...“ Legends on the Net” In the article “ Legends on the net”, Jan Fernback examines a unique type of folklore – urban legends and their transformation into cyberspace. The author used two main arguments to support her contention. First, many characteristics of contemporary urban legends are inherited from oral folklore that existed long time ago before technology appeared. Second argument is as mediated urban legends gradually proliferate, cyberspace plays an important role for primary oral culture to survive and represents actual meaning of orality and literacy. According to the article, Professor Jan Brunvard had first coined the term “urban legends” since 1968. Urban legends are a unique type of folklore – traditional beliefs, stories and customs of community that had been passed through the generations by words of mouth. Familiar cultural mores, values and beliefs are presented in folklores. Urban legends inherit many similar characteristics from folklores. For example, they are popular stories concerning with humiliating, humorous, horrible and supernatural events that are transmitted from people to people via oral or written communication. Legends are anonymous because they arise spontaneously and are difficult to trace the origin of the stories. Urban legends are usually false however, they tell a type of truth. They unselfconsciously reflect the major concerns of individuals in societies. Urban legends somehow contain moralistic component and reinforce social...
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...Urban Legends: How do they work? Urban legends are told every day of the week and for different reasons. Some of the legends tell a story while others are telling the reader about behaviors that might have serious consequences. Some are based on truth, while others are based on fiction. According to author Tom Harris, the definition of an urban legend is “A modern, fictional story, told as truth, which reaches a wide audience by being passed from person to person”. Urban legends come from different sources like the internet, passed from friend to friend or reading it in a book or newspaper. When reading or listening to an urban legend tale, one has to ask 1. Is the source objective or biased 2. Is the source reputable and 3. Is the source sufficiently detailed? The tales over the years have become more elaborate and some parts of the story maybe true but as time goes on, another part of the story gets added making the story more unbelievable. According to author, James M. Henslin states that “urban legends are stories with an ironic twist that sounds realistic but are false”. Urban legends are told to people because of a lesson that needs to be learned or behaviors that need to be corrected. The person who is telling the story might think that by sharing this story, it would help that person because it’s similar in nature; therefore the person speaking is trying to help. In conclusion, urban legends are told for a different reasons and it’s up to the people...
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...content regularly) or the Travel Channel. Yes, these are the my most watched tv channels, excluding Food Network. I told you I was actually a grandma. Bab's Urban Myths This concept really drew me in. I really like that they rewrote urban legends and updated them in the context of one central character, who has really bad luck. And who didn't summon Bloody Mary in the bathroom of the Catholic elementary school, am I right? No? Just me? Okay. This content drew me into my strange obsessions as a child. You know the ones that made you read Goosebumps and watch Ghosthunters? The content seems like something I would like to explore- the urban legends and myths that surround us every day. Like Bigfoot, Nessie, Slenderman, or Cropsy (also that one is especially creepy). Maybe I just like the Creepypasta vibes. The Aviarium...
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... ii) Passwords must be a least 8 characters. Characters should include at least 1 Capital Letter, 1 Small Letter, 1 number and 1 special character like; @#?|<>)(*&^%$ iii) Forgotten passwords can only be reset by visiting the help desk or IT support department in person and provide company identification card. n) Recognizing Phishing and Online Scams iv) If it sounds too good to be true, it is. v) If the message does not appear to be authentic, it probably is not. vi) Does the content of the message appear in a search engine results? vii) Seeing silly typos, formatting, or grammatical errors a professional would not make. o) How to Avoid Being a Victim of Phishing viii) Do not use work email for personal correspondence. ix) Do not reveal personal or financial information in an email. x) Do not respond to...
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...Urban legends or folklore are in every state of America, some are spooky and others are unbelievable. Every county has one and Dillon being my small little town, there was not very many. I was astonished, when I found out, I have one of my very own that is popularly known nationwide! From books to the front of the newspaper , it is my privilege to tell you my tale. Picture, it; Dillon county in the 1960’s, it was a snazzy little town laid back with a calm serenity about it, so any news story was the talk of the town! This is more of a phenomenon than an urban legend, this true story is actually in my family. In fact, it is based off of my great grandmother Hattie Faircloth, she had a stroke. She was not necessarily in her right mind. The stroke was so bad, she did not have much more time on this earth. On her death bed, she told her daughter Ollie Brock ‘’This morning I’m going to be an angel’’. Hattie , old and in a bad state of mind, her family took it as of her dying and having hallucinations. She died in 1964, as time went on 7 years later. The family started doing yard work and they decided to cut down the legustrum shrub outside the window of...
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...Professor Claire Schmidt English 1000 February 9, 2013 Urban Legend: Hotpot is ‘Spit Pot’ Because of the Reusing of Its Broth Most hotpot restaurants in China provide customers the same hotpot broth which has been provided many times for many different customers. It’s called ‘spit pot’ in China which means it involves strangers’ spit that may contain unknown bacteria which can cause diseases. This legend abuses hotpot from the sensitive point of people’s mind------food safety, especially today in China. Actually the main reason that public food customers believe the legend is not the legend itself. The food safety concerns in China, low status in cooking culture, apparent profitability with unknown source and special cooking style of boiling the broth every time are the main factors which make it a truth to people. First, let me explain why food safety is a sensitive issue in people’s minds today in China, in order to explain the relationship between food safety and the hotpot rumor. Here is the social background. The food safety problem is growing bigger everyday in China. After the exposure of fake milk powder and recycled waste oil, customers’ impressions of public food are becoming worse and worse and their minds are becoming more sensitive to the scandals related to food industry. Under the circumstances, this legend is like another bomb exploding in food industry. Due to the deeper prejudice of public food, the legend is spreading quickly around China. If it were about...
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...There is an ancient Manobo legend which tells of how a god created man to be immortal. The legend says that immortality was lost when a bird exchanged man's "life breath" for a mere peice of kemp string. For generations the Manobo have learned from childhood that no one has been raised to heaven. Still they hope to leave this world of poverty, sickness, hunger and death for the bliss of heaven. Today some villages are experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus who was raised to heaven by the power of the true and living God. Ethnicity There are about 25 tribal groups, linguistically grouped under the "Manobo" family. Language The Manobo have 24 main dialects. The following six groups are more closely related than others since their dialects are related. They include the Ata or Langilan Manobo, Talaingod, Matig-Salug, Tigwa, Dibabawon and Umayamnon. Population The population of the combined groups totals over 100,000. Location The island of Mindanao is the second largest of the Philippines archipelago with a land area of 36,505 square miles and the most recent of the major islands to be developed. It is often referred to as the "Land of Promise." The majority of the Manobo are located in the Central Mountains of the island and are seldom found in lowland towns except for going there to trade. Recently, however, many young people have made their way to the urban centers in search of work. Culture For hundreds of years these tribes roamed the valleys and mountains, doing slash-and-burn...
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...Bloody Mary Have you ever been told to go in to a dark room with mirrors and chant “Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary. . .” and something bad will happen to you? Many people, including myself, have heard the legend of Bloody Mary as some people would call it the face in the mirror. The version I have been told was that if you go into a bathroom in the dark with a lit candle and say the words “Bloody Mary” 3 to 100 times, you will see her face. There are many possibilities that can happen when you upset Bloody Mary. It has been told that she will kill the person calling her, scratch his or her eyes out, drive the person mad or even bring the person into the mirror with her. If you had seen the movie Candyland or Urban Legend, perhaps, you would recognize the similarities to that of Bloody Mary [Halloween Web]. Teenage girls are usually the ones who call upon Bloody Mary, mostly summoned at sleepovers as a form of entertainment. However, you might wonder why kids might want to call this chilling woman. It may be a safe way to mess with danger. People who think they have seen Bloody Mary have said that she appeared in the mirror with a 1700s-1800s style dress holding her dead baby. Her face seemed decayed and rotten and her eyes were either white or rolled back. Bloody Mary also went by the names Bloody Bones, Hell Mary, Mary Worth, Mary Worthington, Mary Whales, Mary Johnson, Mary Lou, Mary Jane, Agnes, Black Agnes, Aggie and Svarte Madame. It has been rumored that you can also call...
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...If you are a blues harp player and love the music your instrument creates, you should know about the harmonica legends. These harmonica greats took this simple yet beautiful folk instrument and reinvented it as the instrument that we know today. Given below is a brief sketch of some of these legends who were instrumental in the development of the wailing, calling Blues Harmonica that we love and play today. i. Big Walter "Shakey" Horton – Along with Little Walter, Horton played a key role in defining contemporary amplified Chicago-style harmonica. No wonder he is counted among the all-time harmonica greats. Horton is known for his spacious sense of time and big tone. As he was somewhat shy, he produced a limited number of solo albums. Fine...
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...Mythbusters portrays an example of this effective communication, as it breaks the bridge between subjectivity and objectivity by presenting the scientific method in a context of popular culture and myth. Firstly, it does this by arousing scientific interest by referencing popular urban myths, wives tales or movie scenes and testing these by embracing the spontaneity of the cast. This cast plays a vital role in accessing the ‘gut’ and ‘heart’ of the viewers, as they break stereotypes previously formed in the media about scientists but still communicate scientific concepts effectively. Mythbusters accurately communicates the modern image of a scientist by embracing diversity within the scientific field and utilising sex appeal. Finally, the show uses communication techniques to target audiences and demographic that aren’t often targeted by scientific communication. All these factors work together to arouse the interest of the television-viewing audience and communicate the scientific method in a relatable and accessible way. The format of Mythbusters arouses scientific interest by referencing popular urban myths, wives tales or movie scenes and testing these in an intriguing way. Myths and legends are not typically associated with science. By definition, they contradict the scientific method because they exist without...
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...community and the their monuments. These inhabitants are one of the most fascinating communities to ever exist. They were the first society in Mexico and it is from this group that all other inhabitant of Mesoamerica followed. The community came to existence from around 1200 to about 400 BC and they inhabited in the forests, savannas, and rivers of the Gulf of Mexico. Very little is known of the Olmec’s community but what remains out clear is that the group followed a 365-day year, constructed pyramids using different types of designs , planted some crops such as avocado, corn and cacao, and had comparable religious practices as the Mayans who followed them practiced hunting and fishing (COE, M 77). The wide range of distribution of Olmec work of art and Olmecoid iconography during much of Mesoamerica is a sign that the group practiced long-distance trade. Foreign, impressive and high-value materials for instance greenstone and sea shell were transported in large numbers over very long distances. Whereas the Olmec were not the first community in Mesoamerica to practice the long-distance trading, the Olmec era saw a major expansion in interregional trade routes, more range in material goods traded and a greater variety in the sources from which the base materials were acquired from. Not much is documented about the communal of Olmec society. Though it is understood by most researchers that the huge heads and a number of other their sculptures represent leaders, but they have not...
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...Psychological and Social factors that urges students spread gossip/rumors We should distinguish between rumor and gossip, as each appears to function differently in its pure state. Rumors have been described as public communications that are infused with private hypotheses about how the world works (Rosnow, 1991), or more specifically, ways of making sense to help us cope with our anxieties and uncertainties (Rosnow, 1988, 2001). On the other hand, as Wert and Salovey (2004b) noted, "almost as many functions of gossip have been argued as writers to write about gossip" (p. 77). More than rumor, gossip tends to have an "inner-circleness" about it, in that it is customarily passed between people who have a common history or shared interests. Popular usage defines gossip as "small talk" or "idle talk," but gossip is hardly inconsequential or without purpose (e.g., Gluckman, 1963; Goodman & Ben-Ze'ev, 1994; Rosnow & Georgoudi, 1985; Sabini & Silver, 1982; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1998). For example, it has been theorized that gossip played a fundamental role in the evolution of human intelligence and social life (Dunbar, 2004; Davis & McLeod, 2003) and that it continues to play an active role in cultural learning (Baumeister, Zhang, & Vohs, 2004) and as a source of social comparison information (Suls, 1977; Wert & Salovey, 2004a). To be sure, it is often noted that rumor and gossip can also be undeniably aversive and problematic-currently illustrated, for...
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...Rachael Dickson CRN: 18430 Leon Fisher 9 September 2015 Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian Impacts on Modern Life Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian have brought many valuable traits to modern civilization. They had a structured lifestyle that worked very well and were sophisticated for their time. Bringing a multitude of new found thoughts and creativeness into their era. The Egyptians developed ideas like theocracy and archaeology. Whereas Mesopotamia thrived in literature, social order, and military. All of these have become vital in modern day use. Egyptians are known for how they ruled, it is called theocracy. “The Egyptians held a divine power flowed from the gods to their royal agents. In this theocracy, reigning monarchs represented heaven’s will on earth” (Fiero 49). They allowed their religion to take place within their government system to help guide them to the right decision. In modern day, on the back of the dollar bill it states, “In God We Trust”. Still conforming to the idea that we allow ‘heaven’s will on earth’. Egyptians created some of the most iconic symbols of our world. All over we see that architects have taken inspiration from the pyramids to create wonderful buildings. There is the more obvious ones like the one in Las...
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...will most likely try to imamate. The impact the media has on today’s youth has brainwashed them into doing acts of violence along with making bad decisions to fit in. I remember when I was a kid growing up I watched the news from time to time and one day while watching the news randomly like I would sometimes I seen that the government was attempting to outlaw the production of urban music because in their belief it was supposedly violent and not to be heard by the youth. I followed this story on the news for a while and after a couple of weeks I found out that some of the youth was doing violent actions after listening to urban music. I wanted full proof so I watched some of my friends and how they acted after listening to urban music and as bad as it seemed the government had a point that couldn’t be augured against. Urban music had influenced drugs, sex, money, crime, and gangs the music that I listened to and liked had become the music that birthed many of today’s criminals. The first point I would like to make would be the fact that music has had a major influence in the way the youth acts and how violent they become when hearing certain kind of music. I have seen kids at my school acting wild and violent when listening to artist like Gucci Mane, Waka Flocka Flames, and Lil Wayne. I have seen artist like Machine Gun Kelly have malls full of fans waiting on him shutting down local malls and making a riot like scene when they would see him. Machine Gun Kelly has the power...
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...inventive, creative, artsy combination of both social and cultural gathering. This crusade gave African Americans the opportunity to express themselves through art within urban areas in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States specifically rooting from the streets of Harlem. Along with Harlem, this gathering of African Americans also thrived in other places such as Chicago and Washing DC. Expanding from a time frame starting from the 1920’s up till the mid 1930’s, this intellectual, literacy movement ignited a new black cultural identity. The Harlem Renaissance not only produced influential legends, rhymesters, and sweet melodies, this movement allowed...
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