Racism is a word that many people do not fully understand or have many perceptions of. It is being considered as a term for stereotyping people. Racism has also affected society and some organizations and paople have dona actions against it. It also has different types namely: racial discrimination, institutional, and economic. Through this essay, the readers would be eable to know what racism truly is. There are different definitions of this word and some of them will be cited.
Believing that a certain race is more dominant than other races in terms of traits, abilities, and appearance is considered as racism. Many people would consult the dictionary to find out what the meaning of the word is. The Oxford English Dictionary defines racism as a belief or ideology that all members of each race have characteristics or skills specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being superior or inferior to another race (2010). Another definition of racism is that it is a belief that race is the one that determines a person's traits and capacities and that the difference in race produce superiority or inferiority of a racial group. That definition came from the Merriam - Webster's Dictionary (2010). Both definitions of racism in those dictionaries seem quite similar and does say what racism generally means.
Some people, on the other hand, would prefer listening or reading what prominent people or organizations have to say about a topic for them to know its meaning. The United Nations is a well respected and known organization and it does not define racism. However it does define it as racial discrimination. Based on the UN Convention on the Elimination f All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the term "racial discrimination" means: "any distinction,exclusion, restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights, and fundamental freedoms in political, economic, social, cultural, or any other field of public life" (1996).
Since the UN has written definitions about racism, it is clear to say that it has already affected society and its people. A number of sociologists define racism as a system from which a group benefits. A person's colour is the main topic of racism. In David Wellman;s book, Portraits of White Racism, he defines it as "culturally sanctioned beliefs, which, regardless of intentions involved, defend the advantages whites have because of the subordinated position of racial minorities" (Racism, http://en.wiki.com/racism, 2010). This shows that "white" people are more superior than the "black" people, especially in the United States.
There are different examples of low racism affects society. One can be taken from Barbara Trepagnier's research. It showed that almost all white Americans hold some negative stereotypes and assumptions about African Americans and other races or ethnic minorities, which she calls silent racism (2006). With that example, it is quite clear that colour is a primary determinant of how people would socialize with a person or a group of people.
There are three types of racism. One of them is racial discrimination. Racial discrimination is dividing society into groups not necessarily related to races and treating them according to it (Racism, http://en.wiki.com/racism). This is the most common type of racism and it is usually connected to stereotyping. Dean Karlan and Marianne Bertland, together with other researchers from the MIT and the University of Chicago did a study and found out that in the workplace, there was a widespread discrimination against job applicants who seemed to have "black-sounding names". The people in that category have less than 50% chance of landing a job interview. The researchers see the results as strong evidence of the biases done by the people of the United States without even realizing that they are doing it (2003). Not only Americans, but other people from different countries do that, too.
Another type of racism is institutional. Institutional racism, according to Wikipedia, can be also called as structural, state or systematic racism. It is the type of racial discrimination done by governments, companies, religious groups, or educational institutions who have the power to influence many people (2010). The example on racial discrimination can also be considered as institutional. Even though a lot organizations would admit it, some, if not most of them practice institutional racism through their policies or through the people working for them.
The last type of racism is economic. Economic racism is caused by past racism and historical reasons which affect the present generation due to the lack of formal education, the lack of preparation during the parents' generation, and through the racist attitudes and actions done without them even knowing it. There are some people who run the economy which practices this type of racism. This type of racism is slowly being decreased because it is becoming unpractical.
Because of the big impact of racism in society, there have been people, institutions, and governments that have made policies or laws against it. Examples of these institutions are the UN, UNESCO and the European Union. These institutions have enough power to influence many people. The UN held the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and discussed what racism is and what are the results of it in hopes that it could open the minds of people and eliminate racism (1996). The UNESCO, on the other hand, suggested in The Race Question to "drop the term race altogether and instead speak of ethnic groups". It aimed at both debunking different scientific racist theories and morally condemned racism as an assumption of equal rights for all. The European Union strictly banned racism and many other types of social discrimination in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2001). Since governments and institutions have done actions against it, it just goes to show that they really want to erase racism from society.
Based on the definitions and examples of racism, I think it was made clear that although racism is somehow related to stereotyping, both are not equally the same. People should be more informed about what racism is and the outcomes of it so that it could be slowly removed from society. The belief that a certain race can produce better people in terms of skills and physical appearance is already racism. Whether we may know it or not, every single person has a racist side, even if he or she is conscious or serious about it or not. Everyone should take part in slowly stopping racism because we are all being victims of racism or the other way around. Practicing racism results to even more racism. To stop the cycle, we should start with ourselves.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Progress is always good…or is it? (Argumentative Essay)
Progress is always good; that is what people usually believe in. the idea of progress is the theory that human condition improves due to the advances in science, technology, and society (The idea of progress, 2010, http://en.wiki.com/the_idea_of _progress). Progress does not always have a positive effect on people. Although progress gives better solutions to the problems people face, not all people benefit from it. This essay aims to show the reader that progress, no matter how helpful it may be, has a negative effect.
Before the modern era, ethnic cultures were widely practiced. Due to the progress of technology and society, ethnic cultures are slowly being forgotten. Nowadays, people would rather spend their time inside the house and use their gadgets than to go outside and participate with their family’s traditions. Ethnic culture also involves working hard to earn a living. Most people would rather use modern technology or other people to do the job for them. Because of this, they would not know and understand the values that can be learned by working hard. Progress also makes ethnic culture seem boring and uninteresting to do or practice. People tend to forget or disregard their ethnic cultures and beliefs due to the stereotype that practicing them would make them uncool or that it I s not in the way towards progress. Because of progress, products from other countries are made available here, which makes local people patronize foreign products than the local ones. Although there are still countries like China who, despite being a progressive country, still practices their ethnic traditions. That is a good example of what progress should always put into consideration. But despite of this, there are still people in China who do not practice it as much as they did before because of progress. Progress does not stop the practice if ethnic culture but it slowly eradicates it, especially in the minds of the younger generation.
Progress is usually connected to technology. And due to the advances in technology, more and more factories rely on machines to do the work for them because it is cheaper but it also results to an increase in the unemployment rate. Factory workers are now being laid off of their jobs only to be replaced by machines. No matter how hardworking or talented the person is, he or she is still not considered as the best choice compared to the machines. Because of the recession and the economic crisis in different places around the world, it is now harder to find jobs stable enough to help sustain themselves and their families everyday. It would not be helpful if people are losing their jobs and being replaced by machines. Machines, on the other hand, are cheaper than having people do the work and they also make production a lot faster and more efficient. That may be a good thing for the company but if more people lose their jobs, then not a lot of people would get to buy the products that the machines have made.
People develop and improve mainly technology to help solve the problems of people and to lessen the workload to help make life easier. Because of this, people rely more on technology to do the work for them and, most of the time, just sit around and wait for the achiness to finish the job for them. This results to an unhealthy lifestyle. Some people may admit it or not, but they depend more on technology and the progress of society to do things for them than to exert effort themselves. If people do not move around that much, they tend to forget about exercising or putting effort on what they are doing. Lack of exercise can lead to an unhealthy life and can result to sickness. There are products of progress that help promote healthy living like, for example, exercise machines. These help people get in shape but most people do not use them because they think that technology is meant to make life and work easier so that they could not get tired anymore.
Progress is not just limited to advances in technology or science, but also to the economy and society. It may denote a positive effect in everyone concerned but it is not always true. “To the minds of most people the desirable outcome of human development would be a condition of society which all the inhabitants of the planet would enjoy a perfectly happy existence […] it cannot be proved that the unknown destination towards which man is advancing is desirable.” (Bury, the idea of progress, p.2) People may not always know about it, but it here would always be a negative effect in some, if not all, people. Those who develop or want progress should always bear in mind the different negative outcomes and not only think of the benefits it could give. As the famous physicist, Isaac Newton said: “For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.”
Sources: The Idea of Progress, http://en.wiki.com/the_idea_of_porgress, 2010
Bury, The Idea of Progress
Before the modern era, ethnic cultures were widely practiced. Due to the progress of technology and society, ethnic cultures are slowly being forgotten. Nowadays, people would rather spend their time inside the house and use their gadgets than to go outside and participate with their family’s traditions. Ethnic culture also involves working hard to earn a living. Most people would rather use modern technology or other people to do the job for them. Because of this, they would not know and understand the values that can be learned by working hard. Progress also makes ethnic culture seem boring and uninteresting to do or practice. People tend to forget or disregard their ethnic cultures and beliefs due to the stereotype that practicing them would make them uncool or that it I s not in the way towards progress. Because of progress, products from other countries are made available here, which makes local people patronize foreign products than the local ones. Although there are still countries like China who, despite being a progressive country, still practices their ethnic traditions. That is a good example of what progress should always put into consideration. But despite of this, there are still people in China who do not practice it as much as they did before because of progress. Progress does not stop the practice if ethnic culture but it slowly eradicates it, especially in the minds of the younger generation.
Progress is usually connected to technology. And due to the advances in technology, more and more factories rely on machines to do the work for them because it is cheaper but it also results to an increase in the unemployment rate. Factory workers are now being laid off of their jobs only to be replaced by machines. No matter how hardworking or talented the person is, he or she is still not considered as the best choice compared to the machines. Because of the recession and the economic crisis in different places around the world, it is now harder to find jobs stable enough to help sustain themselves and their families everyday. It would not be helpful if people are losing their jobs and being replaced by machines. Machines, on the other hand, are cheaper than having people do the work and they also make production a lot faster and more efficient. That may be a good thing for the company but if more people lose their jobs, then not a lot of people would get to buy the products that the machines have made.
People develop and improve mainly technology to help solve the problems of people and to lessen the workload to help make life easier. Because of this, people rely more on technology to do the work for them and, most of the time, just sit around and wait for the achiness to finish the job for them. This results to an unhealthy lifestyle. Some people may admit it or not, but they depend more on technology and the progress of society to do things for them than to exert effort themselves. If people do not move around that much, they tend to forget about exercising or putting effort on what they are doing. Lack of exercise can lead to an unhealthy life and can result to sickness. There are products of progress that help promote healthy living like, for example, exercise machines. These help people get in shape but most people do not use them because they think that technology is meant to make life and work easier so that they could not get tired anymore.
Progress is not just limited to advances in technology or science, but also to the economy and society. It may denote a positive effect in everyone concerned but it is not always true. “To the minds of most people the desirable outcome of human development would be a condition of society which all the inhabitants of the planet would enjoy a perfectly happy existence […] it cannot be proved that the unknown destination towards which man is advancing is desirable.” (Bury, the idea of progress, p.2) People may not always know about it, but it here would always be a negative effect in some, if not all, people. Those who develop or want progress should always bear in mind the different negative outcomes and not only think of the benefits it could give. As the famous physicist, Isaac Newton said: “For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction.”
Sources: The Idea of Progress, http://en.wiki.com/the_idea_of_porgress, 2010
Bury, The Idea of Progress
Failing a subject; what causes it? (Cause & Effect Essay)
Failing marks are not new to a student. Whether it is a homework or a quiz, most students have failed one or two. Failing a subject is a common event in a student’s academic life and is caused by different actions done by the student and the people around him or her. This essay aims to show what causes failures so that it could be avoided or to let the reader be aware of it.
The first cause, and probably one of the major reasons of failure is that the student did not focus on studying the lessons. By not focusing on the subject the student is studying, the student would not thoroughly understand the lesson. By the time the exams are being held and the student still did not fully understand the lesson, he or she will likely fail the test. If that keeps up, the student would fail the subject. Not only should the student focus on studying for the exams but also in doing homeworks, seatworks, and projects. If he or she does not concentrate on doing these, it could also affect his or her grade. Concentration is important when studying; so if the student did not concentrate, there would be a high chance of failure in that subject. Lack of concentration could mean that the student was distracted.
The second cause of failure is distraction. Nowadays, distractions can be found everywhere, whether it is the people around you, television, internet, or technology, it can be considered as a form of distraction. With today’s rapidly growing technology, it is not easy to resist them and concentrate on what they are doing. Most students would rather spend their time to use the internet and devote their attention at social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter because it seems more fun than studying or dong projects. If they do this, they would most likely fail the subject. Prioritizing is the key to do both entertain themselves and study within the limited time they have. Prioritizing tasks is very important to students so that they could be able to finish their schoolwork on tie and still be able to unwind and do whatever they want. If students do not prioritize their tasks well, they would end up cramming.
Cramming is a common attitude of students which leads to the failure of the subject. Students do unnecessary things first which leads them less time to do any schoolwork. Because of the time limit, students do not have enough time to fully understand their lessons at school or do all of the requirements they need and it could lead to low grades and failures. When studying, doing homeworks, and projects, time is essential. If students have limited time in their hands, finishing and understanding well what they are doing is highly unlikely. By not focusing, getting distracted, and cramming all the time, the chances of students failing a subject is very high.
Students may admit it or not, but failing a subject is easier than passing one. With all the technologies society has produced, disregarding or not prioritizing studying is quite easy. Failing a subject is caused by the examples stated and can be avoided by being focused as much as possible. With the right mindset, it would be easier for students to set aside the distractions brought up by the internet, friends, and maybe even by their families. Sacrificing these for the time being would pay off in the long run and could help benefit themselves in their academic life. Students should just remember that what they are doing is going to be worth it so that they would not have a hard time sacrificing the things they want to do and replace them with time for studying and doing schoolwork. On the other hand, students should not devote all their time on studying. As to what Albert Einstein had said, “We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.” (Einstein, Out of my later years, 1950)
Source: Albert Einstein, Out of My Later Years, 1950
The first cause, and probably one of the major reasons of failure is that the student did not focus on studying the lessons. By not focusing on the subject the student is studying, the student would not thoroughly understand the lesson. By the time the exams are being held and the student still did not fully understand the lesson, he or she will likely fail the test. If that keeps up, the student would fail the subject. Not only should the student focus on studying for the exams but also in doing homeworks, seatworks, and projects. If he or she does not concentrate on doing these, it could also affect his or her grade. Concentration is important when studying; so if the student did not concentrate, there would be a high chance of failure in that subject. Lack of concentration could mean that the student was distracted.
The second cause of failure is distraction. Nowadays, distractions can be found everywhere, whether it is the people around you, television, internet, or technology, it can be considered as a form of distraction. With today’s rapidly growing technology, it is not easy to resist them and concentrate on what they are doing. Most students would rather spend their time to use the internet and devote their attention at social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter because it seems more fun than studying or dong projects. If they do this, they would most likely fail the subject. Prioritizing is the key to do both entertain themselves and study within the limited time they have. Prioritizing tasks is very important to students so that they could be able to finish their schoolwork on tie and still be able to unwind and do whatever they want. If students do not prioritize their tasks well, they would end up cramming.
Cramming is a common attitude of students which leads to the failure of the subject. Students do unnecessary things first which leads them less time to do any schoolwork. Because of the time limit, students do not have enough time to fully understand their lessons at school or do all of the requirements they need and it could lead to low grades and failures. When studying, doing homeworks, and projects, time is essential. If students have limited time in their hands, finishing and understanding well what they are doing is highly unlikely. By not focusing, getting distracted, and cramming all the time, the chances of students failing a subject is very high.
Students may admit it or not, but failing a subject is easier than passing one. With all the technologies society has produced, disregarding or not prioritizing studying is quite easy. Failing a subject is caused by the examples stated and can be avoided by being focused as much as possible. With the right mindset, it would be easier for students to set aside the distractions brought up by the internet, friends, and maybe even by their families. Sacrificing these for the time being would pay off in the long run and could help benefit themselves in their academic life. Students should just remember that what they are doing is going to be worth it so that they would not have a hard time sacrificing the things they want to do and replace them with time for studying and doing schoolwork. On the other hand, students should not devote all their time on studying. As to what Albert Einstein had said, “We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.” (Einstein, Out of my later years, 1950)
Source: Albert Einstein, Out of My Later Years, 1950
Reflective Essay : Exit Level
Through the ENGLCOM course, I have acquired the practice of writing essays using steps like the R.A.F.T. and making an outline. Unlike before, I would, as soon as I have decided on a topic, write immediately without even researching about it or thinking about how I would write it. I have also improved my spelling skills and how i organize my paragraphs. Before the course, I had a few spelling problems and it caused me to either misspell the word or opt to use other words similar to the one I wanted to use which i have no difficulty in spelling. I also learned more about plagiarism and ways on how to avoid it like paraphrasing and using the APA method. I was not very familiar with paraphrasing and using the APA method but after taking the course, I now have enough knowledge on how to use them and I could avoid plagiarism in my work. I also had the chance to work with my other classmates in some of the essays and I realized that the comments of my classmates were helpful in improving my essay. Although at first, I was really shy to let my classmates read and evaluate my work, I was afraid of what they would think about my work but after they have given me constructive criticism and some have given me tips on how i could improve my essay, I learned to listen to their advice and also gave me more ideas for my paper.
I wrote in my entrance reflective essay that i expected the course to be helpful in developing my reading and writing skills. After spending one term in taking the course, I think that my expectations were met because I have noticed certain changes in the way I write my essays. I have improved in different aspects and have learned a lot about reading and writing. ENGLCOM helped me reach my goals because the course had taught me things that I didn't know much about and those lessons that were not taught to us in high school. I had the chance to try and do different types of essays which I didn't think that I would be able to write and got to talk about topics that I really wanted to write and discuss about. All in all, ENGLCOM was a good learning experience not only in topics about reading and writing, but also a way of helping students, including myself, express themselves in the best way they can.
I wrote in my entrance reflective essay that i expected the course to be helpful in developing my reading and writing skills. After spending one term in taking the course, I think that my expectations were met because I have noticed certain changes in the way I write my essays. I have improved in different aspects and have learned a lot about reading and writing. ENGLCOM helped me reach my goals because the course had taught me things that I didn't know much about and those lessons that were not taught to us in high school. I had the chance to try and do different types of essays which I didn't think that I would be able to write and got to talk about topics that I really wanted to write and discuss about. All in all, ENGLCOM was a good learning experience not only in topics about reading and writing, but also a way of helping students, including myself, express themselves in the best way they can.
Reflective Essay : Entry Level
In reading and writing in English, I'm good at expressing myself with it. Reading is one of the things that I love to do. Writing using the English language is not one of my favorite things to do because sometimes, I'd rather talk than to write it down. There are also times when I prefer to read, speak and write using the English language than in Filipino. But, as much as I like English that much, I sometimes struggle with the meanings of the words that I read in books or in magazines. There are also times when I don't understand what the person I am talking to is saying because I'm not that familiar of the words that he or she is telling me. In writing, I struggle at the spelling of certain words. It's also hard for me, at times, to really express what I really feel and what I want to say because I don't know which words i should properly use when writing. I also have a hard time in phrasing the words that I say or write because I feel that the sentence that I would be saying or writing may be improperly phrased. My subject and verb agreement is not much of a problem. There are words that I sometimes have a hard time in changing its tense. The reasons may be because I don't know if that is how the word should be spelled in that certain tense. Punctuating sentences is sometimes my weakness. When writing, I feel like I'm saying or talking to the person reading what i have written, so my punctuations on the sentence/s may be as how i say it. I don't know if that is the proper way on how to write it or not. I expect that, from ENGLCOM, I'd learn more on how i could express myself in writing and learn how to do it the proper way. This is good because, there are times when I want not just to read a book, but to write as well.
I think the course will help me in developing my reading and writing skills. The course could teach me different techniques in helping me read and write more efficiently and effectively. Reading and writing properly is very important so i think this course would help me learn more about that. ENGLCOM could also help me realize the things or ways on how I read or write is properly done or not because I amy think that what I'm doing is correct, but in reality, it's wrong.
I think the course will help me in developing my reading and writing skills. The course could teach me different techniques in helping me read and write more efficiently and effectively. Reading and writing properly is very important so i think this course would help me learn more about that. ENGLCOM could also help me realize the things or ways on how I read or write is properly done or not because I amy think that what I'm doing is correct, but in reality, it's wrong.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band
Video games are really popular nowadays, especially with the young people. There are several games that come out daily, so it would be hard for others to keep up with them. Guitar Hero and Rock band are examples of popular video games. People may wonder what differentiates one from the other. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast the differences between Guitar Hero and Rock Band. This could help people who can’t decide which of the two games they should buy since both games seem to be the same from each other.
The Guitar Hero series and the Rock Band series were both developed by Harmonix Music Systems. Both game series simulate playing musical instruments using controllers shaped like the instruments featured in the game. The games will e compared and contrasted by three topics: game interface, gameplay, and popularity.
One of the obvious differences between the two games is their game interface. Guitar Hero mainly uses a guitar-shaped controller. Rather than the typical Playstation or Xbox controller, the guitar controller is the primary input of the game. With the purchase of Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II, a controller modeled after a Gibson SG is included, a controller modeled after a Gibson X-plorer for Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360) and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PC). The controllers help simulate what it would be like to play a lead, bass and rhythm guitar on different rock music songs while playing the game. The controller has features of an actual electric guitar which can also be used in the game. The whammy bar feature that electric guitars have is also found on the controller. It is also, like in electric guitars, changes the tone and strum of the guitar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero, March 2010)
Meanwhile, Rock Band uses an array of instrument-shaped controllers, namely: a microphone, a drum set, and an electric guitar. The guitar controller for lead and bass guitar is modeled after a Fender Stratocaster. The drum set has four rubber drum pads with colored rings around the edges and a bass pedal. The microphone is a standard USB microphone. The controllers are designed to make the players feel like they are actually performing the song using the actual instruments. When using them, players really have to sing, strum the guitar controller as if he or she is actually playing the real guitar, and beat the drum controller like what you would do in a real drum set. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
Another difference between the two games is how each is played and the difficulty levels of it. Guitar Hero focuses mainly on playing the guitar during gameplay. It supports mostly single player modes, typically a career mode to finish all of the songs in the game, and both competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. The players can choose to play either rhythm or bass guitar on the songs. Players who are used to playing rhythm could opt for the rhythm version of the song when playing, the same goes with bass. It could also be a way of learning what it feels like to play the song using a bass guitar if you are more used to rhythm, and vice versa. The game simulates the playing of an actual guitar by the use of the guitar controller to play the game. But instead of frets and strings, it has five colored “fret buttons” and a “strum bar”. With the use of fast paced guitar riffs and altering the pitch of notes using the whammy bar, Guitar Hero makes its players have a great sense of how it will be like to play an actual guitar.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero, March 2010)
Rock Band, on the other hand, features a variety of choices in terms of choosing which instrument players would want to play and it needs the cooperation of all players to win the game. It allows up to four players to mimic the performance of popular rock music songs. Players could also set the difficulty of the instruments they choose. In time with the music, players use the instrument-shaped controllers to play the scrolling musical “notes” on the screen. When players use lead or bass guitar, they pay their notes by holding down the fret buttons on the guitar controller and pushing the strum bar; for players using drums, they must strike the matching drumhead or step on the pedal to simulate playing the bass drum notes. Green bars that represent the pitch of the vocal elements are the pattern that “vocalists” have to imitate his or her voice with. Lyrics are also located underneath the bars. Rock Band has a section of the screen for every instrument being played. On the upper part of the screen, the vocals display is located just like in Karaoke Revolution. If one instrument is not being played in the game, it would not be displayed on screen. The “band’s” virtual characters performing in a concert is displayed on the background. The score given to the players is based on the ability to match the musical “notes” of he instruments or y the ability to match the singer’s voice when playing vocals. The songs found on Rock Band are more modern and up-to-date than those in Guitar Hero. Weekly, downloadable songs are being added to the network service of the game consoles, so that the users can get new songs easily. The game is more challenging because all players must do well in each of the instruments they are playing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
A notable difference is the popularity of one game from the other. The Guitar Hero series is more popular than the Rock Band series in terms of total sales. Guitar Hero was developed earlier than Rock Band, so more people are familiar to it. According to Wikipedia’s Guitar Hero article, the number of units that Guitar Hero has sold is larger than Rock Band’s 4 million units, with 11.8 million units sold. Because of the game’s popularity, developers make the game even better then the previous version and makes it more polished and seldom has bugs during gameplay. Even though Rock Band is not as popular as the Guitar Hero series, it gains popularity because of the game’s downloadable content. The series has sold more than $1 billion in total sales to date. Behind Guitar Hero and the Mari Series, Rock band was the third highest brand with $622 million in total sales for 2008. On the same year, over 5.3 million copies were sold and 3.8 million of those were instrument-bundled packages. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
Both games have similar features that make people confuse one from the other. There are also differences which make each pf them unique from one another. Because the two games were developed by the same company, the similarities seem to be exact. Setting aside their similarities and differences, both are awesome game series which give its users the feel of enjoyment and challenge.
The Guitar Hero series and the Rock Band series were both developed by Harmonix Music Systems. Both game series simulate playing musical instruments using controllers shaped like the instruments featured in the game. The games will e compared and contrasted by three topics: game interface, gameplay, and popularity.
One of the obvious differences between the two games is their game interface. Guitar Hero mainly uses a guitar-shaped controller. Rather than the typical Playstation or Xbox controller, the guitar controller is the primary input of the game. With the purchase of Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II, a controller modeled after a Gibson SG is included, a controller modeled after a Gibson X-plorer for Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360) and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PC). The controllers help simulate what it would be like to play a lead, bass and rhythm guitar on different rock music songs while playing the game. The controller has features of an actual electric guitar which can also be used in the game. The whammy bar feature that electric guitars have is also found on the controller. It is also, like in electric guitars, changes the tone and strum of the guitar. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero, March 2010)
Meanwhile, Rock Band uses an array of instrument-shaped controllers, namely: a microphone, a drum set, and an electric guitar. The guitar controller for lead and bass guitar is modeled after a Fender Stratocaster. The drum set has four rubber drum pads with colored rings around the edges and a bass pedal. The microphone is a standard USB microphone. The controllers are designed to make the players feel like they are actually performing the song using the actual instruments. When using them, players really have to sing, strum the guitar controller as if he or she is actually playing the real guitar, and beat the drum controller like what you would do in a real drum set. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
Another difference between the two games is how each is played and the difficulty levels of it. Guitar Hero focuses mainly on playing the guitar during gameplay. It supports mostly single player modes, typically a career mode to finish all of the songs in the game, and both competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes. The players can choose to play either rhythm or bass guitar on the songs. Players who are used to playing rhythm could opt for the rhythm version of the song when playing, the same goes with bass. It could also be a way of learning what it feels like to play the song using a bass guitar if you are more used to rhythm, and vice versa. The game simulates the playing of an actual guitar by the use of the guitar controller to play the game. But instead of frets and strings, it has five colored “fret buttons” and a “strum bar”. With the use of fast paced guitar riffs and altering the pitch of notes using the whammy bar, Guitar Hero makes its players have a great sense of how it will be like to play an actual guitar.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Hero, March 2010)
Rock Band, on the other hand, features a variety of choices in terms of choosing which instrument players would want to play and it needs the cooperation of all players to win the game. It allows up to four players to mimic the performance of popular rock music songs. Players could also set the difficulty of the instruments they choose. In time with the music, players use the instrument-shaped controllers to play the scrolling musical “notes” on the screen. When players use lead or bass guitar, they pay their notes by holding down the fret buttons on the guitar controller and pushing the strum bar; for players using drums, they must strike the matching drumhead or step on the pedal to simulate playing the bass drum notes. Green bars that represent the pitch of the vocal elements are the pattern that “vocalists” have to imitate his or her voice with. Lyrics are also located underneath the bars. Rock Band has a section of the screen for every instrument being played. On the upper part of the screen, the vocals display is located just like in Karaoke Revolution. If one instrument is not being played in the game, it would not be displayed on screen. The “band’s” virtual characters performing in a concert is displayed on the background. The score given to the players is based on the ability to match the musical “notes” of he instruments or y the ability to match the singer’s voice when playing vocals. The songs found on Rock Band are more modern and up-to-date than those in Guitar Hero. Weekly, downloadable songs are being added to the network service of the game consoles, so that the users can get new songs easily. The game is more challenging because all players must do well in each of the instruments they are playing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
A notable difference is the popularity of one game from the other. The Guitar Hero series is more popular than the Rock Band series in terms of total sales. Guitar Hero was developed earlier than Rock Band, so more people are familiar to it. According to Wikipedia’s Guitar Hero article, the number of units that Guitar Hero has sold is larger than Rock Band’s 4 million units, with 11.8 million units sold. Because of the game’s popularity, developers make the game even better then the previous version and makes it more polished and seldom has bugs during gameplay. Even though Rock Band is not as popular as the Guitar Hero series, it gains popularity because of the game’s downloadable content. The series has sold more than $1 billion in total sales to date. Behind Guitar Hero and the Mari Series, Rock band was the third highest brand with $622 million in total sales for 2008. On the same year, over 5.3 million copies were sold and 3.8 million of those were instrument-bundled packages. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Band, March 2010)
Both games have similar features that make people confuse one from the other. There are also differences which make each pf them unique from one another. Because the two games were developed by the same company, the similarities seem to be exact. Setting aside their similarities and differences, both are awesome game series which give its users the feel of enjoyment and challenge.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Baking a Chocolate Cake
A chocolate cake is usually a staple during parties, especially birthday celebrations. There are people who would like customizing their cakes but do not have the budget to do so. This essay aims to teach you the steps on how to bake a chocolate cake. It would be helpful, especially if you love to cook and bake your own cakes, or think that you want to improve the taste and quality of the cakes that you serve to your friends and family. Baking a chocolate cake is fun but requires a lot of hard work and patience. Guidelines and tips would be stated in order to help you in the baking process, especially if you are doing this for the first time.
Before starting the baking process, you must first clean your hands and also the place where you would be baking. This is to ensure that there would not be any germs or dirt on the cake. Personal hygiene should be observed throughout the baking process
The first step is getting the ingredients. You would need one cup of flour, one cup of sugar, half a teaspoon of salt, three tablespoons of cocoa, one-third cup of yeast, half a cup of water, vegetable shortening, frosting, and a quarter cup of chocolate chips. You would also need a big bowl, a round pan, a wired rack, and a baking oven. It would be better f you use fresh ingredients in baking the cake because fresh ingredients make the cake taste better and the cake would last longer when refrigerated.
First, you must beat the butter until it becomes soft. After that, add the sugar and mix. The next step is adding the eggs by portions. This is done so that you would mix the ingredients properly and to avoid difficulty in mixing. Make sure that there are no lumps on the mixture before moving on to the next step. Stir in the following liquid ingredients into the mixture: vanilla, water and milk. After doing so, grease the inside of the pan with vegetable shortening so that the cake will not stick to the pan after baking it. Make sure that the pan is well covered. The next step is pouring the mixture into the pan. It would be useful to place a long toothpick or thin barbecue stick at he middle pf your mixture before baking it. This would help you determine whether the cake is done or not. Make sure that the stick is standing straight upright. Turn the oven on at 180°C for 10 to 15 minutes before putting the pan in it. This allows time for the oven to preheat. After that, put the pan at the center of the oven. Doing this would let the heat be distributed evenly to the pan. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes. If the sides shrink slightly away from the pan, it is an indication that your caked is already done. Another tip would be to slowly remove the toothpick or stick that you placed earlier. If it comes out clean, then your cake can now be removed from the baking oven. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before putting it onto a wired rack. After putting it on the rack, leave it there for at least an hour before you start the decorating process. When the cake is already cooled down, you can now apply a thin layer of frosting onto the cake and refrigerate it until the frosting sets. This is done in order to seal in the crumbs and to ensure a clean final appearance. Apply the final and thicker layer of frosting. For additional garnish, sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the cake. You can also add other decorations on top of the cake if you desire to do so.
When baking a cake, you must be patient since it requires a lot of time. You must also be patient and work hard to ensure that the cake will turn out how you wanted it to be. Learning how to bake a cake is very useful since it could be a way of bonding with your friends and family. The process is fun to do because it requires your creativity, especially when decorating the cake. You may make mistakes while baking, but that just paves the way for you to learn and improve your baking skills. After all the hard work and patience, it’s nice to be able to share a delicious cake with friends and family, or just eat it on your own as a reward for yourself.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
David Cook
David Roland Cook, a twenty-seven year old singer, was born on December 20, 1982 in Houston, Texas to Beth Foraker and Stan Cook. Many people may know him as the winner of the seventh season of American Idol. He won against David Archuleta by twelve million votes. David Cook is more than just your typical American Idol. Having said that, I could say that there’s something unique about him that other winners of the show have not done before.
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