The Minimum Wage Should Not Be Increased :: Minimum Wage Essays

Although many Americans believe an increase in the minimum wage is always a positive step for the federal government to take, the most recent wage hike could result in some harmful effects. One group potentially hurt by the increased minimum wage is teen-aged workers. Four hundred and eighty thousand teen jobs have been lost due to Congress putting the wage hike into place in 2007 (New Ad Campaign). In 2008, the months June through August, only 32.7 percent of teens had jobs. This is down from 45 percent in June through August 2000, stated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Petrecca). In the last 17 years unemployment for American teens has increased a great amount. Presently the unemployment rate is at 24 percent. In one year alone that percent has increased nearly 12 percent. Other ethnicities, such as African Americans, are also feeling the effects of unemployment. Currently the unemployment rate for African American teens is 37.9 percent; that’s four times the National average. These groups of African American teens have been hit the hardest with the unemployment rate increasing 27 percent in one year. According to Kristen Lopez Eastlick, Seni or Research Analyst for the Employment Policies Institute, â€Å"The unintended consequence of the federal minimum wage hike is pricing some employees out of the workforce, and based on the recent unemployment data, it’s teens-minority teens especially-who are getting hit the hardest† (Are Summer Jobs). John Silva, chief economist at Wells Fargo said, â€Å"It’s tough timing†, he anticipates that teenagers and those who are less qualified will have the hardest time finding work. â€Å"You’re going to have a very negative response. In a recession like this, companies don’t have the pricing power to pass on those costs† (Maher). Congress increasing minimum wage was meant to help those people who are getting paid right at the minimum wage level. But, if people can’t even get a job that pays minimum wage then the new law is hurting more than it’s helping. Works Cited â€Å"Are Summer Jobs ‘Going Out of Business?† Science Letter 21 July 2009: 2887.

Music and Its Effect on the Human Body

Music stimulates brain growth and productive function. It is instinct to make and enjoy music in homo sapiens, it does not get wiped from memory by diseases like Parkinson’s or Dementia, it was been known to help children with ADHD and ADD pay attention, Charles Darwin and other specialists support the idea that it was used to help us evolve and bond throughout our existence. Music is a way for people to transmit emotions, feelings, ideas, and motivation better than words can do; almost as if it is our innate language.With all these examples, it is impossible to deny the power of music and its positive influence on our mental processes. It is engraved in our biology to be moved by music, powered by its emotional force, and to stimulate our brains in ways that enforce knowledge and facilitate natural mental processes. â€Å"In 2008 archaeologists in Germany discovered the remains of a 35,000-year-old flute. † (Zimmer 1); that discovery is undeniable evidence that music e xisted long before organized civilization. Music is a part of our genealogy, we have used it as a tool to transmit thoughts before modern language was even thought about.Charles Darwin theorized that humans started using music as a way to attract mates, as a peacock shows off its feathers. Other specialists such as Dean Falk of the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Ellen Dissanayake of the University of Washington at Seattle believe that music was used to soothe babies as well. The proper term for this biological process is called, motheresing. Just as mothers today, in all cultures, sing lullabies to soothe their young, primordial humans did the same. The way females motherese are similar in all cultures: a quietly sung song with higher than normal speech, pitch, and slow tempo.These professionals speculate that once the essential elements were laid out and understood, adults began to make music for their own enjoyment as well. Robin Dunbar, a psychologist f rom the University of Oxford holds a third opinion, that music evolved as a way to bond together large groups. Just like primates bond with each other during grooming, primal humans did the same. Eventually, our groups became too large for grooming to remain effective; music offered a practical solution. Large groups could sing together, soothe each other, bond, and vent extra emotions all in one procedure. This practice resembles a modern day concert.It is very reasonable to believe that all of these hypotheses are true because they all exist in evolved forms today. Biologically, music has scientifically proven effects as well. Research suggests that music releases endorphins that work as natural pain-killers. Carl Zimmer states: Dunbar and his colleagues studied people who played music or danced together in church groups, samba classes, drumming circles, and the like. After the performances, the scientists made an indirect measure of the endorphin levels in the performers’ bodies, putting blood pressure cuffs on people’s arms and inflating them until the subjects complained of pain. Since endorphins kill pain, a higher pain threshold indicates elevated levels of the compounds. ) The researchers then repeated the procedure with employees of a musical instrument store who listened passively to constant background music. People who actively moved their bodies to music—dancers, drummers, and so on—had elevated pain thresholds, but no such effect showed up among those who merely listened. (1) This could be another reason that music came into existence, to provide medical help before the days of modern medicine.Today, music therapy is used to help patients with Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, attention deficit disorders, etc. ; it is used to improve communication, academic abilities, attention span, motor skills, and management of both pain and behavior just to name a few others (Turner 2261-2271). â€Å"The Center fo r InnerChange in the Denver suburb of Greenwood Village, promotes the idea that ‘listening therapy,’ or several sessions of listening to music rich in high and low frequencies, can stimulate the brain enough to eliminate ADHD symptoms† (Samuels 37).The Music for Life project uses the power of music to soothe and repair Dementia sufferers every day. By playing soothing music the patient relaxes, smiles, and in some cases communicates! (Bredin 48). This medication, music, is free of side effects and extremely cost effective. One MP3 player costs less than any prescription of typical medication. Psychically, music therapy has numerous beneficial effects! Judith Turner states in the Gale Encyclopedia on Medicine: Brain function physically changes in response to music.The rhythm can guide the body into breathing in slower, deeper patterns that have a calming effect. Heart rate and blood pressure are also responsive to the types of music that are listened to. The speed of the heartbeat tends to speed or slow depending on the volume and speed of the auditory stimulus. Louder and faster noises tend to raise both heart rate and blood pressure; slower, softer, and more regular tones produce the opposite result. Music can also relieve muscle tension and improve motor skills. It is often used to help rebuild physical patterning skills in rehabilitation clinics.Levels of endorphins, natural pain relievers, are increased while listening to music, and levels of stress hormones are decreased. This latter effect may partially explain the ability of music to improve immune function. A 1993 study at Michigan State University showed that even 15 minutes of exposure to music could increase interleukin-1 levels, a consequence which also heightens immunity. (2261-2271). Without doubt, one can say that music has important physical effects on the body and should be used as a natural supplement for both the healthy and the ill.To reduce anxiety, relax heart rate, and relieve pain through release of endorphins music is a superior choice (in comparison to drugs) to assist in medical endeavors. Mentally, music has numerous benefits as well. It heals the brain through enabling exercise of damaged lobes of the brain and releasing crucial. Autistic patients have shown particularly significant progress when aided with music therapy. Therapy with music is proven to aid in autistic patients communication, relationships with others, and improve their learning skills.Cases with substance abuse, schizophrenia, paranoia, and personality disorders are aided with skills of social interaction, reality orientation, coping skills, stress reduction, and expression of feelings. (Turner 2261-2271). Although the effects of music therapy are countless, the simplicity of therapy is uncanny. Therapists analyze their patients’ conditions then choose a variety of techniques to provide the desired effects, then use musical endeavors such as singing, listening to in strumental music, composition, dancing and guided imagery to help the patient cope with their affliction.Learning to play a musical instrument helps develop motor skills in individuals with developmental delays, brain injuries, or any other motor impairment while also exercising impulse control and group cooperation. Creative movement improves coordination, strengths, and even balance. Improvisation can help anyone learn to express emotion through nonverbal means as well as encouraging socialization and communication of feelings. Singing can develop vocal articulation, rhythm, and breathe control. For troke victims, remembering lyrics and/or melodies is an invaluable technique in healing their amygdala (the part of the brain that deals with memory and perception of auditory stimuli); a healthy amygdala also provides clearer speech and more effective communication. Getting out feelings is easily facilitated with music. Composing lyrics and music assist in persisting through fears and negative feelings. Listening to music can also make people aware of memories or emotions that need to be acknowledged. Singing is also a similar method. Guided Imagery and Music (A.K. A. GIM) is a widely recognized technique developed by music therapist Helen Bonny. This technique utilizes music to invoke emotions, pictures, and symbols from the patient as a bridge to the exploration and expression of (often subliminal) feelings. (2261-2271). Further, Turner explains more of the possibilities of musical therapy in the Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine: Patients with brain damage from stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neurologic conditions have been shown to exhibit significant improvement as a result of music therapy.This is theorized to be partially the result of entrainment, which is the synchronization of movement with the rhythm of the music. Consistent practice leads to gains in motor skill ability and efficiency. Cognitive processes and language skills often benefit from a ppropriate musical intervention. Pain, anxiety, and depression are major concerns with patients who are terminally ill, whether they are in hospice or not. Music can provide some relief from pain, through release of endorphins and promotion of relaxation.It can also provide an opportunity for the patient to reminisce and talk about the fears that are associated with death and dying. Music may help regulate the rapid breathing of a patient who is anxious, and soothe the mind. The Chalice of Repose project, headquartered at St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula, Montana, is one organization that attends and nurtures dying patients through the use of music, in a practice they called music-thanatology by developer Therese Schroeder-Sheker. Practitioners in this program work to relieve suffering through music prescribed for the individual patient. (2261-2271).Without a doubt, music affects the brain in some very dynamic ways. It has roots thousands of years old, evidence as being an important factor in human evolution, and substantial effects on people today. Rhythm and melody can heal the sick, provide aid in medical treatment, increase brain functioning in both the ill and the healthy, and influence mood to a significant degree. In conclusion, no matter what music someone is in to, it has a noteworthy effect on our body and brain. Works Cited Begley, Sharon. â€Å"Music on the Mind: Scientists are finding that the human brain is pre-wired for music.Could this sublime expression of culture be as much about biology as art? † Newsweek 24 July 2000: 50. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 19 Sep. 2012. Bredin, Henrietta. â€Å"Communicating through music: Henrietta Bredin on how Music for Life can help overcome the isolation of dementia sufferers. † Spectator 12 Dec. 2009: 48+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 19 Sep. 2012. Dalrymple, Theodore. â€Å"If music be the food of health. † Spectator 10 Nov. 2007: 51+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. We b. 19 Sep. 2012. Samuels, Christina A. Attention Seekers; Some parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder say alternatives such as brain exercises or music therapy are better than medication. † Education Week 27 July 2005: 37. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 19 Sep. 2012. Turner, J. (2002). Music Therapy. In D. S. Blanchfield & J. L. Longe (Eds. ), The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (2nd ed. , Vol. 3, pp. 2269-2271). Detroit: Gale. Zimmer, Carl. â€Å"The Brain; Is Music for Wooing, Mothering, Bonding–or Is It Just ‘Auditory Cheesecake'? † Discover Dec. 2010: 28+. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 19 Sep. 2012.

Regionalism: Faulkner “A Rose for Emily” Essay

Emily Grierson- A mysterious woman who had secrets kept and a puzzlement to the community around her. †¢Colonel Sartoris- The man who reassured her that she would not need to pay taxes or anything. †¢Tobe- A loyal servant that fed and took care of Miss Emily as well as her secrets of which he never told anyone. †¢Judge Stevens- He acquired new solutions to the community complaints of and about Miss Emily I suppose as respect for the elderly woman. †¢Homer Barron- A man that came into Miss Emily’s life who after a while was not seen again until the day Miss Emily died and was found in a bedroom upstairs decaying. Part II: â€Å"A Rose For Emily† Questions 1.What metaphor is used to describe Miss Emily in the first paragraph? In the first paragraph they described Miss Emily as a Fallen Monument. 2.How is the house personified in the second paragraph of the story? The house is personified as a beautiful house at first with scrolled balconies, cupolas, spires and beautiful flowers. Then towards the ending of the paragraph the house is withered with time and left un developed while as the houses around hers develop and acquire a new style. Miss Emily’s house was described as an eyesore. 3.What had Colonel Sartosis done for Miss Emily in 1894? Colonel Sartosis remitted Miss Emily’s taxes with a dispensation dating from the death of her father and on to perpetuity. 4.What did the next generation of town leaders do on the first year? The alderman issued Miss Emily a notice to pay her taxes and when that hadn’t been claimed they issued another and when the same happened they decided to send people to her house to have a discussion on the issue. 5.How does Faulkner describe Miss Emily in the Sixth paragraph? In the sixth paragraph Miss Emily is described as a small, fat woman in black, with some jewelry and an old and weathered face. 6.At the beginning of Part II, how long had Emily’s father been dead? At the beginning of Part II in the story Miss Emily’s father had been dead for 2 years. 7.What are the neighbors complaining about? What does Judge Stevens say probably has caused it? Judge Stevens is being complained to by the community about the odor of Miss Emily’s home. The judge says that it is probably a dead snake or animal that her Negro servant has killed. 8.What did Miss Emily tell her visitors the day after her father’s death? After hearing of Miss Emily’s fathers death the community come to the house to share their condolences and when they do Miss Emily tells them that her father isn’t dead only to find her realization 3 days later. 9.Who began to date Miss Emily in Part III, and why was he in town? Homer Barron a young construction worker dated her the summer after her father’s death. Homer was in town to pave the sidewalks. 10.What did the townspeople think of Miss Emily and her new boyfriend? At first people were glad for Miss Emily but others thought that it wasn’t right because of Homer’s job. 11.What does Miss Emily do to make the townspeople think that she and her boyfriend have wed?Miss Emily went and bought a suit and nice dress shoes.The towns people thought that Miss Emily and Homer would marry but as time passed by a wedding wasn’t held and the ladies of the town thought that it was a bad example for the younger people so finally they sent the Bishop to Miss Emily’s home. When the Bishop returned from the home he did not speak of the interview. The Bishop’s wife wrote to Miss Emily’s family and when the ladies heard this they thought that Miss Emily had wed. 12.When was the last time the townspeople saw her boyfriend/husband? One evening a neighbor saw Homer welcomed in to Miss Emily’s home shortly after Miss Emily’s cousin’s left town. That was the last that the town saw of Homer Barron. 13.Why had the men sprinkled lime around her house in Part II? After some complaints to the judge of the odor of Miss Emily’ s house the men wanted to confront Miss Emily but the judge said it would be rude so he told them to sprinkle lime around the Home so that the odor would be gone. 14.There is a room upstairs no one has seen for over forty years. After Miss Emily’s funeral, the door to this room is broken down. What do the townspeople find there? After breaking down the door the towns people find the clothes that Miss Emily has bought shortly after Homer came in to her life and also Homer himself. 15.What happened to Homer Barron? Comment on the second pillow on the bed in the last paragraph while responding to this one. Homer Barron was found dead. I believed he was murdered with the poison that Miss Emily had bought from the druggist. A strand of Miss Emily’s hair was found on the pillow next to where he lay.