Remember the Titans Essay Example for Free

Remember the Titans Essay A scene in the film of which I thought it was strong was when the new coach takes the players into the woods for a run and they arrive at a sort of cemetery. He tells them about a lesson from the death; they have to come together, otherwise they will be destroyed. He tells them whether they like each other or not, they should respect each other. I really like this scene of the movie, first, because I think it takes place in a special surrounding. All the players are exhausted from the running and kind of impressed by the place. Second, I like this part because I like the message and the way the coach tries to create one team out of two groups. The third message I got from the video is the fact that sports brings people together. No matter what race, as friends in a team you can make it work. In the video the white boys and the African-American boys have each their own team with their own rituals. Along the road, their passion for football and their desire to win brings them together. They combine their habits and the difference in their cultural backgrounds gives them a special feeling of a united group and makes them stronger. Also in other situations can sports play an important factor, you can see it in the world with for example the Olympic Games, but also other major sports events. I think sports can unite individuals from different cultural backgrounds because the rules are the same in every culture and as people are playing, they do not necessarily have to speak the same language. So, if you put the messages all together, I would say that in my opinion the movie is a really good one. After watching it I realized even more that it is about personalities and characters instead of the way people look or the cultural background they are from. Although it can be hard for some individuals to act this way, for example because of pressure from their peers or because the way they are raised. I hope that for the future that every day more people will realize that it is not about the differences, but about the similarities.

Tales Of Simple :: essays research papers

Langston Hughes is represented in Black Voices by the Tales of Simple. Hughes first presents his character Jessie B. Simple in the Forward: Who is Simple? In this tale the reader is given its first look at the character Jessie B. Simple who is a black man that represents almost the "anybody or everybody" of black society. Simple is a man who needs to drink, to numb the pain of living life. "Usually over a glass of beer, he tells me his tales... with a pain in his soul... sometimes as the old blues says... Simple might be laughing to keep from crying" (98, 99). Jessie B. Simple, also known as Simple, has just the right combination of qualities to be Black America's new spokesman and unsung hero. Simple seems to possess just enough urban humor and cynicism, down-home simplicity, naivete, and "boy-next-door innocence" that Simple easily becomes a character that hard-working, average, everyday people can relate to. He quickly becomes this sort of Black Every man whose bunions hurt all the time and whose thoughts are relatively quite simple, yet he is a man who rises above these facts and has a perception that shows the man to have great wisdom and incredible insight. And although he maintains seriousness for all his wisdom to come through; his presentation of the facts is given in a humorous manner. In Bop, "That's why so many white folks do not get their heads beat just for being white. But me --- a cop is liable to grab me almost anytime and beat my head- just for being colored " (105). This side to Simple is an example of Hughes attempt to give simple facts or actual truth but instead of telling these things harshly and angrily he tries to sweeten them with a little sarcastic humor. At times, Simple is full of pain. "I have had so many hardships in this life," said Simple, "that it is a wonder I'll live until I die" (105). This comment by Simple is one of Ramsey 2 many that help portray him as a simple man who has been both mentally and physically broken-down by society but who in Census also says that, in spite of all the hardships he has experienced, he is still here. Hughes, by using Simple, shows his discontent of the black man's world, yet in showing these feelings Hughes never portrays himself to be angry, overcome by fear, or overwhelmed by racial paranoia.

Diwali Experience

â€Å"Diwali Delight† The best feeling is to have all your long-time unseen relatives and friends gather around together and have a blast. Recently on my dad’s birthday, the day of October 26th, the start of Diwali, can be as delightful as any of your cultural holidays. Diwali is the festival of lights. Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. My dad was the first one to come to the United States in my whole, family, which makes me second generation Indian. He came from India for his masters in Alabama by the usual way of transportation: By flight.My family celebrates Diwali in three main ways: By lighting firecrackers, having a big family feast where only the men cook, and also by dancing to traditional Indian music. Diwali doesn’t just bring me boats load of fun, but also helps me recognize how light helps us in our everyday lives. As most people know, the lighting of firecrackers on Diwali Is we ll-known as the main event. Usually by 7 or 8’oclock, the neighborhood starts erupting. In our family it is traditional to go to our cousin’s house for this part of the event.All of the guests get one whole bag full of a different variety of firecrackers. The types include sparklers, rockets(which you blast), And also chain crackers, which are a hundreds of normal firecrackers put together. As the final crackers explode and the pictures are taken, we all head to our house, where we start the dinner feast. It is a custom in our family to let all the men cook a feast. As all the cars enter our driveway, all the men put on their baking gloves, and get ready to make a mess in the kitchen, while the women get very cautious about them and the children are playing in the backyard.As we hear a big scream from the parents for dinner, all the children quickly evacuate into the house. As we enter, our nose gets filled with the delightful aroma of the food. The food items prepared vary every year, which keeps us in anxiety. Recently, we had a type of Indian bread with different curries. Last but not least, we dance to traditional Bollywood music, which includes classical, vocational, and some of R&B music. After our food digests, we play music from an ipod and everybody dances in joy.In conclusion, Diwali is always a great experience with your family members. I am proud that I am second generation Indian, and that we have a chance to celebrate Diwali. In my opinion, I believe our family celebrates this holiday the best by lighting up firecrackers, having a big family feast, and by dancing to traditional music. As said before, Diwali doesn’t just bring fun, but helps me recognize the importance of light in our everyday lives, which is believed to be the motive in our culture to celebrate this holiday.

Improving Mobile Access to Government Websites

The U.S. federal government is working to improve access to the wealth of information and services available on its more than 11,000 websites from mobile devices like tablets and cellphones, according to an interesting new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). While most people still use desktop and laptop computers, consumers are increasingly using mobile devices to access websites with government information and services. As the GAO noted, millions of Americans use mobile devices every day to get information from websites. In addition, mobile users can now do many things on websites that previously required a desktop or laptop computer, like shopping, banking, and accessing government services. For example, the number of individual visitors using cellphones and tablets to access the Department of the Interiors information and services increased significantly from 57,428 visitors in 2011 to 1,206,959 in 2013, according to agency records provided to the GAO. Given this trend, the GAO pointed that the government needs to make its wealth of information and services available â€Å"anytime, anywhere, and on any device.†    However, as the GAO points out, mobile Internet users face a range of challenges accessing government services online. â€Å"For example, viewing any website that has not been â€Å"optimized† for mobile access—in other words, redesigned for smaller screens—can be challenging,† notes the GAO report. Trying to Meet the Mobile Challenge On May 23, 2012, President Obama issued an executive order entitled â€Å"Building a 21st Century Digital Government,† directing the federal agencies to deliver better digital services to the American people. â€Å"As a Government, and as a trusted provider of services, we must never forget who our customers are – the American people,† the President told the agencies. In response to that order, the White House’s Office of Management and Budget created a Digital Government Strategy to be implemented by the Digital Services Advisory Group. The Advisory Group provides the agencies with help and resources needed to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. At the request of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), the government’s purchasing agent and property manager, the GAO investigated the progress and success of the agencies in meeting the goals of the Digital Government Strategy. What the GAO Found In all, 24 agencies are required to comply with provisions of the Digital Government Strategy, and according to the GAO, all 24 have made efforts to improve their digital services for those who use mobile devices. In its investigation the GAO specifically reviewed six randomly selected agencies: the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security, the National Weather Service (NWS) within the Department of Commerce, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The GAO reviewed 5 years (2009 through 2013) of online visitor data as recorded by Google Analytics from each agency. The data included the type of device (smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer) consumers used to access the agencies’ main website. In addition, the GAO interviewed officials from the six agencies to gather insights about the challenges consumers might face when accessing government services using their mobile devices. The GAO found that five of the six agencies have taken substantive steps to improve access to their websites via mobile devices. For example in 2012, the DOT fully redesigned its main website to provide a separate platform for mobile users. Three of the other agencies GAO interviewed have also redesigned their websites to better accommodate mobile devices and the other two agencies have plans to do so. Of the 6 agencies reviewed by the GAO, only the Federal Maritime Commission had yet to take steps to enhance access to their websites via mobile devices, but plans to enhance access to its website in 2015. Who Uses Mobile Devices? Perhaps the most interesting part of the GAO’s report is an accounting of who most often use mobile devices to access websites. The GAO cites a Pew Research Center report from 2013 showing that certain groups relied on cellphones to access websites than others. In general, PEW found that people who are young, have more income, have graduate degrees, or are African American have the highest rate of mobile access. In contrast, PEW found that people less likely to use mobile devices to access websites in 2013 included seniors, the less educated, or rural populations. Of course, there are still many rural areas that lack cellphone service, let alone wireless Internet access. Only 22% of people 65 and older used mobile devices to access the Internet, compared to 85% of younger people. â€Å"GAO also found that access to the Internet using cellphones has increased, primarily due to lower cost, convenience, and technical advances,† stated the GAO report. Specifically, the Pew survey found that: 74% of African Americans use cellphones to access the Internet.85% of people ages 18 to 29 used cellphones to access the Internet, compared to only 22% of seniors age 65 and older.79% of those using cellphones to access the Internet have incomes of at least $75,000.Only 50% of people living in rural areas use cellphones to access the Internet.74% have college degrees or higher, compared to 53% with a high school diploma and 51% without a high school education. The GAO made no recommendations in relationship to its findings, and issued its report for informational purposes only.