Old english language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Old english language - Essay Example To begin with, the role of language in one's life is one that fulfils the need to belong. (Crystal, 2005) This sense of belonging springs from one's immediate environment where there is focus on the language one speaks along with complementary elements like accent, nuances and other such features that form the general social and cultural terrain of the particular place. Language offers people first hand knowledge of a variety of symbols that one comes to associate with a place. This in turn generates a more enriching quality to one's experiences. Experiences in various spheres helps in understanding the forces within society and how these forces define and alter language. (Mercer, 1996) In knowing and learning a language, whether by birth or subsequent settlement, there is a certain amount of satisfaction that helps contribute to one's sense of identity. This also has certain mental implications as it shows the person's basic aptitudes, besides brining him or her face to face with the challenges of implementing the language. This makes a person draw from experiences of the past, learn from present experiences and contribute to future experiences, which will shape his or her overall life experiences. This also renders a certain amount of creative and communicative competency to a person and his or her sense of confidence with which he or she carries out interactions with people. This creates a working relationship between centrifugal and centripetal forces in society towards the definition and alteration of language. (Crystal, 2005) Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces Formal and Informal Means of Learning: Centripetal Forces Within every society there are formal and informal means of learning that support the definition and alteration of language. Let us stop for a moment and consider the word "formal". This word has been used above in the context of generating the difference between theory and practice as it may be seen from a variety of perspectives. To begin with, a person's formal education begins at school and goes on into college and higher institutions thereon. Yet, there is a strong play of "informal education" in a person's life. (Byram, 1994; Pp 15 - 31) Informal education begins in a person's life from the time he or she takes birth. Many studies and scientists believe that informal education or orientation towards one's basic belief and value system begins once a child is conceived in a mother's womb. According to numerous studies, a foetus responds to every little sound while in the mother's womb. This is but a small example of informal training. Informal education by no means stops once a child enters an educational institution. Formal education through an educational institution simply sharpens the brains and prepares it to recognise those symbols that will bring a person towards actual worthwhile learning through external experiences. No theory is complete without practice. In fact, any theory that has been propounded without practice is a failure towards imbibing competency of any kind within any individual. According to Lea, "In efforts to help inform educational theory they (philosophers) have dealt extensively with concepts like knowledge, teaching, learning, thinking, understanding, belief, justification, theory, the discipline, rationality and the likes." (Lea, 2001; Pp 16 - 37) The power of

Internet, software piracy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Internet, software piracy - Essay Example He has been induced to look at the ad offering instead of carrying on his normal surfing activity. The normal trajectory of events has been affected. THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS There are many ethical dilemmas associated with advertising on the Web. One group of advocates wanted to keep the Web free of advertising, but it’s too late for that now. Secondly, you will notice that most if not all activity on the web is about selling products and services anyway (www.ehow.com). As to whether or not it would be a correct practice to use an ad on a page to index that page in a search, I think that it would be very unethical especially if the ad pertained to one of your clients who had agreed to advertise on that page. Proper permission needs to be taken from clients before using their ads in such a manner. The client would not think of you very highly because he has paid you to put his ad on that page in the hopes of generating business for him, not you. It shows lack o f professionalism on your part. In any case, if the client removed the ad from the web page at some later date, it would mean that the link would have to go too. Now about web page authors who add invisible tags to increase the visibility of their page in search results, you can do this be inputting the following code in HTML: TextHere. There is a debate going on as to whether this is a good practice or whether it can be harmful for PR and Google rankings, SEO etc. Some say it causes no harm while others opine it can affect your ranking adversely. One example I have found on the Internet is at the site http://stommepoes.jobva.nl/guis2.html. One way to hide the link is to give it the same color as the background. References Torrie, C. How to Advertise on the Internet successfully. Accessed on 21 April 2011 at

Debate on Guns on School Campus

Debate on Guns on School Campus To carry or not to carry: aiming at safety on campus On March 10, 2017 when I was in my English class, my phone vibrated as messages from the school warned student to stay away from an evacuated area on the campus. The evacuation was then lifted after a suspicious item was found and determined to be safe. This was the first time I had encountered such security activities which raised my awareness of firearms on campus. In the wake of several campus shootings, the heated controversy surrounding the permit of guns on campus has circulated the nation for years. Even though people should have rights to protect themselves, it is not enough reason to allow guns within learning institutions, therefore, I believe guns should be banned on campus. First, presence of guns on campus will have negative impacts on the dynamics of learning environment. College campuses are the living and learning community of students and staff from different backgrounds, where freedom and openness in academic debate and intellectual exchange are encouraged. If guns are allowed in campus, the entire campus community will be in fear of their life, wondering if other fellow students or staff are carrying any guns and can pull them out if a dispute arises. Lecturers could fear that the students with poor grades may threaten them for better grades. An example is the notorious campus shooting at the University of Arizona in 2002: a failing nursing student shot three professors to death due to his anger and depression (Holguin). Campus will become emotionally threatening and crime-oriented environment. Dangerous weapons should never be carried around, even in concealed form, in such open learning environment. Another argument for why guns should be banned on campus is young adults brains does not fully mature despite their physically mature appearance. Darby Dickerson, former dean of Texas Tech University School of Law, is an expert in higher education law and policy and is an elected member of the American Law Institute. She states that researchers have discovered that human brain change significantly during adolescences, and are not fully developed until about 24, with regard to thinking ability and judgment. Also, high-risk alcohol and other drug use among student population have long-term negative effects on brain development, which leads to poor decision making. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2015), 58 percent of full-time college students ages 18 to 22 drank alcohol in the past month compared with 48.2 percent of other persons of the same age. Researchers also estimated that each year, 1825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-rel ated unintentional injuries; 696000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking (NIAAA). Therefore, granting college students access to guns will pose increased risks of incidents of self-injury, accidental shootings and even murders. Furthermore, multiple individuals with firearms will negatively affect law enforcement officers response during emergency situations. It will lead to confusion over identifying attackers among many people who are carrying guns which they claim to protect themselves. Also, without training, armed individuals may harm innocents in an attempt to halt a bloodshed. ÂÂ  Advocates for guns permit on campus claim that licensing of guns will increase their safety. They believe one should carry a gun in self-defense. Especially when newspapers splash headlines of campus shootings across the country, giving an impression that American college campuses are not safe, in response, there is an increasing urge for self-protection. Supporters for concealed carry on campus argue that armed students and staff will deter any aggressive acts toward the school, rather than becoming victims of violence. They claim that it will reduce crime. In contrast, the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, Inc., (IACLEA), in its position statement, points out that: There is no credible statistical evidence demonstrating that laws allowing the carrying of concealed firearms reduce crime. In fact, the evidence suggests that permissive concealed carry laws generally will increase crime. Ian Ayres John J. Donohue III, Shooting Down the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis, 55 Stan. L. Rev. 1193, 1285, 1296 (Apr. 2003); and Ian Ayres John J. Donohue III, The Latest Misfires in Support of the More Guns, Less Crime Hypothesis, 55 Stan. L. Rev. 1371, 1397 (Apr. 2003). The organization also insists that use of a gun in self-defense appears to be a rare occurrence. As explained, there is not enough evidence to prove that campus carry would reduce crime rate or guns would be used in self-defense solely. Another argument gun right activists make to call for guns on campus is to protect women from sexual assaults. They argue perpetrators would less likely to attack women if they knew women around them might also be armed. Also, victims could have a chance to shoot attackers, assuming they would be able to use it effectively to protect themselves. However, reliable social science research indicates that based on the way victims typically react to these experiences, solving campus sexual assaults by arming women with firearms will not work. Studies show that 89 percent of campus sexual assaults involve drugs and/or alcohol (Krebs, Lindquist and Warner) and 90 percent of college sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows (Sampson 6). In such situations, victims would likely have a difficult time pulling out the gun to someone they associate with or when they are in frozen state due to drugs, alcohol or tonic immobility. Even after looking at all the evidence there are still people who believe that firearms should be allowed on campus. Their argument could be valid if we consider the broader legal rights to carry guns if one has gone through mental health screenings, had extensive trainings and passed all the tests before obtaining the license. It would be ideal if every gun license holder had gone through many difficult exams to determine if he/ she is qualified to use guns. However, it is easier than before to obtain a license in many states these days, raising the question if those license holders are well-trained and mentally stable or not. Allowing everyone to carry a gun cannot solve the crimes; indeed, it may have the potential to dramatically increase violence on college campuses. Campus security must be left to well-trained professionals. They have proficient techniques to defend campuses against violent attacks without harming innocent students. Instead of granting permission to carry guns on campus, preventive and preparative measurers should be taken and well developed to improve school safety. References Dickerson, Darby. White Paper-Guns on Campus. 17 February 2011. The National Behavioral Intervention Team Association (NaBITA) Web site. White Paper. 19 March 2017. . Holguin, Jaime. Eerie Letter From University Killer. 31 October 2002. Web. 19 March 2017. IACLEA. IACLEA Position Statement: Concealed Carrying of Firearms Proposals on College Campuses . 12 Agust 2008. 24 March 2017. . Krebs, C. P., et al. College womens experiences with physically forced, alcohol- or other drug-enabled, and drug-facilitated sexual assault before and since entering college. Journal of American College Health (2009): 639-649. Print. NIAAA. Alcohol Facts and Statistics. December 2015. 22 March 2017. . SAMHSA. 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Table 6.84B-Tobacco Product and Alcohol Use in Past Month among Persons Aged 18 to 22, by College Enrollment Status: Percentages, 2014 and 2015. 2015. SAMHSA Website. 22 March 2017. . Sampson, Rana. Acquaintance rape of college students. Problem-Oriented Guides for Police. n.d.

Gay Marriage Essay -- Same-Sex Marriage Essays

A large majority of people in the United States will say that they are in favor of equal rights for homosexuals. They will all agree that homosexuals should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accommodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, and other rights granted to US citizens. However, when the topic of marriage arises, all the talk of equality ceases. Over fifty percent of all people in the United States oppose homosexual marriage, despite the fact that most are otherwise supportive of homosexual rights. This means that many of the same people who are even passionately in favor of homosexual rights oppose homosexuals on this one issue. This is because there is a lot of misunderstanding about what homosexuality really is, as well as the erroneous assumption that homosexual people enjoy the same civil rights protections as everyone else. For the reasons of ending social injustice, the economic and social benefits of allo wing homosexuals to marry, and the constitution, homosexual marriages should be a legalized institution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Homosexuals are often treated unjustly socially. Homosexual people and couples are treated as inferior to that of heterosexuals. The values that homosexual couples exhibit in their daily lives are often indistinguishable from those of their straight neighbors. They're loyal to their mates, and are devoted partners. Many of the reasons offered for opposing homosexual marriage are based on the assumption that homosexuals have a choice in which they can feel attracted to, and the reality is quite different. Many people actually believe that homosexuals could simply choose to be heterosexual if they wished. But the reality is that very few do have a choice; any more than very few heterosexuals could choose which sex to find them attracted to. Additionally, many people continue to believe the propaganda from right-wing religious organizations that homosexuality is about nothing but sex, considering it to be merely a sexual perversion. Homosexual relationships are just like heterosexual ones, and are much more about love and affection than they are about sex. And this is what homosexual relationships are based on: mutual attraction, love and affection. Sex, in a committed homosexual relationship, is merely a means of expressing that love, just the same ... ...o deny that the right to marriage whomever you may choose is constitutionally guaranteed. Homosexuals, targets of discrimination and social injustice, deserve to have equal opportunities and rights as every other person in America, homosexual or straight. Homosexual marriages are accepted already by the Constitution, and they offer nothing but economic and social benefits if legalized, therefore there is no real reason as to why homosexual marriages should not be legalized. Legg, Joshua. Interview. 17 May 2004. 23 Nov. 2004 . Cooperman, Alan. â€Å"Christian Groups Say They Won't Give Up.† The Washington Post. Jul. 15, 2004. . â€Å"Q&A: Same-Sex Marriage.† The Washington Post. Mar. 10, 2004. . Rauch, Jonathan. Gay Marriage : Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America. New York: Times Books, 2004. 1-224. Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate. Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 1997. 1-242. Nieves, Evelyn. â€Å"Same-Sex Marriage Issue Fires Up Gays.† The Washington Post. Nov. 1, 2004. . Civil Rights: Brown v. Board of Education I (1954). 12 Jan. 2005. National Center for Public Policy Research. 24 Jan. 2005 .

Drug Addiction Among Young People Essay

Many young people today get addicted to drugs – they become dependant on various types of mind-altering or stimulating medicines or illegal ones. Addiction often comes hand-in-hand with narcotic effects, whether they are strong or light. It is only a question of time when you get addicted. You gradually become destroyed on all the levels of your health. And this is sad. It turns out to be sadder when you come to know that typical age range of drug addicts is from 15 to 30 years. People of this age represent the main working group in a country, they are both core and roots of a society. The addiction is also wide-spread geographically – you can find people having problems with drugs everywhere, not only in low-life countries, but in well-developed ones too. First of all, young people are especially vulnerable to different sorts of illegal things. Usually it all starts in schools. Children from problematic backgrounds often go into alcohol and then into drugs. First comes the psychological addiction and then physical – ‘you want’ and ‘you need’. They destroy you and then destroy you harder as you get more tolerant to substances. The biggest group of addicts are students as they get off their families and there is no one over them to control. Plus, the spirit of freedom often blinds them and then they cannot get rid of their addiction. The life of addicts becomes spoiled in all spheres – social, as they need to communicate with other addicts, they lose their contacts with families and friends; economical – as they spend all their money on drugs (which are usually very expensive), addicts start to earn their money illegally (running rackets, prostitution, etc.) – all these problems are incidental if to compare them to health problems – drugs are primary dangerous to people health. Opiates like heroin are the most murderous drugs – they waste away your physical resources and supress your heart’s work. Heroin is even more dangerous as the form of injections is the most appropriate for achieving  the narcotic effect. Here comes the AIDS. This disease is often called epidemy of our century as there is no treatment and effects are hard to resist and it is lethal.

Picasso’s Background And Life Experiences Essay

Picasso was arguably the most influential artist of the twentieth century. He had some degree of influence in all styles of painting which were used during his time, and was known and respected by almost every art enthusiast on the face of the planet. Pablo Picasso, born Pablo Ruiz Picasso, came into the world on the 25th of October 1881 in the southern Spanish town of Malaga. Pablo was an artist from early in his life – he was a child prodigy. He began his career as a classical painter. He painted things such as portraits and landscapes. But this style didn’t satisfy Picasso, he was a free man and wanted to express himself and ultimately leave a lasting mark on art, as we know it. Picasso turned his attention to cubes. He invented Cubism – a radical art form that used harsh lines and corners to display a picture instead of the usual soft curves. Picasso won a lot of fame for his Cubist paintings, but was criticized for it also. He designed and painted the drop curtain and some giant cubist figures for a ballet in 1917. When the audience saw the huge distorted images on stage, they were angry, they thought the ballet was a joke at their expense. Cubism lived on despite this. Other artists mimicked Picasso’s Cubism, and it took hold. Picasso had only just begun his one-man art revolution. In the late 1920s, Picasso fixed himself upon an even more revolutionary art form – Surrealism. Surrealism emphasized the role of the unconscious mind in creative activity. Surrealists aimed at creating art from dream, visions, and irrational impulses. Their paintings shocked the world – particularly Picasso’s – it was unlike anything a nyone had ever seen before. He took advantage of this fact and also the fact that he was extremely famous, to make a few political statements, statements that would go down in history. 1936 saw the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Fascist revolutionaries, led by Francisco Franco took hold of Spain and imposed a fascist dictatorship upon the country. Due to poor economic control and disregard for the people on the part of the Fascists, the country went through hell. The unemployment rate was phenomenal. The majority of the population were peasants and lived in appalling conditions. Impoverished gangs scavenged in fields and rubbish heaps for anything they could find. A vast horde of ragged, jobless people  wandered around from town to town. On top of this the Fascists operated as a police state and therefore anyone who opposed it would be executed. This incident sparked the most important time in Picasso’s life. On April 26 1937, Nazi German bombers flying under orders from General Francisco Franco, laid waste to the town of Guernica, in the Basque part of Spain, killing many innocent civilians. The bombing of Guernica was an extremely cruel example to th e rest of Spain of what would happen if the Republican resistance continued. This action prompted Picasso to paint Guernica; some say his greatest masterpiece ever. It shows the suffering and destruction of the town, as well as Picasso’s own horror and outrage at what happened. The painting depicts death and carnage on a large scale. A grief stricken mother is holding her dead child, a woman is burning, a severed arm holding a broken spear is lying next to a dead man and a horse, which represents the people, has been speared through the heart and is in agony. The bull stands alone, above everything else. The painting shook not only the art world but also the political world. Guernica is Picasso’s major political expression of all his paintings. Even though it is a single painting, it did so much. And even though it is painted using expressionism, it is still so powerful and it made people realize what was going on in Spain and struck up sympathy for the Spanish people, and hatred for the fascists. Even though Picasso only aimed to express his own horror, outrage, suffering and sorrow of the Spanish people. By unleashing Guernica on the world, Picasso achieved more than he set out to do. Guernica struck up mixed emotions. The Nazis thought of his work as â€Å"degenerate† art – not only did it defy â€Å"the rules† of painting; his artwork was anti-Fascist and therefore anti-Nazi. On the other hand, the British, Americans, French etc. loved his work because it expressed, as nothing else could, the horrors and atrocities of Fascism. When Nazi occupation of Paris came, Picasso’s work was prohibited from public exhibition. Picasso then took on a new role. He refused to leave Paris while the Nazis were there – his fame protected him. But Picasso’s refusal to co-operate with the Germans also made him, as a person, a symbol of freedom, of the â€Å"unvanquished spirit† After the war however, Picasso’s work was not  met entirely with open arms. In Paris, those still influenced by Nazi propaganda, violently protested against Picasso. But this wore off and Picasso went down in history as not only one of the greatest artists ever, but also a hero, and a figure of defiance against Fascism. Works Cited Page  ·Ã¢â‚¬ Pablo Picasso: The Early Years†. E-Library Article Preview. http://ask.elibrary.com  ·Picasso and Braque : pioneering cubism : [exhibition] Museum of Modern Art, New York, September 24, 1989-January 16, 1990.  ·The Artist and the Camera : Degas to Picasso, by Kosinski, Dorothy M.