Ancient Egypt - Land of the River :: Ancient Egypt Egyptian History

Ancient Egypt - Land of the River "All of Egypt is the gift of the Nile." It was the Greek historian Herodotus who made that observation. The remarkable benefits of the Nile are clear to everyone, but through history he was the first to talk about it and consider its fascination. Through history, the Nile played a major role in the building of civilizations. The first civilizations to appear in history started on a river valley or in a place where resources are numerous and example of these are in India where Indus river is found and Tigris where Euphrates is found and many other places (cradles of civilization). The Nile is the longest river in the world, cuts a swath of green and life through the bareness of the giant Sahara desert in northern Africa. It is almost 4160 miles long from its remotest head stream, the Lavironza river in Burundi, in central Africa to its delta on the Mediterranean sea north east of Egypt. The river flows northward and drain 1100100 square miles, about tenth the size of Africa, passing through ten African countries. It has many tributaries but there are two main ones: the White Nile fed by lake Victoria and the Blue Nile coming from Ethiopian mountains. These two main branches join near Khartoum, the capital of Sudan and they continue together as Nile proper until meeting the Mediterranean Sea and forming the Nile delta in northern Egypt. Around 5000 BC, one of the first great civilizations developed in the northern Nile river valley dependent on agriculture in a land called Egypt. Water; Fertile soil; and river's flow north while prevailing wind blows south made the Nile the best transportation way, were examples of the Nile gifts. Another gift is that every year the flood came bringing disaster and famine due to destroying the crops and their villages. The first forms of government appeared in Egypt when the Egyptians organized their efforts under one leadership to avoid the disasters of the yearly flood. On the other hand Nile flooding caused some problems in landmarks. Simple geometry had to be found to keep the boarder and a simple system metric (invention of the nilometer) to study the Nile flow and flood every year. As the state grew and more complex religious and political systems started to emerge, the need for a system to record events and rituals was growing too.

The College Choir Concert :: essays papers

The College Choir Concert On Wednesday, May 23rd, I attended the College Choir concert in the Reamer Campus Center. The choir performed a variety of songs, ranging from pieces in Latin to traditional American folksongs. Two of the pieces featured solos, and one even featured percussion instruments. Mrs. Elinore Farnum provided piano accompaniment for each of the songs, and performed beautifully. I was extremely impressed by the talented choir members and their ability to sing such a varied range of songs. The first song, Magnificat in C, was one of the longer songs performed, and featured many solos by Union students. This song is in Latin, but due to the English translation the audience received prior to the performance, we were able to follow along and comprehend the lyrics. This song demonstrated the various parts of a choir and allowed the sopranos, altos, and tenors to express themselves through sectional solos. The second piece, Paratum Cor Meum, was a much shorter piece with very few lyrics. It was interesting to hear a piece by Haydn, since we had discussed this composer in class. I was impressed by the choir members’ ability to remember words in another language, and I enjoyed the sounds of the piano accompaniment. â€Å"Reuben, Reuben† was a much happier song and the first of the songs performed in English; however, my favorite pieces were â€Å"Water Come-A-Me Eye† and â€Å"Great Day!† I especially enjoyed â€Å"Water Come-A-Me Eye† because of the percussion instruments that some of the choir members played. Jasmina Begovic kept a steady beat on the maracas and provided a pleasant accompaniment to the melodies of the choir. The other percussion instruments were equally enjoyable and added an element to the song that other songs did not have. â€Å"Great Day!† was particularly enjoyable because of the fast-paced rhythm and the energy of the performers. This song had a faster tempo than the other songs and was a great way to conclude the concert. Though it seemed as if the entire concert had picked up speed when the choir sang â€Å"Reuben, Reuben,† â€Å"Guantanamera,† and â€Å"Water Come-A-Me Eye† consecutively, the rhythm eventually slowed down when they performed â€Å"Fare You Well,† a traditional American folksong with a rather melancholy sound to it.

Protest Against the WTO in Seattle Essay -- World Trade Organization P

Protest Against the WTO in Seattle The people assembled in the streets of Seattle were labor unionists and environmentalists, lumber workers and forest activists, students and teachers, farmers and cheese makers, Germans and Ukrainians, Africans and Asians, North Americans and Latin Americans, gays and straights, human rights activists and animal right activists, indigenous people and white urban professionals, children and elders. Some wore business suits, some overalls, some wore sea turtle costumes, some leather and piercings, some wore almost nothing at all (Reed 2005). A very diverse group joined together in Seattle, Washington in November of 1999 to fight against the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its unfair policies. Despite the differences in nationality, race, religion, and ideals of the crowd in Seattle, tens of thousands of people formed one united front in the fight for global equality. Through a strong network of organizations, revolutionary technology, and alternate media coverage, activist s of the global justice movement banded together through diversity to form one collective identity. Although music was not an integral part of this movement, the creativity that shined in Seattle, added to this already strong feeling of unity. Without the ability of this diverse group of nations and peoples to gather on the streets of Seattle, these revolutionary protests against the World Trade Organization would not have made such an impact on the world today. Seattle was not the first place that anti-globalization ideas were voiced, but it was the first taste of how strong the forces against global imbalances really were. This protest was the first place where the ideas... ...nt Effective?. Global Governance, 10(2), 207-225. Retrieved Tuesday, October 10, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database. Parrish, Geov. 2004. â€Å"Is this what failure looks like?† Seattle Washington: Seattle Weekly Media, Retrieved October 16, 2006. Reed, T.V. 2005. The Art of Protest. Minneapolis, MN: The University of Minnesota Press. Schott, Jeffery. 2000. The WTO After Seattle. Washington, D.C: Institute for International Economics. Starr, Amory. 2000. Naming the Enemy- Anti-Corporate Movements Confront Globalization. New York: Zed Books Ltd. Taylor, Rupert. 2004. Creating a Better World: Interpreting Global Civil Society. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, Inc. World Socialists. 1999. â€Å"The social meaning of the anti-WTO protests in Seattle.† Seattle,Washington: World Socialists Web Site, Retrieved October 15, 2006. (www.wsws.org/articles).

Music LessonBrandenburg

Write a brief definition of: Tonality Modulation Harmony Chord Root First Inversion Seventh Chord Oh no it's a Theory Byte Technical Name for the notes of the scale. As LIMIT ACID Key Relationships Key Signatures F C G DAD B Order of sharps C] Semitone above = name of key. BEAD G CB order of flats Name of PENULTIMATE flat = key signature All major keys have related minor – same key signature. Minor 3rd below key note e. G. G major relative minor is E Minor. Circle of Fifths Tonality and Harmony Class work – Discuss: 0 TonalPlan and Key Relationships CLC Modulations L] Analysis of Chords and Cadences C] Circle of Fifths. Private Study Tasks Continue working on your composition using the feedback/targets we discussed. Don't forget Deadline One is 1 9th October. Make sure that your Brandenburg score notes are fully complete as we will be working on questions next week in preparation for an assessment in the final week. Listen to the piece a number of times – use you r annotated score to follow the music.Create a glossary of the key musical terms which link to the Brandenburg Concerto. Add musical examples where appropriate. (Retooling, Basso Continuo, Figured Bass, Flute a beck, Natural Trumpet, Arpeggio, Sequence (rising, falling), Ripen, Concertina, Counterpoint, Tutu, Unison, Trill, Dominant Seventh, Dominant Pedal, Syncopation, Homophobic, Diminished Seventh Chord, Circle of Fifths) Extra help Extra support with composition -? please book a slot of time with me. Period 5 on Friday. Theory Support. Mr. Reed is available on Friday periods 3 and 4.

Mohandas K. Gandhi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth Essay

â€Å"Truth is like a vast tree, which yields more and more fruit, the more you nurture it. The deeper the search in the mine of truth the richer the discovery of gems buried there, in the shape of openings for an ever greater variety of service† (Gandhi 191). Mohandas K. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, and ever since that day has dedicated his life to the search for truth. During this quest, he became a leader of the Indian Nationalist Movement against British rule and to this day remains a highly influential figure in political activism and social progress. In his autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Gandhi shares stories of his triumphs and falls while trying to free India from British rule, all the while trying to stay true to his vows to his mother and to himself. The point that shows through brightly in Gandhi’s autobiography is that his values and morals about life coincide with his political philosophy. Gandhi’s main view on business and politics is the strictness to truth. He explains this well when he states: Business, they say, is a very practical affair, and truth a matter of religion; and they argue that practical affairs are one thing, while religion is quite another. Pure truth, they hold, is out of the question in business, one can speak it only so far as is suitable. I strongly contested the position in my speech and awakened the merchants to a sense of their duty, which was two-fold. Their responsibility to be truthful was all the greater in a foreign land, because the conduct of a few Indians was the measure of that of the millions of their fellow-countrymen† (109). Gandhi’s devotion to truth begins as far back as his high school days. During a spelling examination Gandhi has trouble spelling the word â€Å"kettle†. Seeing this the teacher tries to prompt Gandhi with the point of his boot to copy his neighbors answer, with which Gandhi does not respond cooperatively and was the only one in the class to misspell the word. He explains, â€Å"I never could learn the art of ‘copying’†(4). His devotion to truth only is strengthened as he matures eventually he states that he is a, â€Å"Worshiper of Truth†(6) and that, â€Å"The passion for truth was innate in me†(9). Gandhi shows an admiration for truth that runs deep in his blood. Most likely he obtained this ideology from the devotion his mother held within her. He explains of the impact of his mother while stating, â€Å"The outstanding impression my mother has left on my memory is that of saintliness. She was deeply religious. She would not think of taking her meals without her daily prayers†(2). Clearly Gandhi received his committed, religious mindset from his mother; the exception was that Gandhi’s religion was his search for ultimate truth. To begin his odyssey Gandhi travels to London for training to become a barrister. The profession of barrister comes with the reputation of being filled with lies and trickery, which one might say disputes the purpose of Gandhi’s existence. However, Gandhi does not believe this is so explaining, â€Å"As a student I had heard that the lawyer’s profession was a liar’s profession. But this did not influence me, as I had no intention of earning either position or money by lying†(324). Gandhi’s pure heart could not be tainted by even the most corrupted of professions. After school he returned to India in 1891 and in 1893 accepted a job at an Indian law firm in Durban, South Africa. Gandhi was appalled by the treatment of Indian immigrants there, and joined the struggle to obtain basic rights for them. Gandhi’s determination to honesty and truth combined with his uprising political stance granted him great respect in the political community. He realizes this when he states, â€Å"I also saw that my devotion to truth enhanced my reputation amongst the members of the profession, and in spite of the handicap of colour I was able in some cases to win even their affection†(328). Not only is he gaining enough prestige to win the cases he is doing it despite the nonwhite color of his skin. The honor he earns in and out of the court room allows him to put up a valiant effort in his fight for Indian rights. His values in his political war are synonymous with the strict values he holds in his real life. One of the main aspects of his life is religion. To prove this he states, â€Å"It is that faith which sustains me†(335). Faith and religion holds a deep place in his heart and coincides with how he feels politics should be handled. He states, â€Å"I can say without the slightest hesitation, and yet in all humility, that those who say that religion has nothing to do with politics do not know what religion means†(454). For instance, when Gandhi goes to experience the Bengal religion he is deeply troubled by the tradition of sacrificing a lamb and explains â€Å"To my mind the life of a lamb is no less precious that that of a human being. I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitle it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man†(208). In Gandhi’s eyes it is not moral to kill any life including one that is less powerful than a human being. This religious view that he holds translates to how he deals with issues in society. Such as the terrible Zulu rebellion, a rebellion in South Africa against British rule. Hearing of the rebellion Gandhi did not fight back or fight with the South Africans he simply set up an Ambulance Corps and helped the South African victims. Through out all of his life Gandhi never once harmed anyone to get his political point across, for that was not in his religion to do so. Just as religion affected the way he viewed politics, so did his diet. For a majority of his life Gandhi has been a vegetarian, which was all started by a vow that he promised to his mother in his young adult life. The main value that his strict diet has taught him is self restraint in the rest of his life. He mentions this saying, â€Å"One should eat not in order to please the palate, but just to keep the body going†(287). When Gandhi gives up the pleasure one gets from eating he leaves it simply to the biological need of the task. He explains the difference between his life and of others when he states â€Å"The diet of a man of self-restraint must be different from that of a man of pleasure, just as their ways of life must be different† (292). He uses his value of self restraint to his political advantage when he makes his stance simply by being controlled and not reacting to the situation. For example, while him and some of his followers are retrieving water from the well they are faced with great abuse and are told that they would pollute the water. To combat this, Gandhi uses great self restraint and simply tells everyone, â€Å"put up with the abuse and continue drawing water at any cost†, this works beautifully, later â€Å"when he saw that we did not return his abuse, the man became ashamed and ceased to bother us†(356). Gandhi’s use of self restraint and self control give him up the upper hand in any political fight and like this one, always almost end up in a victory for him in the end. Both his self restraint and non violence values come in to play in Gandhi’s main political weapon, civil disobedience. Civil Disobedience involves making a stand and taking action against a social injustice, however, using complete peace and never once resorting to violence. Gandhi explains it best when he says, â€Å"A nation that wants to come into its own ought to know all the ways and means to freedom. Usually they include violence as the last remedy,[civil disobedience], on the other hand, is an absolutely non-violent weapon. † (339). An instance where this strategy is used is while the government is trying to force its Indian citizens to pay an unnecessary tax on their crops with no exceptions, even in a famine. Gandhi forms a pledge to be signed by all the affected citizens that simply states that they will not pay the taxes anymore. No violence is used and no emotional or physical pain comes in to play. While Gandhi does not share the consequences of the pledge in his autobiography the reader realizes the courage it takes to stand up to authority calmly and not defensively. A more famous example where there was a beautiful demonstration of civil disobedience is the salt march that Gandhi led his followers on. When the citizens were being taxed excessively on salt, Gandhi leads them on a march to the sea to make their own salt in protest to the government’s taxes. Gandhi explains the powerful affect this has on the people when he states, â€Å"The people had for the moment lost all fear of punishment and yielded obedience to the power of love which their new friend exercised†(367). Civil disobedience not only works magically to solve social problems it does it without causing harm to either party involved and causes a strong community atmosphere to develop, which works faster to solve difficult political issues. Civil disobedience is a contribution to today’s society that will never be forgotten and never taken for granted. Gandhi will forever leave an impact in every person’s heart. He used his extraordinary values and morals to free the Indian citizens from harsh British rule. His politics never deterred from what he held deep in his heart. He answered the tough questions such as, ‘What if everything is pointing me to do something I do not believe in? ’ and ‘Where do you step aside from your values for the betterment of your community? ’. His answer to these questions are always follow your heart and follow what you believe is true. Gandhi dealt with extreme turmoil and through out every obstacle never stopped on his quest for the truth. While not every step there was smooth, it was a determined path none the less. When Gandhi explains the symbol of a Court of Justice he states that it â€Å"is a pair of scales held evenly by an impartial and blind but sagacious woman. Fate has purposely made her blind, in order that she may not judge a person from his exterior but from his intrinsic worth†(127). This is comparable to Gandhi’s view on life and politics. He does not judge the people around him, he takes the situation for what it is, truly, and does what he believes in his heart is right. While Gandhi has had an incredible impact in politics forever his real lessons begin in finding ourselves, and the truth within ourselves.

China Authoritarian State

Alyssa Morgan Intro to Comparative Politics Ritu Dhungana September 8, 2012 China: Authoritarian Regime According the text, Hague and Harrop, Authoritarian rule is any form of non-democratic rule. Although authoritarian, there is broad aspect of the term. Many countries can be considered authoritarian or non-democratic through one party rule, military junta, and presidential dictatorship (Hague and Harrop, â€Å"Authoritarian Rule†). One party, the Communist party, rules China.There are three reasons as to why China is considered to be governed by an authoritarian regime: The Communist Party seeks to maintain their own control; corruption, and the absence of constitutional restraint and clear legal framework (Hague and Harrop, â€Å"Authoritarian Rule†). Liberal democracy serves as a way to steer from instability though checks and balances. However communism, a form of authoritarian rule, is defined as a system of social organization where all property is controlled by the overall community in which each person contributes and receives in accordance to their ability and need (Oxford Dictionaries, â€Å"Communism†).China’s communist party maintains control over the wealth and prosperity formed throughout the People’s Republic of China, making it an authoritarian state. However, China is growing economically and vibrantly, climbing the ladder in becoming one of the world’s superpowers. China as a whole has prospered from this authoritarian regime and over three hundred million Chinese have sought benefit from this but over one billion have had little or no advantage (Project Muse, â€Å"A Rising, Emboldened China†). There are always pros and cons to any form of government.As part of the their way of maintaining control, the government limits local elections and the press and any and all political mentions is strictly controlled. Any criticism about the government, online or in newspapers is dealt with harshly and s wiftly (The Democracy Journal, â€Å"China and East Asian Democracy†). The restriction of open ideas on the Internet and in the newspapers makes the task of voting extremely difficult for there are no opposing arguments in the media or elsewhere to derive an opinion from. (The Democracy Journal, â€Å"China and East Asian Democracy†).The main question remains that, although this country is economically prosperous, can the Communist party of the People’s Republic of China maintain this type of authoritarian regime without inevitable civil unrest and perhaps a revolution. The lack of constitutional restraint and unclear legal framework is apparent while reading about The People’s Republic of China. It is hard to criticize the Chinese government and their form of authoritarian regime for they are fast becoming a leading nation in this world.The Chinese Communist Party, (CCP) however restraining, has evolved to become very complex and adaptable (Journal of De mocracy, â€Å"China and East Asian Democracy†). Many authoritarian regimes require succession within the family, (monarchy) but China has term limits and invests its power in one single party, thus making China a modern authoritarian regime. Corruption will inevitably be found within any communist country. Many who hold high positions in the government of China are due to their prestigious or wealthy family backgrounds.Many officials apart of the CCP enjoy various perks and wealth in their jobs. It is assumed that early China had less corruption due to fewer resources and ones fight to rise to power (Journal of Democracy, â€Å"China and East Asian Democracy†). Corruption is most common in the lower administrative branches of government in China. Lower level officials are cooed to compete with one other to achieve higher personal status as well as promotion within the government (Journal of Democracy, â€Å"China and East Asian Democracy†).The simple characteri stics of an unclear legal framework or constitutional restraint, corruption, and preservation of power makes China an authoritarian government no matter how adaptive, prosperous, or beneficial. China has undoubtedly grown in terms of the economy and is making strides to becoming one the world’s superpowers, making an analysis of the government in China difficult. There are pro’s and cons when dealing with the highly adaptive and complex governmental regime in this country, but above all the Peoples Republic of China is Communist, therefore supporting the main topic that China stands under an authoritarian regime.

Lost in Yonkers and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Critical Lens

The Unintentionally Hero Umberto Eco once wrote, â€Å"A real hero is always a hero by mistake†¦ † This quotation means that when a person doesn't intentionally try to be a hero, but results in being the hero, is a true hero. I agree with this quotation, as it holds true in life and in literature. Both Lost In Yonkers by Neil Simon and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey, support that heros are those who act bravely upon themselves and not those who act the way to become the hero. Lost In Yonkers is a story about a father, Eddie, who has to leave his two sons with his mother for care. He has to leave because he borrowed a mass amount of money from a loan shark to pay for his wife's medical bills. Eddie tells his boys, â€Å"The doctors, the hospital, cost me everything I had†¦ And everything I didn't have†¦ And finally it cost me everything i was going to have†¦ I was broke and I went into debt†¦ Into hock†¦ Only I didn't have anything left to hock†¦ So i went to a man†¦ A shylock, they call him†¦ A loan shark. † A loan shark is a person who specializes in marking loads to desperate people. Eddie couldn't have gone to the bank because the bank would of refused or asked for interest or for collateral, all of which Eddie can't afford. A shylock doesn't need collateral. His collateral is your desperation. When Eddie got the money form the Shylock, a clock starts. When the clock is up, the Shylock expects his money and if the money isn't there, lives will be taken instead. The only way for him to pay back the Shylock was to take a job selling scrap iron; however, the job requires a lot of traveling. The only way for him to take the job was to leave his sons. It is revealed in the dialogue the misery he feels. He loves his sons tremendously and feels awful that he has to leave them for nine months. He says, â€Å"I'm not asking for myself. I'm asking for my boys. For my boys, I'll be obligates,† to Jay and Arty. In this dialogue passage, he shows that for his boys, he'll do anything. Eddie is being a true hero by stepping up to the plate and taking action for his early acts. He goes into deep debt by trying to save his wife, and now he has to risk his life to save his boys. He might not realize that he is a hero, but his actions justify the means. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a man named Randle McMurphy becomes another victim in the mental ward under the control of Nurse Ratched, or also known as the Big Nurse by the other mental patients. Randle comes into the hospital ready to rebel and start a riot. At their daily group therapy session, Randle asks Nurse Ratched, â€Å"†¦ remember that vote we had a day or so back–about TV time? Well, today's Friday and I thought I might just bring it up again, just to see if anybody else has picked up a little guts. † The vote was regarding about the patients and how they wanted to watch the World Series during TV time. The conflict is, Nurse Ratched doesn't want the patients to have control. She likes to be in control. Once again, she wins the vote. At the climax of the first half of the book, Nurse Ratched lose her temper. Randle looks at the time and he realizes it's time for the game. He â€Å"drags his armchair out to in front of the TV set, then switches on the set and sits down,† even though he lost the vote. The Big Nurse looks at Randle and then goes to the control room and flips a switch which causes the TV picture to swirl back into the gray. Even though this all happened, Randle is stilly sitting there. Nurse Ratched goes up to him and says, â€Å"I said, Mr. McMurphy, that you are supposed to be working during these hours,† in a tight voice. This is where she loses her temper. As she is warning Randle, other patients of the mental ward goes to grab a chair and pulls in next to Randle. Her last words were, â€Å"You men-Stop this. STOP! † before she was just like the rest of them, crazy. By hitting this climactical point, it shows that Randle McMurphy can really do anything he wishes. These two scenes where he stood up for what he wanted and what the other patients wanted showed that he is a hero. It may not be the genetically typically hero from some TV show, but a hero indeed. He fought for him and the other victims to be able to watch the World Series on TV but to be shut down by Nurse Ratched. Normally, no patient would even dare to suggest or question the Big Nurse. Randel stood up and stepped up. Also, when he dragged the chair in front of the TV, it showed he was not ready to be defeated so easily. He didn't do these things to be a hero, but he did those things because he believe it was the right thing to do. What you see is what you get–we see Randle being a leader and brave and that is what we get. â€Å"A real hero is always a hero by mistake†¦ † means that people who unintentionally become the hero in the end are the true heros rather than those who try to become the heros with their actions. I agree much with this quotation for it holds true in life and literature. Eddie was a true hero in Lost In Yonkers and Randle was a true hero in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.