Black Culture and Black Consciousness in Transition Essay

Negative Construction French Marxist thinker, Louis Althusser, established a crucial theory which illuminates how and why ‘myths’ and ‘ideologies’ are constructed throughout time and history. In his celebrated essay, â€Å"Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses,† Althusser makes a convincing argument in concerns with ‘ideology’ and its influence on individuals or ‘subject’ which are created through specialized institutions (i.e. religious, educational, political, and family, trade union, communication, et al.). Althusser aptly declares that, â€Å"Ideology is a ‘representation’ of the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence† (Althusser, 1994). In addition, Althusser wants to clarify the significance of ideologies imposed on individuals: â€Å"Ideology is conceived as a pure illusion, a pure dream, i.e. as nothingness. All its reality is external to it. Ideology is thus thought as an imaginary construction whose status is exactly like the theoretical status of the dream among writers before Freud†¦There is a cause for the imaginary transposition of the real conditions of existence that cause is the existence of a small number of cynical men who base their domination and exploitation of the ‘people’ on a falsified representation of the world which they have imagined in order to enslave other minds by dominating their imaginations† (1496, 1499). Now take Althusserian’s notion on the construction of ‘ideology’ and apply it to the myth of the ‘American dream.’ Within the socio-historical context of the American dream, the idea that people can start with little more than determination and cunning and leave a legacy of wealth and accomplishment is perhaps the most persistent hope for Americans. As an ideology constructed over history, the subjective/cultural/social construct of the ‘American dream’ shapes how many Americans see their successes or failures and, equally significant, demonstrates the many contours of U.S. society. For African-Americans (including women and ethnic groups), however, were not fully ‘assimilated’ into every aspect of American society, especially since the American dream ideology specifically referred or geared towards ‘white males,’ for several reasons. If we look at American history, blacks (like women and other minorities) had dreams of obtaining equal rights and independence that was privileged to the ‘common man.’ The slaves were constantly being told to postpone or wait-for their freedom would come. Even the declaration of independence states â€Å"all men are created equal†¦endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights†¦among those life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,† but the slaves of this time were disappointed because this defining of ‘all men’ excluded blacks. In fact, it excluded pretty much everyone, except white men with land. In this postponing of freedom, slavery, discrimination, racism, Jim Crow laws, sharecropping, riots and so on. Thus the ‘American dream,’ to quote from Langston Hughes, has been deferred. â€Å"Deferred† because blacks had to wait, delegate to others who could promote change. Since most minorities were not fully integrated into American life, some managed to ‘successfully’ pass by within the rigid structure of society. Case in point, Macon Dead and rapper Shawn Carter (aka Jay-Z) should be interpreted as accultrationist rather than assimilationist with respect to the American dream for several reasons. First and foremost, the term acculturation carries three definitions: it is seen as the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure, all the knowledge and values shared by a society and, lastly, the adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture. Ultimately, acculturation is the obtainment of â€Å"culture† by an individual or a group of people. The latter two definitions, however, provide greater insight into Macon Dead’s characteristic as an acculturationist. Living in an unjust capitalist system, resides in an era where most Americans failed to acknowledge the presence of blacks (and other minorities) by deliberately and blatantly pass frivolous laws and regulations. Macon Dead, as a patriarch/hard-nosed businessman, is defined as an individual of substance who has acquired property in which he rents to black underclass tenants. Consequently Macon Dead is described in the context of trying to emulate and ‘adopt’ similar behavior patterns from ‘white’ society considering America excluded blacks (and other minorities) in every conceivable way (i.e. socially, politically, cultural, etc). For instance, Morrison carefully describes Macon’s appreciation for materialistic possessions in another scene when the rest of his family takes an excursion on Not Doctor Street: â€Å"These rides that the family took on Sunday afternoons had become rituals and much too important for Macon to enjoy. For him it was a way to satisfy himself that he was indeed a successful man†¦Macon Dead’s Packard rolled slowly down Not Doctor Street, through the rough part of town (later known as the Blood Bank because blood flowed so freely there), over the bypass downtown, and headed for the wealthy white neighborhoods. Some of the black people who saw the car passing by sighed with good-humored envy at the classiness, the dignity of it† (Morrison, 32). This scene illustrates Macon’s ability to purchase a wealthy vehicle (i.e. Packard) which functions as a means of communicating, ‘achievement’ and ‘opulence’ to the public. Therefore in order to achieve this myth/ideology/concept of the ‘American dream,’ Macon Dead truly has to abandon himself and, equally significant, his ‘true’ identity by emulating the hated white people of America around that time. Macon Dead is less sympathetic to his own culture by taking a ‘white man’s role’ (i.e. dominant culture) as a cutthroat businessman which also solidifies his reputation as an ‘outsider’ within the black community. In the contemporary context, Jay-Z is the postmodern version of what constitutes an acculturationist by virtue of the hip-hop aesthetics (whereas John Coltrane, Miles Davis or any black jazz musician can be defined as the modernist version of accultrationist). William Eric Perkins, author of ‘the rap attack,’ details the influence of hip-hop culture and its signification towards inner-city teens and America (in particular, African-American and Latino kids): â€Å"Rap music and hip hop culture’s ongoing bewildering love/hate relationship with American society requires a fresh evaluation of the role street culture plays in the continuing evolution of American popular culture† (Perkins, 1). As Jay-Z was raised from the underprivileged neighborhoods of Brooklyn, especially at a time where hip-hop (as an urban phenomenon) reached its second wave of talented MC’s from the inner-city neighborhoods of South Bronx, Harlem, and throughout NYC (with the likes of LL Cool J, Kool Moe Doe, Big Daddy Kane, Eric B and Rakim, KRS-One, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Ultramagnetic MC’s, to name a few), Jay-Z understood the integral relationship between hip-hop and street life by ‘adopting’ certain ‘behavior patterns’ within the musical genre.

Concepts of Learning

According to George Kimball, learning Is the result of a reinforced practice which results in a change in behavior. However, learning may not necessarily demonstrate itself in a change in behavior, but through the acquisition of knowledge. In other words, after learning, the individual will have new knowledge or be capable of doing something they would not have been able to do otherwise (Olson & Hermann, 2013). For example, when a child Is being potty trained, he learns how to use the toilet; his behavior will change from using a diaper to using the toilet o relieve himself.To further explain the concept of learning, we will look at the role of behavior in relation to learning, classical and operant conditioning, and the relationship between learning and cognition (Olson & Hermann, 2013). Role of Behavior In Relation to Learning According to Simile's deflation of learning, there are several ways In which learning can only be inferred from an observable modification in behavior. In ot her words, learning must be translated into observable behavior (Olson & Hermann, 2013).However, a change in behavior may not be observable immediately, that is, there may e a potential to act differently tat later time. Lastly, according to Kimball, learning in the form of experience or practice, which must be reinforced, will result in a change in behavior (Olson & Hermann, 2013). With the exception of B. F. Skinner, most learning theorists agree that the learning process can only be assumed from modifications in behavior. However, not all changes in behavior are the result of learning.Some changes in behavior could be the result of a temporary state, such as illness, fatigue, or drug use (Olson & Hermann, 2013). Some behaviors do not need to be learned, such as breathing or sweating. These behaviors are called homeostasis mechanisms. Their purpose Is to regulate a physiological stability. Humans are also born with reflexes. These reflexes, along with homeostasis, are necessary fo r survival. Learning Is often Identified through a relatively permanent change in behavior (Olson & Hermann, 2013).Types of Learning There are two primary types of learning In terms of a procedures that can modify behavior: classical controlling and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning was first developed by Ivan Pavlov when he accidental discovered that his dogs had earned to associate the sound of a bell with dinner time, which caused the dogs to salivate (Olson & Hermann, 2013). There are two requirements to classical conditioning. There must first be a natural reaction to an existing stimulus, such as an event or object. Next, the unconditioned stimulus that elicits a natural response Is paired with a new or â€Å"neutral† stimulus.The result Is that the formerly neutral my mom believes that giving her dog a high five before leaving the house makes her lucky because she won a couple of times at the casino after doing so. This prestigious behavior is a common examp le of classical conditioning in everyday life (Olson & Hermann, 2013). The second form of conditioning is operant conditioning, sometimes called instrumental conditioning. Operant conditioning is a term first developed by B. F. Skinner, who used an apparatus he called the Skinner Box. The Skinner box was used to introduced a reinforce to condition a desired response (Olson & Hermann, 2013).Operant conditioning differs from classical conditioning in that the organism must act in a specific way before it is reinforced; in other words, enforcement is reliant on the organisms behavior. With classical conditioning, the reaction is considered to be involuntary (Olson & Hermann, 2013). The most important aspect of operant conditioning is that a reinforce is used to strengthen a behavior. There are four different types of reinforces: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment (Olson & Hermann, 2013).Positive reinforcement is the addition of something agreeable or pleasant to strengthen a behavior. For example, giving the dog a treat after performing the trick properly. Negative reinforcement is the amoeba of something negative or unpleasant from the situation to strengthen the behavior. For example, when the students are well-behaved the teacher removes the essay question from the test (Olson & Hermann, 2013). Now, positive punishment is the addition of something the organism views as unpleasant to decrease or weaken a behavior.For example, when the students are misbehaving, the teacher adds an essay question to the test. Lastly, negative punishment is the removal of something pleasant from the situation to weaken the behavior. When a child is misbehaving, taking away his or her favorite toy (Olson & Hermann, 2013). Relationship Between Learning and Cognition Cognition and learning are closely associated and are codependent on one another. Without cognitive processes, learning cannot exist. The cognitive processes cons ist of thinking, remembering, knowing, and problem-solving.Other cognitive processes involve storing, receiving, processing, and using information learned by the individual (Olson & Hermann, 2013). Learning is the manner in which an individual gains knowledge or skills through experience and practice, which causes a change in behavior. Learning requires the use of many cognitive processes. Cognition is classically thinking, but not everything a person thinks about will be stored in their long-term memory for later use. In order to learn, a person must store the new knowledge into their long-term memory, usually done through repetition (Olson & Hermann, 2013).How memory processes information varies on an individual basis. Some people are able to recall information after Just one experience, others need to repetition or practice to be able to recall the same information (Olson & wants to keep for retrieval at a later time. For example, when I was a child I watched a dinosaur movie for the first time, and did to have the knowledge to identify â€Å"the monsters†. Once my mother identified the monsters as dinosaurs to me I now had the cognitive experience of â€Å"dinosaur. I loved the movie and the idea of dinosaurs so much that over the next few months I read as much as I could about dinosaurs. Through reading and looking at pictures, I gained the ability to identify many different species of dinosaurs. Eventually, I became able to identify other reptilian animals of various sizes. Conclusion In summary, learning is the product of practice and experience that has been reinforced which results in a behavior modification. On the other hand, learning does not always reveal itself in a change in behavior, but through the procurement of knowledge.However, most learning theorists believe that the learning process can only be presumed from a change in behavior. A relatively permanent change in behavior is a good indicator if learning has taken place. Classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Are two primary types of learning in terms of a processes that can modify behavior. The difference between operant conditioning and classical conditioning is that in operant conditioning is that the organism must act in a specific ay before it is reinforced; in classical conditioning reinforcement is reliant on the organisms behavior.Learning and cognition have a close relationship and are codependent on one another. Without cognitive processes, learning cannot exist. In this paper, we looked at the concept of learning, we looked at the role of behavior in relation to learning, classical and operant conditioning, and the relationship between learning and cognition. References Olson, M. H. & Hermann, B. R. (2013). An introduction to theories of learning (9th deed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Carol Ann Duffy uses the theme of growing up in her poem Essay

Carol Ann Duffy uses the theme of growing up in her poem ‘In Mrs Tilscher’s Class’. She starts off by setting the first stanza in a class in a primary school. She uses ‘you could travel up the Blue Nile with your finger, tracing the route while Mrs Tilscher chanted the scenery. Tana. Ethiopia. Khartoum. Aswan’. This quite obviously tells us that she teaching the young, ambitious class with a globe, again referring back to the classroom scenery as most primary school classrooms have globes. Then she says ‘That for an hour, then a skittle of milk and the chalky pyramids rubbed into dust’. Here, Carol Ann Duffy is showing that when the geography lesson has finished and the children have had a break they simply forget about what they’ve been taught. She also refers back to the geography with chalky pyramids. This stanza basically emphasising the happiness of the children at that age. ‘This was better than home. Enthralling books. The classroom glowed like a sweetshop’. This is the opening two lines of the second stanza again showing the happiness and excitement of the children. ‘Better than home’ home is great so school must be even greater. ‘The classroom glowed like a sweetshop’ a child’s favourite place is a sweetshop so Carol Ann Duffy here is using a simile showing that the atmosphere in her classroom is electrified by excited children as if they’re in their favourite sweet shop. ‘Brady and Hindley’ these were two child murderers that the children wouldn’t know about. Carol Ann Duffy, I think, has added these to humiliate them and to show the reader that the children are safe and in a totally different world to the murderers. ‘Mrs Tilscher loved you. Some mornings, you found she’d left a gold star by your name’ the poet here is showing the reader the relationship between Mrs Tilscher and her children, again referring back to this really happy atmosphere and how Mrs Tilscher puts herself out to keep these children eager to learn, maybe, the next country or continent on the globe or looking at Vincent Van Gogh’s famous paintings. Moving on to the next stanza, Carol Ann Duffy has started with ‘Over the Easter term, the inky tadpoles changed from commas into exclamation marks’. This is definitely a signal from the poet that the children are growing up. The poet here has put the poem into reality going back to when the reader was at this stage, everyone had the tadpoles experience before Easter then come back and they’d all turned into frogs but here the poet is putting the children in conjunction with the tadpoles signifying that they are growing up as well. As you can see Carol Ann Duffy, the poet, adds something in this stanza that almost everybody has the experience of as a youngster, ‘A rough boy told you how you were born. You kicked him, but stared at your parents, appalled, when you got back home’. It was that day never to be forgotten, the day you found out that you don’t just pop out your mums belly button but everybody, eventually, takes in the truth and carries on with their lives. The next stanza begins. By now the children aren’t really, in fact, children anymore. They’ve finally reached the final curtain before senior school. They were in their last term of primary school and what fools they were to believe that this was a relief. ‘That feverish July, the air tasted of electricity. A tangible alarm made you always untidy, hot, fractious under the heavy, sexy sky’. Here, the poet is just emphasising the summer season and hot weather and I think with the use of the word electricity she means how immensely excited they were about leaving. ‘You asked her how you were born and Mrs Tilscher smiled, then turned away’. Again referring back to the, once disgusting but now quite interesting, subject of sex, here showing that their minds still don’t really want to believe it but aren’t perfectly sure what’s true and what isn’t. ‘Mrs Tilscher smiled, then turned away’. Here again emphasising that sex isn’t to be found out about at this age and certainly isn’t a subject of conversation for the classroom. ‘Reports were handed out. You ran through the gates, impatient to be grown, as the sky splits into a thunderstorm. It must be the last day; the children are extremely excited about leaving. First of all, at the end of the day, you get your report and without even saying your last goodbyes you’ve ran through the gates, but these may not be the gates of your school but the gates to a bumpy ride to hell! ‘Impatient to be grown’ after all the children or should I say young adults have hit the puberty barrier and now want to be just like their mother and father, no longer embarrassed about sex but wanting to be involved with it. ‘As the sky split open into a thunderstorm’ this is a very powerful use of language, it almost hits the reader. But Carol Ann Duffy is basically showing the reader that they don’t know what they’re in for and could turn out to be horrendous. The use of the word thunderstorm maybe referring back to the weather because usually after really hot days after days you get a thunderstorm and also could be referring back to the unsafe world looking back at Child murderers Brady and Hindley.

Best Convention Venue in Singapore

Being the main convention venue in Singapore, the Sands Expo and Convention Center has held more than 700 events in its first year of opening. With its construction, the Sands is a turning point in Singapore’s MICE industry. While the Singaporean government heavily positions the destination to be a tourism and event hub, thanks to this concrete stepping stone, Singapore has successfully climbed up the ranks to second on the â€Å"Top international meeting countries† list according to UIA (2010). With this honor, Marina Bay Sands is definitely an important attraction that could not be missed. Secret of Marina Bay Sands: perfect locationAs the biggest MICE facility in Singapore, the Sands Expo and Convention Center locates only approximately 20 minutes from the Changi International Airport and 10 minutes from the city center, which makes good connectivity to be one of its strengths. As location is a crucial determinant to whether a convention center can be successful or n ot, proximity to city center and airport give valid reasons for the Sands to be one of the best locations for convention. Diversified infrastructure adds value to the convention center What impress me the most are the infrastructure and environmental elements in the Marina Bay Sands complex.To be a successful convention center, these two elements serve as other crucial determinants and the Sands Expo and Convention Center has fully displayed its strength in these aspects. While the convention center locates within the complex of Marina Bay Sands, on the way to Marina Bay Sands, one would pass one of the most historical accommodations in Singapore – the Fullerton. The historical feeling starts a wonderful journey into the Marina Bay Sands. Not to mention the iconic landmark of the three-tower design with a ship on top of the Sands Hotel and the lotus-like ArtScience Museum which adds ultural essence to the area, the SkyPark on top of the 57 storey-high building is another magn ificent location for special events. Imagine hosting a cocktail party after a long day of convention located directly opposite to the complex of hotel building, the SkyGarden gives delegates a chance to embrace a panorama view of the whole city of Singapore. This sensational experience would surely impresses and stays in the hearts of every delegate. The Sands also satisfy the green conscious new generation by surrounded by lots of green trees and grassland, the sustainable greenery also steps from the whole image of Singapore.While Marina Bay Sands provides stunning views of the water, first class attractions, relaxed atmosphere, tasteful accommodation and a state-of-art convention center, what more can we ask for? The Sands Expo and Convention Center has strategically located in a perfect area of Singapore and with its outstanding design and comprehensive infrastructure, it has all the things MICE development is looking for, no wonder Singapore could be the â€Å"Top Internationa l meeting City† (UFI, 2011). I would be very proud if Hong Kong could develop such mega integrated resort combined with attractions, hotels and landmark.

Millennium Dome Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Millennium Dome - Essay Example resources. A project means to achieve an end in harmony with the development process of the sponsoring organization. It is also usually a means to develop assets, acceptable within quality specifications. It is a process whereby six types of resources are invested; such resources are better known as the 6 M’s. These are men, materials, machines, money and minutes. Out of the six M’s minutes and money are mostly independent of one another. But the other 4M’s could be procured in exchange for money, but they are difficult to evaluate in minutes and monetary terms. Therefore it must be ensured that organizations should exercise the utmost caution in selecting and execution a project keeping in mind that resources are scarce commodities. Also keeping the scarcity factor in mind organizations must ensure that the projects should be clearly defined from the point of view of implementation and control (Kothari, 2007, p. 201). During the course of a project an organizati on faces a number of projects that are needed to be overcome to ensure successful execution of the project. The study looks to analyze such problem keeping the case of Millennium Dom at the focal point of discussion. The study looks to provide clear and concise understandings of the overall project management process, initial phase of the millennium dome project planning, the actual execution of the project, evaluate the outcomes of the project ( both positive and negative); and finally based on the above analysis the study looks to provide recommendations (De, 2011, p.229). Project Management Process A project management can be defined as the application of various skills, knowledge, tools, and techniques in order to achieve the required project goal. According to the definition of project management defined by The Project Management Institute (PMI), it is the art of coordinating and directing both material, financial and human resources throughout life of a project by using advanc ed management techniques to successfully achieve predetermined goals. Formulation of the organization as system of problem This is done in such a way to capture and highlight the essential and systematic properties of the organization, not by listing independently formulated threats and opportunities; but by protecting the future that the system would have it, and its environment, were to continue unchanged. It is the future that a system currently is in. End Planning This involves selecting the ideals, objectives and goals to be pursued by preparing an idealized redesign of the system planned for a design which the relevant stake holders would replace the existing system today if they were free to do so. The difference between this most desired design and t description developed in the first phase define the gaps to be filled by the remainder of the planning process. Means Planning Here the ways of filling the gaps are selected. These are more likely to require invention than disco very. They can take the form of policies, programs, projects and procedures, practices or individual courses of action. Resource Planning A determination is made of how much of each type of resource –people, facilities, equipments, materials, energy, money, information, knowledge and understanding will be needed by the means elected, and when these requirements will arise. Then it is quite

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 4

Politics - Essay Example Swayed by the European lines of thought, these parties managed to grow in numbers since they appealed mostly to the oppressed people as well as the distressed workers in the country. They successfully managed to field candidates throughout the nation in numerous elected positions for the next several years. However, towards the beginning of the 1920’s, these socialist movements faced severe resistance and condemnation from the government and eventually broke off the movement. The parties ceased to attract numbers to support its cause in the beginning of the early 20th century, though the Socialist Labor Party remained alive until the end of the 20th century. Socialism refers to a system whereby the ownership and control of majority of assets in a given country is granted to the central government. The United States, unlike other countries such as Japan and Germany, has not employed this system of running the economy. Though the system has worked very well in the above mentioned countries, the United States continues to thrive well without its enforcement. Politically, socialist parties in the United States began fairing very poorly in the run up to the general elections. For instance, in the year 2008, socialist candidates and their parties received less than two of the three socialist candidates (Caramani pg. 201). This is way below what other socialist candidates in other nations receive. In Germany for example, socialist parties gathered close to 50% of the total votes cast in each successive election since the 1970’s. There are several theories, however, that explain this phenomena in United States politics or governance. The United States has never had a feudal system. Other nations have had hierarchical systems which was lead from the top by a supreme deity while at the bottom of the system lay the commoner. Such systems were discriminatory in nature since it gave too much power to the person at the top at the expense of the common man at the bottom.

The Trial of John Peter Zenger and Jury Nullification Essay

The Trial of John Peter Zenger and Jury Nullification - Essay Example This paper shall look into the Zenger trial and its legacy of jury nullification and freedom of speech and of the press. The Antecedent Facts Although the case banners Zenger’s name, he is in fact a mere collateral personality in this entire hullabaloo. His participation is actually limited to being the printer of The New York Weekly Journal, no more, no less. The case traces its history way back to the arrival of Governor William Cosby into the shores of America. When Cosby arrived in August 1731, New York was under the capable hands of Rip Van Dam as Acting Governor. Van Dam, a member of the Provincial Council of New York was appointed as acting governor while Cosby made the months-long journey from Britain to America. However, upon his arrival, Cosby demanded that Van Dam turn over half of the salary he had received as Acting Governor. When the latter declined, Cosby sued Van Dam in a court which he created solely for that purpose. (The Trial) To ensure a favorable decision , Cosby bypassed the jury from his case and instead appointed the Supreme Court of New York to hear and decide the collection suit at first instance. Van Dam challenged the legality and constitutionality of this act but he lost on a vote of two to one. Two Supreme Court justices voted in favor of the constitutionality of Cosby’s act while the lone dissenter was Justice Lewis Morris. Later, Cosby demanded Morris to explain why he voted against him. Morris filed his explanation via an open letter which was published by Zenger. As a result, Morris was fired and replaced by James Delancey. (The Trial) After he was fired, Morris founded the Popular Party together with Van Dam and lawyer James Alexander, under which Morris ran as candidate for Assemblyman. His victory was reported in great detail in the maiden issue of the New York Weekly Journal published on November 5, 1733 which was owned by the partnership of Zenger and Alexander. For months, The New York Weekly Journal publish ed attacks and criticisms against the unpopular incumbent governor. Alexander writes the articles and Zenger prints them. (The Trial) When these attacks came out, Cosby tried but failed to get an indictment from the Grand Jury on the ground that the author of the said attacks is unknown. In response, an outraged Cosby issued an order dated October 22, 1734 mandating that issue numbers 7, 47, 48 and 49 of The New York Weekly Journal â€Å"be burned by the hands of the common hangman or whipper†¦ as containing in them many things tending to sedition and faction, to bring His Majesty’s government into contempt.† (Order for the Public Burning of Zenger's Journals) At about the same time, Cosby also offered a reward of fifty pounds to whoever shall have information on the identity of the libelous publication’s authors. However, when there were no takers for his considerable offer, Attorney General Richard Bradley was ordered to file the information for seditious libel against Zenger, the only identifiable person behind the publications. After which, a bench warrant dated November 2, 1734 was issued for the arrest of Zenger. Among others, the warrant states that Zenger is facing charges for â€Å"printing and publishing several seditious libels dispersed throughout his journals or