time. On top of trying to make sure you pass your last semesters classes, you probably have family visiting, friends you want to spend some time with, and countless logistics to deal with before you can actually leave, diploma in hand, as a college graduate. Wouldnt it be nice if you had a handy college graduation checklist you could use to keep things organized? This list is meant to make the college graduation process a little easier. After all, after four (or more!) years of hard work, sleepless nights, and a lot of dedication, you deserve a little break! College Graduation Checklist Return your cap and gown on time - These are expensive if you forget to return them when youre supposed to.​Leave a forwarding address with the campus mail center and the alumni center - Even if its just your folks or a friends address as you sort things out, you dont want to lose your mail amidst your transition.Make sure you dont have any charges in your residence hall or apartment before you check out - Its much easier to deal with this on move-out day than two months later when you get hit with a whopper of a bill. Stay an extra 20 minutes and have someone (an RA or landlord) sign something saying you wont be charged for anything unexpected.Check in with the career center - Even if it just means getting a login and password so you can search their job databases later, utilizing their resources after graduation will be a lifesaver.Complete an exit interview if youre on financial aid - Most students receiving financial aid will need to complete an exit interview before being allowed to graduate. This can often be done on your computer and involves reading information about when your payments will begin to be due, etc. But not completing it can prevent you from getting your diploma. Make sure everything is cleared on your account in the financial aid and registrars office - The last thing you need is to be about to start a new job or graduate school, only to learn that theres a problem with your college account that you need to fix. Make sure both offices have everything they need from you before you leave campus.Check with the alumni office for deals on short-term insurance - From health insurance to car insurance, many alumni offices now offer programs to graduating seniors. Figure out what programs your school offers and what youre eligible for so that you dont have to spend too much time (or money!) searching for alternatives.Get copies of all your loan (and other) papers - From your housing contract to your loan paperwork, get copies of everything youll need down the road. This will be especially handy if there are any problems after you graduate.Compile all your electronic files in one place - When your computer was acting cranky two months ago, you may ha ve saved your amazing midterm paper on your roommates computer. Gather together all of your important documents (that you might need for job applications, writing samples, or graduate school) in one place, ideally stored in the cloud so you can access it wherever and whenever you need to. Grab a few copies of your transcript - You may think you wont need them, but you might also be surprised. New jobs, volunteer programs, and all kinds of folks may want to see your transcript after you graduate. Having a few with you will save you a lot of time, money, and trouble.Update your address with anyone who sends you a bill - This can include your bank, your cell phone provider, your loan companies, and your credit card companies. You may be so busy moving and looking for a job that you wont realize you havent received a phone bill for three months after you graduate at least until your service gets cut off.Get contact information for your references - Knowing where your references will be over the next few months, as well as how to reach them, may make or break you in certain situations. Who wants to miss out on a great job simply because a reference was unreachable while doing research in France? A quick email, phone call, or office visit to ensure you have everyones conta ct information is a smart idea. Get contact information for your friends - People will be so busy on graduation day, and there will be so many people around, that getting contact information from your friends will be mission: impossible. While social networking sites are a great place to start, having an actual email and phone number is best.​Write thank-you notes - Sure, it may seem old-fashioned, but writing thank-you notes to those who helped you the most during your time on campus, to those who gave you graduation gifts, and to anyone else who helped you along the way is a kind gesture and a great way to make sure you leave college on a high note.

Child Obesity and Its Causes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Child Obesity and Its Causes - Essay Example Children who do less physical activities and spend most of their time watching television and playing computer games are more prone to childhood obesity. For example, a child who prefers playing games on computer instead of playing physical games in the playground is more likely to face childhood obesity. Similarly, a child who prefers to watch cartoons on television in free time instead of playing some game with friends is likely to experience the medical problem of obesity. Lack of physical activities creates a nutritional imbalance in the body, which ultimately affects the overall body shape. It is a fact that when a person does not perform any physical activity, the levels of fats and cholesterol start rising in the body that results in fatness or obesity. For children, the nutritional imbalance causes obesity the effects of which even linger into their future lives. For example, children facing the problem of obesity lose their confidence when peers make fun of them, as well as face a number of critical health issues, which may include high blood pressure, chronic heart problems, joint pains, diabetes, and decrease in stamina. During the earlier years of a person’s life, human body experiences different stages of development and provision of a particular set of proteins, calcium, potassium, vitamins, and all other nutrients is the requirement of each of those stages. However, when a child avoids physical activities and likes to eat junk food most of the time in early years of life, the levels of cholesterol and fats start rising in the body while decreasing the levels of other nutrients.It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, and media to create awareness among children regarding the importance of nutritional values in life. For example, in schools teachers can teach students the importance of doing physical activities and eating a balanced diet, which should include fresh fruits and  vegetables.  

Achieving strong vertical and horizontal alignment Article

Achieving strong vertical and horizontal alignment - Article Example Human resource management (HRM) practices are critical to the success of business organizations. The goal of organizations is to maintain a strong customer base and increase revenue, but how to achieve this is equally importantStrategic HRM approaches involve a spotlight on the alignment of HRM practices with each other, which is referred to as internal consistency or alignment; and the alignment of the HRM procedures with an organization's approach, known as external consistency or alignment (Burke & Cooper 2005). Gratton and Truss (2007) proposed a three-dimensional people strategy used by HRM in organizations as vertical alignment, horizontal alignment, and an implementation dimension to show the extent to which the people strategy affects the daily operations of employees and the conduct of managers.This paper focuses on two of the three-dimensional people strategies as aforementioned. Vertical alignment involves the link between the people strategy and a business unit strategy, that is, the link between the HRM and the people in an organization. This determines whether HR interventions in decision making serve as inhibitors to success or confer competitive advantages to the organization. On the other hand, horizontal alignment operates within the limits of HR policies and aims at achieving a functional approach to managing the people in an organization (Gratton & Truss 2007).Effron, Gandossy and Goldsmith (2003) highlighted an example in which James Houghton became the CEO of Corning Incorporated by inheriting the job from his brother. The company (Corning) had been dilapidated and was suffering from among other factors, poor labor relations. However, less than ten years later, the company was producing new, high quality products that made it take a competitive position in the market. James simply formed a team that created a vision and change of behavior at the company while building an architecture of productive change (Effron, Gandossy & Goldsmith 2003) . According to McLeish (2002), vertical alignment is the employment of an approach that is manifested in the actions of employees through a jointly shared direction. This means that the management of an organization implementing vertical alignment takes an initiative to lead and empower employees in the work they do, thus improving job execution (Effron, Gandossy & Goldsmith 2003). In order to achieve strong vertical alignment, the HRM of an organization has to target "quick owns" by having an understanding of the processes that would result in a quick delivery of the business goal (Gratton & Truss 2007). For instance, the initiatives could be through innovative product offering or short term training programs to educate and empower employees in handling clients and customers. Effective reputation arises when a business organization meets the expectations of the line of management (Gratton & Truss 2007; McLeish 2002). Organizations that have strong vertical alignment are characterized by presence of business-focused HR teams. The HR team is usually very close to the business units as opposed to cases in which managers are separated from junior employees and rarely assess what the junior staffs do. A good example is the US-based company, Kraft Foods, whose staff in the business units work alongside managers in making strategic decisions (Gratton & Truss 2007). A strong alignment is achieved by proper planning with focus on key objectives and evaluation of success factors (McLeish 2002). The strategy must encompass the organization staff at all levels, and the employees must particularly understand the benefits that accrue at both personal level and organizational level (McLeish 2002). In this respect, each employee has to know the role that one has to play in order to achieve a specific goal.