A Squatter’s Tale

It was cold. We kept marching, my partner and I, through the December streets. The winter sky daunting us, seemingly motionless, as we continued our journey through this nightmare of sensory affliction.

It was cold. But it wasn’t just cold. It was fucking cold. Feeling had departed from my fingers, my hands, my arms, my legs, my feet, my face. The only part of my that was warm was the only part that seemed never to catch coldness: my stomach. And when I had an itch to scratch there, I reached to do what I had to do, and immediately ripped my arm out of my shirt — my fingers were so cold, so numb with frost, that to bring them to my stomach was to stir the worst of pains.

“There’s no way I’m ever fucking travelling to New England again,” she said.

We were a crew, a partnership. Squatters come like that. Where there’s one, there’s more. If you find one squatter, their partner won’t be far. More often than not, their partner is also their lover. In our age of Materialism and Capitalism, some of us manage to search through the debris of human intellect, and find one person who drives us mad with passion. Time passes, and you no longer consider them a person, but you consider yourselves as one person. And with someone whose character is so powerful, why spend time working eight hours a day, just because slum lords demand such a high rent? Why live in a house when you can simply live in each other’s company, for ever? Consequently, the lack of desire for a house coincided with our inability to work, and so we were homeless, squatting, living in abandoned buildings when we found them. These pairs, partnerships of the homeless, may be found wherever there are squatters. And when a single squatter has no partner, no travel comrade to make it through the dark nights with them, they often form a clique around a partnership of squatters.

My travel partner was Firefeet, but her real name was Lidia. She earned her “street name” from the fact that she can’t stay in one place for more than a week. She would meet someone, disappear from town for a month, and then be back. One squatter called her Firefeet, and it stuck. That’s how names were given: on an impulse, and they stuck forever.

I was known little more than Jesus. I once met another man who had the same name, but he was given it for a different reason than me: because he actually looked like the mythical god. The reason I received this name was because, at the sight of street Evangelists, I would demonstrate a form of sarcasm yet unseen in the history of mankind. “Oh, praise the lord, Jesus, you saved me!” kneeling down, and then perhaps making lewd comments, “God, my poka-doted penis needs your healing touch!” Since squatters lived on the streets, we know everything that can possibly go on on these streets: from picketers to annoying business salesmen, and we have to deal with it, all the time. We have no place to go. We are homeless. Though it would seem reasonable, we cannot go back to our squats during day time. There is an off limits rule for returning to your squat when there is still light out. Almost like an unspoken rule in the mind of every smart squatter, it exists becasue police officers will bust squats only during the day time. So, we are stuck in these cities, these bustling and booming places of industry, commerce, and politics, and in this huff-and-puff society, we still find ourselves the same place we were last night: in the arms of our loved one, with nothing but an unrelenting admiration of what things may come.

What is there to do that the poor may do? Those who are moneyless have but one venture: travel. So we hitch hiked, we walked, we trekked. Some days we would wake up, and wonder why we woke up in the state (or country) we did. Our blood warms, and slowly the memories of the previous night flow into our head. But none of that matters, because we fell asleep in the same exact place we slept last night: beside the one who drives us crazy. If we were the gods of this Universe, we would change nothing.

But this week, we were getting out of New England. I wish there were a way in literature for me to explain how cold it was, by saying how cold my thumb felt as I tried to catch a ride for me and my lover, but I couldn’t — that is, I couldn’t feel my thumb. There was no blood going through it, no life left in it, no muscle with enough energy to move. There comes a point in human communication where some things cannot be told. The nature of such pain denies them from being learned, disallows them from being taught. This plague of dissension infects one victim, and he may speak of it for the rest of his days, but nobody will ever understand. He is alone, he will aways be alone, he will die alone. Nobody but his own conscience will be able to offer a fair empathy. And so, in like fashion, Firefeet and I march through these snowy dunes of New England, heading south. In a way, no different than the birds who migrate. Just a bit slower and willing to take a ride.

“Hey, Jesus,” Firefeet said, “How much longer do you estimate till we catch a ride?”

“Well, it’s about an eternity between cars coming by,” I said, “So, it should be any moment now.”

“It’s fucking cold as shit,” she said, her arms clasped and folded, shivering, like my own.

“No, it’s tropical,” I said, trying to be cheery, “This snow is nothing but hot, spring rain.”

“That would seem to almost make sense,” she said, struggling with her impeded breath, “It’s the cold that burns on my face.”

“At least with every step we take, we’re one step towards the south and one step towards warmth,” I said.

“There’s only one part of me that’s warm right now,” she said, “And it’s the part where only you are allowed.”

I smiled into the faceless breach of the oncoming snow, and spoke, “Then let’s get some friction going so we can both warm up!”

We marched, still, until Firefeet fell onto the snow. I turned to her and wrapped my arm over her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” I said. She didn’t respond. I tried to pull her up. “Come on, get up, girl,” I said.

She started to cry, holding her arms buried in her chest. “I can’t,” she said, “I can’t… I can’t move.”

“No,” I disagreed, “We can make it through this. It’s only just a few more steps before we’re in that tropical weather again. It’ll be so hot, you can see steam rising up and out of the pavement. You’ll be praying for a snow storm.”

“I’m going to die,” she said with a dying effort, her voice struggling.

I leaned in closer to her. “You remember that night in Seattle, where the temperature dipped down below ten degrees, and we had no where to sleep and no blankets? Remember how we held each other in that alley way as we struggled to sleep, and you told me that we would be dead by morning, but we survived? Do you remember?”

“But now is not like then,” she said.

“Please, Firefeet,” I said, “Get up.”

“I can’t,” she said again, still crying.

“Please,” I said, “I will do anything for you. Just get up.”

She sat there, unmoving, her body only shaking now and then because of the tears. I leaned in closer to her, kissed her on the ear, and said, “Don’t die… We have but the rest of our lives to be with each other.”

And so, that night went on… Several hours past, and we were gone. I never left her side. And there was nothing but several three-worded phrases exchanged between us. The snow piled on, and we were only found next morning by the Connecticut Sheriff’s Department.

In a very real way, we were already dead. We had been living the lives of ghosts, drifting aimlessly. But what we had, what we found in each other, though it was not enough to last an eternity, it was enough.

www.punkerslut.com

For Life,
Punkerslut

Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing essays and poetry on social issues which have caught his attention for several years. His website http://www.punkerslut.com provides a complete list of all of these writings. His life experience includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from college for “subversive activities,” and a myriad of other revolutionary actions.

Hip-Hop has historically existed as a male-dominated industry. Being a reflection of urban life and struggle, past Hip-Hop artists have been forced to maintain a certain level of masculinity in order to be accepted by their urban communities. Old school rappers who talked about love were often viewed as soft or corny. Because of this perception, the existence of love in Hip-Hop is a fairly new concept.

As the movement has gained support and recognition throughout the world, love has become an increasingly common theme in Hip-Hop music and poetry. However, the taboo still exists. Even today, Hip-Hop artists and poets present their love stories in a manner that allows them to maintain socially acceptable identities. Hip-Hop stories about love must still meet the masculine ideology in which the movement is rooted in order to be perceived as real and true.

The purpose of this study is to analyze Hip-Hop love narratives and how artists present these love stories in order to construct socially acceptable identities. I believe personal narratives are closely tied to the construction of identities. It is through personal narratives that people can recount life-changing events, realize socially acceptable behavior and create individual identities.

I have researched and studied several Hip-Hop love songs and analyzed the lyrics as text and poetry. In my research, I have found five common narrative forms used by Hip-Hop poets to tell their love stories: contrasting, perceptual, spiritual, conversational and metaphoric. These five narrative forms are used not only to present the story correctly, but also to maintain positive perception among a society that might view this sensitivity as weak or disrespectable. I plan to demonstrate each of these narrative forms and show how the poets use them to tell their love stories while establishing acceptable identities.

The Contrasting Narrative
One of the most common forms of Hip-Hop love stories is the contrasting narrative. Many artists use Hip-Hop music and poetry to tell stories about the negativity surrounding their urban environments. The contrasting narrative allows the poet to express his or her love story as a contrast to this negativity while constructing an acceptable identity because that negativity is real and understood in urban communities.

A great introductory example to the contrasting narrative would be the following passage from Method Man’s “All I Need”:

Back when I was nothin’
You made a brother feel like he was somethin’
That’s why I’m with you to this day boo no frontin’
Even when the skies were gray
You would rub me on my back and say “Baby it’ll be okay”

In this song, the poet uses the contrasting narrative to show his love for someone who stood by him when “skies were gray.” He speaks of his love interest as someone who helped him get through troubled times, thus providing a positive contrast to his negative surroundings.

Another example of the contrasting love narrative can be seen in this passage from Guru’s “All I Said”:

This world is crazy, she’s supposed to help me stay sane
Supposed to help with the pain, supposed to help me maintain

In this song, Guru uses the contrasting narrative to share his view of what love should be. He admits that his “world is crazy”, and that his love interest is the one person who can make it bearable.

In “She Tried”, Bubba Sparxx uses the contrasting narrative to tell a story that actually recalls his love being there for him when he was in trouble with the law:

A fly country girl, just workin’ them gifts
She’s my queen, was a virgin I guess
But I ain’t never ask and I ain’t never tell
But Betty had the cash every time I went to jail

This song further illustrates the use of contrasting narratives to express love. Though the poet confesses spending a lot of time in jail, Betty was always there to bail him out, again acting as a positive contrast to his troubles
.
The Perceptual Narrative
Another common narrative form of Hip-Hop love stories is the perceptual narrative. Like the contrasting narrative, the perceptual narrative is based around the negativity that surrounds the poet’s life. But instead of presenting this love as a contrast to that negativity, the poet uses this narrative to explain how that love changed his or her previously negative perceptions. This narrative form also allows the poet to construct a socially acceptable identity due to the acknowledgement of the negativity of urban life.

In “Jazzy Belle”, Andre of Outkast uses the perceptual narrative to tell of how his love changed his former perception of women:

Went from yellin’ crickets and crows, witches and hoes to queen thangs
Over the years I been up on my toes and yes I seen thangs …
Now I’m willin’ to go the extra kilo-
Meter just to see my senorita get her pillow
On the side of my bed where no girl ever stay
House and doctor was the games we used to play
But now it’s real Jazzy Belle…

In this song, Andre talks about a personal change of perception caused by love. He admits that at one time he thought of women as “witches and hoes.” But “now it’s real”, and he has a new perception of women as “queen thangs.”
Another great example of the perceptual narrative can be found in the following passage of Black Star’s “Brown Skin Lady”:

I don’t get many compliments, but I am confident
Used to have a complex about, gettin’ too complex
You got me, willin’ to try, looked me in the eye
My head is still in the sky, since you walked on by

In this example, the poet admits to having relationship issues, but tells of how love helped him to overcome these issues. The poet’s love interest helped him to change his perception of love and fear of “gettin’ too complex”
.
In “Ms. Fat Booty”, Mos Def further illustrates this point by demonstrating the perception of other men and speaking to his love on how he is different:

Yo, let me apologize for the other night
I know it wasn’t right, but baby you know what it’s like
Some brothers don’t be comin’ right
I understand, I’m feelin’ you
Besides, ‘Can I have a dance?’ ain’t really that original

In this song, the poet uses the perceptual narrative to acknowledge that some men “don’t be comin’ right”, but that he has a different perception of women than these other men.

In “Come Close”, Common uses the perceptual narrative to express how love has made him change from his old ways:

I want to build a tribe wit you
Protect and provide for you
Truth is I can’t hide from you
The pimp in me
May have to die with you

Although the poet used to be a “pimp”, an urban term for a man who romances a large number of women, he tells of how his love interest has changed his actions and perceptions.

The Spiritual Narrative
A third common form of Hip-Hop love stories is what I like to refer to as the spiritual narrative. The spiritual narrative relies on the poet’s characterization of love as a kind of godly being, spiritual force or royalty, often with the feeling that the story teller has to protect that force. The spiritual narrative allows the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity by characterizing love as spiritual or perhaps even predetermined.

A great example of the spiritual narrative can be found in this passage of The Roots’ “You Got Me”:

Somebody told me that this planet was small
We use to live in the same building on the same floor
And never met before
Until I’m overseas on tour
And peep this Ethiopian queen from Philly
Taking classes abroad

Here, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to describe the time, place and emotions that his love was founded on, speaking of them as if they were somehow meant to happen. He also refers to his love interest as “this Ethiopian queen from Philly”, using the royal characterization so common in spiritual love narratives.

In “Love Language”, Talib Kweli also uses a spiritual narrative form and refers to his love as a kind of royalty:

Now if they call you out your name
Then that’s a different thing
Anything but Queen
I’ll go to war like a King

This example shows the protection aspect of common spiritual love narratives. The poet feels it is unacceptable for anyone to “call you out your name”, or in other words, use derogatory language toward his love. If someone were to do so, he would “go to war like a King”, thus maintaining his masculinity.

In “Mind Sex”, Dead Prez uses the spiritual narrative to talk about love introductions:

African princess, tell me yo’ interests
Wait, let me guess boo, you probably like poetry
Here’s a little something I jotted down in case I spotted you around
So let me take this opportunity

In this song, the poet uses the spiritual narrative to tell a story about the introductory conversation he had with a love interest. He refers to her as “African princess”, once again showing the tendency of poets who use the spiritual narrative to refer to their love interests as royalty.

The Conversational Narrative
The fourth common form for Hip-Hop love stories is the conversational narrative. The conversational narrative allows the poet to recite or recreate a conversation with his or her love and present it as play-like story about a specific love experience. Conversational love narratives are typically characterized by introductory speech and compliments, and are most commonly used as tools to tell a story about a first meeting or impression. These narratives allow the storyteller to construct an acceptable identity mainly because they often include many smoothly-structured compliments, and make the poet look like a cool ladies man.

A great example of the conversational love narrative can be found this passage from Dead Prez’ previously mentioned “Mind Sex”:

Pardon me love but you seem like my type
What you doin’ tonight?
You should stop by the site
We could, roll some weed play some records and talk
I got a fly spot downtown Brooklyn, New York

In this example, the poet is reciting the conversation between himself and a love interest. As with many conversational narratives, it is based around meeting someone for the first time. The poet is telling a story about a girl he met that “seem[ed] like my type”. He then inquires “What you doin’ tonight?”, and follows with a list of charming speech in an attempt to create a social relationship with the girl.

In a similar narrative, “Beautiful Skin”, Goodie Mob uses the following conversational narrative to retell the first phone conversation he had with his love interest:

This is Carlito from a couple of days ago, you sound tired
Forgive me if I’ve called you too late
But what better time to relate mind-states?
Where could I begin?
Has anyone ever told you ‘You got beautiful skin’?

This example further illustrates the use of introductory language in conversational narratives. The poet asks his love interest if she would like to “relate mind-states”, or get to know each other. He then tells her that she has “beautiful skin”, an often successful introductory complement given to women.

Cee Lo uses the following conversational narrative in “Slum Beautiful”:

Look at you, unbelievably, brilliant beautiful you
You’re looking deliciously divine darling you really and truly do
The very thought of has got me running at the speed of love
Exploring everything about you from the ground to the God above

In this song, the poet uses the conversational narrative to speak directly to his love interest through the song. Note the wide range of compliments offered in this passage, as well as the charm, again illustrating a common aspect of the conversational narrative.

The Metaphoric Narrative
This fifth form of Hip-Hop love stories is possibly the most fascinating. It is the metaphoric narrative. The metaphoric narrative is used when the poet speaks of love in a metaphor of some kind. The most popular and socially acceptable form of metaphoric narrative is using Hip-Hop as the metaphor. Many followers of the movement view Hip-Hop as a driving force of love and happiness in their lives. Thus, many metaphoric love narratives revolve around Hip-Hop itself.

A good example of such a metaphoric narrative is the following passage from Black Eyed Peas’ “Rap Song”:

Yo, she got hips to hop
And she ain’t goin’ pop
She like a record that I wanna rock
When I’m rollin’ in my ride cruisin’ down my block

In this example, the poet actually uses a unique play on words and speaks of a love interest as a Hip-Hop metaphor. He relates this person to “a record that I wanna rock”.

The group further extends the metaphor in the following passage:

She like a beat that makes me wanna grab the mic
She like the lyrics that I wanna recite
She like the old school mic with the cable
You can bring your records and I’ll bring the turntable

Again, the poet relates his love interest to other things he and his audience love, including “old school mic with the cable”, reciting lyrics and spinning records on a turntable.

Another great example of the metaphoric narrative is in The Roots’ “Act Too … Love of My Life”:

Learnin’ the ropes of ghetto survival
Peepin’ out the situation I had to slide through
Had to watch my back my front plus my sides too
When it came to gettin’ mine I ain’t tryin’ to argue
Sometimes I wouldn’ta made it if it wasn’t for you
Hip-Hop, you the love of my life and that’s true

This passage is unique because it utilizes both the metaphoric and contrasting narrative techniques. The poet refers to Hip-Hop as “the love of my life”, while simultaneously showing how that love created a positive contrast to the tough “ropes of ghetto survival”. The poet admits that he “wouldn’ta made it if it wasn’t for you”, showing that his love for Hip-Hop was and is a driving force in his life.

And that leads us to the most popular metaphoric Hip-Hop love narrative of our time. In “I Used to Love H.E.R.”, Common Sense uses the metaphoric narrative to express his love for Hip-Hop. He starts off the narrative with the following passage:

I met this girl, when I was ten years old
And what I loved most she had so much soul
She was old school, when I was just a shorty
Never knew throughout my life she would be there for me

In this example, the poet starts off telling a story about a girl he met when he “was ten years old”, and how she was always there for him. The poet continues to use the metaphoric narrative to speak of this girl, including the good times and hardships they faced together. Not until the end of the poem does the listener actually realize that the entire song is a metaphor. The song ends with the following passage:

I see rappers slammin’ her, and takin’ her to the sewer
But I’ma take her back hopin’ that the stuff stop
Cause who I’m talkin’ bout y’all is Hip-Hop

In this song, the poet used the metaphoric narrative to tell a story about the love of his life, the struggles she faced, and his desire to save her. In the end, he admits that this love is not a real person, but instead his love of Hip-Hop.

The presentation of Hip-Hop love narratives is a very difficult task. In order to talk about love and still construct a socially acceptable urban identity, artists tend to implement one of the five successful love narrative forms. I believe that our society’s analysis of Hip-Hop music and culture is lackluster at best. The Hip-Hop love narratives presented above could provide a great basis for linguistic and sociolinguistic studies. Not only are they presented in a variety of styled narrative forms, but they also include deep thought, perception and analysis of the urban environment that characterizes an increasing majority of American society. Through the analysis and study of these love narratives, linguists could come to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the Hip-Hop vernacular, literature and, ultimately, culture.

Works Cited / Discography
A Tribe Called Quest. People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Jive Records, 1990.
Black Eyed Peas. Bridging the Gap. Interscope Records, 2000.
Black Star. Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star. Rawkus Records, 1998.
Bubba Sparxx. Deliverance. Interscope Records, 2003.
Common. Electric Circus. MCA Records, 2002.
Common Sense. Resurrection. Relativity Records, 1994.
Dead Prez. Let’s Get Free. Relativity Records, 2000.
Goodie Mob. Still Standing. La Face Records, 1998.
Guru. Jazzmatazz Streetsoul Vol. 3. Virgin Records, 2000.
Method Man. Tical. Def Jam Records, 1994.
Mos Def. Black on Both Sides. Priority Records, 1999.
Outkast. ATLiens. La Face Records, 1996.
Outkast. Stankonia. La Face Records, 2003.
Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek. Train of Thought. Rawkus Records, 2000.
The Roots. Things Fall Apart. MCA Records, 1999.

Nathaniel Long is the creator and editor of Hip Hop Linguistics, a website dedicated to studying, interpreting and understanding hip-hop music, language, philosophy and culture. You can read more articles and reviews at www.hiphoplinguistics.com/?Hip_Hop_Album_Reviews.

Fashion design vocational schools put their focus of fashion into two-year programs where the essential material is instilled upon their students. Students may earn certificates or an Associate of Arts Degree at fashion design vocational schools. Some industry leaders believe that vocational training schools provide even better preparation and training than four-year institutions because they work with the garment industry.

A vocational school will have a two-tiered certificate program that goes along with an Associate of Arts degree.

Individuals needing a fast track to a career, usually choose the first-level certificate of proficiency. These people will work as Design Room Assistants in busy design rooms performing stimulating activities and jobs.

Even though it takes more time to achieve second level proficiency, applicants get a competitive edge in securing Assistant Designer positions. An assistant designer’s job usually consists of drawing flat sketches of the garments, which should include necessary details to allow others to properly produce it. It is important that one fully “knows” the fabrics, their makings, and how they react to their surroundings. Ordering fabrics and trims are other duties in which are expected to be properly managed by the assistant designer.

The assistant designer will need to be adaptable to their environments as well as steadfast because they will be asked to perform many different tasks around the design room at any given time.

Face it. There is a great chance that your four year degree will lose its value in the job market. As more students graduate with degrees, the value of the degree drops. Some degrees drop in value more than others, and a few are just downright worthless from the start. It isn’t surprising to me that those students who major in Accounting or Nursing find it less difficult getting “real jobs.” However, I’m puzzled by bright students who major in Creative Writing and don’t understand why they are answering telephones at mortgage companies after graduation.

Who is to blame? The great professor who convinced “you” to major in Philosophy? The academic adviser who told “you” to major in Music? These are terrific majors, but they don’t necessarily lead to jobs that allow you to get your own apartment and buy your own car. Sure, you need to find a major that you enjoy, but you need to be realistic. Good jobs are not as easy to find as you think. A college degree may prepare folks for many different things, but it mostly prepares people to enter the job market. Sooner or later, you realize half of the people you must compete with have degrees too, and they have loads of work experience, sophisticated skills, and all kinds of marketable qualities. Employers can cherrypick from a crowd of old and new talent. I don’t want you to think that your future is not bright. There is always light at the end of the tunnel, but that light could be a train.

So what do you do if you are completing a degree and you think it won’t necessarily lead to a job? What do you do if you have a degree and you want a better job? You have to acquire the skills that the job market rewards people for having. Here are five examples of what I mean:

Example #1: Learn a foreign language.

Globalization has brought nations closer together. Most people know that being able to speak a foreign language is an enormous asset. Spanish, French, and German are popular languages to study, and they are found in most college curricula. However, there is a strong demand for people who can speak Japanese, Chinese, or Arabic. Whether you select Spanish or Chinese, the best way to learn a foreign language is to live in a country where the language is spoken. If you can’t move, then you should surround yourself with people who speak the language.

Example #2: Learn to do something unique with computers.

Though the technology bubble burst, people with computer expertise are still very attractive to employers. Anybody can send emails, but most people cannot design webpages, troubleshoot, or master the latest computer software. Having at least one strong computer-related skill besides word processing can easily set you apart from the crowd. Sometimes, learning from a local computer wizard is much better than taking a college course.

Example #3: Learn how to communicate

Being a good communicator is more than learning how to write well and speak clearly. Communication is both an act and an art. Different audiences have different needs, and you will have to communicate messages in different ways. You might think a course or two in speech or composition will do the trick. Maybe. I recommend an acting class and a good technical writing course that emphasizes proposal writing.

Example #4: Learn how to sale

We live in a service economy. While more and more items are being made in countries where labor is cheap, selling still takes place at home. Basically, selling is figuring out how to create a demand for supply. Most students flock to marketing courses, but I would recommend a course or two in Psychology, so you can figure out what actually makes people tick. However, nothing teaches you how to sell like experience selling. I recommend that students start by volunteering in political campaigns. They provide powerful learning experiences in the art of selling and great networking opportunities.

Example #5: Learn how to be an entrepreneur

After acquiring some of the skills that I outlined above, you should consider starting a small business. There are continuing education courses and tons of books that can show you how your hobby, talent, skill, or expertise has value beyond an employer. The tax breaks and extra income are great incentives. Plus, your business might boom and make you a nice nest egg. Your savings can help you weather the storm after your boss suddenly decides that your wonderful skills are no longer enough to keep you on the payroll.

J.K. Dennis has been a college teacher and academic adviser for over twelve years. To learn more visit http://www.atlasbooks.com/3hp/index.html#titles. Email questions,comments, and suggestions for article topics to 9lessons@3hp.us

Students increasingly turn to the Internet to help them with their coursework. Subject directories can be especially useful, whether you are in search of a movie review or a biography of Galileo. However, subject directories - like many online tools - can sometimes blur the distinction between information and advertisements.

Subject directories are collections of links to web sites, categorized into different subject areas. Human volunteers or employees can perform this task, or it might be automated by way of computer programs. Subject directories may be made by anyone, but there are two main types of directories.

Academic or professional subject directories are created and maintained by experts, for other experts. In contrast, commercial subject directories are geared towards the general public and are meant to generate revenue. Such directories make a profit by attracting as many visitors as possible so that they can sell advertising on their sites. Advertisements can be obvious or more subtle, ranging from a banner at the top of the page to paid listings within the subject directory itself.

Paid listings in commercial subject directories create an obvious problem. While it’s understandable that the site’s creators are in business and need to generate income somehow, the general public isn’t aware of such practices. Thus, many people assume that the information contained in all subject directories is selected for quality and relevance.

On the contrary, commercial directories rarely screen link submissions for quality, and questionable links may be included if their owners are willing to pay for placement. Although the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has standards that subject directories must follow for disclosing paid listings, not all sites are up to snuff. You will find the same conflict with many search engines, which also sell advertising space in the form of paid listings.

Subject directories are most useful in the early stages of the research process, when you’re trying to come up with a general topic idea, or if you need to narrow a broad idea down a bit. Using what Reva Basch (in “Researching Online for Dummies,” 1998) calls the “drill-down approach,” you can take a very broad subject heading and, step by step, break it down into smaller parts until you have a narrow, manageable topic to work with.

For example, let’s say you need to write a paper for your American History class, but you’re plum out of topic ideas. No problem! Using a subject directory, you could start with the broad subject of “History.” Under this heading is a list of countries; since you’re taking an American history course, you’d choose the “United States.” Under the US, you might find a list of time periods to choose from; if you know which period you’re most interested in, you’d make a beeline for that heading and explore the possible topics. If not, you might browse each time period until you find a topic that sounds intriguing. Using this approach, you’re sure to find something to write about!

Subject directories can also be useful if you already have a topic in mind. Simply find your topic in the directory, either by clicking through the directory until you locate it or by conducting a search with a search engine (which many directories are equipped with). Once you have located your topic, you will have a short list of highly relevant resources to help guide your research.

It’s best to use subject directories early on, when you’re conducting preliminary research. If you have problems defining a topic, subject directories are most helpful. With directories, you don’t have to formulate search queries, which require that you have a rather specific idea of what you’re researching. Instead, you navigate around until you find an interesting topic, which the directory defines for you. Subject directories can also be helpful if you need to locate some high-quality, peer-reviewed resources rather quickly, without having to wade through all the results a search engine would give you. Your best bet is to look to subject directories if your topic is fairly current (but old enough that it’s no longer “breaking news”), and has received a good deal of coverage. Obscure and out-of-date subjects are less likely to be included in directories.

When using subject directories for academic research, it’s wise to rely primarily on academic or professional directories. Not only are they unlikely to contain paid listings (and, in the rare instances that they do, the paid listings are clearly labeled), but the links are carefully chosen by qualified experts in the field. As a result, you have a better chance of actually finding your subject covered in academic directories. You can also rest assured that any links included lead to reputable resources that are suitable for your needs.

If you do decide to look at commercial directories, try to find ones that disclose their listing policies and clearly label paid listings as such. By all means, critically evaluate all the information you find online, and apply more stringent standards to commercial directories, search engines, and web sites.

Copyright Kelly Garbato, 2005

Kelly Garbato is an author, ePublisher, and small business owner. She recently self-published her first book, “13 Lucky Steps to Writing a Research Paper,” now available at Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) or through Peedee Publishing (http://www.peedeepublishing.com).

To learn more about the author, visit her web site at http://www.kellygarbato.com.

Psychology is a very interesting science. With the help of it’s
achievements we can research the hidden corners of our souls.
This can be really exciting and even make you discover something
new about your personality and traits of your character. You can
make numerous tests to determine what will your reaction be to a
certain event, how you act in extreme situations, what is your
aim that you don’t notice, how well you get along with others.
All the above stated questions and the answers you’ll get make
up your temperament, a psychological term used to show types of
personality by I.P. Pavlov, famous scientist from Russia.

He made a theory of temperament after doing some research on the
topic and his theory is proved by experiments. In his pe
rsonal experience essay and just notes he gives a detailed
description of person’s reaction to the same event. You sit
peacefully on a bench in the park and read the newspaper. You
bought a new cap today, but the day is hot so you put it nearby
on the bench and continue to read. You see an old lady
approaching. She takes a free seat near you and says nothing,
opens a book and reads. Suddenly, it dawns on you that she’s
sitting on your new cap. What is your reaction? If you laugh and
make jokes to calm the poor granny down you are a sanguine; if
you start yelling and your face turns red of the strain and you
don’t care about the granny who is probably going to have a
heart attack, you are choleric; if you burst into tears and
allow the granny to comfort you, you are melancholic; and if you
ignore everything including granny’s sitting on your cap and the
start of the rain you are a typical phlegmatic. These for types
can be described by anybody who makes observations in an pe
rsonal experience essays, if you have enough patience to
observe your reactions to different situations long enough.

Temperament is not the only field to research and find out new
things about you. You may also try to prove Freud’s theory, who
says that intellect is completely subjected the passionate
nature of a human being and his/her needs. You may see for
yourself if you can find “collective unknown” and “individual
unknown” which may also be very exciting. Finally, there are a
lot of IQ tests that make you understand better in which
direction to work to make your mental abilities better. You can
not only experiment with yourself but have a friend who is
willing to find out something new about his nature. Psychology
is still a developing science so that can be a motivator to try
your skills in this field professionally. Who knows, maybe you
are a born psychiatrist?

BestEssays.com - Term
Paper writing service

Your high school graduation day can be one of the most important
days of your life. Not only does it mean memories that you can
look back on for a lifetime, it also means one of the most
important documents you will ever receive - your high school
diploma. Getting that diploma means a huge difference in your
life. It can sometimes be very hard to get your diploma. You may
live in a nontraditional situation. You may have some learning
difficulties you have to overcome. You may even have some
language issues or citizenship concerns that you think will keep
you from a high school diploma. Hang in there. Getting your
diploma, no matter what your situation, will certainly act as a
lifesaver for you in the long run.

One of the biggest benefits in getting your high school diploma
is the fact that you are ten times more likely to be offered a
job if you have a high school diploma. Most employers will not
even consider your application if you cannot tell them,
honestly, that you have achieved your high school diploma. If
you don’t have your diploma and the job candidate next to you
does, you will not be hired for the position. Another benefit of
having your high school diploma is the fact that you will be
able to advance within the job of your choice just based on that
single document. Your employer may need you to take some post
secondary education classes before you advance, but if you have
a diploma, you will be able to enroll in those classes and move
up within your company. One final benefit of having a high
school diploma is that you can expect to earn more money than
your counterparts without a high school diploma. Not only will
you earn a little more, you can earn up to a quarter of a
million dollars more over the course of your life, according to
recent studies.

It may be tough to get your diploma. You may have to overcome
many hardships before you walk across that stage and grab that
piece of paper. Once you do, though, you will never regret your
awesome accomplishment. There are simply too many benefits
involved.

Can a quarter-million of the world’s brightest students be wrong? That’s one estimate of the number of foreign students who forsake the comforts of home and brave the UK’s food and, for many, forbidding weather to get the postgraduate education they consider the key to a bright future in their homelands.

The British Council puts the total number of overseas students currently studying in Britain – at all academic levels – at nearly one million, with two-fifths of post-graduate students hailing from other countries. The British government’s increasing recognition of the value of this phenomenon to the British economy overall is likely to increase its efforts to attract these students away from competing institutions in other countries and to address the complex student-visa laws that most overseas students cite as the greatest – and often the only – disincentive to seeking graduate degrees in the UK.

Studying in the UK, rather than at comparable universities and colleges in other countries, clearly remains the first choice of the largest segment of the overseas student population.

The principle reason can be summed up in the single word the 23-year-old Uzbekistanian Tulkin Sultanov gave the BBC as his reason for pursuing advanced studies in the UK: “reputation.” Worldwide, UK universities are renowned for their high academic standards, cutting-edge educational facilities (particularly in the sciences, engineering and the arts), and broad range of offerings combined with the flexibility to accommodate individual student needs.

Like many other students who eventually go to the UK itself, Sultanov was educated in a British school in his homeland. As a result, he said, he knew both that British teaching was high-quality, that the professors at British universities had international reputations as leaders in their fields – and, crucially, that alumni of British universities enjoyed a level of professional success on return to their homeland that made them the envy of their generation.

UK universities and colleges are continuously evaluated by professional bodies to ensure that their teaching and research standards and their facilities are at the highest standards. The result has been the more important rating by the rest of the world, which at this point assumes that any British post-graduate education is top rank. Because standards are now known to be high at all levels, an unrivaled prestige attaches to a master’s or doctoral degree earned at a British university.

Of the half-million Chinese students studying abroad annually, some 50,000 have chose the UK as their academic destination of choice, together spending an estimated £550m a year on their UK educations. Twenty-two-year-old Lin Disheng, a Chinese student featured in another BBC story, followed his BS degree from Nottingham University (where he earned first-class honors in e-commerce and digital business) with a master’s degree programme at Oxford. Citing China’s rapid industrialisation and economic growth, he told the BBC, “Chinese young people like me want to make a contribution to this rapid process. That’s why I want to study In the UK - to learn better western technologies and experience the western culture and do the best I can.”

It goes without saying that the students who are accepted into British universities are the top students of their home countries’ top universities. Still, for most, what amplifies the education they received at home can be summed up in the three words independence, creativity and self-reliance. These are not only qualities they pick up at the personal level – although the mere process of adapting to, and then succeeding in, a culture often significantly unlike their own gives them a level of self-confidence they might well not even need in their homelands.

More to the point, a UK graduate education teaches foreign students a kind of independent thinking, creativity with ideas (most conspicuous in artistic disciplines but as evident in disciplines such as business and politics – “thinking outside the box” – and even science. Most foreign student have come from academic environments that have emphasized rote learning and, with the best of intentions, the dutiful regurgitation to their professors of the teachers’ own ideas. Only in an environment that both fosters and teachers ways of independent thinking do students learn how to generate their own ideas, propose and test original solutions to problems, and trust their own creative impulses.

British universities also offer well-recognised value for money. Undergraduate degree programmes, for example, are typically spread over three rather than four years, and most master’s degree programmes are designed to be completed in one year. This makes them highly cost-effective when compared to the longer time it takes to complete comparable courses of study in other countries, particularly in the US. Also, scholarships and other forms of financial aid make it possible to for many foreign students to enter institutions they would not be able to attend on their own or their families’ resources. Personal support in gaining access to such assistance, overseen by highly trained university administration staffs, helps many foreign students navigate that thicket of qualifications that sometimes discourage them from pursuing this vital source of financial help.

Furthermore, access to government-funded health care contributes greatly to the financial advantages of studying in the UK. Students in any full-time course in Scotland and in full-time courses lasting at least six months in England, Wales or Northern Ireland are entitled to free medical treatment from the British National Health Service.

Another advantage of study in the UK is that some students can, if they must or wish, work while they are pursuing their degrees. Because they are from outside the EU, students who are registered is a course of study longer than six months can work as much as 20 hours a week during term time and full-time during holidays. Students who need to supplement their finances to live as well as study abroad will be happy to know that part-time work is easy to find. Others may find working part-time a valuable way of learning more about the local culture outside the confines of academe.

The UK also offers a unique variety of graduate academic settings. In addition to the universities and colleges ensconced within Britain’s bustling, dynamic cities – which include far more places than London, though the capital is unrivaled for its academic, cultural, and other offerings – students can choose to study on purpose-built countryside campuses, often in areas of singular natural beauty as well. While some foreign students understandably want the programmes as well as the prestige of Britain’s famous, time-honored seats of higher education, others prefer the more modern, state-of-the-art universities that have sprung up throughout the country, sometimes with specific academic specialisations, sometimes offering a full range of post-graduate programmes.

Indeed, exposure to the larger culture is, though often overlooked during considerations of where to study abroad, one of the strongest reasons for choosing the UK as a place to pursue an advanced degree. Exploring the country beyond the university campus is sure to strengthen English skills and, more to the point, it does not require learning yet another language beyond the international language of English that has become the worldwide academic norm.

In addition to the native, local, and popular cultures, Britain offers some of the richest examples of Western culture to be found anywhere in Europe – and not just in London. Although London plays second fiddle to no other city in Europe in terms of its cultural offerings of all kinds, there are also significant cultural centres and events in other UK cities, such as Birmingham, which has one of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras, and Edinburgh, a city with an extraordinarily rich year-around cultural life and a summer festival of all the arts that is one of the world’s most renowned. British museums also are considered among the world’s finest.

For the more adventuresome, the rest of Europe is literally at the doorstep of people living in the UK. There are affordable ways to travel to the other countries of Europe – particularly for students – with resulting close, easy access to a broad array of other Western cultures, people, and traditions.

But even students who find study so demanding that it keeps them close to home and allows them little time for travel will be grateful to be “confined” to a country as famously beautiful as the UK. The British countryside, villages, and beaches are famous worldwide for their surpassing beauty. Travel within the country is inexpensive and fast, allowing most visiting students ample opportunities to explore the UK’s riches beyond its university walls.

Whatever your motives for choosing to study in the UK – and whatever you do to enhance your academic experience while there – you can be sure of one thing. When you return home, everyone will be impressed that you earned your degree in a country known throughout the world for the high quality of its educational offerings. And, with a British degree in your pocket (and brain), you’ll be in a prime position to compete for your country’s best jobs – and find the most satisfying way to take part in a globalised world you have yourself encountered.

Hugh O’Connell is a business owner and university lecturer. He is a director of
Plan-it Consultants Limited, Thailand and UniRoute Limited, Hong Kong. Plan-it
provides off line resources to students wishing to study overseas:
study abroad
program. UniRoute offers online advice on
study abroad and
study UK. Currently Hugh resides in Thailand and is working towards his doctorate.

If you are thinking about utilizing a distance learning program
then you need to familiarize yourself with a whole new set of
terms and definitions that help to make up this new way of
learning. Here are a few to get you started, the ABC’s of
distance learning.

Under A you may find the following terms:

Academic Advisor. An academic advisor is a person appointed by
the college or university representative who provides guidance
to students in to help them select courses and an academic
program that will meet the requirements to complete an online
degree program.

Accreditation. This is the process by which online degree
programs are monitored to ensure that they meet certain
standards or requirements. There are special accrediting
agencies at the national and regional level that ensure that the
distance learning program meets all of the specific curricular
standards in order to grant online degrees Associate Degree. An
associate online degree is usually granted after completion of a
two-year post secondary program. It also is sometimes known as a
transfer degree.

Under B you may find:

Baccalaureate. This is more commonly known as a bachelor’s
degree and is usually granted after four years of study at an
online degree granting college or university.

Baud. A baud is a technical measurement of digital transmission
that is used to describe the rate at which information flows
between two electronic devices such as modems. The higher the
baud rate means the faster information is processed and
transferred between two computers.

Under C you will find:

Case Study. A case study is a common presentation style to help
distance learning students see the application of a theoretical
principle to a simulated or real-life situation. It helps
students practice applying their analytical and presentation
skills to the theories that are learning in their online
classroom.

College. A college is an institution that normally offers
associate and bachelor’s degrees. The focus at colleges is on
education rather than research.

Conditional Acceptance or Admission. This is an offer to
participate in a university or college online degree program to
a student who meets the basic academic requirements, but might
need to improve some other aspect of themselves such as passing
an English proficiency exam in order to begin their distance
learning program.

Cooperative or Co-op Program. These are distance learning
programs that combine online classroom time with alternating
work placements.

Course load. Course load refers to the number of courses taken
or credits earned within a period of study that may be defined
as a semester, term or quarter.

Credit. A credit is granted for each course completed and in
order to get an online degree most academic programs require
students to complete a certain number of credits or courses.

An Art school has a primary focus on the visual arts, such as graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, and sculpture. They are specific to the type of education that you wish to obtain. Art schools differ from larger institutions by degrees including such classes as science and math. When the school is considered an accredited college, you can still obtain a bachelor of Fine Arts degree. There are certain criteria that you need to meet in order to be accepted into an art school. What the admissions committees look for in an applicant is:

Grades: the committee wants to make sure that the future student will be successful and thrive under academic pressure.

Students who have strong academic backgrounds are preferred. Do not worry if you are not the strongest academic applicant.

The Admissions counselors also take personal background and extracurricular activities into consideration.

Improve your chances of being accepted at the art school of your choice, by improving your GPA, participating in after school activities, (if you are still in school), involvement in the community or neighborhood, and/or participation in civic or religious groups. These will all give you an advantage when applying to the art school you wish to attend, as they will enhance your application making it more likely to be accepted.

It is always a challenge to be accepted into art school, but it is never impossible. No matter what you reason is for applying to art school, whether it is to better your qualifications and improve your chances of getting a promotion or if you are just out of high school wanting to attend school.

There will always be ways to improve your chances of getting into art school. Therefore, take a look around talk to people that may be going to the school of your choice. Never be afraid to ask questions. You will find that people are willing to give you the information you need in order to optimize your application. Do not be afraid to take all the advantages and advise you can get.

For more information, visit Art Schools.