print item Essays - Maria Taipaleenmki, Free Essays, Term Papers

print item Essays - Maria Taipaleenmki, Free Essays, Term Papers Yasmine Gist Environmental biology World View The environment we live in is simply beautiful. Animals and plants are a part of the environment but, we as humans are also a part of the environment so it is important that we keep the environment in best condition possible and that means to understand environmental world views. Environmental worldview is common beliefs and images of how humans should interact with the environment. When problems come about in the environment, it's our duty to come up with solutions to solve them, and it is also our duty to keep the environment healthy and safe as best as possible. Are basic beliefs, images, and understandings that shape how we see the world make up our world view. Everyone has their own worldview on different topics. One of my environmental world views is to make sure my family, friends, and myself make contributions to the eco-system so that we can to keep the environment in excellent condition, or in other words my world vie w is eccentric. I also believe that everyone should be bio centric rather than anthropocentric. Humans are not superior in the world. All species have value to them and are put in the world for some reason. I took an eco-footprint survey and my results weren't so shocking. My carbon, housing, and goods and services footprints where all a little bit above the country average. My food footprint however was a little less than the country average. My marine fisheries and pastureland footprints came out the same. Cropland was a little less than half of my Marine fisheries footprint, and forestland footprint was the same as my marine fisheries pastureland footprints put together. I came to have these world views mostly because my family. They inform me about the environment and ways to help it. My mom does most of the grocery shopping so she is an influence on the food that I eat. There are several other factors that my family has helped influence my worldview, but I also have taken in th eir intake and added my own views. My world views definitely reflect on my lifestyle. My lifestyle has made positive impacts on the environment. Every day when I wake up I take a shower. I make sure I spend no more than 5 minutes so I am saving water. I have a healthy organic breakfast making sure I use reusable plates and silverware. I try to always carry a water bottle instead of buying a plastic one. We have a recycling bin in my house to we make sure we recycle everything we can! When we wash clothes we ONLY wash if it's a full load. Saving water is very good way to help the environment and not only that but it is more cost effective so why not! Along with water comes the electricity. Making sure the lights are off when not in a room, making sure electrical cords are not plugged in when they are not in use. Those little things can have a HUDGE impact on the environment. In class we have read and seen a lot of articles and video clips that show bad actions that have neg atively impacted the environment and we have also read about things that have positively impacted it. I think that having us read these articles and discuss them in groups really helps us get a clear visual of the cause and effect of human behavior to the environment. In one article we learned that in some of our exfoliating soaps there at these little balls of plastic that cause a negative effect on animals in water. When we wash is face and body off those little beads of plastic are going down the drain and could possibly end up where the sea life is. Learning about that makes me more cautious about the products I buy. Another of the articles I read I learned how female fish are starting to produce male testicles, and it is because of the things we throw into the water. I really am enjoying the class. I am learning about things I did not know about such as real world issues in the environment. I

The Best (and Worst) Online AP Courses, Reviewed

The Best (and Worst) Online AP Courses, Reviewed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips There are hundreds, if not thousands, of online AP courses. So how are you supposed to find the best one for you? To help you sort through your options, I’ll quickly go over what makes a good online AP course. Then I’ll discuss the best-reviewed online AP courses, some popular online AP class providers, and wrap up with some classes that you should avoid. 7 FactorsThat Make a Good Online AP Course If you're searchingfor the best online AP courses, these are the qualities you should look for. #1: It's Accredited There’s no reason why you can’t self-study for an exam with non-accredited online resources- but if you are going to take an entire AP course online, it makes the most sense to take one that is accredited by the College Board. This means that they have looked over the syllabus and course requirements and approved it, and that it can be listed as an AP course if your high school agrees to list the online course on your transcript. #2: The Material Is Presented Well You want the material to be interesting, engaging, and presented clearly. The coursework may not be your first choice of activity, but if you’re bored out of your mind, you won’t want to study, and if you’re confused, you will be frustrated. #3: Teachers Are Accessible and Give Good Feedback Teachers should be easy to reach and give useful, timely feedback. If you are waiting for them to return assignments from months ago when you take the AP, that’s not particularly helpful. #4: The Workload Is Reasonable Many AP courses are demanding, which is to be expected. But you want to make sure that you have a good sense of how many hours per week you have available to spend on online coursework and how many hours a week the class will take. #5: There's an Easy-To-Use Interface and Tech Support A good course will be easy to navigate on your computer. You should also have easy access to tech support resources should something go wrong. #6: The Class Preps You for the AP Exam If you can get any information on how students tend to score on the exam after taking the course, that will be very useful in making a decision on a course. #7: It's Well-Reviewed A good online AP course is one other students have had good experiences in! Check forum sites like College Confidential for reviews of a given course. With those seven criteria in mind, we’re ready for a more in-depth look at some of the best-reviewed online AP courses out there! You can master the universe...of online AP courses! 8 GreatOnline AP Courses Below I’ve compiled a list of someof the bestonline AP courses. Ideally I would be able to provide an option for every AP, but unfortunately, some APs have very few online options (if any). That is why, as you may notice, there are some popular AP courses like Calculus and English Language that do not appear on the list below. AP US History AP US History From the UC System’s Scout Program Students like the material, the pace, and the focus on AP exam prep. Multimedia lessons are praised for being engaging, and assessments and assignments are full of variety, which keeps things interesting. Students appreciate the consistent pace of the assignments. A special bonus is that the end of the course involves an AP workshop with study strategies, practice AP exams, etc. This is also one of the cheaper online AP course providers, and it’s discounted for CA students. AP Art History AP Art History From the Florida Virtual School Students appreciate that the course spends so much time on non-European art. The interactive gallery format is engaging and helps you retain the material. Finally, the class content is not overly difficult, but students still feel prepared for the AP exam. AP Human Geography AP Human Geography From the Florida Virtual School Students recommend this class, finding it interesting without being frustrating. They also praise the teaching staff and like that teachers are accessible by text, e-mail, and phone. AP Psychology AP Psychology From the Florida Virtual School This course is interesting and fairly easy. Some assignments are fun, and the online textbook has helpful interactive video components and simulations. Overall, this course is straightforward and will prepare you well for the exam. With that said, students advise that some of the course material does require boring rote memorization. AP Biology AP Bio From Johns Hopkins CTY Students felt that this course overprepared them for the AP Bio exam, but in a good way. They also appreciated that the two lowest grades on tests were dropped, so you could dive into difficult material without fear that some struggling along the road would completely tank your grade. AP Biology From Apex Learning This class hasa combination virtual/in-person lab component,which ishelpful given that many online courses do not have labs at all. Students do mention that this course is reading-heavy. AP Chemistry AP Chemistry From ChemAdvantage The main selling point of this class is that students get mailed a small lab kit and do at-home labs; lab components are often missing from online science courses. The course is taught and managed by a husband and wife team. Students receive lots of instructor attention and feel that instructors are flexible when necessary. The course is demanding, as AP Chemistry usually is, but students feel well-prepared for the exam. Unfortunately, this class is primarily offered to homeschoolers, but their FAQ says that they may be able to accommodate students whose schools simply don’t offer AP Chem. AP Computer Science A AP CS A From the Florida Virtual School This is one of the most highly-praised online courses out there. According to students, the FLVS course imparts a strong coding foundation, good habits, and conceptual understanding. Students find that they easily retain the material for months and feel very prepared for the exam. They warn that you may spend 10 hours a week or more writing programs, but that you will enjoy yourself and it is time well-spent. There you have it- a selection of some of the most popular online AP classes available. Still at a loss? Keep reading for a brief list of three of the most well-regarded online AP providers. We briefly interrupt this broadcast to bring you this mesmerizing jellyfish. 3High-Quality Online AP Course Providers In addition to some specific courses being like by students, there are also some online providers that are particularly well-regarded.It’s still a good idea to look for reviews and making sure a course has what you are looking for before you sign up, but these are some online schools that have a reputation for high-quality coursework. Pennsylvania Homeschoolers For homeschooled students in any state, PA Homeschoolers AP Courses are well-reviewed, with excellent teachers being the number one benefit. AP History and English classes are particularly well-liked, and they appear to have the only online AP Environmental Science course that is praised and not widely disliked. However, you must be a homeschooled student to register. Florida Virtual School Though there are a couple courses that aren’t highly reviewed (see below), most students found AP offerings from FLVS to be comprehensive, cost-effective, worthwhile, and adequate preparation for the AP exam. They also have a wide variety of AP courses available. It's one of the cheaper online providers, has no admissions requirements, and is free in Florida! Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Johns Hopkins CTYis an online course provider for gifted students. To take courses, students need to get qualifying courses on the PSAT. In general, students found AP courses from this provider to be thorough and enjoyable. The material used is said to be top-notch. This is an expensive provider, though there is some financial aid available. Allow me to steer you away from AP online danger! 3BadOnline AP Classes Of course, not every online AP course is a great experience. There are some classes that are known throughout the world of high school distance learning as particularly terrible, and I’ll discuss why here. AP US History From Apex Learning There were two chief complaints here: logistical and technical issues with the course, and poor preparation for the AP. Students found that they lost points on quizzes due to technical errors when they had selected the correct answer. They were annoyed by all of the faxing they had to do, and that their faxed documents frequently got lost. Even more disconcertingly, students did not feel prepared to get 4-5 level scores on the exam, but only a 2-3. They found they learned more from prep books than the course! If you’re having better luck studying on your own, there’s no point in taking the class. AP Environmental Science From the Florida Virtual School This is probably the most widely disliked online course I saw. Students were frustrated by the workload, assessments, and lack of teacher accessibility. They found that lessons focused on information that was not relevant to the AP exam. They pointed to a high workload of busywork with low exam preparation payoff. Assessments were brutally long. Teachers took a long time to get back to students. The general consensus was that no one should take this course. AP Government From the Florida Virtual School This course, again, was disliked for its poor preparation value for the exam. Students found that assessments were frequently based on minor, unimportant details instead of major concepts. Even diligent students who carefully read the lessons and took notes felt that assessments were unfairly specific and did little to prepare them for the actual AP exam. As you can see, there are several running themes in what makes a course disliked: there are technical problems with the way the course is run, the material is presented in a way that is boring or overly specific, students do not feel prepared for the exam, and teaching staff is inaccessible or not helpful. If you see any of these issues cited in student reviews on College Confidential or elsewhere, these are major red flags. Keep this in mind to avoid any bad eggs! These eggs are good, so you don't need to avoid them. Choosing the Right Online AP Course: Final Thoughts There are high-quality AP online classes available out there, with excellent teaching, good exam prep, and engaging material. There are also less amazing online offerings, with frustrating technological meltdowns, vanishing instructors, and long assessments. I’ve listed some highly-praised options and some that aren't as well-liked, but this is by no means a comprehensive accounting of every course available. I’m sure you’ve noticed that some APs are easier to find online than others, and some have more options than others. This means a few well-known APs (World History, English Language) are conspicuously absent from this list of the best online AP courses. Keep in mind what’s available when you are planning your online AP coursework, and do research carefully! A smart investment in an online AP course can have a great payoff. What's Next? If you're not quite sure if online AP courses are for you, check out my pros and cons to online AP classes. Once you've selected your course of choice, you may need help registering for the AP exam. Want more information about the AP program before you decide? See our expert guide to AP classes and tests. Want to improve your SAT score by 160points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Project- Administrative Agencies Research Paper

Project- Administrative Agencies - Research Paper Example The paper will also present a personal critique of the agency and make recommendations for the agency’s future. Purpose for creation of Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency was created with the aim of merging related roles that were formerly administrated by different agencies and organizations. Its overall purpose was however the protection of â€Å"human health and the environment† from activities whose unregulated operations pollutes the environment (National Research Council, p. 8). The agency’s specific purposes are however diverse and includes ensuring measures for good quality of the atmosphere, ensuring that water and water bodies are free from pollutants, promoting hygiene among the society and implementing laws for safeguarding the environment. Its purpose therefore majorly concerns environmental safety for healthy lives (National Research Council, p. 8). The agency’s parent act The Environmental Protection Agency w as a creation of the â€Å"National Environmental policy Act†1 that was legislated in the year 1969 and signed in the year 1970 (National Research Council, p. 7). Under the acts provisions, the government declared intentions to ensure favorable living conditions that would forester human social, economic, and political developments. The agency was then formed to implement the legislation with Congress’ approval under the name of ‘Environmental Protection Agency’ (National Research Council, p. 7) Historical background leading to the agency’s formation Environmental Protection Agency was a culmination of an already developed concern over the environment. Trends into its formation can be traced back to the industrial revolution error. Before the revolution, there existed few pollutants and the environment was considerably safe. However, invention of motor vehicles and further additive to the locomotives’ fuels identified grounds for regulatory m easures. As a result, the â€Å"Clean Air Act†2 was approved to regulate environmental concerns that had been created by smog. This was followed by another environmental legislation in the year 1965, â€Å"Motor Vehicle Pollution Act†3 that aimed at regulating motor vehicles emissions and the ‘Air Quality Act’4 was then formulated in the year 1967 to further control emissions. Consequently, the Environmental Protection Agency, under the National Environmental Policy Act was created in the year 1970 to further the objectives of regulating environmental pollution. The agency was therefore created with the idea of facilitating a healthy environment through regulating pollution agents (Biggs, p. 377). Functions of the agency Functions of the agency majorly entail implementation of its objectives and extend to roles of implementing the objectives. One of the agency’s functions is therefore to ensure that air pollutants are eliminated for a quality enviro nment. Other functions include controlling chemical pollution and other forms of pollution as well as implementing rules that are set under its jurisdiction. The agency, through its statutory powers also formulates regulations to govern mass sources of pollutants such as agricultural and industrial sectors. It also issues license for operations and revokes licenses of operators who defy regulatory measures. The agency’s functions also include promoting awareness of its programs to the public and other stakeholders and

The various economic concepts linked with the public policies and Essay

The various economic concepts linked with the public policies and income taxes - Essay Example This paper discusses that in U.S., the usage of local property taxes in financing school education has been criticized as unconstitutional, which generates inequalities in public education expenditures across states. The reason for this is as those districts that have larger property tax bases per pupil, can generate any amount of revenue from lower tax rates as compared to those districts having smaller tax bases. Therefore, it is easier for rich jurisdictions to raise revenue for public education than the poor jurisdictions. The State of Virginia finances the public schools through a combination of federal, state and local funds. Also, there is contribution of private sector through partnerships with schools and their divisions. State’s General Assembly is responsible for apportionment of state’s funds for public education, through Appropriations Act. The sources of funds are retail sales, state lottery proceeds, tax revenues and other sources. The Constitution of Vir ginia requires the Board of Education (BOE) to prepare SOQ (Standards of Quality) for public schools. SOQ is the minimum school educational program, the divisions must provide. The General Assembly revises SOQ, determines SOQ costs and apportions these costs between localities and state. Funding on a per pupil basis is provided through the accounts of basic aid, career and technical education, special education, English as a second language, remedial summer school, fringe benefits for funded positions and sales tax of 1.125% for public education... Funding on a per pupil basis is provided through the accounts of basic aid, career and technical education, special education, English as a second language, remedial summer school, fringe benefits for funded positions and sales tax of 1.125% for public education (Virginia DOE, 2011). Answer 2: Population & Per Capita Taxes The annual average cost per police officer is $30,000 for a small town. The population of the town is 1,000. The per capita cost of employing a police officer is $30. $30,000 ? 1,000 = $30 Table 1 shows the declining per capita cost of one police officer and increasing per capita taxes. The reason of such phenomenon can be understood as the population increases (column 1) and the costs per police officer remains stable the per capita costs will decline as the same costs can be assigned to increased number of people (column 3). Also, with the increase in population, the total tax collection will increase, although the per capita taxes will remain the same (column 7) if the tax rate is constant (column 6). The assumed tax rate is 30%. The costs of police officers are assumed to be financed by the revenues from taxes. Therefore, the remaining per capita taxes have increased with declining costs of per capita costs of police officer (column 8). Figure 1 shows the graphical presentation of these results. Table 1: Per Capita Taxes & Costs of Police Officer Figure 1 Answer 3: Valuation of Land Table 2: Market Price Calculation Rent Annuity $10,000.00 Market Rate of Interest 10% Market Price of Land $100,000.00 Â   Â   Property Tax 5% Annual Tax Value $5,000.00 After-Tax Market Value of Land $50,000.00 The market price of the land is calculated as ratio of the annual rent in perpetuity and the market interest rate. The market price

The issue of a “culture of life” Essay Example for Free

The issue of a â€Å"culture of life† Essay Issues on Ethics and Science have always been arguable and debatable, much more so when highly- skilled professionals get involved in the issues. In medical practice and health care delivery, ethics takes center stage. If I were the queen of the United States and had the absolute power to rule and decide everything in the country, I would be very strict in such a way that I will not tolerate any ethical and social issues like abortions, physician assisted suicides, human cloning, and Stem cell research using human embryos. Aside from their medical and scientific implications, the â€Å"legality† and â€Å"morality† of such practices are so delicate that I should be keeping track of. I will emphasize one vital issue in health care for clients, and it is the discernment of the risks involved in the application of medical breakthroughs and execution of research and experimentation like in the case of Stem cell research using human embryos and human cloning. I would warn all health care professionals to not ever do it because I would not want humans to become subjects of it and be exploited. As the mother of the United States, I would not want my countrymen to be experimented. The moment that they will do it either secretly or not, then I will have their license revoked. In the case of abortion, I would not tolerate it. Human life is sacred because conception, from the beginning, already involves the creative action of God. We owe human life respect and reverence. Human life should be protected and preserved. The sanctity of human life demands that it must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. I would create educational programs that could teach and educate the concern citizens about the disadvantages of abortion. I will emphasize that abortion destroys life and violates the right to life. As such it is morally evil and it should not be in any way legalized and liberally permitted in the laws and constitution of a nation, like in the United States. I would order to spontaneously check each birth centers to see if they are doing abortion in secret or not. I would punish every health professional who will do it, and even imprison them at some point. Legalizing assisted suicide only legitimizes the use of plastic bags and carbon monoxide to kill vulnerable people. It will only make the health care professionals as â€Å"killers† and not as â€Å"life savers†.   Assisted suicide is not the only way to relive excruciating pain. It is really quite the contrary! Assisted suicide exploits people’s natural fear of suffering and dying. They often claim that without it people will be forced to endure â€Å"unbearable pain†. Such claims fail to recognize that virtually all pain can be eliminated or that in those rare cases where it cannot be totally eliminated, it can be reduced significantly if proper treatment is provided.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is a national and international scandal that so many people do not get adequate pain control. But killing is not the answer to that scandal. The solution is to mandate better education of health care professionals on these crucial issues to expand access to health care, and to inform patients about their rights as consumers.

Essay --

Economic and Strategic Traits of the Industries and Companies Some industry factors to consider between Harley-Davidson and Polaris is their diversification, market growth rate, market size, competitive and corporate strategies. The market of recreational vehicles is very broad and it includes vehicles that are designed for on-road the experience to even off the road experiences. Recreational vehicles include ATVs, snowmobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, campers, boats, jet skis and even trailers. To dominate in all fields of the recreational vehicle industry would be very ambitious and expensive to accomplish. Our diversification in the recreational vehicle market is truly unique. We provided the first ever motorcycle to the consumer and we still are going strong for 110 years. There is three diversification tests we must consider and pass if we were to move on to acquiring Polaris. The industry attractiveness test is all about the opportunity for potential profits and returns in entering the side of recreational vehicles that would appeal to a broader market share could be impactful. The cost of entry test to Polaris’ industry that appeals to off-road, snowmobile and even on-road customers cannot be higher than our potential profit if we acquire Polaris. We must look at the long-term growth of Polaris and even at Harley-Davidson to see if this does make business sense. We must consider potential new competitive start-up companies that may want to try enter our market as well since there will be less competition. With the cost of entry we must consider Polaris as a growing company and it’s the number one seller of ATVs in North America. A growing company also means a higher price to obtain. The better-off test is anot... ...ompany’s corporate strategy is to eventually enter into the other side of the recreational vehicle market and that could be achieved with the acquisition of Polaris. We are looking into opportunities to have strategic fit with a new company to make sure we have better competitive advantage. Here at Harley-Davidson, we do marketing differently and that includes giving people the experience to test drive our motorcycles so they can feel the experience of the ride. We are unconventional in our marketing concepts but it has proven to pay dividends. Polaris’ corporate strategy is to drive down costs in the recreational vehicle market but to also produce high quality, reliable vehicles. They are looking into focusing more globally especially in emerging markets. Polaris is recognized nationally for our superb customer service and this is something they plan to continue. Essay -- Economic and Strategic Traits of the Industries and Companies Some industry factors to consider between Harley-Davidson and Polaris is their diversification, market growth rate, market size, competitive and corporate strategies. The market of recreational vehicles is very broad and it includes vehicles that are designed for on-road the experience to even off the road experiences. Recreational vehicles include ATVs, snowmobiles, utility vehicles, motorcycles, RVs, campers, boats, jet skis and even trailers. To dominate in all fields of the recreational vehicle industry would be very ambitious and expensive to accomplish. Our diversification in the recreational vehicle market is truly unique. We provided the first ever motorcycle to the consumer and we still are going strong for 110 years. There is three diversification tests we must consider and pass if we were to move on to acquiring Polaris. The industry attractiveness test is all about the opportunity for potential profits and returns in entering the side of recreational vehicles that would appeal to a broader market share could be impactful. The cost of entry test to Polaris’ industry that appeals to off-road, snowmobile and even on-road customers cannot be higher than our potential profit if we acquire Polaris. We must look at the long-term growth of Polaris and even at Harley-Davidson to see if this does make business sense. We must consider potential new competitive start-up companies that may want to try enter our market as well since there will be less competition. With the cost of entry we must consider Polaris as a growing company and it’s the number one seller of ATVs in North America. A growing company also means a higher price to obtain. The better-off test is anot... ...ompany’s corporate strategy is to eventually enter into the other side of the recreational vehicle market and that could be achieved with the acquisition of Polaris. We are looking into opportunities to have strategic fit with a new company to make sure we have better competitive advantage. Here at Harley-Davidson, we do marketing differently and that includes giving people the experience to test drive our motorcycles so they can feel the experience of the ride. We are unconventional in our marketing concepts but it has proven to pay dividends. Polaris’ corporate strategy is to drive down costs in the recreational vehicle market but to also produce high quality, reliable vehicles. They are looking into focusing more globally especially in emerging markets. Polaris is recognized nationally for our superb customer service and this is something they plan to continue.

Ancient Greek Music Essay

Ancient Greek music was extremely popular in those times, and frequently used at ceremonies such as weddings and funerals. It was also played a lot because the Greeks saw playing it as a way of worshipping the Gods, pipes and pans were played when worshipping Dionysus, the god of wine and partying and other instruments played for other gods. The word ‘music’ comes from the muses who were daughters of Zeus and were known to be the goddesses of the inspiration of literature, science and the arts. Although no-one actually knows what ancient Greek music sounded like, they do know what instruments were played. There were: The lyre- an ancient stringed instrument played by the Greeks, the word comes from the Greek ÃŽ »Ã Ã ÃŽ ± The aulos- two double-reed pipes, played with a mouth band to hold the reeds steadily next to the musicians lips The kithara- also a stringed instrument, but more complicated than the lyre. Another difference was that it was played with a plectrum. T he Hydraulis- The first instrument, The Lyre The origins of the Lyre The Lyre was one of the first ever stringed musical instruments and was invented by the Greeks. Traditionally, the original lyres soundbox was made from a tortoise shell and then two, sometimes hollow, wooden arms extended up. The origin of the lyre is tied in with a Greek myth. When Hermes was born, he crawled out of his cradle and found a tortoise shell. He killed and then stretched a cow skin around the shell then stuck two horns in. Then to finish off he attached some strings to the instrument. When his parents found out they were very angry until they heard the music from the lyre and forgave him for killing the cow. There are several variants of the story. In one he steals an entire flock of cows. The Structure of a lyre Poor Greek musicians would have their instrument’s soundbox made from tortoise shells (these were called barbitos or a lyre) and richer ones would use wood for their sound box (these were called kitharas or phorminxes). Although the instruments had different names they were all essentially lyres, just in different but similar forms. Mythology and the Lyre Greek mythology and music were greatly related, mainly because people saw music as a way to worship the gods. The lyre was the most common in these stories. Orpheus and his Lyre Orpheus is the son of Apollo, god of music, and therefore was gifted with musical talent. Apollo gave Orpheus his first lyre and with it Orpheus charmed everything animate and inanimate, from birds to rocks. He even helped the Argonauts on their journeys, saving their lives many a time with his music. He fell in love with a nymph called Eurydice and charmed her with his music. They were a very happy couple and decided to get married. But their love was short lived as after the ceremony Eurydice was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus was terribly sad and mourned her death for years. Finally he decided to go to the underworld to get her back. He travelled down and got past Cerberus using his music. He played his lyre in front of Hades and the music was so sweet it even softened the lord of the dead’s heart. He begged hades to let him have Eurydice back and Hades said â€Å"yes, but on one condition, on the way back up you must not look back at Eurydice or she will be stuck in hell forever.† Orpheus agreed. On the way back he did not look back, even though he desperately wanted to. They were just at the mouth of the living world and Orpheus stepped out, happy that they had made it. He looked back to share this moment with Eurydice but she was still in the land of the dead and was instantly dragged back to hell. Orpheus was sadder than ever and travelled aimlessly, his only companion his lyre. But he was murdered by a group of maenads who ripped him apart and threw his head and lyre into the river. His Lyre and head travelled down until it reached the shore of lesbos, whose people buried his head and threw his lyre up into the sky to make a star constellation.

Los Angeles Independent Media Causes Essay

The Los Angeles Independent Media Center is a website that allows for left wing issues to be reported and shared on the web for all to see. They have over two dozen different categories that people have reported on ranging from animal rights and anti-war to immigration and indigenous rights and issues. Arizona has a proportionally large number of illegal immigrants working in the state just like California. Naturally this was one of the categories that caught my eye. When reading some of the article I came across a story from 2007. It was a march in Los Angeles (LA) in which mostly immigrants participated. They were marching because they wanted to be treated just as fairly as the legal citizens of the United States. They preached that they have been working just as hard to contribute to the economy of this country. There are two sides to any story and this is true in this case as well. On one hand they are doing the jobs that normal Americans do not want to do but others argue that they are here illegally and should not have the same rights as legal Americans. These two sides will be debated for years to come until someone can come up with a reasonable solution that will satisfy both side. The idea of illegal â€Å"under the table† help is too engrained within our society that it would be impossible to eliminate the issue over night. Not only are illegal immigrants fighting for their rights, but in some cases so are Americans. In California Wal-Mart would contract with temporary job agencies to fill jobs working in warehouses. These workers can be exposed to toxic chemicals and extreme heat conditions. They are also sometimes not given the wages that they were promised. Because Wal-Mart uses third party companies to supply the labor they have in the part denied any wrong doing in the situation. Of course in this case there are no unions to represent the workers and them facing the threat of losing their job if they express their dissatisfaction of their working conditions. Some groups are not even worried with the thought of having a job; they just want to protect areas that have existed for hundreds of years. Kuruvungna means: â€Å"A place where we are in the sun† in the Tongva language. For thousands of years the Tongva people lived here in relative peace and harmony with their environment until the European invasion of the Americas. (Sunday, 2012) In 1992 a group of environmentalists was able to secure a piece of land that was located on a public school’s property for the low cost of one dollar a year. This piece of property contained a natural spring that once belonged to the Tongva people before they were forcefully removed. The spring is said to have natural healing powers as well as native fish species, fresh water crayfish, a 200 year old Mexican Cypress tree, oak trees, hummingbird sage and other native grasses. The group is trying to secure another long term lease for the same price. One of the more controversial issues of our times is the use of genetically modified foods for consumption. These foods consist of simple fruits and vegetable to more complex animals like cows and pigs. One major reason behind this is that scientists can modify items to produce more nutrient rich foods for consumption. Scientists can also produce animals that can be modified to produce medicine, organs for transplant, meat or even engineered pets. It seems like a good idea to have enough organs and such to go around so that way no one would have to wait for a transplant and in the long run saving human lives. The biggest debate is to determine whether a human life is more important than that of an animal. This debate has been going on for some time now and will probably keep going on especially since the US Food and Drug Administration has taken steps to allow for the sale of genetically engineered animals. One of the biggest issues we have in America is politicians supporting special interest groups and not the constituents they were elected to represent. The City of Fullerton California was faced with a lawsuit from a construction company after denying the company’s proposal to develop a more suburban sprawl in one of the last bits of natural ecosystems in Orange County. Initially the city council had voted to deny the request from the company. In a strange turn of events, a year later the city voted to settle with the company and approve the proposal. Currently citizens have collected signatures to get a referendum on the next ballot to hopefully overturn the city’s decision. Every year across the country we hear about budget cuts in the education system. Along with the cuts we also hear of colleges increasing tuition to cover basic costs. So the question remains how can a school cut costs because it does not have money yet at the same time raise tuition? People finally had enough and all across the country students were walking out of class in protest and joined their community members in protests at superintendents’ offices, city councils and board meetings to express their concern with all of the cuts that have happened. In recent months teachers have joined the effort, which has become inspiring that they seem to not have a concern for their jobs while they protest. Alas, the protests have had little success as we still see cuts being made and tuition is still being raised semester after semester. America is in the middle of a war and with that comes anti-war protests. Different groups have tried to use different tactics to draw attention to their cause. One group protests on thanksgiving while others have protested on Christmas ask the question: what would Jesus choose? One of the more powerful messages came from a group back in 2009. They staged a mock funeral precession honoring those American and Iraqi people who have died during the war time period. These protests have been so powerful that the president vowed to end the war if he was elected. The baby boomer generation has grown up with the knowledge that if they want their voice heard then they organize a protest or a walk. After a bad statement from a Canadian police officer in 2001, large groups of women took to the streets to get the word out about sexual assaults. The groups organized what they called a â€Å"Slut Walk. It is one of those situations in which they should have thought about how the name of their walk could be portrayed within the community. These walks have occurred throughout the world to include the US, Canada, UK, Australia and several European countries. These walks have had support from several large human rights groups such as Planned Parenthood, CA National Organization for Women and Peace over Violence. There are many different subjects for people to post article on that would spark criminal acts and public disorder. These subjects include Anti-War, Class War, Immigration, Police State, and Racism. These are all catalysts for groups to recruit people who believe in their cause. The best part about the website is that people can post at any time they wish. It also helps that the website has multiple links to other cities, states and foreign countries similar websites. This is crucial because it does not bog down the website with data and provides a worldwide platform for left wing issues and causes.

Freedom Of Religion essays

Freedom Of Religion essays "You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note" (Doug Floyd) Harmony is diversity. In music, people sing different notes combined creating a complete, layered sound. In life, its the same way. All different types of people, religions, views, and opinions are what make the world what it is today. The First Amendment guarantees us the freedom of speech, religion, press and free assembly. If it wasn't for this amendment we would not be able to have freedom of religion - meaning we would have to believe in a god or power that the government would tell us to believe in. This amendment allows us to worship freely and is one of the benefits of being an American. But what happens when someone steps in and says that someone praising their god is wrong? Should they be punished or is it their right to worship what or who they choose? What happens when one person praising their god is offensive to other people? "As long has they do not break my arm or pick my pocket, it is of little c onsequence what they believe and that was what freedom of religion is all about."(Thomas Jefferson) The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States give every american the same rights. One right is the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. The second right is prohibition of the establishment of religion by the state. The people who founded this Constitution recognized it as one of the most important factors in a democracy. The founders also found a space of freedom between the government and the people. Which means that the government is not allowed to tell a group of people what they can or cannot believe in or do. Sadly, The government is not honoring their side of the constitution. The government is stating that prayer being allowed in schools violates others beliefs and others right of their own religion. Prayer is in fact legal in public schools and other places such as church and prayer in stores, etc. What is no...

1927 - 1928 Academy Awards

1927 - 1928 Academy Awards The very first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. More of a fancy dinner than the huge, staged ceremony of today, it was the beginning of a grand tradition. The Very First Academy Awards Soon after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927, a committee of seven members was given the task of creating an Academy Awards presentation. Though the idea was shelved for nearly a year due to other pressing Academy issues, the plans for an awards ceremony presented by the Awards committee were accepted in May 1928. It was decided that all films released from August 1, 1927 through July 31, 1928 would be eligible for the first Academy Awards. The Winners Were Not a Surprise The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929. It was a quiet affair compared to the glamor and glitz that accompany the ceremonies of today. Since the winners were announced to the press on Monday, February 18, 1929 - three months early - the 250 people who attended the black-tie banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel werent anxious for the results to be announced. After a dinner of Filet of Sole Saute au Buerre and Half Broiled Chicken on Toast, Douglas Fairbanks, the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, stood up and gave a speech. Then, with the help of William C. deMille, he called the winners up to the head table and handed them their awards. The First Statuettes The statuettes that were presented to the first Academy Awards winners were nearly identical to those handed out today. Sculpted by George Stanley, The Academy Award of Merit (an Oscars official name) was a knight, made of solid bronze, holding a sword and standing upon a reel of film. The First Academy Award Winner Wasnt There! The very first person to receive an Academy Award didnt attend the first Academy Awards ceremony. Emil Jannings, the winner for best actor, had decided to go back to his home in Germany before the ceremony. Before he left for his trip, Jannings was handed the very first Academy Award. The 1927-1928 Academy Award Winners Picture (Production): WingsPicture (Unique and Artistic Production): Sunrise: A Song of Two HumansActor: Emil Jannings (The Last Command; The Way of All Flesh)Actress: Janet Gaynor (Seventh Heaven; Street Angel; Sunrise)Director: Frank Borzage (Seventh Heaven) / Lewis Milestone (Two Arabian Knights)Adapted Screenplay: Benjamin Glazer (Seventh Heaven)Original Story: Ben Hecht (Underworld)Cinematography: SunriseInterior Decoration: The Dove / The Tempest

Letter from birminghan jail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Letter from birminghan jail - Essay Example King uses logos for explanation or rational presentation of the case directed toward the intellect of the auditor. During this period of time, the main driven forces of equal rights movement included new perception of the world and self, new interpretation of freedom and humans rights. The historical evens changed political viewpoints on the notions of freedom and diversity of blacks and minorities. King states: "In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action" (King 221). Using dramatic descriptions, King vividly portrays that racial relations and racism causes labor division and class struggle. This universal process contains for America a special problem: the proletariat is largely black, and its demand for inclusion thus threatens the political control of a white minority. Using vivid examples, King states: "It is even more unfortunate that the city's white powe r structure left the Negro community with no alternative" (King 221). It is not surprising, therefore, if leading Black intellectuals attack the notion of racial democracy and seek to provide a new narrative which offers a central place to those of African descent. The enslaved African became a 'citizen' as stated under the law, but he also became a 'nigger', cornered from all sides. Through vivid examples, King appeals to the audience stating that this was made apparent in the ways in which ethnic identities were subsumed, and still are, within and between economic identities, a political-economic class identity with the ethnic referent made invisible (Lischer 23). Ethoc (ethical appeal) is founded on the moral character of the speaker as presented in Letter. The first and most important part of ethical appeal is the moral character of the speaker which persuades when his Letter is delivered in a manner rendering him worthy of belief. This confidence is established in and by the speech itself and not through previous notion the audience may have of the speaker. To win trust, confidence, and conviction, the speaker exhibit intelligence, good sense, virtue and goodwill. " Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal"(King 224). King demonstrates his the way he exercises his moral choice. For King, this part is very important because it helps the speaker to establish his ethical values as sensible, virtuous, and trustworthy. Also, King gives special attention to the character of his audience to which he suits his Letter. Kings appeals to the audience stating: "We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal" (King 228). As it is essential to impress the audience favorably with his own character, so it is important for him to adapt his tone and sentiments to the audience (Overton 34). Emotional appeal is produced when King places his listeners in a particular state of mind and makes them feel emotion. It induces belief in an audience and appeals to their inner feelings. On the other hand, rights are

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle Eastern politics PowerPoint Presentation

Assess the impact of the Iranian revolution on Middle Eastern politics - PowerPoint Presentation Example Thus, Islamic politics resulted in the regional political culture militarizing and creation of the region instability. Hence, activists with either religion or political agendas were fully convinced that they could use Islam as a strategy of winning (Cottam 1980). This implied that Islam could be employed as a means of radicalizing, politicizing, and mobilization of masses for the purposes of confronting Middle East authoritarian states. Consequently, neighbouring countries suffered instability of their political foundations, especially those with Shiite population, which include Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi. Iran revolution contributed to the emergence of bitter rivalries in the region of Israel. As such, Israel had to observe the activities of Iran, which influenced the policies that Israel adopted. Further, Iran was alienated from other countries, such as Saudi Arabia (Shahi 2009). Since the Middle East is a major source of oil, other governments expressed concerns and anxiety. These governments include the Britain and the United States of America among others. Moreover, the revolution had several events, which contributed towards the emergence of conflicts in the region. An example of this is the attack of Iraq by Iran. The Iranians play a significant role in enforcing their power status in the Middle East politics. As such, Iran supports Hezbollah and Syria. This support has had drastic effects in the region. For example, terrorists groups in Israel can be funded by the regime. The creation of Hezbollah in Lebanon resulted in the alteration of the Lebanese politics and the emergence of Israeli ambitions. This made Iran gain strength and influence, which made the West and East to always consider the nation in case of any Middle Eastern issues. Such depicted global geopolitics changes where there was a West-versus-East scenario in all areas with key players in different areas lining on different sides and having Iran within its circles. The