Islam Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Islam Worksheet Essay When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam. 1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam. Islam is the monotheistic religion articulated by the Quran, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God, and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, [ considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. 2. Explain the basic concepts of Islam. Is an unerringly monotheistic religion. It enjoins the existence of one God, his prophet Muhammad who is the Last Prophet in a long line of prophets sent throughout time and to every civilization, and the Quran as the Word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibrael. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of life is to worship him and to adhere to his word, as laid down in the Quran, and in Sunnah , as closely as possible. They believe that Islam is the final, completed and universal version of a faith revealed too many prophets before; most notably Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but whose message has now been distorted. Describe the practices of Islam. They go to church in cathedral mosques (Jamia), in which sermons are preached and congregational prayers are offered up for the reigning Sultan every Friday. Besides these there are about one hundred and eighty Muslim oratories or chapels (Mesjà ®d), to many of which schools are attached. Prayers are also frequently said at the grated windows of the little shrines or tomb-houses of celebrated welys, or saints, which are numerous in Damascus. Men of the higher classes rarely go to the mosques except on Fridays, as they can command proper places for ceremonial ablution and prayer in their own houses; but to a Muslim of the lower ranks, a large mosque which is open every day from sunrise to sunset or later, is like a second home. 3. Describe the goals of Islam. The 4. Describe the view of authority in Islam. philosophy, and the arts in the Muslim world. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following questions. Provide examples to illustrate your thinking. 1. What is the legal ideal in Islamic law? How does the Qur’an inform and guide Muslims in attaining this ideal? 2. What is the relationship between philosophy and theology within Islam? Is it acceptable for Muslims to hold separate philosophical and theological beliefs? 3. What artistic themes are regularly expressed in Islamic art and architecture? How are these themes explored? How has the Qur’an influenced the development of art in the Islamic world?

The Environmental Impact Assessment Tourism Essay

The Environmental Impact Assessment Tourism Essay This chapter deals with the literature review which is a report of what has been published on the topic by qualified scholars. This chapter will give an insight on the environmental impact assessment, its steps, effectiveness and weaknesses, followed by the concept of biodiversity and a critical review of two articles related to the topic. Lastly it elaborates on tourism development on Ile aux Cerfs. EIA was set up to deal with concerns about the effects that main development projects were having on the environment. It is important to know that EIA is an environment assessment tool. A very straightforward definition of EIA is that it is a methodical procedure of identifying, predicting, analysing, evaluating and mitigating all the environmental effects a future development or activity before setting up the project (United Nations, 2001). The EIA also considers the natural, socio cultural and economic aspects.EIA and the important steps which need to be carried out to accomplish the assessment is covered by the ISO 14011. EIA is also the most popular and accepted instrument used to measure environmental impacts for new or planned projects (Schianetz et al.2007). The crucial reason of why an EIA is needed is to prevent costly mistake in a project execution. These costly mistakes can arise either by the negative environmental impacts that are like to occur during the project implementation or by the alterations that are required afterwards in order to make the development environmentally suitable to government and community. 2.1.1 Concepts and Alternatives of EIA An environmental Impact Assessment supports various concepts namely Ecotourism, Cleaner Production, Eco-labelling but the two most supported concepts are Environmental Management and Tourism Carrying Capacity (Schianetz et al. 2007). As already mention above EIA is an environment assessment tool. There are many other tools used which can measure the impacts of the environment. Some of the tools are Sustainability indicators, Ecological footprint, Life Cycle Assessment, Strategic environmental Assessment and Environmental Auditing. Sustainable indicators are mostly used for assessing tourism destinations. Ecological footprint (EF) assesses the extent to which human race is using and consuming natures resources more rapidly than they can regenerate (Schaefer et al. 2006). Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodological structure for calculating approximately and assessing the environmental impacts for the life cycle of a product such as the exhaustion of resources like land, water, petrol coal and other natural resources (Rebitzeret al. 2004). Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a tool that permits to put together environmental concerns along with social and economic aspect and which is also an assessment on a policy level (Dalal-Clayton, Sadler, 2005). Environmental Auditing (EA) is a tool that a company can use to identify the level of its environmental impacts, find out whether or not the company is in agreement with valid acts, rules, and the expectations of its stakeholders, and increases knowledge on how it can maintain or progress its environmental performance going forward (Mattsson and Olsson, 2001). 2.1.2 Steps for EIA Werner (1992) had recommended that EIA can be used as a means in deciding if a project is viable and suitable, otherwise it can also be a means to plan how negative effects of an acknowledged development can be reduced. Furthermore, Roberts and Hunter (1992) have stated that EIA steps differ from a location to another, but at the development level, there are four fundamental standards that are mostly put into practice. The four standards are as follows: The characteristics of a development and related activities should be identified by an EIA. The facets of the environment that will be concerned should be recognized. The effects at the beginning and forthcoming stages should be assessed. EIA is related about the management of the benefits and alarmed about the negative impacts that can be generated. On the other hand, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) mentioned the different phases of an EIA as follows: Screening Alternatives Preliminary Assessment Scoping EIA study and environmental impact statement Review Monitoring Screening Screening is carried out to assess if a development requires EIA. Its main concentration is about the effects it may have or if there are impacts that are unsure. Then eventually it will focus on the situations where environmental supervision effort may be essential. Hence EIA strategies may most of the time contain a records or schemas stipulating which projects need EIA (ex: constantly or specific situations). Alternatives Thinking of possible alternatives (demand, activity, place, development aim, setting up, contribution, no project) ought to be established prior to a selection being prepared. Some developments can be particularly on site (ex: mining, extraction takes place only where there is a mineral site). In such circumstances EIA may give extra attentions on actions such as scale, justifying actions and traffic supervision. Ventures promoted by government agencies might probably consider alternative locations or routes for development rather than private segment schemes where the premature requirements to obtain options or purchase land strongly controls development spot. Preliminary Assessment This is where screening recommends additional evaluation is required or if there is improbability about the nature of possible effects. There is the use of quick evaluation methods although there is the presence of enough detail to discover key impacts, their extent and consequence, and assess their significance for decision making. Below are steps that will illustrate if a complete EIA is required. Scoping A narrowing procedure frequently started by an assessment team to recognize the key problems of apprehension at an early phase in the planning course of action and direct the development of conditions of reference for the EIA. It assists location selection, recognizes potential options, and evades interruption due to having to evaluate formerly unrevealed probable impacts. Scoping must engage all interested parties such as the promoter or environmental agencies and public members. The outcomes establish the scope, depth and terms of reference to be addressed within Environmental Impact Statement (below). Once the location for development has been selected, the number of problems usually diminishes and consideration to specific details is enhanced. Main EIA Study Building and extending the previous phases to forecast the amount and level of effects and determine their importance. A range of schemes can be used including: checklists, questionnaires and networks models. The study should include consideration of mitigating measures- assessing the action proposed/ taken to avoid or reduce current or probable negative impacts of a project. However if there are qualms to a high extent, probable serious outcomes and no justifying actions, then the proposed project ought to be abandoned. However if there are qualms that can be decreased with a more in depth studies, then a claim can be postponed until further studies. Environmental Impact Statement It is a complete report that states the conclusions of the EIA and is most of the time asked by law before a new venture can start. Review To evaluate the satisfactoriness of the EIA to decision making and think about its repercussions. Monitoring Supervising of project accomplishment and action, an eventually an audit of the project after its completion. 2.1.3 Effectiveness of EIA EIA may ameliorate and provides continuous possibility on the long run for various projects. EIA has the prospect to offer the possibility to discover from know-how of comparable projects keep away from the (habitually elevated) expenses that may arise later justifying unexpected harmful and detrimental effects. 2.1.4 Weakness of EIA Critic is a vital part of every theory, procedure tool or concept. Criticism of EIA has been debated by many authors in many studies. One of the most common critics is that EIA only considers the direct impact of a development or activity but not the addition to the rising impacts in the area, Simpson and Wall, (2000). EIA cannot be used for the assessment of whole tourism destinations but only for specific projects such as airports, eco-resorts, activity or development near the beach, Schianetz et al. (2007). EIA is also criticized as it only deals with mitigating negative impacts rather than putting the effort in increasing the positive impacts, Simpson and Wall, (2000). However Biswas (1992a) and Hunter (1995a) have stated that steps of EIA have its deficiency. According to both authors, there is a trend that EIA concentrate more only on physical impacts and ignore social and cultural ones. EIA repeatedly concentrates on biophysical matters and where environment, social and economic features are dealt with, they are not usually included but instead EIA reports have the tendency to be illustrated as separate stages. 2.2 Biodiversity In popular usage, the word biodiversity is often used to describe all the species living in a particular area (www.cnx.org). Considering the particular area in a very large scale, biodiversity is simply all the life on the planet earth. The business dictionary defines biodiversity as the Variety and variability of microbial, plant, and animal life forms from all sources (including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems) and of the ecological complexes of which they are a part. In the context of this particular study, biodiversity and tourism is to be studied. The recent trend in the tourism industry has it that that nowadays more and more tourists have abandoned the famous sea, sand and sun, and tends more towards the nature based experience (www.unwto.de). A sound nature is increasingly being mentioned by tourists when they are choosing their destinations. The quality of the environment, therefore, cannot be neglected as a vital factor in the nowadays tourism trends. However, tourists go to a destination where the environment plays a key role at the destination. There is therefore an urgent need for a sustainable management programme and which tends to use natural resources in a sustainable manner. It is also to note that the year 2010 has been declared the international year if biodiversity. 2.2.1 Linking Biodiversity to Tourism Projects have already started concerning biodiversity and tourism. The most flagrant example is in Thailand which was struck by the Tsunami in the year 2004. Issues such as energy efficiency, security of tourists and climatic changes have been set up. As stated earlier, those issues impact directly on tourism.  Building on this, the Program for Energy Efficiency was  launched Thailand to mitigate the effects of climate change. Mauritius Island contains endemic species which are unique to the world but are plagued by massive population decrease. In the years 1500 and onwards the island was uninhabited by humans. After the landing of the Dutch, the introduction of non-native plant and animal species, biodiversity still flourishing started to be endangered. The 400 years following the first altercation in the Mauritians ecosystem, population of native birds, reptiles, and trees started to decrease and threatened to become extinct. The continuous decrease in the population of the living organisms threatened the life cycle such as the reproduction process and the balance of nature. We cannot neglect the fact that tourism has been growing and in biodiversity hotspots. Thus the quick growth in nature tourism and travel within the tourism industry for the past 2 decades, it may be said that the tourisms growth in those high biodiversity areas is because of the one and only nature and environment found at those hotspots. The destruction of this aspect of a destination is like tearing apart the spot and this forgetting definitely about tourism in that particular area. Ecotourism is an idea that is threatening tourism. Defined as the responsible travel to natural areas, that conserves the environment and sustains the well being of local people, ecotourism reformats the basic concepts behind tourism. Nature tourism is defined as travel to unspoiled places to experience and enjoy nature. Nature and adventure tourism focus on what the tourist is looking for. Ecotourism focuses on what the tourist does and the impact of this travel on both the environment and the people at the destination (Honey 2002). The tourism industry states that it contributes to sustainable development because it has less impact on the environment than other industries and is based on a specific area and so the local people are more motivated to protect those resources. Biodiversity is thus a critical component of the natural environment that tourists enjoy (Mattus et al. 2003). In addition to resource being on the verge of ending and habitat destruction, littering and water pollution are problems, linked to the tourism industry, definitely have a bad impact for biodiversity. Littering problem is fluent in some areas, where waste collection and management is difficult. Waste disposal from cruises are sources of problems due to the fact that they only have a limited space to carry all their waste until they reach the port, and ports have limited incentive (and capacity) to accommodate those waste. Coral reefs are at risk from tourism development. Holden(2000) states that as well as being mined for building materials, reefs suffer from sewage runoff that stimulates the growth of algae, covering the filter-feeding corals and hindering their ability to survive. Corals are damaged by anchors of boats from careless skippers and local people often take corals from their home habitat for sale. Again the tourist benefits is that the financing source stated by Brandon(1996) may help for finding alternative sustainable ways for the local people to earn their living and to launch training programmes to skippers and other staffs from the tourism industry. There is an urgent need to mitigate those impacts and to promote ecotourism activities which have emerged in the years 1980s and 1990s so as to have a sound environment and to promote the tourism sector at a destination because as said, the tourism industry is going more and more towards destination with a unique biodiversity. 2.2.2 Environmental Impacts of Tourism Development The Tourism Industry is said to be directly linked to the environment. The reason is that tourists mainly travel to be in a natural and green environment. Most of the hotels are found near the coast or on the Mountains. Many islands and countries use the environment as an attribute to promote tourism. The Maldives promote the archipelagos with the sea, sand and sun. It is also the case for the Caribbean Island which depends on its natural beauty and resources for the success of the tourism industry. In a report Examining the relationship between Tourism and the Environment in Barbados and St. Lucia, by Reginald I Burke, the importance of environment to the tourism sector was clearly mentioned. However the author states that Tourism and the supporting infrastructure that it requires pose threats to the environment particularly, the marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems as well as potable water resources. The positive impact of tourism on the environment is that it brings along revenue for the preservation and conservation of parks and rare animals. The tourism industry can make a significant contribution to the conservation of the destination. In fact, tourism can be a source of finance for biodiversity conservation, for example part of the entrance fee for a site goes to the conservation programme (Brandon 1996). The funds may be used in the sense that the local people can be provided with alternate jobs instead of exploiting the biodiversity for living. Tourists who visit an area may detect abnormalities in a specific area that local people, who are use to it, may not detect. Tourism can also be a way to increase awareness on the environment. Tourists are more conscious of the environmental protection before going to an area. Tourism also impacts on the environment in a negative way. During the development phase, there is a need to cut down trees so as to be able to construct hotels and other facilities that the tourists need. With the increasing in population, land is a limited resource that needs to be well utilized. The cutting down of trees often lead to destruction of habitats of animals life. It has also been noted that in areas where there has been lots of infrastructural development, there is less rainfall. It is important to have a good land use land. The tourism industry is one which produces lots of waste. These wastes are often released in the environment or the sea. The sewage system often goes directly in the sea for the resorts and the cruises. These wastes cause a degradation of the water quality and kills marine life. The coral reefs died and the beaches become vulnerable to waves leading to sand erosion. The Red Sea, in Egypt, has always been a tourism attraction. Sherbiny et al. (2006) states that with the tourism development along the Red Sea, where there has been the development of recreational attractions and sport activities, has lead to the destruction of the resource base of the Red Sea. The environment needs to be preserved because it will benefit the tourism industry and bring a lot term profit. Tour operators and hotels are trying to reduce wastage and pollution to rejuvenate the environment that has been destroyed. They opted for eco-friendly activities and sensitize the tourists before going on a site. It is very important that before implementing any development an EIA is done. The EIA will help to identify weaknesses and the impact on the environment and what can be done to reduce or even eliminate the impacts. 2.3 Case Studies It is important, before going more in dept in a study, to look at definitions and steps but also at different cases. The EIA tool is used all around the world by developed, developing countries and islets. Therefore through several readings of previous application of the tool at a destination, some more weaknesses or even strengths of the EIA can be identified because each region is not the same and have particular resources and characteristics. 2.3.1 Evaluation of the EIA system on the Island of Mauritius and development of an environmental monitoring plan framework (T. Ramjeawon, R. Beedassy, 2004) According to Ortolano and Shepherd (1995), Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a planning tool used to forecast and evaluate the impacts of planned projects in order to assist the decision making process. The limited natural resources of an island dictate its capacity to allow and sustain development. Islands face serious environmental problems due to their scarcity of natural resources, exposure to natural disasters, reduced areas, economic vulnerability and weakness in ecosystems. Therefore it is very important for islanders to understand and implement preventive strategies to have sustainable development. The need to carry out an Environmental impact assessment (EIA) and to obtain an EIA license from the ministry before undertaking the project is one of the main features of the Environment Protection Act in Mauritius. EIA brought important improvements in the planning, designing and decision making process but many difficulties have been encountered in the implementation of the EIA system. Without proper follow-up EIA can be seen as a just paper to secure a development permit rather than a mean to ensure environmental benefits and having proper environmental management. The rapid developments around the coast and lack of EIA monitoring have negative impacts on the coastal environment and this can affect the sustainable development of the tourism industry. The EIA system was introduced in 1993; those wanting to apply for an EIA license must submit copies (15) of the EIA report to the Director of environment and to ensure about the accuracy of the report it is opened for public inspection and comments. A copy of the EIA report is distributed to concerned agencies and ministries and written feedback is requested. The Environmental Assessment unit of the department of environment organizes a site visit to assess the potential environmental implications of the proposed development. Leu et al. (1996) introduced 9 fundamental components for an effective EIA system which are: Environmental regulations, guidelines and policies. Environmental administrative structure EIA Procedure Role of those which are involved. Status of the EIA reports EIA compliance monitoring and enforcement EIA implementation The implementation of strategic Environmental assessment International exchanges The 9 components were mostly followed for the evaluation of the EIA System in Mauritius. Nine hotels built during the last 5 years were selected to develop the Environmental Monitoring plan (EMP) and the EIA reports were evaluated by verifying their compliance with the official guiding principles of performing EIA. The quality of the EIA was assessed upon the following criteria: Baseline information Drawings and plans Techniques and methodology used to predict impacts Field surveys as well as consistency in the analysis Relevance of proposed measures Monitoring plan of impacts Impartiality of the contents of the EIA In the last 15 years much has been achieved in establishing legal and institutional framework in terms of environmental management in Mauritius. However most of the existing environmental laws are improperly enforced due to a lack of awareness of the laws and a lack of capacity and resources in the government departments. The following weaknesses were identified in the EIA process: The screening system is not adequate The minimum range of requirements of the EIA is too general to ensure the proper gathering of information for decision making process of whether or not to issue and EIA license. There is poor public participation in the project from the beginning till the implementation phase. There is a lack of clear criteria for the registration of eligible consultants for the preparation of an EIA report. The procedures for reviewing EIA and granting licenses lack in transparency and liability and there is no time frame regarding EIA applications. There is a lack of strategic environmental assessment for coastal development in particular areas. There is a lack of trained staff and expertise to conduct as well as review EIAs. The EIA reports do not include environmental management plans. One of the major assets of the tourism industry which is the lagoon is being left apart and there are no or insufficient investigations carried out on the attributes of the lagoon. More weight is being given to the economin impacts in the final decision making process and there is lack of information in the EIA reports. 2.3.2 A Critical Review of Environmental Impact Statements in Sri Lanka with Particular Reference to Ecological Impact Assessment (Miriya Samarakoon Æ John S. Rowan, 2008) EIA is a tool used to predict environmental consequences of proposed project in order to achieve sustainable development. According to Treweek (1996) Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) is an important element of EIA which explores how the sensitivity, viability and value of habitats, ecosystems and species can be affected by developments. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is an official report about the results of EcIA and EIA. EIA has been criticized for the following reasons: Lack of time and funding Lack of research design Insufficient data on flora and fauna Failure in monitoring development impacts Lack of guidelines on the EcIA process The first EIA in Sri Lanka was conducted in 1980 and the legal framework is under the National Environment Regulations No.1 of the National Environment Act (NEA). There are 2 levels of EA which are stated in the NEA. The first level is the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) which is required when less adverse impact is expected and the second level is the EIA for developments where significant adverse impacts are expected. The Central Environment Authority (CEA) is the institution which is responsible for monitoring and managing the EA process and the Project Approving Agencies (PAAs) are responsible for the implementation of the EA process as well as the decision making process. Sri Lanka is well-known for its biodiversity and 5 levels of ecological surveying are recognized. Level 1 survey is about a brief overview of the ecology at the site and level 5 is the most complex level which is about collecting quantitative data on various key attributes of ecology. EAs must pay special attention to their assessment and effective measures must be taken so as to avoid potential negative impacts. 2.4 Overview of Tourism Industry Tourism is the worlds largest growth industry. Organization such as the world tourism organization state that in the next 15 years the number of tourist will increase from 845 million in 2006 to 1.6 billion by 2020 that is it will double. Furthermore 200m people are employs worldwide. These jobs very often occur in small or medium-sized, family-owned enterprises. Similarly these tourism jobs and development very often take place in fewer developing countries that will help to balance economic opportunities. For example in order to benefit from balance economic opportunities Mauritius which is an underdeveloped country is aiming 2m tourist by 2015. 2.4.1 Tourism development in Mauritius Tourism developments in Mauritius are based mainly on the 3s that is sea, sun and sand. By relying on the 3s, this causes the tourists being kept within the four walls of the luxurious hotels. Luxurious hotel is one of the major tourism developments in Mauritius. Larger international company such as Sun Resort Ltd has constructed luxurious and glamour hotels such as Le Touessrock Hotel, La Pirogue Hotel and Long Beach Hotel. Nowadays Mauritius has diversified their tourism product and services in order to attain the 2 million tourists by 2015. Mauritius is offering adventure tourism that is soft tourism and hard tourism. Furthermore the government is practicing responsible tourism and sustainable tourism. The government is also allowing tourism development on our islets such as Ile aux Cerfs. 2.4.2 Topography of Ile aux Cerf Our selected area to carry out the EIA is Ile aux Cerfs. It is a tourism development site and each day there are different sea activities that take place on the islet. Ile aux Cerf welcomes the Mauritian people as well as the tourists. With the introduction of sustainable development and Maurice Ile Durable, it is important to know what the impacts of these developments on Ile aux Cerf. The EIA will help to achieve our aim. Ile aux Cerf, situated in the east coast of Mauritius, is a stunning and naturally splendid islet. This small paradise constitutes about 100 hectares of soil. It is also known as the deer island and is recognized as having the best beach of the Indian Ocean. Ile aux Cerfs is not a residential area. Everyday tourists as well as locals visit the island. To reach the island, boats are available from Trou Deau Douce, a small village found in the east. It takes around ten minutes to reach the island. Tourism developments have taken place in the island making it a must see place to visit. In the past years, the island has become among the most well known tourist attractions. 2.4.3 Tourism Development on Ile aux Cerfs Ile aux Cerfs is an islet found in the east of Mauritius. Many people describe Ile aux Cerfs as a mini Eden where you can relax and spend nice time with family and friends. One of the main tourism developments in Ile aux Cerfs is the golf course and the sun group made this plan public in july 1998. The project consists of an eighteen-hole course and clubhouse. From the environment impact assessment report made previously on the islet it appears that the golf course covers an area of 40 hectares. Furthermore the Touessrok hotel is another tourism development that relies heavily on the Ile aux Cerfs. It is situated near the islet. The management of the Touessrok hotel is the one which managed the golf course on the islet. Touessrok hotel is a five stars plus well-known hotel throughout the world. More other another tourism development on Ile aux Cerf is the Paul Virginie Restaurant, which is again managed by the management of the Touessrok hotel. Located on the islet, the restaurants relaxing beachside setting, is perfect for a family lunch of fish, pizza and Mauritian dishes (http//:www.elegantresorts.co.uk). There are also a lot of tourism activities that take place on the islet. These activities are mainly sea activities that are provided by tour operators such as Happy Holidays Mauritius. Examples of these activities are speed zone, Rampage, Big Banana, Frequent flyer, Duo Patriot and parasailing (http//:www.happy.holidays.mu). Therefore these are some tourism development that occur in Mauritius and especially on the islet of ile aux cerfs. 2.5 Conclusion As we have seen before development can have negative impacts on the environment and therefore an EIA is required before the undertaking of any development be it tourism or non-tourism development in order to identify potential environmental impacts and find out strategies to minimize the negative impacts. However the EIA should be well-done and ways should be found to overcome the weaknesses of the EIA so that the report is an effective one and can help in minimizing environmental impacts.

Compare And Contrast The Star And The Necklace :: essays research papers

The story â€Å"The Star†, which was written in 1970’s, is trying to say that we need to understand the truth of our fate rather than put on blinders and quit refusing everything else that we don’t want to see. In the story â€Å"The Necklace† written by Guy De Maupassant the woman worked herself to the bone for ten years trying to pay off the debt used to pay for the necklace she lost at the ball. The woman in this story is a poor pretty woman who thought she deserved a better life than one that she already had. The main character in this story is a woman named Louis, the daughter of simple working class man. Both stories include a sub theme of a hope for a better life, in which all men were created equal and all the ugly injustices in the world would cease to exist. But the cold hard fact is that we humans have this innate sense of optimism, which blocks our thinking for reality, because without it we would have no reason for living. In the case of the woman in the story "The necklace" the object being the necklace which she eventually loses and tries to replace. Instead of hiding the truth and facing the music, which was harder, to take than when she lied. The old adage which says," What a tangled web weave when we first start to deceive." We humans can't handle the truth. We think we know what is the truth. What that really is just bullshit. It's arrogance-playing tricks on our minds making us think we are in control of our lives. If we really were in control of our lives then why can't we control every little aspect of it that gives discomfort? Because we can't, because we don't know how, and eventually the truth will show that is we don't what the truth really is. Using the slippery slope logic one can conclude that the two stories are more similar than they are different but because the assignment at hand requires for me to compare and contrast in an illustrative manner then I guess I sho uld start. In the story the Star the setting is on a rocket ship with astronauts and the setting in the necklace is old France in the late 1970's. The Star is a science fiction story while the necklace is an illustrative story.

The Hornets Nest Essay -- Expository Cause Effect Essays

The Hornet's Nest Without proper preparation, getting rid of a hornet's nest can cause more problems than it solves. Although I do not have first-hand experience, I can relay an incident explained to me by my mother regarding my father and the hornet's nest he came upon in their flowering crab tree. Suffering from the results of the incident, which can only be described as simultaneously hysterical and tragic, my father spent most of last week recovering from injuries that were both self and hornet-inflicted. His various comical and disastrous attempts to remove this nest from their property, and the resulting misery he endured, bring to mind a saying my high school English professor used frequently, "If you fail to plan, plan to fail." Under the guise of "heading out to do some yard work," my father took on the dubious and dangerous task of attempting to rid his treasured flowering crab tree of a hornet's nest, reported by my mother to be the size of a large, ripe watermelon. Armed with the starter for the barbeque, the garden hose and a rake, Dad approached the tree and offending nest with the determination of a front line soldier ordered to advance on the enemy line. His plan was to set the nest on fire (yes, while still attached to the tree) and then douse the ensuing inferno with the garden hose. Coming upon the nest, Dad stealthily lit the barbeque starter under the huge hornet hive and stepped back as it became engulfed in flames. With his trusty garden hose in hand, he immediately began his attempt to extinguish the flames before the tree, the house, the whole neighborhood caught on fire. Although the flames died down expediently, not all of the hornets perished in the blaze. A few survivors remained, and all... ... ice pack pressed to his neck. Three of the disenchanted beasts had pursued my father into the house and the crashing sounds were those of the ensuing chase and massacre in the living room. What were the results of this encounter? My father sustained bad stings to his neck, forearm and calf, a large bruise to his knee, and a stiff and sore back that threatened to halt his journey to work the following morning. It is apparent to me that the moral of this story is that proper preparation would have saved my father a great deal of pain and suffering. Had he taken a few simple precautions (wearing long sleeves and gloves, or perhaps making a quick call to an exterminator) perhaps the incident may never have occurred. According to the latest reports from my mother, the nest remains where it landed on the boulevard of their lawn and is still humming menacingly today.

Controversial Television Advertising Essay -- TV Media

Controversial Television Advertising We all know from our personal experience that one person’s idea of something offensive often differs from another’s. This essay is to determine the consequences towards negative advertising towards certain controversial products/services and why they are so offensive. All major media organizations need advertising to exist, that's how they pay their bills. At the same time, though, each organization sets its own advertising standards. Some ads a media company will simply refuse to accept (Peart, Karen N). Concerns have been raised about Beer advertising, Cigarette advertising, Sex advertising, Political advertising, and food advertising to children. Alcohol advertising is a primary concern for many Americans who believe that alcohol advertising in media directly influences the frequency of underage drinking. While drinking among youth and young adults has declined over the last six years, a recent study by the Justice Department found that 25% of 15-17 year olds said they drink. Junior and senior high school students drink 35% wine coolers, and consume 1.1 billion cans of beer annually. An alcoholic beverage industry sponsored poll of parents found that 73% of respondents believed that alcoholic beverage advertising is a major contributor to underage drinking (Century Council, 1990). It is also one of the most heavily advertised products in the United States. The alcohol industry generates more than $65 billion a year in revenue and spends more than $1 billion a year on advertising. The advertising budget for one beer -- Budweiser -- is more than the entire federal budget for research on alcoholism and alcohol use. Unfortunately , young people and heavy drinkers are the primary targets of... ...udewijn de Blij. (06/07/2006). Tobacco advertising www.factsheets.globalink.org Nick Higham, BBC media correspondent (04). Confusion over junk food ads. Dr. Joseph Mercola with Rachael Droege (05). Four Ways Junk Food Marketing Targets Your Kids Wikipedia. Sex in Advertising. Pediatric Studies Link TV Advertising with 'Global Fattening' (March 29, 2006) Campaign for Tobacco free kids. â€Å"Still Targeting kids† www.tobaccofreekids.org Christopher Gilson & Harold Berkman (1980). Advertising. Shanto Iyengar & Markus Prior (June 1999). Political Advertising. Gregory Rose, Victoria Bush, & Lynn Kahle (1998). Journal of Advertising Wayne Friedman (2/2006). Courting Kids, Networks Aim Younger. David Waller, Kim Fam, & Zafer Erdogan (2005) The Journal of Consumer Marketing. Vol. 22 Breast for Success. Dahila Lithwick (2004)

Why Ban College Football

August 16, 2012 Why Banned College Football? Why banned college football? That’s the real question. College football truly means something to most Americans! Most college football players don’t even get paid to play the sport. Though there are many good arguments and opinions about banning the sport; I have yet to see an argument that considers the players individual situations. All the people who are against keeping college football only consider the academic purposes. The players show their hard work, commitment, and devotion to the sport.They play for the entertainment of Americans and talking it away would be a massive mistake. College football players don’t get a dime for there dedication to the sport. The young men that devote their time to play don’t get paid with money they get paid with an education. Young athletes benefit in the classroom from the sport every year. Some college football players don’t play for the fun of the game. Though ma ny athletes love the sport some don’t have a choice because it’s their only way to get an education for the future.College football is essential to the United States of America. Most people need to reconsider their choice in banning the sport. For example, banning college football is like banning candy from Americans. Of course you don’t actually have to have the candy but, like the sport it’s something majority of Americans want. The thought of banning the sport is a serious subject to countless Americans. If they were to decide to ban collage football they might as well ban the whole sport. There’s really no need in high school athletes to play football if there’s no future in it.On the other end of it, if there’s no college football then there’s no purpose of having the National Football League (NFL). No high school student would truly be physically of mentally ready to come out of high school straight in the NFL. Considerin g the banning of the sport is absolutely ridiculous. Through the good and bad times of America college football has always been around. Most schools are complaining because of funds but in all reality bigger school make good profit off the game. Instead of considering the issue maybe they should view another college sport in certain schools and universities.No offence, but most of the college budget issues don’t only come from football. Look at Cross Country for example; can you name five big name colleges cross country runners? Probably not. Therefore, instead of debating the issue of banning college football they should look at a less popular sport. In all conclusions, college football is important to the United States and probably isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The arguments and debates will continue but the sport means too much to Americans to just ban it.

Jack of All Trades

â€Å"Mom can I have a dog? † I cannot tell you how many times those six words came out of my mouth, almost everyday since about second grade I asked my mom for a puppy. Once when I was in fifth grade, my mom let me take home one of my aunt's dog's puppies. But at the end of the day she made me take it back. I was so close to getting what I had wanted for years. I had named the dog and everything, and as you can tell it still upsets me to this day. You're probably thinking, â€Å"Eh, every child wants a dog or some sort of pet, it's really not that serious. Oh but it was, I became obsessed with the idea of a puppy, every time I saw someone else with a new puppy or even an older dog I became jealous to the point of tears. It's not like I never had a dog, when I was born we had two, Buster, and Sheena. But they both died of old age by the time I was seven. We also had cats, and birds, and fish. But all of a sudden there was nothing left, it was me, my mom, and my dad, being an only child was always hard, but at least I had my animals to keep me company. Yeah, yeah, here it comes, being an only child isn't hard, you're spoiled, you get everything you want, and tons of attention. But have you ever thought of the hardships of being the only thing your parents have to focus on, or maybe the not having anyone to play with, you can only play dress up and school with yourself for so long before it gets extremely boring. Okay but I'm getting off topic, actually I've kind of been rambling on about nothing for the last couple of sentences, but I promise this will all have a point. My freshman year of high school, I began having a lot of issues with being alone, and not having anyone to talk to or keep me company. I began to struggle with my schoolwork, and everything began to spin out of control. I met James, he was amazing, but that's a completely different story for a completely different time and space. Now the wanting of a dog had kind of went away for a little, but now in my time of loneliness, and need, I think my mom finally realized how much I truly not only wanted but needed a dog to keep me company, because that year around my birthday my mom began to talk of getting a dog, (it might have also been because Simone's mom let her have a dog, and my mom felt bad because that's all I could talk about, so thanks Sandy. So we talked about getting a dog, and decided on a female Jack Russell, oh my, we were not aware of what we were getting into. We were told numerous times that these dogs were crazy, but we just said it couldn't be that bad, all puppies are hyper. We planned to keep her in a squared-off area in the basement, oh boy, were we mistaken. We ordered her from a farm in Missouri, the breeder seemed nice, and told us that she had a lot of energy, we got her at eight weeks, the breeder had named her Kayla, but we knew from the pictures that this name was just unbefitting. We decided on either naming her Sage or Zoi, and the second we picked her up from the airport we knew Zoi was the perfect name for her, she ran out of her crate right into my arms, while all the other puppies were hiding in the back corner of their crates, afraid of their new owners. It was raining but she wasn't afraid, the entire walk to the car she wiggled and squirmed eager to see everyone and everything around her. That first night, Simone and I figured it'd be a good idea to sleep downstairs with her, just in case, but we were in for a rude awakening, quite literally, she whined and cried every minute she was alone. Simone and I ended up staying up the entire night with her; this squared off corner in the basement was just not enough for this tiny little dog. The next night we tried keeping her in her crate, then a bigger cage, needless to say neither worked and she now sleeps in bed with my mom and dad. This dog was a handful; she chewed on everything, dirty underwear being her favorite snack. Her energy never seemed to end. She jumped played and barked all day, she was a very happy dog. Yet it just seemed like she was lonely, she carried this tiny stuffed puppy with her everywhere, and carried chew toys over to her favorite stuffed tiger. She'd whine and cry when it wouldn't play with them, maybe it was our imaginations, but it just seemed that the only way to tame her energy was to get her a companion. First we looked at the pound, but decided anything bigger might just hurt Zoi, so we ended up on the search for another Jack Russell, this time a male. We looked and looked, the first one we decided on ended up being sold already, so we finally decided on another dog, he was from Texas, and named KC. He came from a puppy mill, and when we got him he just didn't seem right, we were worried. At the airport we expected him to run right out into our arms like Zoi, but that's not quite what happened. He hid in the corner of his crate and cried, he seemed so afraid, we walked him to the car and I cuddled him in my arms, it was late, almost midnight, and I was worried how him and Zoi would react to each other. He didn't seem like a social type dog. When we got him home and put him down, he wiggled and squirmed, him and Zoi sniffed each other and from that second they were inseparable, but Dash (which is what we named him, after a character in the Disney movie, The Incredibles,) just still wasn't right, he had a swollen bee sting on his arm, and after taking him to the vets we discovered he had three different typed of worms in his belly. His nickname had been Wiggle-Butt, how appropriate. He was incredibly unhealthy, and we were thankful that we had saved him from that place he had called a home, no wonder he was so afraid. It was strange that these two dogs that were said to be the same exact breed were so completely different, but maybe that's why they got along so well. After Dash was nursed back to health, he slowly began to come out of his shell. These dogs were a handful alone, but together, oh my. Zoi was clearly the boss, and she let it be known. There were times when she beat the living daylights out of him, but he still followed her around, and whined and cried when she was gone. Dash was quite the interesting dog, he'd growl and bark at other people and dogs, but then run and hide behind you if you put him down. The two would chase each other around in circles around the house and yard, it's like they both had this endless amount of energy, I couldn't imagine Zoi would have lasted long at any other household. She ate everything, beat up Dash, ran away, jumped all over people, and scratched like crazy. Once we got Dash and Zoi, it was like having newborn babies, we had baby gates in every doorway, so that they couldn't get in and chew things, you couldn't open the door without holding them back or you would be in for a jog. Every time they got out it was a good twenty-minute journey to get them back. They'd run up to everyone that was outside, bark at other dogs, run into everyone's yard, and you'd have to jump and dive in order to catch them, it is not a fun thing to do. My favorite story would have to be the time my little cousin let Zoi out and my 40-year-old uncle chased her around in the January snow, eventually jumping, sliding, and diving only to miss her by an inch. These dogs were quite the handful. Nobody could come into the house without being jumped all over, and barked at. And you couldn't leave if you didn't give Zoi her treat first. Actually you still can't. You think after two years she'd be a lot calmer, well she's a little calmer. We tried obedience classes, yeah did not work to well, actually now she'll sit, bark, and play dead on command†¦ but other than that†¦ yeah. A few months after we first got them, we went away on vacation. We left Dash and Zoi with a family friend who raised and watched dogs for a living. I remember him saying, â€Å"Oh, I'll have her trained by the time you get back. † Yeah, not so much. Not even the man who watched ten dogs a day, could tame her. He's raised tens of dogs from puppies, all his dogs listen to his every command, but not Zoi, she'd run around take stuff, even beat up the larger dogs. The second we got back home we went to pick up our puppies, and you could tell that Jay (the man that had watched them) had had quite the time watching those two. He couldn't get rid of them quick enough. Zoi loves the water, but Dash is afraid of it. Zoi will jump right in the pool and swim around but Dash wouldn't go near it for anything. Zoi jumps in and climbs right out. She chases the hose when my dad is watering the lawn, tries to eat the backwash water from the pool. Another thing that she loves to chase is the vacuum, Dash once again is afraid, but Zoi chases and barks like always. Sometimes, they're too predictable. Another one of my favorites is when Zoi decides to take things for ransom. Her favorite I think is the remote control for the television. I can't tell you how many times I've seen her running around with that remote in her mouth waiting for her treat. It's not like she really wanted it, she'd drop it in front of you as soon as you reached for the bone box. And of course Dash reaps the benefits, so I think he encourages her to steal things. But after all of this, the second you sit down on the couch, or lay down in bed, they're both right there, lying on your lap. Dash will nudge and nudge until you let him under the blanket. They love, love, love to cuddle. Which is good, because so do I. They keep you warm in the winter, which is good since Zoi chewed the wire to the heater on the blanket, and the couch, so neither work. Okay two crazy dogs†¦ the point of this is? I'm getting to it, I'm getting to it, promise. These dogs have actually kept me sane. I'd have the longest day ever, but I know I could come home and have two amazing dogs jumping on me and kissing me. No matter what I need, I can turn to my dogs, if I need to play, or just cuddle. Zoi is like the dog version of me she can be hyper, loud, loving, all at once. She'll be angry one minute and kissing and loving you the next. She can't stay mad, kind of like me. Having these two amazing dogs has kept me sane. I'm no longer alone and bored all the time. They may be a pain sometimes fighting to leave in the morning, eating underwear, stealing socks and remotes. But I know at the end of the day I have two creatures that love me unconditionally.