Cognitive Dissonance Theory essays

Cognitive Dissonance Theory essays Cognitive Dissonance Theory, developed by Leon Festinger, is concerned with the relationships among cognitions. In this context, cognition can be perceived as a piece of knowledge that may inscribe an element of an attitude, an emotion, a behavior, a value, and so on. For example, the knowledge that you like the color blue is cognition. People hold a multitude of cognitions simultaneously, and these cognitions form irrelevant, consonant or dissonant relationships with one another. Cognitive Irrelevance probably describes the bulk of the relationships among a person's cognitions. Irrelevance simply means that the two cognitions have nothing to do with each other. Two cognitions are consonant if one cognition fits with or is consistent with the other. People like consonance among their cognitions. We do not know whether this aspect is innate or is learned, but people do prefer cognitions that fit together to those that do not. It is this simple observation that gives the theory of cognitive dissonance its interesting form. And, two cognitions are said to be dissonant or incompatible if one cognition follows from the opposite of another. Dissonance occurs when two cognitions are in a dissonant relationship. Dissonance is not something that people want in their lives. People try to avoid dissonance if they do come across it. For example, Smoking cigarettes may taste good and look professional, but in fact it is known to cause smoking ailments like lung cancer, emphysema and bronchitis. With this in mind, the greater the importance of health to the smoker, the greater amount of dissonance is produced when he she smokes. To understand the alternatives open to an individual in a state of dissonance, we must first understand the factors that affect the magnitude of dissonance arousal. First, in its simplest form, dissonance increases as the degree of discrepancy among cognitions increases. Second, dissonance...

The Executive Branch of US Government

The Executive Branch of US Government The President of the United States is in charge of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The executive branch is empowered by the U.S. Constitution to oversee the implementation and enforcement of all laws passed by the legislative branch in the form of Congress. As one of the foundational elements of a strong central government as envisioned by America’s Founding Fathers, the executive branch dates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Hoping to protect the liberties of individual citizens by preventing the government from abusing its power, the Framers crafted the first three articles of the Constitution to establish three separate branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. The Role of the  President Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states: â€Å"The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.†Ã‚   As the head of the executive branch, the President of the United States functions as the head of state representing U.S. foreign policy and as the Commander-in-Chief of all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The president appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Secretaries of the Cabinet agencies, as well as the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. As part of the system of checks and balances, the president’s nominees for these positions require the approval of the Senate. The president also appoints, without the approval of the Senate, more than 300 people to high-level positions within the federal government. The president is elected every four years and chooses his vice president as a running mate. The president is the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces and is essentially the leader of the country. As such, he must deliver a State of the Union address to Congress once each year; may recommend legislation to Congress; may convene Congress; has the power to appoint ambassadors to other nations; can appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal judges; and is expected, with his Cabinet and its agencies, to carry out and enforce the laws of the United States. The president may serve no more than two four year terms. The Twenty-second Amendment prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice. The Role of the  Vice President The vice president, who also is a member of the Cabinet, serves as president in the event that the president is unable to do so for any reason or if the president steps down. The vice president also presides over the U.S. Senate and can cast a deciding vote in the event of a tie. Unlike the president, the vice president can serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, even under different presidents. The  Roles of the  Cabinet Agencies The members of the President’s Cabinet serve as advisors to the president. The cabinet members include the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive branch departments. With the exception of the vice president, cabinet members are nominated by the President and must be approved by the Senate. The President’s Cabinet departments are:   The Department of Agriculture, among other functions, ensures that the food Americans consume is safe and regulates the nations vast farming infrastructure.The Department of Commerce helps regulate trade, banking and the economy; among its agencies are the Census Bureau and the Patent and Trademark Office.The Department of Defense, which includes the U.S. Armed Forces, protects the nations security and is headquartered at the Pentagon.The Department of Education is responsible for ensuring equal access to a quality education for all.The Department of Energy keeps the U.S. plugged in, regulating utilities, ensuring the security of power supplies and promoting new technology to conserve energy resources.Health and Human Services help keep Americans healthy; its agencies include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and the Administration on Aging.The Department of Homeland Security, established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, is charged with preventing terrorist attacks in the U.S. and helping to fight the war on terror and includes the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Housing and Urban Development promotes affordable home-ownership and ensures that no one is discriminated against in the pursuit of that goal.Interior is dedicated to protecting and nurturing natural resources, national parks, and wildlife. Among its agencies are the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.Justice, led by the Attorney General, enforces the nations laws and includes, among other agencies, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).The Department of Labor enforces labor laws and keeps workers safety and rights protected.State is charged with diplomacy; its representatives reflect the United States as part of the world community.The Department of Transportation established the Interstate Highway System and keeps the U.S. transportation infrastructure safe and functioning.Treasury ensures the countrys financial and economic stability, manages federal finances and collects taxes . Veterans Affairs provides medical care for wounded or ill veterans and administers veterans benefits. Phaedra Trethan is a freelance writer and a former copy editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Final - Essay Example ral government and the particular states in which construction is to happen would apply to the firm that seeks to establish itself, albeit temporarily, in America. 3. a. Fair use cannot be a claim that is used to offset copyright infringement in this case. Mr. Likesdrawing may not have made any significant alterations to Mrs. Photolover’s photographs. Artistic freedom is thus, not a valid argument in this case which means that Mr. Likesdrawing would need to request permission from the original artist. b. Driving down competition in an economy invariably leads to discrepancies in the supply chain. Naturally reducing prices would face a halt, resulting in either stagnant or escalating prices. Laws have been instituted to prevent such practices that are anti-competitive. This means that cat food companies would have to take a different route. 1. The position of dominance that British Petroleum has in the market provides it with an immense advantage in relation to subsistence farmers. The kind of legal services that it would be able to procure, for instance, would be superior. This would then constitute an abuse of a dominant position by BP. This constitutes in placing one of the parties in a position of disadvantage, as stated in Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Moussis

Analysis of L'oreal advertisement campaign Assignment

Analysis of L'oreal advertisement campaign - Assignment Example The primary target market of L’Oreal products is the females all over the world who wants to look good and beautiful. The company offers several product ranges and communicate the same message through all mediums. In reference to the analysis of the advertisements, recent advertisement campaign of the ‘Elvive’ staring Cheryl Cole. For this purpose different print advertisements along with the storyboard or screenshots of the television advertisements have been explored and investigated on the criteria of different consumer behaviour models and theories. ANALAYSIS OF THE ADVERTISEMENT OF L’OREAL: L’Oreal has been using the same method or technique of attracting customers through all their advertisements. Company has Most of the common methods used by the company for promoting their brands to the target market are: 1. celebrity endorsement 2. creating beauty appeal 3. communicating benefit 4. supporting this benefit with a scientific claim 5. iconograp hy Celebrity Endorsement: Celebrity endorsement is used by the company in order to directly influence the purchase decision making process of the customers. It is a general perception that consumers tend to believe the message conveyed through some popular or famous personality. This technique is used by L’Oreal in order to effect the phase of evaluating different alternatives and making the final decision. Celebrity Endorsement is used by the company as a surrogate indicator. Surrogate indicator is one which is used by the consumers in order to analyse and interpret the level of quality of the product (Neal, Quester, & Hawkins, 2004). Creating Beauty Appeal: Being a cosmetic company and dealing beauty related products, L’Oreal has always focused on creating a... This "Analysis of L'oreal advertisement campaign" essay outlines L'oreal's primary target market and its technique of attracting customers. Celebrity endorsement is used by the company in order to directly influence the purchase decision making process of the customers. It is a general perception that consumers tend to believe the message conveyed through some popular or famous personality. This technique is used by L’Oreal in order to effect the phase of evaluating different alternatives and making the final decision. Celebrity Endorsement is used by the company as a surrogate indicator. Surrogate indicator is one which is used by the consumers in order to analyse and interpret the level of quality of the product . Being a cosmetic company and dealing beauty related products, L’Oreal has always focused on creating a beauty appeal in all its advertisements. Advertisements of the company are based on the perception that the products offered by L’Oreal can make the person beautiful like the celebrity in the advertisement. In this way L’Oreal tries to cater to the social needs of the consumers including the need of belongingness. L’Oreal is aware of the fact that one of the most important elements of a successful advertisements is that it communicates the benefit to the target consumers. In this way the company is able to create positive perception in the mind of the consumers about the product being advertised. L’Oreal advertisements communicate the promises about the benefits and attributes which are important for the customers.

Styles of love Essay Example for Free

Styles of love Essay The styles of love depicted in this essay are friendship and selfless love. Two scenarios depicting each style of love are presented. Friendship John and Lynda met each other in the office when Lynda joined the company where John worked. Both of them are the silent type of persons, simple and intelligent. They did not mix with the loud people in the company but rather, they grouped with simple, happy and low profile people just like them. Their frienship grew into a love relationship as they got to know each other more including their personal family backgrounds. They have many similar interests, were always happy together and they got married. Selfless love Joel is second eldest in a family of eight children. He did not finish college and was frequently tasked to take care of his younger siblings when their mother was away. Belle, on the other hand, is an architect and being the youngest in a brood of six, was pampered in the family. In their married life, Joel was able to take the tantrums of Belle. He was patient and was the one who always gave in such that any argument between them did not result into a bigger fight. As years went by, Belle became more in love with her husband whose forbearance complemented her frequently volatile temper. Joel always understood Belle and placed her interests on top of his priorities. Similarities and differences between the two scenarios Both scenarios have what it takes to achieve consummate love. For as long as the characters in the stories are able to maintain the balance of intimacy, passion and commitment, then consummate love can successfully be maintained. In the first scenario, John and Lynda share similar interests and have the same attitude and personality. In the second scenario, Joel and Belle do not have the same attitude and personality owing to their different family backgrounds. Belle even has a higher educational achievement than her husband but they are compatible in terms of being able to complement each other’s physical and emotional needs. Styles of love that have been prevalent in my life Romantic love between my partner and me and friendship (storge, philia) within the family and with close friends are the styles of love that have been most prevalent in my life. Reference Rathus, S. A. , Nevid, J. S. , Fichner-Rathus, L. (2005). Human sexuality in a world of diversity. Allyn and Bacon: copyright by Pearson Education, Inc.

The Plant Guilty of Countless Tribulations :: Essays Papers

The Plant Guilty of Countless Tribulations Once upon a time, there was a boy who was waiting at the bus stop. The boy was a cigarette user. The boy asked the man next to him for a cigarette, and the man replied, â€Å"I don’t smoke that crap, I smoke the 'doobie.' † The boy asked, â€Å"What’s the â€Å"doobie†?† The man then handed the boy a joint and told him to hit it. The boy hit the joint 5 straight times. He was feeling great! He then hopped on the bus and all of a sudden he realized he was not feeling right. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. He tried reading a book but he couldn’t concentrate on the words. He eventually arrived to school, walked into his first period class, and had to take a big history test. By the time the class ended, time was up for the test, and the boy had to turn in the test incomplete. He had only answered nine of twenty-five questions. The moral of the story is people need to become more educated about marijuana. Marijuana has many different effects on its users, most of which are negative. The majority of the negative effects are directed to the brain. In the book, Cannabis and Cognitive Functioning, Nadia Solowij said, â€Å"The subjective effects of cannabis (marijuana) might be expected to decrease performance in situations where both perceptual accuracy and attention are important† (31). This decreased performance is a result of poor decision making. Marijuana not only has bad effects on the brain, but it also affects the mouth and the lungs. According to Alison Mack and Janet Joy, several reports have suggested that marijuana smokers are at greater risk than nonsmokers of developing cancers in tissue that come into contact with smoke, such as the lungs, mouth, larynx, pharynx, and esophagus (42). It is obvious that the effects of marijuana are lethal, and are not to be ignored. Marijuana can be deadly, and it is essential for the public to know that it is deadly, in order to prevent people from using the drug. Marijuana has both short-term effects and long-term effects; however, there are many more short-term effects than long-term effects. The primary short term effect marijuana has on the brain is memory loss. The Plant Guilty of Countless Tribulations :: Essays Papers The Plant Guilty of Countless Tribulations Once upon a time, there was a boy who was waiting at the bus stop. The boy was a cigarette user. The boy asked the man next to him for a cigarette, and the man replied, â€Å"I don’t smoke that crap, I smoke the 'doobie.' † The boy asked, â€Å"What’s the â€Å"doobie†?† The man then handed the boy a joint and told him to hit it. The boy hit the joint 5 straight times. He was feeling great! He then hopped on the bus and all of a sudden he realized he was not feeling right. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. He tried reading a book but he couldn’t concentrate on the words. He eventually arrived to school, walked into his first period class, and had to take a big history test. By the time the class ended, time was up for the test, and the boy had to turn in the test incomplete. He had only answered nine of twenty-five questions. The moral of the story is people need to become more educated about marijuana. Marijuana has many different effects on its users, most of which are negative. The majority of the negative effects are directed to the brain. In the book, Cannabis and Cognitive Functioning, Nadia Solowij said, â€Å"The subjective effects of cannabis (marijuana) might be expected to decrease performance in situations where both perceptual accuracy and attention are important† (31). This decreased performance is a result of poor decision making. Marijuana not only has bad effects on the brain, but it also affects the mouth and the lungs. According to Alison Mack and Janet Joy, several reports have suggested that marijuana smokers are at greater risk than nonsmokers of developing cancers in tissue that come into contact with smoke, such as the lungs, mouth, larynx, pharynx, and esophagus (42). It is obvious that the effects of marijuana are lethal, and are not to be ignored. Marijuana can be deadly, and it is essential for the public to know that it is deadly, in order to prevent people from using the drug. Marijuana has both short-term effects and long-term effects; however, there are many more short-term effects than long-term effects. The primary short term effect marijuana has on the brain is memory loss.

American Indian Conjuring

Conjuring is said to be the second-oldest profession in the world, and may well be the oldest of the theatrical arts. It was the carefully guarded weapon of the priesthood used to establish a belief in supernatural powers among an uninformed public (Randi, 1992, p. XI). The dictionary defines a conjuror as â€Å"a person who practices legerdemain [sleight of hand]; jugglerâ€Å". (Webster’s College Dictionary, 1992, p. 281). Another source defines conjuring as the art of â€Å"producing the appearance of genuine magic by means of trickery and deception† (Randi, 1992, p. XI). Anyone who attended Sunday school as a child can recall the biblical account of Aaron’s battle with two sorcerers in Pharos’s court. In the story, each of the magi cast down rods that became snakes. The secret to the trick was the snakes had been drugged or hypnotized which made them look like sticks, then became mobile when stroked by the conjurors (Randi, 1992, p. 1). Eunios, a Syrian, stopped a rebellion of Sicilian slaves about 135 B. C. with his awe provoking fire breathing. He claimed a Syrian goddess had made him immune to fire. Florus, the chronicler, had other ideas. He insisted that Eunios had the fiery substance secreted in nut shells in his mouth (Christopher, 1962, p. 6). In 1865 Robert Houdin, a French magician and clock maker, prevented a rebellion in Algeria with legerdemain. The French government asked the magician to discredit the Marabouts, an Arab religious faction who were using magic to incite a rebellion. He proved his illusions were more powerful than the magic of the Marabouts, thus stopping talk of rebellion (Magic History n. d. ). The line between natural and supernatural is often poorly drawn. Among the American Indian people, sleight of hand feats, simple tricks, and snake charming were invested with mystical significance during tribal rites. Witch doctors and medicine men used the devices of entertainers to increase their reputation and influence (Christopher, 1962, p. 6). In this work, I will investigate the various means American Indian shamans employed to deceive the people into thinking they had supernatural powers. I will then expose their methods of prestidigitation and conclude with an examination of the loss of the art. Though American Indian hamans for centuries had often matched and surpassed the far more widely known fakirs of Calcutta and Bombay, few stories about their skill appeared in either the national or the international press, and this for a very sound reason: The Asian conjurers, lauded by travelers, performed in public for the money the could collect from their roadside shows. The American Indian’s magic was reserved for their tribe; few whit e men had an opportunity to study it. If a rare outsider tumbled on to a secret, he was swiftly inducted as blood brother and sworn to secrecy (Christopher, 1973, p. 69). American Indian shamans were at their best in the open air under the night sky. When tom-toms beat and campfires cast flickering shadows, their strange feats were awe-inspiring to fellow tribesmen as the occasional flashes of lightning that streaked across the sky. The Navajo, like their counterparts in India, made snakes appear under inverted baskets. Pawnee, Hopi, and Zuni shamans made corn and beanstalks grow (mango trees were not available) during harvest rites. The feat in which a Hindu conjurer‘s assistant vanished and reappeared in a large basket was also done by the Apaches. Swords were jabbed through the sides to prove that no one was inside in Asia; the Apaches had a more effective argument; they shot arrows through the fibers (Christopher, 1973, p. 69). In 1871, John Wesley Powell, a geologist and representative of the United States Bureau of Ethnology saw an exhibition of the skill of Cramped Hand and Bent Horn, two Ponca shamans. â€Å"One afternoon, near sunset, about two hundred persons, mostly Indians, stood in a large circle around a tent in which sat the shamans and their assistants. Presently the shamans and the aged chief, Antoine Primeau, came out of the tent and stood within the circle. One of the shamans, Cramped Hand, danced along the inner side of the circle, exhibiting a revolver (Allen’s patent), one chamber of which he seemed to load as the people looked on. After he had put on the cap, he handed the weapon to the chief, who fired at the shaman. Cramped Hand fell immediately, as if badly wounded. Bent Horn rushed to his relief and began to manipulate him. It was not to long before Cramped Hand was able to crawl around on his hands and knees, though the bullet had apparently hit him in the mouth. He groaned and coughed up incessantly, and after a tin basin was put down before him he coughed up a bullet which fell in the basin, and was shown in triumph to the crowd† (Powell, 1894, p. 417). The demonstration was breathtaking, but impractical in battle. This was traditionally done with a real gun and a gaffed round, the bullet having been replaced with a wax casting. The explosion of the charge and propulsion of the fake bullet through the air effectively vaporized the wax within a short distance. The wax bullet can be made to look like lead by coating it with a black substance (Bagai, n. d. ). Cramped Hand had only to secret an identical bullet in his mouth during the falling action, the rest was acting. Much of what we know about the magic practiced by the first Americans comes from missionaries who worked among the Indians in the years when the New World was being colonized by Europeans. French priests reported from Canada in 1613 that the medicine men of the Algonquin tribes were the most formidable opponents they faced in trying to convert the Indians. Twenty years later Gabriel Sagard-Theodat, a Recollect missionary, weary of the daily conflict with people whose customs he did not understand, called the Nipissing redmen â€Å"a nation of sorcerers† (Christopher, 1973, p. 70) There is a fascinating description of a trick by Fray Bernardio de Sahagu in his Historia de las Cosa de la Nueva Espana: â€Å"Seating himself in the middle of the market place at Tianquiztli, he announced that his name was Tlacavepan, and proceeded to make tiny figures dance in the palms of his hands. † No one who witnessed the trick could offer a solution. There is however a simple explanation: the small figures were manipulated by strands of long hair (like modern magicians invisible thread) tied together and attached to the conjurers feet. All he had to do was wiggle his toe and the figures came to life (Gosh, 2006, p. 21). Legends say that the early medicine men could bring miniature images of buffalo and warriors on horseback to life. They worked by the flickering light of a fire at the far side of the tent with observers grouped in a semicircle. At the command of the magician, the clay figures were supposed to have changed to flesh and blood. Then the miniature Indians corralled the buffalo and hurled their spears and shot their arrows with deadly accuracy until the last animal fell with an arrow through its heart. When the drama ended, the figures reverted to clay and were tossed into the fire. Seldom has a puppet show received such praise. Whoever started the story must have imbibed too freely before attending the performance (Christopher, 1973, p. 75). Shamans of the tribes who lived along the St. Lawrence River boasted they could summon the rains or stop storms. They claimed their rites could render fields barren or produce bountiful crops ( Christopher, 1973, p. 0) The Franciscan friar, Louis Hennepin said of the shamans: It is impossible to imagine the horrible howling and strange contortions that these jugglers make of their bodies, when they are deposing themselves to conjure, or raise their enchantments† (Hennepin, 1869, p. 59). Paul Beaulieu, an interpreter for the Ojibwa at White Earth Agency, Minnesota ( First settlement by white people, n. d. ), heard tales of Indian escape artists around the 1850’s. At Leech Lake, Minnesota he witnessed an Indian shaman clad in a breechcloth tied by a committee of twelve men. The shaman’s ankles, wrists and hands were bound; his tied hands were forced down so that his knees extended up above them. A heavy pole was thrust over his arms and under his knees; then his neck was tied to the knees and he was carried into a tent. The structure was built on poles, interlaced with twigs, and covered with strips of birch and canvas (Christopher, 1973, p. 74). The flap had scarcely been closed when strange words and thumping sounds came from within. The tent swayed violently as the sounds increased in volume. When the disturbance ceased, the Indian shouted that the rope could now be found in a nearby house. Cautioning the committee to keep a sharp watch on the tent, Beaulieu sprinted to the house. The rope was there, still knotted. He hurried back, let the other men examine the knots, and then called to ask if he could enter. Permission was granted and he found the Indian seated comfortably, puffing on a pipe (Christopher, 1973, p. 74). No explanation was offered for the astonishing feat. There is however, a way it could have been done, a method so obvious that Beaulieu and the committee would have overlooked it: a secret tunnel with cleverly concealed trapdoors at each end. An assistant concealed in a passage under the tent untied the medicine man, squirmed through the tunnel, retied the ropes, then dashed to the house where the shaman had decided they should be found (Christopher, 1973, p. 77). Alexander Phillip Maximillian, who traveled in the west in the mid 1800’s, wrote of some amazing things accomplished with ordinary objects by Hidatsa and Mandan shamans. â€Å"The medicine of one man consists in making a snowball, which he rolls a long time between his hands, so that at length it becomes hard and is changed into a white stone, which when struck emits sparks. Many persons, even whites, pretend that they have seen this and cannot be convinced to the contrary. The same man pretends that during a dance he plucked white feathers from a certain small bird, which he rolled between his hands, and formed of them in a short time a similar white stoneâ€Å"(Powell, 1894, p. 512). The performance of the bullet catch with Bent Horn and Cramped Hand was also followed by a demonstration of sleight of hand. â€Å"Bent Horn danced around, showing an object which appeared to be a stone as large as a man’s fist, and to large to be forced into the mouth of the average man. Cramped Hand stood about ten or fifteen feet away and threw this supposed stone toward Bent Horn, hitting the latter in the mouth and disappearing. Bent Horn fell and appeared in great pain, groaning and foaming at the mouth. When the basin was put down before him, there fell into it, not one large stone, but at least four small ones† (Powell, 1894 p. 417). A proficient modern sleight of hand artist can change the color of billiard balls and manipulate coins and playing cards on stage with utmost ease, and can do the same with small stones and leaves from trees out in the open. It is not at all hard to see (through practice) how the shamans could manipulate a snowball, feathers or rocks and make them appear as something they really are not. Dr. Franz Boas, an anthropologist at Columbia University (Franz, n. d. ) witnessed a burning alive illusion in northwest Canada. A young Indian girl was nailed inside a large wooden box that was burned in the center of a spacious medicine hut. As the smell of burning flesh permeated the structure, she could be heard singing. Eventually box and girl were consumed, only bones remaining among the ashes of the fire. The keys to this mystery according to Dr. Boaz were a secret tunnel, a long speaking tube, and a dead seal. The girl slipped through a panel that could be lifted in the bottom of the box, crawled through the tunnel to the out side of the lodge, and began her song, which filtered back inside via the tube. Meanwhile, a helper pushed the carcass of a seal through the tunnel and into the box. The charred bones, of course, were those of the seal (Christopher, 1973, p. 77). Complicated advance arrangements and trained assistants were not needed for the oldest and most frequently performed American Indian mystery, the shaking tent. Shaking tent conjuring was always done after sunset with the conjuring lodge put up an hour or so earlier and was taken down before sunrise the next day. The lodge was a small, often conical structure made of hoops and branch poles sunk into the ground covered with animal skins, blankets or cut spruce boughs (Christopher, 1973, p. 77 & 80). Often times the shaman was bound tightly hand and foot and also gagged. Once the tent flap was let down strange things began to occur: the ropes that bound the conjurer were thrown out of the top of the lodge. The tent would shake violently and a succession of strange voices would be heard, supposedly those of animal spirits. Beavers and turtles were among the most common, conversing with the shaman and occasionally with the audience (Beyer, 2009). Many shamans produced the voice of only one animal; others boasted a wider repertoire. The more animals a conjurer had at his command, the more he was honored (Christopher, 1973 p. 80). All of the feats described in the shaking tent can be accounted for. Why was the performance always done after dark? For much the same reason modern magicians use a darkened stage and smoke, to conceal the secret means of accomplishing the miracle. Why was the conjuring lodge put up an hour or so before the performance and taken down before sunrise? The answer is quite obvious: so the general uninformed tribesmen could not inspect the structure and find the secret. As for escaping out of the ropes that bound the shaman, it was a common escape trick. A famous duo called the Davenport Brothers had an act around the same time where they were bound securely in a cabinet which resembled an old-fashioned wardrobe. Suddenly they produced music on guitars and bells and caused ethereal hands and strange shapes to appear. The Davenports were exposed many times, not only by magicians but by scientists and college students. The latter ignited matches in the dark. The flickering flames disclosed the brothers, with their arms free, waving the instruments which until then had seemed to be floating (Christopher, 1962, p. 99). The shamans needed to be in top physical condition (like Houdini) to carry out the first-class performances they presented. The tent is scarcely ever still and at the same time singing, talking and ventriloquism occur (Howell, 1971, p. 50 & 82). While all American Indian conjurers do certain standard things like shaking the tent which, under contemporary conditions, may become the subject of a limited amount of skepticism, some conjurers apparently invent or acquire new tricks. The Saulteaux readily admit that certain individuals have either shaken the conjuring tent, or tried to shake it, with their own hands (Howell, 1971, p. 70 & 80). As it happens, the enclosures used by the tent shakers were not actually as rigid as they seemed. The anthropologist Dr. A. Irving Hallowell emphasized in The Role of Conjuring in Saulteaux Society that â€Å"All I can say personally is that Berens River conjuring lodges were extremely easy to set in motion. They readily responded to the slightest pressure from without, as I can testify. †(Howell, 1971, p. 83) The American Indian conjurers, who reportedly created marvelous wonders, were never willing to travel themselves and exhibit their feats for theater audiences. However, the proprietors of medicine shows, who sold tribal cure-alls to small town audiences in the late nineteenth century, always claimed the man in the war bonnet who displayed the bottles was a celebrated Indian medicine man. Shungo-pavi was billed as a Moki medicine man that performed magic at the Cliff Dwellers exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St Louis, Missouri, in 1904 later played in vaudeville. He wore beaded buckskins, moccasins, and a feathered headdress, but the tricks he performed were not of Indian origin. A bottle and a glass changed places when covered by two tubes; a silk handkerchief vanished; only to reappear tied between two others. He waved an eagle feather instead of a wand when he pronounced his magic words. Occasionally one still hears of a traditional feat being shown at an Indian tribal ritual in the Southwest or a shaking tent in northern Michigan or Canada, but the day of a burned alive illusion in the dark night or of a shaman changing a snowball into a rock in the open air has long past (Christopher, 1973, p. 81).

Book fair Essay

A book fair is a fair for selling and displaying books on various subjects. A book fair is usually arranged on the important days of a year. As 21st February is our Mother Language Day, the book fair named â€Å"Ekushey Boi Mela† is held in Bangla Academy on February is the most important and popular book fair of our country. The book fair of 21st February takes place in Bangla Academy under open sky. There are many stalls and pavilions in the fair of different publishers. In  a book fair huge numbers of books are found. Almost all the writers of our country wait for this fair to release their books. Thousands of books release in this book fair of 21st February and millions of books get published. Many new writers write books and publish them in this fair. Thousand of book lovers come to visit the fair and buy books. The security of the fair is always very tight for the safety of the visitor including close circuit cameras and many police officers. People stand in long lines to enter  the fair. All sorts of books such as books on literature, fictions, novels, dramas, science, medicine, religion, philosophy and so on are brought for display and sell in the fair. Besides bookstalls there are a number of canteens found in the book fair. There are also arrangements for songs and dance to entertain the visitors of the fair. Writers, poets and publishers visit the fair regularly. They speak with the visitors, listen to the problems they are having in the fair and sign  books for them. Book is the source of knowledge. A book fair is a place where we can get thousand of types of books. There are a few problems in a book fair like too much dust, pollution, lack of rules and regulations and sometimes some unpleasant incidents take for the evil motive of the miscreants. So, the complete interest for the fair is often marred. Despite these little untoward events a book fair is really important for the enlightened section of people.

Pineapples as commodities essays

Pineapples as commodities essays Pineapples are a very important commodity that grows mostly in tropical climates. They are altered into many different things, from canned pineapple to pineapple juice, and it is a very profitable market. Even the enzyme found in pineapples, bromelain, is extracted and used for many different purposes. Pineapples are terrestrial plants that on average grow to be 2.5ft high to 5 feet high. The spread of the plant is about 4 feet, and they usually have leaves branching off of the stem that are pointed and range from 20-72 inches high, bearing spikes or some type of sharp piece at the end. During the blooming period of the plant, the stem elongates and produces a head of small red or purple flowers. These flowers are usually accompanied by a red, yellow, or green bract (bract: a leaf from the axil of which a flower or floral axis arises [Webster]). The pineapple plant then keeps on growing and forms the pineapple fruits, which join together and form the traditional pineapple shape. (Morton, 18) Pineapple cannot tolerate frost or prolonged cold exposure; hence it must be cultivated in the near costal areas around warmer climate and lower elevation. (Vaughan The pineapple plants fruit that it produces is a very juicy and fibrous fruit. It takes about a year and a half for the fruit to be produced by the pineapple plant. (Abernathy) The outer rind of the pineapple is very tough and waxy, in order to protect the nutrient plentiful and caloric insides of the fruit. The bombproof coating on the pineapple is usually hexagonally shaped, and often dark in color. The color ranges from a dark green/brownish color to a yellow or reddish color in certain types when fully ripened. The inner flesh is most often yellow or white. When ripe the pineapple will sound hollow when knocked upon, and also when freshly picked it is advised to let the fruit sit out for about a week, so it dries out properly. ...

Quotes About the Joys of Winter

Quotes About the Joys of Winter Come winter and the world is covered with a white sheet of snow. Kids welcome winter by catching the first few snowflakes in their mouth. For adults, winter brings a slew of festivities like skiing, snowboarding, sled dog racing, and many others. And then there is Christmas. Christmas on a wintry December night brings families closer as they cozy up around a warm hearth. Revel in the joys of winter while you sip your ale and read these winter quotes. Pietro AretinoLet us love winter, for it is the spring of genius. George HerbertEvery mile is two in winter. Mignon McLaughlinSpring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition. William BlakeIn seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. Edith SitwellWinter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. Victor HugoWinter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. William BradfordAnd for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of that country know them to be sharp and violent, and subject to cruel and fierce storms. Boris PasternakIt snowed and snowed, the whole world over, Snow swept the world from end to end. A candle burned on the table; A candle burned. Virginia WoolfNever are voices so beautiful as on a winters evening, when dusk almost hides the body, and they seem to issue from nothingness with a note of intimacy seldom heard by day. Charles DickensLooking up, she showed him quite a young face, but one whose bloom and promise were all swept away as if the haggard winter should unnaturally kill the spring. Elizabeth BowenAutumn arrives in early morning, but spring at the close of a winter day. HeraclitusGod is day and night, winter and summer, war and peace, surfeit and hunger. Albert CamusIn the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer. Robert FrostYou cant get too much winter in the winter. Sinclair LewisWinter is not a season, it’s an occupation.

Project guide 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Project guide 4 - Essay Example In simple words it is the sum of all the expenditure that the company has to undergo in a particular financial year. Staff Costs Represents wages paid to employees and officers of the company. One effective way of controlling fluctuating staffing costs is to choose mature service providers who operate in multiple locations and have the capability of putting together an appropriate blend of experienced and entry level resources. 5 hours in the evening from 7 p.m. to 12 p.m. and 3 hours is in afternoon 12 a.m. to 3 p.m. In the evening of any weekend, the restaurant is most of the times completely packed for four hours and is occupied by around 25 people in the last hour. On an average a group spend around 1 hour on dinner. The bill generated is approx. 10$ per person at any given point in time. In the afternoon of the weekends generally 25 people can be seen in any particular hour. For the normal days the occupancy is around 25 people in the evening at any point in time and around 10 people in the afternoon. So the estimated revenue in FY08-09 is:- Each price will lead to a different level of demand and therefore have a different impact on a company’s marketing objectives. Demand and price are inversely related: higher the price, lower the demand. On an average ‘The Diners Park’ employees around 20 employees in a month and the salary cost of all employees is around 20,000$ every month. The cost of raw material is around 9000$ per month and the water and electricity bill cost around 2000$ per month. Apart from this, the miscellaneous cost is around 1000$ per month. The cost capital employed for the project is around 2000,000 USD. Taking the rate of interest to be around 6% per annum, the interest cost is around 120,000$ per annum. At Diners Park, we added more drivers to increase the speed of delivery. Even more importantly, we have introduced specially insulated, heat retaining,

Self-Identity Writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self-Identity Writing - Essay Example At California State University, am majoring in civil engineering. Initially, I came to the University and enrolled in a business course seeking to follow in my family’s footsteps. However, business studies proved to be a major challenge to me as it never reflected on my desires and ambitions. My entire family majored in business, and everyone expected me to follow in line. When discussing my career path with my family, I never considered mentioning engineering in a family where business studies had made everyone whom they are. Being a female in a country where men are considered to be the sole sources of authority I never wanted to get into an argument with my parents as this would have elicited social and cultural consequences. To avoid this trouble I came to the United States and enrolled as a major in business. However, my desire and passion for engineering was driven by the love for science. Additionlly, it was inspired by the boundless infrastructural structures in the United States and other parts of the world. Opting to major in engineering was a personal choice though. Initially, I was afraid to address the issue with my parents until my new friends in the United States convinced me to do so. After discussing the issue with my parents, they were more than supporting and they supportive as they encouraged me to seek my dreams and pursue what my heart desired. My educational goals go past the bachelor’s degree. Currently, the society is becoming increasingly competitive, and education is no longer an option one should miss. In Saudi Arabia, not many women have become successful in a society that favors males to women when it comes to professional success.