Colorblind Love Essay -- Pesronal Narrative Ethnicity Racism Papers

Colorblind Love I met my wife Aretha in the fall of 1997; she had just moved from Portland, Oregon, to my hometown of Portland, Maine. By Christmas we were dating, and before we knew it we were both graduating and heading to Boston for college. We’re now happily married and have a one-year-old baby girl. It sounds like a classic high school sweetheart romance, right? Well, to us, yes. But to many people, we’re â€Å"different†. These people’s views have nothing to do with our love, our relationship, or our daughter. They have to do with race. Yes, I’m talking about the mere color of our skin. My wife is Black and I am White. We’re both Americans, born on the same soil and raised within the same language and popular culture—all variables are equal except for our skin color. Yet many people see us as two entirely different types of people who do not belong together, as if Cupid’s arrows discriminate. Have these bigots ever bothered us? Of course, we’ve been affected in some ways. But overall, we thank them for their ignorance, as our relationship has only grown stronger. For instance, if we’re at the mall and a few people stare at us or point in our direction, we smile and wrap our arms around each other even tighter. A major reason we receive stares and assume special status is not only because of people’s views, but also because we are relatively rare. Slavery was abolished almost 140 years ago and our own parents witnessed the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. So why do interracial marriages still only account for 2.9 percent of all American marriages according to the latest U.S. Census data? Or more specifically, why do Black/White couples like Aretha and me account for only 0.7 percent? Of course there is no simple answer ... ... will approach melting pot status; the blender will grind the vegetables. If my grandchildren ever have to write a paper like this, my hope is that it will document success and the achievement of real racial equality. Works Cited: Randall Kennedy, Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption, Pantheon Books, 2003; Maria Root, Love’s Revolution: Interracial Marriage, Temple University Press, 2001; Maria Root, â€Å"The Color of Love,† The American Prospect, 8 Apr. 2002; Michael Lind, â€Å"Far From Heaven,† The Nation, 16 Jun. 2003; Regan Good, â€Å"Questions for Randall Kennedy: Color Dynamics,† New York Times Magazine, 9 Feb. 2003; â€Å"Racial Patterns Across the United States,† Society, Nov./Dec. 2001; United States Census Bureau, "Interracial Married Couples", 12 Jun 2003, http://www.census.gov/population/socdemo/hh-fam/ tabMS-3.pdf.

Individual Optimism and Health

Iris Hobnobs Optimists take proactive steps to protect their physical and mental health as well as focusing on goals that benefit their socioeconomic standing. â€Å"The trait of optimism may provide cognitive, coping, and contextual resources that promote better mental health† (Carver, et al. , 2010. P. 880 up. 2). Optimism is a behavioral trait that describes people who look for the positive in a situation. Optimism can help people cope in negative situations and lead to greater well-being.Optimists ability to cope with negative situations gives them increased opportunity to succeed and live healthier lives, compared to pessimists, because they believe a positive result is more likely. Comparatively, optimists should be measured the same against pessimists on a scale of very pessimistic to very optimistic with the majority of people falling somewhere in the middle (Carver, et al. , 2010). People display varying degrees of capability when confronted with positive and negative situations and tend to react based on their acquired behavior.Past experiences can affect the espouse of a person to either pessimism or optimism depending on whether the cause was permanent or temporary (Peterson & Salesman, 1984). How a person responds can influence the ultimate outcome of a situation whether it pertains to physical or psychological health. Psychologically, optimists seek a positive outcome in the face of negative causes or conditions that range in influence anywhere from benign to malignant.A person dealing with a stressful situation There are rare instances in which optimists fall short on their ability to overcome a negative tuition, which are mostly discounted due to the specificity of situations. For example, if a pregnant mother is optimistic about the health of her baby but has a miscarriage despite her positive attitude. A mother's optimism for her child's health did not influence the possibility of a miscarriage and left her especially vulnerable because she had not prepared herself to deal with the possible negative outcome.This situation is uncommon because the prevalence of medical assistance in most industrialized nations supports an optimistic viewpoint for the birth of a healthy child. Past causes that have a persistent negative effect can influence a person to think pessimistically because the stability of negative effects increases the likelihood of a perceived negative outcome. Conversely, temporary negative effects can influence a person to think more optimistically because the negative effects do not have a strong enough correlation with the perceived outcome (Peterson & Salesman, 1984).The idea that ‘everything will turn out all right in the end' removes a person's need to analyze potential negative conditions due to the eventual positive outcome. By not focusing on the potential negative conditions, the level of distress experienced during negative situations is decreased, also fostering continued dispositional o ptimism. Therefore, optimism is seen as an acquired behavioral trait and coping mechanism and can be taught to pessimists to improve their well-being.Patients with terminal illnesses may overlook the negative conditions of their illness by emphasizing the positive conditions with dispositional optimism. Researchers have also found that a person with dispositional optimism can positively influence heir physical recovery or management of life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer or HIVE, because the increased capability minimizes the level of distress they experience and allows them to use additional bodily resources toward recovery. The general line of thinking underlying this research is that optimists may be less reactive than pessimists to the stresses of life; the lower physiological stress responses may (over many years) result in less physical wear and tear on the body; the end result may be better physical health and even greater longevity† (Carver, et al. 2010. P. 883 up. 13). Optimists are also less likely to engage in activities that can harm their physical health or develop harmful habits and addictions, such as smoking and drinking.Engaging in physically harmful activities can be seen as an escape mechanism (Carver, et al. , 2010) in response to conditions or experiences that the person feels are too stressful to cope with or overcome. In moderation, these activities may not have a direct influence on a person's immediate physical health but can foster behavior that increases the risk of continued harmful activities. Smoking one cigarette can make a person feel more relaxed and may not seriously affect their health, but smoking every day increases the risk of serious health problems with little prospect of physical recovery.Optimism can foster behavior that benefits a person's well-being, psychologically and physically. It allows a person to overlook or cope with emotionally stressful situations despite the negative circumstances and see an o utcome to which they will ultimately benefit. A person with dispositional optimism also shows a motivation toward goals that improve physical health and a decrease in the level of engagement in activities that might be harmful.Optimism is a behavioral trait that does not have to be inherited and can be taught to anybody that wish to improve their well-being.

PE in school curriculum

Nowadays, sport plays an important role in people life-style. School also put PEE in a curriculum to make children like to play sports and know the way of being health, though some people does not want school to have PEE class because some sports are quite dangerous and It makes students quarrel when they do not satisfy about the scores. In my opinion, I think it is important for students to study PEE because they would recognize the conformity, get an opportunity, and learn to be healthy. The first reason is to recognize the conformity.PEE class provides many kinds of sport that students could play as team and couple. Playing sports as a team would let students know the word â€Å"team work† which Is an Important thing to make them succeed and win. Moreover, they would not be a self-centre people because they learn to plan a game with group, play In a rule, and listen to other opinions. The second reason Is giving an opportunity for students. Some students are not good In aca demic subjects such as Mathematics, but they might good In playing ports.If school does not have PEE class to show their talents, they would feel fail because they think that they are good with nothing then they do not want to go to school. Moreover, Students might find out what do they belong and school can find an athlete from PEE class because students will show their outstanding abilities. On the other hand, it also gives a chance for students who do not have a free time to play sport. The final reason is being healthy. In a PEE class, the teachers teach their students doth of knowledge and performing that students would learn to eat in a healthy way and play sports.In constant, they know how much nutrients and calories should consume in a day and how often should they play sports because eating too much sweets, fats, and carbohydrates is a cause of diseases. Furthermore, students also relieve from seriousness when they are playing a sport. In summary, sports are necessary for s tudents even they might have some disadvantage. PEE might not provide a dangerous sport in a program and teacher just prepare the safety equipment enough for students in every time when they have a class.Therefore, School curriculum should have a PEE class in order to make students reasonable, fit, firm, and far from disease. PEE in school curriculum By tracking students know the word â€Å"team work† which is an important thing to make them learn to plan a game with group, play in a rule, and listen to other opinions. The second reason is giving an opportunity for students. Some students are not good in academic subjects such as Mathematics, but they might good in playing.

Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered essays

Why the Drinking Age Should be Lowered essays On my eighteenth birthday earlier this summer, I was informed of my new responsibilities as an adult. Legally, Im old enough to move out and live without supervision, get married without a parents permission, be held accountable for my actions, and face the consequences as any American adult would. At age eighteen, Im able to get into dance clubs, and some clubs on the eastside that cater to the adult crowd, or so I hear. Im old enough to join the military and fight for my country, and am considered an adult by all legal standards. I have the same amount of independence as my parents, or do I? This drinking age in this country is age twenty-one. When one reaches twenty-one, the have complete freedom. They can drink freely without fear of being caught and punished along with the many freedoms they received when they turned eighteen. Years ago, the legal drinking age was eighteen. The government changed this because? My thoughts, they didnt think the youth of that generation were mature enough to handle the responsibilities that come along with the consumption of alcohol. A responsibility of that magnitude does require a certain level of maturity. I feel that by age eighteen, one is mature enough to handle that responsibility. If youre old enough to go to war, why arent you old enough to drink? I believe society would benefit from this change because drunk driving rates could possibly lower. An underage person goes to a party, and drinks until he or she is not in proper state of mind to drive home. They dont want to call a parent or someone else to pick them up for the fear of getting in trouble for drinking underage. If they were of age, they could freely call someone without the chance of getting in trouble for doing something illegal. Ive heard stories that people my age drink mostly because its somethi ...

Homosexuality Same

Homosexuality Same Homosexuality: Same-sex Marriage and Homosexuality Essay Why so Differently? Being different colour, shape, gender, a different culture is like being gay; being different, but if we are allowed to be different colours, be any shape, be any gender, or even come from any different culture, then why are people not allowed being homosexual? James M. Barrie once said â€Å"As soon as you can say what you think and not what some other person has thought for you, you are on the way to being remarkable†. Being different is not very hard but accepting that you are, is challenging. Throughout the class we watched many different documentaries on marginalized voices and one of them was about marginalizing homosexuality because of religion. In my opinion homosexuality should not be marginalized because: Everyone has equal rights; they do not harm other people; and a lot of religions allow it. In 2004, Canada legalized same sex marriage. Where homosexuals were given rights to get married. We live in a world where an individual is allowed to free and do anything it wants, and by anything meaning anything that is legally allowed. If we, straight people are given rights to take part in marriage and be looked as a normal couple then why can’t a homosexual who loves another gay person be able to be together? Or even be respected as a normal couple? It is only because they are the same gender. When there is a black and white couple, society does not say anything or even when a mixed marriage is happening where the two cultures are different, still not a sound, but when it comes to a gay couple everyone starts talking. An individual is given the right to be gay, straight or whatever therefore people should not have anything to say or do towards that specific individual. When watching the documentary â€Å"Cure for Love† there was this one scene where Jon mentioned h ow he started cutting himself after coming back from the ex-gays and he came out as being gay. He said that he was doing that because of the pressure from his family and friends, how they would never speak to him if he was to continue being gay. Society says that homosexuals are not the right kind of people but it is not like we play our part and help them out, but yet get these kind of people into situations where they start committing suicide or just hurt themselves just like how Jon started doing only because â€Å"we† do not like the fact that the same sex couple want to be together. Instead we are the one harming them. Personal meaning you own. If a person wants to be gay that is not your problem. You have nothing to do with it. We as individuals are allowed to have the right to have an opinion but that should not have an effect on anyone but your own self. If a person wants to be gay let him/her be, there is no power that could stop them other than themselves. Going way back when there was no such thing as homosexuality to now where a lot are gay, the majority of the society seems to be accepting homosexuality more so the lesbian part of it. In one of our class discussions we talked about how nowadays people have nothing to say when it comes to lesbians but still do not like gays. In cure for love Jon, Brian, and Anna, the three struggled throughout the movie because they had to choose either they want religion or to be gay and be able to practise their religion. Brian and Anna chose to follow their religion and not be homosexuals but Jon found another way where he could follow his religion and be gay. Brian who is married to Anna, he seems really positive and happy as a straight married couple, but Anna, throughout the movie she looked depressing and disappointed almost as though she was forced to marry Brian and now she cannot do anything. Anna seemed like she wanted to be single, straight and practice her religion but for her to do that she had to marry Brian. Many religions around the world allow homosexuality and many do not. This is where it gets hard, let alone friends, family and everything else; I feel that when it comes to

75 Synonyms for Talk

75 Synonyms for Talk 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Talk† 75 Synonyms for â€Å"Talk† By Mark Nichol Talk, talk, talk it’s all the same. Or is it? There are many ways to talk, and each has its own word (or words) for it. Here’s a noncomprehensive roster of many synonyms for the noun and verb forms of talk (I had to stop somewhere): 1. Babble: enthusiastic or excessive talk, or meaningless sounds or nonsense words; to talk in this manner 2. Back talk: a disrespectful response; to respond disrespectfully 3. Backchat: see back talk, badinage, and gossip 4. Badinage: light, witty talk 5. Banter: see badinage, with a connotation of good-natured teasing or arguing; to engage in such talk 6. Barb: a hurtful and/or critical comment 7. Blandish: see cajole 8. Blandishments: see cajolery/cajolement 9. Blarney: nonsensical talk 10. Bluster: boastful or threatening talk; to speak boastfully or threateningly 11. Cackle: see chatter (verb only) 12. Cajole: to persuade with soothing or flattering remarks 13-14. Cajolery/cajolement: talk with the intent to persuade 15. Causerie: see chat (noun only) 16. Chaff: see badinage; also, to tease good-naturedly 17. Chat: an idle or inconsequential conversation; to engage in such talk 18. Chatter: quick, extensive, and/or aimless talk; to talk in such a manner 19. Chin music: see chat (noun only) 20. Chinwag: informal talking; to talk informally 21. Chitchat: see badinage 22. Circumlocution: evasive or verbose talk 23. Comment: an opinion or observation; to say something of this type 24. Confab: see chat (also, a formal meeting) 25. Confabulation: see chat and confab (also, something made up) 26. Confer: to exchange opinions or seek advice 27. Conference: a meeting, or an event consisting of presentations and/or meetings 28. Confess: to admit to a thought or action considered improper or shameful 29. Conversation: a talk between or among two or more people 30. Converse: to speak back and forth with one or more people 31. Crack: an uncomplimentary comment; also, to quickly say something, as when spontaneously telling a joke pertinent to a situation 32. Dig: see crack 33. Discuss: to engage in serious talk 34. Discussion: a serious talk 35. Dish: see gossip 36. Double-talk: intentionally confusing or ambiguous language, or talk that is at least partially meaningless; to engage in such talk 37. Fast-talk: to persuade or influence by deceptively authoritative and/or flattering speech 38. Flibbertigibbet: see gossip 39. Gab: see chatter 40. Gabfest: talking consisting of gab 41. Give-and-take: an exchange of ideas or comments 42. Gossip: see chat, with an additional connotation of talk or talking about the personal lives of one or more other people (also, someone who engages in such talk) 43. Jangle: see chat 44. Jaw: see chat 45. Jest: a humorous or mocking statement; to make such a statement 46. Natter: see chat 47. Negotiate: to talk in order to reach an agreement 48. Negotiation: a talk in which the speakers seek to reach an agreement 49. Palaver: a discussion or conference, especially one between unequal participants, or deceptive speech, or see chat; to talk idly, try to persuade or deceive, or come to terms 50. Parley: see confer, with the possible connotation of talk between antagonists to agree to terms to cease hostilities; to engage in such talk 51. Patter: quick or monotonous speech, as in delivering a humorous speech or in rote delivery of prayers; to speak in this manner 52. Pillow talk: romantic talk, such as would be engaged in while the speakers are in bed 53. Pleasantry: polite, inconsequential talk, or see banter and jest (nouns only) 54. Quip: a spontaneous observation or response; to say something of this type 55. Raillery: see banter and jest 56. Rap: see chat and patter 57-58. Recital/recitation: public delivery of read or memorized material, or of details or answers 59. Recite: to deliver read or memorized material, or details or answers 60. Remark: a statement of judgment or opinion, or a reference to something notable; to comment in this manner 61. Repartee: an exchange of clever, witty statements, a single such response, or skill in talking in this manner 62. Schmooze: see chat, with the connotation of one conducted so as to gain personal or professional advantage; to talk in this manner 63. Small talk: see badinage 64. Spit: to talk about things or opinions a listener disagrees with or disapproves of 65. Straight talk: frank, straightforward talk 66. Sweet nothings: flattering talk intended to charm a potential or existing romantic partner 67. Sweet talk: talk intended to persuade, or to endear oneself to the speaker; to engage in this kind of talk (the verb form is hyphenated) 68. Table talk: informal talking such as that heard during a dinner party 69. Tete-a-tete: an intimate or private talk 70. Waggery: see banter and jest 71. Wisecrack: a clever or sarcastic comment; to make such a comment 72. Wordplay: witty, playful talk 73. Yack: to talk at length 74. Yammer: to talk relentlessly, or to complain 75. Yap: excessive talk (also, slang for mouth) I’ll follow up with a list of more elaborate idioms about talk and talking like â€Å"shoot the breeze,† but let me (and other site visitors) known which synonyms I missed. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives 7 Tips for Writing a Film ReviewDrama vs. Melodrama

Key Marketing Issues Facing Gillette Indonesia Case Study

Key Marketing Issues Facing Gillette Indonesia - Case Study Example 1). The company sought to satisfy its domestic and export market. As such, the company manufactures high quality razor blades and shaving systems (Quelch & Bartlett 2006, p. 360). Its target market includes adult urban males who include the working class and college students who manifest western grooming habits (Kanter & Dretler 1998, p. 60-68). However, the company faces immense competition from Tatra, Tiger, and SuperNacet companies that manufactures low-end double-edged blades (Harvard Business School 1998, p. 1). Gillette Indonesia operates in developing countries (Ricardo-Campbell 1997, p. 59) and hence records immense growth from the population and prosperity in Indonesia where shaving is relatively new. The company is already planning to implement a sales price increase (Sarah Ellison & Forelle 2005, p. 1). However, Indonesians only shave 4-9 times in a month. Subject to the fact that the incidence of shaving is relatively low in Indonesia, Gillette Indonesia is having problem s in meeting its growth targets. Gillette must consider raising the awareness on shaving and personal grooming to improve the frequency of shaving, to support Gillette’s sales increase. Situational Analysis Gillette Indonesia seeks to grow and satisfy its domestic market as well as its export targets in developing nations. The company is struggling to capture its market share in Indonesia and focuses on expanding its market. However, shaving and personal grooming is not a priority and many people consider it as a luxury. Gillette Indonesia Financial Analysis In 1996, Gillette Indonesia sought to increase its sales by 25%, which necessitated for an effective marketing plan. Indeed, by 1995, Gillette Indonesia had a 48% unit share in Indonesia and the company sought to increase this percentage to 50% in 1996 (Harvard Business School 1998, p. 5). By this time, the overall market had approximately 40 million urban men over 18 years old that shave where about 13 million people in Indonesia used Gillette blades. Notably, the shaving incidence in Indonesia was at an approximated average of 5.5 times per month, which was much lower than the incidence in other countries like U.S. However, with a view of increasing and maintaining profits, Gillette increased its prices, which resulted to a 2% growth of unit sales in the market (Herath & Park 1999, p. 1-35). Actually, the company had a sales value of $23 million and net profit of $4.6 million with its 48% market share in Indonesia. There are two types of Gillette target customers where the premium customer is a male Indonesian in the growing income class of greater than $10,000 household income. On the other hand, the standard customer belongs to the income class of less than $10,000 household income (Harvard Business School 1998, p. 3). Moreover, the economic conditions in Indonesia are on the rise with the average annual GDP growth standing at 7% in 1995 (Harvard Business School 1998, p. 3). As such, the demand and sales for Gillette blades is likely to increase in the future if the economic growth rate persists. Therefore, to increase the sales by 25%, the company must devise an effective marketing plan to segment and target its customers (Herath & Park 1999, p. 1-35), which is seemingly very challenging in a country where many people consider shaving and persona l glooming as a luxury. Gillette Indonesia SWOT Analysis Strengths Gillette Indonesia specializes in the manufacturing of high quality razor blades and shaving systems, which contributes to the competitiveness of the company (Kanter & Dretler 1998, p. 60-68). It offers a wide range of