Langston Hughes and Religion Essay -- African American Poets Poetry Li

Langston Hughes and Religion Langston Hughes in several poems denounced religion, inferring that religion did not exist any longer. In reading these poems, the reader canes that Hughes was expressing his feelings of betrayal and abandonment, against his race, by religion and the church. Hughes had a talent for writing poems that would start a discussion. From these discussions, Hugh es could only hope for realization from the public, of how religion and the church treated the Black race. Hughes wrote two poems that generated a lot of discussion about religion and African-Americans. One was â€Å"Drama for Winter Night (Fifth Avenue),† the other was â€Å"Goodbye Christ.† Once when Hughes was asked about religion, he responded, â€Å" I grew up in a not very religious family, but I had a foster aunt who saw that I went to church and Sunday school† (qtd. In Emanuel 914). Even though Hughes grew up attending church and Sunday school he could see how religion and churches treated his race. This is evident in â€Å"Drama for Winter Night (Fifth Avenue)†. The poem begins: You can’t sleep here My good man, You can’t sleep here. This is the house of God. The usher opens the church door and goes out. (1-5). In doing this, the usher of the church on â€Å"Fifth Avenue,† abandoned someone less fortunate in order to maintain a good appearance. This â€Å"house of God,† which should be opening its doors to give a he lping hand, turns away a man in need of help. Hughes shows betrayal in the same poem, when the less fortunate man asks St. Peter if he can stay. St. Peter replies, â€Å"You ca... ...nt of the Black race by religion and the church. I feel Hughes was successful in this endeavor. Hughes sums his whole perspective of religion, the church and the Black race, when he told a reporter, â€Å"Religion is one of the innate needs of mankind. What I am against is the misuse of religion.† (qtd. Emanuel 914). Works Cited Berry, Faith. â€Å"On Hughes’s Repudiation of ‘Goodbye Christ.’ â€Å" Meyer. 916-17 Emanuel, James A. â€Å"Hughes’s Attitudes toward Religion.† Meyer. 914-15. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Drama for Winter Night (Fifth Avenue).† Meyer. 891: ---. â€Å"Goodbye Christ.† Meyer 898-99. Meyer, Michael. ed. â€Å"Langston Hughes (1902-1967).† The Bedford Introduction to Literature 4th ed. Boston: St. Mart in’s Press,1996. 883-89. Meyer, Michael. ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed.Boston: St.Martin’s

Home, Home on the Range

Golden fried chicken crispy and crunchy, soft and moist banana pudding, lip smacking cornbread, meaty ribs dripping in barbeque sauce, second only to food; the south is also known for its humidity. Inhaling deeply I choke haphazardly on the thick air; I could always smell the heat before I could feel it, even at six thirty in the morning, but summer usually behaved with a blatant disregard for its Georgian dwellers. Frequently, a moist heat would settle over the state like someone had covered it with a damp rag, immediately suffocating you with every mouthful of air. Eventually your breathing would slow just to avoid the process completely; shade and shelter most times offered little or no reprieve from the suns harsh rays. Putting on lotion would be a waste of time, even if you were outside for a few moments; your skin would be somewhere in between sticky and clammy, leaving your clothes matted to your body. Often at times, I used to think that Hell itself was about to burst out fro m beneath my feet because it was just so damn hot. However, no matter if it was boiling or below freezing, you could be sure that the Kyles, who were in their early sixties, are going to be walking the course. Or the Foy's, who believe in being early, are going to come in for beer at twelve. Here was the consistency a body could count on, out here on the golf course. The Frog is one of the most well groomed golf courses in the state. The grass is a bright healthy green, with each blade cut low and evenly throughout the course. Every morning our outside staffs, who coincidently were all Mexicans, would arrive at about five in the early morning hour to clean and prepare for the day's clients. Rightly so, my business didn't deal with the outside (I can't stand the heat), but with our four-and-a-half star restaurant. After ten years, this high ranking bistro still didn't have a name, so we just called it The Restaurant, but what it did have was a renowned Chef. Though I was the dishwasher and should have been in the back eagerly awaiting my first dish, I could always be spotted right behind Eunice, a woman in her mid forties of middle weight, average height, red skin, and a gap between her two front teeth. Born and raised in Georgia, the sixth child of thirteen, Eunice was full of sassy comments and confidence always playfully bantering with the members. â€Å"Hey Rex, when you gon take me out ta dinner?† she'd purr. He'd pause for a moment as if he were seriously considering this query, â€Å"Oh i'on kno, I haf to ask my wife first,† his country vernacular showing his southern roots. Brazenly Eunice would ask, â€Å"Why?† Listeners and passerby's who heard the repartee would laugh and chuckle quietly to themselves. I guess it's because she came from such a big family that she had to be loud and bold to make her voice heard, and that carried over to her life. Anyway, she would joke with complete strangers in that same manner, that was Eunice, our Chief Chef. â€Å"Damnit Courtney! What da hell do you think you're doing? Get da hell out my kitchen,† her Georgian accent thick and country. For a second I revel around her words trying to record the pitch and speed in my mind to play whenever I felt the need. In a jovial rejoinder, I chuckle and smile, but I don't leave the kitchen. Generally, this is what she would say to me after only ten minutes in her company, but that was because I was either clumsily knocking food off the bar to show her what a good cook I was; or I was over cooking the food she let me make. When a customer wanted their hamburger cooked medium rare, not knowing what medium rare looked like and instead of getting Eu, I would take it upon myself to cook it well done. My intentions were meaningful and honest, and honestly I didn't think anyone would know the difference. I was always trying to help, but I was more so in the way. Despite her cursing and yelling my name, she was still my favorite person out of the whole establishment. She never held back her annoyance or anger with me; in a way it reminded me a lot of my mom, which is probably why I took such affection to her. â€Å"Eu!† I'd roar her name and beam contentedly like a child playing peek-a-boo, wanting to believe that this moment would never abscond, and I'd always be within my comfort zone, here†¦on the golf course†¦in Georgia. I gaze up at the sheetrock ceiling (as if it would have the answer) and wonder why leaving home after nineteen years feels so good, but coming back after one month or one year feels even better? I write in Spanish on the outside staff's lunch boxes like I've always done for the past two years. Eunice would always encourage me to speak to them, but I was afraid that I'd make a mistake, and they would laugh at me. I had too much pride to be laughed at that way. So I would help them with the white foam boxes and the tub of sweet tea, then I'd confidently say, â€Å"Hasta luego!† Something that I've said more times than I've tied my shoes, and knew I couldn't it mess up. Eunice would just shake her shaved head and continue on with her business in the kitchen, probably thinking, well maybe tomorrow. Whenever business was slow we'd all get a drink and a snack, and take it into the â€Å"staff† area. Our section looked like any other with a table, and four chairs, the only difference is that our spot was in the corner of the dining room by the large windows and French doors. In my opinion, these were the best seats in the whole restaurant, because you can soak in the sun, gaze upon that beautiful green grass, and for us, we would be able to see anyone who comes in to the restaurant. Occasionally, when the course was dead and the weather was to our liking, we'd go outside and sit leisurely under the covered deck. Closing our eyes tilting our heads back we would take in the breeze, loving the southern lazy life and wanting to be nowhere except where we were at that instant. Why do the simple pleasures in life always feel like you've just hit a grand slam? It was in that particular moment when I thought to myself: It's hard to find a pair of jeans that fit, hug, and compliment in all the right places, but it's even harder to find people who do the same. Within the restaurant I had found my perfect pair of jeans. They were my encouragers for an upcoming Statistics Test, they were my motivators for my non-existent love life, and they were even my family to offer advice about friendships and the rigors of life. Faded glory though they were, full of faults and flaws, I knew I'd never throw them away. Who is to say for sure, if no one ever left everything would remain the same? The paradise I live, is with the perception of a nineteen year old girl, how do I know that they see this occupation the same as I? Who is to say that even if I never left, Eunice or my other coworkers wouldn't leave also? Not knowing answers to such questions, I do know that I don't want to take those chances and leaving would only be in my best interest. Everyone stays a little longer for me that day. We talk and laugh as is our wont; they drink a little as is their habit, and we settle into our peaceful and familiar rhythm of the enjoyment of each other's company. We reminisce of the first day I came to the restaurant and had become lost for about an hour trying to find our supply trailer, which should have taken me five minutes at most. They talk about how I backed the brand new food cart into a tree while golfers were at play, and was dully written up. Or about when I mistook the golf balls on the range as Easter eggs; that human err is their favorite and to prove it, they laugh louder, longer and harder. All my antics were recreated and reenacted, as if I didn't live the experiences myself. Of course I didn't mind their teasing; they were my foster family, and I was going to miss them. Like an avid reader is reluctant to come to the conclusion of their favorite novel, I too am loath to say goodbye to this exciting chapter of my life, but at the same time am anxious to see what life has in store next. The sun descends and our shadows grow taller and leaner; we know that it is time to go. After hugs and kisses, once promises to write and call had been made, the last car pulls out of the parking lot. I stand still for a time, remembering how I began here as an unsure, lost, and clumsy girl. Now I was leaving as a confident, ambitious, clumsy young lady. I stop to appreciate experience and all that she has taught me.

Recovering Addicts in the Field of Substance Abuse Counseling

RECOVERING ADDICTS IN THE FIELD OF SUBTANCE ABUSE COUSELING Is Substance Abuse Counseling a good career for a convicted felon and recovering drug addict? A person’s past mistakes in life can sometimes prevent that person from getting certain jobs later in life. With a prior criminal record some employers may not consider that individual as a good candidate for the job. Substance abuse counselors can be needed in hospitals, institutions, rehab centers, schools, and other government ran facilities.With a felony conviction against your criminal back ground check, government ran facilities normally will not hire convicted felons due to higher risk of a liability. Personal background checks are sometimes required as well and if that individual has a past known drug addiction, employers may seem skeptical of hiring. It has however been acknowledged that a recovering drug addict will make a better candidate than someone with no past drug addiction. A recovering drug addict has experi enced personally the addiction, struggles, and with drawls that are present when trying to become sober.Close to 100,000 people in the US work in recovery related jobs earning their living as drug counselors,†techs†,or social workers at the hospital treatment programs and thousands of rehabs across the country. Most people who enter the field of substance abuse counseling have some kind of personal connection with the problem. More than 50% are recovering drug addicts themselves or have family members or close friends that are addicts. A strange twist on the famous Hunter S. Thompson’s quote â€Å"When the going get weird, the weird turn pro. With a personal connection to a past life of drug/alcohol use it usually tends to mean substance abuse counselors are incredibly passionate and dedicated. There is however a downside. Many addicts even significant amount of sober time, are at risk of a relapse. When substance abuse counselors stumbles, the consequences are o ften more crucial than that of someone who is not in that type of career. Cynthia Moreno Tuchy, the EXECTUCTIVE DIRECTOR of THE NATIONAL ASSIOCATION OF ALOCHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE COUNSELORS (NAADAC) puts a rather fine point on it. We (chemical dependency professionals) do very well treating clients in general; we don’t do so for the professionals in recovery. We tend to blame the victim –we say you have a disease, but we are not recognizing relapse is part of that disease cycle. Why would we not do for addiction counselors as we would for everyone else? † She says. Most graduate programs in chemical dependency require applicants to have significant time free-typical a year or two-from chemical use and in most states licensing boards require similar amounts of clean times.When a substance abuse counselor relapses, they violate that condition and normally lose their jobs. The climb back tends to be quite steep. While relapse of a counselor poses danger to patients, the biggest threat is actually to the person who relapses. â€Å"Anecdotally the recovery rate for persons who work in the field that relapse is abysmal. † Says Chuck Rice. Counselors who do relapse, may continue to escalate with their relapse for fear of losing their job and can go untreated and hit rock bottom once again, which could have been a simple slip up if treatment was assemble as sought.Many people, who make a living in the recovery field, complain over time, it can become easy for professionals to blur the line between demands of personal recovery and the demand of their job. Giving the low success rate at many rehabs, burn out is a major issue. â€Å"When you work in the field,† says John Leonard, â€Å"The last thing you want to do when you get off work is to go to a meeting. † Furthermore, recovering substance abuse counselors get used to being the one with the answers, the experiences, and creditability. It’s easy to confuse work with thei r own personal recovery programs.The irony is that support and safety nets that exist for other professionals who fall victim to addiction does not exist for people who work in this field. â€Å"Sobriety rates of monitored professionals exceed 90%† Says Chuck Rice, â€Å"A rate far above the average general population. † Touhy estimates that 85,000 people in the addiction work force an as many 30,000 are recovering addicts. Without a national monitoring system and strong areas of informal support, these professional who work every day helping others to a clean life will go without the support they need and deserve.As the recovery field grows, so will the need for the professional working to help make the system work. If a system such as this is established I believe it is possible and a good choice career for a recovering addict to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor despite the risk and triggers that can lead to relapse many counselors and people working in the addiction field can relate to current addicts lifestyles and be grateful they are not on that path themselves. Having desired to help others recover from addiction because they themselves re in recovery there is hope in knowing that recovery is possible because they have achieved it. There was an incident that happened in 2009 that captured the national news. Adam â€Å"DJ AM† Goldstein, host of MTV GONE TO FAR intervention reality series, was found dead at his New York City apartment from a drug overdose. DJ AM had just finished filming the MTV intervention reality series when he himself relapsed and died from a drug overdose. He had been sober for eleven years and had hoped to help others beat drug addiction.Goldstein admitted before his death that watching the videos filmed by Gone to Far’s addicts and loved ones was a â€Å"terrifying† experience. Goldstein stated,† I am a recovering drug addict. When I see and I am in their room and the paraphern alia and the whole lifestyle and everything, I still, eleven years later, have little thing in my head that starts thinking, Oh, Where’s that? , I wonder what that is? And I look at it in this way, And I have to constantly remind myself why I’m here and remember what it was like. â€Å"There’s no better way to remember what it was like at my bottom than to see someone at their bottom, and to help them and lift them up. † Nick Zybko wrote that nearly 40% of substance abuse counselors relapse over the course of their career. The need for substance abuse counselors is growing in today society. With economic failures and job layoffs, more people today are at a greater risk in turning to drugs or alcohol to escape and run from their problems. Counselors and other professional workers in the addiction fields are continuing to search for roles to help society deal with substance abuse.Counselors are aware of the destruction it causes to individuals, families, bu sinesses, and other organizations caused by dependency on alcohol or other drugs. One factor in important quality needed in a successful intervention and recovery with counselor and patient is empathy, genuineness’s, warmth, immediacy. Paired along with effective helping skills, such as questioning, comforting, self-disclosing, clarifying, and other skills common to the counseling process.Most substance abuse counselors who are recovering addicts can relate to the patients on a more personal level and a patient-counselor trusting relationship can be better formed. Each organization and treatment facilities differs from state to state as to what credentials you need to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor. All facilities I have researched are accepting to recovering addicts as long as there is a sobriety of one to two years. Most recovering addicts have a criminal background record as well due to the â€Å"addiction disease†.There are some rehabs a treatment f acilities that only hire certified substance abuse counselors who are in fact recovering addicts even with a criminal record. As long as the substance abuse counselor is not on probation or parole this type of career is perfect for a recovering addict with a criminal past who has the desire to help others recover from addictions. As with any career and everyday life, a recovering addict is always at risk of relapse because of the disease. Perusing a career as substance abuse counselor has it downfalls as well as its advantages.Living a drug free life and remaining in recovery is important no matter the choice of career. I have pondered throughout most of my life as to what type of career I want in life and now that I am at a point in my life to making positive changes, I feel substance abuse counseling is an excellent choice for myself and perhaps others who have lead a similar life to myself and have the want and desire and even personal experience and knowledge to help others reco ver from their addictions to live a healthy happy life without drugs or alcohol. Sally Hughes [email  protected] phoenix. edu

The Beach Boys And California Mythology

The music of the Beach Boys during their peak creative period (1961-1967) is a key element in the â€Å"California myth,† which depicts the state’s culture as a youthful, exuberant paradise made possible by affluence, technology, and climate.It presents to the world in image of the state (particularly its southern coast) as an ideal place for the young to enjoy the climate, their freedom, and the benefits of an affluent society – an image that belied many of the region’s social realities and presented an appealing but ultimately distorted picture.The music itself has little intrinsically â€Å"Californian† about it. The vocals owe a great deal to white doo-wop from the late 1950s (particularly the intricate group harmonies), while the music derives heavily from that of Chuck Berry (indeed, â€Å"Surfin’ USA† is merely a blatant rewrite of Berry’s â€Å"Sweet Little Sixteen†). However, their lightness and upbeat, propulsiv e sound coupled nicely with Brian Wilson and Mike Love’s lyrics, which celebrated their own yearnings and their idealized vision of California culture.During their first six years of recording (before Brian Wilson’s mental illness became evident), the Beach Boys promoted southern California as a teenager’s paradise. Critic Jim Miller writes that, at their peak, the group â€Å"propagated their own variant on the American dream, painting a dazzling picture of beaches, parties and endless summers, a paradise of escape† and created â€Å"odes to affluent hedonism† (DeCurtis 192).Numerous songs depicted life there as a near-constant revel, in which teenagers had easy access to cars and thus to parties or the beach, where surfers dominated and one could find numerous opportunities for romance. The image of the sun-tanned, affluent, young white surfer spread internationally shaped perceptions of California throughout the world. The picture they presented repeated the same message – that California was a place where one could find pleasures unavailable elsewhere.Several of their songs, such as â€Å"409,† â€Å"Fun, Fun, Fun,† and â€Å"Little Deuce Coupe† (and more whimsically, â€Å"Little Old Lady from Pasadena†) exalt the automobile as a key component of their lifestyle; indeed, cars made the beach more accessible, accommodated dating and socializing, and liberated teenagers to a great degree. Furthermore, these cars had to be not simply serviceable, but also powerful and impressive; owning a hot rod was a status symbol in Beach Boys songs, giving one the most prestige and the most appeal to the opposite sex, as made evident in â€Å"I Get Around† (which combines cars, fun, and prestige in no uncertain terms).Regarding the opposite sex, their tunes celebrated California women as an ideal, attracted by fast cars or surfing prowess and blessed with good looks and warm, liberated personalit ies one could never find elsewhere. â€Å"California Girls† in particular spread the image of the young California as blonde, frequently found at the beach, and responsive to affluent male surfers with fast cars and status among their peers. They also helped make California synonymous with surfing, though one only one of the group (drummer Dennis Wilson) actually did it.â€Å"Surfin’ USA† and â€Å"Surfin’ Safari† depicted it as a nearly-ideal outdoor activity, which let one enjoy the mild climate, attract members of the opposite sex, and live in a hedonistic and relaxed atmosphere seemingly devoid of troubles or pressures. The affluence of the California they depicted made cars available, and, by extension, dating and fun impossible to find elsewhere, and the Beach Boys combined these in their material. Miller writes that â€Å"the group’s pursuit of fun, whether on a surfboard or in a car, set them apart and assured them . . .of an audien ce, no matter how restrictive the specific motifs, although surfing, cars, and the California locale all became emblematic† (DeCurtis 194). Though the Beach Boys’ material offered the promise of California as a virtual paradise of fast cars, status, and opportunities for romance, they neatly hid the broader realities of California life, creating the paradoxes that Rawls mentions. Most importantly, this vision did not apply to much of California, especially its northern half, a diverse region of mountains, urbanized areas, agriculture, and a much colder coastline.Also, the groups’ members hailed from blue-collar backgrounds, and the Wilson brothers (only one of whom actually surfed) came from a violent, hardly idyllic home. Their songs glorified not only a lifestyle that the group’s members generally did not practice, but it also celebrated a happiness that the troubled Brian Wilson could only yearn for, as well as eternal youth – an impossibility wh ich seemed less relevant as the members aged.It also managed to present a distorted picture of the Los Angeles region by focusing on a small class of young people. According to scholar Mike Davis, â€Å"It was the mesmerizing vision of a white kids’ car-and-surf-based Utopia† (Davis 66) that was generally not relevant to poorer youth or people of color. Their picture of California also excludes the region’s racial tensions; indeed, the Watts riots of 1965 erupted during this period, expressing realities that never figured in the Beach Boys’ music.The Beach Boys’ early music summed up California life as rooted in affluence and dependent on fast, flashy cars, which made leisure and attraction of the opposite sex possible. They presented an idealized and rather sanitized picture of a diverse, sometimes conflicted region. Indeed, class differences, racial tensions, and the more disturbing realities of the 1960s seem invisible, masked by the image of Ca lifornia as a place where one could have constant fun and revel in constant youth.Though they created a distorted, highly selective picture, the image remains potent to people outside the state and still colors many people’s perceptions of southern California. REFERENCES Davis, Mike. City of Quartz. New York: Vintage, 1992. DeCurtis, Anthony, James Henke, and Holly George-Warren, eds. The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. New York: Random House, 1992. Maasik, Sonia and Jack Solomon, eds. California Dreams and Realities. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

List and briefly describe at least five of the programs included with Essay

List and briefly describe at least five of the programs included with Microsoft Office 2010. Provide an example of when you might use each one - Essay Example It is a valuable program for analyzing numerical figures. This program is very helpful in making budget reports, calendars or invoices (Microsoft Corporation, n.d.) The PowerPoint program enables the user to make powerful presentations (Microsoft Corporation, n.d.). It now allows easier coordination with other people through co-authoring which makes it possible for collaborators to work at the same time on one presentation (Microsoft Corporation, n.d.). It is used to make office report presentations and slideshows. This program â€Å"creates professional quality publications and marketing materials† (Microsoft Corporation, n.d.). Publisher is a valuable program for making advertising materials, newsletters, greeting cards and brochures. This is the database program of Microsoft Office. It is used to manage and organize information with the use of its templates and other modular components. This program is very useful in setting up a database of a company’s customers. It is also beneficial for creating database for an organization’s workforce. Microsoft Corporation. (n.d.). Whats new in PowerPoint 2010? Retrieved February 17, 2012, from Microsoft Corporation Web site: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/what-s-new-in-powerpoint-2010-HA010336563.aspx Microsoft Corporation. (n.d.). Word 2010 features and benefits. Retrieved February 17, 2012, from Microsoft Corporation Web site:

Man of the House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Man of the House - Essay Example They will act as the fathers of these children and become a "househusband". Essentially, they will accomplish different household chores that a normal father would do, plus doing the laundry, cooking for the kids and other tasks that the children's mothers will assign them. The guys will not be allowed to talk with their girlfriends during that span of time, but the children's mothers will report how their boyfriends fared. The guy who will perform best will win, and the prize will be the couple's dream wedding. The show has a great potential because it is a reality show that will maintain redeeming values. Not only that it promotes values, just think about all the possibilities about how the groom-to-be's will fare as fathers to some children. Definitely there will be comical incidents that will spontaneously happen in between. The show will also feature a romantic side, as audience will behold the guys completing these challenges just to offer their fiances the wedding of their dreams. With guys acting as the "Man of the House", the show emulates a family-oriented scenario that is apt to be viewed by people of all ages. Unlike other reality shows which feature adult topics, this show will cater to much wider audience share. It is a show that deals with guys getting the real picture of how to become a "perfect" father to his children. In

Argument essay with research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argument with research - Essay Example According to Katz and Green, for decades business owners had always thought that the greatest challenge that was facing their business was the insufficiency of financing to start their businesses when in fact it is not (2009). it is this product or service that would satisfy a certain demand or a product or service that can create demand. I can cite several example of entrepreneurs who started with almost no capital and are now successful and very rich. Foremost, is the example of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who started the now very famous Apple in a garage. Both of them had no money then that they have to create their first computer in the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents . The computer was great and from then on capital just followed enabling the company to create revolutionary products such as iPhone, iPad, iTouch and iPad. This only shows that a very good business idea can create capital by itself. Another example is the famous search engine Google. Google just started in a dorm room way back in college. Back then, it was still called as â€Å"BackRub† in 1996 and its founder was just a college student just like me, without capital to start a business. But a great idea is not enough to start a business. Equally important is that one must act on his or her business idea. There are a lot of people with great business ideas that did not materialize because they did not acted it. Perhaps that are anxious about the risk involved in business or just plainly lazy to act on their ideas. Starting a business requires the ability to take risk and extra ordinary determination to succeed coupled with unparralled hard work. This was elaborated by Zimmerer and Scarborough who explained that â€Å"an entrepreneur is one who creates a new business in the face of risk and uncertainty for the purpose of achieving profit and growth by