Shoeless Joe Jackson and His Tragedy

In the short story â€Å"Shoeless Joe Jackson comes to Iowa†, Kinsella provides insight about a man who loves Iowa, his wife (Annie), his daughter (Karin), and lastly baseball. The setting of the story takes place on a rural farm in Iowa where Ray made a baseball field because he was told by a voice of a baseball announcer â€Å"If you build it, they will come†. (Pickering pg 740) Ray and Annie had bought this farm, years ago, to plant and cultivate corn and to raise their daughter in a safe environment. Ray, who was a baseball enthusiast, was told to build this field for â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson and his teammates to play baseball.He had no idea on how or why he might even begin to build this great field. So he started small with the field, he built a magnificent left field first for Joe. All the townspeople had heard what Ray was building and they thought he must have been crazy. Because he was taking a big section of his corn field and was turning it into a baseball diamond, he was going to be losing a huge profit in the harvest season for years to come. His remarkable wife went along with these plans and said,†Oh love, if it makes you happy, you should do it. †(Pickering pg 741) So Ray began on this project which took him several months just to build the eft field for Mr. Jackson, whom he had never even met. So when Ray hears the baseball announcers voice â€Å"If you build it they will come†,(Pickering pg. 740) he ,of course, was Shoeless Joe Jackson. Joe was born in Brandon Mills, South Carolina in July of 1887 and died in Greenville, South Carolina in December of 1951. Joe Jackson was the best left fielder that Ty Cobb had ever seen. Joe’s glove is the â€Å"place where triples go to die. †(Pickering pg. 741) Shoeless Joe Jackson was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early 20th century. He will always be remembered by his performance on the field and for is associat ion with the Black Sox Scandal, in which members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix the World Series. The Black Sox Scandal took place during the 1919 World Series. The conspiracy was the result of the White Sox first baseman Arnold â€Å"Chick† Gandil, whose long lasting ties to the underworld, persuaded a friend who was a gambler that a fix could be pulled off. A New York gangster, Arnold Rothstein, provided the money for the fix. Gandil enlisted several of his teammates, motivated by the dislike of the clubs owner Charles Comisky, whom they perceived as a tightwad, to implement the fix.The owner of the Sox had a reputation for underpaying his players for years. Since some of the guys on the team had ties to the mob, it was easy for them to start to resent other players who were straight-laced and followed the rules. There were a total of 8 players involved in the fix of the World Series. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude â€Å"Lefty † Williams, outfielder Oscar â€Å"Happy† Felsch and shortstop Charles â€Å"Swede† Risberg were all principally involved with Gandil. Although he hardly played in the series, utility infielder Fred McMillan got word of the fix and he threatened that he would go public unless e was in the payoff. â€Å"Sleepy† Bill Burns and â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson, both played for the Los Angeles Angels after the fix of the series, were mentioned in the fix though their involvement has been disputed. I think he was not involved at all but got caught up in some nasty mob dealings. In the infamous World Series, â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson had 12 hits (a World Series record) and a . 375 batting average to lead both teams in the individual statistics. He, also, committed no errors and threw out a base runner at home plate. â€Å"Ultimately, eight Chicago players and various small-time gamblers were indicated in the candal. At a 1921 criminal trial, a strong case was presented to establish that some â€Å"Black Sox† players-as they became known- had in fact thrown games, but all the defendants were found not guilty when prosecutors failed to prove that they had violated any criminal statutes in doing so. †(Morrow pg 1) I, also, found out that there is significant evidence that owner of the Chicago White Sox, Charles Comisky, may have known about the fix and tried to cover it up in order to avoid a scandal. No formal charges have ever been brought up against him or any other officials. In the ook â€Å"Shoeless The Life and Times of Joe Jackson,† there were several letters written back and forth between Jackson and Comisky. Joe Jackson was asking for the loser’s share of the 1919 World Series which amounted to $3,154. 27 per man. Comisky had asked Jackson to return to Chicago to receive the payment but Jackson had prior obligations in Savannah, Ga. These letters continued for several months but to no avail. Ja ckson, also, wanted a new contract worth $10,000 per year. Comisky was only willing to pay him $7,000 per year but had already signed Eddie Collins and Buck Weaver to ontracts that was well above his asking price. Mr. Jackson had started his own business in Ga. which was a Billiard business. He explained, in his letters, that the contract that Comisky had offered was not up to par with the other great players of his era. He explained in one of those letters to Comisky that after taxes and having to live in the city where he played, there would not be enough money to keep the Billiard business on its feet. In the letter, Jackson explains that he has played for less money than any other player of his caliber. He, also, writes that if he cannot pay his asking price thatComisky needs to trade or sell him to another team that would pay him his asking price. Comisky shopped his name around to other organizations and teams but none of them wanted to sign him. In the last letters that they wrote to each other, Comisky explained that he did not receive any other offer from any other team to sign him. Jackson went on to write him back explaining that he would play for anything less than $10,000 per year but he, also, explained that he had heard that Comisky had given a raise of $2,300 to â€Å"Happy† Flesch who had only hit . 192 in the World Series. Finally,Comisky took matters into his own hands and sent Harry Grabiner to Savannah to obtain Jackson’s signature for the new contract. Mr. Grabiner informed Jackson that his new contract with the team would be increased by $2,000 per year and he was pleased with that contract. â€Å"This is where the stories diverge. Grabiner later insisted that Jackson knew that the ten day clause was included in the contract and that Jackson signed it in the house in Katie’s (Jackson’s wife) presence. Jackson claimed that his wife was not home at the time and that he signed it on the hood of the car only afte r Grabiner ssured him that the ten-day clause was not included. That evening, Harry Grabiner, headed back to Chicago with Jackson’s signed contract. The ten day clause appeared in Article 10 on the third of the contracts four pages. †(Fleitz pg 205) In summary Ray was building this field for these 8 players who were banned for life to come play and finish out their careers with nothing hanging over their heads. This field, on Ray’s land, would be famous and all the townspeople could come and watch some of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. Works Cited Fleitz, David L.Shoeless The Life and Times of Joe Jackson. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &Co. Inc. 2001 Morrow, David. Black Sox Scandal. In Campbell, Ballard C. , PH. D. , gen. ed. 2008 Pickering, James H. Fiction 100. Pearson Education. Inc. 2012 Shoeless Joe Jackson and his Tragedy Jason Ebeling English Composition 2 Professor Moeller Nov. 15 2012

Czarist Russia essays

Czarist Russia essays In the early czarist age/ pre-Revolutionary era Russia was a feudal land system and there was a growing gap between agricultural Russia and industrial Europe. Russia under the czars was growing out of the feudal system, but it was a slow process because the czars were afraid of losing power and control. The czars were just large landowners themselves, so they tried to resist turning Russia into an industrial capitalist state. However the czars did many things to start the process, they initiated all kinds of land reforms, such as the Stolypin reforms which weakened the communal agricultural land and allowed peasants to own small pieces of land. Allowing the private ownership of land allowed for some peasant families to become wealthy, and allowed them to use land as a commodity. Peasants could now buy and sell land to settle debts, and those that had to sell their land moved into the cities and started to create a labor force. Under the czars Russia was able extensively expand their railroad system. IN 1861 they had about 2000 kilometers of rail ,by 1913 they had increased the rail line to 70,000 kilometers. The expansion of the rail allowed for the Russians to transport their military more easily, and it opened up the coal and iron resources in the Ukraine. The rail also helped in the transporting of grain and other agricultural outputs. The czarist government also created a conservative monetary policy that allowed Russia, in 1897, to join the international gold standard. Industry took advantage of their countries backwardness by adopting already existing technology instead of trying to create their own. Industrial outputs at this time increase, grain out put triples, labor force grows and the GDP increases. However even with the major increase Russia is still well behind the other European countries. The czars helped to increase the foreign involvement in Russia through trade and through increase in foreign capi ...

Hitchcocks ingenuity Essay Example

Hitchcocks ingenuity Essay Example Hitchcocks ingenuity Essay Hitchcocks ingenuity Essay Psycho was first released in 1957 in the form of a novel written by Robert Bloch though it is better known as a film by Alfred Hitchcock first released on the big screen in 1960. Hitchcock brought the storyline of the novel for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½9500 after originally offering à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5000 as an anonymous caller (Hitchcock did this because if the novelist had known that it was Hitchcock calling he would have charged him much more). Hitchcock took complete control of the film buy making himself director and the editor of the film. The film which was highly controversial at the time due to the strict morals and ethics enforced by the M.P.A. (originally established in 1930 by the Hayes Office), escaped the censorship laws due to numerous tricks that Hitchcock deployed to bend the rules. Hitchcocks past experience helped him through the first hurdle of getting the film through the censors and despite the contreversiality of the film Hitchcock got it through virtually unaltered to the origin al plan. The first trick that Hitchcock deployed was to put absolutely shocking sequences into the film which were there for the sole purpose of distracting the censors away from the bits that he did want to put in, such as the shower scene. An example of this is when Hitchcock put in a clear reference to Norman having a sexual relationship with his mother which Hitchcock knew would immediately be taken out by the censors. In addition to this Hitchcock used clever camera work (as used in the shower scene) to avoid showing unpresentable material such as nudity, therefore outmanoeuvring the M.P.A.. Hitchcock also submitted unchanged scenes to the M.P.A. that he had been asked to re-edit and used exchanges to get certain scenes that he really wanted in instead of scenes that he was not particularly bothered about. Hitchcock also got round Normans transvestitism, which along with homosexuality was taboo at the time, by saying that Norman was not dressing up as a woman for sexual orientation and therefore was not a transvestite. Also note that in addition to the M.P.A. there were non-governmental groups such as the Catholic League of Decency that could mount substantial opposition to a film if they did not think that it was a ppropriate to be shown at the cinemas (although if the M.P.A approved of a film then the other organisations would generally follow suit). As Hitchcock released a variety of posters that hint different things to the audience: This poster has various clues about the plot or overall theme of the film for instance the cracked writing of the word psycho could represent a cracked mind or could alternatively represent knife slashes, this makes the audience think the film could be to do with either of the two points, both of them or even neither of them and is just put there to confuse this maintains the overall suspense surrounding the film. The film title itself psycho these-days connotes a knife wielding manic but at this time the word was known but uncommonly used psychology wasnt a big as a thing then than it is now. The colors red and black that feature heavy in the poster connotes blood darkness and evil also confirming the audiences fears that the film is a frightening or worrying experience. The woman in the background screaming also adds more evidence to this idea of darkness and fear. Silhouetting prevents us from s eeing, what we think to be the antagonist his outline out of proportion almost like Frankensteins monster tells us that whoever it is could be monstrous it could also tell us that as the monster was made up of different body parts of different people could have been used to represent the more than one personality that lurks in the character. Hitchcock also includes his name on the poster he knows that just his name alone would help sell the film as he is one of if not the greatest director of this time. Hitchcocks other marketing ploys also greatly contributed to the overall tense atmosphere of the film, it is rumored that he made people sign a contract that stated that they would not reveal the films ending. He even apparently bought all copies of the books the film was based on by Robert Blach and all the rights to it so it couldnt be published. The phrase No-one but no-one will be admitted after the film has started printed on posters ensured the films atmosphere wouldnt be spoiled made it seem that the film was that good it wasnt allowed by anybody to be spoiled, people running down the aisles terrified by what they saw made the film seem like it was one of the most petrifying experiences ever. Hitchcocks ingenuity did not stop at his ability to get round the censors but he was also a master at creating suspense, horror and making his films unpredictable. Often to create suspense Hitchcock will use none diagetic sounds (sounds which are unflowing or out of tune) which will making the audience feel uneasy, especially uneasy for the character that the camera is facing (if there is only one). Hitchcock would often throw in red herrings into his films to make the audience feel at ease before something terribly awful happens therefore magnifying the feeling of horror through the feeling of surprise. Hitchcock may also throw in plot twists commonly known, as red herrings into the film just to make sure that the film was unpredictable and constantly entertaining. In fact Hitchcock is so good at this that he does it through writing at the very start of the film. As the camera comes into the room where Marion and her boyfriend are embracing semi-naked on the bed writing comes up on the screen in block capitals This format is not one that is associated to the horror genre but more to the detective thriller type genre. This sort of writing is seen in programmes such as the X-Files and Police programmes. Immediately this throws the audience off track and then when Marion steals $40,000 dollars from her workplace runs away with the money and is being followed by a policeman who is clearly highly suspicious of her the audience is utterly convinced that the film could be nothing other than a detective thriller with Janet Leigh (the star actor of her time) as the main actor in the film. In fact the audience is thrown off the track so badly that they start wondering why the film is called Psycho. However this is just a trick thrown in by Alfred Hitchcock to make the death of what is thought to be the main actor in the film one third of the way through at a seemingly pleasant motel all the more shocking. The other thing to look out for in Hitchcocks films are the use of ironic lines that seem meani ngless at the time but when put together at the end of at the end of the seem to fit together into a little riddle to reveal the storyline e.g. You ought to pull into a motel somewhere you know just to be safe. The first instance when Hitchcock makes the audience feel really uneasy is when Marion is driving out of town with $40000 and her employer spots her after Marion told her boss that she was not feeling to good and she was going home to lie down. What is particularly worrying for the audience is that her boss is with the man that the money has been lent from. When her boss looks Marion straight in the eye and we have a view from Marions eyes the audience immediately jumps to Marions side and thinks Oh no Marion is going to get caught (although Marion is the one that is committing the crime and therefore we should really want her to get caught if anything) as the music gets loader and her boss has been looking at her for longer and has clearly recognised her the tension and tension builds up and we get more and more nervous for Marions plight unaware that later in the film we will be on the side of her killer to get away with her murder. The other purpose that this scene fulfils is to throw the audience off the trail of a slasher movie by manipulating the audience into thinking that the film is all about the $40,000 that Marion has stolen. Hitchcock does this by showing that her employer is suspicious of her and thinks that she may have the money. Hitchcock also follows up this red herring by having a policeman follow her who is also clearly highly suspicious of the women. Hitchcock makes us feel particularly nervous in this scene (especially whilst she is actually buying the car) even though this is only a red herring Hitchcock clearly wants to hide this fact by making it seem, as it is particularly important to the plot of the film. Hitchcock makes us feel nervous for Marion in the car salesmen scene by constantly flashing back at the policemans face to see what he is doing and whether he is going to do anything to Marion or not. Marion also is showing signs of nervousness herself and by asking the salesman if she can find a ladys room when she is supposed to be in a hurry she attracts a large degree of unnecessary attention to herself. The next important scene that we meet in the film is the parlour scene. The interesting part in this scene is not the way that Hitchcock builds up tension or horror but the use of ironic lines and the irony in the scene. To start with Norman seems like a very friendly guy but during this scene we find out how protective mother is of him and also how protective he is of mother. We find this out after mother has a row with Norman in the house, which does (undoubtedly not by coincidence) look rather more suspicious than the Motel itself. Norman also protects Mother after a hint by Marion that perhaps mother should be sent to a mental institution. He defends her by saying arguably the most ironic line in the film, Its not as if mother were a maniac a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Havent You? Norman also suggests that mother is completely harmless. The fact that Norman is readily discussing mother and has had a conversation with her (albeit out of sight) means that we are not at all expecting for Norman to be mother. Neither is we expecting mother to go and kill anyone because she is supposedly harmless. The mise en scene of this particular scene is very interesting there are two birds of prey there (the owl and the crow) which both represent death. The birds are also stuffed to keep them new, the same as he has done to his mother. This is one of the most meaningful and ironic mise scenes that is seen through the whole film. The position of the birds is also particularly interesting they are towering over Marion suggesting perhaps that death is going to come to her soon, although at the time we do not notice this or think it through enough to guess that she is going to get killed. The most time consuming horrific and to some the most important scene in the film is to follow. After a slow down in tempo of the film the audience is feeling pretty relaxed, after the voyeuristic shot of Norman peeping through a hole in the wall (voyeurism being something that Hitchcock seems to be particularly obsessed with, and being used to perhaps suggest that he may be doing something that has been shown in the second film under more lax censorship rules), the audience will be utterly shocked. The part of the film that is most shocking and horrific scene in the film (and some would say in any film) is to come. Hitchcock has slowed down the tempo of the film purposefully, so that the audience will feel more shocked at the sudden death of Marion. Diagetic and rhythmic music is used whilst the audience pleasantly views one of the biggest stars of the day in the shower. As she is one of the biggest stars of her day and also advertised as the star/main actor in the film the audience is fooled into thinking that one third of the way through a detective thriller she is highly unlikely to be killed. However Hitchcock had put this in to add extra surprise to her gruesome death. When mother enters the room we see just her shadow creep up but the purposefully dim lighting and the use of the shower curtain to obscure the few hide the large figure of a man and seem to make the killer look smaller. Our instant reaction is Marion turn round, which just goes to show that we have already sided with Marion (so in this scene we are feeling an attachment to Marion). As mother gets closer to Marion the sounds that have now turned to non-diagetic sounds gradually get louder building up tension inside us. When mother finally gets to the shower it takes 45 seconds to kill Marion which on camera took 8 days to film due to Hitchcocks want for perfection. The scene was particularly difficult to film because at the time no nudity was allowed nor would a knife touching human flesh be allowed. Hitchcock however got round this by clever editing therefore outmanoeuvring the Motion Picture Association. You never actually see the murder but it is so obviously happening that your mi nd puts the jigsaw together to make the story fit. Some people will argue that this technique of making someone put together the pieces is far more horrific than just simply showing it, which meant the Hitchcock got what he wanted from the scene, so much so in fact that for days, weeks and in some cases months after the film people did not take showers because they were scared that they may meet the same fate as Marion. The excellent variety of angles shown in the footage is astonishing and makes you feel lost because especially with the use of fast editing. The fast editing makes the audience feel that the attack was particularly sudden and brutal and also leaves the audience shocked who less than a minute ago were sitting in a detective thriller comfortably eating there popcorn and are now sitting in the most horrific horror movie that they had ever seen back then. Some interesting extra facts about this scene is that it was performed on a 12 foot by 12foot stage which is very confined, he used chocolate sauce as blood yet still ma naged to make it look incredibly realistic and also that 1 woman saw Marion breathe when she was dead after being murdered so Hitchcock had to re-shoot that piece such was his want for perfection in this scene. The Arboghast killing lets the audience knows that no-one is safe not even a private detective. As Arboghast enters the house the audience thinks that he can handle the killer. As the tense music starts and the crack of light appears through the door we know something is going to happen. The music develops into one long high pitched note; we see birds of prey foreshadowing his death as they did with Marions. The jerky violin kicks in; we see the killer as a woman which tries to make the identity of the killer obvious. Again we dont see the knife stab but we do see the victims wound which is very vicious stretching across his face. Arboghast is reaching out to the audience when he falls down the stairs causing the audience to want to help him but knowing they cant they feel sorry for him as they what will happen when he reaches the bottom. The stabbing violins again create shock and terror on the audience. The whole killing is done in one continuous shot in contrast with the sharp cut s in Marions killing. The next scene that is particularly good to analyse when Lila is looking around Normans house. As she walks towards the house it looks much more sinister than the motel itself and the fact that there are steps going up to it and it is on raised ground seem to add an edge to its spookiness. The fact that the house looks so spooky immediately puts the audience on the edge of their seats and they feel incredibly nervous for Lilas plight. Lila goes up into mothers bedroom she looks inside mothers cupboard and finds that all of the clothes are still in the cupboard and that everything in the room seems to have been left the same. This is the first point in the film that you see where Normans hobby of taxidermy fits in and why Hitchcock put it in. The audience at this point of course knows about mother having been put in the fruit cellar (which the whole point of is to preserve fruit for as long as possible). The audience by now has started to get a growing suspicion that something siniste r may be going on inside the house. At this stage of the film you may have also noticed that Hitchcock often puts mirrors in scenes perhaps to add depth to the scene? Normans room has also been left relatively untouched since that time that mother died which also makes the audience feel as though something is not quite right. When Norman enters the house the suspense and tension and the nervousness for Lila increases up a gear although we are not yet sure whether Norman would harm her or not we know that he is capable of doing so after his scuffle with Sam. Lila hides down the stairs as Norman goes upstairs and then Hitchcock fits in a part with dramatic irony. Lila thinks that if she goes into the fruit cellar then she will more than likely be safe however the audience knows or think they know that mother the psychopath will kill her if she goes into the fruit cellar this makes the audience even more nervous tense and feeling under suspense. As Lila enters the room the audience starts biting their fingernails and as she gets closer the tension mounts. She goes closer and closer to mother, as the audience gradually get more and more nervous. Eventually when she reaches mother she turns the chair round only to find that there is a skeleton on it. You would think that this would calm down the audience but in fact it heightens the tension as the audience sees how all of the previous scenes fit together and make sense. The audience now knows that Norman is the killer and that he is inevitably going to find Lila especially after she screamed at the sight of the skeleton (which by the way was quite jumpy because of the unexpectancy). The tension heightens again and then up another level when Norman (dressed as mother) enters the room, so much so that it was the most tense moment that I personally have ever experienced in any film that I have ever watched. However Sam then disarms Norman. One interesting thing about that scene is the way that Hitchcock manages to spin round a wooden chair with legs on without squeaking completely unrealistically without the audience noticing. Hitchcock did this to make the scene run more smoothly and what he had to do to achieve this was to put a prop man under the chair to spin it round. The last scene that I would like to write about is the scene where Norman is attempting to sink Marions car along with her body and $40,000. The interesting thing about this scene is that we are willing the car to sink even though we know that it is wrong to think that. Really we know that Norman should not sink it but report it to the police or get his mother put in a mental asylum; however Hitchcock manipulates our thoughts to think what he wants us to think. The first way that Hitchcock did this is by positioning the camera at one point as though we are looking through Normans eyes this helps us take Normans side and so we will the car to sink. The other reason is that we feel sorry for Norman who at this stage in the film seems to be dominated by a madwomen who will not allow him to do anything. We also do not particularly want mother to be caught as she is mentally ill and so it seems unlikely that she would have done it of her own accord. We also feel that even if Norman did re port it to the police they would immediately think it was him rather than a frail old women. It is also just a boy trying to protect his mother. The film at its time was the scariest thing most people had saw; however today audience have been desensitizes by the amount of horror and thriller films around today. We dont get hit with the same impact the audience of the 1960s did as it was a new idea which broke conventions and even created same more setting a standard for all horror-thriller films. I think that the film wasnt scary as I am a member of todays desensitized audience however my heart did jump when the stabbing violin combined superbly with the on-screen action. Throughout the film there is transference is guilt for example Marions guilt being replaced by Normans guilt, innocent characters failings are magnified. Hitchcock also shows things to the audience that the characters dont know then builds tension around what will happen when the characters the characters find out. The plot also revolves around the money which incites curiosity, desire and motivates the characters. The money however never leaves Marion thoug h audience and characters think that hed killed her for the money. Hitchcock preferring suspense over surprise, hence the title master of suspense. All of this comes together to make psycho a truly frightening experience for the audience of the time.

Others Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

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Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Gun Control - Research Paper Example Thesis statement: The research work on gun control proves that the possession of semi automatics by average people must be prohibited because military firearms must not be used by civilians, and uncontrolled possession of firearms ultimately leads to violence, injuries, and increase in mortality rate. Background information In the modern world, arms industry controls the production and supply of weapons in international level. In addition, civilian ownership and possession of weapons is interconnected with the growth and development of arms industry in global level. At the same time, development of arms industry indirectly influences the illegal trade and possession of weapons. During the Civil War era, the African American slaves were not allowed to own weapons, especially guns. So, one can see that gun control in America is deeply rooted in the socio-political scenario. Kristin A. Goss states that, â€Å"The image of America as a gun culture is also at odds with attitudes toward g un ownership† (6). But the freedom from slavery was not helpful for the African Americans to gain the freedom to possess weapons for self-defense. In 18th century, the arms industry began to influence the national politics and most states in America began to provide importance to the revenue from arms industry. So, the civilians began to consider the possession of arms as their right. Besides, legal sanction to purchase and possess of weapons was equally important to the states and the arms industry. Now, the ownership of weapons is a burning issue in the society because the same leads to a number of legal and moral problems. So, one can easily identify the fact that lobbying is an important factor that prevents the government from taking apt decision on gun control. Gun control Acts/laws in U.S. The most important gun control Acts/laws in the U.S. include: the National Firearms Act (1934), the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, the Gun Control Act of 1968, th e Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (2005). The National Firearms Act (1934) deals with the taxation on the production and supply of firearms in the U.S. Geraldine Woods states that, â€Å"Buyers, who also paid a high tax, were to be fingerprinted and investigated before the purchase could be completed† (33). One can see that this Act aims to control the illegal production and supply of firearms. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, deals with the supply and possession of weapons in the U.S. Besides, this Act aimed to control the production and possession of weapons in the U.S. The Gun Control Act of 1968 deals with the control on firearms industry and those who possess weapons. One can see that this Act aims to control illegal transportation of weapons in the U.S. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) aims to control the uncontrolled purchasing of weapons by the civilians in U.S. Larry J. Siegel states that, â€Å"The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993, amending the Gun Control Act of 1968, imposed a waiting period of five days before a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer may sell, deliver, or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual† (145). To be specific, this Act authorizes the authorities to collect information on those who decide to own weapons and to take apt decisions on the same. The

Autobiography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Autobiography - Essay Example This lack of parental supervision and guidance led me to fall into the wrong crowd. Although I was constantly bounced within the foster and educational system, I managed to keep my optimism about my future intact. Little did everyone at the community high school and mainstream high schools that I attended know that what they thought were behavioral issues such as acting as the class clown and rudeness towards authority were actually the methods by which I was trying to express my creativity. Having discovered my talent for music and writing helped ease the conflicts within my life and give me a direction. My talents did not go unnoticed in our town as I often find myself invited to perform my original compositions at local hotspots where I am always warmly welcomed and embraced by the audience. I even became a local celebrity in my own right when I was invited to perform at the Senior Center as my performance together with the choral group that I am a member of was covered by and reported by the local paper. All my experiences in life have led me to understand the importance of education and its direct effect on my life and on the life of those around me. I will be the first generation graduate in my family and I hope that my accomplishment over the adversities of life will serve as an inspiration to those around me. I want them to see me as an example of how it is never too late to take charge of your life and accomplish anything that you want to and gain recognition for it. I am looking forward to attending college either at a local or out of town university where I can learn all about the business world alongside the development of my love for music. I believe that business and music can make beautiful music together as a musician such as I must have the knowledge and skill to promote my talents as a business and invest the earnings that I make from my engagements in order to keep me financially secure in the

Music Through the Centuries Essay Example for Free

Music Through the Centuries Essay The period between 1400 and 1600 is called the Renaissance period. Also known as the period of rebirth, this period brought out the inventions that made a great impact on the lives of people up to the present. The critical and ambitious minds of inventors allow the invention of clock, gunpowder and eyeglasses. Consequently, certain aspects of music also changed. Polyphonic and imitation among voices became rampant. The vocals, whose main purpose is to bring forth emotion and meaning in music, were greatly utilized and some pieces of church songs were intended for a capella performance. With these, the Renaissnce period acquired the name Golden Age of A Capella Music. The impact on music was so vast that families for musical instruments develop. Harmony gained significant attention to the composers who favored blending over contrasting. At the same time, texture became richer because bass was registered for the first time. Some of the famous composers in this era included Josquin Des Prez and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. If given the chance to choose a musical composition in this period, I will choose the Ave Maria by Josquin Des Prez. The song is very relaxing and soothing. It has a great combination of overlapping and alternating high and low notes. Vocals are good and an atmosphere of peace and lightness is exemplified as one listens to this music. After the Renaissance comes the Baroque period (1600-1750), which is characterized by splendid, glamorous and lavish effects on arts, science and music. The canopy of the altar of St. Peters Basilica was constructed and a number of natural laws were found such as the laws of pressure by Robert Boyle. Modes, which were rampant during the Renaissance and Medieval period, were replaced with major and minor tonalities. Basso continuo was greatly accepted and used, as well as the doctrine of affection, which allows the composers to express their feelings freely in music. Composers during this period realized that counterpoint, free use of dissonance, imitative polyphony and homophobic method are essential in their field of artistry. They showed emphasis on volume, texture and pace in music and frequent usage of basic triads and inversions. At the same time, the composers began to explore the inner ability of music to express human spirits and to depict natural phenomena. Opera also flourished because of the Italians desire to recapture the Greek drama where music played an important part. Solo vocalists and the style of homophony were utilzed to help the listeners focus on the melody of the song. Orchestra also began to take shape as string intruments such as violin became dominant. Famous composers that popularized this grandiose style of music included Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldo, and George Frideric Handel. To name one of the great muscial compositions in this era, I would prefer Cantata 80 of Bach. This song is festive-like with good transition of high notes and low notes. The song brings a warm and welcoming aura. This song expresses a high level of emotion as well as a great evidence of how good and hard it is to compose a piece of music. After the Baroque period comes the Classical period (1750-1825). During this period, the first edition of Encyclopedia Brittancia was released. The first vaccination was made and the electric battery was invented by Volta. Compared to Baroque music, Classical music has less complicated texture but has far more variety and contrast because of the use of words such as pitch, tempo, mood, and timbre. Melody is shorter than the Baroque music but with clear-cut phrases and cadences. Functional harmony was retained but tended to focus on slow rhytmic harmony. Metric pulses were present but were not emphasized. Moreover, occasional pauses and rhythmic set points were also common. On the other hand, the orchestra continued to develop with an additional section for the woodwind instruments. The same with the opera wherein piano is considered the most inportant intrument in every performance. Great importance was given on instrumental music, and sonata form was the most important design in this period. Using these styles of music, several composers became known during this period such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. The Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart is an adorable and explicitly unique music. Listening to this music, one can feel the notes freely moving across the music sheet. It has charming and rich melodies that made this music a classical favorite not only in the past but also in the present. The joyful, skipping melody made this music enjoyable and light to hear. Classical period was succeeded by the Romantic period (1825-1900), also known as the Age of Sentimentality. It is during this time that telephone, light bulb, and radio transmissions were developed. In terms of music, there was a simultaneous development of musical extremes. Although basso continuo was totally abandoned, chromaticism flourished and textures were more developed. The virtuosity of the composers were enhanced and they put emphasis on beauty, elegance, and balance in their compostitions. Music became lyrical with dramatic contrasts in dynamics and pitch. Because this was the period for freedom of design and form, music became thematical. Programme music developed and the idea of nationalism flourished because of the need to break away from the strong influence of Germany on music. Fryderyk Franciskez Chopin and Franz Schubert were some of the famous composers in this period. The song of Erlking by Schubert is a good example of romantic music. This song is great because it is very enticing and one can feel the energy flowing through the entire piece. The continuous pulsation of notes gives this song a playful genre. It can be compared to prancing horses that can give one this feeling of excitement and curiosity. With the Classical Music declining, Modern Music became the reigning music in the 1900s. Some of the events that totally changed the history of the world are World War I and II as well as the Vietnam War. This change had a great effect on how music was viewed during this period. Modern Music focused on treating variety, continuity, and mood. Noise makers such as sirens and typewriters as well as percussion instruments became a vital part in this industry (Thinkquest, 1999). The aim to build an unusual music resulted to the employment of tongue fluttering and other special techniques. Dissonance is also preferred than consonance,which resulted to a development of fantasy-like, distant, and mystifying music. To gain an impression of imbalance, polyrhythm was employed. Some of the great composers in this era were Claude Debussy and Igor Stravinsky. The Ancient Voices of Children by George Crumb is a great example of how modern music should sound like. This work is extraordinary and mystifying. The music itself is powerful but there is a haunting effect that provokes the listeners to seek for musical images. It stirs up the emotions of the listeners through the tensions placed on the entire musical score. The musics great shimmering echoes and frequent echoing silence and passages made this song my personal favorite. References Thinkquest (1999) Characteristics of 20th Century Music. Retrieved from http://library. thinkquest. org/27927/20%20century_Characteristics. htm