Valentines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Valentines - Essay Example She expected more appreciation than a disappointment from her best friend. Nelly said that being athletic make her stronger. She says that it is her choice to be a sportswoman, and she expects her lover to motivate and not to disappoint (London, 2015). Nelly says that she was astonished by her date to offer a gift suggesting she cut on her weight (London, 2015). Nelly said that that a membership card to a Slimming club was the least she expected on a Valentine date. She always imagined that her friend likes and support her involvement in sports; however, she was disgusted. It is out of this anger and lack of respect that she decided to end their relationship (London, 2015). Katie Ford a 33 years old business woman had a worst experience on a Valentines Day (London, 2015). Ford like many other ladies knew that she was to have a romantic time for many years after she broke up with her boyfriend at the age of 26 years. For the years she had Valentine date, Ford had appreciated the company of her date, but not this time. As usual she waited patiently for her date to pick her and drive to town. Her date came on time, and they headed for the party. However, this time she experienced a traumatic encounter after she and her date had to part ways. That evening they went to buy drinks, but they changed the plan and stayed in the restaurant. Her date started drinking, and they talked of a better future. She was promised so many things and could not afford to resist him. Ford though hesitant agreed to let him have a chance. Their romantic time did not last long as they Fords date got too drunk. He started fighting with strangers and police were called to calm him down. When police arrived, they arrested Ford’s lover even after she begged for his release. The police had no other choice but to arrest the unruly man and booked him overnight. Ford was so disappointed in his friend behaviour and

Historical Films: Perceptions Of The Past

Historical Films: Perceptions Of The Past The first films were made in the first half of the twentieth century and along with this the first historical films were made. These include The Passion of Joan of Arc in 1924, The King of Kings in 1927 and The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse in 1921. Even since the first historical films were made, this genre has become one of the most popular out of all types of film. Due to this, millions of people watch these films every year and therefore get their perception of History mostly from film. This poses a problem for the historian. Robert Rosenstone clearly states this, Lets be blunt and admit it: historical films trouble and disturb professional historians and have troubled and disturbed professional historians for a long time (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.45). Furthermore, William Guynn provides evidence of this, In cinema, history empties out its significance and leaves us with the cold artifice of representation (Guynn W, 2006, p.6). On the other hand, Guynn admits, For some Historians, the cinema is not entirely lost; indeed, it can be salvaged if we acknowledge that historical film is the most fictional of genres and abandon the idea of film as a vehicle of historical representation (Guynn W, 2006, p.6). What this means is that although film cannot be an instrument for representing the past, it can bear witness to the historical period in which it is produced. Most people do not study history or have only briefly studied it at a younger age; therefore film has become the primary source of knowledge for them about the past. Therefore historians are forced to accept these historical films despite their historical inaccuracy. Even if a film cannot offer the critical elements and analysis insisted on in scholarly text and even if it bends history to match the characters or the plot line and completely misses out the finer details of historical accuracy, film can stimulate the imagination and create curiosity and interest into the lives of past generations. Important ly, it can cause an interest into history which can later lead to the choice of studying it or a topic of research and enjoyment. Therefore there are a number of negatives and positives to historians from film. However one thing is clear, it is not possible for a film to be historically accurate. There are a number of reasons for this. The obvious one is that how can a film be historically accurate if no one, not even historians, have an accurate picture of a historical period. Furthermore, most historical film makes dont care whether the film is accurate of not, they prioritise making a popular film with a good story line. It is not important if a film is inaccurate, it is only important for a historian who is frustrated with the wrong facts being given out to millions of people. The reasons are many and these will be explored in detail. It is clear that a film cannot be historically accurate however a historical film has so many benefits that it doesnt need to be. History is not a pure science, it is not just open to historians alone to study therefore historians do not have a monopoly on reading, studying and conveying history. Most films are not made for historical accuracy therefore is not open to criticism from historians. Guynn believes, Historians resist approaching film because history and film are based in different sign systems that refer to the world in a radically different way (Guynn W, 2006, p.8). However historical truth on a whole is elusive and subjective just like a film set in a historical period. What is important is that no work or historical piece of writing is capable of achieving the appreciation of, for example, medieval warfare. Historical films like Braveheart however can accomplish this in minutes. This by no means claims that Braveheart is historically accurate, in fact it is incredibly inaccurate; how could William Wallace have an affair with Isabella of France when she didnt even arrive in England until three year s after his execution? Despite this however, it is clear that film can powerfully convey the foundations of historical information to millions of people. Furthermore, can a document, sculpture and eyewitness account present the excitement and chaos of chariot racing which was accomplished in Ben Hur? Similarly, in no other way can the power and magnitude of the Roman coliseum be portrayed than in the film Gladiator. In these ways, film is an incredibly valuable tool in creating history as a vision which is engaging, vibrant and real, in the sense that we can hear and see it. Guynn supports this, From this perspective, films are like any other artefacts dropped on the road of history. They bare unconscious witness to their own period, as do private letters, diaries, and accounts that were never intended to be read from the historians perspective. They provide a body of data to be analyzed and interpreted in terms of the mentality of a period, or they can, unwittingly, speak about una cknowledged realities (Guynn W, 2006, p.12). Furthermore, one can argue that there are times when film can achieve greater levels of appreciation than those possible in the written world. Rosenstone provides evidence of this, Film shows history as a process. The world on the screen brings together things that, for analytical or structural purposes, written history often has to split apart (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.57). Therefore this provides evidence that despite the fact that a film may not be historically accurate, it is incredibly effective at displaying the foundations of History in a way no other works of history can. Bringing history alive in a way which people can hear and see is arguably more effective than a historians writing. The historical story line may not be accurate however the general foundations of the period probably are and this is very important in providing people with the awareness of history in an enjoyable way. R.J Raack provides evidence to support this view, Traditional written history is too linear and too narrow in focus to render the fullness of the complex, multi-dimensional world in which humans live. Only film, with its ability to juxtapose images and sounds, with its quick cuts to new sequences, dissolves, fades, speed-ups and slow motion, can ever hope to approximate real life, the daily experience of ideas, words, images, preoccupations, distractions, sensory deceptions, conscious and unconscious motives and emotions. Only film can provide an adequate empathetic reconstruction to convey how historical people witnessed, understood, and lived their lives. Only film can recover all the pasts liveliness (Raack R, 1983, p.417). As stated previously, there is no doubt that written history and film history possess different strengths and weaknesses. What is important however is that written history and history in film are experienced in different ways. Rosenstone states, The most serious problems the historian has with the past on the screen arise out of the nature and demands of the visual medium itself (Rosenstone R, 1988, p.1173). Furthermore Rosenstone believes, The historical film must be seen not in terms of how it compares to written history but as a way of recounting the past with its own rules of representation (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.3). Critics point to the lack of essential historical information in films and the finer details of history. What historians are basically referring to is the lack of footnotes. However these historian critics are attempting to judge these historical films by inappropriate standards. It is not realistic analysis of how viewers watch films. They dont care about finer deta ils missing, they probably dont notice. Furthermore, the director does not put first these finer historical details but instead a good story line which an audience will want to watch. Historians may not like the view audiences create for themselves of a historical period however they should think positively and believe that the viewer is being informed of the foundations of a historical period and becoming aware of it. If anything, the fact that the film misses out the finer details creates lose ends which the viewer can then explore further. This can create an interest in history and cause a future study or interest in it. Critics of film history also repeatedly state that the films over personalise however this is from the experience of a historian. The filmmaker over personalises to create a story however this makes the film historically inaccurate. It is almost impossible to make a good film with a good story line historically accurate as films are focused on particular people p ersonally and their feelings of love, hate, anger etc. However history focuses on people personally only to the extent to which their personalities or actions are portrayed by another person and this is not a reliable viewpoint to get an accurate picture of an individual as opinions of a figure can differ from person to person. Therefore as films are deeply personal, this overwhelms the senses and the viewer becomes personally attached. This in itself is a strength and a weakness depending on who is watching it. Clearly a historian, who is aware of all the facts of the person or time period, wouldnt believe it as the historian has their own perspective on the person taken from a document and writings. However the viewer of the film will have a different view. There is no way of knowing in detail what, for example, Elizabeth I was like personally however Shekhar Kapur portrays his view in the film Elizabeth. Therefore this is evidence to prove that no one knows personally what histor ical figures are like therefore films are beneficial to providing viewers with a visual representation and this is the directors view on the figure. Rosenstone provides a balanced view on why historians distrust a historical film, The overt answer: Films are inaccurate. They distort the past. They fictionalize, trivialize, and romanticize people, events, and movements; they falsify history (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.46). However Rosenstone goes on to state, The covert answers: Film is out of the control of historians. Film shows that we do not own the past. Film creates a historical world with which books cannot compete, at least for popularity. Film is a disturbing symbol of a post literate world in which people can read but wont (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.46). This is further evidence to prove that despite inaccuracy of historical films, they are very beneficial to raising awareness for a historical period. Similarly to Rosenstone, Marc Ferro provides a balanced viewpoint on historians vi ew of historical film. Marc Ferro is the most influential French historian in the neglected field of history and film and Guynn states, Ferros approach is well articulated and worth following in some detail (Guynn W, 2006, p.8). Ferros argument begins with a negative thesis, It is easy to think that film is not suited to represent past reality and at best its testimony is valuable only for the present; or that, aside from documents and newsreels, the reality it offers is no more real than the novels (Ferro M, 1988, p.47). However Ferros principal thesis on the viewpoint is very positive. He argues that film can become a rich resource of information on the period in which it was made. Ferro believes that historians have neglected film almost entirely, film does not enter the historians mental universe (Ferro M, 1988, p.47). Therefore this is evidence to prove that not all historians believe that historical film is completely useless and that it can be very useful to the study of hist ory as it brings it to life. Despite the fact that historical films are never completely historically accurate, they can be incredibly useful in teaching. This includes primary school, secondary school and even university teaching of history. A class discussion of the accuracies and inaccuracies in a film can be quite valuable. For example, for all the criticism which Braveheart faced from historians, it does include some realistic parts on medieval warfare and tactics. Furthermore, the vast battle scenes and accurate medieval executions bring this historical period to life. Therefore for a class which is learning about thirteenth century England or Scotland, the watching of Braveheart can be useful, especially in a discussion on the accuracies and inaccuracies. Furthermore, despite the fact that Gladiator is centred on a romanticized plot that is not real, it displays rich glimpses of the Roman period. Several of the characters are portrayed realistically, and while not all historians would agree with the archi tectural specifics of the reconstruction of the great city of Rome, the resulting grandeur is certainly effective at illustrating how superior the city was compared to the rest of the world in the period. Another fine example is the film The 13th warrior, this film has a number of historically accurate scenes which are taken from historical manuscripts. The face washing of the Vikings and the ship burials are taken directly from the tenth century works of Ibn Fadlan. Furthermore, The 13th warrior includes references to Beowulf. Therefore a discussion on the films relationship with Beowulf and the way in which modern people perceive the Vikings is useful and could possibly lead students towards the interest of medieval literature and history. Elements of historical accuracy can be found in many historical films and the appreciation of these accuracies in class discussion can be very rewarding. Can a film be entirely historically accurate? The answer to this question is no. However there is no doubt that a film can contain elements of historical accuracy therefore be extremely beneficial to the study of history. It is also clear though that a student of history can never rely on films alone. It is certainly obvious that the library is not about to be cleared out of the way by video or cinema. Evidence of this is that film history only started in the twentieth century however the study of history has been going on for hundreds of years prior to this. Therefore only in the twentieth and twenty first centuries have films become a possible primary source for the past therefore this is evidence to prove that it is not necessarily necessary. The real question to ask is what can historians potentially learn from film, as a secondary source, that written works cannot tell them? Film brings alive a historical period, it is easy to learn something when you can see it or imagine it cl early. Film can be classified as a historical resource and historians should be making the most out of every resource. There is no doubt also that the combination of historical films and written history could be a highly stimulating way of learning and teaching history. It can teach important skills which are essential to history for example, becoming more critical in the analysis of sources of historical information. Therefore is it clear to sometimes set aside the written world and allow the drama of film to stimulate students of history and to view it as a dynamic medium which can be appreciated for it complexity and its application to the present. Historical film, as a production which portrays the past during the present can be an enjoyable and informative way of participating in history despite the fact that films are not entirely accurate. Ron Briley makes an important case on appreciating historical film, Whether educators approve or not, young people are going to attain a g reat deal of historical information through film. Accordingly, it behoves teachers to provide their students with the intellectual tools and media literacy to deconstruct and interpret film (Briley R, 2006, p.5). Therefore it is clear that historical films should not be ignored or dismissed in the teaching of history as they can beneficial. Historical film adds a spice to history; it is good to sometimes change from reading through books, documents and manuscripts but instead to visualise and hear history. Therefore despite the fact that a film cant be entirely historically accurate in the view of historians, it can be accurate in the sense that it can be extremely beneficial to the study of history as well as creating a new enjoyment and interest in it.

Advertising :: essays papers

Advertising Nowadays, advertising is a very big business. Very often is the major means of competing among firms. Furthermore, supporters of advertising claim that it brings specific benefits for consumers. First off all, they claim that advertising provide information to consumers about the quality or the availability of several products. This is very important for consumers because they do not waste time for searching (search costs). If we suppose, that consumers want to shop at the lowest price shop but, they do not know which is the store with the lowest prices, then they gather information by reading and watching advertisements and TV commercials respectively or by visiting several stores. This action of consumers makes prices to fall, but only if consumers have the appropriate information. Otherwise the prices may rise. Supporters of advertising also claim that advertising may encourage price competition among the firms, if prices feature significantly in the advertisement. In addition to this, by increasing sales through advertising, firms can gain economies of scale, which means that it will help to keep prices down. As we can understand information is very essential for consumers, not only because it lowers the prices, but also because it improves the quality of several products. The problem here is that it is unlikely for all the consumers to have perfect information. This means that the information is either imperfect or asymmetric. Imperfect information, as well as asymmetric information, lowers quality. Advertising may solve this problem in most cases. Consumers can gather information for several products through advertisements and because of this, producers must improve the quality of their products. But why firms advertise so much? As I noted above advertising increases consumer ¡Ã‚ ¦s information. So we can suppose that a firm which advertise much, has high quality products. A very expensive advertising campaign is something like a signal to potential consumers, that the firm believes that its product has good quality. Furthermore the company believes that because of its good quality products, is going to make repeat sales for a long time in order to  ¡Ã‚ §recoup the fixed costs of initial advertising ¡Ã‚ ¨. On the other hand, firms with poor quality products  ¡Ã‚ §that know that consumers will soon discover they have been misled about quality ¡Ã‚ ¨, do not invest much in advertising.

History of Chocolate Essay

Chocolate comes from the cacao bean, which comes from a cocoa tree, which are found in Central America. Mayans The Mayans found the cocoa trees down in South America, and then migrated up to Central America, where their empire stretched from the Yucatan Peninsula to the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. The Mayans are known for being the first people to create plantations, where they had people working on a cacao bean plantation. They also referred to the cacao bean as the â€Å"food of the gods. † Aztecs The Aztecs then conquered the Mayans. The Aztecs would tax anyone who they conquered who grew the cacao beans to pay them as taxes. In fact, the Aztecs used cacao beans as currency, and it was always in demand. No one outside of the Americas would hear of this magnificent drink (as it was used for early on) until about the 15th century. European Influence Christopher Columbus was the first European in the Americas, who was also the first to find cacao beans. He brought these cacao beans back to the Spanish king, whose friars sent the word of it throughout Spain. When the Spanish conquered the Aztecs, cacao beans were imported and changed into a chocolate drink, and was widely popular along the people. They would remove the chili pepper and add milk, sugar, and vanilla to give chocolate a sweet taste. They used chocolate as a drink until the Industrial Revolution. Post-18th Century Chocolate The chocolate we know today is created by mills that could create cocoa butter. This cocoa butter made it to where chocolate could become hard. After the Industrial Revolution, people began to sell these mills and â€Å"cocoa butter† to other people. A man by the name of Daniel Peter bought one of these, and began work on a new type of chocolate, called â€Å"milk chocolate. † This milk chocolate was toyed with quite a bit until Rodolphe Lindt invented conching, and this allowed for Milton Hershey to make chocolate famous and mass produce a cheap candy bar. This leads us up to the chocolate we eat today!

Barbie-Q

The allure of Concerns' story-telling Lies In her ability to constantly introduce readers Into conflicting states of emotion. Clearly, while the subject's optimism Is consistent throughout the first paragraph, critical readers can detect subtle shifts In feelings which range from sheer exhilaration (as she describes her Barbie's Item with great fondness: ‘evening elegance In black glitter strapless gown', puffy skirt at the bottom like a mermaid tail', etc. To slight disappointment (from so much dressing and undressing, the black glitter wears off where her ditties stick noun and eventual solace (shown by her contentment with the self-made clothes). The light tone in â€Å"Barbie-Q† is of premium archetype, as the young girl's voice radiates enthusiasm and urgency. The pace in the first paragraph constantly picks up while the readers' emotion is dragged down. The initial tension heightens as readers see the protagonist's wish-list gets longer and longer, until she resort s to her own means n order to curb the fervor.The little narrator In â€Å"Bearable-Q† captures us In many ways. The lists she employed are rich In details as If everything Is read off from the labels. Her Insatiable desire to fill up her doll collection is not hidden. Is she an observant storyteller, or a fashions? Readers can split in opinions, but the young girl's obsession is inarguably not a matter of dispute. And while one may initially question, condemn and hold her fascination in negative light, the protagonist's motivated actions slowly make sense to the audience as the story unfolds.Her deprived world explains the playing habit and the tinge of Jealousy she tries to mask. Too child who has yet to enter school, a toy can be anything tangible. Unfortunately, such carefree consciousness is quickly reshaped when he Is exposed to the society and quickly sees himself being subjected to Its taste and sense of â€Å"perfection†. Yes, the story talks about superficial values. However, It Is the underlying aspiration of the protagonist to fit In and being normal, even temporarily, that makes this piece striking. The metaphorical Barbie doll is just a medium to criticize this unfair