Baseball Magic and its Relation With Other Rituals for Luck Essays

Baseball Magic and its Relation With Other Rituals for Luck Essays Baseball Magic and its Relation With Other Rituals for Luck Paper Baseball Magic and its Relation With Other Rituals for Luck Paper The enlightening article â€Å"Baseball Magic† by George Gmelch (1992) relates the rituals practiced by ballplayers before, during, and after a baseball game with the cultural practices found in different cultures across the world. One such culture, as mentioned by Gmelch (1992), is practiced by the Trobriand Islanders who perform certain rituals in order to bring luck to their daily catch (of fish). Relating it to baseball, the two places where the Trobriand Islanders fished are associated with the three important aspects of the game: pitching, hitting, and fielding. In that sense, lagoon fishing is   associated with fielding since it uses skill rather than luck, while open-sea fishing is associated with pitching and hitting since it relies more on luck. Ballplayers practice different rituals that they assume to have brought luck upon them in the past, when they had a good game. Due to the results of each game, Gmelch (1992) claims that ballplayers would ponder on what they might have done that brought them good or bad luck, and later on, they would turn it into a ritual or cast them off as a taboo. They would also practice apparel fetishes that they believe would bring them immense luck. It has also been mentioned that according to B.F. Skinner, these attitudes and practices stem from the results of each game, wherein ballplayers would associate their performance with their daily routines (Gmelch, 1992). The article primarily relates the importance of cultural practices across the globe to the people who practice them. The game of baseball was given an example to associate the rituals importance for the players who perform them with these cultural practices. Baseball is a game of both skill and luck wherein the players would rely more on the latter rather than the former. These rituals give them strength and confidence, intensifying their skills. Similar to these ballplayers are the warriors who practice a certain ritual to provide them with better protection and courage in battle. The article also gives a detailed example of the importance of rituals for people who practice them. Certainly, these rituals intensify the attitudes like confidence and courage. However, the article could have also provided an opposing argument to the whole topic, as it could also mean that these rituals are just mere exaggerations of the ballplayers superstitious mentality about luck. These rituals may have all been their learned set of skills that provide them with the results that they want. With an opposing argument, the whole article could have further explained the importance of such rituals for players, as well as for the whole culture of baseball and its fans. Reference Gmelch, G. (2000). Baseball magic. McGraw-Hill Contemporary Learning Series. Retrieved June 8, 2009, from dushkin.com/olc/genarticle.mhtml?article=27128

Free Essays on Half Way There

Halfway There People. Droves of them, hustling off to their appointed gates with seventeen suitcases strapped to themselves like pack mules. All scowling, furrowing their brows. Hoping to get to where they want to go, and with all seventeen suitcases they came with. Me? I only had two bags, but one of them was large enough to be a body bag. Beside me was my cousin, a tall 16-year old, the jock type, with broad shoulders and pimple covered cheeks. He, of course, got stuck carrying my oversized bag. As we made our way past the ticket counter the automatic doors whooshed open, nearly sweeping us away in a blast of icy air. It was close to December in New York, which means one thing: cold. The kind of cold that hurt the skin, just breathing made people cough. As we zigged and zagged our way through the seething maze of bodies, we kept looking down at the flight information in my hands. â€Å"Gate B-17, I’m sure of it† I said, none too convincingly apparently, for he kept reading aloud the gates and their destinations. We reached a fairly quiet section of the airport, and all the sounds became subdued. It had the feel of a library to it: old, peaceful, and undisturbed. â€Å"Is that our gate?† I asked. He looked up at the monitor and said, â€Å"Flight 182 to Pittsburgh, I think that’s us.† We stepped up to the woman behind the counter and handed her our tickets. She looked up at us, crows’ feet at the edges of her eyes, soft blond hair, and slightly delicate hands, a very attractive middle-aged woman. She had a soft voice, meek and unassuming. â€Å"Right this way please,† she said. We followed her down the steep incline to the plane. The closer we got the louder the noise became, threatening to deafen us. I could see the pilots huddled over the glowing panels in the cockpit, pressing a button here, turning a knob there, and making me feel secur... Free Essays on Half Way There Free Essays on Half Way There Halfway There People. Droves of them, hustling off to their appointed gates with seventeen suitcases strapped to themselves like pack mules. All scowling, furrowing their brows. Hoping to get to where they want to go, and with all seventeen suitcases they came with. Me? I only had two bags, but one of them was large enough to be a body bag. Beside me was my cousin, a tall 16-year old, the jock type, with broad shoulders and pimple covered cheeks. He, of course, got stuck carrying my oversized bag. As we made our way past the ticket counter the automatic doors whooshed open, nearly sweeping us away in a blast of icy air. It was close to December in New York, which means one thing: cold. The kind of cold that hurt the skin, just breathing made people cough. As we zigged and zagged our way through the seething maze of bodies, we kept looking down at the flight information in my hands. â€Å"Gate B-17, I’m sure of it† I said, none too convincingly apparently, for he kept reading aloud the gates and their destinations. We reached a fairly quiet section of the airport, and all the sounds became subdued. It had the feel of a library to it: old, peaceful, and undisturbed. â€Å"Is that our gate?† I asked. He looked up at the monitor and said, â€Å"Flight 182 to Pittsburgh, I think that’s us.† We stepped up to the woman behind the counter and handed her our tickets. She looked up at us, crows’ feet at the edges of her eyes, soft blond hair, and slightly delicate hands, a very attractive middle-aged woman. She had a soft voice, meek and unassuming. â€Å"Right this way please,† she said. We followed her down the steep incline to the plane. The closer we got the louder the noise became, threatening to deafen us. I could see the pilots huddled over the glowing panels in the cockpit, pressing a button here, turning a knob there, and making me feel secur...

Are the courts policymakers or not Put it in the perspective of Research Paper

Are the courts policymakers or not Put it in the perspective of judicial restraint versus judicial activism. Use relevant court cases to justify your position and explain why you chose those cases - Research Paper Example To demonstrate the validity of the above argument, the paper will briefly explore the United States Supreme Court and how its rulings have shaped American policies. According to Boundless.com (2013), â€Å"the Supreme Court holds the power to overturn laws and executive actions they deem unlawful or unconstitutional.† This means that the court has the power to nullify a policy if it is found to be unconstitutional. Let’s examine two cases from the US Supreme Court, these cases have been chosen since they originated from the highest court in the land and they touch on the highest office; the presidency. The case of Humphrey’s Executor Vs United States was decided that the president does not have the power to remove a member of an independent federal regulatory agency without the consent of Congress (Mauro, 2012). Another case is that of Nixon Vs United States in 1974 addressing the executive privilege; the Supreme Court declared that no president is above the law (Phschool.com). From these two cases it can be safely argued that courts are policy makers as they establish checks and balances to the institution of presidency and this forms part of policy pertaining to this office. Even as the court exercises its constitutional mandate, it is critical that judicial restraint be used as opposed to judicial activism. This is because the former emphasizes the limited nature of court’s power to honor only the past precedents while the later advocates for the use of personal views in deciding cases (Slimef 2010).Personal views are known for biasness and prejudice and should not be used in deciding cases of national importance. Policy can only stand if it is supported by the law and courts are the custodians of the law hence it is safe to argue that courts are policy makers as has

Personal statemsent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal statemsent - Essay Example Therefore, my intended goal is to pursue my professional career objectives of being a lawyer at SOAS; thus I intend to approach every situation with a positive attitude in order to create a better living environment. Since law course is appealing and offers real-life experiences in the society, I therefore, apply to join the Intermediate certificate course at SOAS because I want to increase my knowledge on law related issues. I took challenging subjects while in high school such as advanced placement physics, chemistry but I enjoyed art subjects too. However, I have always dreamt of accomplishing my future goals of attaining my professional carrier in the field of law in order to become a lawyer in the future. My future dream of attaining better law skills in order to become a successful lawyer can be traced from the case that arose in the society where two people involved in the criminal act but there was no better justice that was done. This inspired me that one day I will become a lawyer and provide justice where it is necessary and ensure that fairness or justice is always applied in the society. I know there are always challenges and it is not easy to handle some court cases; however, I wil l work hard in order to ensure that I fulfill the demanding needs of people in the society. SOAS ICC is a good learning environment especially for the international students who want to study for any undergraduate program. SOAS is good place to enable me achieve my academic goals because it offers better learning services for students who want to achieve their future dreams. Moreover, the combination of academic and language studies, which are directly connected to the materials covered in varied academic subjects, will enable me to achieve my intended academic objectives successfully. Studying in this institution will benefit me in diverse ways, hence, enabling me to achieve my objectives successfully; One

Market Continuum Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Market Continuum Analysis - Essay Example 51, No. 1, 1973 (pp. 95-124). OECD has 30 member countries in its elite panel and in that survey they have identified that Public spending (5.8 GDP) is almost identical to that of Great Britain or any other countries. It also compared Pharmaceutical spending, Health care spending by the Government and Health care status in the country etc to produce the research. While they have observed that IN U.S the spending more than other countries in Health care it is not producing the desired results. One of the main reasons for this being the relatively greater cost in US of health care services when compared to other countries. This makes Health care services in US to many of its citizens and many others who are working in their country virtually unreachable. During the mid 1990's when there is a software craze going on around the world and In US also, they recognized the need for policy modifications in their Health care systems, which is a result of crisis already existing. The problem with the policy making is that it only reveals what policies need to modified so as to design a suitable policy or them. However the important part that is how to execute these policies is never taken into count. Also in a country like U.S planning a health service suitable for the entire population it self is a big challenge. The reason being the older populations are growing because low mortality rate especially in old people. Also the older people despite the fact they are living for a longer duration are also direly in need of medical supplies. Andersons' Principles of planning: 1. Business ethics 2. Need Vs the demand 3. Economics 4. Equity theory While Anderson discussed at the length about the market penetration and Pricing models the strategies suggested by Anderson had implications on the U.S Social structure, their economy and the people's economy too. The reason for change: One of the prime reasons why the US wanted a change in the health care system is due to the low potential index of the health care system. Quality surveys done by organizations such as OECD reveal exactly these implications. In the sense, the US health care is a victim of poor monitoring and the failure of supply chain mechanism. Like in many other countries the US health care has to cater its services to large middle class section and affordability of the services is a criterion for change. Also the US wanted discrimination to end and the only way to beat it is by furthering the market potential of the health care services. The Transition: However while initiating the change process not enough study has been done according to the writer to nullify the consequences. In one way the consequences are unforeseen, even by the industry experts and to add to the existing woes the weakening of the economy caused further trouble. The Government has taken measures to ensure a certain change is possible and they thought that by maximizing the net returns on the health care can lessen the burden on the already weak and depleted economy. For this they have chosen change agents for continuous and consistent supply of the health care services even in the farthest corners of U.S. More over they have taken steps to cut down on the expenditures to minimize losses the health care is incurring for a period of time. Inorder to ensure that costs are reduced they have

Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory The microsystem is the most influential system because the child has direct interaction with these individuals; that interaction occurs on a consistent basis over an extended period of time (Brofenbrenner, 2004). Family is the most significant relationship of the microsystem; they play an intricate part in the ecological human development. The most time is spent at home with the family; they provide shelter and safety, and also provide emotional support for the child. The parent for example, interacts with the child on a daily basis, they provide a safe and healthy relationship and an environment for them to grow and prosper. The way the parent plays with the child, teaches them, and communicates with them has a lot of influence on their development. The parenting style a child receives paves the way in their ability to communicate with others, their self-esteem, and the attitude and behaviors they exude. The main parenting styles are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and non-involved. The authoritarian parent is strict and demanding; this creates a child that grows up to behave withdrawn, fearful, and distrustful of others. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the permissive parent. The child raised in a permissive household is more likely to be aggressive, impulsive, and have little self-reliance. The healthy balance between the two styles is the authoritative parent who raises a content, cooperative, and self-reliant child (Berns, 2010). The parent gives the child the ability to create secure attachments with others and to have a healthy and positive disposition. The emotional connectivity of this relationship is a direct reflection of a childs ability to connect and communicate with all other systems. Parenting styles are not the only ways that family can influence development; family structure also has a great impact. The nuclear family consists of a mom, a dad, and the children, but not all households are structured this way. Divorce is an unfortunate reality in this day and age and the adaptation plays a large role for the child. Not only does the child not get to live in a household that has both parents which provides a healthy surrounding and assures the child of love, but they may have to listen to the consequences of how each parent deals with the divorce itself. Counseling, mediation, custody battles, and fighting are all situations that the child may be surrounded by. The financial consequences will affect the family and the child would not live in the same lifestyle as they would if both parents were together because the income would be cut in half. Peers, community, and schools also affect the child. The peer groups help the child gain independence and discover their sense of self. Negative experiences with peers such as bullying can hurt the childs self-esteem, affect how they interact with their others, and their ability to communicate and socialize with their peers with ease. School is another very important relationship. This gives the child a chance to learn the fundamentals needed as an adult and to help them develop different skills and appropriate behavior. Every child learns differently; they may be an auditory, visual, spatial, or kinesthetic learner. It is the teacher and schools responsibility to discover this and take the best course of action to implement and teaching style that works best for the child. The second system that influences development is the mesosystem. Mesosystems may be described a links in a chain. They consist of linkages and interrelationships that exist between two or more of the individuals microsystems. These interrelationships involve a variety of settings that the child is immersed in; the influences that bind us together (Feldman, 2008). Examples of this system may be the linkage between family and peers, family and school, school and community, and so on. Schooling is the perfect example of the mesosystems linkage between family and school. The more involved the parent is with the childs school, increases the likelihood of that child excelling in school, receiving higher grades, and attending college in the future. The involvement that the family has with the childs learning before they enter school creates a positive attitude towards their future learning. When it comes to the childs relationship with school, the more perceptive that the family and teachers are in their learning with affect their educational experience. They will learn how to complete tasks, problem solve, and understand rewards and consequences. There is also an important linkage between school and the community. Higher funded schools have more resources available to students; these resources extend the learning process. More books, informative television programs and movies, supplies, crafts, and the ability to go on field trips may provide a more stimulating environment and positive outlook on a childs involvement and learning at school. Community support and donations can help increase learning in the classroom. The exosystem is the third system of Bronfenbrenners theory of human development. These influences are indirect; the child itself is not an active participant, however it does have an impact on an active member of  their microsystem. This may consist of the parents career or financial situation, political systems, social support networks, etcetera. As stated above, exosystems have an indirect affect on the child through career, their socioeconomic status, or the government. A parents socioeconomic status affects the child because they may not have the means to purchase educational materials or live in a nice home, if they have a home at all. Children born into poverty statistically have lower self-esteem, are less likely to excel in school or are more likely to drop out, and they are more susceptible to violence and crime. A parents job may also influence a child indirectly. A parent that has to travel a lot for work or stay late hours must place their child in non-parental child care. Different forms of this non-parental care will affect that child differently. There are child care centers, family day cares, and in-home care of a nanny that may be used to watch over the children. The accreditations are different for each type, and there are different programs, such as health, nutrition, and learning programs. Although there are many different options that the family has when they do not have the ability to stay at home with the child, but it is still no substitute for being cared for by their parent. Although sometimes a parent has no choice but to place their child in a day care program, there can be some developmental consequences to this. The child will be able to socialize with peers more easily, but they tend to be less cooperative and unresponsive with adults. The longer the child stays in non-parental care, the more likely they are to develop insecure attachments, are at risk for problems with emotions and in behavior. They are also more likely to be aggressive and defiant. The final system involved is the macrosystem. This system is societal and has a larger context involved in culture. This type of system influences the developing child in a much broader context; the beliefs of the family and their lifestyle, education, religion, and mass media. What society places as the social norms, expected roles, and what a relationship is supposed to look like. Macrosystem influences come from cultural views in society. Views of roles, such as gender roles, have a set of associated behaviors that are expected in that individual. A boy must be a strong provider and shouldnt cry, or a girl should be a nurturer and domesticated are examples of these gender roles inflicted on society. Different values and lifestyle are also a large influence to that child. Believing in the necessity of owning a large home, having expensive cars, or that as adults, they need to be married with a white picket fence and 2.5 children. Morals and values stem from the familys beliefs and religious law; although sometimes the religious laws coincide with federal. Religions such as Catholicism, Lutheranism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Atheism, are all extremely different from one another and go along a different belief system with different sets of values which influence the individual. Children that grow up believing in some form of Christianity may have different values than a child that grew up in an Atheist household. Mass media and culture are intertwined, but the influence of media is widespread and comes in a variety of forms; screen media, print media, audio media, and interactive media. Media influences value, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior explains Berns (2010, pg 321). At least one form of media can be found basically anywhere and is used to communicate and spread information to a large group of people simultaneously. Screen media that comes in television form spreads so quickly and easily influences young and impressionable minds. In some respects the exposure can be a good thing; it is mentally stimulating, can be educational and useful in a classroom to help students understand information in a different way. Programs for younger children such as Dora the Explorer and Blues Clues are a great way to teach young children colors, numbers, mathematics, and linguistics. Unfortunately there are downsides to this. Not all programs are suitable for young children; they may contain graphic viol ence, foul language, and sexually explicit material that is inappropriate for this age group. This information can ingrain the idea of what life should be like or how the child should behave, this sets up negative associations and roles. Violent and graphic material could result in negative behaviors such as aggression or bullying others, it may also cause the childs imagination to run wild which may be scary, exciting, or intimidating for the child. Too much time in front of the television, or focused on any type of media really, can take away from time spent with the family and engaging in family activities, or it can also affect physical activity. Print media is found in books, newspapers, magazines, and articles. Print media is beneficial because it enhances language and reading skills, it helps with comprehension, and overall cognitive development. Children may understand the sense of who they are because of all the stories and tales they read. A downside to this is that the ch ild may confuse negative actions and material with reality and fantasy. Just as with screen media, print, audio, and interactive media instill the ideas behind different stereotypes; this can be a major concern for problems in the future and self-esteem. Overall between all forms of media there are positives and negatives. They increase cognitive functioning and development, but children are impressionable and graphically violent and sexually explicit material is not good for young children and should be monitored by the parent. It is now apparent that ecological systems affect development Urie Bronfenbrenner was correct in his theory of the bioecological model of human development. There is significant data to show how influential the four systems influence a child. The microsystem consists of close intimate relationships of those in direct contact with the child; they are involved on a consistent basis and appear to be the most influential relationship. Family, peers, school, and the community are all examples of a microsystem. They all have a large impact on the childs socialization skills. Because a child spends so much time with their parents, this is the foundation for success. Teaching their children early what behaviors are acceptable or not, having a comforting and balanced parenting style will really help the child be cooperative, self-reliant, and content. Placing a strong focus on the importance of academics will help the child to succeed in school, also choosing the correct school to help the st udent learning in an environment suitable for their needs. Peers have a massive impact on the childs communication and interaction with others so its important that the parent keep positive influences around that child. The microsystem is the primary system of influence so keeping secure, positive, healthy relationships will help the childs development as they begin to feel the effects of the other systems. Like the links in a chain, the mesosystem combines the importance of the  impact that the microsystems have on each other. Just as school and family influence a child, the relationships between the two systems also have a direct impact on the child. This does not only consist of the two relationships, but all relationships in the microsystem. The indirect affect of the exosystem, such as the stressors of a parents career, will have its own impact. Long hours at the job can result in the child being enrolled in some sort of non-parental child care. The type of care provided coul d benefit the child in their education and learning skills, but may also have a negative impact on their emotional comfort and attachment caused by the lack of the parent being around. Finally, the macrosystem is the combination of culture, religion, mass media, and other influences that are widespread. Mass media has many benefits to the childs development. Media is mentally stimulating, it can increase imagination, and teach the child different skills such as language, communication, mathematics, colors, and other skills. Parents do need to monitor the media that a child does interact with. The graphic violence and sexually explicit material can be damaging for young and influential minds. They can create different stereotypes that can affect the way the child socializing with others, or their sense of self. The more time spent around different forms of media can take away from the quality time spent with the family, and can decrease the amount of physical activity for the child. Overall, the four different systems involved in Bronfenbrenners bioecological model of human development massively impact the socialization and cognitive development of a child.

Logging :: essays research papers

I'm sure some of you have heard at least a little of what is going on down in the beautiful hardwood forests of Tassie? If not here's a short rundown on an extremely threatened area called the Styx valley Forrest... The Styx Valley contains the tallest hardwood trees on Earth. Many of the trees are taller than a 25-storey building, over 400 years old, and up to five metres wide at the base. The Styx is only 70 kilometres west of Hobart and is on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – one of the great temperate wilderness areas on Earth. The Styx also contains large areas of unlogged rainforest. These forests are home to many native species of wildlife, including the majestic Wedge-tailed Eagle, the Eastern Pygmy Possum, the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, owls and rosellas. Other features that occur in the valley include limestone caves, tannin-stained Styx River, and several waterfalls. Now to the bad news†¦ Most of the giants of the Styx are threatened by logging. Between 300 and 600 hectares of the Styx Valley are logged each year. The main form of logging is clear felling and burning. The logging operations proceed by cutting down all the large timber and bulldozing the rest. The useful timber, primarily destined for woodchips, is removed and the area is then bombed from the air which ensures the whole area burns. Most of these trees will be sold as woodchips overseas for about $15 per tonne. After the logged area is burnt it is reseeded 1080 poison is laid down to kill animals who may feed on saplings. 1080 poison does not kill our native animals by putting in a relaxing sleep, it puts them through a long, agonising death, and it may take hours or even days of suffering for these native animals to die. What is at stake you may ask? Is the loss of some of Australia's, and the worlds, oldest hardwood trees for the sake of some measly woodchips a good enough argument, I certainly think so. The tall trees of the Styx are of international botanical importance. Their tourism potential has yet to be realised. They provide a point of contact with the past that once gone, is gone forever. Tall trees are also important for a sense of environmental continuity for future generations. Just reading this makes me feel sick. Our government says that we cannot stop logging because of job loss. Logging :: essays research papers I'm sure some of you have heard at least a little of what is going on down in the beautiful hardwood forests of Tassie? If not here's a short rundown on an extremely threatened area called the Styx valley Forrest... The Styx Valley contains the tallest hardwood trees on Earth. Many of the trees are taller than a 25-storey building, over 400 years old, and up to five metres wide at the base. The Styx is only 70 kilometres west of Hobart and is on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area – one of the great temperate wilderness areas on Earth. The Styx also contains large areas of unlogged rainforest. These forests are home to many native species of wildlife, including the majestic Wedge-tailed Eagle, the Eastern Pygmy Possum, the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, owls and rosellas. Other features that occur in the valley include limestone caves, tannin-stained Styx River, and several waterfalls. Now to the bad news†¦ Most of the giants of the Styx are threatened by logging. Between 300 and 600 hectares of the Styx Valley are logged each year. The main form of logging is clear felling and burning. The logging operations proceed by cutting down all the large timber and bulldozing the rest. The useful timber, primarily destined for woodchips, is removed and the area is then bombed from the air which ensures the whole area burns. Most of these trees will be sold as woodchips overseas for about $15 per tonne. After the logged area is burnt it is reseeded 1080 poison is laid down to kill animals who may feed on saplings. 1080 poison does not kill our native animals by putting in a relaxing sleep, it puts them through a long, agonising death, and it may take hours or even days of suffering for these native animals to die. What is at stake you may ask? Is the loss of some of Australia's, and the worlds, oldest hardwood trees for the sake of some measly woodchips a good enough argument, I certainly think so. The tall trees of the Styx are of international botanical importance. Their tourism potential has yet to be realised. They provide a point of contact with the past that once gone, is gone forever. Tall trees are also important for a sense of environmental continuity for future generations. Just reading this makes me feel sick. Our government says that we cannot stop logging because of job loss.