The Incredible Ray

Introduction Notwithstanding the fact that Ray Charles Robinson was blind, he left a legacy that very few people without disabilities can hand down. This essay seeks to provide a biography of this musician in light of his achievements. The biography starts at his birth and then develops logically to his death.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Incredible Ray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Moreover, a section is dedicated to critically analyzing the factors that made the musician succeed as well as the impact of his success on society. For these purposes, a number of academic sources are consulted to provide the background information from which the discussion arouses. Biography Birth and childhood Ray Charles Robinson was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, in a poor family. His parents, Aretha and Bailey Robinson, were struggling to make both ends meet. Aretha was a peasant farmer, and B ailey worked as a railway repairman. Soon after his birth, the family relocated from Albany to Greenville, a poor black neighborhood in West Greenville, Florida. As a child, Ray was interested in mechanics and spent a lot of time watching the men around him work on vehicles and other farm machinery. In the neighborhood, there was a man named Mr. Wiley Pit, who operated a restaurant called Red Wing Cafà ©. From time to time, Pit helped Aretha take care of Ray’s younger brother, George, and it was at Pit’s place that Ray first showed interest in music, playing an upright piano that was at the cafà ©. George later drowned in his mother’s laundry tub. And that was the accident that was haunting Ray all his life as he had been to take care of his little brother. At five years, Ray had developed glaucoma, which was unfortunately not treated and rapidly progressed. It resulted in complete blindness by the time he was seven. Because of his condition, Ray could not att end regular school, so he was enrolled at the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind between 1937 and 1945 (Sloate 87-89). During this period, Ray suffered another blow as he lost both his parents – his father died in 1941 and his mother pass way in 1946. At school, Ray’s musical talent flourished, and even though the curriculum was focused on classical music, he developed an interest in jazz and blues (â€Å"The soul of Ray Charles† 99-100).Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the end of the week, Ray performed at gatherings held by the South Campus Literary Society. During Halloween and Washington’s Birthday, Ray played at assemblies organized by the Colored Department at the institution, and during those events, Ray had first been introduced to RC Robinson and the Shop Boys, a band that later played his jazz and blues compositions. After the death of his mother, Ray left school at the age of 15 and relocated to Jacksonville, where he was put up by a family friend. â€Å"Having friends of the family living in Jacksonville made it easier for Ray to leave Greenville and the State School for the blind† (Beyer 28). He stayed there for over a year, playing the piano at the Ritz Theatre. He earned $4 per night, which was not a bad amount by the standards of that time. Later, he had shifted to Tampa where he joined a band called Florida Playboys and also developed a habit of wearing sunglasses (Charles and Ritz 87). The desire to have his own band forced Ray to move to a bigger city. He had contemplated moving to either New York or Chicago, but after thorough consideration, he opted for Seattle, about which he was informed by a friend as the farthest city from Florida. In Seattle, Ray made his first record with Down Beat records as part of a band called the Maxin Trio. The band consisted of guitarist G.D. McKee and bassi st Milton Garrett. The first successful record was the 1949 release titled the Confession Blues which rose to the second place in the Rhythm and Blues charts. In 1950, Ray moved to Miami, where he signed with Swing Time Records and released to hit singles, Baby, let me hold your hand and Kiss me baby. Swing Time shut down in 1952, and Ray moved to Atlantic Records. Under Atlantic Records, Ray adopted jump-blues and boogie-woogie style. He also recorded some slower blues, with the first hit, Mess Around, in 1953. In 1954, he released two more records, It should have been me and Don’t you know. In 1954, the song, I got a woman, saw the light; it was composed by Ray himself and ascended to the top of the charts in 1955, having become his first song to occupy the top most position. This hit had a combination of gospel, blues and jazz elements, and Ray continued to use the same style for the records produced between 1955 and 1958. By 1989, Ray had made a name for himself, and was the star of all the African-American events, such as the Newport Jazz Festival (Ford 66). The song titled What’d I say released under Atlantic records was a complex arrangement comprising gospel, jazz, blues and Latin music. The song was included in the top ten pop songs list. In 1959, Ray’s contract with Atlantic expired, and he entered into a contract with ABC-Paramount records that gave him unrivaled freedoms. Ray’s first single with ABC-Paramount, Georgia on my mind, turned him into a national sensation, and he even won a Grammy award for it.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on The Incredible Ray specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ray Charles later won another Grammy Award for the song, Hit the Road Jack, and with a proper funding, he expanded band and enjoyed well-covered tours. In 1961, Ray’s success almost hit a rock after police, having searched his hotel room in Indiana, h ad found heroin in his possessions. Lucky for him, the policemen conducting the search did not have proper warranty, and the case was dropped. Ray Charles’ music continued to dominate the airwaves through 1964, but in 1965, he was arrested for the third time for using heroin. In order to avoid going to jail, Ray agreed to go to rehab at a clinic in Los Angeles (Hubbarb-Brown 73). Alone, Charles reached a decision. He went to Joe Adams’ office and announced that he was checking into a hospital. He was done with heroine. (Hubbarb-Brown 74). After he had emerged from parole in 1966, he released chart-topping hits including the RB song, Let’s go get stoned, which reached number one in the charts. Between 1968 and 1973, Ray had moderate success, with his popularity getting overshadowed by the rise of harder forms of rock. He left ABC Records in 1974 and set up his own studio, which he named Crossover Records (Hubbarb-Brown 81). Three years later, he moved back to Atl antic records, where he stayed until 1980. Then he left to join Columbia Records. During the 1980s, Ray was renowned for his tough stance on racism, and he stuck to the mission until it began to bear fruit (Charles 56-57). In 1993, Ray released an album titled My World, which reached the Billboard 200. He also received his last Grammy Award for his rendition of the track A song for you, originally done by Leon Russell. Ray, who was married twice and had 12 children by nine different women, died at the age of 73 on June 10, 2004, succumbing to liver failure at his home in Beverly Hills, California.Advertising Looking for research paper on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lessons from Ray Charles’ life Ray Charles overcame insurmountable odds to become a world-renowned musician. A difficult childhood spurred him to seek success in his own unique way, which he eventually found it. From his life history, there are a number of lessons that young adults and general society can learn. Following one’s heart As a child, growing up in Georgia, Ray Charles first developed a keen interest in the piano that was in Wiley Pit’s cafà ©. The interest kept growing with each passing day, and Ray himself nurtured the interest practicing and showing off his skill at every opportunity he got (Schinder and Schwartz 29). He also faced some obstacles which though did not penetrate to attain what he wanted because at school, the curriculum was focused on classical music, while Ray gave primary attention to Blues and Jazz. â€Å"Whether I was banging out â€Å"Cow Cow Boogie† in the rehearsal room with all the kids dancing round me, or whether I was fooling with the blues on Mr. Pit’s piano back home, I played wherever I could† (Charles and Ritz 56). He pursued his heart’s desires and eventually became a legend. Following the sequence of those events, it is clear that if one finds something he/she is particularly interested in and pursues it fully, he/she will eventually succeed. Had Ray not focused on nurturing his talent, there is a high likelihood that he would not have attained an immense success he did. Because of his desire for success and independence in decision making, Ray Charles became a more powerful name in music than other blind artistes like Andrea Bocelli and Stevie Wonder. Ray found his own way in art, while Bocelli and Wonder had helping hands. The power of ambition After staying in Tampa for a while and even finding a band to play in, Ray Charles came to the realization that he was getting too comfortable and needed a more space to develop further. He had at first thought of settling either in New York or in Chicago, but after thinking it over, he decided that he was not yet ripe enough for such a big market. Still intent on relocating, Ray got a map and asked a friend to point at the furthest city from Florida. He was directed at Seattle, and without batting an eyelid, Charles packed his belongings and travelled to the city. Eventually, Ray moved to New York and gradually turned into a national sensation. â€Å"Ray took that journey with nothing but his talent, determination, and desire for independence† (Sloate 150). Due to his wish to get out of his comfort zone and make a bigger impact on the world, Ray Charles has taught us that as long as one has an ambition and works towards its realization, he/she gets what one wants in the end (Ramsey 223). In the same way, we are also taught to keep our ambitions modest. While at Tampa, Ray understood that his talent would only grow in a bigger town, but also knew that he was not ripe for such big cities as New York and Chicago. There is a likelihood that he would have failed, had he moved directly from Tampa to New York. The small cities he passed through served to compound his success in such a way that the big cities had no option but to take interest in him. This applies even in modern times, and in any situation. The influence of friends In his travels, Ray Charles made a number of friends who influenced the growth of his career to a very large extent. Some of those friends were Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones and Percy Mayfield, among the others. Most of the friends he made along the way helped him grow further as a musician, while some wrote his hit records and the rest assisted him in production and marketing. This was confirmed by Norman Winski in his book Ray Charles: Singer and Musician. â€Å"Ray’s friendship with Quincy has lasted for decades. They have worked together in arranging music as well as appearing together on several occasions† (Winski 174). Of course, the re are a number of friends he met who influenced him negatively, having encouraged him to develop his drug addiction, but he ultimately had to leave them for the sake of his career. From this, we learn that, on the one hand, friends who positively influence someone will serve to foster one’s growth and should be kept close. On the other hand, individuals who keep pushing a person towards developing negative habits should be dropped. The importance of family As far as romantic relationships are concerned, Ray Charles was not very successful in his private life as he moved from one woman to another. At the end of the day, he had sired 12 children with nine different women. However, he kept track of all his children and supported them in their exploits. At one point, he gave each of them $1million to use as they were pleased. By having maintained closeness with his children, Ray Charles was well supported in his last days, and even as he died, he was surrounded by the members of his family. Works Cited Beyer, Mark. Ray Charles, New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Print. Charles, Ray and David Ritz. Brother Ray: Ray Charles’ Own Story, Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 2009. Print. Ford, Carin. Ray Charles: I Was Born With Music Inside Me, Berkeley: Enslow Publishers, 2007. Print. Hubbarb-Brown, Janet. Ray Charles, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. Print. Ramsey, Doug. â€Å"Charles of the Ritz.† Texas Monthly, 1.15 (1978):223. Print. â€Å"Ray Charles reveals ‘Bombs put under bandstand’ for his anti-racism role.† Jet 9 Dec. 1985:56-57.Print. Schinder, Scott and Andy Schwatz. â€Å"Icons of rock.† ABC-CLIO, 35.2 (2008):3-56. Print. Sloate, Susan. Ray Charles: Young Musician, New York: Simon and Schuster, 2008. Print. â€Å"The soul of Ray Charles.† Ebony 1 Sept. 1960:99-100. Print. Winski, Norman. Ray Charles: Singer and Musician, Los Angeles: Holloway House Publishing, 1994. Print. This research paper on The Incredible Ray was written and submitted by user Emmitt B. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction When I began writing my new novel about Amelia Earhart’s last days, The Canary, I knew it had to start with her as a castaway on a lonely Pacific island. But with her navigator, Fred Noonan, already dead, there was a decidedly small cast of characters. Having Amelia talk to herself endlessly would become endlessly tedious. Some research and an unexpected discovery came to my rescue. Here’s what I knew: based on recent findings, there is evidence suggesting Earhart might have made a forced landing on a tiny atoll’s reef – Gardner Island. The more I looked into it, the more plausible it seemed. That inspired me to fictionalize her last days. The opening pages were easy: Amelia alone on an island with no reliable water source except rainwater and no food other than small birds, turtles, and legions of coconut crabs. But quickly I knew the book had to be more than just a brave young woman and her mental and physical deterioration. As I looked more into young Amelia’s life to discover a writing voice for her, I learned she had moved from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Hyde Park in Chicago to finish her last year of high school, in 1914-15. This was before she had thought much about flying. The discovery made me think about who she was in those days and soon I was doing a Google search of Hyde Park on Chicago’s near south side, a place I once visited to hear a novelist read, and the location of President Obama’s house. As I stared at the map of Hyde Park and imagined young Amelia walking to school and then home again to care for her ailing mother, my eyes drifted west, to the suburb of Oak Park, and I had my epiphany: Though they never met, Earhart and Hemingway spent a year of school only a few miles from each other. Ernest was then 15 and Amelia was around 17. Suddenly I knew what the book needed – an interior story in which Amelia fondly remembers her Hyde Park days and a yearlong friendship with the young Hemingway. The Canary became a better novel than it might have because I was open to how facts buried in silent history gave it the voices it needed. If you are writing historical fiction, here’s the lesson. Being accurate is important. I had to do a lot of checking to make sure I depicted Hemingway and Earhart with historical accuracy, even though they never met. When they went to a baseball game, it had to be at Weeghman Park and not Wrigley Field, because Wrigley was called Weeghman in 1914. The Cubs didn’t even play there. It was home to the Chicago Whales. Writing historical fiction means getting the history surrounding your characters right, but it’s also an opportunity to not be shackled

Arranged Marriage Is Not Relevant in Today’s Society

In an arranged marriage, the choice of a husband or wife is done by parents or the elderly. In this era of science and technology, people doesn’t depends on their families or the elderly anymore. They trust that true love come naturally in their life’s. Arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society because of several reasons. Firstly, the reason why arranged marriage is done by young adults because of technology in today’s society after merdeka. In new modern, people always with internet , hand phone and television. Nowadays, the internet plays a crucial part in our lives. It is one of the most useful inventions of all time. For example, Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter and Skype invite us to know people each other from others country compare to the past generations which do know about technology. Thus, the technology plays a major rule in our life’s today. Besides that, educated is one of the reasons why arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society. This is because, people in this generations have a lot of opportunity to continues their study until university or overseas. They will choose their partner in life which have a good career and high wages. In the past generations, the women of that time have no chance to further their study and have a good life. Therefore, it is undeniable that educated is the reason why arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society. Apart from that, people like to travel at other country with family or friends to get a new experiences there. For example, people which travel at overseas maybe will like their culture and meets new people from other country. From knowing each other, they might have a relationship with the person they like. The ancients doesn’t have an opportunity to travel because they are lack of money and facilities. Because of that, they just depends on recommendations of their parents to arranged their marriage. In a nutshell, arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society because of several reasons. In order to gain those benefits, we need to have that advantages. Arranged Marriage Is Not Relevant in Today’s Society In an arranged marriage, the choice of a husband or wife is done by parents or the elderly. In this era of science and technology, people doesn’t depends on their families or the elderly anymore. They trust that true love come naturally in their life’s. Arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society because of several reasons. Firstly, the reason why arranged marriage is done by young adults because of technology in today’s society after merdeka. In new modern, people always with internet , hand phone and television. Nowadays, the internet plays a crucial part in our lives. It is one of the most useful inventions of all time. For example, Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Twitter and Skype invite us to know people each other from others country compare to the past generations which do know about technology. Thus, the technology plays a major rule in our life’s today. Besides that, educated is one of the reasons why arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society. This is because, people in this generations have a lot of opportunity to continues their study until university or overseas. They will choose their partner in life which have a good career and high wages. In the past generations, the women of that time have no chance to further their study and have a good life. Therefore, it is undeniable that educated is the reason why arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society. Apart from that, people like to travel at other country with family or friends to get a new experiences there. For example, people which travel at overseas maybe will like their culture and meets new people from other country. From knowing each other, they might have a relationship with the person they like. The ancients doesn’t have an opportunity to travel because they are lack of money and facilities. Because of that, they just depends on recommendations of their parents to arranged their marriage. In a nutshell, arranged marriage is not relevant in today’s society because of several reasons. In order to gain those benefits, we need to have that advantages.

Group Roles as Evidenced in Mean Girls Movie Review

Group Roles as Evidenced in Mean Girls - Movie Review Example You have probably worked in groups that are effective and groups that are less or not effective. While there is no magic elixir upon knowing what moves groups forward and what limits their progress can be helpful whenever you are working in a group or team. In order for the group members of the team to have a harmonious relationship with each other they need to determine the strength and weakness of one other. To ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the group they need to identify the characters or roles of each member of the group. This will enable the group to help themselves adjust and cope with the each other and this will hasten to achieve the groups' desired goals harmoniously. There are certain and specific roles under a certain category that each member possesses during a group communication. Two theorists on group behavior were Kenneth Benne and Paul Sheats, who wrote an influential article titled "Functional Roles of Group Members" back in the 1940s. In it, they defined 26 different group roles that can be played by one or more people within a group. Their work influenced other early research and thinking on group functions. And whilst more recent research has refined many of these ideas. Benne and Sheats defined three categories of group roles: task roles, personal/social roles, and dysfunctional or individualistic roles. One of the films that portray a good representation of a group role ... Cady Heron's role in that group is the opinion giver because she expresses her own opinions and beliefs on a certain matter that her friends were initializing. Often states opinions in terms of what the group should do and should not do. This is because she grew up in a place where her parents taught her moral values. She is also the encourager she affirms supports and praises the efforts of fellow group members. Demonstrates warmth and provides a positive attitude towards her friends. In one of the films best lines after a telling off from Regina, Cady tries to comfort Karen wherein she told Karen that she is not stupid. She is also the harmonizer of the group she conciliates differences between individuals. Seeks ways to reduce tension and diffuse a situation. She is also an observer because she provides feedback to the group about how it is functioning. Another powerful character in that movie is Regina George. Although the high school students seemed to both adore and loath Regina George, her powerful position within the social organization at the school had many visible effects on her followers' behavior. Classmates copied Regina's style and vocabulary, and passed along Regina's gossip with vigor. In fact, the behavior of her closest friends was regulated by specific rules governing what to wear, who to date, and who to befriend. Their proximity to power was intoxicating despite Regina's mistreatment-so much so that when Gretchen was demoted to a lower position in the social hierarchy, "she knew it was better to be in the Plastics-hating life-than to not be in at all." Regina is the aggressor of the group she makes personal attacks using belittling and insulting comments, for example, "That's the most

The Role of Federalism in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Role of Federalism in Education - Essay Example Civil rights leaders, such as Evers and King, publicized the unfair treatment of African Americans and other people of color, and the spotlight turned on education reform (Allen, 1996, p. 162). Since 1965 many further efforts have been made to update and improve the education system, but it's similar to plugging up leaks in a dam--eventually, the dam will fall apart through lack of structure and foundation. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, signed into law by George W. Bush, is the present administration's effort to rebuild the dam before it's too late, but will politics and business interests create invisible cracks during implementation Is this Act the ultimate answer and does it take into consideration the global issues that presently exist in the 21st century As America continues to evolve as a nation, the influence of the Internet on communication between countries makes it clear that education must include multicultural education, not specifically from the viewpoint of Americans with no knowledge of other cultures, but with input from those who can share their native language and their way of life with others. We live in a country of immigrants, but somewhere along the line we chose to establish a nation based on white, Anglo-Saxon, protestant tenets, ignoring the rich mix of cultures that make us who we are. According to Sonia Nieto, "Multicultural education cannot be understood in a vacuum but rather must be seen in its personal, social, historical, and political context" (1996, p. 1). Addressing Education Reform During the 1950s in the United States, the family unit seemed solid and pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock gave mothers credit for knowing instinctively how to raise their children. This was in contrast to behaviorist John Watson's method of rigid discipline, and Spock's book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care (1946) was so popular it led to gradual erosion of the rules of behavior. In the meantime, a 1954 Supreme Court ruling that public schools must be integrated was virtually ignored until 1957 when nine black students were enrolled at a previously all-white school in Little Rock, Arkansas. This was the beginning of the public's introduction to cultural differences, and it was compounded by what was known as the "Red Threat," or communism. When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik first, it was decided that American children needed a better educational foundation, especially in math and science. This created what was called at the time an "informational flood" with children a nd their reading becoming the focus of big business. With this increased production, "children's books became less a branch of literature and more a gainful product" (Allen, p. 132). The increasing focus on children's education made its shortcomings more evident, and it was clearly necessary to address segregation and unequal educational opportunity due to poverty. The problems inherent in the education system as it existed in the 1960s called for drastic measures. Francis Keppel, dean of Harvard Graduate School of Education, was appointed U.S. Commissioner of Education and crafted the ESEA of 1965 in an effort to address the issues that extended

Gangnam Style Is a Part of Pop Culture Essay Example for Free

Gangnam Style Is a Part of Pop Culture Essay In the baby boomer generation, That Thing You Do, a single released by The Wonders, fascinated people for a long time. Today, majority of people are interested in Harlem Shake, the very short clips that were uploaded on YouTube by some undefined performers. Last year, 2012 was the year of excitement and entertainment. In every part of the world, Gangnan Style, a single released by a Korean singer called PSY, has turned people to share the common interest in the funny dance moves with the catchy beats. Gangnam Style is a recent popular culture that turns people on in the world. This essay will first illustrate the background of this world phenomenon and then extent to explain why it becomes popular culture. To begin with, Gangnam Style is combination of the fancy dance move and a song that is sung in Korean language. It is sung and danced by Park Jae-sang, who is better known by his stage name, PSY. PSY is a 35-year-old Korean artist, who has been working in music industry since 1999. In July 2012, PSY released his sixth album called PSY 6 (Six Rules) Part 1, which Gangnam Style was included inside this album. No later than a month, Gangnam Style became the most viewed video on YouTube due to the unique dance move that has been entertaining people around the world. The reputation of this pop culture did not stop increasing. In December 2012, it became the first ever video that reached 1 billion views on YouTube. Even though it is sung in Korean, but nobody cares about the meaning of it. In other words, people have been into the dance moves with the catchy beats and careless about the lyrics. In addition, Gangnam Style has influenced on many aspects worldwide such as television; sports; parodies; flash mobs, famous people and technology. For instance, there have been more many flash mobs of ethnic groups over the world. In fact, the first flash mob took place in one of the shopping mall in Pasadena, California. Gangnam Style also gained very positive feeling from noticeable people such as Barak Obama, the President of the US and Jim Yong Kim, the President of the World Bank. However, many people wondered why is the part of popular culture. It is important to note that one thing can become popular culture unless it has 4 characteristics: association with commercial products, development from a local to a global level, accessibility and constantly changing or volving. For one thing, Gangnam Style is considered as a treasure for the businesspeople all over the world due to its popularity. For instance, the famous Korean music company, YG entertainment has sold about 100 thousands of the Gangnam Style records nationally. After it became the most viewed video, PSY earned around $1 million from his YouTube revenue share. Moreover, Apple made Gangnam Style to be available in Itune for the Apple ‘s users to download for a fee of $1. 29. Most important thing is that businesspeople have made a lot of money from selling the concert admission fee that they arranged in many parts of the world. Beside the music industry, some associated companies have made plenty of money from selling Gangnam Style clothes, cups, bags and cartoons. It is not a surprise that there are many dancing schools in the world that teach Gangnam Style dance move. Today, some companies have produced photo editor application that allows users to edit photo of PSY dancing Gangnam Style by replacing his head with their friends’ heads. After put things into consideration, Gangnam Style does have association with many global enterprises. In fact, PSY aimed to release Gangnam Style just to compete with other Kpop artists such as Girls Generation and BigBang. He did not expect this record could become what it is today. Miracle happened! Gangnam Style only took about 5 months to reach the global level. This is not just a record that entertains teenagers and adults but also fascinates middle aged and old aged people around the world. All kind of people cannot stand still when they hear the Gangnam Style music; in other words, they just feel like dancing along the music playback. People seem to feel the same type of enjoyment even if they belong to different cultures. In addition, Gangnam Style appeared on many famous TV shows such as Ellen Show in the US, Strictly Come Dancing Show in the UK and Who Will Become A Millionaire Show in India. There are many Gangnam Style dancing videoes or flash mobs that were uploaded onto YouTube by some ethnic groups in different countries. In December 2012, Gangnam Style made its way to become the number one hit in both Billboard and Itune chart passing over As Long As You Love Me by Justin Bieber. Surprisingly, Gangnam Style also became an international phrase. There are 90% of the world population know what this phrase means. Hence, Gangnam Style is known worldwide. Furthermore, Gangnam Style is extremely accessible compared to other popular culture in the 21st Century. YouTube, a world community that allows people to watch and upload the videos for free of charge, plays an important role in promoting Gangnam Style to be the world phenomenon. There are 1,507,623,962 people who have watched this video on YouTube. In fact, many teenagers and adults watched this video in order to learn the dancing moves of PSY. Additionally, Gangnam Style CD can be found in almost all music stores in the world except North Korea. They can also be bought online. Not onl6 does CD can be shopped online but also other Gangnam Style commercial products such as toys, shirts and bags. PSY has appeared on many world tours with his Gangnam Style single release in many countries such as the United State, the United Kingdom, Korea and French. For instance, to celebrate New Year Eve 2012, PSY was invited to sing and dance at Time Square in New York, The US. Well, it is the fact that people can find Gangnam Style everywhere. Finally, Gangnam Style has been developing to entertain people for all over the world. After Gangnam Style became a success in YouTube, many people started to turn Gangnam Style into an acoustic in order to delight the audiences. In February 2013, a group of the twin sisters called Jayesslee, uploaded their Gangnam Style acoustic version on YouTube. That video became the most viewed acoustic version of Gangnam Style. Until now, this video has 22,847,341 views. Equally important, PSY remixed his Gangnam Style release with many popular songs during his concerts last year. Many people translated and sang the Gangnam Style in their own languages; however, they kept the parts, which said â€Å"Oppa Gangnam Style† and â€Å"Hey Sexy Ladies† to remain original. Most of the time, people are not able to follow every dancing move in Gangnam Style video; therefore, they change some moves beside the equine dancing move to make it more easier to dance. In a consequence, people change the original Gangnam Style into something more interesting and exciting. In conclusion, Gangnam Style taught people an amazing today popular culture. Due to its unique dancing moves with the beats, it became the world phenomenon that fascinates almost every kind of people in the world. People cannot curl themselves from dancing along the music while it plays. After all considerations, we can be surely that Gangnam Style has 4 characteristics of pop culture. In other words, it is a real part of popular culture.

Bilingual Education :: American History

Bilingual Education In order to learn more about the bilingual education program in the Public School system, we felt it would be essential to discuss a few controversial issues with some bilingual teachers, and ask them for their opinion on the effectiveness of the system and the concept of bilingual education. We also questioned the benefits and disadvantages of the program. We wrote and asked these question with Latino (Puerto Rican) migrants in mind, however the Public School system consists of many ethnic groups which speak other languages other than Spanish. As one of the teachers stated, the political connotation that Bilingual Education carries is that of concerning only Spanish and English. We interviewed Mrs. Aida Ramos (Vice-Principal), Ms. Clara Velez (Bilingual Math Teacher), Mrs. Irene Killian (TESOL), Ms. Zoraida Ortiz (Bilingual Science Teacher), and Ms. Nancy Harrison (TESOL/Bilingual Computer Lab Teacher). When we asked these teachers whether they supported or were against the bilingual education system, they each shouted their answer as if it were instinctive. Although they had different reasons why, each and every one of the teachers said they supported the system without a doubt. We were given a multitude of reasons why bilingual education is advantageous. Ms. Velez stated that she supports bilingual education because, first and foremost, she is a product of it, and second because she believes the program allows the children to earn credit and learn the language at the same time. She said that if the non-English speaking child were immersed in the English mainstream classes they will fail, and as a result the already high drop out rate of Latinos would increase. Ms. Harrison felt that the bilingual education program would be even stronger and more effective if it served more of the ethnic groups in Hartford. The Vietnamese, Lao, and Albanian students are often put in transi tional classes because there are not enough in that particular ethnic group to create a bilingual class that will help them to learn English, while maintaining their primary language. Presently, the state requires twenty students who need assistance in the same language to hire a teacher to create a class for them. She also stated that the students in bilingual education classes have just as many difficulties in academics as do the students in mainstream education, and that the bilingual education program is often used as a scapegoat for those students not achieving.

Consumer Retail Electronics Industry Analysis

Industry Analysis The US retail consumer electronics (CE) market had reported revenues of $180 billion in 2010. The different revenue streams that make up the reported annual revenue in 2010 for the CE market can be divided into five key areas: Consumer Electronics (CE), which consist of video and audio products; Home Office which consist of PC’s, notebooks, netbooks, tablets, and mobile phones; Appliances; Entertainment Hardware and Software; and Services (see Figure 1).Total sales from the Top 10 electronics retailers grew by 6% in 2011 to reach $110 billion. The past two business cycles, have been marked by slow growth, the fall of an CE empire, Circuit City, and complete flat line growth of key product areas such as TV’s. The market showed minor gains after the fall of Circuit City, but the growth can be attributable to the redistribution of Circuit City’s customer base. The major players in this market such as Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, RadioShack, ect†¦, only grew by 4. 5% in 2011.This is primarily due to the release of tablets, and netbooks, and not from existing product lines, already in place. It is definitely apparent that redistribution in consumer buying patterns like the shift to online shopping on retailers like Amazon. com has definitely impacted the nature of CE retailers. Cognizant Technology Solutions conducted a market study on the Retail CE market, in which they have identified 3 key areas which will continue to spur changes within the Retail CE market over the next few years.These 3 key areas as identified by Cognizant are Consumer sophistication and frugality, cut-throat competition, and millennial consumer behavior. Consumer Sophistication and Frugality The shift from moving to a commodity centered market, with the advent of online CE retailers like Amazon, the affect is in the efforts of the sales staff, which has been highly reduced, shoppers know exactly what they are looking for, for the most part, and use t hese retail brick and mortar shops as showrooms, where they go to touch and feel the merchandise, before they actually decide to purchase these item.These customers then usually retreat to the comforts of their home, or the nearest Starbucks, where they usually purchase the same exact item online usually through an online retailer like Amazon. In addition to this sophistication consumers have also become very frugal due to depressed economic conditions, and the high unemployment rate that is constantly rising. Consumers are looking for the best deal possible and if it means waiting few days for the item to be shipped then that is what they will do.From a business standpoint this new ideal poses certain operational challenges, Profit Margins (PM), and Distribution. Prices of high ticket items such as large flat screens and high priced PC’s have consistently declined, the sales that have occurred for this submarket have strictly been for replacement or extension sales & service s. These items usually have the highest margins of all CE products.To curb this retailers have revised their revenue mix, by including more lower margin items such as notebook PC’s and TV’s, and higher margin products which are sure fire sales such as smartphones, and tablets. Retailers that have focused on single channel distribution strategies such as the retail store model have had to invest in multichannel distribution strategies to compete with the shift in consumer buying behaviors. This method of buying has forced retailers to offer more options in addition to maintain their brick and mortar establishments.Cut Throat Competition Today’s CE retailers have always been confronted with difficult issues, but the pressures to produce a profit are even greater than ever before. Modern CE retailers face significant market competition from the likes of discounters such as Wal-Mart, and online retailers such as Amazon. An even more interesting dichotomy that has oc curred in the CE market is the inability to determine supplier from competitor. This has occurred with Apple products, which designs and sells the most demanded consumer electronics.Apple has strict controls as to who distributes their products, any retailer outside of this Apple sphere is at a severe disadvantage and missing out on an entire market of customers they could have had engaging in commerce. Generation Y and Consumer Behavior The multitasking, always electronically connected group of people we call Generation Y or better known as the millennia’s continue to drive the innovation that is occurring in the notebook/ tablet, and smartphone product lifecycles, which have consistently drove the need for companies like Apple, and the like to have product releases every 6 months.This has created submarkets for the sales of accessories for the new products as well as service plans from Telecommunications Service providers for data plans to access the internet, and other med ia such as streaming music, and video via services like YouTube, and Netflix. This push for the access of media has forced retailers to get into the content provider business.With the advent of the internet and mobile devices generation Y’ers have instant access to price differentials across different channels enabling them to compare, and price shop while in the actual store standing in front of a product. This has decreased the need for sales staff, and these groups of consumers have relied on prices shopping, and social media, looking at reviews products, as well as what their friends have purchased via Facebook, ect†¦ to assist them in their CE purchases, this form of purchase has become known as â€Å"social purchasing†.

Unit 3 Quiz

1. Which of the following is not a cost classification? (Points : 2) Mixed Multiple Variable Fixed 2. Which of the following is not a fixed cost? (Points : 2) Direct materials Depreciation Lease charge Property taxes 3. At the break-even point of 2,500 units, variable costs are $55,000, and fixed costs are $32,000. How much is the selling price per unit? (Points : 2) $34. 80 $9. 20 $12. 80 $22. 00 4. The relevant range of activity refers to the (Points : 2) geographical areas where the company plans to operate. activity level where all costs are curvilinear. levels of activity over which the company expects to operate. evel of activity where all costs are constant. 5. A CVP graph does not include a (Points : 2) variable cost line. fixed cost line. sales line. total cost line. 6. Which one of the following is not an assumption of CVP analysis? (Points : 2) All units produced are sold. All costs are variable costs. Sales mix remains constant. The behavior of costs and revenues are line ar within the relevant range. 7. Variable costs for Foley, Inc. are 25% of sales. Its selling price is $80 per unit. If Foley sells one unit more than break-even units, how much will profit increase? (Points : 2) $60. 00 $20. 00 $26. 66 $320. 00 8.Tiny Tots Toys has actual sales of $400,000 and a break-even point of $260,000. How much is its margin of safety ratio? (Points : 2) 35% 65% 154% 53. 8% 9. The following monthly data are available for Wackadoos, Inc. which produces only one product: Selling price per unit, $42; Unit variable expenses, $14; Total fixed expenses, $42,000; Actual sales for the month of June, 4,000 units. How much is the margin of safety for the company for June? (Points : 2) $70,000 $105,000 $63,000 $2,500 10. Hess, Inc. sells a product with a contribution margin of $12 per unit, fixed costs of $74,400, and sales for the current year of $100,000.How much is Hess's break-even point? (Points : 2) 4,600 units $25,600 6,200 units 2,133 units Time Remaining: 43. H ess, Inc. sells a product with a contribution margin of $12 per unit, fixed costs of $74,400, and sales for the current year of $100,000. How much is Hess's break-even point? (Points: 4) 4,600 units $25,600 6,200 units 2,133 units BEP = $74,400/$12 = 6,200 units 46. The following monthly data are available for Wackadoos, Inc. which produces only one product: Selling price per unit, $42; Unit variable expenses, $14; Total fixed expenses, $42,000; Actual sales for the month of June, 4,000 units.How much is the margin of safety for the company for June? (Points: 4) $70,000 $105,000 $63,000 $2,500 UCM = $42 – $14 = $28 BEP = $42,000 / $28 = 1,500 units BEP $ = 1,500 ? $42 = $63,000 Expected Sales $ = $42 ? 4,000 = $168,000 MOS = $105,000 41. Tiny Tots Toys has actual sales of $400,000 and a break-even point of $260,000. How much is its margin of safety ratio? (Points: 4) 35% 65% 154% 53. 8% Margin of Safety = $400,000 – $260,000 = $140,000 Margin of Safety Ratio = $140,000 /$400,000 = 35%

Four Ways to Find New Markets

Four Ways to Find New Markets Youve signed up for all possible newsletters that promise to  introduce you to the magazine of your dreams one that pays well,  publishes fast and edits nary a word. Whats more, youve actually  tried all the magazines touted Or perhaps youve exhausted your permissible quota of stories that can  be submitted to these dream magazines. (Two in a year. Yeah, right.  What are you supposed to do for the remaining ten months?) Or perhaps youve sold first rights and would now like to sell  reprints to other magazines to make a quick, painless buck. Whatever the reason, you need more wonderful magazines to submit  stories to. Only, where do you find them? With more than 5,500 markets in my personal database, Ive become  something of an expert in sniffing out potential venues for  publication. Want to know my secret? Actually there are four: 1. Peek into your own backyard. Has your work been published online? Web magazines often have a  section that hyperlinks to other similar e-zines. It goes 2. Take a helping hand from your competitors. Diligently read the

My American Scholarly Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

My American Scholarly Experience - Essay Example I hope to gain more from the university and the American society in general. This essay provides a comprehensive narrative of my experience as a Chinese student in America, forming a potential foundation for others in my position to adjust and reap maximum benefits from the American society. Before coming to America, I always had a dream to study abroad in the hope of pursuing high quality education. In addition, I hoped to experience other people’s cultures, while getting a global point of view of issues surrounding the modern society. My parents and peers encouraged the move, terming it as a path towards self-discovery and exploration of my career options. Given all these factors, my move to America was filled with high expectations, hopes to make friends immediately, and enjoying all the things that the new culture had to offer. Even though I was slightly nervous during my flight from Beijing, my excitement was more than any concerns. For this reason, I did not take possibl e challenges into consideration and as a result, I was not fully prepared for the American life. On arrival from China, I was welcomed quickly but warmly at the airport. It is here that I began observing the differences between China and America. For example, while back at home people take their time to show you around or at least give you directions to wherever you want to go, majority of Americans do not have the patience for that. I also came to realize that many people in America are highly suspicious of strangers and therefore.

Discuss the importance of the rule nemo dat quod non habet in s.21 of Assignment

Discuss the importance of the rule nemo dat quod non habet in s.21 of the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Use examples to support your arguments - Assignment Example Commonly refered to as nemo dat, this concept stems from vision of a series of transactions whereby a current owner of property is required to be able to trace back ownership to reflect a chain of legitimate transfers. Further, the chain of transfers should originate from legitimate original possession. With examples, this paper will discuss the importance of nemo dat as well as applicable exceptions as per the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act 1979. Nemo dat is mainly concerned with the issue of which of the two parties, the legitimate owner and the innocent buyer, must pay the price of the fraud of a third party (Yap 2008, p. 254). It is a familiar occurrence that legitimate owners of goods are swindled into parting with the goods and, similarly, innocent buyers deceived into buying the goods from a third party. Therefore, the fundamental importance of the nemo dat rule is protecting the true and legitimate owners of property. Then, it also protects property by stipulating that no one can give a title that is better than he himself has (MacLeod 2012, p. 27). The usual scenario of the sale of property is that it is carried out between a willing buyer and either the legitimate owner or their duly authorized representatives. However, situations also occur in which the seller is selling property that does not rightfully belong to him or he does not possess the required right to sell. At that point, the significance of nemo dat is that it will form the basis on which the law will decide whether to favor the original owner or the bona fide buyer (Elliott 2004, p. 382). The rule of nemo dat remains legally binding even in situations where buyers are not aware that the sellers have no right to allege ownership of the property being transacted. In most circumstances, the buyer of property from a seller with no ownership rights will not get the title of ownership but, legally, there are exceptions that can actually grant such buyers the title. Meant to protect