Rock Music and Creativity :: Creative Creativity Essays

Rock Music and Creativity As the reader may verify by looking at my name, I originate from Cyprus, a Greek island in the Mediterranean Sea. As I grew up in a Greek environment, Greek music predominated in my listenings with a glimpse of classical music added when my studies in the piano encouraged it. My short stay in the States has, apart from many other things, introduced me to rock music. According to Google.com, "rock 'n' roll can be defined as a genre of popular music originating in the 1950s; a blend of Black rhythm-and-blues with White country-and-western; rock is a generic term that evolved out of rock 'n' roll." The purpose of this essay is not, however, to provide an analysis on rock music. I know I have much to learn, many hours of listening to be able to be considered a `rock fan'. Nevertheless, rock provides a perfect example where Margaret Boden's three domains of creativity appear explicitly. Margaret Boden, Dean of School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences and professor of philosophy and psychology at the University of Sussex, has written many essays on creativity. In The Creative Priority she divides creativity into three main branches. The first involves `making unfamiliar combinations of familiar ideas', new ways to join already existing ideas in order to generate a completely novel creation, be it a poem, a painting or a scientific invention. The `exploration of conceptual spaces', searching for possibilities in an area that no one has thought about before and realizing the potential those may have, entails the second branch. Finally, the third includes `transforming conceptual spaces in people's minds', pushing and altering the limits previously imposed to result in the triumph of creation. This classification provides a summary of what various authors have illustrated in their works on the creative process. As the definition of rock music states, rock emerged from the combination of black rhythm-and-blues and white country-and-western. Those two kinds of music prevailed on the music scene since the beginning of the 20th century. Both were familiar to the audiences of the time. What Elvis did that shook the waves and initiated a revolution in music, was to combine those two familiar ideas in an unfamiliar way. The result was a new – for the time – music genre, which as such had a lot to offer and a lot to explore within.

Macchiavellian theories in “King Lear” Essay

William Shakespeare’s â€Å"King Lear† has within it many Machiavellian theories. This is evident once we examine the characters of Edmund, Goneril, and Regan. The Machiavellian principles relating to politics, ethics, and virtue are exemplified throughout â€Å"King Lear† play by these three characters. Machiavellian politics deal with acquiring power and forming very strong governments. For Machiavelli, power meant politics. Ethics can be best described as a branch of knowledge concerned with moral principles. The Theme of morality and ethics keeps evolving throughout â€Å"King Lear† and is demonstrated by these three characters. Virtue is the final principle highlighted by this Shakespeare play. By examining each of the three characters in more depth, we can better understand how Machiavellian theories apply to the play â€Å"King Lear† Edmund is the most Machiavellian character in â€Å"King Lear† for many reasons. Edmund was born as illegitimated son of Gloucester. He had elder brother named Edgar who was legitimated son of Gloucester and beloved suitable heir. Edmund shows his avarice, greed, and envy towards Edger. Edmund states soliloquy â€Å"Thou, Nature, art my goddess; to thy law, †¦ now, gods, stand up for bastards.†(I, ii, 1-22) This shows that he blame the nature that he never meant to born as an illegitimated, such as bastard son. He also decides that as concern everything think as a bastard, he will act as a bastard, the way of being Machiavellian as manipulating and taking advantage of others. Especially from the part of soliloquy, â€Å"legitimate Edgar, I must have your land.† (I, ii, 16) He is showing his jealousy towards Edgar, and all that he has. Back in Shakespeare’s time, land ownership was a form of wealth. Wealth equaled political power. Acquiring political p ower is a Machiavellian trait. Edmund also criticized his father for being too superstitious and gullible in nature. He ridiculed his father, Gloucester for his beliefs and he thought he was morally superior to him. Edmund exploited his father’s good nature by enraging with Edgar’s false letter against his father. In a deceptive manner, Edmund, quite simply acted phony to Edgar. He tries to cover Edger, however deceiving both ends of his mouth between Gloucester and Edgar. Edmund acted in a two faced manner and this is true to the Machiavellian way  of doing things. There is one more example of Edmund’s Machiavellian behavior. In Act III, we are exposed to Edmund’s treacherous tendency against his own father. Edmund states, â€Å"The younger rise when the old doth fall†(III, iii, 26) it is clear that Edmund wished to take over and assume power over his father’s domain. Edmund is seeking power that Macchivelli often wrote about. The greed in acquiring power is all right if the end justifies the means. In Act V, Edger, Edmund’s brother, also a victim of Edmund’s Machiavellian tendencies revenge on Edmund and murdered him. Along with Edmund, Goneril is also another character in the play, which exemplifies immoral and unvirtuous behavior. Goneril used flattery to get on the good side of her father. â€Å"Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter, †¦ Beyond all manner of so much I love you.†(I, i, 57-64) She wanted to inherit her father’s kingdom. Goneril had an ulterior motive for acting this way to achieve any greedy goal. After she took advantage of her old father, she kicked her father out from her castle. This shows how she unvirtuous Machiavellian treatment to her father. There is the second example of Goneril’s deceiving ways. Goneril cheated on her husband Albany. This is undoubtedly Machiavellian trait. Albany even detected Goneril’s conniving deceptive behavior. He states † You are not worth the dust which the rude wind blows in your face.†(IV, ii, 30-31) Furthermore for Goneril’s love of Edmund, she poisoned her own sister, Regan to eliminate from him. At the end of the play, these Machiavellian traits and characteristics brought her to this point of self-destruction and suicide. Regan is the next character who also showed Machiavellian behavior in her personality. She flattered her father just like Goneril did. â€Å"I am made of that self mettle as my sisters, †¦ In your Highness love†(I, i, 71-79) She had an ulterior motive to in praising and flattering her father. Like her deceptive sister Goneril, Regan wanted the wealth and kingdom. It was more than she deserved. Regan cooperated thoroughly with Goneril to mistreat her  father with disrespect. Regan defends her sister’s poor treatment of her father to her father and informs her father that he is old and should be rule by others. She mentioned to him that return to Goneril and beg her Forgiveness. â€Å"O, sir, you are old, †¦ Say you have wronged her.†(II, iv, 145-151) This behavior is Machiavellian in nature, because it is immoral and unvirtuous. Regan also cheated on her husband, Cornwall. She loved Edmund as her sister Goneril did. She informed her sister that she wou ld merry Edmund as soon as her husband died, however Regan was poisoned by Goneril. This shows that how the last become to the Machiavellian who looks for their own profit, and their Machiavellian personalities bring themselves into their own grave. It is clearly evident that the Machiavellian themes are prevalent by the words and actions of Edmund, Goneril, and Regan. The theory of acquiring power, ethics, morality, and virtue that Macchiavelli wrote about is a common theme in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"King Lear†. The three characters previously mentioned are all looking out for their own self-interest. They will do anything to achieve their greedy and selfish goals. Perhaps it is truly ironic that the play does not have happy ending. Much can be learned by examining Machiavellian principals and theories as they pertain to â€Å"King Lear†.

Caffeines Mechanism of Action In Energy Drinks Free Essay Example, 1500 words

Caffeine can also be absorbed rectally and there are drugs designed to utilize this fact (ergotamine and chlorobutanol). The half-life of caffeine is about 3 to 4 hours but may vary depending on the health status of the individual; the factors that affect this include age, pregnancy, liver function and other medications a person might be taking. Since caffeine is metabolized in the liver, liver disease can result in accumulation of caffeine hence elevating the half-life to up to 96 hours(Craig Stitzel 2008, 229). Caffeine s Mechanism of ActionCaffeine is among the few compounds that can cross the blood-brain barrier into the brain. The mode of action once in the brain is inhibition of the functions of adenosine; hence it s referred to as an adenosine antagonist (Latini Pedata 2001, 466). Its structure is similar to that of adenosine and therefore it binds to same receptors as adenosine and as a result, blocks adenosine from occupying the receptors, consequently, adenosine is not a ble to act, it is therefore called a competitive inhibitor for this reason. Adenosine is found in all the body part due to its function in energy generation in the ATP cycle (Adenosine Tri-phosphate cycle) but in the brain it has a special function to suppress neural activity and increase blood flow, Caffeine does not activate these receptors and therefore inhibits these functions (Craig Stitzel 2008, 212). We will write a custom essay sample on Caffeines Mechanism of Action In Energy Drinks or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page