No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001 ( Esea ) - 1101 Words

George Eastman once said, â€Å"The progress of the world depends almost entirely upon education.† By its public school system, the United States of America exemplifies this. Federally denied to none and paid by all, United States citizens have the opportunity to attend public school, should they choose. Over the past fifty years, America’s education system has undergone multiple changes. It began with President Lyndon B. Johnson signing into action the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as an extension of his â€Å"War on Poverty† plan. ESEA funded primary and secondary education, encouraged equal access to schooling, established lofty standards and accountability - all done with the intention of closing the achievement gap†¦show more content†¦Additionally, during his time in office, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provides the Race to the Top Fund (RTTT) with $4.35 billion. The RTTT is a program, which supplies funding to states that have shown their success in raising student achievement and have plans with a high rate of potential success in accelerating reform in the years to come. The Presidents, who signed into action all of these federally mandated acts, did so in an effort to bring America’s education systems up to par with the systems of other countries, in order to remain economically competitive on a national level in a global economy. Despite all of the benefits that may have come from these acts, some cannot overlook the fact that they came from the federal government. One opinion is state or local officials should have full governance over educational affairs. Although committees, not funded by the federal government, have attempted to make changes to the school system in the past, none have had quite the nationwide impact as the authors of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is the work of the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association and the work of representatives from forty-eight states, two territories, and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on The No Chi ld Left Behind Act1440 Words   |  6 PagesInitiated in 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 intended to prevent the academic failures of educational institutions and individual students, as well as bridge achievement gaps between students. This act supports the basic standards of education reform across America; desiring to improve the learning outcomes of America’s youth. No Child Left Behind has left many to criticize the outcomes of the Act itself. Questions have risen concerning the effectiveness of NCLB, as well as theRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act Of 20011403 Words   |  6 Pagesnumber of interesting topics in this Political Science 2 class session of the Fall 2016 semester. A few that stood out to me, personally, were the topics of laissez-faire economics, separate-but-equal issues, and the viewpoints of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. From the tenth edition of the course book We the People, Texas Ed. by Benjamin Ginsberg and Unit 2 of th e lecture; a policy developed by the efforts of the late philosopher and economist, Adam Smith, laissez-faire economics essentiallyRead MoreEssay On No Child Left Behind1132 Words   |  5 PagesNo Child Left Behind The American education system often conjures up images of classrooms, students and teachers. Yet it can also be a point of political contention. The educational system is complex and intended to encompass all students so they can further their education and essentially their futures. However, the real question is in its effectiveness. After all, if there is no way to show that students are actually learning, then it renders the idea of schooling moot. That is why education policyRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001 ( Nclb )1007 Words   |  5 Pagesmost controversial law enacted by President George W. Bush is the No Child Left behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). This is a landmark educational reform designed to improve student achievement and drastically change the culture of American’s schools. In fact, President Bush describes the law as the â€Å"cornerstone of his administration.† Because children are our future, President Bush wanted to ensure our neediest childr en were not left behind. This paper will discuss pros, cons, and impact on students, teachersRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001 ( Nclb )1227 Words   |  5 PagesThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is a United States Act of Congress that is a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which included Title I, the government s flagship aid program for disadvantaged students. No Child Left behind was enacted with the intent to become a government aid program for disadvantaged students, and eventually raise the general education standards for the United States. This act was created with the idea to â€Å"close the achievement gap withRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act : Equality And Equality In Education1490 Words   |  6 PagesMany attempts were made in the hopes of increasing the equality in America’s educational system. The passage of many acts to help with the achievement gap in education between normal students and students at a disadvantage. One act, known as the No Child Left Behind Act, helped with the effort in reducing the inequality present in education. The act required schools to implement standardized tests, states to further fund schools who needed more funding, and teachers to spend more time in teachingRead MoreThe Debate Over the No Child Left Behind Act Essay1014 Words   |  5 PagesThe current debates surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 are both positive and negative. Many politicians and people that previously supported the Act are now standing against it. In the beginning many supported the new Act because everyone was aware that a change needed to happen in the education system and the proposal of No Child Left Behind seemed like the answer we were looking for. As the No Child Left Behind requirements began to be felt in the school systems across AmericaRead MoreEffectiveness Of The No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001 ( Nclb )1613 Words   |  7 PagesThis study will foc us on the effectiveness of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). The NCLB Act of 2001 was a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (www.newamerica.org). The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was a Great Society program that allocated federal funds for education and looked to hold schools accountable (www2.ed.gov). The NCLB Act of 2001 was passed through Congress in 2001 with bipartisan support and greatly increased the FederalRead MoreNo Child Left Behind Act Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesPolicy The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, is a comprehensive overhaul of the federal governments requirements of state and local education systems (www.nclb.gov). It reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and replaces the 1994 Improving Americas Schools Act. 2. General Background Information President Bush has made education his number one domestic priority (www.ed.gov). On January 23, 2001 he sent hisRead MoreThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001617 Words   |  3 PagesThe No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was drafted and passed to inject a rigid standard-based education system in the United States. It was signed into law by President Bush, and represents a gross, unwarranted, and unsubstantiated encroachment of the federal government into education. According to the State of New Jersey Department of Education (2010), the No Child Left Behind Act contains the most sweeping changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965

The Big Business And Economy - 1512 Words

The big businesses that dominated the United States during the nineteenth century should not be considered Robber Barons. Although some people’s livelihoods were destroyed, they were not setting out just to ruin people’s lives. They wanted to industrialize, make money, and make the United States’ economy more stable. If they continued to operate on a small scale, then the money would continue to be scarce for everyone as it had been in the past. They had to do something different in order to see any kind of change in the way things were going. Without people willing to try new innovative ideas, we would have never become this huge industrial powered nation America is today. The bigger businesses often swept up many of the smaller businesses in the process of industrializing, but in the end it all worked out to make the American economy better and avoid more depressions. In John Tipple’s Big Business and Economy, it is clear that he believes that the big bu sinesses of the late nineteenth century were Robber Barons. Before the Civil War, businesses were operated locally. After the Civil War, the railroad allowed everything to industrialize and operate over a larger area. The needs of the people were very high after the Civil War. Rich resources allowed businessmen the opportunity to gain wealth. New inventions and discoveries allowed businessmen to take this wealth and turn it into even larger amounts of wealth. However, the wealth was not evenly distributed; it wasShow MoreRelatedImpact of Big Business on Politics and the Economy Essay849 Words   |  4 Pageshands-off approach towards business. Under the laissez-faire principle, free, unregulated markets led to competition, yet this system suffered under the wrath of growing corporations. The impact of big business on the economy and politics was immense during 1870 to 1899. Corporations were growing significantly in number and size, which had a domineering affect on American econo my and defined American life. The growing corporations in America dominated most of the economy, creating a large gap betweenRead MoreHow important was big business in the growth of the US economy in the years 1890 to 1919?2274 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿BUSINESS UNIT 1: http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-as-business-buss1-exam-topic-tracker http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-weekly-revision-quiz-week-4 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/business-studies/comments/aqa-buss1-weekly-revision-quiz-week-2 Starting a Business This section provides students with an introduction to the scope of Business Studies within the context of starting a new business. Students will beRead MoreThe Effects of the Economy On Business Administration Essay examples933 Words   |  4 Pagesof the Economy On Business Administration The career I choose to pursue is the career of Business Administration. This career consists of running a small or big business and being able to run it and be capable of making small or very important decisions. A business runs and depends on the people and how people spend their money. If people spend their money responsibly and they know how to administrate their money and will make the economy to be stable and be good. As we all know, the economy has beenRead MoreThe Changing Economy: 1865-1939 Essay628 Words   |  3 PagesThe Changing Economy: 1865-1939 The end of the Civil War brought a whole new era of economy, political control, and Presidential intervention. The economy emerged from its agriculturally based economy into a flourishing big business dominated world and eventually in 1929 came crashing down. I agree only partially with the quote The Civil War saw the beginning of an 80-year decline of real individual economic opportunity; nonetheless, the vast majority of Americans continued to professRead MoreBuilding A Small Town Of Downtown Blacksburg850 Words   |  4 PagesBlacksburg hosts its fair share of local business. From art stores to yogurt shops Downtown Blacksburg has it all. However, in the recent years local businesses are taking a toll as big franchises are moving in across the street. As big businesses move in competition increases for the local stores and being unable to keep up with the growing competition small businesses ultimately shut down. Steps should be taken to preserve the integrity of locally own ed business from big franchises to prevent the loss ofRead MoreShould The United States Lower The Taxes Of Big Corporations843 Words   |  4 PagesShould United States Lower the Taxes of Big Corporates The less taxes we pay, the more lives we save. The United States has the highest corporate tax rate of the 34 developed, free market nations that make up the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (DECD). Unlike other countries, the United States pays a marginal corporate tax rate of 35% at the federal level and 39.2% state taxes are accounted. This is causing thousands of corporations to move operations out of the United StatesRead MoreTaxes Essay835 Words   |  4 PagesThis is causing thousands on corporations to move operations out of the United States and into other countries. Therefore, the United States should lower the taxes on big corporations. Lowering the taxes on big corporations creates new and more jobs for people. Kellyanne Conway, Counselor of the President claims that â€Å"When our business pay less taxes, they reinvest their money to the company†(para. 5). When the companies reinvest their money, they expand and build until the new companies start andRead MoreThe United States During World War II1248 Words   |  5 Pagesunique in that they allow citizens the right to speak freely and the right to assemble. This has allowed citizens to play an essential role in the economy through both their spending and their representation of the workforce. Over time major world events have changed this unique economy. Wars have been known to have significant impacts on the economy, albeit the impact relies greatly in the government and other economic factors. Before World War II the world was undergoing a Depression caused byRead MoreThe Onset Of The Great Depression801 Words   |  4 Pagescontinuous downward spiral of the economy and the overall condition of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt took action within a few short months to get the country back on its feet. With his emergency session of Congress to enact the first part of his New Deal and within two years complete the second part of this agenda. The goal was for the government to intervene within the economy and create stability for businesses and their workers. The New Deal conserved Big Business to the extent in which they couldRead MoreThe Importance of Small Enterprises in the United States1126 Words   |  5 Pagesa small business. Small businesses are incredibly important to the United States economy. Small businesses have been around from the beginning of the history of the U.S. and remain a large portion of the business community today. Small businesses are the driving force for job creation. Small businesses struggle to meet regulations set in place by the government and at the same time stay afloat in the U.S. economy. Th ere are strict size standards set in place that make small business owners weary

Toiiiiiiiiiiiwo social psychological theories of aggression Free Essays

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory suggests that acts of aggression are learnt through the observation of role models. His original â€Å"Bobo Doll† study showed that when exposed to aggressive behavior small children copied this behavior, not just by being physically aggressive but even copying the verbally aggressive behavior. However this study focuses on children who are supposed to learn in this manner, this doesn’t demonstrate that this would also be true in older children or adults who already have a set moral compass that would interfere with copying aggressive behaviors. We will write a custom essay sample on Toiiiiiiiiiiiwo social psychological theories of aggression or any similar topic only for you Order Now However Bandura’s later study showed that if children saw someone get punished for aggressive behavior they were less likely to be aggressive themselves when they were allowed to play with the bobo doll but if they saw someone get rewarded for this aggressive behavior then they were much more likely to act aggressively themselves, this shows that vicarious reinforcement is important to the learning of aggression through the social learning theory, as receiving direct positive reinforcement leads to people having high self efficacy making them very likely to repeat the aggressive behaviour that they were rewarded for. In terms of aggression this reward could come in many forms such as acceptance from a violent gang they want to be a part of or just attention from a parent or teacher. Moreover, Walter and Thomas’ study in 1963 further supported this theory as the results of the study demonstrated that aggressive behavior was a result of imitation of role models. However, the social learning theory does not explain what triggers aggression. Additionally, the study emphasizes nurture and learning through observation – ignoring nature and biological explanations. On the other hand, Zimbardo’s theory of Deindividuation suggests that aggressive behavior occurs in groups as a person’s normal constraints become weakened when they are part of a group as they take of the identity of the crowd as they feel that when part of a group their own actions are no longer bad making aggressive behaviour easier as they do not seem it as themselves carrying out the aggressive behaviour but the group as a whole as they become faceless, just part of the group not an individual. Commonly members of violent or aggressive groups have a reduced private self  awareness as they have some kind of tie to the rest of the group that makes them become a faceless member of the crowd, examples of this are common items of clothing in gangs and at football matches as supporters wear the same clothing and are all sat together. Zimbardo formed this theory around his Stanford Prison experiment where when the guards were giving a common uniform they became much more aggressive in their behaviour towards the prisoners as they became â€Å"guards† so felt that as a guard behaviour they would normally not see as acceptable suddenly became the appropriate response to their own frustrations. However in contrast with this the prisoners were all deindividuated but apart from one small failed act of rebellion they did not become aggressive, in fact they became more obedient and passive, this suggests the Deindividuation of an individual as part of a group only leads to aggressive behaviour if aggression is what is expected of the group such as violence being the expected behaviour from teenage gangs. Like Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, this doesn’t explain what causes aggression but this does suggest that in some causes individuals themselves do not feel any kind of cue for the aggression they demonstrate but act in that way because the rest of the group does explaining how large scale acts of aggression can commonly occur as it could only require a small number of people to actually have a cue such as frustration to trigger the aggressive behaviour. How to cite Toiiiiiiiiiiiwo social psychological theories of aggression, Papers

Often Times People Tend To Look At A Work Of Art And Only See A Picture Essay Example For Students

Often Times People Tend To Look At A Work Of Art And Only See A Picture Essay Often times people tend to look at a work of art and only see a picture. Later, if one looks closer a clear message or meaning is depicted by the artist. Thomas Hart Bentons work, Cradling Wheat, for example is just a picture at first glance, but as one examines the painting closer, the story behind it becomes evident. This tempera and oil on board composition illustrates four men in a field threshing and bundling wheat. Benton draws the viewers eye forward by placing the characters in the foreground of the work and the surrounding landscape in the back. Here, the American artist presents the focal point he intended. The faces of the men in the piece are all hidden by hats, distance, or turned backs. By hiding their faces the conclusion can be drawn that these men are hired hands. Benton emphasizes the type of men by presenting them in similar clothing. All dressed in charcoal trousers and sky-blue work shirts, they appear to be wearing uniforms. Perhaps the artist feels that most farm hands were no-named and insignificant and expresses his opinion by giving them these characteristics. Assumable is the fact that the painting depicts times before electricity and the invention of motors because the men are using hand tools to cut and bundle the wheat. Included in the focal point, of course, is the wheat. Benton combines texture and a vivid shade of tan to bring the wheat field to life. While the texture of the wheat is definite, it is also soft, creating the effect of a light breeze in the Midwestern scene. The brightness of the color of the wheat also adds to the 3 atmosphere created by the artist. While the background sets a certain mood, the brilliance of the wheat helps define the type of day Benton wanted to portray-a hot, summer afternoon. In addition to the wheat, a few small wildflowers are scattered throughout the field. The philosophy behind the dispersed blossoms suggests a break in the monotony of constancy. There is a constancy of wheat and a constancy of labor and while the clever, American artist is aiming to show the life of a farmhand, he added the flowers to simply break up the invariability. The secondary part of the composition, the background, does nothing more than set the mood or atmosphere and provide a specific landscape for the work. Closest to the focal point is a line of trees and foliage which separates the wheat field from another field. The use of the dark emerald vegetation emphasizes the certainty that the scene is on an immense farm. Behind the wild foliage is another spacial field of a light shade of green. By adding this field, Benton implies that the farm grows a variety of crops, but again, it chiefly adds to the landscape and little more than that. Following the light green field is yet another field. It appears to be a second wheat field of a darker shade oftan. The tawny hue of this field gives a shaded effect achieving a distant air. While most of the background exclusively sets the scene, this subsequent wheat field also seems to signify the vast workload.

A Tour Guide to Goa free essay sample

The people of here are strong, prudent and very hardworking †¦It is civilized, having famous orchards and water. ‘The forgeiners make a practice of going to the kingdom of Goa to enjoy the shade and the groves of trees and to savour the sweet betel. ’ During the These remarks on Goa come from the hippies or ‘flower power’ generation of the sixties and early seventies who thronged the beaches of Anjuna, Vagator and Arambol in search of salvation and ‘peace’. These remarks were made over five centuries ago by the Portuguese Ambassador to China who visited Goa around the year 1511. They serve as a vivid precursor to the generations that followed in our times to the fabled land of Goa. In those tumultuous and rebellious times in the sixties, it was then not the ‘sweet betel’ that was the prime attraction but a different kind of ‘weed’. But Goa, since those days of the angry generation, has moved on to attract a multitudinous, peaceful and cosmopolitan school of visitors from all around the globe. We will write a custom essay sample on A Tour Guide to Goa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Down the corridors of time Goa has been different things to different people. To the Portuguese conquerors it was ‘Golden Goa’, the El Dorado, the ‘Rome of the East’. Such was its beauty and grandeur, that a traveller was moved to remark: ‘Whoever has seen Goa, need not visit Lisboa’—Lisbon, which was then the grand epicenter of the Portuguese dominions. . Some decades later, the early 17th century French traveller Francois Pyrard wrote: ‘Whoever has been in Goa may say that he has seen the choicest rarities of India, for it is the most famous and celebrated city, on account of its commercial intercourse with people of all nationalities of the East who bring there the products of their respective countries, articles of erchandize, necessaries of life and other commodities in great abundance because every year more than a thousand ships touch there laden with cargo. ’ Pyrard continued with near prophetic veracity: ‘†¦as for the multitude of people, it is a marvel to see the number which come and go every day by sea and land on business of every kind†¦One would say that a fair was being held every day for the sale of all sorts of merchandise. ’ While the contemporary traveller may not come to modern, thriving Goa ‘for the sale of all sorts of merchandise’, the ‘fair’ is still very much on. The traveller is here to find something different: a balm on the busy mind, to enjoy days of freedom on Goa’s magnificent beaches, to parasail or swim with the tide of fellow visitors from all around the globe, to savour its unique cuisine and imbibe its spirits, to take a long and invigorating trek in its unexplored interiors, to marvel at its majestic temples and churches, in short, to be at one with the most friendly people in the country. In the sixties and seventies, it was, as we have remarked, a haven for the hippies. Since then Goa has moved on to fullfledged Statehood, its own Council of Ministers, a magnificent new Assembly complex, its citizens among the most literate in the country with a per capita income the highest in the land.. At the hub of this prosperity, is the Tourism industry. At the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), we take a humble bow in acknowledgement, in some small measure, of putting Goa on the tourist map of our country. But we also acknowledge that Goa does not require a massive sales drive. Goa is a multifaceted jewel in the crown of India. It is a frame of mind and body, spirit and soul. Goa is an unfading memory. It is joy and nirvana. Goa is India’s smallest Statewith the largest heart. Goa is Forever. TOP 5 TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN INDIA India has one of the most exotic and ancient cultures in human history (which makes it very exciting for India sightseeing). It’s more than just a country it’s a subcontinent with many different languages, religions, and cultural differences. This gives India many different tourist places for everyone. India has long been a region whose products have been coveted by people the world over (don’t forget to buy A LOT of stuff when your completing all your tourist attractions in India. From its spices, textiles, rugs, and dishware, it has long been known to be an area to purchase luxury goods. It is home to some of the world’s first universities and also home to the modern Western number system (numbers zero – nine). Here are the top 5 tourist places in India: Agra AGRA Agra’s Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world, the mausoleum of Shah Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is one of the New Seven Wonders of the world, and one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra. Completed in 1653, the T? j Mahal was built by the Mughal king Sh? h Jah? n as the final resting place for his beloved wife, Mumt? z Mahal. Finished in marble, it is perhaps India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewelers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens. Jaipur / Udaipur Jaipur is also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital of the Indian tate of Rajasthan. Jaipur is a very famous tourist and education destination in India. Lots of people flock to Jaipur to view the various forts and monuments in Jaipur which reflect its glorious past. Tourism is a significant part of Jaipur’s economy. Some of the world’s best hotels are located here. Forts Monuments * Hawa Mahal * Amber Fort * Jaigarh Fort * Nahargarh Fort * City Palace * Jantar Mantar * Jal Mahal * Rambagh Palace * Chandra Mahal, The City Palace, Jaipur * Diwan-e-Aam, City Palace * Central Museum, (Albert Hall Museum) Goa Goa is Famous for its pristine beaches, infact 90% of all the tourism in Goa happens only for its beautiful beaches in Coastal Areas. Goa has two main tourist seasons: winter and summer. In the winter time, tourists from abroad (mainly Europe) come to Goa to enjoy the splendid climate. In the summertime (which, in Goa, is the rainy season), tourists from across India come to spend the holidays. In 2008 there were more than three million tourists reported to have visited Goa, more than half million of whom were from Foreign visitors. Infact, many foreigners have made Goa as there home for its laid-back and relaxed lifestyle ! Kashmir Kashmir was once called Heaven on Earth, and once of the most beautiful places in the world. However, in last couple of decades, terrorism has faded its charm – A place home to Himalayan Ranges. The State of Jammu Kashmir has main three geographical regions known as â€Å"The Lesser Himalayas† or the â€Å"Jhelum Valley† (Kashmir), â€Å"The Inner Himalayas† or â€Å"The Indus Valley† (Ladakh Frontier areas) also called â€Å"Trans-Himalayas†, and â€Å"The Outer-Himalayas† or â€Å"The Southern mountain range† (Jammu). The area of Jammu Kashmir is 2, 22,236 square kilometers. Kanyakumari: Though there are several places of tourist-interest in the town and district, Kanyakumari is especially popular in India for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset. The confluence of three ocean bodies – the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean, and the Arabian Sea – makes the sunrise and sunset even more special. On balmy, full-moon evenings, one can also see the moon-rise and sunset at the same time – on either side of the horizon. Kerala (Backwaters): Kerala, situated on the lush and tropical Malabar Coast, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Named as one of the ten paradises of the world and 50 places of a lifetime by the National Geographic Traveler magazine, Kerala is especially known for its ecotourism initiatives, Beautiful Backwaters and Alternative healing massages. Old Delhi: Delhi, Capital of India has many attractions like mosques, forts and other monuments that represent India’s history. The important places in Old Delhi include the majestic Red Fort. New Delhi on the other hand houses many government buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest. The Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb have been declared World Heritage Sites. Ajanta Ellora: Ajantha Ellora are 28 – 30 rock-cut cave monuments created during the first century BC and 5th century AD, containing paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art. The caves are located just outside the village of Ajantha / Ellora in Aurangabad district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Since 1983, the Ajanta Ellora Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Darjeeling: Darjeeling in India owes’ its grandeur to its natural beauty, its clean fresh mountain air and above all, the smiling resilient people for whom it is a home. Known for its natural splendor, Darjeeling’s best gift to its’ visitors is the dawn of a new day. The mountains awaken first with a tentative peeking of the sun. A steep ride, five kilometers from Ghoom, or an invigorating walk up a steep incline, leads sun worshippers to Tiger Hill. The air is chilly with darkness and damp. To the east, a dull orange sun emerged painting the sky with brilliant strokes of magenta, gold, orange and fuchsia. The snow capped Everest, Kabru, Kanchenjunga, Jannu and other peaks slowly emerge from slumber to start a new day. The sun worshippers gasp at the magnificent sight. Mysore Mysore is a tourism hot spot within the state of Karnataka and also acts as a base for other tourist places in the vicinity of the city. The city receives the maximum number of tourists during the period of the Dasara festival when festivities take place for a period of 10 days. One of the most visited monuments in India, the Ambavilas Palace (also known as Mysore Palace) is the center of the Dasara festivities. GEOGRAPHY OF GOA Goa has a rich and varied history. It was part of the Mauryan Empire in the 3 rd century BC, followed by the rule of the Satvahanas of Kolhapur and the Bhojas who made Chandor their capital. From 580 750 AD the Chalukyas of Badami held sway over Goa until the Silharas took control in 1086 AD. Gulhalla Deva of the Kadambas, originally from Mysore, consolidated his hold over Chandor in the 11th century AD until the 13th century AD. As their kingdom prospered, the Kadamba rulers built a navy that was unbeatable in its time. Chandor their capital was now too small. They then moved to Goa Velha, where only the massive tank of the temple of Goddess Chamunda remains today. The Fr Agnel monastery on the hill at Pilar houses a museum that has notable collections of this period. The State Museum at Panaji has an extensive collection of artefacts from different periods of Goa’s history. A smaller museum in Old Goa on Christian Art also displays a distinctive selection. Jayakeshi-I 1052-1080 AD proclaimed himself Lord of the Konkan and Emperor of the Western Seas. On his death Goa fell to the Chalukyas of Kalyani and later to the Yadavas of Devgiri. Muslims held sway from 1312-1370 AD over the Konkan region. However, with the breakup of the Tughlaq Kingdom, it was the Bhamani Sultans who then controlled Goa. Madhav Mantri, who headed the army of Harihara of Vijaynagar, reclaimed and ruled Goa as its Viceroy. In 1469 the Bahamani Vizier Khwaja Mohammed Gawan of Gulbarga laid a two-year siege of Goas seaside forts and ended Vijayanagars rule. Yusuf Adil Shah, the adopted son of Gawan, moved his capital to Ela in Old Goa in 1498. He later built himself a palace in Panaji which until recently housed the State Secretariat. His rule lasted 12 years. On 25 November 1510 he lost Goa for good to Afonso de Albuquerque, a Portuguese who had taken the city earlier in March that year. The Portuguese ruled for 450 years. On 19 December 1961, the Indian Army liberated Goa from Portuguese rule, the culmination of the efforts of scores of freedom fighters, both Hindu and Christian. Thereafter Goa remained a Union Territory administered from New Delhi till it attained Statehood on May 30, 1987. In August 1992, Konkani, the mother tongue of most Goans was granted official language status under the Indian Constitution. A Secular State The multi-religious fabric of Goa’s society shines brightly, imbibed with the spirit of â€Å"Sarva Dharma, Sarva Bhava† or Equal Respect for all Religions. Goa   abounds with famous churches and temples and a harmonious co-existence prevails between people of various faith. Irrespective of whether they are Catholic, Hindu or Muslim, many Goans prostrate in symbiotic reverence before deities of other faiths than the one they profess. Religion dwells in the hearts of Goans wherever in the world they may be. HISTORY OF GOA A poet once described the physical shape of Goa as one half of a heart, the other half being carried in the very heart of every Goan. The Sahyadari Ghats hover protectively to the east of Goa where the height of this coastal state rises to 1022 mt above sea level. The Arabian Sea laps at Goas long Western coastline. Several rivers crisscross the state and empty into the Arabian Sea. To the North of Goa lies Maharashtra and to the South and East lies Karnataka. Area 3702 sq km Population Almost 15 lakh people (1. 5 million) Altitude Sea Level to 1022 mts Location Between Latitudes 15 4800 N and 14 5354 N and Longitudes 74 2013 E and 73 4033 E   Neighbouring Cities Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra towards the North, Belgaum to the East, Karwar district of Karnataka to the South and the Arabian Sea to the Wes. Major Rivers -Tiracol, Chapora, Mandovi, Zuari, Sal and Talpon. Main Beaches Arambol, Mandrem, Morjim, Vagator, Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Sinquerim, Miramar are major beaches in the North with Majorda, Betalbatim, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim and Palolem in the south. Wildlife Sanctuaries Bondla, Mollem lie in the eastern forested hilly areas of the state. Rules of the Kings Goa has an endless list of rulers which have ruled this state through many years. Starting from 4th century, Goa has been under the rule of various rulers. The feudal lords of Mauryan Empire, of the 4th-5th centuries, Bhojas, were the first to rule Goa. Some other kingdoms to have ruled Goa include Kadamba Dynasty, Silahara Dynasty and the Hoysalas from 11th century to 14th century. The 14th century saw Goa gradually becoming a trading centre, during that time mostly horses were traded from Middle East. It was this time when eminent empires, namely, Vijaynagar Empire took Goa under its rule. However, they were soon defeated by the Bahmani Sultans and took the controls in their hand, but things started to change in 1510 A. D when Portuguese arrived in Goa. Goa was also ruled by Yousuf Adil Shah of Bijapur. History of Goa – Portuguese Rule Owing to its natural harbors coupled with wide rivers, Goa served as a perfect base for the Portuguese to take control of spice trade from Middle East. The Portuguese is said to have come to Goa in the year 1510 and their stay lasted for over 450 years. During the Portuguese rule, Christianity conversions started and with the start of the inquisition, anything other than Catholicism was censored in Goa. Numerous temples belonging to Hindus were destroyed mass conversion to Christianity took place. During the time of the spice trade, Goa reached its Golden Age and it was this time, Old Goa became the biggest city in East that had over 300 churches and a population of 40,000 people. During the late 18th century, the Marathas had nearly defeated the Portuguese, which met strong competition not only from the British but also from the Dutch and French. Portuguese in Goa is however responsible only not for destruction and conversion; they have also helped the state in their architecture, cuisine and lifestyle. A number of beautiful churches, like St. Cajetan church and Bom Jesus basilica have been built during the rule of Portuguese. History of Goa – Overthrow of the Portuguese Though India earned her independence from the British rule in the year 1947, Goa had remained a Portuguese colony. In the year 1961, erstwhile Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, sent armed forces and under name of ‘Operation Vijay’, the Indian army took over Goa in just two days. Since then Goa became one of the Union Territories of India. The history of Goa is much shrouded in mystery. When the Hindu epic Mahabharata was written in the later Vedic period (c. 000-500 BC), Goa was referred to Gomantak (a Sanskrit word having many meanings, two of them being fertile land and land of the Gods). FLORA AND FAUNA The rugged western ghats make it an ideal haven for many species of birds and animals and also provide a corridor for migration. The western ghats called the Sayhadris in Goa, extend for a total of 600kms in Goa of their total length of 3701 kms. The widest belt of forests along the western ghats is in Goa   and neighboring Karnataka state. The high rainfall accounts for this because the elevation of the mountain range   here is lower here. The coastal areas on the other hand, provide the tropical backdrop. There are several plants and trees unique to Goa and some introduced by the Portuguese, most famous of which is the green Chilies, which today has become an essential ingredient in the Indian Curry. The tropical location of Goa is responsible for its warm humid climate and laterite and lateritic Clayey-loamy soil. The mean temperature even in the coldest month is over 20 degrees centigrade. Average rainfall is over 500mm along the western ghats and a little less elsewhere. The length of the dry season averages from 5 to 6 months. For all these reasons, the dominant vegetation is of the moist decidous type. Goa is endowed with over 1512 documented species of plants, over 275 genera of birds, over 48 genera of animals and over   60 genera of reptiles. About 10% of Goa is set aside as wildlife reserve and these include four large wildlife sanctuaries. http://goacentral. com/Goawildlifesanctuary/flora__fauna_of_goa. htm WEATHER Goa state is situated along West coast of India touching the Arabian Sea. Goa is well known for tourism, fisheries and iron ore mining industries. It has partly hilly terrain with Western Ghats in the east. The climate of Goa is overall pleasant throughout the year. The period of June to September is South West Monsoon Season. This is most rainy season for Goa state. Whole infrastructure of state like Agriculture, drinking water and electricity etc. depends upon the monsoon season. Goa experiences overall rainfall of about 330 centimetres annually and about 90% of annual rainfall occurs during this season only. However rainfall is more in the areas which are near to Western Ghats in east parts of Goa. The period from October to February is very pleasant for tourists with normally clear skies. During this period the sea condition remains normal. The period of April May comes under hot season (summer season) with some increase in humidity. During this period day temperature sometimes reaches around 36 deg. C. However tourists can enjoy their days over nice beaches. Normally after 3 PM sea breeze (cool wind) starts from sea to land, which cools the atmosphere and makes tourist’s environment pleasant. The climate of Goa can, in general terms, be summed up in one word: coastal. Most of Goa is a part of the coastal country known as the Konkan, which is an escarpment rising up to the Western Ghats range of mountains, which separate it from the Deccan Plateau. Being in the tropical zone and near the Arabian Sea, the climate of Goa is warm and humid for most of the year. The month of May is the hottest, with day-time temperatures touching 35C (95F). To top it, the heat is coupled with high humidity. The monsoons arrive around early June and provide a much needed respite from the heat. Then Goa receives the full blast of the Indian monsoon with sudden downpours and tropical thunderstorms. It is during the monsoon that Goa is at its most beautiful with greenery sprouting all around. Most of Goas annual rainfall is received through the monsoons which last till late September. Goa Weather has a short cool season too which lasts between mid-December and February. These months are marked by cool nights with temperatures of about 20C (68F) and warm days of about 29C (84F). Humidity remains in moderate amounts. The nights are a few degrees cooler further inland, due to altitudinal gradation. There are no extremes in temperature and no clear demarcations from one season to the other except for the monsoon. The monsoons are the main feature of the climate of Goa. The average rainfall is approximately 325cms, the average daily hours of sunshine is nine to ten hours in summer and three to five hours during the monsoon. During the two months preceding the onset of the monsoon the humidity increases dramatically, and the normally clear skies become hazy and then cloudy. During the monsoon, 250cm to 300cm of rain is normal, although in the Western Ghats the downpour is considerably high than on the coast. Once the monsoon has run its course the skies clear and the weather becomes pleasant. For four to five months from October through February the weather in Goa is near perfect-cloudless blue skies, warm but not oppressively hot days, and calm seas. By mid-March the humidity starts to rise as the monsoon begins to approach again Summer (March to May) is hot in Goa but the sea breeze offers solace to the heat. The maximum * temperature reaches up to 40 °C. During this time the place has fewer crowd. March to May is warm, with * less crowds and this period is ideal for those seeking for some quiet and peaceful moments far away from * the city life. Besides, it is a good time for a budget holiday. Winte r (October to February) offers pleasant weather and is a peak season for tourists and festivities. It is ideal for perfect holidays and honeymoons. The minimum temperature goes down to 15 °C. Sea beaches, sightseeing and water sports can be best enjoyed during this time. Tourist season starts from October, and the place offer very pleasing climate. From October to February is perfect for sea beaches, sightseeing and enjoying water sports. Festivals and nights parties will make your holidays enjoyable. * Monsoon (June to September) offer heavy to medium rainfalls. The place has its own charm during * monsoons, lush greenery and rural holiday in the interiors can be enjoyed during this period. During the * year end, one can enjoy the festivities related to major religious festivals of Christmas and New Year. During this period Goa is completely lit up and there are many parties to celebrate the occasion. The * carnival in February and Sao Joan festival in mid-June are celebrated with much fanfare. he best, and most popular, time to visit Goa is during the cooler months of November to March, when the weather is wonderful, rain is a distant memory, and the seas are calm and c lear. Arriving in October, at the very start of the tourist season, you’ll find beaches luxuriously empty, but many facilities, such as shops, restaurants, beach shacks and beach-hut operations, aren’t yet up and running. As March stretches into April and May, the weather grows hot and humid, and swimming becomes trickier due to rougher seas. Beaches slowly empty of tourists but, much like October, this means that facilities aren’t as extensive, businesses slowly shutting up shop to await the return of tourists the following November. Many Goans, however, feel that the monsoon, which douses Goa between June and the end of September, is when the state is at its very best. Parties and celebrations are held to welcome the rains, and the countryside turns lush and green almost overnight. Swimming in the sea generally is off-limits during monsoon, since tides are strong, and most tourist facilities are closed, meaning that if you visit at this time you’ll have the place to yourself for bargain-basement prices. Without doubt the peak season for visitors to Goa is over the short Christmas and New Year period, when prices are hiked phenomenally and many places are booked solid a year in advance. Yet this is a great time to be in Goa: the weather is glorious, the atmosphere is suitably festive, the tinsel is liberally festooned, and fireworks grace the evening sky. Though Goa’s frenetic party scene of years gone by has now slowed to a trickle, this is when all the best parties are held, and music festivals grace the northern coast’s clubs and beaches. Don’t expect peace and quiet, but for gleeful Christmas spirit under the tropical sun it surely can’t be beaten. * Read more: http://www. lonelyplanet. com/india/goa/weather#ixzz2MIOVc5tw * http://www. lonelyplanet. com/india/goa/weather * http://www. mustseeindia. com/Goa-weather * http://www. mapsofindia. com/maps/goa/geography-and-history/climate-of-goa. html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ECONOMY OF GOA The economy of Goa is well supported by numerous methods. Some of the things that boost the economy of Goa are agriculture, business and commerce, electronic and IT industry, fisheries, mining and tourism. * | Agriculture:Though for its day-to-day needs of agricultural produce like vegetables, etc. , Goa is dependent on the ne ighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Goa however yields substantial amounts of paddy, followed by other cereals such as small millets and pulses. The main plantation crops of Goa are coconut, areca nut, cashew and garden crops like mango, pineapple, jackfruits and bananas. The important forests products are bamboo canes, Maratha barks, chillar barks, bhirand etc. Business and Commerce: The Goa Chamber of Commerce Industry was established in 1908 as Associacao Commercial da India Portuguesa. It is situated at Goa Chamber Building, Rua de Ormuz, Panaji. It is active in helping Goan industries to face the challenges of a competitive market economy by identifying new markets for local products. It helps in implementing favorable industrial policies and educating its members in various commercial, industrial and other related legislations. The Banks in Goa too go a long way to contribute to the economy of Goa. Nationalized and other banks have branches all over Goa. Most of these banks have foreign currency exchange facilities. Electronic Industry: The electronic industry in Goa doesnt lag behind either. The Government to strengthen this sector has recommended policies like the Action Plans, IT Governance and development of Software industry. The first of the Software Technology Park (STP) complex, which is coming up at Verna, is just 12 kms from Goa airport. Fisheries: Goa has a coastal line of about 105 kms and inland water ways up to 250 kms. Having such an abundance of water-bodies, marine life and sea food are found in abundance. So the fishing industry provides is a major strength to the economy of Goa. Besides, strengthening the economy, it provides employment to a large number of people in Goa. The fish marine catch in 1998-99 is estimated at 65,841 tonnes valued at Rs. 9,029 lakhs. Mining Industry: Though post-liberated Goa has come a long way from depending on mining as the sole industrial activity, Mining Industry retains its importance even today. It forms the backbone of Goan economy providing employment to a large number of Goan population. Iron and manganese ores are the chief finds followed by bauxite, limestone and clay. Tourism: The economy of Goa receives its major boost from the tourist industry. A tourists paradise for both Indians and foreigners, it attracts tourists in thousands. Lavishly gifted by nature for its scenic beauty, virgin beaches girdling its 105-km long palm-fringed coast interspersed with enchanting coves, bays and estuaries, paddy fields, shady coconut, cashew and mango groves dotted with tiny picturesque villages, temples and churches renowned for worship and pilgrims, forts and. Tourism is so prominent that the number of tourists almost equals the number of state population. As a direct result of tourism in Goa, the hotel and travel industry thrive also. http://www. mapsofindia. com/maps/goa/economy-and-business. html PEOPLE OF GOA Goa exudes charm and warmth mainly because of the friendly and happy-go-lucky people who reside there. The people of Goa are extremely hospitable and make their guests feel at home. They believe in living life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it. They like to live life at their own pace and not meddle with the chaotic rat race of the world. The people of Goa are known as Goan people. Though they may follow different religions and beliefs, at heart they are typical Goans who love to live life the way they want to. A very important part of the life of an average Goan is a Siesta. This is basically an afternoon break when Goans retire back to their houses, shut down shops and take a break. This siesta usually takes place in the afternoon during 1-4 pm. This is the hottest part of the day and the people of Goa usually stay indoors to escape the heat of the scorching sun. They are dedicated workers who take their jobs seriously and actually enjoy doing them. The people of Goa have a very amazing degree of tolerance towards other religions. They believe in being secular and people can follow the choice of religion they want to. In Goa, people go to different places of worship together, irrespective of their beliefs and tradition. Different festivals are celebrated with equal fervor and joy by all communities together. This kind of a religious tolerance and liberal thinking is what sets Goa apart from the rest of India. http://www. goavacationguide. com/people-of-goa. html Goa is a beautiful place and as the beauty of the place is mesmerizing, the people of Goa too are nice. They are humble, generous and fun to be with. Goan are always on for parties. They are thrilled and just dont need a reason to party. Goa is something that shows a beautiful blend of ancient and modern. People of Goa are friendly, warm hearted and welcoming. Goa had been in isolation for over four centuries, when it was under the Portuguese rule. This isolation of Goa from the rest of the India, has given a unique identity to its people. Goans are proud of their unique identity and guard it with great care. People of Goa love to be called as Goans instead of Goanese as many Goa travel guides refer them. They love to live life to the fullest as they do not worry much about petty things. Goans are always in party mood. They love to eat, drink, and listen to music and dance. Goan culture is very much influenced by the Portuguese culture and people are more liberal here. Culture of Goa is beautiful blend of many different cultures belonging to different ethnic groups, religions and castes. They all live in harmony due to the tolerant nature of Goans. Religious fundamentalism is largely unknown in this peaceful state. Population of Goa is comprised of people of many religions. Majority of population belongs to Hindus, about 65%, followed by Christians, about 30% and rest belongs to Muslims and other religions. In spite of this division of religions among people, they call themselves Goans first. This religious harmony can be seen at some places of worship where Hindus and Christians visit together. These places of worship include the Church of Our Lady of Miracles in Mapusa, the Damodar temple at Sanguem, the Shantadurga temple at Fatorpa. Many festivals and carnivals celebrated in Goa are attended by both the religious groups with equal fervor. Goan lifestyle is laced with laid-back and happy-go-lucky attitude. Goans take life as it comes and do not engage themselves in the rat race. Siesta is the important part daily life of Goans. People go for nap during 1 to 4 pm every afternoon. On your Goa Travel, you will be amazed to see this unique feature all over the Goa. You won’t see shops or other establishments open during this time. Goans are the fond lover of art and fashion. People love to spend money over fashion and accessories. Many Goans are acclaimed nationally for their contribution in the fields of art, music, singing, literature. ? They know how to love themselves and pamper themselves, grab the chance and check into this different fun world which will definitely clutch you in its magnetism. http://www. getsholidays. com/goa/people-of-goa. html The first thing to remember about the people in Goa is the fact that they are Goans and not Goanese. They do not particularly like being called Goanese, so calling a Goan a Goan will see you through the first step of camaraderie. When the Portuguese took possession of Goa, they tried every method in the book to root out the prevailing Hindu and Muslim culture. Despite this fact, the Goans have managed to retain their original culture. The people in Goa are a unique race for more ways than one. This distinctiveness and also a separateness of the Goans have resulted more from centuries of seclusion both political and geographical. So the chief feature of the people in Goa is the element of mingling; mingling of cultures, traditions and life-styles. As a direct result of this fact, religious fundamentalisn does not feature in their lexicon and religious tolerance is a regular feature of Goan life. This is because of the people in Goa consider themselves to be a Goan first and a Hindu, Christian or Muslim afterwards. The population of Goa is mostly Hindu, with them making up 65% of the population. Among the minority, the Christians are a majority cutting a close second with 30%. The Muslims and other religions make up the rest of the population. Most Goans are fishermen by profession. Fishing is one of the main elements of the Goan economy that is rampantly practiced by the Goans. Moreover every person in Goa contributes to the promotion of the tourism industry in some way or the other. They either own a shop, or they let out their houses for rent to the tourists, or they own small shacks by the beach where they cook delicious Goan food for the tourists in Goa. If you happen to go there, you will hear all the people in Goa will telling you that, Goa is less a state of India and more a state of mind. http://www. mapsofindia. com/maps/goa/people. html LANGUAGE OF GOA Goa boasts about a fusion of languages. Portuguese was widely spoken until Goa was liberated from the Portugal regime in 1961. In fact, the older generations can still speak Portuguese. However, the main languages spoken now in Goa are Konkani and Marathi. Marathi is widely taught in schools too. Yet almost everyone in Goa can speak in English and Hindi. Thanks to its chequered history, Goa is a multi-lingual state. Having had people of various regions, ethnic races and religions from India and abroad settling in Goa, their language too has inflected accordingly. So, the total number of languages used in Goa are English, Portuguese, Konkani, Hindi and Marathi. Konkani, however, is the official language of Goa. Konkani is written in the Devanagri script. The other main languages spoken in the state are Marathi, Kannad and Urdu. Gujarati and Hindi are also spoken by a considerable number of people in the state. In major towns, English is widely used in writing and conversation. Goa being a major tourist place offers a tourist-friendly medium of interaction through English. Portuguese was the language of the colonial rulers and the official language until before liberation, in 1961. Notwithstanding the official patronage and a compulsory medium of study, Portuguese failed to make a dent in the mind of the majority of Goans. It remained only the language of the elite but alienated the masses. Thus just after the departure of the Portuguese, the Portuguese language lost all its favor and usage. Konkani and Marathi survived in Goa by secret studies at home, in temples and public places in villages. http://www. mapsofindia. com/maps/goa/quick-facts/language-of-goa. html TRANSPORTATION OF GOA Since Goa is one of the most happening tourist destinations in India. To help tourists explore this place fully and in a considerable amount of time, Goa has all major modes of public transport. The local transportation in Goa suits every pocket and every taste. Right from air conditioned deluxe buses to the auto rickshaws, you can find the kind of public transport that you require according to your budget. There is absolutely no dearth of local transport in Goa and you can find autos and cabs round the clock. widespread. Train: Trains as a means of local transport in Goa, too is quite efficient, with frequent local trains shuttling between the North and South Districts in Goa. Bus: Buses prove an efficient means of local transport in Goa. Buses in Goa are operated by the Kadamba Transport Corporation and also by other Private Operators at regular intervals, connecting all places in Goa. The city buses in Goa ply in Panaji and adjacent areas and are a great help for tourists and general public as a cheap and quick mode of transport. Motorcycle Taxi This kind of taxi is unique to Goa. It consists of a man riding a two wheeler and takes you as the pillion rider. This mode of transport is quite swift and takes you even through heavy traffic. It is locally known as Pilot. The motorcycle taxis are distinguished by their yellow mudguards and white number plate. So as far as two-wheelers are concerned, you can either hire a two-wheeler and drive Cars: The four-Wheeler variety of local transport in Goa comes in an array of types and budgets. To begin with, coaches and taxis are readily available. Luxury, semi-luxury coaches and tourist taxis can be hired. Moreover, you can also avail the rent-a-car facility in two varieties chauffeured and non- chauffeured. Auto Rickshaw Auto rickshaw is a vehicle that is also known as a three wheeler. There is a seat for a single person i. e. the driver in front and the backseat is wide enough to accommodate 3 4 people. Insist on charging by the meter when you board the auto or fix the price beforehand. It is very convenient for commuting within the town and traveling short distances like railway station to bus stand. Ferries / Boats Boats and ferries have been used as a mode of local transport since ancient times. Even today, one can explore some popular tourist places by going on boats and ferries.

An Introduction to Ecotourism

An Introduction to Ecotourism Ecotourism is broadly defined as low impact travel to endangered and often undisturbed locations. It is different from traditional tourism because it allows the traveler to become educated about the areas - both in terms of the physical landscape and cultural characteristics, and often provides funds for conservation and benefits the economic development of places that are frequently impoverished. When Did Ecotourism Start? Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable travel have their origins with the environmental movement of the 1970s. Ecotourism itself did not become prevalent as a travel concept until the late 1980s. During that time, increasing environmental awareness and a desire to travel to natural locations as opposed to built up tourist locations made ecotourism desirable. Since then, several different organizations specializing in ecotourism have developed and many different people have become experts on it. Martha D. Honey, PhD, a co-founder of the Center for Responsible Tourism, for example, is just one of many ecotourism experts. Principles of Ecotourism Due to the growing popularity of environmentally-related and adventure travel, various types of trips are now being classified as ecotourism. Most of these are not truly ecotourism, however, because they do not emphasize conservation, education, low impact travel, and social and cultural participation in the locations being visited. Therefore, to be considered ecotourism, a trip must meet the following principles set forth by the International Ecotourism Society: Minimize the impact of visiting the location (i.e.- the use of roads)Build respect and awareness for the environment and cultural practicesEnsure that the tourism provides positive experiences for both the visitors and the hostsProvide direct financial aid for conservationProvide financial aid, empowerment and other benefits for local peoplesRaise the travelers awareness of the host countrys political, environmental and social climate Examples of Ecotourism Opportunities for ecotourism exist in many different locations worldwide and its activities can vary as widely. Madagascar, for instance, is famous for its ecotourist activity as it is a biodiversity hotspot, but also has a high priority for environmental conservation and is committed to reducing poverty. Conservation International says that 80% of the countrys animals and 90% of its plants are endemic only to the island. Madagascars lemurs are just one of many species that people visit the island to see. Because the islands government is committed to conservation, ecotourism is allowed in small numbers because education and funds from the travel will make it easier in the future. In addition, this tourist revenue also aids in reducing the countrys poverty. Another place where ecotourism is popular is in Indonesia at Komodo National Park. The park is made up of 233 square miles (603 sq km) of land that is spread out over several islands and 469 square miles (1,214 sq km) of water. The area was established as a national park in 1980 and is popular for ecotourism because of its unique and endangered biodiversity. Activities at Komodo National Park vary from whale watching to hiking and accommodations strive to have a low impact on the natural environment. Finally, ecotourism is also popular in Central and South America. Destinations include Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, and Panama. These destinations are just a few where ecotourism is popular but opportunities exist in hundreds of more places worldwide. Criticisms of Ecotourism Despite the popularity of ecotourism in the above-mentioned examples, there are several criticisms of ecotourism as well. The first of these is that there is no one definition of the term so it is difficult to know which trips are truly considered ecotourism. In addition, the terms nature, low impact, bio, and green tourism are often interchanged with ecotourism, and these do not usually meet the principles defined by organizations like the Nature Conservancy or the International Ecotourism Society. Critics of ecotourism also cite that increased tourism to sensitive areas or ecosystems without proper planning and management can actually harm the ecosystem and its species because the infrastructure needed to sustain tourism such as roads can contribute to environmental degradation. Ecotourism is also said by critics to have a negative impact on local communities because the arrival of foreign visitors and wealth can shift political and economic conditions and sometimes make the area dependent on tourism as opposed to the domestic economic practices. Regardless of these criticisms though, ecotourism and tourism, in general, are increasing in popularity all over the globe and tourism plays a large role in many worldwide economies. Pick a Travel Company That Specializes In order to keep this tourism as sustainable as possible, however, it is essential that travelers understand what principles make a trip fall into the category of ecotourism and attempt to use travel companies that have been distinguished for their work in ecotourism - one of which is Intrepid Travel, a small company that offers worldwide eco-conscious trips and has won a number of awards for their efforts. International tourism will no doubt continue to increase in the coming years and as the Earths resources become more limited and ecosystems suffer more damage, the practices shown by Intrepid and others associated with ecotourism can make future travel a little more sustainable.

What medical information should be confidential Who, if anybody, Research Paper

What medical information should be confidential Who, if anybody, should have access to medical records - Research Paper Example This research paper aims to identify the behaviors and perceptions of medical staff regarding EHRs by interviewing a sample size of 15 staff members at an ophthalmology centre. The research findings of the study reveal that while, employee awareness regarding EHR has increased in recent times, a significant percentage of medical professionals are yet to experience the benefits of the system. It is observed that medical professionals still have certain reservations regarding the implementation of the technology which range from financial concerns, a fear of losing their jobs and grave concerns regarding patient privacy and confidentiality of patient information that may be comprised by the adoption of Electronic Health Records. ... The questions of the survey have been designed in a manner which ensures that the interest of the participants is maintained as it is acknowledged that extended periods of interviewing may tire the participants thereby, impacting the conclusions of the study in an adverse manner. Therefore, the expected time for survey completion has been set as 20 minutes. In addition with the ethical considerations that have been outlined previously, the scope of the study also extends to areas which address the challenges that are faced by physicians in adopting Electronic Method of Recording (EMRs) data, whether EMRs provide more benefits and advantages in comparison with paper based methods of keeping patient records and the pertinent initiatives that should be taken to improve the overall success and efficiency of EMR in medical facilities and health institutions. Owing to the immense importance of ethics in research, the findings of the study have been reported in exactly the same manner and e valuated in accordance with the information that was collected from the participants during the survey process. Moreover, the research methodology of the study is characterized by the implementation of stratified random sampling to avoid bias in the selection of participants for the study. As the key focus of this study the research was able to uncover the significance of confidentiality in the field of medical reporting. Consequently, the ethical aspects that have been addressed in the study include respecting the anonymity of participants by ensuring that their names and other personal information is not revealed. Furthermore, for the purposes of enhancing the objectivity of the conclusions of this chapter the research questions

Choosing Fresno State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choosing Fresno State - Essay Example It is in such countries that the rate of students seeking international education and training is relatively high as they seek countries whose education standards are internationally recognizable and accepted. Fresno is such a state, with its education and training being internationally recognized and accepted. It is a country with many international students who mostly cannot receive the kind of training they receive here back in their countries. Apart from the high education standards of the country, other factors attract international students to the country. Fresno is not the only country in the world that offers quality education for it to be a choice of the thousands of students who come to seek for education. Certain distinct characteristics make it qualify as a destination for these education seekers. These factors are the very factors that I put into consideration before settling for the country. The factors include favourable climate, people who are culturally friendly, hig h education standards, natural attraction sites and security. Fresno state universities are known all over the world, making its education system recognized internationally. Some of the universities that are internationally known and recognized are Fresno State University and the California State University, Fresno. The courses offered in these universities are globally recognized, with the universities equipping their students with the best skills to be highly competitive in the global market (Correa 1). A student with training from an internationally recognized university is likely to have a higher competitive advantage over other students from local universities. Since my country has no internationally recognized universities, yet international firms keep setting camp in the country, the demand for quality skills has increased raising the standards of personnel recruiting in jobs, and this has made it necessary for people to seek education elsewhere. International financial firms such as banks and investment banks, hospitals, manufacturing companies and construction companies are increasingly opening branches in the country, as local businesses try to expand regionally. It is due to these reasons that I made a decision to seek international education and training and settled for Fresno state. Some of American and European countries are known to be hostile to other nationals present in the country. For example, the issue of racism scares many people from countries and states known to practice the social vice. Such countries rarely receive international students including tourists, regardless of the status of their universities or tourists attraction sites. Fresno state is different and has minimal cases of racial discrimination, with its local people being hospitable. Its history is associated with kind people who do not consider the race of a particular person they associate. Weather is another reason why I chose Fresno state. Different countries in the wor ld have different weather patterns, which at times make it hard for international students to coupe. Variations in weather patterns between different countries can affect a persons’ level of concentration, and in case the weather patterns are very adverse, students would find it very difficult to adapt to the change. Fresno has favourable weather conditions, and its climate is quite similar to that of my home

Stages of Meiosis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stages of Meiosis - Assignment Example The cell increases in mass. The chromatids of each chromosome (two sister chromatids of one chromosome) are held together by a centriole. Chromosomes coil up together forming a spindle. Homologous chromosomes come closer and form a tetrad. For each pair of homologous chromosomes the exchange of genetic material may result in the crossing over of chromosomes. New combinations of alleles on chromosomes are the result of crossing over. The homologous chromosomes disperse and move towards opposite poles of the cell. The resultant is the assurance that each new cell that will eventually form would receive only one chromosome from homologous pair. The spindle breaks down and the chromosomes uncoil eventually dividing the cytoplasm into two separate portions. Two daughter cells form. They contain exactly half of genetic information of parent cell. This is because they contain only one homologous

The Infallibility of the Bible: Astronomical Errors

The Infallibility of the Bible: Astronomical Errors 03/12/2017 There is overwhelming support for inerrancy from history. The idea that the Bible can contain errors is a relatively new belief. Author and scholar Harold Lindsell stated, Apart from a few exceptions, the church through the ages has consistently believed that the entire Bible is the inerrant or infallible Word of God[1]. You need a transition here The presence of observable and falsifiable[J1] scientific evidence is perhaps the most compelling reason for the conclusion that the Bible is not free from error. Because this evidenc[J2]e clearly yields certain conclusions that are contradicted by direct statements from biblical authors, we can safely say that the Bible is an imperfect book containing flaws of [J3]human origins. Due to the overwhelming amount of scientific errors the book possesses, you [J4]should have great comfort in deciding that there was no divine inspiration or intervention in creation. Furthermore, the vast categories of errors contained in the Bible demonstrate that the mistakes are not confined to a single author or field of study, a realization that should question the foundation and intent of the book as a whole. This paper will focus considerably on the first chapter of Genesis, astronomy, and biology because each of these topics unmistakably contributes to the faux pas of apologetics. THE BEGINNING: Anyone with a decent background in natural science who undertakes an impartial but critical look at the first chapter of Genesis should have no trouble denouncing its claims as a complete lie. At best, the author has offered a poorly constructed allegory for the creation of the universe; at worst, and far more plausible, Genesis 1 is a total fabrication. This section will of course demonstrate why the creation account in the opening chapter fails miserably to be scientifically accurate.[2] Early in the creation, God allegedly separated the waters into two distinct bodies so that land could appear between them. He called the water below seas and the water above sky, which he presumably held aloft by the use of a firmament (Verses 6-10). While the NIV translated this verse using expansion, the Hebrew word utilized by the author is rakia, which the KJV more accurately translated as a solid body.3 Why is the KJV translation more in line with the authors intent? First, its the primary use of the word. Second, it reinforces the aforementioned idea of a sky ocean because a solid protective layer would be required to suspend the water if there truly were an ocean above us as the Bible suggests. Third, it complements the known widespread primitive beliefs. Take the mindset of an ancient Hebrew for a moment by ignoring any contemporary understanding you have of the world. You can glance at the sky above and observe that its the color of water, while, periodically, water falls from above. With no further evidence to consider and no further understanding of this phenomenon, the perfectly logical conclusion would be that theres a mass of water in the sky. If this is true, it certainly follows that a solid body, a firmament, would be necessary to contain this oceanic reservoir. Perhaps windows even open in the firmament to allow rainfall (Genesis 8:2). Although the pursuit of knowledge has proven these outdated beliefs untrue, we are far richer in scientific understanding than our Hebrew predecessors and should not scoff at the author for his proposal. We now know that the sky is blue due to the scattering of a particular wavelength of light passing through the atmosphere at a certain angle, not because theres an ocean in the sky. While we cannot fault the author for believing this ancient hypothesis, we can conclude that his guess on the properties of the sky was incorrect. Already, a critical analysis has demonstrated the Bible to be scientifically inaccurate and undeniably imperfect. God allegedly created the sun and moon on the fourth day of the creation (14-19), but this curious statement creates a plethora of troubles because God had already divided the day into lightness and darkness as his first creation (3-5). How can there be night and day without the sun, the only appreciable source of light for our planet? Again, we must take the probable mindset of the author to understand his position. Look into the sky away from the sun. Its unreasonable to conclude that the earth is bright at its distal boundaries just because the sun is shining, unless you have solid evidence to the contrary, because the light originating from this enormous ball of fire appears to stop very near its edges[3]. Besides, everyone knows that the horizon is luminous well before and well after the sun is in the visible regions of the sky. Thus, theres no solid reason to conclude that the sun has anything to do with creating the illumination, only that it accompanies the somewhat concurren t periods of lightness. In fact, the Bible explicitly states that the sun and moon are merely symbols to divide the day from the night (14). In the biblical world, however, God controlled morning and evening by this mysterious force called light (3-5), an entirely different entity created much earlier than the sun. We now know that the sun is the determining factor between morning and evening, yet the Bible clearly proclaims morning and evening existed prior to the suns creation. In addition to the sun gaffe, the scientifically ignorant author commits the mistake of listing the moon as a light (16). If we were to be rigidly technical about the Bibles claim, this verse is another scientifically erroneous notion because the moon merely reflects illumination from the sun. Isaiah and Ezekiel also make this mistake in their prophecy accounts (30:26 and 32:7, respectively). Again, we often take our modern knowledge about the universe for granted, yet such a gift was completely unforeseeable to the ancient Hebrew. Another problem arises from the sun not appearing until the fourth day when you consider that plants suddenly appeared on the third day (11-13). While its definitely possible, even very likely, for plants to survive without the sun for a single day, many apologists have attempted to rectify the obvious timeline problems in Genesis by altering the meaning of a day. Once they consummate this amendment, theyve created a timeline in which the plants exist without sunlight for however long these days are to them. In most cases, a biblical day must necessarily be no less than a period of millions of years in order to be congruent with scientific data. While the general Hebrew term for day, yom, doesnt necessarily mean a twenty-four hour day, we still understand it to be a short time period based on every contemporaneous instance of its use. Millennia simply do not qualify using this unbiased criterion. Furthermore, the author provides us with the precise definition of yom in every creation instance: morning and evening. Naturally, well revisit these creationary intervals in the upcoming Thousands Or Billions. For now, lets return to the problem of the plants thriving without the suns existence. Most vegetation requires sunlight to undergo photosynthesis, the process of using light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into nutrients. I wouldnt bet on plant survival much more than a month without the sun. While its true that the biblical creation has this mysterious light existing prior to the arrival of plants, the only thing we can conclude about its existence is the probable lack thereof. The sun, on the other hand, is fully compatible with plant life. Once again, this obtuse blunder can be justified by the limitations of the ancient Hebrews knowledge because he obviously wasnt aware that plants were feeding off sunlight for their survival. As one final minor point on plants for now, God says he has given us every plant for food (29). However, were now aware of plants with qualities poisonous enough that make us avoid physical contact with them. Such disturbingly reckless advice hardly seems to be the kind likely given out by an omniscient deity. God allegedly created the stars on the fourth day (16), but what were they, and what was their purpose? Biblical authors believed that stars were small sources of light contained within the imaginary firmament covering the earth. In other words, they exhibited no divine inspiration, whatsoever, telling them that stars were actually unfathomably enormous gaseous spheres seemingly countless miles away. In short, the authors celestial hypothesis was incorrect on location, number, and size.[4] Verification for the location part of this position is quite easy to demonstrate. After God made the sun, moon, and stars, he set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth 6(17). So along with the sun and moon, the stars are apparently housed in this imaginary physical boundary separating the sky ocean from the open air above earths inhabitants. The Bible also remarkably claims the outdated belief that stars were extremely small in size. After the disclosure of their location in the firmament, and after God tells Abraham several times that his people would be as numerous as the stars (which is also impossible, yet its claimed to have been fulfilled in Hebrews 11:12), the next clear reference to size and position of these celestial bodies is found in the book of Isaiah. Here, the prophet speaks of exalting a throne above the stars of God (14:13). Likewise, Job says, behold the height of the stars, how high they are (22:12). Stars are not high; they are distant. One would expect these two divinely inspired individuals to make this distinction in their records; instead, they boldly demonstrate that they shared the popular yet erroneous belief that God fixed the stars at the skys apex. The book of Psalms states that God tells the number of stars and calls them all by their names (147:4). Thats quite an impressive accomplishment considering scientists estimate that there could be as many as 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 in the known universe. If God truly told anyone how many stars surrounded our planet, the ridiculous firmament belief should have ceased without delay.[5] Daniel speaks of a vision that he had concerning a giant goats horn knocking the stars down to the ground where the goat stamped upon them (Daniel 8:8-9). Passing comment on the vision, we can also be decidedly certain that Daniel believed stars were tiny lights hanging above the earth. Otherwise, how could his monstrous goat stamp upon them? More importantly, how could someone divinely inspired write something so blatantly preposterous? In the New Testament, Matthew and Mark both record Jesus foretelling of an era when the stars shall fall from heaven (24:29 and 13:25, respectively). Jesus, a supposedly perfect human being who was supposedly the only son of a supposedly perfect god, wasnt immune to scientific ignorance either. Revelation was the grandiose vision of John, yet another man who God allegedly inspired, but John also thought that stars were bright objects of insignificant size directly above the earth. In this record of his dream-like hallucination, he claims to see Jesus holding seven stars in his right hand (1:16). While John may have seen what looked like seven stars in Jesus hand, this is not what the text clearly states. The passage unambiguously says Jesus was holding seven stars in his hand. Thus, Johns statement is certainly in error. In addition, John mentions a dream in which the stars of heaven fell unto the earth and compares this event to a fig tree shaking off its leaves (6:13). Furthermore, he describes a great star falling into the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of the waters (8:10). If a star were to fall to our planet as John indicates, it would annihilate the earth upon impact because these bodies are generally hundreds of times larger than our world. Finally , John sees a dragon swing its tail around, consequently knocking a third of the stars in the sky down to the ground (12:4). Theres no need to discuss how enormous such a hypothetical tail would have to be in order to accomplish this impossibility. After all, Revelation was only a vision. On the other hand, we must expect Christians to accept that this man had a unique foreknowledge of humankinds imminent future. In other words, these ridiculously fantastical events must remain futuristic certainties to biblical apologists. At this point, we can safely say that anyone attempting to harmonize the scientifically determined position, size, and number of our celestial neighbors with a literal interpretation of the Bible is veraciously wasting his time. Another embarrassing tale of biblical nonsense is the construction of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. According to the bogus legend, everyone on earth spoke the same language when the erection of the tower began. Because the people of earth had a great desire to catch a glimpse of God, they built this supposed tower intending to breach the sky. As God didnt like the possibility of people spotting him, he confused their languages to prevent the architects from understanding one another. Unable to continue construction, everyone with different languages went separate ways. This story is unfeasible for many reasons.[6] The first problem with the incredulous account is the incongruency of the common language theme. We know that many different languages existed centuries before the storys setting around 2500-2000 BCE. Not only that, but another Pentateuch author had said Noahs sons separated according to their own tongues in the previous chapter (Genesis 10). At the very least, we have a major timeline discrepancy in need of an acceptable resolution. Furthermore, the notion that nineteenth century man had the architectural knowledge to build a tower even a mile high is ridiculous. To fathom that a group of ignorant ancient Hebrews could make an equivalent accomplishment is ludicrous. Interestingly, no divine inspiration is available as a possible excuse for the illogical story because God wasnt siding with his people on this occasion! If he didnt wish for the people to see him, he wouldnt have provided the means for them to do so. Of course, the most obvious blunder is Gods supposed fear of us actually reaching him in the sky. To suggest that an omniscient god would destroy a building because he felt he was in danger of humans catching a glimpse of him is an equally ludicrous proposal. The aspects of this story once again go back to the ancient Hebrew belief that God eternally resided on top of a dome covering the earth. Since an omniscient deity would know that the people could not possibly reach him, he would not have stopped the towers construction for the specific reason provided by the Bible. The story cries of a myth.[7] We also have fanciful tales about giants roaming the earth during the Pentateuch era. Theres a lot of room for interpretation here because the exact nature of these mysterious giants is unknown. However, we understand that the Bible has them living both before and after the flood (Genesis 6:4 and Numbers 13:33). Some Christians have argued these giants are the dinosaurs, but this proposed explanation fails to be consistent with the flood caused the dinosaur extinction hypothesis offered by others in the same crowd. While the text is most likely referring to a race of people, archaeologists have found no reliable evidence that these creatures existed. Given the track record of the Bible thus far, its reasonable to conclude that the Genesis giants are, at best, an exaggeration of an otherwise normal species of life. Jesus also commits another scientific blunder when he declares the mustard seed to be the smallest seed of the earth (Mark 4:31). There are, in fact, many seeds smaller than the mustard, such as the South American orchid, but the Hebrews were obviously ignorant of most everything outside of their homeland. Had God presented this bit of information to the author of Mark, it seems unfeasible that the writer would portray Jesus as a man so careless with his diction. This example is clearly another biblical error on the growing accumulation that arises from the same limitation of divinely uninspired perspective. The suggestion that the Bible is lacking a scientific foundation is nothing less than a colossal understatement. The Bible has failed fair, impartial, and universally applicable tests in multiple fields of science. If God truly is the inspiration behind this purportedly divine declaration to the world, he shows absolutely no interest in its understandability or accuracy in astronomy, cosmology, zoology, botany, anthropology, geology, ecology, geography, physiology, and several other disciplines not covered in this chapter. In fact, the Bible handicaps those who use their God-given talents of reason and logic to settle blatant biblical problems. Nothing can be more detrimental to the authenticity of a statement than contradictory phenomena that we readily observe and experience. With no other evidence to consider, these natural manifestations should always override what we might hope and think to be correct explanations for unignorable discrepancies. Such is the power of science and r eason. They are the impartial pursuit of an answer to a question, not the search for supplements to a predetermined answer. These are just a few examples of how it is useless and counterproductive even for fundamentalists to try to extract concepts from the Bible that they do not have as well as try to argue that they possess any technical and scientific knowledge beyond their time. The Bible is a religious, spiritual, moral and mythological book, and as such is subordinate to the world view of its time and place. It is perfectly possible for Christians to be at peace with their religion and their holy book even though they are aware of their primitive conceptions of the Universe and the World, even as Frei Betto would say in his text The Bible in 12 Steps: Just as no one fails to take a remedy because there is an error of agreement in the bull, Jews and Christians do not care if they find a historical misconception in the biblical texts, and in their eyes they are, rather, religious texts. There are notions of science or history and they know that the biblical authors did not intend to reach methodological and scientific precision.We interweaved religious, historical and scientific references according to the knowledge of the time.While the quality of the wiring, the electronic conduits, the post or the lamp , For who seeks light to see better? FREI BETTO The Bible in 12 Steps That is, a fable does not have its essential content invalidated by the fact of describing fantastic things, like Talking Foxes. In the same way, a myth should not be devalued by its physically absurd elements. If I do not believe in the divine inspiration of the Bible, it is rather by many other factors, such as those quoted in Is the Divinely Inspired Bible ?, yet it does not invalidate its cultural value. The biblical apologists are even lucky that, thanks to the early Catholic Church, only the 3 synoptic gospels and the gospel of John were considered canonical. What in themselves already present myriads of errors conception about nature. Otherwise, it might be utterly impossible not to see Biblical Geocentrism, which although present is not so explicit. In Hebrews 11, the apostle Paul refers to the translation of Enoch, the father of Methuselah, which is not described in the Old Testament, only vaguely suggested in Genesis 5:22. Pauls knowledge certainly came also from other gospels, such as the apocryphon Enochs Book of Secrets, which tells the story mentioned by Paul, which makes this book a little more trustworthy than the other apocryphal even Because it is most probably from him that Paul also removed the mention of the angelic hierarchy of Thrones, Dominions, Principalities and Powers, as quoted in Colossians [1:17], and in other excerpts from his New Testament epistles. Well, this book, written at the same time as the other Gospels by some scholar who knew Aristotelian Geocentrism, explicitly describes the mechanisms used by angels to move the Sun around the Earth, in addition to the other celestial spheres Of the trio Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler, were accepted by most scholars, and yet were far more advanced than the primitive idea of a Flat Earth lost in an Abyss. Probably the incompatibility of Hellenistic geocentrism, which already knew the sphericity of the Earth, with the much more primitive concepts of the Bible, was one of the factors for the disqualification of the apocryphal book of Enoch. It is certainly lucky. For fundamentalists already have a tremendous work to hide and omit blatant biblical naivety about the reality of nature, and to distort and decontextualize verses. Turning the affirmation of the apologists: Many errors were indeed stated, but conservative biblical scholars have always been able to find solutions to these problems. Perhaps they have forgotten to say that these solutions only satisfy even the counselors who have solved their rationality within Religious Fanaticism. [1] Zondervan, (The Battle for the Bible, 1978) [2] Long, Jason (Biblical Nonsense, 2015) 3 Ibid [3] William Henry Burr (Self-Contradictions of the Bible, 2016) [4] C. Dennis Mckinsey (The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy, 1995) 6 Ibid [5] Long, Jason (Biblical Nonsense, 2015) [6] Bart D. Ehrman (Gods Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important QuestionWhy We Suffer, 2009) [7] Bart D. Ehrman (Gods Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important QuestionWhy We Suffer, 2009) [J1]Word is not used in the right context. [J2]Which evidence? [J3]about [J4]one

Reflection of Edgar Allan Poes Pessimistic Moods in The Raven :: Poe Raven Essays

Reflection of Edgar Allan Poe's Pessimistic Moods in The Raven Throughout literature, an author's works almost always reflect their mood and character. Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer whose short stories and poems reflected his pessimistic moods. One of Poe's poems, "The Raven," is about a raven that flies into the home of a sad and lonely man. This poem best expresses Poe's sense of despair and gloominess because the literary elements used in the poem are a constant reference to them. An example that portrays "The Raven" as a reflection of Poe's despair and gloominess is the poem's setting. The poem takes place in a haunted house during a violent storm. For example, in the poem it says, "On this home by horror haunted," and "..tempest tossed thee here ashore." The time and place of the poem deliver a feeling of negativity and pessimism to the reader. Poe's use of a depressing and negative setting for "The Raven" illustrates his despair and gloominess. Another example that illustrates the poem as an expression of Poe's mood is the raven itself. A raven is a large bird of the crow family with lustrous black feathers and a straight, sharp beak. Poe could have used any bird, however he wanted the reader to experience the gloom and despondency that he experienced. Therefore he wrote about a raven. Finally, Poe's use of assonance throughout the poem also contributed to the poem's illustration of despair and gloominess. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sound. For instance, at the end of each stanza it says, "Quoth the raven, Nevermore," "This is it and nothing more," or a phrase ending with the word more. The repetition of these sounds emphasize the words that contribute to the mood of the poem. Nevermore is a negative word meaning never again. The raven only said this word. Poe emphasizes nevermore because it helps accentuate the depressed and despaired mood of the poem.

Assisted suicide Essay

Assisted Suicide In the 1990s, ‘Doctor Death’ Jack Kevorkian invented the first assisted suicide machine  in the world. He was then thrown into prison for 7 years (Pickert). This caught people’s attention  and made them question whether it should be legal to request physician assisted suicide, which is  when someone asks a physician to help him or her terminate his or her life. This topic became  one of the most popular discussions in recent years, but the truth is that it has actually been a  centuries- old debate. For both logical and humanitarian reasons, assisted suicide is not right and  should not be legalize. Is it right for a nation founded on Christianity to allow citizens to choose assisted  suicide? Can a decision that is made by a mentally ill person be treated as a rational decision? Is  the prevention of pain an acceptable circumstance in which to end a life? People still do not have  a widely accepted answer. It is not clear whether physician assisted suicide  is right or wrong. Assisted suicide should not be viewed solely as affecting one life, but should be viewed as a  decision that affects many.  The declaration of independence states that everyone has the right to pursue happiness  In whatever way they choose. Many argue that a decision to kill oneself is a private choice, that  society should not be, and has no right to be concerned. America believes that with its freedom,  people can do almost everything based on their own choices. Physician assisted suicide is also  one of the choices that they can decide. The common argument is that these people are adults  who can make rational and reasonable choices, however many people who request physician  assisted suicide are mentally ill. Of those who attempt suicide but were unsuccessful, less than 4  percent go on to kill themselves in the future, which means that most people changed their mind  after a period of recovery. Psychological evidence shows that those who ask for physician   assisted suicide in order to avoid pain are normally ambivalent, and they  usually attempt to end  their life for other reasons than a settled desire to die. Since assisted suicide has already become  a popular way to end suffering and pain, people who were in the status might feel it is necessary  for them to kill themselves since they have in their mind become a burden to their family and  society. Some would say it is wrong for such an impression to have the power to persuade a  personto end their life due to their weakness and disability. As a Christian nation, America wants a positive and happy image for the country.  American people value the meaning of life, and According to what most of the Christians  believe, God is the one who created life. Then how can people have the right to end something  that they did not even create in the first place? American society does not think assisted suicide  is good as a whole, because assisted suicide is still a self-caused death, which is equal to suicide.  Although there is always a vague line drawn between assisted suicide and attempted  murder. Assisted suicide is the opposite of happiness because it demonstrates  utter depression. It  is clear that American society sees assisted suicide as wrong, because there is a suicide watch  team among the police and counselors at schools who are trained to help and avert suicide. Asking for assisted suicide as a form of pain relief and signing a release form is not acceptable  either. People cannot solve problems by trying to get rid of them. People who stand against  physician-assisted suicide believe that suffering is just a stage of life. And lots of people who  were prevented from assisted suicide will tell you that they all passed that stage successfully,  and they are appreciative that they were stopped from asking for physician-assisted suicide. Assisted suicide also hurts the people who care about those who were asking for a  physician assisted suicide. Patients might get relived from their long suffering and pain but their  family will be hurt from one’s immature decision. The person only thought of their own  feelings and never considered others who are around them and how they feel. Families and loved  ones will be upset about their decision to take their lives in a selfish act. Other evidence that  shows assisted suicide is wrong is the fact that there are always suicide prevention billboards in  communities. This should show the government that people do not want those around them to  commit suicide. People who fight for the right to have physician-assisted suicide argue that assisted  suicide can bring benefits to both patients and society. They believe that people who  choose assisted suicide will die with dignity rather than suffer the pain of illness( O’Steen,  Burke). That they will not let their family and friends suffer anymore by showing their weakness  and sickness. By choosing assisted suicide, patients can also reduce a huge amount of medical  expenses that insurance does not cover. To benefit society, their organs can be donated to save  people’s lives (Humphrey). Doctors and nurses can spend more time on recovering patients  rather than waste time on patients who are assured death, and of course, they still think it is a part  of one’s freedom to be able to choose for himself whether to live or die. Whether it is one’s  rational decision to chose to end their life has always been the center of this debate. Because  with out arguing about one’s free right, those who favor assisted suicide will lose an important  statement. Although there is a ton of evidence showing that physician assisted suicide is not right,  it is a fact that so many people are still in favor to legalize assisted suicide. They believe that  rather than give people hope to live, telling them the truth and offering them an option is more  reasonable. They argued that in some ways, it is humane to give dying people assisted suicide;  society is okay with people helping a sick or dying animal yet people are not okay with letting a  sick and dying patient go. It was said that humans are too selfish to let their loved ones go, even  if death would be a comfort. People who think it is illegal for a physician to offer assisted suicide  are accused of wanting to control other people’s lives. People think that one has his/her own will  about their life that no one is suppose to tell them what they should do and should not do. Especially when their faith to live is completely gone. It was understood as a merciful behavior  for a physician to offer help to end one’s life. A new statement was also brought up to argue in  the favor of legalize assisted suicide. It is that if one can reject medical treatment to prolong life  then why can’t one request treatment to end it? Many people found this statement be reasonable  and useful to support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide.  After centuries’ debating, there is still no certain answer for those questions that are  brought up by the topic of assisted suicide. Two sides are still debating about the benefits and  negative effects of assisted suicide. Still to this day no one is able to convince the either group to  change their views on this topic. In 2006, the US Supreme Court ruled that legalizing assisted  suicide is to be the responsibility of each state respectively. No one can yet predict how long this   topic will still be an argumentative topic for debate, And no one can predict how this issue will  effect human life in the future. But overall, do people really possess the right to kill a life that  was not created by them? It is still a big question that no one has yet given an answer that can  satisfy everyone. Maybe one-day people will find out the right answer and that assisted suicide  will be a new thing that brings benefits to the world. Physician suicide should be banned due to  its negative cause and impaction to society. People who think assisted suicide should be  illegalized because of the value of life to a society is still the majority; ending a life is  not so simple that people should decide to do so on their own. Work cited Pickert, Kate. â€Å"A brief history of assisted suicide.† a brief history of assisted suicide. N.p., 3 Mar. 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. . Humphry, Derek. â€Å"Liberty and Death: A manifesto concerning an individual’s right to choose to die.† Assisted Suicide – Information on right-to-die and euthanasia laws and history. N.p., 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. â€Å"Declaration of Independence – Text Transcript.† National Archives and Records Administration. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. O’Steen, David N. , and Burke J. Balch. â€Å"Why We Should Not Legalize Assisted Suicide | New York State Right to Life.† Welcome | New York State Right to Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2013. Information on right-to-die and euthanasia laws and history. N.p., 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Sept.2013. .