Culture and Communication Essay Example for Free

Culture and Communication Essay The above figures show how different populations are spread in different countries all over the world. It implies that whenever we visit one country, we have to talk in a language that we shall be able to break communication barrier with our hosts. However, it has not been easy to break the cultural barrier between different communities. This is despite the fact that culture has appeared to be dynamic and changing with especially the changing technology. It has thus to be understood that cultural barrier is more than language barrier and if not carefully handled, the cultural barrier can provoke reactions that are negative and cause emotional reactions to the parties involved (Novinger, 2008). We need to understand that whatever that is taken to be of good behavior in one culture might actually be rudeness to others’ culture. You might also get that in one culture, there are issues that are very sensitive, but in actually sense, you don’t see them to be of any consequence in your own culture. This means that we need to understand the culture of the people we are in frequent communication with, so that we can speak the same culture rather than just speaking the same language (Gerry Wilson, n. d). It is important to note that although there are various reservations given about the world of communication, there is need for having some good communication so that we carry on our culture, or else, the chances of such culture surviving might be minimal. Effect of culture on communication It is very difficult to discover the cultural inclination that is involved in communication by one person of a different culture to another. â€Å"The extend to which culture affects communication between people from different cultural groups is a function of the dissimilarity between the cultures, rules, or self concepts,† (Cushman Cahn, 1984 pp 136). Culture is an important socialization aspect that can influence how we relate to other people and objects around us. The different in communication among people from different cultures comes from the uniqueness of the socialization process each has undergone. â€Å"Communication specialists estimate that some two-thirds to three-fourths of our communication take place nonverbally through behavior. Behavior itself is learned from our culture and all behavior communicates,† (Novinger, 2008 para 2). It is not possible to stop one from behaving in a certain way, and yet it is not possible to stop communicating. This means that at all time, we are constantly communicating in a behavior instilled in us by our culture. It is a common phenomenon for us to assume that our culture naturally shows how we are supposed to do things. In this aspect, we tend to look down upon other cultures as being less evolved. One might meet a person from one culture which might make them feel irritated by the fact that such a person might not be cooperative or might appear to be rude. It causes a lot of frustration when you find that a person you are having a conversation with is actually not getting what you are trying to put across. This might appear to you to be very simple, yet to the other partner, it is something that is complicated and new. It mostly depends on how the other party perceives issues altogether which might be completely different from your line of view. In this case, unless you see how the other person is perceiving the same information you are looking at, it will be very difficult to have a meaningful communication (LeBaron, 2003). In most instances, we have also assumed that our actions are governed by the free will. This is however not true since our culture is concerned with imposing certain rules unto us on the way we need to behave immediately we are born. Some common things that are leant at a tender age are when to talk and when not to talk, the gestures that are acceptable and the ones that are not, and we do also learn several table manners. In general, we learn on how to communicate with people in a manner that is totally acceptable to our culture. As Novinger (2008) argues, these communicative behaviors have some consequences, because as this â€Å"behavior is learned so well, it sinks to a subconscious level, so that when we interact with others, we operate on a sort of automatic pilot,† (para 4). While communicating to another person, it is rare to take note of whatever comes up during the communication which we consider to be normal. It is only the behavior that deviates from our cultural way of behaving that usually captures our attention much. In most instances, we take offence when such cases arise. We thus need to understand that the different way we perceive things from one culture does not necessarily mean that the other culture has a defect because of the perception they have on the same issue (Hauben, 1996). For instance, â€Å"Contrary to US culture, silence does not mean acceptance in other cultures,† (Sathyanarayan, n. d para 3). This means that there can appear some communication barrier in a meeting when one party has not understood anything and keeps quite. The other party may assume that by keeping quite, the other has fully understood what they were discussing, only to note that nothing has been put forward. This can be very frustrating especially if it is in a business entity and it might lead to a big loss to the business organization. In some instances, if the business or a project had a set deadline, a person will try to meet the deadline so as it does not appear like a case of disrespectful, yet in essence they are not sure of what is supposed to be done. This is usually common in relations that are still new. Another common cultural issue that can bring about communication barrier is that in some cultures, when in a meeting with high ranking officials, it is not good for members to give any contrary views. This means that despite the fact that a member might be having a certain pressing and important point but it is contrary to what the seniors are saying they might just keep quite. Therefore, a person from a different culture might be in problem understanding what is going on if they are in that kind of a meeting. In conclusions, we can say that it is easy to learn another person’s language to ease communication, but it is not enough, as there are a lot to be told by the culture which is usually portrayed in non verbal communication. Since culture is becoming very much dynamic, we can actually be able to learn the cultures of those we are constantly in touch with so that we can completely break the communication barrier. Reference: Cushman D P Cahn D. D (1984): Communication in Interpersonal Relationships ISBN: 0873959094; SUNY Press Gerry Wilson E (n. d): Communication and Culture, retrieved on 18th June 2008 from http://jmm. aaa. net. au/articles/85. htm Hauben M (1996): Culture and Communication, retrieved on 18th June 2008 from http://www. columbia. edu/~hauben/CS/usenet-culture. txt LeBaron M (2003): Culture and Conflict, retrieved on 18th June 2008 from http://www. beyondintractability. org/essay/culture_conflict/ Sathyanarayan M. M (n. d): Managing Offshore Projects: How Culture Affects Communications and Deliverables, retrieved on 18th June 2008 from http://www. offshoringsuccess. com/offshore_hcacd. html The University of the South Pacific Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (n. d): Sample ELSE Test Questions, retrieved on 18th June 2008 from http://www. usp. ac. fj/fileadmin/files/academic/students/elsa_sample. pdf

Deist Pantheism in Tintern Abbey :: William Wordsworth Poetry

"Tintern Abbey" typifies William Wordsworth's desire to demonstrate what he sees as the oneness of the human psyche with that of the universal mind of the cosmos. It is his pantheistic attempt to unfurl the essence of nature's sublime mystery that often evades understanding, marking his progression as a young writer firmly rooted within the revolutionary tradition to one caught in perplexity about which way to proceed socially and morally, and further, to define for himself a new personal socio-political vision. Moreover, "Tintern Abbey" exhibits Wordsworth's eclipsing of the Cartesian belief in a supernatural creator who stands beyond the universe, echoing the ideas of Burach Spinoza, and redefining late eighteenth century deism into a more personal, pantheist revision of nature. The poem's portrayal of the intimate connection with nature implicitly underscores Wordsworth's view on conventional religious belief as one surpassing commonly held interpretations of the supernatural. It conveys Wordsworth's ideal of the universe as bound inextricably within the essence of all that is harmonious and natural -- a "Oneness." It sympathetically depicts the inseparability of "God" from nature, the "material-spirit" of energy that, as Wordsworth portrays it, imbues the life force with . . . a sense sublime Of something far more deeply interfused, Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns, And the round ocean and the living air, And the blue sky, and in the mind of man; A motion and a spirit, that impels All thinking things, all objects of all thought, And rolls through all things. (96-103) In terms of "Tintern Abbey"'s naturalistic depiction of nature's interconnection with the universe and humanity, the poem reveals Samuel Taylor Coleridge and John Thelwall's implicit influence upon Wordsworth's development as both a writer and naturalist poet. Similar to Wordsworth, for instance, John Thelwall illuminates the organic spur of the human frame and other life forms in his scientific prose, such as found in his celebrated medical essay, Towards A Definition of Animal Vitality (1793). Thelwall's "cosmic-monism" fuses the workings of the human body to the movements of heaven and earth -- a holistic interconnection of the organic to the inorganic. His connection to Wordsworth through Coleridge serves to partially explain the inherent pantheistic vision in "Tintern Abbey"'s 1798 composition.

Master Harold and the Boys

Master Harold and the Boys, a play written by famous playwright Althol Fugard, shares the story of a seventeen year old white boy, Hally, who spends time with two African- American servants, Sam and Willie. While the majority of the play is a conversation between the three inside a tea room, Fugard does a brilliant job of exposing the struggles that is dealt with at the time. The context of Master Harold and the Boys is deep and meaningful, especially since the play sets in South Africa. He depicts how industrialized racism really is, showing that when an individual lives under a certain set of assumptions, it is really easy to catch others views of hatred, bigotry, and at the time, apartheid. Fugard shows his true artisism for publishing this play because it takes a true artist to be able to confront problems that a society deals with and to be able to make people more considerate of their actions towards others. There is a great deal of emotional value that comes with this play. When this play was written back in 1982, South Africa was still dealing with apartheid which is similar to the United States' time of segregation. In fact, the emotional value of this play was so enormous that it was actually banned in South Africa at the time. The plot is heavy because it takes Hally's childhood innocence and turns him towards a poisness bigotry, just like what most of the adult society did during that time. The real turning point is when Hally finds out about his father returning home from the hospital. In the beginning of the play, Sam and Willie talked about ballroom dancing. They could relate to readers of the play who also dance because they might understand the pressures of dancing and the amount of skill that goes into it. However, no matter what the pressures of dance may be, it is never acceptable for a man to hit a woman. Fugard might have showed this side of Willie because domestic relationships were very common back in the 1950s. Even though there was a rise in feminism movements, men still had most of the control and strength. While blacks were still considered to be property, women during that era did not have many rights as well. Hally, Sam, and Willie have more of a friendship during the beginning of the play, but when Hally becomes distraught with the news of his dad coming home, he violently unleashes on his servants. It becomes clear that his father's vicarious racism was a learned behavior observed by Hally. From this point on, Hally no longer treats Willie and Sam as friends, but as subservient help. Hally demands that they must call him â€Å"Master Harold† as he spits on his servants. Using the word â€Å"master† showed that Hally had full possesion over them, and he wanted them to know it. He also used the spitting incident as a way to show control because that was typical during that time era. Spitting on someone is considered to be very degrading to that individual and is a form to show their unworthiness. I think my personal impact on the play has definitely changed. After I read the play, I understood what happened, but it was not until our class discussion where I really put the pieces of the play together. One eye opener during out discussion was when we were talking about the word â€Å"boys† in the title. I simply thought that Fugard used that word because of their gender, but I had no idea that using the word â€Å"boy† towards a black person is degrading. I really admired how Fugard attacked this problem that was facing South Africa's society and how he exposed the realities of bigotry. I think it would be great to see this play as a production. I believe the acting of the words verses just a persons imagination could be a real eye opener to how people see and treat others. This play will continue to be relevant in American and South Africas societies because it is a reminder of our history and how our society needs to continue to grow away from racism and towards a more accepting society of all. Master Harold and the Boys â€Å"Master Harold†. . and the Boys is not an overtly political play, but a depiction of â€Å"a personal power? struggle With political implica-tions. † The only definition that the South African system can conceive of in the relationship of White to Black is one that humiliates black people. This definition â€Å"insinuates itself into every social sphere of existence, until the very language of ordinary human discourse begins to reflect the policy that makes black men subservient to the power exercised by white children. † In the society depicted by Fugard White equals â€Å"Master† and Black equals â€Å"boy. It is an equation, continued Durbach, that ignores the traditional relationship of labor to man-agement or of paid employee to paying employer. During the course of the drama, Hally rapidly realigns the components of his long? standing friend-ship with Sam into the socio? political patterns of master and servant. Hally changes from intimate familiarity with his black companions to patroniz-ing condescension to his social inferiors. It is an exercise of power by Hally, himself a â€Å"boy† who feels powerless to control the circumstance of his life and therefore seeks some measure of autonomy in his interaction with Sam and Willie.Robert Brustein, in a review in the New Repub-lic, described' ‘Master Harold† . . . and the Boys as the â€Å"quintessential racial anecdote,† and ascribed to Fugard's writing â€Å"a sweetness and sanctity that more than compen sates for what might be prosaic, rhetorical, or contrived about it. † There is a sugges-tion that Fugard' s obsession with the theme of racial injustice may be an expression of his own guilt and act of expiation. As Brian Crow noted in the Inter-national Dictionary of Theatre, Critical Overview 24 biographical in-formation, however, is not needed in order for the play to make its full impact in the theatre.This is achieved primarily through an audience's empathy with the loving relationship between Hally and Sam and its violation through Hally's inability to cope with his emotional turmoil over his father, and its expression in racism. If to what extent the play manages. . . to transmute autobiographical experi-ence into a larger exploration or analysis of racism in South Africa is arguable; what seems quite cer-tain is its capacity to involve and disturb audiences everywhere. Yet not all critical reaction to Fugard's work has been positive. Failing to see the play's wider mes sage on racism, Stephen Gray saw â€Å"Master Harold† as nothing more than a play about apart-heid. In a 1990 New Theatre Quarterly article, Gray noted that South Africa's dissolution of apartheid has made the play obsolete, stating that it â€Å"feels like a museum piece today. † Other negative criticism found the play's black characters to be falsely represented As Jeanne Colleran reported in Modern Drama, â€Å"To some black critics, the character of Sam is a grotesquerie.His forbearance and forgive-ness, far from being virtues, are embodiments of the worst kind of Uncle Tom? ism. † Such reproach prompted Fugard to clarify his intentions during the Anson Phelps Stokes Institute's Africa Roundtable. As Colleran reported, Fugard stated that his inten-tion was to tell a story: â€Å"I never set out to serve a cause. . . . The question of being a spokesman for Black politics is something I've never claimed for myself. † Such criticism for â€Å"Master Har old† was spo-radic, however The majority of Critics and audi-ences embraced the playas important and thought? rovoking. Commenting on Fugard's ability to fuse theatricality with strong political issues, Dennis Walder wrote in Athol Fugard, â€Å"Fugard's work. . . contains a potential for subversion, a potential which, I would suggest, is the hallmark of great art, and which qualifies his best work to be called great. † In this essay Wiles examines Fugard' splay as a political drama, taking into account the dissolution of the apartheid system in South Africa and how that affects contemporary perceptions of the work. He concludes that the play is still relevant as a chroni-cle of human relations.What happens to the overall effect of a play when the societal forces that shaped it have changed to the point where the playwright himself says: , , [A] political miracle has taken place in my time. † Such might appear to be the case for Athol Fugard and his play â€Å"Ma ster Harold†.. and the Boys The South African system of apartheid? legislated separation of the races? has been dismantled; free and open elections have been held; a black man, Nelson Mandela, has been elected president of the country. The power of whites, regardless of their age or station, to subjugate and humiliate blacks with he full blessing of the government and society at large has evaporated. The question that begs to be asked, then, is: What is this play about if not about political struggle? By focusing attention on the adolescent antago-nist Hally, Fugard creates a more personal drama-, a drama rooted in the uncertainties of a youth who attends a second? rate school and whose parents own and operate a third? rate cafe. Displaying â€Å"a few stale cakes,† â€Å"a not very impressive display of sweets,† and â€Å"a few sad ferns in pots,† the St.George's Park Tea Room hardly seems the seat of power. And, the arrival of Hally, in clothes that are â€Å"a little neglected and untidy† and drenched from the heavy rains that keep customers away, does little to prepare the audience for the play's explosive confrontation. When Hally enters the cafe, it appears that he is glad for the lack of patrons so that he and Sam and Willie can have a â€Å"nice, quiet afternoon. † There is the implication that both he and the two men have enjoyed these types of days in the past.Hally's world, however, begins to crumble when Sam in-forms him that his mother has gone to the hospital to bring his father home. Hally's annoyance at the comic books piled on the table? â€Å"intellectual rubbish†? changes into fury when Willie throws a slop rag at Sam, misses, and hits Hally. Hally swears and tells both Willie and Sam to â€Å"stop fooling around. † Hally calls Sam back to have him explain what Hally's mother said before she left for the hospital He convinces himself that his father is not coming home, that Sam heard wro ng, and that the world he has created for himself will continue undisturbed.His willingness to shift the discussions to the varieties of textbook learning and then to the more Important learning gleaned from the servants quar-ters at the old Jubilee Boarding House under the tutelage of Sam and Willie, indicate Hally's inabili-ty to accept that his life is about to change once again. Hally returns to the comfort of the historical past, discussing Joan of Arc, World War I, Charles Darwin, Abraham Lincoln, and William Shake-speare with Sam. He also returns to his own familiar past and the flying of a homemade kite that Sam made for him.It is the kite that provides Hally with the defin-ing moment of his young life a black man and a young white boy enjoying each other's company and a shared accomplishment. Hally says, â€Å"I don't know how to describe it, Sam Ja! The miracle happened! † Hally appears to want to return to the safety of their shared past when he mentions to Sam tha t â€Å"[I]t's time for another one, you know. † The uncertainties of adolescence challenge Hally's place, not only in the world at large but in his family as well. Of his time spent with Sam he summarizes: â€Å"It's just that life felt the right size in there. . . ot too big and not too small. Wasn't so hard to work up a bit of courage. It's got so bloody complicated since then. â€Å"Hally's violent reaction to the news that his father is indeed returning home (the stage directions describe Hally as â€Å"seething with irritation and frustration†) clearly illustrate the complications Hally must now face. â€Å"Just when things are going along all right, without fail someone or something will come along and spoil everything. Somebody should write that down as a fundamental law of the Universe The principle of perpetual disappoint-ment† Hally's attack on Willie's backside WIth a ruler and the â€Å"I? llow? you? a? little? freedom? and-? what? do? you? do? w ith? It† speech show that Hally resists acknowledging the changes and accompany-ing complications that will inevitably take place when his father returns home. In the ensuing ballroom dancing discussion (Fugard himself was a dancing champion in his teens), Sam describes the dance finals â€Å"like being in a dream about a world in which accidents don't happen. † Sam's view of the world as dance floor contrasts sharply With Hally's nostalgic view of life as the right size in the old Jubilee Boarding house. Hally wants things to remain static, to never change.Sam, on the other hand, wants the world â€Å"to dance like champions instead of always being a bunch of beginners at it. † There are no collisions in Sam's view because the participants have discovered ways of moving around the dance floor without bumping into one another; symbolically, this is Sam's hope that the world can live together peacefully without prejudice or inequality. Hally appears momentarily co nvinced at the end of this discussion: â€Å"We mustn't despair. Maybe there is hope for mankind after all. † But then the phone rings and Hally's world shatters with the news that his mother will be ringing his father home. At this point, Hally's demeanor becomes â€Å"vicious† and â€Å"desperate,† and at the end of the conversation Hally is â€Å"desolate. † He slams books and smashes the bottle of brandy his mother had told him to get for his father. With reckless words and ugly laughter, Hally mocks his crippled father, insinuating him into the dance metaphor as the ones who are â€Å"out there tripping up everybody and trying to get into the act. † His childhood world is now smashed beyond recognition as Hally swears at Sam and chastises him for meddling in something he knows nothing about.Hally's adolescent posturing leads him to de-mand that Sam call him â€Å"Master Harold, like Willie [does]. † Because he cannot control the events sur-rounding his father's homecoming, Hally lashes out at the convenient targets of Willie and Sam, people he feels he can control. The youth's petulance manifests itself with a vengeance. Hally lets fly with a racist comment and compounds the ugliness of the offense by insisting that it is a â€Å"bloody good joke. † Hally's final act of naked cruelty is to spit in Sam's face. For Hally, the bond with Sam is forever broken.The demarcation between master and ser-vant is clearly defined. Although sorely tempted to repay violence with violence, Sam remains the gentle father, the true friend, the moral teacher. Having removed the symbol of servitude (the white servant's jacket) that distinguishes him as a â€Å"boy,† Sam presents the personal rather than political response to Hally's indignities? an extended hand and the offer to try again and â€Å"fly another kite. † But Hally has shamed himself beyond compassion and cannot respond to Sam's final lesson.Errol Dur bach wrote in Modern Drama that the final dramatic images? he rain of despair, the wind where no kites fly, the hopelessness of rela-tionships ripped apart by racist attitudes, the com-forting music that elicits compassion for children who are a victims of their own upbringing, and â€Å"the image of a world where ‘Whites Only' leave two black men dancing together in an act of solidari-ty†? represent Fugard's movement between hope and despair, qualified only by the realization that â€Å"‘Master Harold' grows up to be Athol Fugard and that the play itself is an act of atonement to the memory of Sam and ‘H. D. F. [Harold David Fugard]? the Black and White fathers to whom [the play] is dedicated. â€Å"So, then, back the original question? what is the play about if not political struggle? It is a play about fathers and sons, and how those roles can be both supportive and destructive. It is a play that illustrates how relationships can be strained by factors beyond the participants. It is a play that offers suggestions and gestures for forgiveness and compassion. It is a play ultimately about race. Not black, or white, or red, or yellow, or brown, but human. Master Harold and the Boys In the play Master Harold and the boys, the telephone is a very significant symbol. It acts as a scene changer, as well as a mood changer the most for one particular character, Hally. In this summary, I will briefly describe a few instances throughout the play where the telephone is described, and the effects it has on the characters. In the beginning, Hally, a young white man arrives at his mother and father’s restaurant where he is greeted by two black â€Å"servants. † One of the â€Å"servants†, Sam informs Hally that his mom had phoned for him about a half an hour ago.Hally’s mood immediately changed from happy/content to nervousness/worry. Hally seemed to know that when his mother called, it was for good reason. Hally began pestering Sam with questions about the phone call. He wanted to know where his mother called from, what she called for and how long ago it was that she called. Sam explained that his mother had told him that she was bringing his f ather home from the hospital. Hally then became even more worried and tried to accuse Sam of lying. There was no way Hally’s mother was bringing his father home from the hospital, because he was still too sick.He then tried to call his mother at home, but there was no answer. This made Hally contemplate if the news could be true. As the two servants went back to work, Hally stood alone in confusion and worry. All he could seem to do is think about what this news means, and how it will affect him. Ring†¦ring†¦ring. Sam answers the phone while Hally stops his train of thought. He is listening and holding on to every word Sam says. This telephone call acts as a scene changer and also a mood changer for Hally and the servants; they all stop what they are doing to find out what is happening.Hally relates the phone ringing to something bad happening. Sam tells Hally that it is his mother on the phone for him. In worry Hally asks if the call is local or private, almost as if he is preparing his speech to his mother. Once Hally musters up the courage to speak on the phone, Hally finds out that the news is true; Hally’s father is asking to come home. Shocked, he cannot believe what he is hearing. He becomes angry with his mother, demanding that she make him stay at the hospital. But you know that Hally doesn’t really seem to care how his dad is feeling, he just doesn’t ant him back home. Hally’s mom agreed to try to keep his father at the hospital, but she wasn’t making any promises, Hally’s father was acting too persistent with his decision. Hally’s mother told him that she would call him back. After he hung up the phone, he was in complete shock. All he could do was stare at the telephone as Sam and Willie began bombarding him with questions. Hally had told them that Sam was right and his father wanted to come home. Hally’s mood changed to anger after that phone call.He kept going back and forth across the restaurant saying what kind of a mess this was going to make for him. He even got so angry about this news, that he began ordering same and Willie around, telling them to quit fooling around and to get back to work. As the servants obeyed his command, all Hally could do is pace back and forth through the restaurant and wait for that next phone call. Then, finally†¦ring†¦ring†¦ring. Hally took a lot longer to answer the phone this time. Sam even had to remind him not to keep his mother waiting.Hally’s mom was calling from home this time. She told her son that his father was home. Infuriated, Hally scolded his mother, asking her why she didn’t stop him and why she didn’t make him stay. He went on to tell his mom that he had an exam coming up, and how could he focus on that when his father is home causing trouble. Hally’s mom tells him that his father wanted to speak with him. Hally’s tone immediately changed when he spoke w ith his father. He sounded happy to speak with him, asking him how he was feeling. He also told his father that he was happy that he was home.After he hung up the phone he went right back to being angry. He acted like he was so much more superior to the black servants, walking around telling them what to do. In conclusion, the telephone was a very important symbol in the play Master Harold and the boys. Every time the phone rang, it changed all of the characters mood. Although the telephone acted like more of symbol to Hally, it did affect all the characters. Each time the telephone rang, Halley’s mood grew more nervous and more angry. He related the telephone ringing to anger, worry and frustration

Kentucky State Bird Northern Cardinal

The beautiful cardinal with its bold red coloring  and striking black mask is the state bird of Kentucky. There are over 300 bird species native to the state, but the cardinal was singled out for the honor of state bird by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1926. Because of its striking colors and broad range, however, Kentucky isnt the only state that names the cardinal as its official bird. It also holds the honor in  Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Appearance and Coloring The cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is officially known as the northern cardinal. It is also commonly referred to as a redbird, although only the male is colored with the easily-recognizable bold colors for which the bird is known. The female is a much less vivid, though still beautiful,  reddish-tan  color. Juvenile cardinals also sport a reddish-tan color that, in the males, eventually grows to the full, deep red plumage of an adult. Cardinals were named because their plumage reminded European settlers of the robes of a cardinal, a leader in the Roman Catholic church. Both the male and female feature the black mask and a pointed crest with orange- or  coral-colored bills. According to Melissa Mayntz, The red coloration of northern cardinals plumage is a result of carotenoids in their feather structure, and they ingest those carotenoids through their diet. On rare occasions, vibrant yellow northern cardinals may be seen, a plumage variation called  xanthochroism. Behavior Cardinals are medium-sized songbirds. The adults measure about eight inches in length from beak to tail. Because cardinals dont migrate, they can be seen and heard year-round. They are found primarily in the southeastern United States, however, thanks to backyard bird feeders, these colorful and easily adaptable creatures have expanded their territory further north and west. Both the male and female sing year round. The female may sing from the nest to let the male know she needs food. They also sing to each other while searching out the best nesting spots. The mating pair stays together for the entire breeding season and, perhaps, for life. The pair breed two or three times during the season with the  female laying 3-4 eggs each time. After the eggs hatch, both the male and female help care for the babies until they leave the nest about two weeks later. Cardinals are omnivores, eating both plant and animal products, such as  seeds, nuts, berries, and insects. The average lifespan of a northern cardinal is about 3 years in the wild. Other Kentucky Facts Kentucky, whose name comes from an Iroquois word meaning land of tomorrow,  is located in the southern United States. It is bordered by Tennessee, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana. Frankfort is Kentuckys state capital and nearby Louisville, only about 50 miles to the west, is its largest city. The states natural resources include timber, coal, and tobacco. In addition to its state bird, the cardinal, Kentuckys other state symbols include:   Flower: goldenrodTree: tulip poplarInsect: honeybeeFish: Kentucky spotted bassFruit: blackberryMammal: grey squirrelHorse: thoroughbred (This isnt surprising since Kentucky is the home of one of the biggest horse races in the United States, the Kentucky Derby.)Song: My Old Kentucky Home The state was the 15th to be admitted to the Union, becoming a state on June 1, 1792. It earned the name The Bluegrass State due to the lush grass the grows in the state. When seen growing in large fields, the grass sports blue appearance in the spring. Kentucky is the home of Fort Knox, where much of the United States gold reserves are housed, and Mammoth Cave, the longest known cave system in the world. Three hundred eighty-five miles of the cave have been mapped and new sections are still being discovered. Daniel Boone was one of the early explorers of the area which would later become Kentucky. Abraham Lincoln, who was born in Kentucky, is another famous figure associated with the state. Lincoln was president during the American Civil War, during which Kentucky remained an officially neutral state.