Musicals essays

Musicals essays Originally a distraction from the horrors of war during the 1940s and 1950s, the American Musical grew in popularity throughout the 20th century. The musical combines acting, dancing, and singing to form cohesive pictures that are still treasured today. The musical requires a collaborative effort between all elements of the film, whether musical or not. The lyrics, music, and dance have to collate with the plot, effects, and characterization to make a movie worth watching. Stars of the American Musical must be able to act, sing, and often dance, in order to get a part in a movie. Musicals must always appeal to a range of people, from a 5-year-old to an 85-year-old, to guarantee viewers. The musical always has catchy upbeat songs or slow ballads that the listener can sing along to, which provides more mass appeal. Some of the more common themes in musical theater include nostalgia, the Cinderella story, realism, and adaptations of literature. The nostalgia theme is seen in Oklahoma!, Carousel, and Showboat. The Cinderella story is represented by The King and I, The Sound of Music, and My Fair Lady. Realism can be seen in Annie Get Your Gun, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, and Newsies, which were all based on actual events from the past. Some musicals that are based on literature include The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jekyll The American Musical has gone through many changes since becoming a popular film genre. Early musicals were American versions of the English Operetta, such as The Student Prince. After this, genuine American Musicals were made, such as Annie Get Your Gun and Porgy and Bess. Then came realistic musicals such as South Pacific and Camelot, which were musicals with themes that most people could relate to because they were more believable, or actually true stories. Soon, even newer approaches to the American Musical were developed ...

About the Civil Rights Cases of 1883

About the Civil Rights Cases of 1883   In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which had prohibited racial discrimination in hotels, trains, and other public places, was unconstitutional. In an 8-1 decision, the court ruled that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution did not give Congress the power to regulate the affairs of private individuals and businesses. Background During the post-Civil War Reconstruction Period between 1866 and 1875, Congress passed several civil rights laws intended to implement the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. The last and most aggressive of these laws, the Civil Rights Act of 1875, imposed criminal penalties against the owners of private businesses or modes of transportation that restricted access to their facilities because of race. The law read, in part:   â€Å"†¦ all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land or water, theaters, and other places of public amusement; subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law, and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any previous condition of servitude.† Many people in both the South and the North objected to the Civil Rights Act of 1875, arguing that the law unfairly infringed on personal freedom of choice. Indeed, the legislatures of some Southern states had already enacted laws allowing separate public facilities for whites and African Americans. Details of the Civil Rights Cases of 1883 In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the Supreme Court took the rare route of deciding five separate but closely related cases with one unified ruling. The five cases (United States v. Stanley, United States v. Ryan, United States v. Nichols, United States v. Singleton, and Robinson v. Memphis Charleston Railroad) reached the Supreme Court on appeal from the lower federal courts and involved suits filed by African American citizens claiming they had been illegally been refused equal access to restaurants, hotels, theaters, and trains as required by the Civil Rights Act of 1875. During this time, many businesses had attempted to skirt the letter of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 by allowing African Americans to use their facilities, but forcing them to occupy separate â€Å"Colored Only† areas. Constitutional Questions The Supreme Court was asked to decide the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in light of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Specifically, the court considered: Did the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment apply to the day-to-day operations of privately-owned businesses?What specific protections did the 13th and 14th amendments provide for private citizens?Did the 14th Amendment, which prohibits state governments from practicing racial discrimination, also ban private individuals from discriminating under their right to â€Å"freedom of choice?† In other words, was â€Å"private racial segregation,† like designating â€Å"Coloreds Only† and â€Å"Whites Only† areas legal? The Arguments Presented to the Court Over the course of the case, the Supreme Court heard arguments for and against allowing private racial segregation and, thus, the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1875.    Ban Private Racial Segregation: Because the intent of the 13th and 14th Amendments had been to â€Å"remove the last vestiges of slavery† from America, the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was constitutional. By sanctioning practices of private racial discrimination, the Supreme Court would â€Å"permit the badges and incidents of slavery† to remain a part of Americans’ lives. The Constitution grants the federal government the power to prevent state governments from taking actions that deprive any U.S. citizen of his or her civil rights. Allow Private Racial Segregation: The 14th Amendment banned only the state governments from practicing racial discrimination, not private citizens. The 14th Amendment specifically declares, in part, â€Å"†¦ nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.† Enacted and enforced by the federal, rather than the state governments. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutionally infringed on the rights of private citizens to use and operate their property and businesses as they saw fit.   The Court’s Decision and Reasoning In an 8-1 opinion written by Justice Joseph P. Bradley, the Supreme Court found the Civil Rights Act of 1875 to be unconstitutional. Justice Bradley declared that neither the 13th nor the 14th Amendment granted Congress the power to enact laws dealing with racial discrimination by private citizens or businesses. Of the 13th Amendment, Bradley wrote, â€Å"The 13th Amendment has respect, not to distinctions of race †¦ but to slavery.† Bradley added, â€Å"The 13th Amendment relates to slavery and involuntary servitude (which it abolishes); ... yet such legislative power extends only to the subject of slavery and its incidents; and the denial of equal accommodations in inns, public conveyances and places of public amusement (which is forbidden by the sections in question), imposes no badge of slavery or involuntary servitude upon the party, but at most, infringes rights which are protected from State aggression by the 14th Amendment.† Justice Bradley went on to agree with the argument that the 14th Amendment applied only to the states, not to private citizens or businesses. â€Å"The 14th Amendment is prohibitory upon the States only, and the legislation authorized to be adopted by Congress for enforcing it is not direct legislation on the matters respecting which the States are prohibited from making or enforcing certain laws, or doing certain acts, but it is corrective legislation, such as may be necessary or proper for counteracting and redressing the effect of such laws or acts,† he wrote. The Lone Dissent of Justice Harlan Justice John Marshall Harlan wrote the only dissenting opinion in the Civil Rights Cases. Harlan’s belief that the majority’s â€Å"narrow and artificial† interpretation 13th and 14th Amendments led him to write, â€Å"I cannot resist the conclusion that the substance and spirit of the recent amendments of the Constitution have been sacrificed by a subtle and ingenious verbal criticism.† Harlan wrote that the 13th Amendment did far more than â€Å"to prohibit slavery as an institution,† it also â€Å"established and decreed universal civil freedom throughout the United States.† In addition, noted Harlan, Section II of the 13th Amendment decreed that â€Å"Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation,† and had thus been the basis for the  enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted full citizenship to all persons born in the United States. Basically, Harlan contended that the 13th and 14th Amendments, as well as the Civil Rights Act of 1875, were constitutional acts of Congress intended to ensure African Americans the same rights to access and use of public facilities that white citizens took for granted as their natural right. In summary, Harlan stated that the federal government had both the authority and the responsibility to protect citizens from any actions that deprive them of their rights and to allow private racial discrimination would â€Å"permit the badges and incidents of slavery† to remain. Impact of the Civil Rights Cases Decision The Supreme Court’s decision in the Civil Rights Cases virtually stripped the federal government of any power to ensure African Americans equal protection under the law. As Justice Harlan had predicted in his dissent, freed of the threat of federal restrictions, Southern states began enacting laws sanctioning racial segregation. In 1896, the Supreme Court cited its Civil Rights Cases ruling in its landmark Plessy v. Ferguson decision declaring that requiring separate facilities for blacks and whites was constitutional as long as those facilities were â€Å"equal† and that racial segregation itself did not amount to unlawful discrimination. So-called â€Å"separate but equal† segregated facilities, including schools, would persist for over 80 years until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s swayed public opinion to oppose racial discrimination. Eventually, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, enacted as part of the Great Society program of President Lyndon B. Johnson, incorporated several key elements of the Civil Rights Act of 1875.

Consumer protection in QATAR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Consumer protection in QATAR - Essay Example This is because these individuals cannot protect themselves. The laws protect consumer rights since they are government regulations (Howells and Stephen 86). Consumer protection is usually linked to ideas concerning consumer rights as well as other consumer organizations that assist consumers to make good choices while in the market place and also helps them in accordance to their complaints. A consumer is a person who buys services and goods for direct ownership or use. The intentions of a consumer are, usually, not to use the goods and services for manufacturing and production. Also, the consumer does not resale the goods. There are other organizations which also support consumer protection. They include self-regulating business organizations and government organizations (American Bar Association 138). Examples of self-regulating business organizations include ombudsmen, Federal Trade Commission, consumer protection organizations and agencies and Better Business Bureaus. Consumer protection leads to the development of a fair trading in the marketplace. Additionally, the laws protect the on-going businesses as well as the specific rights of consumers. These laws are also responsible for licensing, selling, buying and renting homes. They are, however, not involved in the profit legislation. The laws ensure that all products sold to consumers have the standard mark of quality (Jackson and Alison 219). The reason for insisting on high standard goods is to reduce the risk of consumers getting negative health effects from the goods and services. In order to be subjected to the mandatory standards, the product must meet the required degree of safety criteria. In case the products fail to meet the specified safety criteria, they are banned from sale. Consumer protection gives buyers the right to a refund in case an unsafe product is sold to them. The laws also issue a safety warning to the public to warn them about services and goods that pose safety risks to the

Psychopharmacology, drugs and addiction-heroin Essay

Psychopharmacology, drugs and addiction-heroin - Essay Example It is used both as a pain killer as well as a recreational drug. Some of its popular street names are – junk, dope Jenny, brown, diesel, smack, gear, dragon, hammer and ice-cubes. Heroin is a whitish brown powder or sometimes a sticky black substance called â€Å"black tar heroin†. It is usually injected, sniffed, snorted or smoked. An intravenous injection takes a very short time of 5 to 7 seconds for the drug to enter a person’s brain. It immediately metabolizes and gives the person a flush of â€Å"euphoria† (light headedness). The other methods take a longer time. Just like all other opiates, Heroin too is capable of creating high tolerance thresholds in the body. The great risk of heroin addiction is that the user can build a tolerance of the drug 3 to 4 times more than the lethal limit of a normal person. These high thresholds make heroin detoxification all the more painful and difficult for the heroin addict. Heroin withdrawal is not only painful but also frightening. The withdrawal phase lasts anywhere between 48 to 72 hours since the last dose of heroin intake. The withdrawal symptoms include – dilated pupils, Muscle cramps, Nausea and vomiting, periodic chills, panic spells, goose bumps, diarrhea, malaise, fever and profuse sweating.. Addicts who have undergone these withdrawal symptoms describe their experience by saying –â€Å"it was the worse case of the flu† they had ever had. An addict has alternate wakeful and drowsy spells with clouded mental functioning. An overdose may sometimes lead to death and using the needle used by an infected person could result in HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis. Death could also be the end result if the addict has a high tolerance of heroin withdrawal. Some addicts complain of a stressful condition called â€Å"itchy blood† which results in compulsive scratching causing bruises on the body. An overdose of heroin is usually counter acted

Discussing the character of Charles Darke Essay Example for Free

Discussing the character of Charles Darke Essay Charles Darke is a character of huge importance in the novel because he embodies so many of the novels themes and is key to Stephens recovery after his loss of Kate and future journey. Events involving Charles Darke are not only significant to the plot but also teach the reader a lot about the movement of time and the confusion and issues surrounding childhood. The readers introduction to Darke shows him as a successful man in his publishing firm who has managed to acquire respect and power (New York and Frankfurt were on the line) however as the introduction continues the reader begins to see that under the surface he has a more childish side to him as he relishes receiving attention: making expansive remarks to a young writer was one of the more desirable perquisites to his profession. Even before his breakdown his youthful nature is evident for example choosing his political career is described as a parlour game. Darke is one of the characters that McEwan uses to present the major theme of childhood and adulthood, there is a constant conflict present within Darke of being a child and of being an adult. His successful political career shows that he must have debating skill and great intellect however at the same time his juvenile personality also breaks through. Having acted as a parental figure after the loss of Kate it is tragic that he should regress so rapidly away from reality. It is not only Darkes contrasting personality which warns the reader of what may occur later, he is obviously unsettled as shown by his rapid career moves and house move from Eaton Square to the countryside. Thelma also describes to Stephen how he lost his mother and had a cold upbringing with his father suggesting that Darke did not experience childhood at all. Charles Darke also jumped straight into being a successful and married businessman therefore missing out on important lessons that many adults learn through their mistakes. Just before the reader is introduced to Darke there is even a subtle echo of what will happen later as Stephen describes a picture: a grim-faced crow with a stethoscope round its neck taking the pulse of a pale young boy who appeared to have fallen out of a tree. Darke shows the reader a disquieting reaction to time because instead of moving forwards he moves backwards, the reader sees personal and sometimes eerie moments involving Darke, these help McEwan to show the reader what a precious state childhood is and how time cannot be manipulated. Darke also embodies the theme of politics. Not only does he move the political plot forward by getting Stephen onto the committee but he is also the reason that Stephen meets the Prime Minister. The novel was written during the Thatcherite era of the 80s and this is clearly reflected in the tone of the book and McEwans opposition to this right-wing rule. Stephen Lewis is cynical about the Conservative views that Darke has decided to take on and the short, abrupt syntax that McEwan uses emphasizes his suspicions of the government in power. It is a cruel irony that, like the Beggar Girl, Charles eventual death is a result of his political career and the harsh culture surrounding him. Different opinions can be taken on what Darkes specific role is within the novel. He clearly is important for McEwan to carve in the political aspect of the novel and McEwans own political views however his regression back into childhood carries a much more complicated message. The title of the book The Child in Time at first may seem to describe simply Stephens loss of Kate however one can go much deeper and find that perhaps what McEwan is trying to show the reader is Stephen and Darkes search for their own child in time. While Stephen searches constantly for the physical Kate he also looks for her in time through memories and visions of her growing up. Darkes search for the child in time is different, he has had no childhood of his own so he searches for it and eventually finds it by regressing into boyhood. On the surface McEwan presents this as a natural step but it is actually quite disturbing and this is shown by the smile on his face at death. The conflicts within Darke show the reader the bitter sweet nature of childhood, while Darke is happy and carefree he also believes himself invincible and this eventually causes his death. Charles Darke is also important for the readers understanding of Stephen Lewis. It is because of Darke that Stephen meets Thelma who is important as she looks after both of the characters and gives the reader another way to look at time. The reason that Thelma chooses Stephen as the one person who she allows to see Charles after his breakdown is because she knows that he will not judge or condemn and it is important for the reader to know this feature of his character. Stephen has experienced loss and thought endlessly about childhood and is therefore understanding about Darkes regression. The reader also learns about Stephen through the contrast of the characters. Darke becomes part of the right wing government while Stephen is saddened by the two tribes in the Supermarket. Stephen sees Charles Darkes death first hand and this may help him reach an understanding about his loss of Kate because he has to come face to face with the reality that she too maybe dead. The fact that Darke dies with a smile on his face may remind Stephen that if Kate is dead then she has at least died in a happy part of her life and has not yet lost her innocence. Darkes relationship with Thelma can also be contrasted with Stephens relationship with Julie. As the novel progresses Thelma becomes more and more of a mother figure to Darke and her older age implies that it has never been a marriage of passion and deep love but one of a mutual understanding, acceptance and care. In contrast to Darkes seemingly sexless marriage Julie and Stephen have a much more real and natural relationship where there high points and low points are kept private and by the end their genuine love for one another is clear. Darke offers McEwan the means to show the reader his themes of time, childhood and politics but he also has deeper significance. Darke shows the reader how childhood, or the lack of it, effects ones whole life and how reaching adulthood is a continuous process that may never end. The search for The Child in Time by Darke is an emotional and metaphorical journey that eventually liberates him from the stresses and pressures of his hectic work life even if it does ultimately cause his death.

Racial Struggle in America Essay -- Ethnicity Immigration Papers

Racial Struggle in America Yes East and West and North and South, the Palm and the pine, the pole and the equator, the crescent and the cross - how the great Alchemist melts and fuses them with his purging flame! Here shall they all unite to build the Republic of Man and the Kingdom of God. (Rereading America 535) The myth of the melting pot, similarly to The American Dream [i] , brings a lot of immigrants to America hoping to find equality, freedom and opportunity. The promise of a new race in which individuals of all nations are melted into one, and whose labors would change the world, eludes people all over the globe. The drama of becoming an American requires that immigrants take on a new identity, because they want to become equally members of the community with all the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities that their fellow citizens have. The myth then falls flat on its face, because it lies when it says that all Americans are "created equal." The melting pot ideal has often masked the reality of racial supremacy, constantly reminding us of race [ii] when we feel our differences becoming signs of inferiority, and as inferiors we are treated as subhuman. Thomas Jefferson as third president of the United States (1801-1809) recommended that all emancipated slaves should be sent out of the state to form separate colonies, and to prevent racial conflict as well as intermarriage with whites. While he believed in the "Group Separatism" relation, which in "Models of American Ethnic Relations: A Historical Perspective" George M. Fredrickson explained as a self-governing community, President Ronald Regan declared himself "color blind" in matters of race. Neither a "group separatism," nor a "color-blind" socie... ...eading America. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2001. 598-609. Cose, Ellis. "Can a New Race Surmount Old Prejudices?"Rereading America. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martins, 2001. 635-646. Lindholm, William C. "Origins of the Old Order Amish." http://holycrosslivonia.org/amish/origin.htm [i]American Dream: the notion that anyone can succeed in America only through hard work. [ii]Race: population distinguished by genetic traits [iii] politics of identification: Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s term to define our capacity to identify with others regardless of their differences. "A Liberalism of Heart and Spine" [iv] model minority: Asian Americans were used as model minorities to other minorities to claim that the American Dream is alive.

History of Holistic Health Essay

Holistic medicine is a system of alternate medicine, which is a total approach to life both in physical and spiritual terms. It does not focus on the specific illness or parts of the body suffering from illness, but rather visualizes the body as a whole and views body as more than the sum of the parts. It tries to attain a perfect harmony by fostering a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health (i. e. it focuses on the whole person and takes in to account how he or she interacts). When one part of the body is malfunctioning it disrupts all other parts of that person. This is comparable to the working of an automobile, if one part of the automobile engine malfunctions, it not only effects the working of the malfunctioning parts but causes wear and tear of the all the other related parts. The whole person, including all of the parts, is in constant interaction with the nature and the environment. In other words it was assumed that the body posses a natural tendency toward equilibrium, or homeostasis the maintenance, which is the key to good health. The aim of holistic healing is to achieve maximum body function, where individual body parts are functioning the way they should function. Therefore it is no longer the sole responsibility of the healer to bring good health otherwise puts great responsibilities on the patient to achieve the maximum possible health and well-being. Therefore holistic health is not a static process but an ongoing process. It is heavily depend on personal commitment to be moving toward the right end of the wellness continuum. Irrespective of their current status of health, any one can make marked improvement in the level of their well being by adopting the techniques of holistic health. Holistic medicine has its roots in several ancient healing traditions that stress healthy living and being in harmony with nature, originated in India and China about 5,000 years ago. The holistic healing practitioners propagated the idea of healthy way of living with nature. The great philosopher Socrates, who lived four centuries prior to Christ birth recognized this idea and has suggested that we should take body as a whole and not by part by part. Plato was another advocate of Holism advising doctors that they should respect the relationship between mind and body. And the ability of the body to heal itself and caution the doctors not to interfere with the process was emphasized by Hippocrates. Jan Christiaan Smuts coined the term holism in 1926 as a way of living a whole life and viewing the body as greater than the sum of their parts which has given us the more integrated concept of psychosomatic medicine known as holistic medicine. â€Å"Holistic† became more recognized through 1970s to the current time and has become one of the accepted methods of alternative medicine. While the application of the word holistic is comparatively recent, the opposing school of thought felt that the physician should actively intervene to conquer disease, much as a mechanic would fix a broken machine. This philosophical debate continued over the centuries, with neither side predominating until the scientific revolution of the 19th century. The discovery of effective antimicrobial agents by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch accomplished remarkable recoveries not previously possible. However, even during Pasteur’s time there were scientists who cautioned that the germ theory should be put in its proper context. Claude Bernard, a noted physiologist of the time stated, â€Å"Illnesses hover constantly about us, their seeds blown by the wind, but they do not set in the terrain unless the terrain is ready to receive them. † Pasteur and Bernard debated this point over the years, and it is revealing to note that on his deathbed Pasteur is reported to have said, â€Å"Bernard is right. The germ is nothing; the terrain all. † While the holistic point of view acknowledges the importance of germs and disease, the primary focus is placed upon the resistance of the host. Interestingly, it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that the principles of holistic medicine fell out of favor in Western societies, with the advent of major advances in what we now call allopathic medicine. Paradoxically, many discoveries of the twentieth century have only served to confirm many natural medicine theories. In many cases, researchers have set out to debunk holistic medicine, only to find that their research confirms it, as has been the case, for example, with many herbal remedies. When comparing holistic and allopathic, the definitions of health differ greatly in regard to the diagnosis and treatment of illness. However allopathic medicine is a system of medical practice that treats disease by the use of remedies that produce effects different from those produced by the disease under treatment and it is also called conventional medicine. People who use conventional medicine usually do not seek treatment until they become ill; there is little emphasis on preventive treatment. Because they believe the main causes of illness are considered to be pathogens-bacteria or viruses-or biochemical imbalances. Drugs, surgery, and radiation are scientific tests often used in diagnosis or in dealing with the problems. Holistic medicine, in the other hand, concentrate on preventing illness and maintaining health. Good health is seen as a balance of body systems – mental, emotional, and spiritual, as well as physical. All aspects of a person are seen as interrelated – a principle called holism, meaning â€Å"state of wholeness. † Any disharmony is thought to stress the body and perhaps lead to sickness. In the process of fighting disease a wide range of therapies is use as alternative medicine to bolster the body’s own defenses and restore balance. The best example illustrating this approach is the fact that ancient Chinese doctors were paid only when their patients were healthy, not if they became ill. Although allopathic medicine does not recognize that many physical symptoms have mental components (such as emotional stress which may lead to an ulcer or chronic headaches) its approach is generally to suppress the symptoms, both physical and psychological. While holistic method, views illness and disease, as an imbalance of the mind and body that is expressed on the physical, emotional, and mental levels of a person. Natural medicine, which follows holistic aproch, assesses the symptoms as a sign or reflection of a deeper instability within the person, and it tries to restore the physical and mental harmony that will then alleviate the symptoms. Knowing fully well that holistic medicine recognizes that the human body is highly equipped to resist disease and heal injuries. But when disease does occurs, or an injury occurs, the first instinct in holistic healing is to see what might be done to strengthen those natural resistance and healing agents so they can act against the disease more effectively. Results are not expected to occur overnight. But neither are they expected to occur at the expense of dangerous side effects.