Rap Hip Hops Effects on Black America via Social Aspects Attitudes - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 1968 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/12 Category Music Essay Level High school Tags: Hip Hop Essay Did you like this example? African Americans as a culture are under constant attack socially, intellectually and racially and in todays world this is supported primarily by how the mainstream media portrays present day rap/hip-hop, by giving it a bad name whilst telling john public that a certain stereotype is okay. By doing this the media has become complicit in the castration and twisting of the voices of black America and this only aides commercialism and tricks the younger generation into seeing consumerism as an act of rebellion. The history of hip hop rap music is closely linked to the political issues the culture of black people. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Rap Hip Hops Effects on Black America via Social Aspects Attitudes" essay for you Create order This music was needed to fuel the fight during the Civil Rights Movement and was supposed to be that next step in the transformation and transition of black people from slavery to freedom. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, (1994) a book written by Tricia Rose project discusses how rap music has taken a turn for the worse and how the black community has easily followed the same path. Rose discusses the evolution plight of the black man in American History, Social conditions, Intellectual life, Race identity and Rap (Music) History and criticism. Rose argues that the original intended message of rap hip hop has changed and in its present form seems to be in a fight with its self. On one hand fighting for a cause and on the other hand destroying the identity of women and other classes of people who are under attack by society. The topics discussed are sure to appeal to the black community, women and persons who seek to have an equal footing for all people in the African American community at home and abroad. I will analyze the authors argument that African Americans suffer from effects of stereotypes social injustices this has caused a deterioration of the political and social conditions because of rap hip hop and what we can do to change the perceptions and habits. present research documents argument, claims, audience, purpose, and how these things support the argument along with the use of evidence. Rose begins by discussing the origins of rap hip-hop music and she touches on the business aspect of and rap and how the media focusses on the illegal sampling of other music to make rap music. Rose highlights the role that rap music, dancing graffiti played in its development and illustrates how cultural ignorance has led to the moral break down in society. Rap deals with complex issues that relate to social, cultural and political matters. Caughy, M. O. in the book. The Influence of Racial Socialization Practices on the Cognitive and Behavioral Competence of African American Preschoolers. Caughy surmised that a childs development as it relates to being brought up in poverty and the effects of living a community setting affected by the processes that derive from poverty (1). This correlates to what Rose is saying in terms of how important re-education in fixing the present issues that exist in the black community. Rose discusses songs from various artist that attempted to spe ak to the social ills of rap music. Asante writes artist like KRS Ones, who proclaimed: To crush the stereotype heres what we did/ We got ourselves together/So that you could unite and fight for whats right. (p10). Despite raps suppression it continued to thrive welcomed artist who had little guidance and the results of this lack of guidance showed how modern rap/hip-hop has descended now caters to the lowest common denominator because the values and ideals of the new up and coming artist has been already tainted and the list of positive artists is small, and they all regurgitate the same negative messaging instead of using hip-hop as the culture expression it was intended to be. Rap hop hop seldom showcase positive messaging because it has lost its initial mandate which is to speak on social economic issues that affect todays society. If we turn on any tv today we can see movies music that depict persons of my color in a basic stereotype, either they are killing each other having sex with multiple partners or doing drugs. Misogyny and black on black violence in rap/hip-hop and its negative impact is affecting how black people view themselves and this is causing the erosion of the black community. Author Belgrave, Faye Z., in the book. The Influence of an Afrocentric Worldview and Demographic Variables on Drug Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use among African American Youth. (3) addresses similar ideas when she stated, The negative consequences of drug us, abuse, and activity are many (p2). Belgrave blames school drop-out, crime and incarceration, teen pregnancy, HIV and sexually transmitted diseases on drugs the pervasive culture exist in the African American society due to a lack of economic prosperity, and education. Rose asserts and connects with Belgrave about African Americans and the deterioration of the political and social conditions due to the effects of rap hip hop and what we can do to change the perceptions and habits. As Asante stated With its sands scattered to the winds of the world hip hop joins scores of other vibrations that were born in the Black community. and that other countries have adopted hip hop outside of U.S. Therefore, hip hop if changed in its homeland can have a ripple effect and change the overall culture that has been attached to it. The up and coming artist if educated and paid appropriately will reflect the values of traditional Rap Hip Hop. If we change our songs and ignore the stereotypes the media would soon follow. Educations about where the music came from and where its going and adequately paying artist would make them less of victims to the cooperate big wigs. Asante questions the purpose and the motives of the record companies and how hip-hop music imp acts their bottom line and not necessarily the artist. Asante compares The Hip-Hop Generation Post Hip-Hop Generation explaining the differences between them pointing out how commercialism and consumption has played a massive part in the deconstruction of hip hop, defining how Hip-Hop has betrayed itself by not being used as a tool for rebelling or standing up for whats right. Rose asserts that the lack of emcees and influential people to disseminate the positive cultural expression of black America has contributed to a fall in the quality of music and a directional shift of the music. Asante writes that these emcees are vital to the future of rap hip-hop music because they in the past they were the guardians of the music and reflected the values of traditional rap hip hop (p7). The true meaning or actions of Post-Hip-Hop has encompassed the present generations current day struggles along with hip hops past struggles, but the lines of battle drawn in the sand has become blurred because many other movements fights have emerged causing many fights to be fought and no battles to be won. These movements are the womens movement, anti-war movement, gay rights, anti-globalization just to name a few. A civil fight for one of these movements alone could take a lifetime so the idea that cooperating could make things better for all at the same time seems laugh able. In effect each will cannibalize each other of resources man power and The fight would just be A fight. Civil Rights Equality for Blacks in all aspects of society should stand on its own. Its over 400 years that Africans have been fighting for freedom and equality and the same fight continues. Asante writes that during the Civil Rights Movement black music was called freedom songs. It was even stated that the lyrics were very important, even more so than the music. (p4). Are we doing enough to rebuild our cities in order to stimulate growth and bring back money to the hands of the poor black community? Is the artiste investing in programs that help the young up and coming artist who need to learn the ropes? I think better can be done in respect of the business aspect of rap music, this would undoubtedly allow for the transfer of power of most if not all of what we deem as culture back to the hands of whom it was torn from. In his review of Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. author Baker, Houston A., Jr. Supported and extended Rose when he wrote From its first commercial success during the 1970s, raps powers of persuasion were never in doubt. Its powers of adaptation and global influence, however, have proved both surprising and frustrating to even the most tireless adult detractors of the form. (2) Rose also spoke about female rappers and how their voices influence rap music. Rose speaks of the marginalization of black womens contribution to rap and the music industry. Rose gave examples of works from artist like Salt N Pepa, Queen Latifah several other female writers artist. As Asante stated With its sands scattered to the winds of the world hip hop joins scores of other vibrations that were born in the Black community. (p2), other countries have adopted hip hop outside of U.S. Therefore, hip hop if changed in its homeland can have a ripple effect and change the overall culture that has been attached to it. The up and coming artist if educated and paid appropriately will reflect the values of traditional Rap Hip Hop. If we change our songs and ignore the stereotypes the media would soon follow. Education about where the music came from and where its going and adequately paying artist would make them less of victims to the cooperate big wigs. Rap shares similar origins of previous black oral music traditions. Rose discusses the study of jazz in the 1920s and how the black culture was being imitated by white entertainers and fans. Asante writes about the adoption of hip-hop outside the U.S signifying that the black art forms are taken by other cultures and races and finds itself appropriated and in some cases misused and misunderstood. (p3). This merger of cultures contributes to the loss of cultural expression and gives way to any influence presented my public or private entities. (p7). Rose speaks of rappers going unnoticed by the mainstream music industry the popular cultural industries until the entrepreneur Sylvia Robinson brought attention to the art form. When Hollywood realized rap would be a force in the future everyone jumped on board. Asante questions the purpose and the motives of the record companies and how hip-hop music impacts their bottom line and not necessarily the artist when he says Instead multinational corporations like Viacom, Clear Channel, and Vivendi, through their radio and television outlet, control how most people hear and see hip hop. (p 6). Asante compares The Hip-Hop Generation Post Hip-Hop Generation explaining the differences between them pointing out how commercialism and consumption has played a massive part in the deconstruction of hip hop, defining how Hip-Hop has betrayed itself by not being used as a tool for rebelling or standing up for whats right. (p10). When we turn on the radio or look at printed media, we can see images or hear music that encourages us to engage in vulgar dangerous acts which are not in keeping with who we are. The modern era of rap hip hop has given way to the systematic destruction of people of color or might I say anyone who looks different from white. The education of people of all colors needs to be reintroduced and revised because at this the only organization that can help this generation reverse the way we think, and act is the media. This topic is still prevalent and is a perfect example of the social ills that exist in society involving brown and black people.

The Sick Wife By Jane Kenyon - 1098 Words

Breast cancer can be a very scary experience, not just for the patient, but also for the patient’s family. While patients go through the process of being diagnosed with breast cancer and the treatment that goes with it there are many highs and lows. The themes of uncertainty, family, and isolation can be seen throughout Audre Lorde’s journal, and even though the poems are small you can still see the same themes throughout most of them. When reading through Audre’s experience of having to wait three weeks to figure out if she had cancer or not, the first time, she was struggling with the uncertainty of her life. Her mortality was put front and center and she had a lot of self-reflection during this time. In The Sick Wife by Jane Kenyon you can see an example of how uncertain life is and how quickly it can change. In The Sick Wife there was a wife who is not even fifty, yet they are not able to button a button. Even when diagnosed with cancer it is not just li fe and death that people are uncertain of, but also the quality of life after cancer. While Audre is at the hospital after her second biopsy and when she is finally out of anesthesia she says that her partner, Frances, was â€Å"like a great sun-flower.† I think this perfectly sums up how family or loved ones can have such a positive effect on individuals’’ health. Loved ones can be a stress reliever and simply having them there can make individuals happier and more at ease. However; in some families, it may have theShow MoreRelatedProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagescertified Scrum Master. v â€Å"Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.† Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. To my family who have always encircled me with love and encouragement—my parents (Samuel and Charlotte), my wife (Mary), my sons and their wives (Kevin and Dawn, Robert and Sally) and their children (Ryan, Carly, Connor and Lauren). C.F.G. â€Å"We must not cease from exploration and the end of all exploring will be to arrive where we begin and to know the place

Accounting Ethics Education-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Choose a recent event of a Financial or Accounting nature that that contains significant Ethical Issues. Identify and discuss these ethical issues, drawing out any dilemmas or controversial aspects from a financial and accounting perspective. Answer: investment banks, pension firms and mortgage lenders or any company that is doing business in the financial industry. According to Sultani,( 2014) financial industry is large, it tends to face a lot of focus by the public and also it is prone to ethical issues. There is need for managerial ethics to ensure that any accounting and financial information is able to be presented to the public, owners of the business, directors of the company, managers and all other interested stakeholders in the business environment. In this case legal scenario is presented if the accounts do not or fail to report any misconduct relating to financial or accounting or use internal information for personal advantage. All financial information is important to the owners of the business if it is bad or good is required in business operations and making decisions. The ethics in accounting ensures that the different employees in the organization are given sensitive business information that is vital in the making different financial decisions leading to trustworthiness. In one of the financial events that posed an ethical dilemma in the accounting industry is the scandal of the Lehman brothers. This case shook the financial industry in which on September 2008, the Lehman brothers filed for bankruptcy protection from the public and other debtors. It was one of the largest bankruptcy cases that has ever happened in United States. The company had earlier assured the people of the healthy finances of the company, the liquidity level was high and also it was able to manage the leverage levels. The protection was filled after the company had assured the people that everything was in order. This huge case reduced the level of confidence the consumers had on the company because it was one of the stable and trusted company that speared forward transparency and growth (Ball, 2000.) The Lehman brothers was an international firm that offered financial services to the other institutions and individual. The management and the auditors who involved executives and Ernst and Young hid over 50 billion dollars that was disguised as sales and in real case it was loans from assets which were toxic. The company through the executives sold assets which were toxic to Cayman Island bank keeping in mind that they had future sales of 50 billion from the company which will eventually sell the assets in future. This was not the case since the company had invested in toxic assets which was a liability instead of asset or cash to the company. The auditors had reported sales in cash of 50 billion but this was a liability that they had incurred in their operations which later came to light and became the biggest scandal in United States. One of the ethical issues that was characterized in this case if that of professional duty which in any case may conflict with the companys demands.For example, a toxic sale of assets can bring about an unethical behavior in the company. But in this case the audited sided with management and presented a statement that favored the company by this was not the true picture. Like in this case is the duty of the auditors to present an audited report that represents a true picture of the financial statements, but in this case the company demanded the auditors to present a report that will suit the interest of the directors so they colluded with the auditors. The report did not give true picture only favored the interest of the professionals only but not the general public. The management wanted a highest return from the sale of the assets which in real case it was a liability to the company. According to the accounting standards the report or financial statements presented should be free f rom any misrepresentation and the report should be relied on by other parties i.e. it is material in nature. Another ethical issue in the financial industry is the responsibility of the individual which is compromised by the demands of the clients. According to accounting standards set in the industry the directors are obliged to have a duty of care and responsibility to the clients. The clients rely on the company to gain more profits from the transactions conducted by the management. Any financial decision made should benefit the clients and in this case the directors did not want to lose clients by disappointing them so they made a toxic sale and reported it as sales while it was a liability to the company. This posed an ethical issue which affected the company in the future. The conflict comes when the directors want to impress the clients so they will go an extent of falsifying the financial information. According to Mitchell, she came up with several suggestions that will help improve the industry to be more ethical since most people who do business are ethical people trying to do bes t for the clients of the different businesses to achieve the financial objectives but they end up with ethical issues brought about financial misappropriation(Soltani,2014.) Management pressure Another dilemma is brought about by the pressure from the management to accounts who prepare the balance sheets and financial statements. According to the accounting standards and code of conduct the accounts need to be objective in their work and preparation of financial statement. The accountants may fear losing their job hence they face ethical issue in maintaining a true financial statement report of the company because of the pressure received from the management. The accountants would alter the financial records to suit the success of the company leading to the downfall of the company when it is later discovered. The Lehman scandal the auditors were pressure were forced to give a true view of the financial statements which was not the case. Accountant as Whistleblower The accountant would face the dilemma of reporting the fraud to the Financial Accounting Standards Board which is the accountants duty to report the violation. This may lead to Executives and other financial officers to face criminal prosecution of going to jail. The auditors did not report the issue to the relevant auditors due to the large amount of cash involved leading to penalties on the management. Though the accounting standard states that the accountants and employees need to express a level of confidentiality on the company information unless if the information is critical or misrepresented then they have to report to the authorities. The Effects of Greed According to accounting where income is earned or recognized where there is transfer of cash or any intention of receiving a certain amount of cash in the near future(William,2014.) But this was not the case with the company since they were not certain of any receipt of cash. They only depended on the sale of the toxic assets from the bank which they had sold the assets to. This was attributed to greed of making more money and disposing the assets to gain profitability. In normal scenario an accountant should not greed to get into the way of him following the ethical guidelines in reporting of financial statements. If the accountant does not follow the set-up standards then it leads to dilemma and becomes a liability to the company by violating the accounting violations. Omission of Financial Records Due to good image of the company perceived by the public the accountants may be asked to omit some of the financial records of the company from the balance sheet that may present the company in bad image to the public and the investors. According to Fan, (2012) mission of records is a breach of the accounting ethics because the employees are entitled to do care of the resources of the company. The accountant should be careful not to present incomplete information that will pose a danger in presentation of the financial report. In trying to overcome the ethical dilemmas in the company the following remedies need to be put in place by the management and the financial accountants and auditors to prevent any legal case against them and the company. The remedies include; Disclosure and Conflict of Interest According to the Accounting Ethics set by the accounting body, the role of the accountant is to keep financial records of the company that is relied upon by the different companies. The parties relying on the information have the right to know about the organization operations about the economic affairs. This role is sometimes hard because of conflicting interests. It is the duty of accountants to display any information that is material to the public. In the Lehman company the brothers together with the accountant ought to have instructed the accountant on the impact of the sale of the toxic assets and get opinion about the operations of the company. The accountants and auditors of the accounting firm have the responsibility to provide accurate information to shareholders and the general public even if that information is potentially damaging to its client(Williams,2014.) Sarbanes-Oxley Act There has been a lot of scandals in the accounting industry and in 2002, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law. The law is able to protect the public from any unethical undertakings or practices. Standards of disclosure need to be constituted like internal control system and penalties should be levied to the accountants which includes imprisonment and fines. This act will help the accounting firms and would streamline the accountability work in the business environment. Accounting Codes of Conduct The American Institute of CPAs implies code of conduct for the accounting professionals. The code relates to professional conduct, integrity and general standards accounting principles. First of all, consumers need to be better informed. It is the responsibility of the accountants to control the financial position of the business (Perego,2012.) References Ball, A., Owen, D. L., Gray, R. (2000). External transparency or internal capture? The role of third?party statements in adding value to corporate environmental reports1.Business strategy and the environment,9(1), 1-23. Cameron, R. A., O'Leary, C. (2015). Improving ethical attitudes or simply teaching ethical codes? The reality of accounting ethics education.Accounting Education,24(4), 275-290. Christensen, H. B., Lee, E., Walker, M., Zeng, C. (2015). Incentives or standards: What determines accounting quality changes around IFRS adoption?European Accounting Review,24(1), 31-61. Knapp, M. C. (2012).Contemporary auditing. Nelson Education. Fan, Y. H., Woodbine, G., Scully, G. (2012). Guanxi and its influence on the judgments of Chinese auditors.Asia Pacific Business Review,18(1), 83-97. Porter, G. A., Norton, C. L. (2012).Financial accounting: the impact on decision makers. Cengage Learning. Perego, P., Kolk, A. (2012). Multinationals accountability on sustainability: The evolution of third-party assurance of sustainability reports.Journal of Business Ethics,110(2), 173- 190. Soltani, B. (2014). The anatomy of corporate fraud: A comparative analysis of high profile American and European corporate scandals.Journal of Business Ethics,120(2), 251-274. Warren, D. E., Peytcheva, M., Gaspar, J. P. (2015). When ethical tones at the top conflict: Adapting priority rules to reconcile conflicting tones.Business Ethics Quarterly,25(4), 559-582. Williams, J. (2014).Financial accounting. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

James Hoban Essay Example

James Hoban Paper James Hoban and The White House Is James Hoban the best Irish born architect ever? I will let you decide after you read his story. James Hoban was born in Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland, in 1758 in a small house. His catholic parents worked as servants in Desart Court which was a grand mansion. Early on in his life he was disadvantaged because of the anti-Catholic Penal law. [1] The law stipulated Hoban was not allowed to go to school but he still managed to go to the Royal Dublin Society where he took architecture classes. Unfortunately, he was not able to land a job in Ireland. When the American revolutionary war ended, he decided to move to the United-States. At first he lived in Charleston, South Carolina where he built the first South Carolina State House and the Charleston Theater. Wanting wanted more opportunities and being able to build something bigger, Hoban decided to move to Philadelphia. As soon as he settled there he put an ad in the paper saying Any gentleman who wishes to build in an elegant style. (Heritage, p. 38). Then he helped build the first Bank of America. He was not fully credited for that project because he had to share it with Samuel Blodgett who helped design it. A major event in James Hoban’s life happened when he met the first American president, George Washington. Having met Washington did not bring anything great to his career until the President got fed up with French architect Enfant. That was good for Hoban’s career because Enfant was supposed to be the one to build the White House but because he was too slow Washington decided to fire him. We will write a custom essay sample on James Hoban specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on James Hoban specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on James Hoban specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After firing Enfant, George Washington created a contest to decide who was going to design the White House. Since Washington had met Hoban and liked him, he decided to invite him to take part of the contest. Hoban and 15 other contestants, including Thomas Jefferson, designed what they thought would be the perfect president house. Hoban ended up winning the contest. Washington was not pleased with any of the designs but thought that the one Hoban had drawn was the best. So Hoban started working with the president to design the perfect Presidential House. One of the changes Washington wanted Hoban to make was regarding the size of the house. President Washington wanted a big house. Once they agreed on the drawing, Hoban started the construction. But he had a problem: the basement had already been constructed by Enfant and it was way too big for the house Hoban had designed. [2] He found a solution and was able to build it anyways. Then when the House was almost finished, Washington’s term expired: he never got to live in the White House, even though he had been a big influence in it’s construction. Then President Adams was elected and he liked Hoban so much that he decided to give him a promotion and made him chief architect of the capitol. Then the White House was finally ready to move in. But Adams only stayed there for four months because Thomas Jefferson got elected. One of the first things he did as the President was to fire Hoban and name himself as the chief architect of the capitol. Some people say that it is because he was jealous about Hoban winning the contest, but we will never know. James Hoban was hired back when James Madison became president. And his task would be as big as the first one because he had to re-build the house after the English burned it. At first, Hoban thought he would not have to start from scratch since the base would already be there. But when he went to see the house he realized that he would have to build the whole house once again. Madison knew that he would never be able to live in it so he lost a bit of interest in the project. [3] But when President James Monroe got elected he decided that he wanted to move into the house as soon as possible. He gave Hoban a short deadline to complete the house. Hoban was confident that he could finish building the house before the deadline. That was before Monroe decided to move in the house even before it was completed. Making it even more difficult for Hoban to finish building it but he was finally able to complete it just a bit after the deadline. Within less than a year after the architect finished building the White House, Hoban passed away. He was buried at the St-Patrick Catholic church, which he had helped build. After what you have learned about the history of James Hoban, do you think he is the most important Irish architect ever? First, the White House is the oldest public building in Washington (Thornton). It has been renovated many times but it still has the same base upon which Hoban built it. It still has 2 rooms that have not even been touched since they were built. The White House is one of the most important buildings in the world, since it is the house of the President of the most important country in the world. Not only was James Hoban the White House architect, he encountered a lot of problems during construction. The White house is not the only building he designed. Here is a list of the other buildings he constructed or helped build: Prospect Hill Plantation, First Bank of the United States, McCleery House, The William Seabrook House, Baum-Taft House, Oak Hill, Rossenarra House, The First South Carolina State House, The Charleston Theatre, and St. Patrick’s Church. Probably the second most important building James Hoban helped build was the First Bank of the United-States. One of the reasons why that building rates second is that it still stands today. Most of the other buildings that he constructed or helped build have been demolished today. The Bank of America is something really symbolic because it was the first bank. I hope that this research paper helped you see how great James Hoban was. Personally I think that he was the greatest Irish architect ever. Kelly, Niall. THE MAN WHO BUILT THE WHITE HOUSETWICE. American History 35. 5 (2000): 46. Academic OneFile. [2] Kelly, Niall. THE MAN WHO BUILT THE WHITE HOUSETWICE. American History 35. 5 (2000): 46. Academic OneFile. [3] Kelly, Niall. THE MAN WHO BUILT THE WHITE HOUSETWICE. American History 35. 5 (2000): 46. Academic OneFile.

The eNotes Blog Coverflip How Book Covers Differ by AuthorsGender

Coverflip How Book Covers Differ by AuthorsGender Author Maureen Johnson has had enough of gendered book covers. Just what is she talking about? Well, shes talking about books that look like this: Versus this: And yes, that is the same book in each picture. The first is what ended up in print, while the second imagines how the cover might have looked had the book written been by a man. Why the difference? Johnson gives a little insight into the sometimes unfair world of book publishing and marketing: The simple fact of the matter is, if you are a female author, you are much more likely to get the package that suggests the book is of a lower perceived quality. Because it’s â€Å"girly,† which is somehow inherentl  different and easier on the palate. A man and a woman can write books about the same subject matter, at the same level of quality,  and that woman is simple more likely to get the soft-sell cover with the warm glow and the feeling of smooth jazz blowing off of it. Think about it: have you ever seen a male author with a cover like the first one above? And before anybody reasons that female writers books look the way they do because they are specifically marketed towards women, I urge you to have a think on how condescending that sounds to women, and insulting to men who like books about and by women. (And I would also like to note that our own managing editor, a man, has read Bridget Jones Diary more times than probably any of you. So there.) Spurred by a plethora of notes from men asking her for less girly covers so that they could read her books, and endless frustrations with book publishers who give authors zero to no say in the final book cover (and sometimes in the final title), Johnson posed a challenge to her Twitter followers: take a book by an author of either gender and imagine it was written by the other. She received hundreds of picture responses within the first 24 hours. Heres an interesting sample: You can see more at Johnsons Huffington Post article and Twitter, if not for the coverflip images then for the amusing way Johnson is able to bang her head on a desk and deftly shame critics in one fell swoop. Interesting experiment, right? And somewhat of a sad look into the gender inequality in both book publishing and our society. Its worse than you thought it was. So, what book covers do you imagine looking different with an author of the opposite gender? And does a girly cover make you less likely to pick up that book? As always, wed love to hear your thoughts.

Avoiding Ice and Snow Damage to Trees

Avoiding Ice and Snow Damage to Trees Brittle tree species that retain dead, persistent winter leaves normally take the brunt of heavy icing after a winter storm. Knowing and managing your brittle trees and you can make it through a normal ice storm. Many of the elms, most true poplars (not yellow poplar), silver maples, birches, willows, and hackberry are tree species that simply cant handle the weight of the ice slurry coating their limbs, persistent leaves, and needles. They do well with the snows of the north but have problems in areas that have regular ice storms. Cold climate conifers like fir, spruce and hemlock can handle moderate icing. Southern yellow pines usually take a beating during major icing events that occur on the edge of their natural range. Brittle trees tend to be fast growers. Because of their desirable growth potential and the prospect of making quick shade, weak trees are sought out and planted by homeowners in late winter ice zones. Planting these trees will only exacerbate the problem of limb breakage during heavy icing. Fast-growing trees often develop weak, V-shaped crotches that easily split apart under the added weight of ice. Because these trees usually take some damage from storms throughout the year, internal rot, decay and included bark (some of which you cannot readily see) lead to weakened trunks and limbs (some callery pears). Multiple leader, upright evergreens, such as arborvitae and juniper, and multiple leader or clump trees, such as birch, are most subject to snow and ice damage. Smaller trees need to be wrapped and larger trees with wide-spreading leaders should be cabled in ice-prone areas. Here are things you can do in the yard or landscape to prevent ice damage: Plant Only Strong Trees in Your Landscape Certain trees are popular year in and year out for a reason - they show well and live well. Prefer these trees but eliminate those I have mentioned that door poorly in ice-prone regions.   Brittle Species Should Not Be Planted These species will not do well on sites where heavy ice and snow is a problem. Brittle species include elm, willow, box-elder, hackberry, true poplar and silver maple. Avoid Planting Species With Persistent Leaves Species  that hold their persistent leaves into late fall and early winter where early ice storms are common isnt a great idea. These trees are quickly damaged and removed where the ice storm is common. Wrap Small Multi-Leader Trees So you have a valuable, small specimen you want to preserve. If ice is predicted, secure the tree with strips of carpet, strong cloth or nylon stockings two-thirds of the way above the weak crotches. Always remove any wrapping during spring to avoid binding new growth and girdling limbs and trunk. Begin an Annual Pruning Program When Trees Are Young There is not much you can do with a weak crotch so use tip 4. Prune dead or weakened limbs and excessive branches from trunk and crowns. This reduces ice weight that can rapidly destroy the trees form. Hire a Professional Arborist The expense is worth it for particularly valuable susceptible or wide-spreading large trees. An arborist can strengthen a tree by installing cabling or bracing on weak limbs and split crotches. Favor Conical Formed Trees Trees like conifers, sweetgum or yellow poplar will be robust additions to your landscape. Species with less branch surface area, such as black walnut, sweetgum, ginkgo, Kentucky coffeetree, white oak, and northern red oak are preferred.

The Blue Wall of Silence and Police Culteral Term Paper

The Blue Wall of Silence and Police Culteral - Term Paper Example Their misconduct is not only tolerated but accepted and defended. Whistle in an important little instrument in the life of policemen but when he does not blow it against a fellow policeman who deserves to be reprimanded and punished he adds one more brick to â€Å"The Blue Wall of Silence.† The difference between the politician and the policeman is, the job of the former is for a fixed term, and the latter will render disservice to the people till the age of retirement. The saving grace for this harsh observation is the statement is not applicable to all. A microscopic minority of honest people exists amongst the police personnel as well and the rare find of a duty-conscious, law abiding police hero excites the Hollywood movie-makers. Police force works under tremendous pressure. In every case fast results are demanded by the aggrieved party, but being part of the law enforcing agency it has to follow the rules and while doing so, an investigating officer has pressure building at the back of his mind, that his actions and reporting are liable for legal scrutiny. The greatest bane of working in the police department is the political interference in their day to day functioning. Every accused person is a voter and expects that his elected representative comes to his rescue, even if one has committed an act of offence. To face demonstrations and protests of the people is part of their life and every police officer is suspect and corrupt from the perspective of the public. Police service is not like any other service. In some details it is tougher than the army service. The army personnel are generally busy and work under perilous circumstances in times of war. War ends, and their harsh responsibility is over to a great extent. For the policemen, the call of duty is 24x7 hours and they have to deal with different types of personalities, of varying temperaments. They face pressure constantly to solve cases with breakneck speed, and receive rebuke from higher authorities who sometimes want them to perform the impossible. In the discharge of their duties, some mistakes are committed and they are naturally inclined to go to the rescue of their colleagues, who stray from the path of law, rules and regulations applicable to the police force, resort to illegal brutality especially when dealing with the hardened criminals and repeat offenders. They have no misgivings about their stance and quote offences committed by people like taking bribes, stealing goods and money. Police officers have their own convention of defending their colleagues and taking them to task when necessary. Taking money or property in the form of bribes and kickbacks is viewed seriously, as they affect the morale of the department, and such offences are reported to the appropriate authorities for action. Policemen have also been awarded strict punishment on use of excessive force and also against practice of racism. In November, 2012, a federal jury in Chicago gave a judg ment in favor of a complainant and against the city on a claim that the city had a persistently prevalent custom or practice of shielding officers from citizen complaints. The suit had been brought by a female bartender who had been beaten by an off-duty officer. Such a practice was concealment and suppression of investigations into police misconduct and it was an unwritten â€Å"