Popular Music Under Seige :: essays research papers

POPULAR MUSIC UNDER SIEGE Beginning in the 1980s, religious fundamentalists and some parents' groups have waged a persistent campaign to limit the variety of cultural messages available to American youth by attacking the content of some of the music industry's creative products. These attacks have taken numerous forms, including a call by the Parents' Music Resource Center (PMRC) for the labeling of recordings whose themes or imagery relate to sexuality, violence, drug or alcohol use, suicide or the "occult," and prosecutions of record companies and storeowners for producing or selling albums that contain controversial songs. After years of pressure from the PMRC and a series of Senate hearings in 1985, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) introduced, in 1990, a uniform labeling system using the logo, "Parental Advisory - Explicit Lyrics." The RIAA initiated this system without providing record companies with any standards, criteria or guidelines for determining what albums should be labeled. That decision is left completely up to the companies, which have chosen to label only selected rock and rap albums and not recordings of country music, opera or musical comedy that may also contain controversial material. Dissatisfied with the RIAA's labels, many would-be censors have demanded even more limits on the sale of music with controversial lyrics. As a result, legislators have introduced bills in more than 20 states in recent years that would require warning labels far more detailed than the RIAA's. Some proposed laws would go beyond mandatory labeling and actually ban the sale to minors of music deemed to be objectionable. Until 1992, none of this legislation had passed, although in 1991 a bill in Louisiana failed by only one vote. In 1992, however, the state of Washington passed a law that required storeowners to place "adults only" labels on recordings a judge had found to be "erotic"; the law also criminalized the sale of any labeled CD or tape to a person under age 18. Fortunately, the law was never enforced because a few months after passage a state court declared it unconstitutional. Even though Washington's "erotic music" law failed, the battle over proposals to label or otherwise restrict certain music sales will probably continue. The groups and individuals who have been attacking popular music want to impose their personal moral and political standards on the rest of us. The American Civil Liberties Union is working hard to prevent the achievement of that goal, which would imperil the First Amendment rights of musicians, and of all Americans, to create, perform and hear music of our own choosing.

Negotiating Ethics

Some people believe that it is essential to behave ethically when negotiating; I am apart of this belief. I believe that negotiating ethically will make things easier. It will make the process a win – win for both parties. If both parties are being ethical and honest when negotiating the buyer will be satisfied and the seller will as well. The truth of the matter is no one really expects their opponent to be honest .That being said, no one really goes in a negotiating situating expecting to be ethical. Everyone goes in to this situation with guards up and tactics ready. Although I believe that ethics should be essential when negotiating, I also go in expectant of the opposite. I would love to negotiate with ethics and be honest and fair, but the majority of people are not willing to take this approach so I do not either in most cases.It is hard to be ethical and honest when it comes to negotiating. Not everyone shares the same opinion and views about this issue. Some people fe el as though there is no such thing as ethics in negotiating. These type of people go by the motto â€Å"let the best man win†. With the knowledge that not everyone feels the same, no one really negotiates ethically. The person who decides to be ethical will lose against the person who is not being ethical. If they negotiated against each other, the non ethical person will be sly and slick and do whatever possible to persuade a win. The ethical person will try negotiating with honesty and integrity but if he does not get on the same level as the other party, he will come out unsatisfied. When negotiating, it is important for both parties to be on the same page. Before you go into a situation of bargaining it would be smart to know who you are negotiating against. Knowing the tactics and style of your opponent will give you a leg up. Investigating the style of negotiating your opponent exudes will let you know what tactics to use. If your opponent is interested in ethical negotiating, you should be also. On the other hand, if your opponent is unethical then you should switch up your methods and play their game. Everybody wants to win and come out happy when negotiating. This is not impossible to achieve by any means. If everyone negotiated with ethics then it would be easy but as long as the negotiators are on the same page, a great conclusion should be met.I think that many things have changed with the times. I can imagine that back in the day things were a lot different. I can envision businessmen negotiating ethically. I can imagine businessmen negotiating a conclu sion that both parties would be happy with. I imagine those shaking hands and making a great deal and win – win situation. The times of using ethics and honesty are far and few between so to speak. With new tactics and new expressions, people are in it to win it. In these times, instead of looking out for your neighbor, you look out for yourself. With that being said, when negotiating now days, it is definitely a game of winner takes all, or may the best man win. Even though I believe that negotiating with ethics is the best way to go, there may be some situations that warrant the opposite of my beliefs. There is always an exception to the rule. Aside from being on the same page of your opponent, there may be situations that call for an aggressive manner in negotiating. If a professional is negotiating a law or against a law or the state, when a position of disparity or other unfair circumstances are prevalent, I think that negotiating ethically should be out the window. When it is a situation where there is an unfair position or an unfair advantage on an opposing side than the under dog should negotiate using no holds barred. The negotiating arty in this type of situation should go all in and try their hardest to win as much as possible. These type of extreme situations are the only ones I think that being ethical is not relevant. The fact of the matter is, different people have different views when it comes to negotiating. Some do believe in being ethical and they hold to that standard when practicing the art of negotiating. Others are on the opposite side of the scope, and they believe that the best negotiator should take it home. When negotiating, whether ethically or not, you should always play to your opponent’s standard. I think that in it self is being ethical. If your opponent is someone who is doing things honestly and ethically, then you should return the courtesy and do the same. On the other hand, if you are dealing with someone who is in it to win it, you should play their game and try to be in it to win it as well.

Macbeth and Richard Nixon Essay

The tragic hero is an exceptional being capable of greatness. He often sets himself up as equal to superior to the cosmic powers, or at least he seems himself as an extraordinary man. This hero has a flaw. The hero falls from a high place of stature and pride. The tragic hero is in some way responsible for their fall and ultimately realizes their flaw too late before they are punished. Macbeth and Richard M. Nixon are tragic hero’s for these reasons. Macbeth is a tragic hero because he is capable of greatness he was born into a wealth family. Macbeth is the thane of Glamis and is a good general. King Duncan rewarded him for be so loyal to Scotland and for being brave in the battle against Norway and gave him the title thane of Cawdor. Richard Nixon is also tragic hero in some ways he is different from Macbeth and in other ways, he is the same as Macbeth. Richard Nixon unlike Macbeth was not born in to a wealthy family Richard Nixon is the son of a grocer, he was born on 9th January 1913. His father owned a small lemon farm in Yorba Linda, California. A good student, Nixon graduated from Whittier College in 1934. Macbeth has a weakness his ambition the witches and his wife Lady Macbeth control him by exploiting his ambition to be king. Macbeth has ambition to be king but at the same time, they brought his ambition to be king out his more. Lady Macbeth uses his ambition to get him to kill King Duncan. Similar to Macbeth Nixon’s weakness is his ambition to be president. Nixon’s ambition is the reason why he did all the things he did o become and to stay president such as cover ups ,phone taps. The three witches told Macbeth that he would be thane of Glamis, of Cawdor and he would be king. When two of the three predictions came, true Macbeth wanted to be king more. Lady Macbeth convinced Macbeth to kill King Duncan because he wanted the third prediction to come true. Macbeth killed King Duncan and became king. Macbeth became paranoid of someone taking the throne from him and kills people who were his friend, Mac duff family, servant, banqou, fleance. Lady Macbeth committed suicide due to the guilty of having murdered king Duncan. The lords abandon Macbeth and then Mac duff attacks with solider to take back the crown and give to Malcolm the true heir. Macbeth is behead and me his end. Richard Nixon and Macbeth are similar because they both made it to fame, high status, power, and the make a wrong decision. During his campaign for re-election, a break-in occurred on the night of June 17, 1972, as five burglars entered the Democratic National Committee offices inside the Watergate office building in Washington. This was just the start of problems for Nixon people suspected that he was connected but he denied it. Many questionable choices were made and cover-ups were found this all lead to his resignation of the presidency on Friday, August 9. Macbeth did not know if he should kill Duncan because two of the predictions came true on their own. When Macbeth goes to kill the king and is walking down the hallway, he has mixed feelings on what he should do then he sees a dagger going toward Duncan and deicide to do it. Macbeth thinks about what he is doing when he is standing over Duncan who is sleep but then murders him when he wakes up and sees the dagger. Both Macbeth and Nixon suffered had conflict. Richard Nixon suffered when ran and lost in many different elections. The conflict Richard Nixon had when he decided he was never going to run again in any election but then came back and ran for president. Macbeth’s nemesis is Mac duff because in the story, Macbeth has Mac duff’s entire family and their servant murdered . The murder of Mac duff’s family meant that Mac duff would want revenge. In the end Mac duff and Macbeth fight. During the fight, Macduff tells Macbeth that he was not of woman born, but rather â€Å"from his mother’s womb† (A5. S10. L15–16 Macbeth). The witches said that only someone who was not born by a woman can kill Macbeth and that is Mac duff who was taken from his mother’s womb not born by her. Although I would say Richard Nixon does not have a nemesis. Nixon did run unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1960, losing by a very close amount to John F. Kennedy. The tragic hero is an exceptional being capable of greatness. He often sets himself up as equal to superior to the cosmic powers, or at least he seems himself as an extraordinary man. This hero has a flaw. The hero falls from a high place of stature and pride. The tragic hero is in some way responsible for their fall and ultimately realizes their flaw too late before they are punished. That is why Macbeth and Richard M. Nixon are tragic hero’s.

Speech recognition technology essays

Speech recognition technology essays Good morning! I quickly open my eyes and look around to see who has the nerve to burst into my dorm room at 6:30 in the morning. Nobody there. Please wake up! I now remember that my computers new alarm clock was set to awake me for my early morning chemistry lab. As the current weather forecast is dictated to me in a female voice, I stagger over to my computer and tell it to be quiet. While I start the coffee machine, I ponder to myself if installing that speech technology program was worth it. Speech technology has emerged and advanced in the past five years. It ranges from microwaves that tell you when your food is finished, to computers that type and perform functions based on the users voice commands. The technology first did not catch on to public appeal because it did not work very well; however, this feature has been creeping into more and more consumer products as it has improved. I was first introduced to speech technology when I purchased my Samsung cellular phone about two years ago. The first feature I wanted to try out was the voice dial option. The phone was advertised to call the number of a person or place you speak into the phone. I anxiously navigated through the menus to set up the phone numbers that I would call simply by speaking my friends names. Please say the name, prompts the phone. I respond with Evan, and then it says Please enter the number. So I punch in the number. Subsequently, I carry out this process for my other phone numbers. It didnt take all that long and was quite user friendly. Now, whenever I flip open my phone I am greeted with Who would you like to call? All I have to do now is say the name of the person I want to talk to. At least that is what I had hoped. The voice dial option was a great new feature; however it didnt always work as expected and called the incorre...

Rules for Writing out Numbers

Rules for Writing out Numbers Why do so many people find it difficult to remember the rules for using numbers in formal writing? Probably because the rules seem a little fuzzy sometimes. So what can you do? Its no mystery: as with anything, read and study the rules several times, and it will all seem natural, eventually. Writing Numbers One through Ten Spell out numbers one through ten, as in this example: My little brother ate four apples before dinner and became ill.Why do parents always check to see if babies have ten toes? Writing Numbers Above Ten Spell out numbers above ten, unless writing the number would involve using more than two words. For example: I have sixty-three dead bugs in my collection.My cousin has 207 bugs in his.This site has given me a thousand helpful hints for my homework.My grandmother is seventy-two today.My little sister had about 4,763 measles on her face. Always Spell Out Numbers that Begin Sentences It would look odd to begin a sentence with a numeral. Four hundred fifty people attended the birthday party. However, you should try to avoid using long, clunky numbers at the beginning of a sentence. Instead of writing that four hundred and fifty people attended a party, you could re-write: There were 450 people at the party. Dates, Phone Numbers, and Time Use numbers for dates: My birthday is on March 16.He was born on Valentines Day, 1975. And use numbers for phone numbers: The phone number for the school is 800-555-6262The international code for England is 44. And use numbers for telling time if using a.m. or p.m.: The alarm will sound at 7 p.m.I make my bed at 7 a.m. each morning. But spell out times when using oclock or when the a.m. or p.m. are omitted: The alarm will sound at seven oclock.I make my bed at seven each morning.

On the Issue of Debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

On the Issue of Debt - Essay Example This brief analysis will consider what this student believes to be the most pressing and important issue surround the seemingly ever-increasing levels of debt that both federal and state budgets are currently facing. Furthermore, as a function of this increase in overall debt, the negative externalities that such a change portends are vast and systemic. Whereas in previous times the degree and extent to which governments dealt with the issue of debt has always been a high concern for law-makers and citizens, the level and extent to which the current situation weights upon both the government decision makers and the electorate is unprecedented. As a result, the very nature of governance the degree to which this process encompasses nearly every aspect of society and the economy has only exponentially grown (Eichler 1216). For those that are concerned with the overall sovereignty and freedom of the society, this has naturally become a primal concern due to the fact that many nations are able to leverage the United States due to the level of its debt that they hold in the form of bonds and other financial mechanisms. Furthermore, as a function of these factors that have thus far been enumerated upon, this brief work will seek to elaborate upon some key mechanisms through which the problem itself can be lessened over time. The Simpson-Bowles committee put forward what many outside of the realm of politics would deem a fair approach to an infinitely complex issue. The mixed approach that this committee put forward hinged upon the need to make budget cuts, re-work the tax plan, secure Social Security, and reduce the size of the annual budget deficit. The reason that the plan was not latched on to by either political party is due to the fact that it required both an increase in tax revenue and a decrease in spending/budget cuts in order to make the goals that it defined (Croxson 103). These two mechanisms specifically are precisely what must be targeted for the federal (as well as state) budget deficits that currently exist to be minimized. As it is painfully clear, seeking to reduce and/or cancel budget deficits and debt in a relatively short period of time is beyond the realm of possibility. As a result of this, each political party and or leader wants to ignore the issue due to the fact that no political capital can ultimately be gained by seeking to fix an issue that they themselves nor their party will ever receive credit for; however, the larger issue is the fact that the debt crisis threatens the very sovereignty and vitality of the nation, its economy and society (Barth 98). The issue itself is not only a concern for future generations, although this is perhaps one of the greatest concerns that helps to define the size and scope of the problem. Rather, the issue weighs heavily on the way in which the government, both state, federal, and local, seek to provide key services to the communities which they serve. Rather than building more park s, maintaining infrastructure, and providing a litany of other adequate services, the government is forced to expend a large percentage of its annual budget (which itself is already over and above current tax receipts) to service the debt that currently exists. What this portends is a situation in which the government is borrowing money in order to pay the interest on the money that it is already borrowed. It does not take a degree in advanced economics to instantly realize that such a stance is untenable and cannot be long continued without the structure and legitimacy of the entire economic system falling into a state of collapse. As such, the current status quo with regards to debt level and spending is both untenable and unwise. One need look no further than examples of Greece and other nations to rapidly realize what maintaining a dangerously high percentage of debt to national GDP portends. Similarly, whereas the solution mechanism may be a shared sacrifice over a period of ma ny years, the

Relationships between learning disabilities and the impact of Dissertation

Relationships between learning disabilities and the impact of behavioral disorders on standard experiences - Dissertation Example Is it possible to make an economic case for the value of government intervention in this regard? There is considerable evidence that a lesser investment will reliably produce lesser results in terms of education. (Inman, 1986). The time to start educational assistance for those with special needs is in their youth. A variety of studies indicate a principle of diminishing returns for efforts made to educate any useful job skills fully formed adults both academically and for a specific vocation. (Furstenberg, 1987) those with physical disabilities may still prove to be intellectually quite proficient. They may even rely more upon intellect than physical activity, and may be able to develop their intellectual acumen even further than the general population. If given special needs support in early childhood. Even those with mental disabilities may still grow into productive citizens if the nonfunctional can be taught to function by trained, competent specialists committed to the outcome of special education. DISCUSSION In terms of educational policy; a vital research question becomes: Should Learning Disabled and Behavioral challenged students be excluded from classes with baseline students? The challenges for these children are numerous, there are many reasons why children experiencing learning disabilities might fail in school, far beyond merely the obvious. When a child perceives him or herself as being mentally deficient/learning disabled the potential for great insecurity develops. School in general may seem painful, an embarrassing waste of time and venue for potential bullying and the degradation of the students self-worth. It is a daunting obstacle; how to focus on learning, if you were such a student – labeled and ridiculed for what it seems you have no control over. Often times, measures used in the past to give these students focused attention; placing them in segregated units, or separate institutions all together unintentionally exacerbated the problem. It makes sense to give extra attention to the learning disabled; and one might logically conclude that this attention should take place within a place all their own. But this natural exclusionary tendency towards those with behavioral, or intellectual disabilities can become a disservice, as will be demonstrated later. The findings of several researchers demonstrate how behavioral problems will disrupt the already unfavorable prospects of the learning disabled. It is worthwhile to specify the definitions of learning disabilities. Although a precision diagnosis and prognosis may not be consistent, there are warning signs that signify disability: Difficulty in learning the alphabet Poor reading comprehension Frequent mistakes when reading aloud Spelling difficulty Inability to express thoughts by writing Late language acquisition Lack of comprehension of humor, or satire Mispronunciation Confusion with written numbers Confusion with the sequence of a story (Medinenet.com, 201 1) In essence, the typical tasks that are begun upon entrance to the public school system are those the learning disabled are most challenged by. A true disability must be diagnosed with care; in past generations, so-called intelligence tests might simply measure cultural references, biasing them against other ethnicities and cultures. (Dove, 1971) An