Free Essays on JAY-z

AT millennium's end, the hottest rapper in pop music is Jay-Z. Since the release of his quadruple-platinum Vol. II †¦ Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z has had an incredible string of urban radio hits: "Can I Get a †¦," "Hard Knock Life," "Jigga What, Jigga Who," "Money, Cash" †¦ the list goes on and on. And unlike many of today's most popular rap artists, he built an extensive catalog of hits before making his mark on the charts and enjoys underground respectability as well as mainstream acceptance. Longtime rap fans may remember Jay-Z as an associate of the Jaz, who had a minor hit in 1988 with "Hawaiian Sophie." Before that, he was Shawn Carter, a young man from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. Though Carter was a promising student, his wild behavior led him to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, where he met future stars Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) and Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes). As a young MC, Jay-Z appeared on several underground mix tapes, and his work with the Jaz appeared promising. But with bills to pay, Jay-Z increasingly found himself mired in the criminal underworld, a life he had known since the age of 16. It wasn't until 1992 that he found the courage to leave the life of a drug dealer behind him. After his retirement from crime, Jay-Z began to look for a record deal as a solo artist, but only had a guest appearance on long-forgotten rap group Original Flavor's 1993 single "Can I Get Open" to show for his efforts. It wasn't until a friend, Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash, convinced him to form a record company with him that Jay-Z's career finally got off the ground. Jay-Z released his first single through Roc-A-Fella in 1995, "In My Lifetime." It proved to be a hit in New York's fickle hip-hop scene, and helped Dash and Jay-Z secure a distribution deal for Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt. Though it wasn't a huge seller, Reasonable Doubt confirmed Jay-Z's status as one of the most promising lyricists ... Free Essays on JAY-z Free Essays on JAY-z AT millennium's end, the hottest rapper in pop music is Jay-Z. Since the release of his quadruple-platinum Vol. II †¦ Hard Knock Life, Jay-Z has had an incredible string of urban radio hits: "Can I Get a †¦," "Hard Knock Life," "Jigga What, Jigga Who," "Money, Cash" †¦ the list goes on and on. And unlike many of today's most popular rap artists, he built an extensive catalog of hits before making his mark on the charts and enjoys underground respectability as well as mainstream acceptance. Longtime rap fans may remember Jay-Z as an associate of the Jaz, who had a minor hit in 1988 with "Hawaiian Sophie." Before that, he was Shawn Carter, a young man from Brooklyn's Marcy Projects. Though Carter was a promising student, his wild behavior led him to a vocational high school in Brooklyn, where he met future stars Christopher Wallace (the Notorious B.I.G.) and Trevor Smith (Busta Rhymes). As a young MC, Jay-Z appeared on several underground mix tapes, and his work with the Jaz appeared promising. But with bills to pay, Jay-Z increasingly found himself mired in the criminal underworld, a life he had known since the age of 16. It wasn't until 1992 that he found the courage to leave the life of a drug dealer behind him. After his retirement from crime, Jay-Z began to look for a record deal as a solo artist, but only had a guest appearance on long-forgotten rap group Original Flavor's 1993 single "Can I Get Open" to show for his efforts. It wasn't until a friend, Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash, convinced him to form a record company with him that Jay-Z's career finally got off the ground. Jay-Z released his first single through Roc-A-Fella in 1995, "In My Lifetime." It proved to be a hit in New York's fickle hip-hop scene, and helped Dash and Jay-Z secure a distribution deal for Jay-Z's debut, Reasonable Doubt. Though it wasn't a huge seller, Reasonable Doubt confirmed Jay-Z's status as one of the most promising lyricists ...

Education Of Gifted Essays - Intelligence, Anthropology, Free Essays

Education Of Gifted Essays - Intelligence, Anthropology, Free Essays Education Of Gifted Running head: GIFTED EDUCATION/CIVIL RIGHTS Education of Gifted Students A Civil Rights Issue? Article Critique Education of Gifted Students A Civil Rights Issue? This paper seeks to answer the question: Is the differential representation of the sexes and of racial and ethnic groups in educational programs for gifted students a civil rights problem? The author does a more than adequate job of presenting the arguments on both sides of the issue and drawing logical inferences. The article seeks to identify the actual dilemma and proposes possible approaches for resolution. Much of the school system today has been shaped by the civil rights laws of the past. The writer notes that the link these rights have to education is the pledge of an equal opportunity for all children to learn and be educated in this country. Schools must accomplish this without regard to race, creed or gender. The author notes that there have been references to the gifted programs being just another subtle form of segregation by the white upper-middle-class. These concerns arise from the fact that the representation of the sexes and of ethnic groups within the gifted classes reflects just such a phenomenon. The unjustified beliefs of genetic inferiority of some races have long since been denounced. These unfounded beliefs have been replaced by research which indicates that the genetic component of intelligence is augmented by the nurturing environment (or lack thereof) of a child. The paper sites twin studies, which give creedence to the genetic component of intelligence, and notes these differences apply within the different ethnic and racial groups. The author attributes an almost equal role to the environment of the child referring to nurturing as the crystallization of native abilities. Noting the differences between the sexes in math and verbal skills, the author seeks to validate this conception. The author sees the cultural values of society as an unavoidable encroachment upon the genders resulting in these differences. I beg to differ, as molecular and developmental studies have shown that there are structural and biological differences in the brains of males and females (Zhang, 1995; Palego, 2000). As a molecular biologist I would be more inclined to attribute differences to the biochemical aspects of development. The writer next addresses the inequities of intelligence tests and accurately identifies them as mere predictors of future academic performance. We are unable to measure native ability with these instruments but these devices do allow for a comparison of the developmental level of a child in the areas of core knowledge, reasoning and conceptual association. It is through these measures that predictions of future performance are made. The author now brings Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences into the debate. He uses the theory to propose expanding the definition of giftedness. Although I do agree in principle with Gardner's theory, the already limited

Political Campaign Contribution Laws for Individuals

Political Campaign Contribution Laws for Individuals If you decide to contribute to a political candidate, you should know that the Federal Campaign Finance Law places legal limits on how much and what you can give. Representatives of the candidates campaign committee should be aware of these laws and inform you of them. But, just in case... The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has released the campaign contribution limits for individual private citizens for the 2019-2020 election cycle, including the presidential election on November 3, 2020. The per-calendar year limits became effective on January 1, 2019. The amount an individual can contribute to a candidate for each election was increased to $2,800 per election, up from $2,700. Since each primary and the general election count as separate elections, individuals may give $5,600 per candidate per cycle.   The following chart shows more details on the FEC campaign contribution limits for individuals in 2019 and 2020: An individual may contribute to †¦ Federal Candidates $2,800 per election National party committees- main account $35,500 per year National party committees- convention account (RNC and DNC only) $106,500 per year National party committees- party building account $106,500 per year National party committees- legal fund account $106,500 per year State or local party committees’ federal accounts $10,000 per year Federal PACs $5,000 per year Note: Contributions to the three national party special accounts (convention, building, and legal) can be used only to pay for expenses related to presidential nominating conventions, headquarters buildings of the party, and election recounts, contests, and other legal proceedings. Note: Married couples are considered to be separate individuals with separate contribution limits. Notes on Contributions to Presidential Campaigns The contribution limits work a little differently for presidential campaigns. You can contribute a total of up to $2,800 to presidential candidates running in state primaries, but the donation is for the entire primary election period. You cannot donate $2,800 for each state primary in which the candidate is running.A portion of your contribution may qualify to be matched by the federal government. If a candidate running in a primary election has qualified for the federal matching fund program, up to $250 of your total contributions to that candidate may be matched with federal funds. To qualify for federal matching, your contribution must be made in written form, such as a check. Contributions such as currency, loans, goods and services, and any type of contribution from a political committee do not qualify for federal matching.  In the general election, however, you may not make any contributions to the campaigns of Democratic or Republican nominees who receive Federal funds. Can anybody contribute? Certain individuals, businesses, and associations are prohibited from making contributions to Federal candidates or political action committees (PACs). Foreign nationals may not contribute to any candidate or party in any Federal, state, or local election in the United States. Foreign citizens who have permanent US residency status (posses a green card) are allowed to contribute according to the same laws as American citizens.Federal contractors individuals or businesses under contract to provide goods or services to the Federal government are prohibited from contributing to candidates or parties in Federal elections.Corporations and Labor Unions are also prohibited from contributing. This law applies to all incorporated organizations, profit or non-profit. Business owners are not allowed to make contributions from their business accounts. Although corporations and labor organizations may not make contributions or expenditures in connection with federal elections, they may establish PACs.Cash in any amount over $100 is prohibited.Contributions in the name of another person are not permitted. Note: Parents may not make contribut ions in the names of their children. Persons under 18 may contribute, but must do so willingly, under their own names, and with their own money. What constitutes a contribution? Besides checks and currency, the FEC considers ...anything of value given to influence a Federal election to be a contribution. Note that this does not include volunteer work. As long as you are not compensated for it, you can perform an unlimited amount of volunteer work. Donations of food, beverages, office supplies, printing or other services, furniture, etc. are considered in-kind contributions, so their value counts against contribution limits. Important: Questions should be directed to the Federal Election Commission in Washington, DC: 800/424-9530 (toll-free) or 202/694-1100.

Impact of Censorship and the Internet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Impact of Censorship and the Internet - Essay Example With such an enhancement towards freedom of open expression, encouraging public debates and discussion of proposals, Internet has also confronted with the negative aspects with the only solution left to rate or filter online content. This idea has been mainly supported by anti pornography feminists. Cyber crime is also an aspect that allows a person to think about such a measure that helps in censoring the Internet. Since the government can punish such actions, that are the real bone of contention in the hindrance of such regulations. As Catharine McKinnon, a leader of a movement wrote in a statement against sexual speech, "Only words, but because they are sex, the speaker as well as the spoken-about is transformed into sex". (Levinson, 2003) "The intensity of the crime can be detected from such a dynamic declaration common to sexual harassment and pornography where the triumph of the word police, no matter what their politics, has been to turn their precepts into common wisdom. Pornography is harmful, the Internet is dangerous, artists are corrupt, tolerance is capitulation, and discussion, imagination, and plain old talk must be controlled and censored. Even liberal-minded people who are against at the prospect of censorship talk easily of limits." (Levinson, 2003) Pornography involves children, that infect their minds and lives, harassment whether live or virtual corrupts humanity; other crimes such as fraud and gambling are becoming common in our daily lives. The suggestion lies in the cure of censorship from individual speech rights to collective groups or peers which if implied, will resolve conflicts over what is good and bad speech. Censorship refers to crime prevention on the Internet; the following steps can be taken in this respect: Develop effective Internet and security policies for all websites to be implemented. In the public sector, governments should attempt to regulate and restrict the use of computers by their employees. Service providers should be subjected to obscenity laws in countries they obtain customers. These laws must be strict and liberal except in the case of child pornography, where the laws must be generally extremely strict. Child pornography has been taken seriously to such extent that Child Pornography Protection Act (CPPA) prohibits and criminalizes the use of computer technology and define child pornography in terms of the harm inflicted upon real children to a determination that child pornography was evil in and of itself whether it involved real children or not. (Ferrera, Cyber Law) Child Online Protection Act of 1998 (COPA) expresses the following rationale for the new legislation: The Internet presents opportunities for minors to access materials through the web in a manner that could frustrate parental control or supervision. The protection of the physical and psychological well being of minors by shielding them from materials that are harmful to them presents a compelling governmental interest. Industry attempts to provide ways to help parents and others restrict a minor's access to harmful materials have not been successful. Prohibiting the distribution of material harmful to minors, combined with legitimate defenses, is currently the most effective and least restrictive means to protect minors. (Ferrera, Cyber Law

Communication Theory Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication Theory Paper - Essay Example The communication process in use depends on the availability of resources, skills and understanding of the members. This paper aims to analyze the communication process adopted by XYZ Hospital where I work as a trainee. It also provides a brief account of cultural differences that affect the communication process within the work premises and also recommends some necessary steps to minimize the risks associated with communication misinterpretations. The group communication process being utilized in our workplace is efficient and effective due to its direct nature. The direct communication strategy helps in transferring the information and ideas directly. However, there are certain factors involved that affect the communication process and its effectiveness. Since, we are working in a hospital setting and have a diverse workforce; it becomes difficult to keep the cultural and moral values unbiased for all the employees. The gender differences and cultural distinctions pose a threat to a single communication pattern for effective and efficient use of communication methods (Gaddis, 2006). The group comprises 6 male members and 3 female members excluding me. I am working as a group leader and the factors that influence the communication patterns involved are identified after careful analysis. The communication style differs on the basis of gender differences. Female members require carefully chosen words and more flexible tone than do the male members. Female members are more sensitive to the linguistic peculiarities than males. The tone, facial expressions, body language, eye movement, gestures and actions must be in line with the message being conveyed. Females are more sensitive to the tone of voice and expressions on face. They require a flexible and soft attitude and work more efficiently if provided with specific instructions about the work. On the other hand male staff requires a more

Discuss the effects of digital technologies on cinema. To what extent Essay

Discuss the effects of digital technologies on cinema. To what extent are pre-digital filmmaking methods and filmmaking practice - Essay Example Digital cinema is defined as the use of digital technology to project and distribute motion pictures.   The process of doing this is called digital cinematography. Therefore cinematography is defined as the use of digital technologies to capture motion pictures in the form of digital images instead of capturing them on a film. The images are captured on hard disks, tapes, flash memory and other media capable of recording digital data. Examples of such digital film-making technologies are Phantom HD High Speed camera, Thomson Viper, Red Digital camera, Genesis, Arrflex D-20 and noX 2K d-cinema and digital projectors. The introduction of such technologies has ushered in yet another new era of digital cinematography (Barda, 2002).   Digital imagery existed as from 1980s as evidenced by Disney’s Tron produced in 1982. This was the first movie to contain high-resolution. However, the first film in digital format was marketed in 1997. From that time henceforth, cinema has experi enced technical and social changes as a result of digital technology. ... The effects of digital technologies on cinema Positive effects The arrival of the digital technologies brought a sharp division between the old and new media. From experience, film-makers confess that the entrance of digital technologies in the movie making industry has enabled them to ‘tell stories that were not possible to tell before’ and achieve higher levels of realism in their movies. They have also been enabled to impress the cinema audience with effects that were previously unseen. For example, using the digital technologies, movie makers have been able to make shots that are more impressive than those that could have been produced using the pre-digital technologies. Therefore, we can say that the entry of digital technology has created new, great possibilities for cinema. Each of the positive impacts of digital technology on cinema is explained in the following paragraphs. Digital technologies allows film-makers to focus more on actor actions because digital vid eo equipment enables them to be closer to the actors and even being inside the action as it unfolds. This gives them a chance of conducting a more legitimate filmic approach leading to the inclusion of minor details in the movie, something that could not be easily achieved with pre-digital technologies. A legitimate filmic approach helps to reduce unnecessary levels of suspense created by failure to bring out some parts of the movie that need close range shots (Ganz and Khathib, 2006). According to Kotian (2005), digitalization of cinema has led to production of movies that have high abilities of attracting and retaining audience attention due to the special

Compare and Contrast of Ford Motors and General Motors (GM) Research Paper

Compare and Contrast of Ford Motors and General Motors (GM) - Research Paper Example   Moreover, the impact of changing patterns is also discussed in a brief way. Compare and Contrast of Ford Motors and General Motors (GM) General Motors Company (GM) is a transnational automobile manufacturer with its headquarter situated in the region of Detroit of the United States. It operates in more than 157 countries with a distinctive brand image and identity in the market of an automobile. On the other hand, Ford Motor Company is also the other renowned conglomerate an e operating in the similar sector i.e. automobile. Similar to GM, Ford Motor Company also has its headquarters in Dearborn region of United States. Legal Factors In this era of globalization and industrialization, the most significant issues which should be maintained in an apposite way are safety and eco-friendliness. These are essential in order to sustain in the market among others in the long run. Therefore, the government of the US introduced varied rules such as ‘National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)’ in order to improve the safety standards of the passengers. The FMVSS introduced numerous laws, namely shoulder belts for the travelers setting in the front seats, head manacles and energy-sucking navigation columns among others in order to enhance the safety of the passengers (National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services, 2011). Along with this, the government of the US also launched certain regulations namely Clean Air Act, Vehicle Air Pollution and Control Act (The National Association of Clean Air Agencies, 2003) and also restricted the utilization of leaded fossil fuels in order to reduce contamination and global warming (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2012). Thus, in order to sustain in the market of the US, both GM and Ford introduced electric cars running on electric energy measures in order to prevent the ozone layer from getting harmfully affected. Moreov er, both the companies also followed the underlined safety measures in order to retain and enhance their market shares in the market of the US. Social Factors Apart from the legal factors, the other significant factor affecting the growth and the profitability of automobile industry is the social aspect. According to Hofstede, the dimensions of individualism and masculinity are higher in the US, therefore, personal preference and predilection highly influences the society (Greet Hofstede, n.d.). Moreover, low gender biasness and extreme fondness for luxury cars have improved the market share of automobile sector (Bradley, Bruns, Fleming, Ling, Margolin, Roman, 2005). Along with these, high income trends of US$ 49,445 in 2010 also played a major part augmenting the revenue of the automobile manufacturers (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). Furthermore, high individualism made a significant impact upon the consumer decision making aspects which also enhanced the sale of the automobiles in the market of the US. Economic Factors In addition to the above discussed factors, economic factors also offer a noteworthy impact on the automobile sector of the US. The price fluctuations of oil highly influenced the sales of automobile industries thereby hampering the profitability (ESCAP, 2012).  Ã‚