Ecological - City Sprawl field trip Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ecological - City Sprawl field trip - Essay Example As will be seen in this brief essay, economic development need not always engender all of these negative attributes; however, re-purposing a site oftentimes has many negative effects (although oftentimes less negative than allowing the site to remain in use). Accordingly, this brief essay will consider but a few of these factors with relation to the field trip that was engaged upon by our class outing to the Millbrook Marsh site earlier in the semester. The site itself was formerly a farm. When individuals consider a farm they oftentimes wrongfully assume that such a â€Å"natural† business endeavor will likely engender few if any ecological impacts. However, this is far from the truth. High levels of bio-waste associated with animal waste and/or improperly disposed of chemical or pesticide waste can severely damage the ecology of a region for many years to come. With respect to the Millbrook Marsh field trip, the farm itself was originally reclaimed from a wetlands area that included multiple smaller wetlands that were built over and covered so as to provide suitable farming land. As was often the case prior to a more full and complete understanding of the environmental impacts associated with wetland destruction, wetlands were oftentimes viewed as wasted land that could and should be reclaimed in order to serve a more useful purpose; in this case – to provide the community with additional arable land. Upon disuse of the farm, the community leaders and civic entities responsible for parks and recreation decided to reclaim the wetlands which had been destroyed in order to provide but a positive environmental impact to the region as well as provide the community with an additional park within the region. Accordingly, a centrally designed plan was created to reclaim the wetland and provide a park and a location for environmental

Movie Theaters and Digital Distribution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie Theaters and Digital Distribution - Essay Example The technology boom has advantages and challenges. It is up to the industry to get its act together to make best use of the opportunities. It is no use blaming anyone including technology and competition for plunging fortunes. Innovations and internet is making inroads deep inside domains hitherto impenetrable. People, the young generation in particular, are taking advantage. But this need not lead anyone to press the panic button. A good look at causes for decline in business proves that it is not due to technological advances but rather in spite of it. The problem lies elsewhere. It could be any one or more than one of the reasons. It could be technology, piracy, lethargy, obsolescence, or just plain stupidity. Whatever it is, research proves that it is manageable. The opportunities are immense. The younger generation is reaping it. It is not their fault if established markets have failed to appropriate their share. (The Future of Music+Technology, and Online Music). The rapid growth of entertainment and media technology has clearly rattled the relevant industries of music, movies and information. Suddenly everyone is talking in terms of the Digital Rights Management (DRM) as if it is the panacea to all the ailments. The DRM is helpful in curbing piracy and even competition. But what happens if the content of the music and the movie fails to inspire Will the DRM claim responsibility Can any amount of piracy wreck the bond between Michael Jackson and his fans If Enrique Iglesias makes an appeal not to encourage piracy, it will be interesting to get feedback of how many fans oblige. It is all very well to talk about security, legal protection, strong infrastructure, good network, and so on. Entertainment and media is facing real challenges from the digital revolution. The best way to face these challenges is by using factors both technical as well as emotional. There are many ways to maintain good customer relations and balance sheet. Every customer is not a pirate. (Blake White). Theatre owners are changing over to multiplexes in a big way in order to lure viewers. This is an external factor and a good one! However, it is equally important to adequately update and organize internal factors such as viewer satisfaction, added values such as better seat arrangement, sensibilities, hospitality, comforts, and so on. Movie goers no longer visit theatres to only watch films. They want more value for their money. Pirates or Demons I think the issue of home theatre, piracy and online distribution is being overblown. Going through statistics and observations, one cannot but agree that the problem exists. But not in the proportion it is being made out to be. Where there is a will there is a way. The Southeast Asian nations have proved it. Malaysia saw piracy drop from 95% to 65%. (Kristen Bole). If every country in the world displayed similar resolute purpose, piracy could be curbed to a very great extent. The revolution in communication and media industries has impacted every industry. Those who survived are the ones who reviewed the situation, prepared for the changes

APA RESEARCH PAPER Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

APA - Research Paper Example It is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and significantly increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. The last two decades have witnessed an increase in health care costs due to obesity and related issues among children and adolescents. Childhood obesity is a global phenomenon affecting all socio-economic groups, irrespective of age, sex or ethnicity. Aetiopathogenesis of childhood obesity is multi-factorial and includes genetic, neuroendocrine, metabolic, psychological, environmental and socio-cultural factors. Many co-morbid conditions like metabolic, cardiovascular, psychological, orthopaedic, neurological, hepatic, pulmonary and renal disorders are seen in association with childhood obesity. The treatment of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents requires a multidisciplinary, multi-phase approach, which includes dietary management, physical activity enhancement, restriction of sedentary behaviour, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery. A holist ic approach to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic needs a collection of activities including influencing policy makers and legislation, mobilizing communities, restructuring organizational practices, establishing coalitions and networks, empowering providers, imparting community education as well as enriching and reinforcing individual awareness and skills. The implications of this global phenomenon on future generations will be serious unless appropriate action is taken. Keywords: Adolescents, children, dietary management, obesity, overweight Go to: Introduction Worldwide, disease profiles are transforming at a rapid pace catching the attention of medical professionals and policy makers alike. This is particularly true in low and middle-income countries that form the major chunk of global population. The emerging epidemics of obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes form the crux of this phenomenal change. Among these entities, obesity has become a colossal epidemic ca using serious public health concern and contributes to 2.6 million deaths worldwide every year1. Obesity is an independent risk factor for CVD. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality as well as reduced life expectancy. The last two decades of the previous century have witnessed dramatic increase in health care costs due to obesity and related issues among children and adolescents2. For children and adolescents, overweight and obesity are defined using age and sex specific normograms for body mass index (BMI). Children with BMI equal to or exceeding the age-gender-specific 95th percentile are defined obese. Those with BMI equal to or exceeding the 85th but are below 95th percentiles are defined overweight and are at risk for obesity related co-morbidities3. Go to: Epidemiology Childhood obesity affects both developed and developing countries of all socio-economic groups, irrespective of age, sex or ethnicity. It has been estimated that worldwide over 22 million children under the age of

Marriage in Different Cultures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marriage in Different Cultures - Essay Example Marriage in Italy is loosing its importance as couples move in together and live together without being married. This allows them more independence. Men and women who do get married, do so at a later age; for women it is twenty-seven while for men it is thirty. Also, second marriages have increased in number as couples tend to get divorced more often. This leads to an increased number of civil marriages as the Catholic Church does not allow a person to be married twice. Before you actually get married in Italy, you need to make sure that all the documentation is ready. A couple must appear before the civil registrar of the town where the marriage is to take place with two witnesses and make a declaration of their intention to marry. (Justlanded.com) The birthrate has also dropped as a result of fewer marriages and marriage at an older age. This leads to the couple having their first child at an older age and since the woman can not conceive after the age of 45, it becomes difficult to have more than one or two children. In 1971 the average age of women having their first child was 25.1; in 1998 it was 28.4. The average number of children per woman dropped from 2.4 in 1981 to 1.2 in 1998. In 1993-94 one-child families represented 43.8 percent of the total of all families with children; in 1997-98 they represented 45.2 percent. (http://family.jrank.org/pages/978/Italy-Marriage-Children.html) One thing that underlies Italian families is their strong bond, even after the children leave home they stay in touch with their parents. Italians have a strong intergenerational camaraderie which helps them in facing problems and solving them. This shows that many children live at home till the age of 33. Around the world people trace their ancestry only through the paternal side but in Italy both paternal and maternal sides are traced. Thus ancestry is bilateral and relates the individual to more people. This way a large kin is developed which can help the person with any problems and provide help. Businesses in Italy also have a family based structure. The bilateral descent extends the family and clears the rights of every individual, places authority with a few people and specifies whom one can marry or can not marry. The place where you live in Italy also determines the relationships you develop. For example; children are closer to their grandparents rather than some uncle or aunt. This gives the grandparents more authority over the children. Authority is mostly based on age. Children live with their parents up until the time they are married, after that the parents prefer the children to set up house for themselves. Kinship among Italians is on the basis of three criteria: descent, marriage and pseudo relationship. The pseudo relationships include relatives acquired through ceremonies such as baptism and weddings. All this has changes because of industrialization. Courtship is more direct and marriage marks the end of the courtship process which has evolved. The weddings are very traditional. Guests are expected to repay former favors of the family to the couple. The groom's tie is cut up and sold to finance the honeymoon. Marriage in Germany reduced right after the post war era. There were fewer marriages, smaller

Find Natalie Merchants song Gold Rush Brides. Listen to it. Enjoy it Assignment

Find Natalie Merchants song Gold Rush Brides. Listen to it. Enjoy it. Read the Lyrics - Assignment Example The point that the song makes in the line is that the Old American West offered many opportunities, but the opportunities came at a very hefty price. The song emphasizes a very complex reality in which the Wild West people lived. A condition fraught with tragedy, hardship, and risk. In such situations, there were no happy endings but people still continued to press on through sheer grit. According to Barman, 2007, the dominant cultural understanding of the Wild West portrays the vision of a land that lent itself to settlements and a simple context of Indians versus cowboys. It shows that Americans Westerns reduced all their plots line to line. The West was for all purposes and intent an uncivilized wilderness that lacked the amenities and the comfort of the civilized East. As the song lyrics put it, the women in the West suffered through childbirth, the death of their husbands, yellow fever, and even madness. Despite the land out West being free, women had to pay for it with their

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

History - Essay Example The participation of Southern states in the adoption of the amendments of ending slavery was a light to the blacks; however, they reject the 14th amendments and this incited the Radical Republicans in passing Reconstruction Acts. These acts brought about division in Southern states based on their racial differences. 2. Describe the kind of violence Lucy McMillan experiences via 1871. How does this illustrate the problem of reconstruction? Lucy McMillan experiences the 1871 violence between Blacks and the Whites during the reconstruction era. McMillan illustrates the problems of reconstruction as it directly affects the citizens of North and South. The problems included lack of knowledge concerning land problems by most of the black leaders who had participated in the Reconstruction this made it possible for the whites to win over them. 3. How do the Louisiana Black Codes reinstate a kind of â€Å"virtual slavery† in 1865? Louisiana succeeded in his deal of protecting the Black s, his codes had significance in ending virtual slavery, and he denied the pardons involving those who had killed the African American war prisoners. Louisiana allowed each state in creating a new constitution, this came after taking an oath of allegiance by 10% of the total voters, through Louisiana’s efforts ending of discrimination of the blacks. 4. What kind of tribute does William Howard Day give to President Lincoln? Abraham Lincoln is not connected to any religious beliefs he, however, hold a strong believe that God is all-powerful. William Howard Day gave tributes to President Lincoln concerning his leadership especially during the reconstruction era. William confounded the president about his act of spending money and that his leadership is not trustworthy. William also pointed out Lincoln’s weakness as a man full of pride and self-centeredness. CHAPTER TWO 1. Is frontier settlement best understood as the story of competing ethnic, religious, and racial groups , or is it best understood as the place where capitalism left its mark? Frontier settlement is the region within a country fronting on another country usually neighboring country, in this settlement there are habitations. Frontier is usually a political and geographical region and found near a boundary. Frontier settlement being a political area can be best understood as a story involving competing ethnic, political and religious groups. 2. Was the West truly the place where Americans were most individualistic, democratic, and free, as Turner argued, or was it actually riddled with inequalities? Fredrick Jackson Turner in his thesis called Frontier or Turner Thesis stressed the liberty involving movement of releasing Americans from Europeans. From his thesis, it can be concluded that the west was not the place for Americans, the acquisition of the place based on the inequalities hence lacking democracy and full of individualistic. 3. One of the biggest occurrences of the 1870s was C uster’s Last Stand. Discuss the reminiscences of the battle. Custer’s Last Stand occurred in 1876, is a battle involving the most prominent act, which was pioneered by several leaders of war. The battle left several reminiscences among those who were involved and those who were affected. Several people killed 268 were killed, and 55 injured during the battle the battle led to displacement of hundreds of people. 4. Why did the

Victor Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Victor Frankenstein Essay His horror at how playing God has backfired is exemplified more by associating his creation with Dante and hell, whilst also referring to him as a demoniacal corpse, showing tremendous contrast from his original intentions. Because the reader doesnt yet know what (if anything) is going through the mind of the monster, it is only natural that they can sympathize with Frankenstein, and pity him in his fear and disappointment whether they believe him to be foolish and arrogant or not. After him being occupied with nothing but his work for so long, the arrival of Clerval serves as a reminder to the reader and Frankenstein of his family back home, bringing back an element of normality in Victors thoughts. When he falls ill, he is cared for and written to, showing that no matter how much he may have neglected his family he is still lucky to have them to care for him, whereas his monster has nothing and nobody. The next time we hear from the creation is when Victor encounters him on his way to Geneva. Without any real evidence, he immediately blames his fiend for the murder of William and is no less than degrading with his description of him. Saying that a flash of light illuminated the object quickly gives us an impression of the creature being sinister, as we normally associate lightning with being threatening. The fact that Victor objectifies his creation also shows how he is looked upon by his creator as a simple thing that only resembles a living being. Throughout the next few chapters, Shelley makes us feel sorry for Victors family and possibly Victor himself by using the death of Justine and William effectively. When it seems clear to Victor that these two people have died because of his actions, he has an epiphany-like moment. Besides from the initial thrill and enthusiasm he first felt; Victor knows that his dream has caused him nothing but pain. He says that his guilt hurried [him] away to a hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe, this is certainly giving us the impression that he feels sorry for himself. He becomes angry at his creation: I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed even though he has no proof that the fiend had anything to do with the murder, he curses him for it without any doubt. However he also reflects that I , not in deed, but in effect was the true murderer. This is showing how Victor is coming to take responsibility for his actions and suffering in shame for them. Having walked into the mountains and met his creature, he threatens and insults him; labeling him as a vile insect and stating his desire to trample him. He condemns the monster in such a way, although if there were other people who knew about his experiments and results, it could be that he would be condemned too. The creation replies that as long as they both exist they are bound together and that Victor has a duty towards him as a creator even if he has been so far abandoned. Not really acknowledging what his creature said, Victor becomes then so angry that he throws away an amount of dignity and begins attacking his creation in vain. His enraged turn to physical violence while the creation only wishes to talk shows a darker side of Frankenstein and is an interesting comparison as the monster doesnt want to set himself in opposition. He likens himself to Adam and the fallen angel; again hinting at Victors old desires of playing God, as well as the fact that he greeted his creation with the word devil. Likening Geneva to Eden, and the Creation to be the forbidden fruit, Victor also plays the role of Adam, who lived in paradise before the temptation for more caused him to lose what he had. The monster uses words like abhor, spurn and detest frequently, which embellishes his anguish further. The creation asks Victor: Will no entreaties cause thee a favourable eye upon thy creature, who implores thy goodness and compassion? This is clearly a rhetorical question, and it tempts the reader again to doubt Victor and consider how he seems to be selfish and doesnt recognize his creature as a being capable of thought and emotions. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. This gives the impression that the monster knows Victor sees him as sub-human, and not allowed regular justice as is given to normal people. Here Frankenstein uses the word wretched to describe himself rather than his creation, which leaves the reader to compare these two characters further still. Defeated in knowing that if he did not listen to the fiend, his life would most certainly become more miserable; he finally accepts responsibility and lets the creature tell his story. It is likely that Shelley uses the oxymoron-like term odious companion to express the start of Victor having mixed feelings other than hatred towards his creation. Although superhuman in abilities and monstrous in appearance, the Creation is shown to have all of the emotional traits of a human being. As mentioned previously, after he is first brought to life his mind resembles that of a child and he learns and develops knowledge the hard way. When he is talking about the time directly after he was created; although it is not said directly, Shelley uses short phrases fragmented frequently by commas to give a sense that the creature is bewildered. I was a poor, miserable, helpless wretch I sat down and wept. Because he doesnt understand anything and is left to roam outside with only whatever thoughts instinctively occur within him, he is incredibly frightened and like a teething child; he can only weep. As he becomes accustomed to the world he grows to be curious about nature, which he doesnt yet know that he is contrasted against, and this natural beauty inspires him initially to do good things. When he attempts to imitate birdsong, he realizes that the sounds he makes are uncouth and inarticulate; he is frightened by the sound of his own voice. He is shown to have a likeness to prehistoric man in that he has to learn everything himself. His first encounter with a human other than his creator is an anonymous old man. Upon seeing the creation, the man flees immediately, afraid. This happens again on a larger scale, when he enters a village he is rejected and chased out with weapons purely based on his appearance. This gives the creation a skewed view on humanity and leads him to start questioning himself and what he is. Soon after him being driven from the village he first sees the members of the DeLacey family, and is shown to have yet more human characteristics and emotions. I felt sensations of a peculiar and overpowering nature: they were a mixture of pain and pleasure such as I had never experienced. When he beholds the music played by the old man to the young girl, he is overwhelmed by the beauty of what he sees and displays empathy. It is here that he also experiences a desire to have friends and later suffers from pangs of guilt when he secretly takes food from the family in order to feed himself. The creation shows his sympathy and willingness to do good things when he gathers firewood for the family. His behaviour is altruistic, with him gaining nothing except to be able to watch how happy he has made the family by helping them. While staying around the house of the DeLacey family, his personality changes according to experience, whilst he slowly realizes the extent to which he is different from them and everyone else. He begins to refer to them as my cottagers, feeling a human sense of attachment to them, even though they are oblivious to his being there. His deformity betrays him when he makes out his reflection in a pool of water, and he realizes why people have fled from him, but still wonders what it would be like if he could keep the family in high spirits. As well as Shelley using these kind deeds to elevate him above Victor, it is noticeable how the creation constantly admires natures beauty, whereas when Frankenstein is building him, the creator simply ignores the scenery and environment around him. His aspiration to do kind things drives the monster to learn to read, and when he finds several books in the woods, he is led by them to ask himself whether or not he has an ultimate purpose, or any purpose at all. This ongoing existential crisis could be debatably the same for humans also, but it has a great effect on the creation because he knows he is different from anything within the books he has studied. He declares himself as a blot upon the earth and curses his creator whom he realizes he did not ask to create him. The main turning point for the monster is during his brief meeting with the blind old man of the DeLacey family. By this point in the novel, Shelley has shown us how his need for emotional warmth has swelled hugely, much as Victors anxiety that almost amounted to agony, shortly before he was to become heavily disappointed also, and drawing yet another comparison between the two protagonists. The creation is well spoken when he finally comes to have a conversation with a member of the family, showing how much effort he has put into his quest for company. The fact that to the blind man he seems like any other normal person helps Shelley to create more sympathy when he is eventually driven away. The creation tells the old man how he tenderly loves the cottagers, confirming the feeling of attachment which has only been hinted at before. But they believe that I wish to injure them, and it is that prejudice which I wish to overcome. This quotation shows how the monster has learnt exactly why he is rejected by human beings, but still hopes that he can salvage some friendship from them. The old man says to him how there is something in his words that persuades him that he is sincere, embellishing further the point that the creation is perfectly capable of passing as a human without his visual deformities. When the two young members of the family return, however, the creation is clinging to the legs of the blind man in a desperate flail for help. The aforementioned prejudice against him causes his actions to be misinterpreted much like earlier in the novel when Victor thinks that the fiend wished to detain him. With his hopes destroyed, the creation grows incredibly angry with human beings and declares an everlasting war against them. After how he has been treated this decision seems like a fair one, as they seem to be the source of all his anguish. There is a strange balance between him and humanity in that although to him they appear to be beautiful creatures that he only wants to interact with; their actions toward him are always negative. Whereas the creations actions toward mankind are at first positive, and to them he appears to be a vile and hideous monster to be scorned and avoided. He insinuates this himself when he finds the locket containing a picture of Elizabeth. I was ever deprived of the delights that such beautiful creatures could bestow in regarding me, would have changed that air of divine benignity to one of expressive disgust and affright. This is exemplified again when he rescues a young girl from drowning and is shot in return; again only trying to do good but seeing his own benign actions misinterpreted. This then leads him firstly to attempt to kidnap William, who even as a young child is shown to be prejudiced against him. To the reader his decision to kill who he knows to be a relative of Frankenstein seems less shocking because of his miserable story so far. Being kind to humans has only resulted in their rejection of him, and so it seems almost justified that he should take the opposite direction. After the deed is done, he tells how his heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph and goes on to mention how he will enjoy punishing his creator further. Here is the creations transformation into the vengeful being that he is seen as to other characters. When the creation asks for his own companion it is no surprise due to his attitudes toward the creation so far that Victor initially refuses. It is easy for us to be compassionate toward the monster, because he only wants what we has humans mostly want, and that is to not be alone. He does not ask for much, and is willing to be banished and cast away by humankind if he can only have an Eve for him as Adam. As the story in this segment is told from Victors point of view, it contains much less sympathy and we see the creation again from the prejudiced human point of view: his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to behold . However, Victor eventually softens to the creations plea, and sees good logic in keeping him contented, accepting responsibility for what he has created. I sometimes felt a wish to console him; but when I looked upon him, when I saw the filthy mass that moved and talked, my heart sickened This shows consideration for the monster but this time from Victors point of view. It is again reiterating how other than his appearance and strength, the monster is just like a human, and is capable of feeling emotions and receiving pity. Doubts about the benefit of creating a companion begin to manifest themselves in Victor as he grows nearer to creating his second creature. Unlike the first time he carried out this task, his heart is not in it as he knows that what he creates will be nothing like his original intentions that he had years ago. Just as now all Victor wishes to do is to settle down with Elizabeth, the creations only desire is to have a partner also. It is ironic that after Victor destroys what was to be the monsters companion, the creation says how despite Victor being his creator, he is his creators master. The creation is clearly mortified and crushed by Victors actions, knowing that he has been condemned to suffer alone, even after enduring incalculable fatigue, and cold, and hunger. Victor remains inexorable despite all of the creations threats and in the heat of the moment doesnt seem to care that this choice will probably be his own undoing. Strangely, when being tortured by the fiend, as well as being consumed by guilt, Victor is faintly selfish. He says no creature had ever been so miserable as I was although to the reader it is glaringly clear that the monster has been lonely much longer than he has, and that if the creation is trying to prove a point to his master, then Victor is stubbornly refusing to take note of it. When everything dear to him is lost, he sees that his only remaining duty is to destroy what he has unleashed on the world. His dedication to his final quest is shown at the beginning of the novel, where Waltons description of him shows us how he has driven himself to death. His limbs were nearly frozen, and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering. I never saw a man in so wretched a condition. Here the word wretched is used again, this time to describe Victor, and not the creation, and yet another time Victor has become emaciated by his obsessive want to achieve something, compared with how he became as he was building his creature. Not long before his death, Victor shows us how despite his stubborn nature, he admits that he has failed, and tries to teach Walton that he should avoid ambition. Even if it is too late, this shows a great change in Victors character and his view of the boundaries of humanity before he passes away. The creation boards the boat and recounts some of his point of view to Walton when he discovers his creators demise. In his closing speech, the creation talks about all of the death and destruction that he has wrought. Think you that the groans of Clerval were music to my ears?