Fair park historic site Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fair park historic site - Essay Example The alteration of the facility from its initial appearance to the present day one was done in an effort to make it attractive during the six months long exposition. These buildings still exist to date, which serves as an art decoration of the complex. During the 1936 exposition, the complex attracted millions of visitors. The complex got its name after the initial owners, Fair Association, who lost the facility through fire and financial loss in 1904 (Walker, 168). After this loss, it was voted that the facility be maintained and protected against the real estate developers, eventually becoming the second public park in Dallas (Collins, 187). Having initially started on an 80-acre piece of land, the complex has been increased in size, due to its relevance to the current 227 acre size. Today, the facility attracts over and above seven million visitors every year.The administration of the park is under Dallas park department, which it obtained in 1988, after the complex was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986 (Mark, 82). A lot of resources have been used to develop, maintain and renovate the facility since its establishment. However, in the light of its relevance in bringing in millions of visitors every year, the investment is worth it. ... on of the entrance gate to their look as at back 1936, the reconstruction of the monumental sculptures, renovations of the Hall of state and the Aquarium as well as the inclusion of a green space (Walker, 122). There is an additional construction of the Summer Place Park that is to be opened later this year (Collins, 156). This complex has influenced the nature of surrounding estates construction, with most of them being developed to match the aesthetic value of the complex. The buildings in this complex have emerged to be the busiest, with many annual and seasonal performances taking place here. The Fair Park site has become the most popular public spaces in the USA, with millions of visits every year (Walker, 118). The facilities in this complex, for example the Hall of State, were some of the most expensive building of its time in the whole of Texas. Its decor was an art work of international, regional and national artists. This has given it the most of all magnificent looks (Mark , 10). The facilities that the complex is a home to include; the Esplanade, Hall of state. Parry Avenue Entrance, the women’s museum, the D.A.R building, Museum of the American railroad and the Tower building. The annual festivity that takes place in this complex attracts millions of visitors (Walker, 118). These festivities include: The annual state fair of Texas lasting for 24 days, which is the largest state fair in the USA, by annual attendance since 1886 (Collins, 121). The fair hit a record six million plus in 1936, a historic attendance that is unique to this complex only as per those dates. The annual festivity runs from every last Friday of September each year to the third Sunday of October. The other annual festival is the North Irish festival, the largest of all Irish festivals

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

The Media - Essay Example Tumber in his article about the future of journalists is positive that they will still hold jobs interpreting news in the internet (Tumber 108). This view is however one sided and has no perfect evidence of that being the scenario in future. In this age, journalists need to have more than interpreting ability if they are to survive the cyberspace age in their career. False hopes will not help them come up with creative ways to still keep their jobs. The article should have come up with more suggestions and recommendations to journalists or at least help them brainstorm for ideas of how to make themselves be needed by the audience. In as much as David Smith praises the discovery of wood pulp in the newspaper industry which made newspapers cheaper than before the 1900s, the negative effects of this are still being felt up to date. Wood pulp comes from wood and the more newspapers are produced from wood, the more trees are cut (Smith 343). The rate of cutting down trees is inversely proportional to growth rate of the trees being planted hence at some point there will be no big trees for environmental conservation. As technology evolves also, there will be less people purchasing newspapers so they should start thinking of other ways to move with technology and quit destroying the environment for wood

Human society Essay Example for Free

Human society Essay Human society, as we know it, is becoming lazy and antisocial. Its pretty much useless to deny it. Compare us to fifty years ago, and you will find weve let ourselves go. Compare us to a hundred years ago, and youll realize weve morphed into beanbags with brains. In the 1890s they got by fine without even using cars. Or credit cards, for that matter. Of course, they couldnt show skin at the beach, but thats another matter. Take the Segway scooter for instance. For those of you not in the know, its a slow, ugly, two-wheeled, battery-powered (ooh ahh), upside-down coffee table, with some junk in it that makes it impossible to fall off of (in case all that standing gets the best of you). It was designed for city use (like that god awful 1/8 mile from your work to the doughnut shop), and has no other practical use except possibly as a coat hanger/umbrella rack. 45 klicks, top. Can run about 200 kilometers on a battery. Offers little or no protection against cars, which is a moot point because its nowhere close to being street legal. All you have to do is stand. In other words, its a big wheelchair for the able where you dont have to move your arms, legs, or even eyelids for that matter. Makes walking obsolete. Pretty lame invention for 5000 bucks a pop, huh? Here comes the scary part. This Yuppie-Mobile is being hailed as something that will revolutionize the way we travel. Scientists are calling it an engineering masterpiece. The website is taking advance orders because the things are going quicker than they can make them. And very few of these people are actually in need of these services. No, friends, its pure laziness. Next on the chopping block those insta-gas keys at gas stations. Such a stupid idea makes the Segway Scooter look like Edisons light bulb. Im sure you know what Im talking about, but if you dont heres a run-down: For a small fee (your soul), you can get a little key-type deal with a gas station logo on it mailed to you (along with about a million pieces of junk mail). Although they look like toddler toys, they actually hold a lot of fat-gaining power for the modern lazy yuppie. Imagine, if you will, life before the Key. Imagine the horror of actually having to labour out of your heated SUV and talking to a low-life gas pump. Imagine social interaction. Imagine returning to find your (instant) coffee slightly less warm. Before the Key, all of these things were, in all their horror, a reality. Now, you can just beep the key in front of the reader, pump your gas, and get a friendly greeting from the meter such as have a nice day. Nothing puts you in a good mood like being complimented by an LCD screen. The gas is charged to the credit card or other easy pay billings system. Again, these mechanisms have alarming popularity. Shell introduced them to their gas stations about a year and a half ago, and now you would be hard-pressed to find a gas station that doesnt have some form of instant-payment tool. Even the mom and pop stations are getting in on the fad. Only theirs involves paying 25 dollars for a rock, and proceeding to throw it at the pump when the gas is pumped. Gas pump deaths are at an all-time high. Just kidding, kids. Perhaps the most disgusting example of lethargy comes from the same people who bring you Enforma Diet Pills (for those too `busy to diet. Damn slobs). I am talking about none other than the queen of the late-night infomercials, the talk of the trailer park, the (drum roll please) AbTronic. This is their angle: The AbTronic(TM) is so effortless that you can be watching your favourite television program, reading a book or even cooking dinner while getting your body into the shape you want it[1][1]. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. I cant even begin to tell you whats wrong with this one. You apparently dont even need to go to a gym anymore to get `rock-hard abs. Sure, youll be porky in other places, but your abdominal muscles will be `rock-hard. And ab muscles are enough for the modern ultra-lazy consumer. Who cares that this device has uncertain long-term effects? Who cares if it doesnt work half as well as ordinary sit-ups[2][2]? Who cares? Its easy, its expensive, and thats good enough for the average American consumer. The scary thing is, unlike most infomercial products, the demographic this product is reaching extends far beyond the crackhouses and backwoods. American teens from all walks of life are throwing out their gym memberships for a shot at insta-abs. The decline of civilization at its lowest. Of course, I could be wrong. Maybe these innovations are for the better. Who knows what can be accomplished with the increased amounts of free time? Maybe the time saved by these devices could be put towards creating world peace. Or forming a perfect system of government. Or inventing life saving devices. Yeah right. _______________________ [3][1] Store.yahoo.com/wonderfullbuys/abtronic.html . The wonderfullbuys site is actually a haven of lazy-person tools. If this kind of stuff floats your boat, I recommend it. [4][2] [5]www.streetcents.cbc.ca. Great consumer review site. [image001.jpg] The Segway: Motorized Stupidity [image002.jpg] The AbTronic: The Pinnacle of human idiocy References Visible links 1. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn1 2. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_edn2 3. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref1 4. file://localhost/var/home/acumen/svn/trunk/engine/docs/working/11538/11538.html#_ednref2 5. http://www.streetcents.cbc.ca/ Hidden links: 6. http://www.coursework.info/

Reasons to Study Overseas Essay Example for Free

Reasons to Study Overseas Essay Reasons to study overseas There are many reasons to study abroad. Impressiveness in teachers is the first of my motivations. Secondly, study abroad would enhance my learning in higher education in terms of their cutting edge technology and learning environment. The last reason is to gain life experiences by living in different city, different speaking language and different people. First of my motivations for PhD study abroad is from my teachers. I took their classes when I studied undergraduate school in Khon Kaen University. They look so smart and confident. They shared me their PhD study experience and told me how good it gives after graduated PhD. Although they studied hard, it is worth doing. Also, my advisor in graduated school taught me not only new exited field of study, but also forwarded his research experiences to me. These inspire me to further my study in foreign country to improve my research experiences and pass on to my students. Secondly, studying abroad would enhance my learning opportunities. Developed countries preserve more knowledge and technology, and contribute more applications, and problem solutions than underdeveloped and developing countries. For my field (application problem in industry) study in a developed country could provide me chances to solve world class problems in my interested study field Lastly, gaining life experiences is also another important issue to go study aboard. Living in different country, different language speaking and foreigner people around will challenge me to improve myself. I have got a lot of experiences in US when I were there doing a part time job for three months. I have learned to work with foreign people, learned their culture, learned how to make foreigner friends under different culture and learned how to live without family. Using English in daily life was also the greatest experience that I could not get in Thailand. In summary, studying overseas will provide me chances to gain experiences in terms of academic and life. Once I graduate, I will have required ability to support my work in engineering programme at Nakhon Phanom University, and pass on my knowledge to my students. These are main reasons why I would like to study abroad in PhD study.

Work Considered Chronicle Of A Death Foretold English Literature Essay

Work Considered Chronicle Of A Death Foretold English Literature Essay Reflective Statement: Translated from the Spanish masterpiece first published in 1981, Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a tale embossed with irony and political authority. Inspired by a true story, Marquez eloquently critiques the collective psychology of the small Columbian coastal towns residents, whose response to the murder is portrayed through a powerfully orchestrated framework of poetic beauty and literary phenomenon that preserves a chapter of history in a portrait of the 1950s community. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Marquezs work and hope my enthusiasm was conveyed to the group. Discussion focussed on how contextual factors shaped the novella. Plagued by corruption stemming from Catholicism, full appreciation of Marquezs work is dependent upon understanding of religious contexts. Ironically, blatant disregard for religious scriptures implies a superficial nature to religious devotion. I communicated how, despite claiming to be devout Catholics, the neighbourhood undermine religious attitudes by lying to avoid culpability and killing to preserve honour. The insightfully articulated point explaining how forgiveness is the main teaching in Catholicism reinforced how religion cant be used to justify honour killings since they are contradictory to Biblical teachings. We concluded that religion was being used to veil corrupt traditions and anachronistic sentiments. Marquez criticises male obligation to defend family honour. Reminiscent of a motto, there is conviction in the expression honour doesnt wait. Although women are objectified throughout, Angelas accusation that Santiago was her perpetrator remains unquestioned, perhaps because, where preservation of honour is concerned, the sentiment supersedes the action itself. Someone said that possibility of the victims innocence was irrelevant; Santiagos life compensated for the shame brought on the family. The ambiguity of biblical teachings invites misinterpretation. Wiping dirt off his guts, ironically Santiago is the only one with honour. Someone thought cultural differences made relating to characters difficult, reducing overall reading pleasure; I argued, however, time has enriched the story. Influenced by changing attitudes; when the narrator returns 27 years later to piece together the events of the murder, details are confused, suggesting that the townsfolk have altered their memories to absolve themselves of guilt and shared responsibility. Magical realism is a recurring motif. Implications of shared responsibility are shown through the enchanting way everything smells of Santiago Nasar; suggestive of the guilt that haunts the community. Poignant fantastical imagery confuses the distinction between reality and fiction and, like the investigation that inspired his work, there are many unanswered questions. 395 words Aspect: How does narrative perspective influence the readers understanding of the events? Title: Why does Marquez allow the selection of evidence to be influenced by a subjective narrator and to what extent does this complicate the readers investigation into the question who or what is responsible for the death of Santiago Nasar? Translated from the 1981 Spanish text, Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a tale embossed with irony and riddled with mystery. Inspired by a real event, Marquez critiques the collective psychology of the towns residents and their response to a cold-blooded murder. The distinction between fact and fiction is blurred by discrepancies presented within a complex narrative framework as our unnamed narrator investigates the murder. Although the journalistic style is convincing, like everything in this novel, the various accounts are not as they seem. Compounded by the absence of potentially enlightening documents, the investigation presents nothing more than a subjective compilation of inconsistencies. As the narrator rummages through a lagoon of lost causes (100) attempting to recover partial records from the original investigation, we too must piece together an impossible puzzle of narrative ambiguities. No more reliable than the members of the community desperately trying to evade respons ibility, our detective narrator filters and manipulates the evidence, imparting a fragmented report plagued with unsolved mysteries. Thus, when approaching the underlying question who or what is responsible for the death of Santiago Nasar consideration of narrative perspective is essential to see through the misleading facade worn by the community. Narrative subjectivity is shrouded by a deceptive journalistic style. His unique position as a member of the community has decisive influence on the investigation proceedings, making it difficult to establish a trusting relationship with the narrator. We learn of neither his character nor his motivations for trying after so many years to disinter the horrific events, although hopes to unearth a forgotten secret that could restore coherence to the investigation are frequently implied. Despite his meticulous research, our narrator is unable to provide any persuasive evidence; merely a subjective compilation of contradictory accounts, procured largely from sources confounded with bias. Whats more, the traditions and cultural values of the community have had subtle influences on the narrators work. Expressing an intrinsic belief in his mothers ability she had a well-earned reputation as an accurate interpreter of other peoples dreams'(2), the narrator places great value on mythical allus ions; the hyphenated adjective well-earned implying a level of respect and perhaps even admiration for her ability. Although our narrators roots and his relationships with the central protagonists add a new dimension to the investigation, ultimately, like the smell of Santiago Nasar in the memories of the characters, uncertainty lingers in the mind of the reader as a consequence of his subjectivity. One of the major challenges the narrator encounters is the limited availability of evidence; failure to procure key details left many questions unanswered during the original investigation and continues to riddle the chronicle for readers today. Responsible for the selection of evidence, the narrator controls what information is available to the reader; it is plausible that certain details remain undisclosed to protect his integrity. This is compounded by the fact only some 322 from the more than 500 (100) pages of an already deficient collection of documents were rescued by the narrator, implying the absence of details perhaps critical to the understanding of existing evidence and success of the investigation. In compensation for the lack of original evidence he interviews members of the community, but even these accounts are nebulous. Angelas mother, for example, refuses to speak of past events she went to her grave with her secret (46); her memories may have been critical in advan cing the investigation, hence the denied information incites unwelcome feelings of missed opportunity. Such feelings of despair are reflected in this poignant image that reinforces how the secrets are concealed and out of reach, with a metaphorical evocation that the truth is inaccessible. One can only imagine a grave to be a lonely place for a secret; buried deep in the ground and in total darkness, if light represents truth and understanding, this image may be symbolic of the unknown. There is also a suggestion that the community doesnt want the truth exposed as it would mean accepting a degree of culpability. More so than the reservations of key characters, it is the impossibility of retrieving certain memories that troubles the narrator. Officer Leandro Pornoy died the following year, gored in the jugular vein by a bull (53) before the narrator had the opportunity to talk to him. Here the graphic imagery is shocking and resembles something of a newspaper headline. Moreover, incl usion of gory details is consistent with the honest reporting style that veils the narrators subjectivity. Thus, the limited availability of information serves to divert the readers already gruelling journey in search of the truth; our confusion parallels that of our narrator. Used throughout the chronicle as a motif to reflect the emotional position of its characters, the weather is a topic of inconsistency, casting an element of mystery over the novel which is never explicitly addressed. Throughout, Marquez uses pathetic fallacy to convey characters attitudes. Victoria Guzman openly expressed an ardent dislike for Santiago Nasar and her lack of remorse for failing to prevent his murder is metaphorically implied in her statement, claiming It hadnt rained that day, or during the whole month of February (7); her conscience as clear as the sky in her testimony, she will continue to stand by her judgement. Reported to have been a radiant morning with a sea breeze coming in through the banana groves (2), similar values are shared by other members of the community. The positive connotations associated with this image of pastoral harmony suggest a relatively content state of mind and lack of concern. Conversely, the narrator may have been motivated by a desire t o absolve himself from the guilt haunting his conscience. Uncovering the truth would give the investigation a sense of closure, allowing Santiagos memory be left to rest in peace. Where light represents truth and knowledge, it seems apposite that the weather was funereal, with a cloudy, low sky (2). Blocking the sun in the same way answers have been concealed for 27 years, the clouds carry therefore symbolic importance. Hence, provided that questions remain unanswered, the narrator will never truly be able to rid himself of the guilt; perhaps Marquez is presenting a subtle criticism of societys values in that murder should never be justified or accepted on the grounds of honour or personal aversion. The chronicle doesnt follow the typical narrative structure. Instead, intrinsic of the investigation itself, the reader first learns of the murder in the opening sentence before journeying alongside the narrator in an attempt to discover the truth behind the tragedy; the reconstructed past fragmented as proceedings are recounted from various perspectives. Metaphorically, each shard of the broken mirror of memory (5) is a fragment of the truth that only when united can reveal the underlying truth. Meticulous investigation presents a limited picture; like a mirror, the closer the narrator scrutinises individual testimonies and solitary evidence, the more his desired answers elude him and multiple inconsistencies reveal a level of subjectivity. The narrator advocates the conviction of a foretold death because none of us could go on living without an exact knowledge of the place and mission assigned to us by fate. (97), hoping like the rest of the community, to detach himself from the si tuation, alleviating the burden of personal responsibility. The extent to which the death of Santiago Nasar can be attributed to fate, is, however, largely ambiguous. It is Marquezs use of magical realism that alludes to the number of obscure coincidences for which the only logical explanation is fate, sending the reader into a blurred conceptual zone somewhere between fact and fiction. Thus, subjectivity of our unnamed narrator in Chronicle of a Death Foretold can be seen to compromise the credibility of the narrative. The selection of already limited evidence, influenced by the narrators obligation to protect his community, further complicates the underlying investigation into the question: who or what is responsible for the death of Santiago Nasar? His motivation may have been to answer this question; however, it is difficult to identify a single offender given that the entire community is culpable to some degree. Many of the characters insist that fate is responsible for Santiagos death the narrator included, but this is merely a facade, burying the shame that would inevitably be cast upon them should they reveal the truth of how they tolerated such a brutal murder. Ultimately there is not one culprit, nor was the death of Santiago Nasar down to fate, rather it is the anachronistic traditions of the Roman Catholic community that should be criticised. Following social progression, it is difficult for the ashamed community to dwell on events of the past as no justification seems logical or indeed adequate to defend such an unthinkable murder. The collective group overshadowed and plagued the thoughts of the individual; but clearly what is popular is not always moral. His role is not to expose the truth; as a member of that community, inability to accept responsibility will prevent the narrator from ever solving the mystery surrounding the death of Santiago Nasar. Ultimately, Marquez uses the narrator as a device to question the unreliability of the communitys collective voice. (1467 Words)

Daniel Dennetts Darwins Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of

Daniel Dennett's Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life Science can give us as good a moral code as any religion. Or so Daniel Dennett claims in his book, Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. Dennett provides the tools to explain human morality, and inadvertently leads the way to the conclusion (which he does not share) that science can clarify how human morality came about, but not serve as a substitute or model for moral codes, religious and secular alike. It all begins with Dennett's assertion that everything- everything- is a product of an algorithmic process, which comes about as a result of random change. By definition these algorithmic processes, evolution included, are "matter first". Dennett uses a metaphor of "cranes"; that new changes in species or anything else are made possible by what already existed in the material world. When speaking about life it is also usefully explained by considering adaptation to be, in practice, exaptation. Nothing in the Darwinian story of the world suggests that anything about better or worse, or for that matter, good and evil. This is the main point commonly used to dispel notions of Social Darwinism. But it, in my mind, is not sufficient. A few people are doing better in the world than others, and it is not because they are better than the others, or that the others are inferior, it just happened that way because of social circumstances. It has nothing to do with biology. So what! Science here offers no ethical insight; it only prompts indifference. Even if Darwinism is no justification for social injustice, it does nothing to suggest that there is an urgent need for social change. At worst, if one does not take away from this a w... ...reate stories and go beyond nature. These stories themselves are often the motivation for what we determine to be evil upon examining an alternate story, but we do not have a choice about whether or not we tell stories at all. That is in our nature. Alternately, without our stories we would not experience good and beautiful. The most dissatisfying aspect of a matter-first explanation of morality is that it absolves us from any responsibility for how we impact the natural world and other human beings. This could come as a welcome relief, after considering the incomprehensible responsibility of being an agent of creation. But consider again all the hope and possibilities that lie in being able to tell stories that change the world! Works Cited Dennett, Daniel C. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life. New York, NY: Simon&Schuster, 1995.

Ishmeal and Maya Angelou :: essays papers

Ishmeal and Maya Angelou There are many different views on how people should live our lives. All of these different philosophies come from many different places. They come from religions, people's cultures, and their morals that they have been taught. People live by these rules they were brought into from the day they are born and do not question them. In "A Rock, A River, A Tree", by Maya Angelou and Ishmael, by Daniel Quinn, both attempt to show how humans should live their lives and survive in a community. There way of changing the world is to convince readers to stand up and speak out about how to save the world. Daniel Quinn specificly helps readers to see that our lives are governed by matured laws that humans refuse to acknowledge-- this causing their, our destruction. In Ishmael Daniel Quinn sets the idea of having to think differently by having the book being told my a man who's teacher is a talking Gorilla. The Gorilla's name is ironicly Ishmael. Ishmael teaches captivity which he has been in his whole life and has mastered. As a Gorilla he has a totally different view on the world. He states in many ways that he believes that we must stand up for saving the world. In the beginning of the book Ishmael is talking about Germany before and during World War Two. He talks about how everyone followed the story if they believed in it or not "because the people around you made you captive" by the story by believing in it. Behind that story is another one the makes your mind think that maybe if that one person did stand a few people would realize that it was wrong and stand up too, and maybe the WWII or the holocaust would have never happened. Later in the book they are working on why people are knowingly destroying the world and doing nothing about it . Ishmael tries to explain that they "try not think too searchingly about the world they're leaving their children to cope with." He says that they are "pacified" about the subject. This is Quinn's way of using a scare tactic on the readers, to make us believe we are brain washed and need to rebel. Later in the book there is another story about how men kept jumping off from the edge of a cliff with a flying contraption, believing it will work all the way up until they hit the ground, think in the way that they "made it this far without a scratch".