Billy Joels River Of Dreams Tour free essay sample

Billy Joel is back with his new hit album River of Dreams complete with a newconcert tour. It has been almost four years since his Stormfront tour, butBilly Joel is still as energetic and entertaining as ever! Picture it: Madison Square Garden in New York, 20,000 people cheering and chanting for theman of the hour, Billy Joel. The lights go out, and then, silence, everyoneanticipating the first note to be played. Finally the music starts, and out hecomes. A one, two, one two three four; guitars, drums, pianos, and keyboardsdrown the screams of the crowd as Billy begins to sing A Matter of Trust. Hisenergy and enthusiasm do not subside for a second throughout the entire night.Every song he sings is accompanied by the 20,000 fans singing each word rightalong with him. Since he sang only four songs off his new album River ofDreams, the tour should have been called Billys Greatest Hits. We will write a custom essay sample on Billy Joels River Of Dreams Tour or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Withoutfail, Billy Joel sang practically every song from one of his first hits, AngryYoung Man, to his most recent, Shades of Grey. The night would not have beencomplete without his live rendition of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant andGoodnight Saigon, his song dedicated to the veterans of the Vietnam War. Ofcourse, he closed the show with his most famous and memorable song, PianoMan. Between raging on the piano and climbing over the stage rails, BillyJoel gave his all-out best for a performance that will never be forgotten! Singus a song youre the piano man, sing us a song tonight, well were all in themood for a melody, and youve got us feeling all right!!!

Shaquille ONeal free essay sample

Whenever anybody thinks about the game of basketball, the NBA or sports in general, the first name that usually comes to mind is Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls. Throughout his career he scored over 32,000 points, won six NBA titles, six NBA Finals MVP awards and five NBA regular season MVP awards. He undoubtedly will go down as the greatest player in the history of not only basketball but all of sports. Every time a big name enters the NBA Draft, everybody always asks â€Å"Is this kid the next Michael Jordan? Michael has always been the measuring stick for NBA stars. Even today you can see debates daily on TV about how current stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James compare to Jordan. The argument that Jemele Hil from ESPN. com raised is could Shaquille O’Neal have been this measuring stick? Could he have gone down as the greatest player in NBA history instead of Jordan? Jemele’s argument is that Shaquille O’Neal who entered the league in 1992 should have been the man that goes down as the greatest player of all time. We will write a custom essay sample on Shaquille ONeal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Shaq was almost a perfect response to Michael Jordan. Where Jordan was psychotically determined and polished, Shaq was often goofy and darling. Nothing mattered more than basketball for Michael Jordan, and it showed. When Jordan was working tirelessly toward bettering himself for the next season, Shaq was shooting movies portraying him as a genie or a superhero. While Jordan was in the gym shooting for hours on end, Shaq was recording rap albums which sold very poorly. For Shaq, basketball was the day job. A day job he did seem to love and that he was obviously incredible at. But the game was just a piece of him. For Michael Jordan the game was him, it was what he lived for and he strived to be the best at what he does. We sit at the end of his long and great 19 year NBA career and we know now basketball was just a piece of Shaq. She attempts to convince the reader of how it could have been if Shaq had applied himself to the same level of intensity that Michael did to make himself the best in the game. Jemele isn’t the only person that feels this way, even the greatest coach in NBA history shares the same sentiment. Phil Jackson who coached both Jordan and Shaq says that Shaq could have been the greatest of all time. Jackson went on to say that Shaq easily could have won 10 or more MVP awards and more than the 4 Championships he won. Shaq could have been the most dominant ever, as he often liked to refer to himself. Jemele points out that when he was at is best, nobody can stop himHe could have been a bigger Jordan, a perennial MVP, a perennial champion. He could be the undisputed best center ever instead of a candidate for just the top three or top five. He could be in the conversation for the best player ever. At his peak, focused totally on making himself the best, Shaq was completely unstoppable. He seemed to only really apply himself for a year or two at a time. His 2000 season was legendary, and he should have won the 2005 MVP award over Steve Nash for his brilliant comeback with the Miami Heat. His 2009 All-Star bid was well-deserved at age thirty six. But in the context of Shaqs career, those look more like comets than a prolonged meteor shower. ONeal was regularly a shooting star. But the greatest the Jordan’s, the Russell’s, the Wilts, the Magic’s, the Kobe’s dont take years off, dont let up. Shaq did. Another aspect that Jemele points out about how Shaq could have done better in his career is taking care of his body. During his career he missed over 300 games due to injury which is an equivalent to about 4 seasons. Former teammates and coaches have blamed his conditioning and poor work ethic for the amount of games he missed. I feel that Jemele stated the biggest difference between Shaq and Michael Jordan when she said; â€Å"one thing Ill never forget is how Shaq sabotaged the Lakers opportunity at an unprecedented fourth straight championship in the 2002-03 season. † This is the season where he put off toe surgery before the 2002-03 season until training camp started and famously said Since I suffered the injury on company time, why shouldnt I be able to get surgery and do recovery on company time? He went on to miss the first twelve games of that season and the Lakers failed to win a fourth consecutive NBA Championship as the Lakers never seemed to get into any sort of rhythm that season. Jemele also correctly stated that Shaq usually treated his body with disregard and often came into the season overweight and out of shape. He always figured that he can play his way into shape during the season. This is one of the reasons I feel he wasn’t able to maintain his dominance into his later sea sons. A player like Michael Jordan and even Kobe Bryant continued to play well even after they started to age because of the dedication and commitment they gave to the game of basketball and keeping their bodies healthy whenever they can. Shaq’s former teammate Kobe Bryant manages to this day in his 16th season to continue to play through injuries whether it’s with a broken index finger on his shooting hand, torn ligaments in his shooting wrist and knees with barely any ligaments left. He finds a way to play and play at a high level, in his 16th season Kobe Bryant is leading the league in scoring with over 29 points per game. In Shaq’s 16th season he averaged less than 13 points per game. Another aspect of Shaq’s game that held him back from being in the greatest is free throw shooting. The foul shot is the second easiest shot in basketball, it’s a wide open 15 foot shot. During his career Shaq shot less than 53% from the free throw line, missing over 5,000 shots. His poor free throws shooting led to a strategy from opposing coaches called ‘Hack a Shaq’, where in the fourth quarter opposing players would intentionally foul him and send him to the free throw line to prevent the Lakers from scoring. Although Shaq liked to make fun of his own free throw shooting in movies and skits for Saturday Night Live, he never took the time to try and rectify his shot. And this takes me back to basketball just being a day job to Shaq because he could have stayed after practice for a few hours a day to work on his shot, but rarely if ever did. I think that he just felt that he can get by on his physical dominance, but sometimes hurt his team. I don’t put the blame solely on Shaq for this however, at some point his coaches need to step in and help him work on his form, but none of his teams ever did that. If he had improved his free throw shooting I feel that he could have added another 2,000 points to his career total. I feel that the audience Jemele is trying to reach is the basketball purists, the people who don’t feel there is even an argument as to who the greatest player in NBA history is. She is trying to convince these people that there would be an argument if only Shaw had better work ethic and desire to be the best. I’ve watched Shaq throughout his career because I’m a fan of the NBA, more notably a Laker fan and I agree wholeheartedly with her point of view. I’ve seen firsthand just how dominant of a force he can be when motivated and I definitely feel that he is in the top five when it comes to the greatest players of all time. But if he had worked in the offseason to make himself better, keep himself in shape and work with his teammates rather than stirring up drama with the likes of Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, I do think it would be feasible to say that Shaq would have went down as the greatest player in NBA history.

Using Argumentative Essay Topics and Samples to Sell Your Point

Using Argumentative Essay Topics and Samples to Sell Your PointArgumentative essay topics and samples can be difficult to come by. Since the majority of people are very defensive and very hard to please, people who want to write persuasive essays will have to rely on their own experiences and experience of similar circumstances, as well as the way in which the topic has been presented to them in the past. It is these elements that can create a strong argument.The topic is the foundation for any argument, and therefore argumentative essay topics and samples will be based on issues or events that have occurred in the past. This may mean controversial issues, issues that have been discussed, topics that have been heavily debated, or even topics that have only recently been brought up in the discussion. The best examples are often topics that have been almost present in the minds of the audience, but that have not been addressed for a while.The strength of the argument is often determine d by the tone of the article. If the piece is written with a high-pitched tone, or if the piece is written in a raspy voice, the reader will be unable to see how solid or valid the reasoning is. Arguments that are written in a calm, consistent, yet still assertive tone can work well with many people, but the body must make sure that it is not being used in a negative manner.The logical and factual references should be clear. It should be crystal clear that the argument comes from specific research and facts and not just made up on the fly. The tone of the argument must remain consistent throughout the entire essay.When writing a topic and sample, there are times when even the best argument does not stand up to scrutiny. It may be a good idea to reword or rewrite your article in a more coherent manner before submitting it. Trying to come up with new and unique ways to portray your arguments is one way to be able to sell your case.Argumentative essay topics and samples should have hig h impact and should not be taken lightly. In order to come up with different topics and articles to write, you can research on blogs, forums, and other sources of information to see what the public thinks about certain topics. This will give you the chance to know what to expect and to discuss the topics that will not necessarily be mainstream.You should also make sure that the content is not as strong as it could be in order to avoid some of the more powerful topics that some people might try to use against you. For example, discussing things that happen in the bedroom is not going to be a very effective essay topic. Instead, you can talk about topics such as relationships with other people.There are many reasons why argumentative essay topics and samples can work to persuade an audience, and they are not going to be hard to come up with yourself. It will be all based on the content of the piece and how it makes you feel. To be able to come up with content that works in the long ru n, you need to make sure that the body of the article is very strong enough to stand on its own without having to be bundled with the rest of the writing.

Levis jeans Essay Example

Levis jeans Essay He then turns and sits down next to a large man, who wears dull clothes and doesnt stand out like the young man wearing the jeans. The man has an almost disapproving look upon his face. At the very end of the advert the young man who stripped begins to read a newspaper, which is a very everyday act, which is showing how the man doesnt feel like him stripping is anything out of the ordinary, indicating confidence and boldness. The music played throughout this advert is Heard it on the grapevine, which is how gossip is often referred to and suggests that the man is something to gossip about, and somebody that is talked about.  For young people, again they see somebody good looking wearing jeans, and in this advert the man wearing the jeans is admired by others, looks confident and stands out. Many people seeing this would believe that the jeans would make them stand out like that young man and purchase Levis jeans. Beach  Advertisement 74 is set on a beach, showing another good-looking man wearing Levis jeans, and carrying a surfboard. The man removes the jeans then leaves them on the beach. He bends down towards his dog and points at the jeans, as if he is telling the dog to guard the jeans for him. He then walks away with his surfboard.  A typically good-looking woman in a bikini comes along the beach and sees the jeans. She looks for a moment before putting them on. When she attempts to walk away the dog grabs her leg and barks at her. She tries in vain to shake the dog off, but isnt able to before the young man originally wearing the jeans comes back. We will write a custom essay sample on Levis jeans specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Levis jeans specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Levis jeans specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The man laughs and then they walk away together laughing.  Again this advert shows the man who is wearing the jeans getting the woman. In all the adverts that I have written about so far it has been the man wearing the jeans every time, and usually the man who is admired by the woman. In this advert the woman does put the jeans on, and the man looks at her in an admiring way, but again it is the man wearing the Levis that gets the woman and the woman that is attracted to the man, or to his jeans, showing how the Levis are once again the reason that the man gets the woman. Summary  Many impressionable audiences would believe that buying the jeans would make them instantly attractive, as the people featuring in these advertisements are, and seeing the man in the Levis always getting the girl would be an incentive to many young men to purchase these jeans.  Throughout these adverts the men are all conventionally good-looking, the woman are usually fairly attractive also. They all appear to have confidence, such as the young man who strips in the laundrette. Also others always admire the men that are wearing the Levis for their jeans, and they always get the woman, as opposed to the men who arent wearing Levis which in one advert one such man got his woman taken away. Overall there is the portrayal of people that wear Levis being better looking, admired by others, and being attractive to others. This would convince many people to purchase the jeans.

What Is the Definition of an Earmark in Politics

What Is the Definition of an Earmark in Politics The term earmark spending refers to a part of a spending bill that allocates money for a specific thing such as a location, project or institution. The key difference between an earmark and a general budget line is the specificity of the recipient, which is usually a particular project in a specific Congressmans district or a Senators home state. Earmarking is often used as a tool for negotiation and deal-making: a representative might vote in favor of a project in another representatives district in exchange for earmarked funding in his own district. Definition of Earmark Funding Earmarks are funds provided by the Congress for specific projects or programs in such a manner that the allocation (a) circumvents a merit-based or competitive allocation process; (b) applies to a very limited number of individuals or entities; or (c) otherwise curtails the ability of the Executive Branch to independently manage the agency budget. Thus, an earmark circumvents the appropriations process, as outlined in the Constitution, where Congress grants a lump sum of money to a Federal agency each year and leaves the management of that money to the Executive Branch. Congress includes earmarks in both appropriation and authorization bills orOR in report language (the committee reports that accompanies reported bills and the joint explanatory statement that accompanies a conference report). Because earmarks can be tucked away in report language, the process is not easily identified by constituents. Examples of Earmark Spending Earmark spending relates only to funds identified for specific projects. For instance, if Congress passed a budget that gave a certain sum to the National Park Service as an entity, that wouldnt be considered an earmark. But if Congress added a line indicating that some of the money had to be allocated to preserve a specific landmark, then thats an earmark. Earmark spending may be allocated for (among other things): Research projectsDemonstration projectsParksLaboratoriesAcademic grantsBusiness contracts Some earmarks stand out easily, like a $500,000 grant to the Teapot Museum. But just because an item of expenditure is specific, that doesnt make it an earmark. In defense spending, for instance, bills come with a detailed account of how each dollar will be spent- for example, the amount of money needed to purchase a specific fighter plane. In another context, this would merit an earmark, but not for the Defense Department as this is how they do business.   Is "Earmarking" Considered to Be Unethical? Earmarks have a derogatory connotation on Capitol Hill, largely because of specific earkmark spending projects that have little benefit to anyone but the businesses involved in doing the work. One famous example of such of a project is Alaskas infamous â€Å"Bridge to Nowhere.† a $398 million project intended to replace a ferry to an island that is home to just 50 people. Congress imposed a moratorium on earmarks that went into effect in 2011, which banned members from using legislation to direct money to specific projects or organizations in their districts. In 2012, the Senate defeated a proposal to outlaw earmarks but extended the moratorium by a year. Lawmakers try to avoid using the term while still attempting to insert specific spending provisions into bills. Earmarks are also called a variety of different terms including: Member-directed spendingPlus upsBudget enhancementsAdditionsProgrammatic adjustments Lawmakers have also been known to directly call agency officials and ask them to allocate money toward specific projects, without any pending legislation. The is known as â€Å"phone-marking.†

Narritive about a short story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Narritive about a short story - Essay Example al Scout had come to Farquhar’s house for a drink of water and he informed him that anyone who was found causing problems would be caught and hanged. When Farquhar inquires if there was any force on the other side of the creek, the soldier answers him saying, - â€Å"Only a picket post half a mile out, on the rail road and a single sentinel at this end of the bridge.† â€Å"All is fair in love and war† is a very famous saying and unfortunately Farquhar finds himself with a noose around his neck, at the gallows, surrounded by officers with their rifles in hand. Under the plank on which he stood, he could see the water rushing wildly in a frenzy. As the noose was put around his neck, he had a sense of foreboding as his mind raced back to his loving family at home. He felt a sense of helplessness as the noose tightened about his neck and his body dropped into the racing water. As Peyton plummeted to the depths with pulsating speed, he felt he was almost dead. He oscillated like a pendulum between life and death, as he struggled for breath. The light which had grown dimmer as he went down, now seemed brighter as he found himself rising towards the surface and thought, -"To be hanged and drowned, is not so bad; ; but I do not wish to be shot. No; I will not be shot; that is not fair." What seemed like superhuman strength he managed to relieve himself of the ropes that bound him. Undoing the noose around his neck, he gasped for breath. He was ecstatic to be alive. He reveled in the beauty of his surroundings – the trees the stream, the insects, the dewdrops on the glass and the prismatic colors that floated all around him. Suddenly, all at once, he found bullets whizzing past and hitting the water and saw the sentinels aiming their rifles straight at him from across the bridge. He heard the lieutenant’s dreaded, cruel and aspirated chant ordering, -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Company! . . . Attention! . . . Shoulder arms! . . . Ready! . . . Aim! . . . Fire!" he was being hunted

IDENTITY paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

IDENTITY paper - Essay Example The word agency in this context refers that 'agency is directly tied to social structures' in so far as they interact and produce society together. Obviously, Agents have complete knowledge of their society and this mutual information that therein produces structures. The everyday ordinary life of an agent leads is simply a part of reproduction in society. The important thing is here that Levine theory primary refers "Ontologiclal" security in the trust. In contrast, Agency, apart from reproduction of society can also lead to the transformation of society. According to Levine a good way to explain this concept is "reflexive monitoring of actions". Reflexive monitoring looks at the skill to look at actions to estimate their effectiveness in achieving their aims. However, if agents can replicate structure through action, they can also transform it. However, according to Levine "in terms of identity formation and maintenance, two key issues pertain to (a) the relevance of the concepts of structure and agency for understanding identity, and (b) the extent to which identity is conceptualized as having an "inner" versus "outer" origin. The first issue involves assumptions regarding individual causality, or personal responsibility; the sociological equivalent of which lies in the notions of reflexivity and agency. It is quite true that this issue has long been ignored in sociology, but as noted, the issue is currently being discussed by late modernists in terms of the structure-agency debate (i.e., how much individuals exercise control independent of social structure versus how much social structure determines individual behavior". (Levine, 2002, pg, 54+) Structural Influence on Identity (A) Gender Base Structural Influence on Identity The benefits of receiving ample parental support and, conversely, the costs of receiving poor parental support during childhood may be the most powerful within "same-sex parent-child dyads". The important point is to note here is that the daughter-mother relationship is central in most women's lives. Certianly, this relationship between mother and daughter is a key influence in the identity formation and the long-term psychosocial adjustment of daughter. Similarly, the son-father relationship has significant influence on the development psychosocial, morality, behaviour and so on. Furthermore, the relationship between father and son influences everything in a man's life, in what he sees himself and in what way he sees all other people. Thus, the amount of support a child receives within this same-sex dyad would be a important determinant of psychosocial and moral values development an individual's life course. "When taken together, this review suggests that although receiving early parental support may be an important predictor of mental and physical health outcomes in later life, the impact of early parental support can be fully appreciated only by identifying the social structural factors that are most closely associated with receiving poor support in early life and understanding how associations between levels of support received during childhood. However, moral and behavior status vary according to following factors. 1. Does the amount of early parental support reported vary by gender of the parent, gender of the child, or racial or socioeconomic status 2. Is the moral of women and men differentially