Swimming as a Hobby Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Swimming as a Hobby - Essay Example I have a dozen swim wear, five kinds of goggles, five colors of swim caps, swim towels that I only use when I go to the pool. I pack my gear in waterproof bags designed for swimming athletes. I have pool slippers, nose clips, paddle trainers, trainer boards and different kinds of skin lotion to keep my skin protected from too much sun or chlorine. I don't train and I'm not a member of any swimming team but I gear myself as I am a part of the varsity. I enjoy watching the swimming events at the Olympics. I also know a bit of diving and have enjoyed the diving competitions as well as the synchronized swimming events. My hobby has taken me to go to the beaches when I have the time. This hobby has also made me visit swimming pools in many places. I would get excited to swim in a new pool whether it is big or small, in a gymnasium, hotel or resort. As an exercise, swimming has given me good circulation and has kept me from storing up unnecessary calories. It has made me become conscious of my health that led me to activities such as looking for the right kind of vitamins, the right kind of food to eat and the right drink to take. I am not fond of alcohol and would rather drink fruit juices rather than softdrinks. I am abreast with the latest herbal and organic food that helps the body's physical and chemical functions. Many factors have influenced me to sustain this hobby. These factors constitute both internal and external forces. The self-satisfaction I get from swimming is truly rewarding. I love the water and have been enjoying anything about the water since I was young. There is that sense of freedom in the water where one could move one's whole body effortlessly and weightlessly. Besides giving me good exercise, I know that swimming releases stress from the body and the mind without having to add more stress and strain to the physique like other exercise does. External factors that help me sustain my interest in swimming is the people I get to meet in the pool or the places I could go to when I would explore vacation destinations with swimming areas or offering water sport activities. Swimming for me is not too expensive. I have not ventured into diving because of financial constraints but if I set my mind to it, I would not be shocked if I find myself in diving gears hundreds of feet underwater. I am fond of magazines that show beach destinations. Products and services that cater to swimming advertise in these magazines. Lastly, swimming as a hobby has given me fun. I believe that activities that become hobbies give the hobbyist a sense of pride, accomplishment, challenge and happiness. In this sense, the hobbyist would not hesitate to spend on goods and service for something that gives him happiness and satisfaction. Consumer Behavior Consumerism has been the life engine of many capitalist societies. Manufacturers and producers need consumers to consume their products again and again so that business is sustained. The knowledge of consumer behavior therefore is pivotal in product development, product promotions and business activities geared towards making the product reach consumers so that consumers can decide to buy these products or services. Personal, psychological and social factors influence decisions of consumers. Their decisions are based on the hierarchy of their values. "Many buying decisions require predictions of another person's product attitudes. Yet, consumers are often inaccurate predictors, even for familiar others." (Lerouge, 2006) Depending on the

Consider the View That Only Form Matters When Properly Appreciating Art Essay Example for Free

Consider the View That Only Form Matters When Properly Appreciating Art Essay Art appreciation is the understanding of the timeless qualities that characterise all great art, and personally i feel is a subjective matter; what I find aesthetically pleasing may not apply to everyone else. There are many reasons why we value art; because it informs us, because of its expressive quality, and because of its artistic quality. In this case, the latter is being discussed, that good art is good because of aesthetic enjoyment of form, the balance and structure and proportion. Its argued that content is not important, just the formal qualities make it good art, for example Jackson Pollock, his work is based on lines and colours and is valued very highly, therefore content is irellevant. However the view that art should be valued for its expressive qualities or catharsis as Aristotle called it; the emotional purging and cleansing. He believed people watched tragedies to make themselves emotional and upset but in a way happy, as they then have purged any negative emotion they had. If art was merely something that caused emotion it would be trivial, but the fact that art can convey something that is transcendent lies its value. However the argument that forms matters shows us that anything can trigger emotions such as pity or fear, without having to be art, but formal qualities are unique. Many people value art becuase it can inform us, we value it if it is true to nature or to life. Platos imitation theory applies here, that all artists are merely copying the form so it can not be good art, but all perceptual experience involves interpretation, so there is nothing to copy. Great historical paintings can give us visual knowledge of certain points in time, but limitations with this is that anything can inform us without being art, a book can inform us but isnt art. This ability to inform us is not what make sus appreciate it but the artistic qualities it holds; the forms, is what makes us appreciate it. But then there is the argument that form is not enough, by itself, to keep the auidence captured as beauty alone is not enough. That there has to be content to appreciate it such as a meaning, a story behind it, form lacks this ability. I personally believe that when appreciating art, form does matter. It makes a piece of art unique but i also belive that it solely matters, i appreciate its informative qualities and its expressive ones, so a good piece of artwork for me, should contain all three qualities.

Irony in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson Essay -- Shirley Jackson The L

Irony in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† is full of irony. Shirley Jackson most likely intended to use this amount of irony to make the over all story funny in its twisted theme. Each layer of irony used, prepared the reader to have the most dramatic reaction to the last and final blow that wrapped the whole story up. I would say the most major and obvious type of irony used here was situational irony. Jackson knew that what most peoples’ impression of the lottery is winning money or something good. She played on that and turned it into something completely opposite. Giving her story kick and uniqueness. However, there was other more minor but essential situational ironies that lead up to the finale. One of these was Tessie Hutchinson. She had the...

Saint George And The Dragon

This oil painting on canvass was created in 1470 by Paolo Uccello (whose real name is Paolo di Dono), an Italian artist. The subject of the painting is the story of Saint George as he overpowers and slays the dragon that has been a menace and a fright to the citizens of the city. As Saint George kills the dragon, the Libyan Princess was saved. The painting illustrated a space that is 3-dimensonal. Uccello effectively applies his skill in linear perspective. He has likewise decorated his pattern beautifully and colorfully. This can be clearly seen on the wings of the dragon. Using the canvas as a medium demonstrated the renaissance characteristic of the work of Uccello (which is the Italian word for â€Å"bird†), as he and his work belonged to that period of rebirth. Just like the way he has painted Saint George and the Dragon, the canvas vividly tells a story and thus a rational approach to the work. The characters painted in the story are presented to be elegant, beautiful and graceful. The lighting that is illustrated in the painting is not real but created for purposes of highlighting the story and not necessarily the reality of how and when the story happened. Saint George and the Dragon’s linear perspective is a semblance of old Gothic technique in painting. The skill was a challenge that renaissance artists like Uccello faced. He illustrated his paintings that convince â€Å"illusion of the way our world looks†. This then signified the temperament of artists in the Renaissance such as a sense of independence; the utilization of subjects of secular in nature as the object of the art; and the freedom of the individual style. Therefore, Paolo Uccello indeed illustrated in Saint George and the Dragon what is significant in the story as he emphasizes what is specific and at the same time, subtle ability of his imagination.

Gender Roles in Society Essay

What is gender role? Gender roles can be linked closely to the Bible as the relations between men and women as both intuitive and sensual. Biologically gender is not determined; however, as a result of sexual characteristics of either men or women, it is established socially. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations gender is a central organizing principle of societies, and often governs the processes of production and reproduction, consumption and distribution. Gender issues focus on women and on the relationship between men and women, their roles, access to and control over resources, division of labor, interests and needs. Gender relations influence family well-being, household security, planning, production and many other aspects of life including the way we think or feel according to one’s gender. For this reason the definition of gender role today should be revised and predefined because the meaning it once had is no longer comparable with the Bible. Many countries have experienced huge turmoil and revising of its traditional gender roles within the last generation. These changes in gender roles affect the home, the workplace, and the school, plus they affect all walks of life to some degree. Gender role is a commonly discussed subject in society and many may argue about the true role of a man or a woman. Society and culture are also very important in relation to this subject. This means different societies and cultures may produce children and later, grown men and women, who have quite different views of a man or a woman’s place in the world around them, often determined by their culture’s gender stereotypes. Gender roles are attached to persons according to their gender. So, what are men’s and women’s roles in society? Should they be equal or do they have well defined roles they should play? In this day and age, people like to be intolerant by attempting to make the two sexes equal. Most people feel that it is unfair to say that women can do certain activities better than men and men can do other activities better than women but God actually made men and women differently and has given them different roles in life and society. God has made men and women to fit certain roles He has defined. The Bible talks a lot about God’s roles for men and women. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, talks about Creation and how sin entered the world. When God created everything, it was perfect and good. Right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God kicked them out of the perfect place he had made for them called the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:16-19 says: â€Å"To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Then to Adam He said, ‘Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread’. This is God’s first example of roles to women and men. It was meant for men to take care of land and work it for food to provide for his family and women would bear children and take care of them and raise them while their husband worked. Again, a man and woman’s role is well defined in a home. They are both made for each other and to grow strong as one. A woman has quite a unique role to fill. She is made as a companion for her husband because without a wife a man is alone and she is the only one who can provide the companionship needs. She should give her husband affection because he needs it just as she needs it also and only she may know the husband in such a way to provide the kind of affection he needs. A wife is there to give physical needs because God made man and woman to rely on one another. Also a woman should bear children for her husband to make a family that they can all love and appreciate. Most mothers spend more time with her children and her influence on their character development is great because they see her the most. Lastly, every woman should be a keeper at home and this requires diligence and the kind of care only women can provide. It is a place of honor among God and His people. â€Å"A woman should be a guard, and ruler and keeper of the affairs of the home† (Prov. 31:13-15). There is nothing wrong with a woman working, as long as it is done in the right way it is honorable. All women, whether married or not, can look to the worthy woman for guidance for living godly lives. In God’s pattern we do not see slavery, but freedom, honor, and true beauty. However, all women shall strive to fulfill their God given roles in their own families, so as to gain honor for themselves, for their families, and for God. In addition, a man’s role in society differs quite differently from a woman. The man is the key to making the family work the way God intended. God puts the responsibility of having a Biblical family on the man. On top of that, men are under a lot of job pressure because of the failing economy which makes it harder to provide for the family. Many men never had a role model in their home. There should be Godly men helping their off springs to become who they ought to be for the glory of God. Men should love their family as Jesus loved the church; he is to also love the members of his family as he loves his body. He is to nourish it. He is to cherish it. He is to take care of it. That’s the way God wants a man to love his family. Eph. 5:23 says, â€Å"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the body. † Notice that it didn’t say the head over the wife; it said the head of the wife. It is not dictatorship. A man is not the dictator in the family but the man is to protect and provide for his family. Being a good provider is not enough as men have a spiritual responsibility. They should get their family in church each Sunday and take every opportunity to help them learn about Jesus Christ and to grow in their relationship with Him. Men should obey the word of the Lord and ask the Lord to help him be the man he should be. Many of men have failed to lead their family like they should. However, if he is the man, the father, the kind of husband God wants him to be, and if he lifts his family to be everything God wants them to be, one of these days he will reap a good harvest in his children. However, the shifting of gender roles in the past thirty years has been huge. It has happened so quickly that men and women are still trying to sort out what the new roles and rules mean to them although women are no longer expected to be the keepers of the house, in reality, they are in most families and although men are generally open to the successes enjoyed by the women they share their lives with, some still find it hard to celebrate a woman’s triumphs because they feel it attenuates their own. Even though the Bible clearly states the role of a man and a woman many individuals may argue this because the Bible was written a long time ago and they feel such implications do not apply anymore. Yet, the Bible is the word of God and his word is always right and should be abided by no matter how we may feel. Historically, it is important also to note that cultural differences flourish in the emphasis of one’s gender role and in certain societies such assumption in accepted gender norms can also play some part in the definition of gender identity. It will take time to sort out all the assumptions of the changing gender roles of individuals, but new expectations should result in better lives, better relationships, better schools, and better workplaces.

Literature and Women as the Weaker Sex Essays

Literature and Women as the Weaker Sex Essays Literature and Women as the Weaker Sex Essay Literature and Women as the Weaker Sex Essay Essay Topic: Anne Bradstreet Poems In many cultures throughout history, women have been viewed as the weaker sex. This status has constructed certain expectations of women. With women being viewed as lesser than, it justifies unfair behavior such as lower wages. This behavior elicits contradictory thoughts about women, claiming they should bare the world, but have no power within it. Unlike men, women are thought to expire quickly, as if they are wasted if not used. These thoughts are perfectly depicted in Anne Bradstreet’s poems â€Å"The Prologue† and â€Å"The Author to Her Book,† along with Maxine Kumin’s â€Å"Sonnets Uncorseted.† With these poems, we are able to witness women’s ability to find a voice through clever utilization of the female apology during a time of complete male domination. First, through Parini’s book â€Å"Why Poetry Matters,† we will be able to see the ways poets and their works have pushed boundaries and resisted against oppressors thr oughout time. In a time when philosophy was king, Parini explains how poetry was its greatest adversary; Plato warned against poets and their ideas out of fear that they would corrupt the youth of Athens (3). This left poets in fear of exposure, as the nature of a poet is to push boundaries. Plato would frequently refer to poets as â€Å"imitators of nature,† which would surely corrupt the young. However, not everyone felt this way; Aristotle agreed with Plato, but he did not see these â€Å"imitations† as damaging. Instead, he saw beauty and life within poets expression through figurative language. In the 18th-19th century, poetry transformed from this ancient perspective and began to take a new form. It became the defiant proclamation against authority as we are more familiar with today (4-11). With Bradstreet and Kumin’s poetry, we are able to see how these women are beyond their time, Bradstreet dating to the 17th century, and Kumin discussing the same time period. In Bradstreet’s poem â€Å"The Prologue

KRIK KRAK essays

KRIK KRAK essays For this assignment I decided that I would just write a brief overview of one of the stories in Edwidge Danticat s book Krik? Krak!. The story that I have chosen to talk about is Between the Pool and the Gardenias. I choose this one to discuss because I thought the circumstance between the lady and the child was very weird and intrigued me to look into it more in depth. So I am going to talk about the series of events in this story and my thoughts on the young women in the story. I am mainly going to focus on questions 2 and 3 in the study questions for Chapter 5 of Edwindge Danticats book, Krik? Krak!. In this story I believe that the main reason that she takes the child is because she is lonely and wants to become close to someone. She also has had a couple miscarriages before and this has affected her greatly and caused her much suffering and mourning over the years. When she took in the child this made her dream about all of the thoughts and emotions that would have taken place if she had been able to conceive her children. She had been missing out of all the parts of parenthood that came with having a child and this baby that she picks up makes her feel more whole inside. The baby makes her life on this planet feel like she has a purpose for a short while and that is why she takes the baby into her house as one of her own. Now maybe this wouldnt be considered crazy everywhere, but what if the baby was already dead and you tried to do this then you would probably get taken into an insane asylum. This is the main reason why I believe that she is crazy because you usually dont see women picking up dead babies off the road and taking them home to care for them. Sure she has had tough luck bearing a child, but when she pretended that the baby was alive and breathing when she knew what was really wrong with the child was just ridiculous. It got really bad when she took the baby to tow...