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(Photo courtesy of The Butler)

By Caren Chelangat

The Butler is an American film of 2013 , it was directed by  Daniel Lee. The movie came out in 2013, August of the 16 th.The main roles are played by Oprah Winfrey and  Forest Whitaker. The basis of the film is an article ,Butler well served by this election, from the Washington post which describes a Butler by the name  Eugene Allen.

Eugene Allen served in the white house under eight presidents .The film director, Lee Daniel’ s wraps up his work in two lives, the cuisine and traditions among the staff and the other taking place among the street that portrays how the black people were gradually trying to establish themselves in the American society.

In 2009, an elderly Cecil Gaines recounts his life story while waiting at the White House to meet the newly inaugurated president. In 1926, at the age of seven, Gaines is raised on a cotton plantation in Macon, Georgia. When the farm’s owner rapes Cecil’s mother, Cecil’s father confronts him and is killed. Cecil is taken in by the estate’s caretaker, who trains Cecil as a house servant. In 1937, at age eighteen, Cecil leaves the plantation. Desperately hungry, he breaks into a hotel pastry shop. The elderly master servant, Maynard, takes pity on Cecil and gives him a job. Cecil learns advanced serving and interpersonal skills from Maynard, who later recommends Cecil for a position in a Washington, D.C. hotel. While working there, Cecil meets and marries Gloria, and the couple has two sons: Louis and Charlie

. In 1957, Cecil is hired by the White House during Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration. White House martyr d’hotel Freddie Fallows introduces Cecil to head butler Carter Wilson and co-worker James Holloway. Cecil witnesses Eisenhower’s reluctance to use troops to enforce school desegregation, then his resolve to uphold the law by racially integrating Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas.

In this movie , there is one big amount of documentary chronicles which once again show the protagonist is not limited to the director and tends to deliver a message through the film to the society during that period when racism was openly done to the blacks during the period when cases of racism were extremely high and done in America.

The film was theatrically released by the Weisten Company, on August 16, 2013, to mostly positive reviews from critics, with many praising the cast but criticizing the historical accuracy, particularly the portrayal of President Reagan. The film grossed over $176 million worldwide against a budget of $30 million.

(Photo courtesy of freepik)

By Caren Chelagat

Birds are an important part of an ecosystem. We need birds far more than they need us .There is such a vast variety of birds, of many different sizes, that perform important roles within even just one ecosystem.

Smaller birds may eat seeds and nuts, dropping many of these to the forest floor where creatures below can access these nutrients. Some birds control insect populations and prevent them from overwhelming plants and trees.

Birds help to balance the food chain by eating fast-reproducing rodents and insects. This ensures populations are managed and do not grow to unsustainable levels, which can devastate ecosystems.

Birds are unique in the animal world and incredibly intelligent. Ravens can mimic sounds, African Grey Parrots can learn hundreds of words, and Blue Jays have been shown to use tools.

Trees use fungi within their roots, where an intricate network forms. It is believed that trees rely on fungi networks to communicate with one another, share resources like food and water, and send distress signals if there is an insect attack.
Birds are completing an important service by spreading fungi, as this ensures trees have a healthy and diverse supply for this symbiotic relationship.

Humans  harvest bird droppings to be used as fertilizers. These dropping have high content of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, which are nutrients that are essential for plant growth.
Feathers are used all over the world to stuff pillows, mattresses, sleeping bags, coats and quilting .The most preferred are from the geese family which is the most soft of all birds.

Nectar- feeding birds are important pollinators since they move the pollen from flower to flower to help fertilize the sex cells and create new plants .An example are hummingbirds , the sunbird and honey-eaters.
Birds are food ; chicken , turkey and ducks are used for production of meat and eggs which was introduced due to the development of poultry.

As part of nature we should protect the birds and provide a good environment for them at our homes like water outside , nuts and seeds as well to give them food , they are part of creation and we are supposed to take care of creation like God commanded.

[Photo courtesy of Freepik]

By Caren Chelagat

Music came from a Greek word, [Mousike], which means art of the Muses. No one invented music, sounds they heard from different animals might have led humans to make music, years ago when humans used different noises to express fears and joys. Listening to music; can reduce anxiety, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, mental alertness, and memory.

Music may have a healing capacity during stressful weak situations since when we get to listen to music, we get to release dopamine ,which makes us feel good. Music is a vital aspect of culture. It has the ability to invoke age-old traditions or to incite people to social change. Music’s ability to connect individuals to social and cultural experience is one of its most important characteristics.

Music is extremely beneficial to society.  It helps bring people together and has the unique ability to represent a culture as a whole. It can also be used as a way to relax.  Everyone gets stressed or anxious from time to time, even if it’s not about school or work pressures. Some individuals use music as a way to calm themselves down when they’re feeling this way. A lot of people listen to their favorite songs when they’re in bed or taking a shower, as it can help them relax.

Music is a form of art and artists express themselves through music, music has been used as a way to express oneself throughout history. Music can be a great outlet for people to express themselves. Some songs are extremely personal and allow the singer or a songwriter to get out feelings and thoughts that don’t have a simple way of being put into words.

Aside from its function of bringing people together, music is also used for entertainment and art purposes by some cultures. For example, a lot of modern music is composed in a very creative way and has some degree of artistic value like in the world today where we have a number of artists who perform different genres of music that we get to choose which genre to listen to.

Songs can hold so much importance to people, they are often used as a way to commemorate moments in time. Whether it’s at a wedding, funeral or any other special occasion, music is always present and can help make the moments more memorable. Many people believe that music is a universal language. This means that, regardless of what country someone is from, they will be able to understand and enjoy a song without knowing the lyrics. Since music doesn’t rely on words, it has the ability to connect two different culture which no other form of communication can, since people listen to the beats and melodies of the song.

Life would be very quiet without music, our life without melodies and harmonies would be very empty. Music has the ability to convey all types of emotions and we are glad that music is there for us during our trying times and stress.