For the Love of High Heels Essay -- Shoes Fashion Essays

For the Love of High Heels As I watch a fellow student teeter down the stairs in the campus center, her normally flamboyant bounce is no where to be seen as she tensely grips the guardrail. She lowers herself delicately down, each step carefully calculated. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot- and she makes it to the bottom without mishap. The culprits encumbering her normally wild grace are easily discerned; her shoes. Her feet are wrapped up in four inch- plus a one inch platform to make for a total of five inches- fire engine red heels. They're strappy sandals that lace half way up her calves with a silk ribbon and have effectively made walking an ordeal. Why do we do this? Well darling, because "Shoes are hot!" (Benstock & Ferriss p1) That's right, shoes are hot, and the hottest ones of all are high heels. They're collected, worn, and loved by women across the globe. They're everywhere. They run rampant in books, calendars, photographs, album and movie covers, dangling in miniature precious metal versions from earlobes and chains, and let's not forget the most important place- women's closets. Shoes are no longer something one simply wears on their feet, but a passion, a hobby, one's personal statement, a source of authority, sexual independence and joy. They're a constant obsession in pop culture, endlessly talked about and fetishized in television, movies, song lyrics, and seem to be worn without fail by glamorous celebrities no matter the occasion. The most notorious of the shoe loving pop culture media is of the smash HBO series Sex in the City, in which shoes are one it's main themes. Physically high heel shoes, and specifically the stiletto, are the source of much debate. More and more studies... ...and Benstock write that there is "...satisfaction we take in having purchased a pair of shoes that 'is us,' that represents us... The fashionable dress of the Western world is one means whereby an always fragmentary self is glued together into a semblance of unified identity. Shoes serve as markers of gender, class, race, ethnicity, and even sexuality." (p4) The idea of piecing ourselves together with our things can be applied to any accessory or article of clothing, but I argue that shoes are more than that. Power, sexuality and sheer aesthetic pleasure contribute to a love of shoes. Janet Lyon reflects upon the mystery of the love of shoes writing, "How is one to account for this hypnotic allure, for so many generations of modernity's women, of the impractical, foot-deforming, outrageous shoe?....For fabulous shoes are indeed a joy." (Benstock & Ferriss p273)

Frankenstein, Community, and the Individual Essay -- Literary Analysis

Many innovations throughout the modern world have made life significantly easier, safer, of higher quality, and are said to be done for the "greater good of humanity". However, these accomplishments come at a cost, as expressed through the concepts of creation and responsibility that lie at the core of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is through these concepts that Shelley explores how society has changed during Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution, with lessening importance on shared knowledge and the "public sphere" and more emphasis on individual achievement and identity, leading to a fractured and isolated society. In this paper I argue that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein criticizes the impacts of Industrial Revolution and Romantic era-inspired individualism on the community and individual, using Victor Frankenstein's disruption of the reproductive process and subsequent relationship with his creation as examples of potential negative consequences. To begin our analysis, I will look to how Mary Shelley positions Victor Frankenstein's motivations to create life against natural laws within the ideas of individualism, as Victor can correlate directly to the educated human at the center of Enlightenment, Industrialism, and Romanticism values. With the burgeoning interest in scientific discovery during the Industrial Revolution "transform[ing] British culture" and "changing the world"(Lipking 2065), many concepts of society were also changed, which Shelley looked to explore through Victor's actions. Rooted in the scientifically curious spirit of Industrial England, Victor's attempt to create life can show many examples of how an importance of the individual acquisition of knowledge and accomplishment can disrupt society. Victor's... ...athetic Community In Frankenstein And 'The Structure Of Torture'." Science Fiction Studies 36.2 [108] (2009): 205-216. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 9 May 2012 Hogsette, David S. "Metaphysical Intersections In Frankenstein: Mary Shelley's Theistic Investigation Of Scientific Materialism And Transgressive Autonomy." Christianity And Literature 60.4 (2011): 531-560. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 9 May 2012. Lipking, Lawrence I, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume 1c. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print. Melton, James V. H. The Rise of the Public in Enlightenment Europe. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Print. Stillinger, Jack, Deidre Lynch, Stephen Greenblatt, and M H. Abrams. The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volume D. New York, N.Y: W.W. Norton & Co, 2006. Print. .

Building and Maintaining a Putting Green Essay -- turf glass, USGA gre

There are many steps involved in building and maintaining a putting green. The first step that the Superintendent and Golf Professional staff needs to understand is that research and studying their options is the most important part to building a successful golf course and putting green. Without research for the grass and soil, diseases would run rampant, courses would be using dated technology, the grass would not be as easy to maintain, and costumer satisfaction would decrease causing a decrease in revenue. The facility could even choose the wrong grass if they didn’t pay close attention to their soil quality, known local diseases, and temperature zone. The facility needs to research which method of green they would like to build and how much it is going to cost. For example a lower end municipal course might chose to make push-up green which doesn’t guarantee the longevity of the grasses survival, but it is within their budget and suits their needs just fine. A five star resort will want to build a USGA green that costs more, but certifies the survival of the greens. A facility will be aware of the amount of research needed to build a green from scratch but once they build the green, research will still need to be taking place in order to help the greens survive. Research needs to be continuously taking place in order to provide the cheapest, safest, and best quality playing surfaces. People pay for the visual and performance quality of the grass, the turf and golf staff need to be constantly ask how can we improve the conditions in order to provide the ideal image that the player is expecting. Research consists of the daily practices all the way to conducting a funded study on different cultivars or the watering needs of the f... ...cations to allow the other areas of the green to heal and to prevent too much wear and tear to one area of the green. Golf courses should consider everything from the location of the green, people traffic, soil, top gravel and draining areas before starting the construction process. Works Cited Gains, T. 1987. Putting Green Topoil Mixtures that Meet USGA Specifications. Carolinas Newsletter. Green Section Staff & Moore, James. Building the USGA Green: Tips For Success. United States Golf Association. 1-32. Moore, James. May 2004. Building and Maintaining the Truly Affordable Golf Course. United States Golf Association. Murphy, James. June 2007. Rootzone Amendments for Putting Green Construction. United States Golf Association. 1-7. United States Golf Association. 2004. Turf Management FAQs. United States Golf Association. 1-3.

Parents in child’s life Essay

Parents are an integral part of any child’s life. They are his safe haven, his stepping stones and his personal cheerleaders. They are the people who create a person in the first place hence he/she owes their existence to them (Laura, 11). They give a child his name, his characteristics and his personality. They also give him both his negative and positive traits. So, in my opinion it is a foregone conclusion that parents’ identities do affect their children and in a key way. Some children may be affected more than the others but that everyone is affected by his mother and father’s identity to some extent (however small) is indisputable. I will try to explain in my essay how the children are affected and also why they are influenced the way they are. The first important way in which a parent’s identity determines their kid’s identity is their lineage. Kids in almost every part of the world are recognized by their parents’ pedigree or roots. Even we as teenagers automatically classify our friends as African-Americans, Caucasian, Asian, Jewish and Muslim etc. Whether we like it not, whether it is identity and religious stereotyping or not, the fact remains that we are recognized by both our parent’s history and their religion. In the contemporary world, with all the talk of eradicating borders and walls between people, the fact remains that we still recognize people this way. Why, some may ask. Though no definite answer, it maybe because of the prejudices this world builds into us as kids where the color of a man’s skin or the God he believes in is more important than the quality of his heart. A child’s character is also affected by their parent’s identity (Dr. Haim, 201). We see the proof all around us. If a child’s parents lie, chances are that the child will learn to do so too. If they stress on the importance of honesty, the child may grow up to possess an honest nature. This is because even before a child comes into contact with his friends, his parents remain the sole and most complete influence in his life at least until he is five or six. It is the parents who define the ‘innate’ characteristics of a child. Other than identity and character, a child’s education and career is also affected by his parent’s identities. Most of the times, it has been seen that kids are only serious about their studies when they are pressurized to do well at home and enthusiastic interest is taken in their child’s studies by both parents. This point that I am enumerating now may seem to apply more to the Eastern world then the Western one where independence and choice are quite important. But in many Asian countries, kids are often encouraged to take after their father or pursue careers that most of their relatives make a living off. Example a doctor may want his son to take after him and an engineer may want his kids to take an interest in physics and math. So, in a way, even a kid’s livelihood is affected by their parent’s professions. The reason to this may be because people often feel safer when their kids are following their line of profession as they believe their kids will receive the necessary support from them. In short, it is fear of the unknown on the part of the parents. Another important area where parent’s identities influence their children is in the child’s perception of himself/herself. An apt example over here can be of India where the caste system is still staunchly followed (Thomas, 109). The lower castes (or Untouchables as they are called) are often ostracized and treated like animals. Many higher caste Hindus consider themselves polluted even if a whiff of their scent touches them. These so-called-Untouchables accept this inhumane treatment without question. Psychologists believe it is because of their low self-image. Therefore, even their kids suffer from low self-esteem. This is a classic case of parents’ perception influencing their child’s opinion of himself. Of course, like every rule in the world, there are exceptions. There may be many instances when a child is not influenced by his parent’s identities and rises above it. An example is of Indian pop icon, Abhijeet Sawant, born into India’s lowest caste, but successful in becoming one of the country’s most famous pop stars. In our country itself, there are numerous examples. The creator of Peanuts, Charles Schultz was born in a very poor family. He did not let his parent’s identity as slum dog poor affect him. Another example is of veteran model Janice Richardson. She was born to an alcoholic mother (which says a lot about low self-perception) but grew up to be a cult icon in the world of modeling. Another very important exception is the orphans or kids from broken homes. I take nothing away from them when I say that some of them never even know their parents so there is no point of their getting influenced by them. They choose life and career paths and have characters that may be completely different form the people who gave birth to them. To conclude, there are always such exceptions but they are far and few in between. Most of the times, a person’s parent’s identity does tend to influence their kids minds in a large way. The reason for this may be that most of us look up to our parents and want to enumerate them. But having said this, seeing the current world phenomenon, parent’s hold on their kids may be more absolute in the Eastern world than the Western. Works Cited A Book Dr. Haim G Ginott. Between Parent and Child. Crown. (Jul 22, 2003). Thomas, G. Parent Effectiveness Training. Three Rivers Press. (Oct 31, 2000) Laura Davis. Becoming the Parent You Want To Be. Broadway. (Feb 3, 1997)

Philosophy of life Essay

Unit 1: The nature of values – These Quotes and information are good to use when discussing values in any essay Values as ‘principles and fundamental convictions’ are abstractions until they are applied in the contexts of daily life. Values are made real or ‘realised’ when their meaning is expressed through choices made and behaviours acted out. Values are the priorities individuals and society attach to certain beliefs, experiences, and objects in deciding how they shall live and what they shall treasure. (Hill, 2004) principles and fundamental convictions which act as general guides to behaviour, the standards by which particular actions are judged as good or desirable. (Halstead, Taylor and Taylor, 2000) Unit 1: The nature of values – These Quotes and information are good to use when discussing values in any essay Values as ‘principles and fundamental convictions’ are abstractions until they are applied in the contexts of daily life. Values are made real or ‘realised’ when their meaning is expressed through choices made and behaviours acted out. Values are the priorities individuals and society attach to certain beliefs, experiences, and objects in deciding how they shall live and what they shall treasure. (Hill, 2004) principles and fundamental convictions which act as general guides to behaviour, the standards by which particular actions are judged as good or desirable. (Halstead, Taylor and Taylor, 2000) Unit 1: The nature of values – These Quotes and information are good to use when discussing values in any essay Values as ‘principles and fundamental convictions’ are abstractions until they are applied in the contexts of daily life. Values are made real or ‘realised’ when their meaning is expressed through choices made and behaviours acted out. Values are the priorities individuals and society attach to certain beliefs, experiences, and objects in deciding how they shall live and what they shall treasure. (Hill, 2004) principles and fundamental convictions which act as general guides to behaviour, the standards by which particular actions are judged as good or desirable. (Halstead, Taylor and Taylor, 2000).

Mother/Daughter Relationship in “I Stand Here Ironing”

There are numerous reasons why a child behaves in a certain way or why he or she grew up to be the person they are now.   Experts say that how a mother brings up her kid greatly affects the psychological thinking of her child.   Well, besides the other factors like race, environment, health, and education, they say that mothers have a great role in the nurturing of their child.   This is shown in the works, â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† by Tillie Olsen and â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan.   However, it was mother-daughter relationship shown in these emotion-steering novels. In the first novel mentioned, â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing†, this featured a mother who let the so-called experts take care of her child.   She thinks that the experts know what is best for her child (http://litsum.com/i-stand-here-ironing/analysis001.php).   Although she does want to follow the rules of these experts but she was forced to do so because she does not have any other choice (http://litsum.com/i-stand-here-ironing/). However, the environment also plays a large role why she was forced to follow the experts in sending her child, Emily, to nursery at a very early age, and sending her to a recuperative home where she moves by numbers, where she was not free to do what she wants and Emily was not even allowed to have physical contact with her parents.   And during this time, America was experiencing the Great Depression.   It was hard for the mother to manage their home, take care of young Emily, and it was most difficult to work. And because she had to work, she did not have ample time to spend with Emily.   It even got to a point where she had to let her parents-in-law to take care of Emily.   It was also a huge adjustment when her mother remarried but things got worse when she had four younger siblings.   There was also a time when the mother was pregnant with her second daughter and Emily got measles.   She was not permitted to come close her mother for the safety of not only her mother but also the baby.   As for school, Emily performed not at all satisfactory. Having four siblings to take care of, she can only study at night when all of them are already asleep.   Not to mention that her brothers and sisters were the culprit for scribbles on important material and missing books.   Emily was not at all close to her mother no matter how her mother tried to be close to her.   Her mother was too busy doing other things that she had not been really in touch with her daughter. Emily was always left alone.   On the contrary, she had a knack for arts and comedy.   Though her childhood can be classified as bleak, she can be found shining through the art of comedy.   It is quite remarkable that Emily had made it through it all without the actual help and guidance of her mother.   Unexpectedly, she found her real self, what her passion was without the supervision of her mother. The latter novel, â€Å"Two Kinds†, was presented as a mother prompting her child to excel in all fields especially in the field where the mother thinks that the child has a lot of potential at.   It was a novel wherein the child was forced to follow what her mother wants her to be.   It was a novel wherein the mother takes control of the life of the child.   She will determine the future of the child.   And great depression and misery await if their wants are not obeyed.   It involves kids prodded to be stars and geniuses. Well, it is usual for mothers to want the best for their children.   Although, sometimes, it gets worse that the children are not allowed to make their own choices.   Why do mothers, not only mothers but the same goes for both parents, behave this way?   This may be due to competition with other parents that they have produced a genius.   Or it may be due to their wants as kids that they did not achieve, so they want their children to be what they want to be.   Sometimes, the child becomes a rebel due to this kind of bearing. The child rearing style of the two novels are not exactly correct but it was the best they can think of.   The first was too lenient while the latter, too strict.   Although both mothers idolize the famous Shirley Temple, the first mother let he child be what she wants to be, while the other wanted her child to be a star.   Furthermore, both daughters achieved what they want to be in the end, but in different ways.   One was hiding from her mother and the other, from rebellion.   It is queer enough to think that no matter how a mother brings up her child, it would be the child’s decision who she wants to be and how she is going to make it there. REFERENCES BookRags Student Essays on â€Å"Two Kinds† by Amy Tan. 2000-2006. http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2005/11/10/16231/007. I Stand Here Ironing Summary, Detailed Analysis. http://litsum.com/i-stand-here-ironing/analysis001.php I Stand Here Ironing Summary, Detailed Summary. http://litsum.com/i-stand-here-ironing/ http://www.angelfire.com/ma/MyGuardianangels/index9.html http://www.angelfire.com/ma/MyGuardianangels/index10.html http://www.angelfire.com/ma/MyGuardianangels/index11.html http://www.angelfire.com/ma/MyGuardianangels/index12.html      

Overfishing the World Big Fish Population

Over Fishing the World Big Fish Population Insert your Name Here SCI275 Axia College of University of Phoenix The overfishing of our world’s oceans is causing a depletion of some prize fish, such as tuna and swordfish, to the point that some scientists believe that 90% of these big fish populations have been fished out. Jeremy Jackson of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography published a study in 2001 in which he asserts that overfishing is more destructive than toxic pollution or degrading water quality (University of Phoenix,  2007). Dr. Daniel Pauly, Professor and Director of the University of British Columbia's Fisheries Centre, describes it as follow on The Overfishing. org   (2007) website: â€Å"The big fish, the bill fish, the groupers, the big things will be gone. It is happening now. If things go unchecked, we’ll have a sea full of little horrible things that nobody wants to eat. We might end up with a marine junkyard dominated by plankton† (Fishing down the food web,  para. 1). Among the scientific community there is little argument on how to resolve this issue. Research has found that the situation is reversible if addressed now, but states that it will require a change in attitude in how we are using the oceans (University of Phoenix,  2007). To address this issue now, so that we may sustain the world’s big fish population for future generations, we must create a plan of action that includes the following steps (Young Peoples Trust for the Environment,  n.. d. ). Begin with quotas on fish. We can base this quota on scientific estimates of which fish are the most severely depleted, and adjustments can be made to the quotas according to reassessments done every few years as we monitor the repletion of the fish populations. †¢ Larger nets must also be used. As the big fish population has declined, mesh size has gotten smaller. We must increase this back to the original mesh size used perhaps 40 years ago, to allow the smaller fish to escape a nd continue to grow and breed. International agreements to protect important habitats, such as spawning and nursing grounds of these endangered big fish. †¢ Create a system that monitors the catch being brought in by fisheries, and independent fishermen, worldwide. Perhaps assessing severe fines for those caught exceeding the quotas placed on the endangered fish, or fishing in controlled waters, so that the penalty would exceed the expected gain. Educate fishermen on the fact that by following this plan, they are not losing their income but, in fact, helping to preserve their livelihood Most commercial fishermen, such as Pete DuPruis, who owns and operates his own fishing vessel on the Pacific Ocean, will see this as a challenge to their ability to earn a living. DuPruis and his fellow fishermen must be educated to realize that by following the guidelines, we will ensure their livelihood for many years, and the industry for future generations of commercial fishermen. A presentation should be made mandatory, as part of renewing the commercial fishing license, showing the declining numbers in the big fish groups, and how by following these guidelines, we can sustain their industry and the fish population both. Once made to understand that only through these efforts can the world continue to rely on the ocean’s population as a source of food, and that all fishermen worldwide will be held to the same standards, the fishermen should go along with the management plan, even if not happy about it. On the other side of the issue, environmentalists should be happy to help implement and provide data for this initiative to restock the world’s big fish population. By putting this plan into practice, we will also resolve the other problems created by over fishing, as it effects not only the depleted fish population, but also the animals for which those fish are food of choice. Whales are turning to sea otters for food, rather than the sea lions and eals on which they normally feed, as those populations also decline. Over fishing has also caused the use, as stated earlier, of smaller mesh nets, increasing the amount of by catch that is caught in the nets. By catch is the seabirds, dolphins, sea turtles, and even whales that are also caught in the net as they drag it in, and are usually dumped back into the ocean, dead or dying. A drastic reduction in the amount of by catch will subsequently occur with the reinstating of the larger mesh nets. The management plan may cause fishermen to have to look into a second source of income for the first five to ten years, as the most severe restrictions are put into place, giving the fish populations can breed and repopulate, and a reassessment to be done by the scientific community charged with monitoring the big fish groups. Governments might be forced to subsidize the industry for this initial period, to help prevent illegal poaching by some fishermen who saw poaching as their only economic alternative. Consumers would have to reduce their use of fish, and would have to pay more for the fish they did purchase at the market during this period of regeneration, but the result should be the reduction of prices after the fish populations have been restored. The encouraging news is that, by employing this simple plan for the restoration and future sustainment of our ocean’s big fish populations, we will be able to enjoy them as a food source for the foreseeable future. Referecences Overfishing. org. (2007). Overfishing – a global disaster. Retrieved November 07,2009 from http://overfishing. org/pages/why_is_overfishing_a_problem. php University of Phoenix. (2007). Declining fish stock vlr. Retrieved November 07,2009 from University of Phoenix, SCI275 – Environmental Science website at https://ecampus. phoenix. edu/secure/aapd/axia/sci275/multimedia/video/declinining_fish_stock. htm Young Peoples Trust for the Environment. (n.. d. ). Over fishing. Retrieved November 08,2009 from http://www. ypte. org. uk/environmental/over-fishing/29