Stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have been a major theme Essay

Stereotypes and fantasies about the US South have been a major theme in the development of US popular music - Essay Example The following analysis will seek to discuss and analyze the manner by which this particular song helps the listener to come to an appreciation and understanding of what the desire of the working-class black woman would be, a promotion and understanding of the idea that a greater self-determination was possible and therefore sees, an understanding and appreciation for a renewed emphasis upon feminism and a focus upon how the freedom and equality movement had grown from merely something that sought parity with whites to something that sought parity between the sexes. As such it is the hope of this author that this particular analysis can not only help to confirm some of statements with regards to the blues of the 1920s but also offer an alternative level of understanding with respect to the way in which this music was represented and presented within the particular time in question. The ultimate meaning and understanding that the song implies is with regards to a deadbeat husband who h as run off on his wife and lives a life on his own for over a year’s time. In returning, the woman of the house, exercising a degree of power and self determinism, recalled the way in which she answers the door and ultimately tells him to leave and not bother her anymore as she has started her own life. This is of course evident of a great degree of freedom, self empowerment, and self-determination that might not likely have been evidenced within another era. The songwriter recounts the way in which even though he asks for permission to come in and start a life together again, the woman refuses and states that she does not need his laundry, his rent, or his ones and twos (likely referring to any further children from this individual). In an era gone by, it would have been the requirement of the woman to wait for her husband, regardless of his indiscretions, and necessarily forgive these at such a time that he gained to reappear in her life. However, as was represented in this blues music of the 1920s, this working-class black woman was not willing to accept this as an alternative to the freedom and self-determination that she had already been experiencing within the past months. In addition to Hazel Carby’s understanding of the way in which the concerns and cares of the black working-class woman were represented within the blues of the 1920s, a very clear level of feminism and an understanding of greater freedom and equality was represented within songs such as â€Å"Sam Jones Blues†, the songwriter ultimately less the listener be aware of the fact that Mrs. Wilson not only refuses Sam Jones entry into her house, she has also learned how to leverage the legal system , filed and received proper divorce papers, and has her own employment; thereby making the existence of a man in her life ultimately superfluous (James 173). From the information that is thus far been provided, the reader can come to a clear understanding of the fact that the b lues of this particular era, as understood through the lens of â€Å"Sam Jones Blues† not only represented a shift away from the musical integration and utilization that had been leveraged in previous eras, it also dealt with a unique subject matter that was not formally discussed within songs prior to this era. Although infidelity and issues of adultery have long been topics of the human condition, and analysis of these from an empowered black woman’s perspective and the means through which she has the ability, will, money, and self

Reducing the driver texting while driving can significant reduce the Essay

Reducing the driver texting while driving can significant reduce the number of car accident - Essay Example Texting while driving kills thousands of people each year. To stop these completely preventable accidents, every person who drives needs to stop texting in the car and wait to answer the phone. Distracted driving, which is the practice of not paying full attention to the road, is a big killer, and cell phone usage is one key factor. According to the FCC, in 2012 alone â€Å"driver distraction was the cause of 18 percent of all fatal crashes,† totaling more than 3300 deaths and over 421,000 injured people (FCC). While there are a number of ways that drivers could be distracted in their car, text messaging stands out as a very notable culprit. There are a huge amount of at-risk drivers who use cell phones. A poll from 2014 showed that 90% of all Americans own cell phones, 64% of which are smartphones (Pew Research Center). On top of that, studies have found that â€Å"text messaging creates a crash risk 23 times worse than driving while not distracted† (FCC). This is because, as can be imagined, the driver of a car who is trying to text has his or her attention split between a screen and the road. Distracted driving accidents have increased a lot in the past decade due to an increase in cell phone and smartphone usage. From 1999 to 2008, there was an increase of almost five percent in the number of fatal accidents which involved distracted driving (Wilson & Stimpson 2214). This makes sense when thinking about the increase in cell phone usage during that time. And the last few years of this period are the biggest increase, which ties in with more smart phones being popular for teenagers. Just from 2005 to 2008 there was an increase of 28% in distracted driving deaths (Wilston & Stimpson 2214). But there is still hope for the texting disaster. As Alosco et al. showed in a simulated driving study, texting as well as eating caused â€Å"impaired performance,† and interestingly, those who took part in the study after the fact understood that â€Å"texting