Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Your Home Base Online

Your Home Base Online Ah, got a little push back from last weeks post about how writers shouldnt post articles or try to sell books without an online presence. I love pushing those buttons. Some thought writing was about the creativity, not necessarily about the sales. They purported the webpage as almost selling out, and that the artist need not tie himself to an online page. Others just did not feel techie enough to have a site, but they felt okay enough to submit to others. Sorry, but you cant USE the Internet to support yourself then state you dont need it. These days, if you use it, you best have a link to where people can learn more. Otherwise, you wasted your effort. Not having a link means you write for you and nobody else. You want the satisfaction of seeing your work in print, but you dont want to connect with the reader. I wrote an eleven minute podcast on that topic this week, entitled Face-to-Face? Or Face-to-Screen? chopeclark.com/blog Whether you need a home base online is not up for discussion. But you have options if you are HTML/CSS phobic. Lets look at where you can find a home base online. Blogger.com A very simple blog platform that can be used as a simple website. Wordpress.com Same as Blogger with a tad more of a learning curve. Facebook Yes, a fan page can be your home page if you keep it professional. Tumblr If youre a picture fan and prefer brief comments, this is your ba LinkedIn For your resume and experience. Its becoming quite interactive. AboutMe A one-page info sheet about you with a cool way to insert pics. Weebly.com Simple website, but try to avoid making it look like a 1999 template. And heres one you probably never thought of: Pubslush.com. Its a crowdfunding program but also a homebase program if you choose to use that side of the house. Its where you can plant yourself as well as sell your books. I once landed a $750 opportunity because I had my resume online. Someone Googled me and found I was qualified for her magazines assignment. It happens. Not having an online address is like not having a mailing address. When people cannot find you in this technical time and age, they assume you dont need work, dont care to work, or dont have respect for your work. Show them otherwise, and plant yourself a flag on some page online, then tell everyone where you can be found.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

The EERI Oral History Series Reflection Assignment

The EERI Oral History Series Reflection - Assignment Example Berkeley. He convinced the civil engineering chairman at the time to allow for the advanced degree; â€Å"Isn’t it about time that we should start awarding Ph.D.s?†1. In addition to teaching, Egor enthusiasm for engineering led him to work in various exciting positions as an engineer, including E.F. Rudolph, Martin Pohl, Bill Mellema and Southwest Portland Cement Company. Furthermore, as a researcher, Egor took thirty years to pursue the subject of seismic design which was not known to many. As he puts it; â€Å"I undertook an extensive exploration of this difficult problem†2. Secondly, Egor was highly adaptable. This trait is well brought out during his early years as a child. Having been born in Russia, Egor had to endure harsh conditions as a child, partly brought about by the war in Russia. For instance, he and the family had to live on the Hospital Train where his father worked. As he says, they were there for â€Å"two-and-a-half years.† Egor had to live in other places including Hailar, Pogranichnyy, and Harbin before settling in San Fansciso. As a practicing engineer, his ability to adapt to new environments and challenges was put to the test. He worked in various firms in various capacities. Each of these positions brought with them their own unique set of challenges. He worked in more than ten firms as an engineer holding various positions. For example, while working at Bill Mellema in Los Angeles as a seismic designer, Egor was involved in a number of designs and analyses. He notes that work â€Å"varied in complexity; some was in steel , and some in reinforced concrete†3. Furthermore, his ability to adapt to new and challenging environments played an important role in his teaching and research career. For instance, in his early career in teaching at Berkeley, Egor was required to teach three courses to classes some with an enrolment of more than 100 students. He however managed to adapt to this challenge, and even at some point memorizing

Friday, February 7, 2020

Engineering Design Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Design Process - Essay Example Among the fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing, and evaluation". (Engineering Design, 2006) problem, an existing condition in need of change, a challenge to look ahead for problematic conditions of the future, of design and construction. Because it is important for the engineers to be sure that they understand the problem thoroughly, the first step in the design process is for each group to state the problem. (Garmire, 2002) To recognise the problem requires the ability to think laterally, to anticipate the unexpected and to appreciate the aesthetics of problem solving as well as the material aspect. The aspects within which the problem is being addressed must be understood. (Eng, 2006) Because statements of problems exist within a context, they usually involve bias and often imply solutions. Effective engineers learn to observe the context and eliminate bias. They must clarify the problem statement by looking at each word or phrase and redefine it to make the statement more precise. What is the real problem (Garmire, 2002) Usually brainstorming is done in this stage and is effective enough to reach to a reasonable conclusion. option to confirm its feasibility before being formulated a... They must clarify the problem statement by looking at each word or phrase and redefine it to make the statement more precise. What is the real problem (Garmire, 2002) Usually brainstorming is done in this stage and is effective enough to reach to a reasonable conclusion. 3. Develop possible alternative solutions: Choosing the right design requires a creative team effort to identify several possible solutions, and evaluate development of the preferred option to confirm its feasibility before being formulated and made. (Eng, 2006) This enables engineers to study and analyse in detail each and every alternative solution with respect to its opportunities and drawbacks. Performance, cost control and complexity objectives must be considered and balanced during design evaluation. Example: Financial concerns might make an engineering company choose rental over equipment purchase. Specific performance objectives, that the new system must perform online data processing may result in a complex network design for which control procedures must be established. Evaluating and selecting the best design involves a balance of system objectives that will best support organisational goals. 4. Select the best solution: Out of several possible alternates, only one is chosen in the light of its effectiveness and accuracy. After choosing the final solution, the design specifications are said to be frozen, as this formal step avoid cost overruns and missed user expectations. 5. Prototype development: Prototyping acts as an iterative approach to the engineering design process. During each iteration, requirements and alternative solutions to the problems are identified and analysed, new solutions are designed, and a

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Bebop Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Bebop Research Paper Essay Bebop music was the next evolutionary change of Jazz music that succeeded swing music. This paper’s aim is look at musicians who impacted this era, exploring more in depth Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. In the early 1940’s, the swing bands began to all sound the same as well as work along predictable chord changes.1 The music was now not used for dancing. Some people believed that this would let the music go away from the elite social groups, and now be for everybody. Also just because a musician could play swing music well, there was no guarantee that the same musician would be able to perform Bebop. This new style of music was defined through adventurous soloists such as Dizzy Gillespie. Although swing music did have some creativity, in Bebop the chorus was done once at the beginning and once at the end, the middle was mostly up to the soloist’s creativity and inventiveness. Bebop music really took hold during the years of American involvement in WWII. During this time there was a major strike from the Musicians Union because they wanted more money from labels because of money lost on free radio.2 The strike led to musicians jamming with each other and not being able to record. Since there was a lack of recorded material for the music, when recording started again, and people heard Bebop they were very taken aback. They had no warning that this new style of music was being created, let alone how different it was from swing. The musical style itself differed quite a lot from anything that had ever been done in Jazz up until this point. Along with the chorus only being repeated at the end of a musical number, there were fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, and intricate melodies. The only things that held Bebop together were underlying harmonies that were played by the rhythm section. Other then this, most of the music ended up being improvisational as discussed earlier. The chord progression which was used for the music was actually not much different from the swing era, but the melody was new and much more complex. At the end of the Bebop era, musicians were using harmonic substitutions instead chords. This style and era of Jazz took people by surprise. The music was different, unique, and really let the musicians express who they were as Jazz musicians. Dizzy Gillespie was born John Birks Gillespie in South Carolina on October 21, 1917.3 He was youngest of nine children. His childhood was not one that he wanted to remember much. His father was very abusive towards him and his siblings. â€Å"I was scared, scared of my father. He was super austere, and never showed any emotion. He’d give me a whipping every Sunday morning, me and my brothers,† said Dizzy speaking of his childhood. 4 Gillespie got into a lot of trouble as a child. But at the age of ten or so, an English teacher introduced him to music, which lead him to joining the school band. 5 He 3 Alyn Shipton, Groovin High: The life of Dizzy Gillespie, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, 6 started his young music career playing the trombone. The instrument changed once he borrowed a neighbor’s trumpet for the first time.6 Dizzy began playing in the loc al bands all around town. After his younger years, Gillespie attended a school that was a boarding school and day college, called the Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina. 7 While he was there it is thought that he was struggling for money for clothes. Although tuition and board was covered for him, he had worked in the field to make extra money. 8 Dizzy Gillespie’s mother moved up to Philadelphia while he was at the end of his career at the Laurinburg Institute and moved up to be with her in 1935.9 He began playing in bands about Philly and in the area. This was done for a few years between 1935-1937, before he moved up to New York City.10 While he was in Philadelphia he got his reputation and subsequently his nickname, â€Å"Dizzy†. He was known for the unpredictable nature in which he would play the trumpet and act outside of performing. When he arrived in New York City, he was hired by the Teddy Hill Orchestra for a European tour.11 Before being hired, Dizzy was playing around town and making a name for himself. There he lived with his brother in an apartment in New York City. He went out all night so that his brother could come home form working all day and go to sleep. Gillespie’s first recordings were with the Teddy Hill Orchestra Band. After being with Hill for a few years, Gillespie joined Cab Calloway in the summer of 1939. 13 They played at the Cotton Club but Calloway was touring a lot. This gave Dizzy the opportunity to develop his musicianship through style and knowledge through playing at all night jam sessions. Then, in 1942, Gillespie joined Earl â€Å"Fatha† Hines band. Unfortunately, in 1943, lots of band members left, including Dizzy Gillespie. He began to form his own bands that started by opening at Onyx Club on 52nd St in New York City.14 Dizzy had begun to play â€Å"bebop† in 1940, and was now able to do it full time. The venue became a hot spot for this new evolutional sound in Jazz. In 1956 Gillespie and his band went on a state department tour of the Middle East, which earned another nickname â€Å"Ambassador of Jazz†. He continued to work as a Jazz ambassador for the rest of his career, going to Cuba in 1977, and working with United Nations Orchestra. At the end of his life he took up educating young musicians. He unfortunately died from pancreatic cancer in 1993. He left us with a new style of music, and left his mark by helping educate a new generation of Jazz musicians. Another great artist, and considered the second founder of Bebop was Charlie Parker. He grew up in Kansas City, Kansas. Parker was raised here until he was seven years old and then his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri that was thriving culturally at the time.15 It was an important city for African-American music as well. Parker had his irst bout with music in public schools in Kansas City, Missouri.16 In high school, Charlie Parker began by playing the baritone horn, then later on switched to the alto saxophone in 1933, which he stuck with. At the age of 15, the determined in yet not very talented yet, Parker left school to pursue his music career. The young man had a hard time at first getting yelled at by fellow band members, and then practicing for fifteen hours a day.17 From 1935 to 1939 he worked in Kansas City playing with local groups developing his talent through practice and performance.18 In 1939 Charlie Parker moved from Kansas City to New York City. When he arrived he worked as a dishwasher and attended jam sessions during the nights.19 While he was in New York City, he ended up meeting trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. He would end up collaborating and working with Gillespie to create what we now know as Bebop.20 From 1940-1942 Charlie Parker played in Jay McShann’s that toured in the southwest and Chicago, and then recorded with them in Dallas.21 At this time, the recordings were more swing-based and were also made for broadcasting.22 In 1942 he joined Earl Hines band, this would prove to be a great move because him and Gillespie together were able 16 Ken Burns, Charlie Parker, to experiment. As this â€Å"big band† style of music began to decline, the up-beat improvisational style of Parker began to show. This style of Jazz caught on with the younger generations of musicians throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. Parker’s success was cut short because of addiction. When he was a child, he had an accident that he got addicted to morphine from. In 1951, he had his cabaret license revoked.23 Parker was banned from performing at nightclubs and later attempted suicide twice, and died in 1955. As one of the founders of Bebop, Charlie Parker contributed quality work in Jazz for the future generations. When he was playing, the older generations did not take to his new form of Jazz, now people look back and call him and innovator. Max Roach is another great innovator, and is one of the best jazz percussionists to ever play. Roach grew up in Brooklyn in a house that was already full of music. His mother was a gospel singer and began to play instruments in gospel bands when he was 10 years old.24 The first instrument he played was the bugle, and then later switched to the drums. When he was 16 he played in his first big performance, he substituted in Duke Ellington’s band. 25 When he was 18, he began going down to 52nd street and 78th street to begin jamming with other Jazz musicians. He was influenced by Kenny Clarke and was one of the few bebop drummers of the time. Roach would keep time on the cymbal instead of the bass drum, as swinger drummers did.26 This technique allowed for more 23 Burns   space to create rhythmic accompaniment. Throughout his career, Max Roach played with all the greats of the Bebop jazz style. He was able to play with Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk, Coleman Hawkins, and Bud Powell.27 Roach actually played on most of the recordings of Charlie Parker, including Savoy 1945, an important turning point in recorded Jazz.28 He also played on Miles Davis’s recording Birth of the Cool in 1950 and Jazz at Massey Hall in 1952.29 Max Roach is the percussionist who took Bebop took the next level and is one of the best percussionists there was in Bebop jazz. Miles Davis, born in 1926, came from middle class beginnings and was raised outside of St Louis.30 His mother raised him in an integrated in an integrated suburb and began music through playing trumpet after his father bought him one. Davis’ first teacher encouraged him to play the trumpet unlike Louis Armstrong and Roy Eldridge, using straight, vibratoless tones.31 After a visit by Billy Ecksteins Band to St Louis, which included Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, he applied to the Julliard School of Music in New York City in 1944. Some people say that he only went there to find his idol Charlie Parker.32 The formal teaching at Julliard was not enough for Davis and he ended up 27 All About Jazz seeking out Jazz clubs such as the Savoy and Minton’s. He joined Charlie Parker in live appearances and recordings between 1945 and 1948.33 In 1948, Miles Davis started his own Bebop groups. He participated in a workshop with arranger Gil Evans. This led to collaborations with Gerry Mulligan, John Lewis, and Johnny Carisi, which ended up being recordings. They were recorded for Capitol under Davis’ name and later reissued as Birth of the Cool. 34 Miles Davis career at this point was marred by a heroine addiction. He was unable to perform much and when he did, it was with inferior accompanists, and performed infrequent recordings for labels. Miles Davis did not spearhead the Bebop movement as Parker or Gillespie did, but he was nonetheless very important in the Jazz revolution of the time. Davis’ jazz is some of the best in the 20th century. Thelonius Monk was a Jazz pianist who helped spur bebop during the height of this new revolutionary sound. Monk was born in 1917 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.35 He grew up with a piano in his house, and that became his first exposure to music at a very young age. He taught himself how to read music when he was five or six by looking over his sisters shoulder as she was rec eiving music lessons.36 Before Monk was ten years old, his family moved to New York City, near the Hudson River. His father left his family after becoming ill and moving back south, leaving Monk’s mom to raise him and his siblings. She was able to get him a piano when he was eleven and he began taking formal lessons at this point.37 He started playing piano in the church choir which is mother sang in, while also being surrounded by the Jazz scene in New York City. In 1939, Monk created his first jazz group.38 Monk’s first notable moment was in 1940 when he was hired at Minton’s Playhouse in Harlem as the house pianist. 39 While at Minton’s he was able to playwith the house quartet, and got to play with Jazz pianist Bud Powell, Roy Eldridge, and Don Byas. In 1944, Theolnius Monk made his first visit to the recording studio as a part of the Coleman Hawkin’s Quartet. 40 In 1944 he also recorded Round About Night, and ended up joining Dizzy Gillespie’s Orchestra and playing on 52nd street at Spotlite Club.41 Then in 1947, Monk made recordings under his own name in a sextet session for Blue Note. Thelonius Monk was falsely arrested in 1951 for narcotics possession.42 He had his cabaret license taken away from him therefore inhibiting him from playing in the Jazz clubs in New York City. He played in out of town gigs and made some records for Prestige Label during this time.43 Then in 1954 he traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to play in the Paris Jazz Festival. While there he recorded his first solo album for Vogue, which would prove to be the way people would remember him, as one of the most imaginative solo pianists. The Bebop era was filled with musicians that are still talked about today as having great influence on 20th century music. Bebop let jazz artists express themselves through extended solos that were not very common yet. Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker really took the scene abruptly and changed the way one can play jazz. This evolution in Jazz evoked fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, and rhythm sections expanding their roles in the band. The Bebop era gave listeners great Jazz in an evolutionary style, that people still enjoy today.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Alcohol Advertising: The Cause of Underage Drinking? Essay -- essays

Alcohol Advertising: The Cause of Underage Drinking?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The question, â€Å"Is alcohol advertising the cause of underage drinking?† seems to flow through the minds of many American families. The answer to the question largely depends upon the families view on drinking in general. Some homes encourage drinking every once in a while, for social purposes; while others condemn it all together. The topic is very controversial with several factors weighing in such as religion, family background, and health. Despite the differing views, statistics have shown that underage drinking has reached a new height this past year. What is the cause of this rise in adolescent drinking? I will be reviewing the work of four different authors in an attempt to answer this question.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dina Berta grew up with alcohol in her home and believes that alcohol is a part of American life, and is a normal accompaniment to most social events. She said, â€Å"Most Americans enjoy drinking on a regular basis.† She feels that Americans are too â€Å"uptight† and that drinking socially, even underage, is not a problem. George Hacker and Robyn Suriano disagree with her and they feel that underage drinking has become a serious problem and that children are drinking more heavily at a younger age. Suriano states, â€Å"alcohol is the most abused drug in the country, and the number of children trying alcoholic beverages before they reach 18 has doubled in the past decade.† Hacker agrees with this point by giving the statistic that 4.1 million kids younger than 18 tried alcohol in the year 2000. Hacker also states his belief that when the youth drink, they drink heavily and excessively. Suriano and Hacker both agree that the cause of excessive underage drinking is advertisements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The subject of alcohol advertisements negative effects on the behaviors of young people is very diverse. Most liquor and beer companies agree with Berta that the purpose of alcohol advertisings is to encourage drinkers to try new brands, not to promote excessive drinking. Hacker states, â€Å"despite the intent of the industry, research shows that alcohol advertising does influence young people.† He strongly disagrees with Berta, stating that the advertisements have a negative effect. â€Å"It preprograms them to drink and drink excessively for a â€Å"good time.† ... ...ge drinking and she gives a list of recommendations that all parents should go by in order to alleviate the problem. The opinions of these four authors prove that alcohol advertising is an extremely controversial topic. When questioning American’s youth, you will get varied responses, similar to the conflicting opinions of the authors. Some homes side with Dina Berta and Jon Kate, while others agree more with Robyn Suriano and George Hacker. Alcohol industries see eye to eye with Berta and Kate. Berta feels advertising is fine and that drinking is a normal part of American culture. Kate feels that there is a problem with underage drinking but that advertisements are not the cause. Robyn Suriano and George Hacker feel underage drinking is a big problem and action needs to take place in order to reduce underage drinking. Hacker blames advertisements while Suriano feels the problem stems from both advertisements and the family. As shown, the topic is very debatable, depending largely on personal upbringing and experiences. Hence, the question still remains, â€Å"Are alcohol advertisements the cause of underage drinking?†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Sunday, January 12, 2020

Chinese Inventions Essay

China is unlike any other country; winning a trip to China would be a dream come true! China is known for several years of their creative and useful inventions. Along with the many useful inventions, China was known for the first recorded observation of comets and solar eclipses. China has been creative for with their contributions to the world. China created useful inventions such as toilet paper, bristle tooth brushes, paper, printing, gun powder, and the compass. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) Although, we as individuals cannot live without some of Chinese items, before the Chinese inventions we had no choose. Before the invention of paper; bamboo silk, papyrus and parchment were used for writing. In 105 BC, Chinese invented what we referre today as paper from bamboo, bark, hemp, and rags. Shortly after in 206 B.C- A.D. 220, paper and ink were invented, the first form of â€Å"printing on paper† came from rubbings. This process consisted of using a brush in o rder to smooth pieces of paper, the paper was then carefully coaxed into the depressions, and left to dry with a fan. Paper was also used to make things like raincoats, windows and umbrellas. In which brings us to our next most useful invention. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) The fan was also invented by Chinese; the fan was mostly carried by women and solders. They were made out of bamboo and silk. The fan consisted of bamboo spines sticking out in almost a half-circle with silk wrapped around it. The silk that was used on the fan was also one of the creative inventions of China. Silk was discovered as one of the best materials for clothing. The Emperor’s wore only white silk robes to signify richness. Shortly after, silk was introduced to the general public and was used as clothing, decorations, musical instruments and even fishing lines. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) The compass was made from a wooden circle and a magnetic spoon on top. It was used as a mechanism when houses were built to check for perfect harmony with nature. When invented, the compass was intended for religious purposes only. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) Health was one of the most important things to the Chinese culture. The Chinese had many remedies that included natural herbs and acupuncture. Herbal remedies were not the only remedies used to heal the sick in China; doctors also used organs and parts from animals. Organs such as the sheep’s eye were given to patients to eat in order to get cured from the sickness. In some cases, the Chinese used Elixir, which was a potion that they believed would increase your years of living. Along with herbal medicine, within the 1st Millennium BC; Chinese invented a therapeutic method called Acupuncture, this was the most commonly used medical treatment. The intent of this technique was to restore health and well-being. It involved insertions of stainless steel needles into the â€Å"acupuncture points† of the body. (Acupuncture, 2010) China was also known for their Military inventions, They were responsible for the inventions of the crossbow, poison gas, tear gas, fire lance and rockets. Among the great Military inventions gunpowder was the most usefull. Gunpowder was accidentally invented, the intent was to make the elixir of life and to make the emperor immortal. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) Toilet paper is something that is taken for granted. It was mentioned around 589 A.D. In Korea. Toilet paper was introduced in China in 1391, before toilet paper was invented Romans used saltwater-soaked sponge on a stick, in public restrooms. English used pages from books, Americans used newspaper and pages from books. After years and years, toilet paper has been mastered to what it is now. We cannot live without that clean feeling. (China’s Science and Technology, 1999) References China’s Science and Technology. (1999, 7 30). Retrieved 2 21, 2012, from Crystalinks: http://www.crystalinks.com/chinascience.html Acupuncture. (2010, 2 7). Retrieved 2 21, 2013, from Crystalinks: http://www.crystalinks.com/acupuncture.html