Ten Truths free essay sample

One of these ten truths is that perception greatly impacts the overall outcome of any given situation, and the other major impact is based on how you choose to respond to the way you interpret any situation. Take for example; I handed you a napkin out of kindness, and you interpret what I desired to be kindness as you being incompetent, so you get angry or frustrated at me. Your perception wasn’t accurate in that situation, and your reaction was based solely upon your interpretation; you could have miss-read the situation, but chosen to react in a more appropriate manner or fashion. The second of these ten truths is that communication plays a major role in out constantly changing world, more so than, very possibly, any other constant that exists. Look back 3,000 years ago, when only very limited, yet amazingly effective means of communication were available, like smoke signals, runners, and often beacons, placed were they could be seen from well over 100 miles away. We will write a custom essay sample on Ten Truths or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Now, jump 2,400 years into the future, about 1,400 AC, when the printing press was to be invented, producing the most astounding in knowledge that current history has ever seen, leading to the Renaissance. 600 years later, we have telephones, internet, more books than we can possibly read, more schools, for all ages and levels than we can count, and, to briefly peak at the dark side, weapons of mass destruction. None of those would be possible without communication, which seems to drive the assault on advancement with a fierce attitude and sharp mind. The third of these ten truths is that freedom plays the greatest part in development of youth, going hand in hand with love, without which we would develop into an entirely different species. Look at the differing types of humanity we have now, but focus on how some humans are considered monsters, not really a part of humanity anymore, but deemed as a separate entity or race, beyond our comprehension. In general, murderers and the likes tend to become something inhuman, but upon occasion, you’ll get someone like Gandhi, who has been deemed as almost a god by many, because he was so different. I myself have lived a life with limited freedom and love, and because of that, I am no longer human, but have become something else, not like a murderer, or like Gandhi, but something more intelligent and capable, with abilities humans can only dream of. The fourth of ten truths is that on earth, peace can only be obtained with the obliteration of the human race, they simply cant control their emotions enough to bring about world peace, or come even close, but I also know that what obstructs their path to true greatness, is also what defines them as a truly great race, in its own way. Perhaps peace is a circumstance of situation, it is certainly of perception, yet somewhere inside, no matter how deep or how hard you attempt to hide it, there is a sense, a reality, of unmatched chaos, and only those who face it at the deepest level will ever feel any true peace, both within, and without. Can humanity survive without some form of chaos, is it at all possible to achieve, I don’t believe so, in fact, I know it not to be possible, in any universe or alternate reality, because chaos is as essential to humanity as water or oxygen is, without it, we would cease to exist. At the same time, while humanity cannot survive without chaos o r oxygen and water, the may evolve into another species, very similar to what humanity is, but no longer the same, perhaps more in tune with nature and ultimate peace, or unfortunately, where they seem to be heading, farther from nature than ever, and far more chaotic. The fifth truth is that friends help to determine who you are, and who you will become in the future, because the greatest influences in your life are likely to be form friends, who can either drown you in darkness, or see you to the sun, through the night. Friends are often no chosen or picked, but found through circumstances beyond our control, and only when a bond has been formed and strengthened, you can choose to either temper it, or sever it, depending upon what you see in the other person. Most often, our friends are a reflection of ourselves, and because of that, we are generally able to give them genuine help and feedback when its needed, to help uplift us, but upon occasion, we choose a friend that reflects a negative aspect of us, and we begin a downward spiral that can only be described as a descent into hell. The last way we choose to keep our friends is by seeing something, some quality or trait, that another possesses, which you yearn to obtain, so you choose to bond with that person to be given a hope of becoming closer to that quality or trait, to be influenced by that person. The sixth of these ten truths is that writing will change you as a person, because when you write, you are able to express yourself in ways that defy spoken words or, indeed, any other form of expression, and as a result of that, writing is among the most sacred of them, keeping with it out deepest secrets and most ancient knowledge. Writing allows us to confide our deepest secrets to it, with no fear of having some form of reaction because of that secret, and we can also create a degree of such intense meaning and emotion which otherwise would be impossible to convey to anther. A further bit of uniqueness about writing is that it captures the emotion and passion put into it, leaving such beauty to be read by another, who will respond to it in their own way, and inspiration will come to them, and through that inspiration greatness will be achieved. The seventh truth is that religion creates a sense of self-worth or, to put it more accurately, a sense of reason and purpose, with which we are guided by something else, something that differs from us so much, that we can only perceive it as a presence meant to help deliver us to some unknown point in the future. What is your purpose and your reason for being on this earth, we all have one, but so few of us every discover the answer to that question, and sorrowfully even fewer of us live up to what that answer entails. To be guided like we are, constantly, and for our entire life, just to fail in our search, or never begin to seek for what we are destined to do, to become, is why we have always fallen short of true grace, why we have never lived to our fullest potential. I believe that these other being look to us to accomplish what they cannot, or prevent mistakes that they have made and regretted, and that they feel for us such a sense of sorrow and profound sadness, because we a re all broken within, no longer capable of reaching our maximum potential. The eighth truth, is that emotion shapes who we were, who we are, and who we are to become in the future, simply because every emotion is a human reaction to a situation, and our thoughts determine the way we react, so in essence, our thoughts are in direct control over our emotions, with the exception of few circumstances. If you keep your thoughts on positive things, then your emotions will slowly begin to become more uplifted, tending to be positive the majority of the time, and since your overall thoughts and feelings have become positive, your life will begin to change in positive ways, leading to who you may become, and who you have become. Keeping your outlook and feeling positive will help shape who you become, but what does it create to help you change, well, when most people are positive, they’re more willing to accept things, and they tend to keep an open mind, so they learn more than your average person, leading to more positive changes. The ninth truth is that your memories and experiences define what your subconscious mind thinks, feels, and how it reacts to any given situation, but more importantly than that, it controls every thought you are conscious of making, because every conscious thought is inter-connected is some way with the subconscious mind. The near impossibility of linking those connections, whether on an individual basis, or a basis set on a much larger scale, is rarely overcome by anyone, simply because we have extremely limited access to the pathways leading into our subconsciousness, and the few who have at least a little access to it, are those like Gandhi and Einstein. While the subconscious mind is conceived by both memories and experienced, it is far from limited by them, because your every memory and experience is just another piece to its nearly limitless playground, and inside this playground it connects things together, creating a vast amount of knowledge, unattainable to most. The tenth and final truth is that knowledge of physics will unlock doors that majority of people may never even think exist, or may never conceive of in the first place, and that through the right knowledge of physics, an unlimited, and very rarely tapped pool of knowledge will become available. The more you know about physics, the greater your possibility of unearthing a route to that unlimited knowledge becomes, and the more connections you make, using any knowledge at your disposal, will only lead to greater pathways, less limited, more direct, and invaluable to your life. Shockingly, there is a very popular theory involving this pool of knowledge, called quantum jumping, where you can jump into the mind of yourself, in a different reality, and all of the knowledge your other self had obtained will be cast into your mind, meaning that if you are an architect in another reality, that knowledge could be yours. Of these ten truths, I believe that proper knowledge of physics is the greatest, for the possibilities of the world of physics is unending, and I also believe that anything you can imagine can be explained, broken down, and then be formulated or powered to become a reality. Lets take teleportation for example, its just impossible, right, well, sorry to burst your bubble, but its not all that hard to do, just take a quantum computer and scan your entire body for every genetic code and make up, then send the information to another quantum computer, where quantum powered machine re-constructs the code it reads and re-makes you. Pretty basic, right, well, that’s the beauty of physics, it can be put into basic and simple terms, yet explain some of the most difficult things that exist at the some time, and because it can explain things like that, it is, to me, the ultimate truth, the truth of all truths.

Free Essays on Symbolism And “the Yellow Wallpaper“

In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, symbolism plays a large factor. The narrator uses the wallpaper in her room to represent herself. In the story the woman is suffering from Post-Pardom Depression following the birth of her son. Her husband, John, is a doctor and he feels that nothing is wrong with her. He brings her to an old house in the country and prescribes that she do hardly anything but rest. The narrator loves to write, but this enjoyable task is forbidden to her by her husband. John does nothing short of confining the narrator to an upstairs nursery that has been transformed into a bedroom. The narrator complains adamantly about the wallpaper in the room. John refuses to change the paper, citing that it only fuels her condition by giving into the fancies in her head. Upon being forced to contend with this paper the narrator begins to study it. She finds the pattern to be very askewer. At first she hates it because it lacks definition and is, in her eyes, an horrid yellow color. As time goes on she begins to depend on the wallpaper to, in essence, keep her sanity. The wallpaper symbolizes this woman’s mind. As the pattern jumps all over the wall, the woman’s mind jumps in all directions. Towards the end of the story the narrator recognizes a woman trapped behind the paper. This represents herself. With her prescription of constant rest, the woman is simply trapped within her own mind. She is torn with wanting to feel better, and obeying her husbands orders. The narrator finally sees the woman behind the paper shaking it and creeping around. This symbolizes the narrator’s internal fight. She wants out of the confines of her own mind and situation. At the end of the story the narrator tears down the paper and creeps around on the floor. This is the most powerful symbol in the story. By tearing down the paper, the woman has finally broken free of her confines. She... Free Essays on Symbolism And â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaperâ€Å" Free Essays on Symbolism And â€Å"the Yellow Wallpaperâ€Å" In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, symbolism plays a large factor. The narrator uses the wallpaper in her room to represent herself. In the story the woman is suffering from Post-Pardom Depression following the birth of her son. Her husband, John, is a doctor and he feels that nothing is wrong with her. He brings her to an old house in the country and prescribes that she do hardly anything but rest. The narrator loves to write, but this enjoyable task is forbidden to her by her husband. John does nothing short of confining the narrator to an upstairs nursery that has been transformed into a bedroom. The narrator complains adamantly about the wallpaper in the room. John refuses to change the paper, citing that it only fuels her condition by giving into the fancies in her head. Upon being forced to contend with this paper the narrator begins to study it. She finds the pattern to be very askewer. At first she hates it because it lacks definition and is, in her eyes, an horrid yellow color. As time goes on she begins to depend on the wallpaper to, in essence, keep her sanity. The wallpaper symbolizes this woman’s mind. As the pattern jumps all over the wall, the woman’s mind jumps in all directions. Towards the end of the story the narrator recognizes a woman trapped behind the paper. This represents herself. With her prescription of constant rest, the woman is simply trapped within her own mind. She is torn with wanting to feel better, and obeying her husbands orders. The narrator finally sees the woman behind the paper shaking it and creeping around. This symbolizes the narrator’s internal fight. She wants out of the confines of her own mind and situation. At the end of the story the narrator tears down the paper and creeps around on the floor. This is the most powerful symbol in the story. By tearing down the paper, the woman has finally broken free of her confines. She...

Writing the Past BCâ€AD or BCEâ€CE - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Writing the Past BC–AD or BCE–CE Writing the Past: BC–AD or BCE–CE? History is big. Very big. This is why we have the terms â€Å"BC† and â€Å"AD,† as well as â€Å"BCE† and â€Å"CE,† which help us keep track of what happened when. But how exactly do these terms work? And which of BC–AD or BCE–CE should you use in your written work? Let’s find out! BC and AD The Bede being venerable. BC stands for â€Å"before Christ.† AD is short for the Latin term â€Å"anno Domini,† which means â€Å"in the year of the Lord.† They came into use thanks to two monks: Dionysius Exiguus (who coined the term â€Å"anno Domini†) and the Venerable Bede (who popularized it). They were originally invented to calculate the correct date of Easter, with AD 1 being the first year after Jesus was born. Today, historians use these terms to denote dates before (BC) and after (AD) the start of the Gregorian calendar, which is the calendar we still use today! The correct positioning for each of these terms is different. BC goes after the date: Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BC. But AD goes before the date: The Woodland period continued until around AD 1,000. Keep in mind that BC involves counting backwards from 1 (so 44 BC is 44 years before 1 BC), while AD involves counting forwards (so AD 1,000 is 1,000 years after AD 1). BCE and CE BCE stands for â€Å"before common era.† CE stands for â€Å"common era.† What is the common era? It’s exactly the same as the time period covered by AD! It therefore includes everything since the start of the Gregorian calendar, whereas BCE covers everything before then. These terms, then, work in exactly the same way as BC and AD. They were simply designed as a secular alternative. In practice, the only difference is that both go after the date: Julius Caesar was killed in 44 BCE. The Woodland period continued until around 1,000 CE. This does at least make it easier to remember the positioning for each term! Which Is Correct? Both! Sorry, not a very helpful answer, but it is true. As explained above, they work in essentially the same way, so the choice between them is largely a matter of preference. You may want to check your style guide if you have one available, since some colleges and publishers prefer one system over the other. And BCE–CE is sometimes considered more modern. If we had to choose, we’d say that BCE–CE is better because the positioning is simpler. But ultimately, it is up to you! The important thing is to pick one system and use it consistently throughout your document. Having your work proofread will make sure this is the case.

Appraise the Lean Canvas as a model for start-up businesses. Provide Assignment

Appraise the Lean Canvas as a model for start-up businesses. Provide judgments and interpretations for each element of the model - Assignment Example Here the idea is not to make a perfect business plan, because a perfect plan is a myth. Most of the companies’ make an initial business plan which changes as one grows. Perfection is not the goal. The idea is to prepare a business plan and start a business with the available resources at hand. In this study we will take a start-up of a manufacturing company like a car manufacturing company named Drizzler which will cater to Indian market. Drizzler will import most of its part from outside India and assemble in India. Discussion Customer Segment Possible Customer List of this start-up is anyone who wants to buy a car to use it. But being a start-up business will cater to middle income level families. In India the middle Income population is rising and their income level is also rising (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2013, p. 123). India being a developing country, its GDP is growing at a healthy rate as compared to the western developed economies. Hence the needs of the middle income families are also rising day by day. They demand products which were previously used by Upper level people. Drizzler will cater to such customers (Ramaswamy and Namakumari, 2009, p. 234). Value Proposition For a middle income family those who want to buy a car, they are driven mainly by desire to own a car. Drizzler will create a value for the segment by manufacturing car which will not be priced too high and having features which will meet the expectation of regular people. Hence if it can satisfy the need for safety, and the esteem needs, then it will cater to the need of average household (Nielsen and Lund, 2012, p. 52). The most important customer segment is the middle income households who wants a bike but can afford a car. It should cater to such families who want to drive car and have a feeling to owning a car and make it their first family car. This car will give them durability and safety which they seek (Kaplan, 2012, p. 42). It is another factor considered important to m iddle income families. Hence they should give a mileage of about 20-25 km/litre. The seating capacity should be for 5 persons with maximum speed of 200 km/hour. Channels The car will be sold through independent sales channel all over India. Such sales channel includes retail dealers present throughout India. Nowadays in India there has been a trend of increasing sales of car in the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It indicates that they must have their presence of distribution channel in those cities. They will sell their products through retail dealers. They must use the advertisement which shows the value proposition it will deliver to the customers (Dent, 2011, p. 141). Through mediums like TV, newspaper, auto magazines and shows on car, it will help them drive their value proposition to the clients. They must also maintain a website which will clearly state the features and the local dealer present. Customer relationships The key to any business is the ability to know what the customer s want. Drizzler will maintain a strong and fast customer relationship programs. Drizzler will run a customer loyalty program. Drizzler will use a magnetic card for anyone who buys the product. When a customer buys a car, he gets points. When the magnetic card is swiped, then the representatives of

Lowering the drinking age Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Lowering the drinking age - Essay Example This essay establishes varied approaches that depict the merits and demerits of lowering the drinking age. Researchers establish that the American youths should gain access to drinking after attaining the majority age of eighteen having the ability to distinguish the good from the bad accordingly. The reason established is that the constraints in prevalence over drinking remains ineffective as the youths would access alcohol by practicing other uncensored alternatives. For example, the youth were adapting to distinct approaches to the habit, through organizing parties as the best alternatives to drinking. The reason behind the resolution into beer parties is a deviant from the authorities that controlled the drinking points. Further, the youth below the drinking age remain vulnerable to unhealthy drinking practices as much as they practiced it in isolation (Toomey, Nelson, and Lenk, 2009). The behavior is predominantly possessive, and the authorities should ease the stringent measures over the drinking age. Arguments are that the importance of allowing teenagers into alcoholism through reducing the limit to the age of eighteen (Rigler, 2000). The controversy is that, the government stands accused on the measures on drinking, stipulating that the measures have indirectly stimulated indulgence into the habit, rather than reducing. There is likeliness that the youths continually indulge into drinking, a factor propelled by the urge to experience different dimensions that seem attractive although restricted by the law (Smith, 1995). Different findings establish that because of the perceived oppression following the sanctioned drinking age of 18 years, the youth continually indulge into the habit as it is common that humans are defiant to change and will react accordingly. Evidence depicts that the youth are curious on attaining the drinking age of twenty-one, and with an

Etrade Baby Essay Example for Free

Etrade Baby Essay A Talking Infant, Financial Systems, Golf What do a talking baby, stock markets, and golf all have in common? Nothing, right? Wrong. E*Trade – a popular public online financial services group – uses all three of these entities to create a commercial that has had people talking for years. When the commercial is over, you are left in shock at what you just saw, a baby in a high-chair talking about the stock market. But will the ad’s weirdness produce sales of the company’s program for years to come as well? Or just make it a highly talked about YouTube video? To the contrary, E*Trade does a professional job in conveying its message of simplicity to â€Å"average Joes† who are looking to either become day traders, start a retirement fund, or even banking. E*Trade’s main audience is not a person with a net worth or five million dollars. E*Trade is looking to sell their product to â€Å"average joe† type clients. It can be assumed this because E*Trade uses the financial term â€Å"401k† in their commercial; this is the most popular tax investment form everyone has. The main character of the commercial is â€Å"The E*Trade Baby,† but there’s a catch, the baby speaks with a mature older man’s voice. This adds a sense of weirdness to the commercial right off the bat. One may question the validity of a company whose commercials star a talking baby, but this is a clever marketing approach because if people see a talking baby, something they don’t see every day, they will immediately become engaged in the commercial. E*Trade uses a baby as a symbol for inexperience, simplicity and an older man’s voice for knowledge. E*Trade wants to show the audience that if a baby can you use the program, so can the audience. They also want to show knowledge, that E*Trade is a reliable and trusted company, so they use the voice of an older man to portray legitimacy. E*Trade wants to declare that â€Å"Yes, this is a legit company and yes, we’re simple to use,† so a talking baby fits in perfectly to both categories. Just like the Old Spice commercials talked about in class, the E*Trade Baby ads have many spinoffs with numerous situations the baby is in. The commercial I am focusing on is set in a golf country club locker room. The ad starts off with the baby talking to a man named Frank. The baby says â€Å"Ah, this is weak, man. Frank’s trying to not pay me my winnings for the skins beat down I just issued him. † The baby has now caught the attention of the audience with this opening line because people are drawn into the weirdness of a talking baby in the commercial. Now when he starts to talk about finance and what the company actually does, viewers will be already engaged. Not only does the talking baby raise questions that attract us to this ad, but there are many other. For instance, why is a baby playing golf with old man? And why is there a computer in the locker room of a country golf club? All All these questions have no answers but it draws us into the commercial and makes us connected to it, hopefully throughout the commercial we will find answers to these questions, but in this case we do not. E*Trade’s goal is to get a lot of publicity and attention with their commercials while providing us with the smallest amount of information. This is because E*Trade wants people to inquire about the company and have them visit E*Trade’s website us. etrade. com. Once on the website, people will be impressed by the fancy website that proves it is a legitimate company, and lured into signing up for an account The baby says â€Å"His (Frank) 401k’s tankin. Ya gotta grab the reins man. Get E*Trade, do some analytics, do some research (into the stock market), and take charge so I don’t have to subsidize your lack of skills. † There’s actually a lot of information about the company and its message all in that little saying. The E*Trade baby uses a clever balance a financial terms and jokes to put the viewer in an informal setting while talking about a big decision a person must make. E*Trade is not an elite company for only the â€Å"one-percenters† to use. E*Trade’s goal is to get skilled and novice users with just a little amount of money to open an accountant. Using the term 401k is strategically brilliant because everyone who works for a company most likely has one. E*Trade could have used any tax form number, but chose the most popular one to relate to the most people and with the current economy, it’s probably on the minds of most people right now. When the baby says, â€Å"Do some analytics, do some research, and take charge,† he is describing the job of the novice investor. The baby is now describing that when using the E*Trade software, you are able to look at analytical charts and graphs, read news articles and research about potential stock purchases and basically to take charge of your life. E*Trade does not buy and sell stock for you; you have to do it yourself. You are in control of the future and E*Trade presents the question â€Å"What are you going to do to prepare yourself for it? † It’s hard to tell whom is the exact audience E*Trade is trying to promote itself to, but assumptions can be made. Since it is a golf setting in a country club, they are focusing on males anywhere from 20s to 60s (the general range of persons with a 401k). E*Trade did a good job picking a wide range of ages with this advertisement, which is what makes it such a good ad! Since the ad is set in a country club locker room, E*Trade is also advertising to a certain class of people I believe: well educated men who know a think about finance and who play golf. Golf is an expensive sport. I think if you have money to play golf you would be interested and would know the benefits of investing. But are they also advertising to a whole inclusive audience with a cute baby to grab the attentions of mothers and grandmothers? Only the directions and producers know that answer. You can have a good commercial, the best commercial ever known to man. But if you don’t have the right exposure no one will see it. E*Trade played this commercial before and after Superbowl XLII on February 1, 2009. Back to what was said before on the age of the audience, 20s to 60s. That basically sums up the audience of the Superbowl as well; perfect. E*Trade picked the most opportune time to run this commercial and not only reaches its projected audience, but all 90 some odd million people that tune in each year to watch the game, and the commercials. Another part of the commercial that is important to take into consideration is the point of view in which we view the commercial. Since the program E*Trade is used on a computer, the great minds behind this commercial put the camera where a usually webcam should be. This is to provide a visual of where the user of E*Trade’s product will be using the product. This is brilliant because now we see the baby sitting in a chair in front of the computer using a keyboard and a mouse, in the same spot where we would use the program was well. The E*Trade Baby Commercial is trying to sell to their audience a financial services program available to download on the computer. E*Trade does a good job in getting the attention of its viewer and making a hard subject of finance fun and entertaining. E*Trade describes everything that their company’s mission statement says that they are, â€Å"A financial services ompany that is simple to use. Designed with the user in mind. † There is no doubt in my mind that this commercial will go down as a classic and will have people talking about the â€Å"E*Trade baby† for years to come. To respond to the question previously stated in the beginning of this paper. Even though this commercial will be popular for years to come, will the ad produce sales of the company’s program for years to c ome as well? It turns out, no. When a person is looking to invest in money, they normally look for a company that is well-reputable and well-respected. Humor is no doubt, un-debatable, a marketing tool to grab the attention of a viewer, but humor in advertising is very hard to pull off because you simply never know what people will laugh out. Some think it funny, others think it’s not. In order for a commercial to use humor, the company should be trying to sell humor. Clearly E*Trade does not sell humor.. Instead of a talking baby to grab the audience’s attention and provide a laugh, E*Trade should create a well-informative commercial that captures the audience’s attention and show how one can benefit from using E*Trade.

The Sea Goddess Bard :: Short Story Stories Essays

The Sea Goddess' Bard The sun had just climbed above the rock columns and wave beaten, natural arch that formed the eastern wall of the bay; a sheer rock cliff rimmed the western border. The late summer off-season was finally nearing its end and the raging surf was beginning to tame. The waters were still too rough for fishing, but Kiauch had his skiff out in the center of his father's sheltered bay. "I don't know, Rajath." Kethral shook his head as he watched his willful, eldest son maneuver the skiff across the bay. The young minotaur's dark form showed up clearly against the white of the spritsail even at this distance. "Kiauch worries me." "He's well away from the stacks and arch. As long as he doesn't go beyond the headland, he should be fine," Rajath reassured his brother. "No!" Kethral snapped, "I mean all that bard nonsense." "Oh." Seen separately, one could easily mistake one brother for the other. Both had the same golden brown coat, but where Kethral was square built and powerful, Rajath had a sensitive, slender grace. "Ever since that storm on his initial voyage all he talks about is becoming a bard. A bard of all things! Before then he couldn't wait to be a fisher." "Having a ship snap in two under your feet is enough to unnerve anyone," Rajath pointed out as Sekra, his bride of less than two months joined them on their vigil. "Give Kiauch time. He'll come around." "He'd better," the elder Os'Liath grumbled. Long ago, he had promised his first born to Vestiya, and the Lady of the Sea had no tolerance for oath breakers. Sekra smiled as she watched her nephew. Being new to the family, she saw what the others seemed to overlook. Despite their outward differences, her brother-in-law and his son were practically identical. Once either one of them got an idea in his head there was no dissuading him. Sekra very much doubted that Kiauch ever would 'come around.' Sekra gasped as a great wave buffeted her nephew's skiff. "I don't know," she said as Kiauch nosed into it and, aside from a good dousing, managed to keep his boat afloat. "Look at the way he's sporting on the waves; that doesn't look like fear to me." "Hmm," Kethral rumbled deep in his throat. "Ah, Sekra's right. Kiauch is no more afraid of the sea than he is of breathing.

The Environmental impact of tourism is always harmful – Discuss

As demands for tourism and recreation increases for example due to an aging but active population , new interest in nations heritage and people seeking quiet environments so too will their impact on other socio economic structures in society, tourist environments and wildlife habitats. In Bali, Kenya and the lake District much of the early development was uncontrolled and badly planned. Development was driven by the momentum for growth and the developers desires for fast profits, without any thought being given to the future. These areas which are shaped by the forces of nature are now under threat, if not in the process of being physically damaged and destroyed. In Kenya tourism is mainly Safari and Beach orientated. The wildlife related tourism brought an increased amount of visitors into Kenya through the 1990s, boosting the LEDCs economy. However many of the areas that are most valuable to the tourist trade are the wildlife filled parks that have been inhabited by people like the Masai for hundreds of years. Tourism has been environmentally harmful here where the sheer number of visitors and amount of Safari traffic is seriously damaging the vegetation cover and the vehicles are causing soil erosion. Also the increase in tourism has meant an increase in the long haul travel which is now seriously contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Problems created are going to be more severe in the ELDW than in the EMDW . Many of the tourist souvenirs are made by the locals are made of ebony and the trees are cut down faster than replaced. However tourism has not always been harmful to the environment and can benefit an area where the marine life has been re appraised and is beginning to be viewed as valuable. Like the marine park at Watamu off the coast of Milindi which was set up to preserve the coral reefs and to provide an additional visitor attraction. Not only has tourism brought environmental impacts that are harmful to Kenya, it has brought economic impacts that are harmful. At least 40% of tourist revenue is leaked outside to airlines and travel companies. You can read also Waves The result of beach tourism has caused a rapid increase of land prices along the coast, well beyond the purchasing power of local African farmers. The improvements in infrastructure has also contributed to land price inflation and encouraged further speculative hotel buildings on what was good agricultural land. I don't agree though that the impact is always harmful as the locals have benefited from these improvements in infrastructure. Furthermore tourism had overtaken coffee on Kenya's major export earner: it equalled 43% of export earning in 1990. Additionally tourism was an employer in both the formal and informal sector. In Bali the environmental impact of tourism has nearly always been harmful. The number of tourists visiting Bali was fairly low until the late sixties when the numbers dramatically increased. This was due to the governments five year plan to encourage tourism to the area. The growth in tourism caused harmful environmental impacts . Raw sewage was dumped into the sea as the infrastructure cannot cope with tourists. This damages the reefs. The wake from motor boats also destroys the coral as does the actions of those trying to collect it to sell to tourists. Once damaged there is nothing stop the waves hitting the beach directly, resulting in beach erosion that threatens coconut plantations, farmland and land on which hotels are built. Tourism in Bali has led to threat of extinction of numerous breeds of turtle whose eggs are now collected as a delicacy from tourists and the bodies of which as stuffed or made into trinkets. On the other hand this led to the environmental benefit of the convention on international trade in endangered species forcing the Indonesian government to tighten their controls on the treatment of animals. As the number of tourists increases so does infrastructure of roads , electricity mains, water, airports and car parks being created. Though its association with pollution has been a problem. The main beach in Bali Kuta has been spoiled. There is severe beach erosion of up to 2cm a year and the combat the litter problem people are employed to bury the rubbish each morning. Tourism also brought violent crime which was unknown to Bali before 1979, drug dealing , prostitution and theft increased. However in Bali a marine park of Bunaken off N Sula west was set up because of tourism. As the potential impact of tourism on the natural environment was recognised, suitable conservation projects were set up. Even though the environmental impact of tourism was harmful, I brought many economic benefits. Many new jobs were created especially in hotels, travel agencies and the craft and entertainment industries e. g. 7000 applicants for 400 jobs at the new Bali-Hyat hotel. There is a revival of some traditional arts and crafts aimed at the tourist market wood carvers, jewellery making, weaving, Batik. Also Balinese dancers now come to the larger hotels to perform for guests when originally the tourists would have had to go into the villages to see them. Again there have been economic costs where many of the economic benefits have not been evenly spread. Resorts in the South have benefited whilst those in the North east have not. This has lead to conflict between the two areas over the distribution of tourist receipts. At village level much of the money from tourism in being spent on schools, cultural improvements, temple maintenance. However increasingly the money is being spent on imported goods, which don't benefit the island economy. Land prices have increased between 1969 and 1970 by 40% in tourist areas this was 120%. In resort areas previously agricultural land use was for growing food for the islanders was sold off to resorts offering to pay hundreds of times the price it would fetch on agricultural land. To prevent the impact of tourism from being harmful again measures were taken by locals. Boards were put up on gates and walls warning tourists that certain ceremonies were private. Trees were planted and flowers. A restaurant association was established and elected its own leader. This was followed by the art shop, guest houses and bus drivers and dancer troupes. A map of the village was published by the organisation with full explanation of how to behave in the village an example of greater control by indigenous population. In the Lake District which is an MEDW, I don't agree the environmental impact is almost always harmful. The lake district is one of the UKs national parks which has two purposes to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the lake district, was well to promote opportunities for understanding and enjoyment of special qualities of the national park and a duty to foster the economic and social well being of local communities within the park. These aims inevitably create conflicts of interest either between local people and visitors because users and uses cannot easily be easily restricted to certain areas of zoning. Footpath erosion is a widespread environmental impact and clear sign of visitor pressure. It is caused by people not sticking to the footpath because they don't want to or it is flooded or poor management. The other causes of footpath erosion climate due to heavy rain, strong winds and frost. The type of vegetation as mat grass, bents and fesules resist trampling best, the aspect, erosion is more likely to happen on slopes less than 18 and the pressure of use. However it is not always harmful as management strategies have been introduced which direct visitors along alternative routes: repair and maintain through drainage by placing small drainage channels along the path side so that rainwater is channelled away more quickly. They can construct the path using techniques such as pitching which is sinking stones into the path so that only the tops show to give a hard surface. Also matting can be used stabilizing the path over boggy ground. Furthermore the path can be repaired using methods such as levelling off the scar and the banks on its sides. Re seeding the grass with mat grass and fescues which better resist the effects of trampling. In the lake district the environmental impact is not always harmful as LDNPA ensures tourism is sustained and managed. To prevent congestion on the roads and air pollution. Roads are closed to traffic in tourist season and weekends. Tourists encouraged to ‘walk in and walk out' i. e. not using cars. Also to preserve the environment and to make the environmental impact less harmful they have a concentration of high visitor densities with a small number of honey pots with high carrying capacity such as Windermere. At the other extreme there are natural lakes on which no use of the water surface is allowed e. g. wast water. These are managed at low carrying capacities to give low density, quiet, leisure experiences. In such areas negative planning controls are used to restrict accessibility and hence control numbers of visitors. E. g. not upgrading the narrow winding roads over the passes from honey pots and not providing more parking spacing. The make the environmental impact less harmful. On top of this again to make the impact of tourism less harmful the LSNPA is the Development control or planning authority for the whole lake district. It must approve all new buildings/ changes to buildings or land use. Tries to protects the area from development out of character with the landscape . It does not stop all developments and must allow change to develop in response to peoples needs as long as the doesn't damage the qualities and character of the national park. Overall it would seem that in that tourism in the LEDW has had an adverse impact on the environment, degrading the resources on which it depends. The damage was from the overuse and misuse of resources together with poor management and planning. However in the MEDW in the lake district they have been able to sustain the environment and tourism by balancing the economic growth with conservation of the environment.

The local ringgit currency(RM)

The local ringgit currency(RM) convert between RM3. 50 to RM4 to foreigners especially U. S dollar. So the cost of living is cheap by American standards. Which attract foreigners to come to our country for holidays. Others convenience facilities include 1. credit card facilities 2. Money changer 3. local and international banks HSBC,CITIBANK, MAYBANK Transportation Malaysia is served by an excellent transport system. Once you are in the country there is always transport available to you to even remote areas. Traveling by road in peninsula Malaysia is popular as it has well- developed network of roads. BY AIR Malaysia offers discount airline such as Air Asia offering cheap flights. Which enables people to travel worldwide. BY ROAD 1. Buses are inexpensive way to travel in Malaysia, bus routes within towns and cities typically charge fares according to the distance covered. 2. Taxi such as Public cab are available 24hours a day to provide transportation convenient to tourist that come for holiday in Malaysia. BY RAIL 1. It is possible to travel by rail within and to Peninsular Malaysia via Thailand and from Singapore. Malayan Railways or Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTM) connects all major towns in the Peninsular. First, Second or Economy Class air-conditioned coaches are available. 2. The northbound Ekspres Langkawi departs nightly from Kuala Lumpur to Arau in Kedah. Arriving in the morning, it then proceeds to Hatyai, Thailand before returning back to Arau in the evening. 3. Senandung Malam is a KL-Butterworth-KL and KL-Singapore-KL sectional nightly service. Sleeping berths are provided in the first and second class coaches. BY SEA. There are several ports of entry in Malaysia, namely Penang, Port Klang, Kuantan, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Coastal ferries sail frequently between Penang and Butterworth, carrying both passengers as well as vehicles from the mainland to the island. Apart from that, there are many ferry/ boat services available for mainland-to-island and island-to-island travel around the country. Nature Malaysia welcomes you with a range of surprises. A tourist visiting this country is never disappointed as the person gets more than expected out of the place. From pristine beaches to intriguing rainforests, Malaysia has it all for you. Cameron Highlands As one of the most visited holiday destinations in Malaysia, Cameron Highlands are known for their natural beauty. This is a hill station that was developed by Britishers in the year 1920s. The place shelters a huge cosmopolitan population comprising Indians, Chinese, other ethnic groups and Malays. Cameron Highlands are known to be a home for waterfalls, extensive forests and trails that lead to these features and others. The destination is also a seta for tea factories. Visitors enjoy being a part of the tea factory trips through the Cameron Highlands. Pulau Tioman Pulau Tioman lies to the eastern coast of Malaysia. This island was rated to be the most beautiful islands in the year 1970 by the TIME magazine. The island is known to represent the paradise with its natural beauty. Pulau Tioman has white coral reefs contrasted with dense forests in the interiors. The months of November till February see a lot of crowd in this part of Malaysia though, the island is deserted for the rest of the year. Perhentian Islands Lying close to the Thai border and towards the northeastern coasts of Malaysia, Perhentian Islands are preferred family holiday destination in the country. The Islands are known for its spectacular beaches that promise to gift you an affordable vacation. The white sandy shores contrasted with the turquoise blue sea forms quite a treat for beach lovers and holiday makers in this part of the country. The Island mainly consists of two islands namely, Perhentian Kecil and Perhentian Besar

Palo Mayombe

Palo Mayombe Introduction Palo Mayombe is a Congo-inspired cult, which is one of the variant forms of Reglas de Congo religious cults, widely practiced in Havana, Cuba. It has its origins in the Bantu of Congo in Central Africa and encompasses many Congo religious cults including the Biyumba, Vrillumba, and Regla Conga.Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Palo Mayombe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Bantu/Congo religious practices reflect the sorcery/magical aspects common in many African beliefs, as well as the magical healing practices. The word â€Å"Palo† means the branches or sticks obtained from the forest (el monte), which are used in making sacred objects (nganga) for magical spells. Often, the practitioners of Palo (paleros) use corpses and herbs to cast evil spells when practicing black magic (Verger, 1984, p. 176). Essentially, Palo is a specialized cult involving the dead with emphasis on evil pacts with the dead, normally made at a graveyard, alongside the nganga. A distinctive iron cauldron houses the nganga alongside other ritual objects such as sticks and bones, which give it magical powers. The practice of involving the dead by the Palo experts makes them mightily feared and regarded as dangerous. In Cuba, the Palo practices are widespread are known to steal corpses for use in the magic ngangas. In the colonial era, the Africans themselves used sorcery to their advantage, as the whites in power considerably feared sorcery. The Palo uses the same magic rites, which have earned them the name, â€Å"the dark side of Santeria† that encompasses all Congo-based cults including the Regla de Ocha (Brown, 2003, p. 117). The presence of Congo in Cuba began since the colonial times in the eighteenth century comprising of majority Reglas de Congo and the Reglas Lacumi. The Reglas de Congo settled mostly in the eastern Cuba in places such as Guantnamo and Santiago de Cuba. The Congo ritu al influence has since spread in most parts of the island characterized by chanting and sacred songs. Because of the harm the objects of Palo works (obras, trabajos) have, Palo witchcraft is widely feared in Cuba. The Palo witchcraft involves working with the dead and involvement of the dead in their witchcraft practices.Advertising Looking for thesis on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Origins of Palo Mayombe Palo Mayombe is specifically Congo-inspired different from the West African derived Santo also called Lacumi or Ocha in Havana. Its presence in Cuba can be traced from the Central African slaves in Cuba under the Cuban colonialism. The emergence of Palo dates back to the late seventeenth century and the early eighteenth century, as a cauldron of many Congo-derived cults (Clark, 2005, p. 233). During this period, the cults had healing rites treating people under the name â€Å"ngoma†. M ost notable were the Lemba healing society, who prior to spreading to Cuba occupied the banks of Congo River in the early seventeenth century. Due to contact with the Portuguese during the slave trade, the lemba gained entry into the Americas to inspire many religions. Another Congo-derived sacred society that made passage into Cuba resulting into the birth of the Palo was the Nkita. The Nkita people were among the Congo people who lived at the lower banks of the Congo River in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and they experienced much social disruption resulting from the slave trade. In the initiation into the Nkita healing society, the Nkita affiliated its members with the ancestors, who they believed possessed the ultimate authority over them (Brown, 2003, p. 120). In Palo, the names â€Å"lemba†, â€Å"nkita† and â€Å"ngoma† are common in their sacred speech. In1725-1875 as more people from Central Africa arrived in Cuba, they brought many cultures and cultic practices, which were primarily nurtured in Havana (Brown, 2003, p. 118). The lemba and Nkita were among the Central African inspirations that struggled against one another in seeking followers mainly from people burdened by enslavement. As the slavery and Spanish occupation in Cuba ended in the twentieth century, the two inspirations emerged as the Palo, which in Havana refers to â€Å"Regla de Congo† translated as â€Å"Kongo Rule† (Bockie, 1993, p. 72). The Regla de Congo or Kong law subsequently formed a â€Å"Palo society†, a powerful social society that spreads fear due to its involvement of the dead in its witchcraft practices. The Palo society comprises of four main branches or â€Å"ramas† in Havana. Each of these branches has distinct practices musically, linguistically and ritually compared to another. The branches include â€Å"Palo Kimbisa†, â€Å"Palo Monte†, â€Å"Palo Mayombe† and â€Å"Palo Briyumba† . However, in the countryside, and throughout Cuba, the Kongo inspirations take different names and engage in diverse forms of religious practices (Brown, 1998, p. 307).Advertising We will write a custom thesis sample on Palo Mayombe specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The â€Å"Palo Mayombe† just like the â€Å"Palo Briyumba† and â€Å"Palo Monte† are Havana-based and proliferates into various communities and practitioners’ temple houses. Palo literally means stick derived from the mango tree or â€Å"un palo de mango† (a stick of the mango tree) (Bockie, 1993, p. 82). The use of â€Å"Palo† to mean Kongo-Cuban religious practices reflects the power associated with the Kongo-Cuban magic objects. The branches of powerful trees or the â€Å"Palo† make up the â€Å"prendas†, which are the objects used for witchcraft for healing or harming others. The sticks (Palo) are symbolic of the sticks used to kindle fires to destroy one’s enemies (Bockie, 1993, p. 87). The Palo Mayombe Practices and the Dead Palo Mayombe essentially involves the practice of working with the dead. Its adherents are believed to communicate directly with the dead (Brown, 1998, p. 293). During initiations into the cult, the individuals must possess a â€Å"sense of wandering† with the dead spirits in order to understand the prendas and the practice of harming or healing of the Palo Mayombe. The Palo Mayombe craft involves stories, specified songs, and recollections that are held in consciousness and serve as a mode of visceral apprehension of the dead in the body of the living. Their definition of the dead involves the visceral affirmation felt in the bodies of living and the surrounding world. Thus, the Palo invokes the dead or certain aspects of the dead in all their teaching and crafts. The dead could be a deceased sibling, a parent or unknown number of the dead (Kalunga el m uerto) that spread fear to many people (Moore, 1997, p. 30). The dead make up the word of ancestors that come back to fill the minds of the practitioners with scary imaginations. The practitioners use bones or blood exhumed from graves of the dead that saturates the imaginations of the living and thus attributing to the presence of the dead among the living. The Cuban-Kongo dead comprise one of the aspects of the Palo’s dead forming an unknown mass of the dead, (â€Å"Kulunga el muerto†), which proliferates to form a dominant entity. The aspects of the dead that echo in the minds of the living first arise from the Kalunga before apprehension by the sensing living body (Brown, 1998, p. 327).Advertising Looking for thesis on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Kalunga el muerto comprise of many dead that could exist forming an indistinguishable mass that spread fear among the living. During the initiation of a new individual into the Palo Mayombe, a Palero priest baptizes the person into the secrets and mysteries of the Palo Mayombe. A palero priest serves to protect and serve the community. The Palero priest bears the light in the darkness that attracts the blessings of the evil spirits (Brandon, 1991, p. 57). However, in death, God, the Olodumare, extinguishes the Palero priest, who then becomes elevated to a spiritual guide for the darkness. The Palo Mayombe Initiation Ceremonies Any individual wishing to join Palo Mayombe must consult a Palero priest who, through the direct contact with the spirit world, will inform the person if he/she can practice Palo Mayombe. Often, rejection occurs because Palo Mayombe may not be part of the person’s destiny or spiritual path. Rejection can also arise of an individual lacks the capacit y to handle the responsibilities of the Palo Mayombe as a Palero priest. The initiation marks the first step in the Palo Mayombe practice and the involvement of the dead in their craft (Cervantes, 1994, p. 119). Upon initiation, an individual enters into the expansive spirit world of the Palo Mayombe. One of the spirits is the Zibranda that means a divine messenger and facilitate direct communication between humankind and the spirits. The spiritual cauldron for Zibranda spirit contains holy water, human bones from the dead, sticks among others. An individual initiated into Palo Mayombe collects these items at given times, over a seven-day initiation period under the supervision of the Palero priest, to construct a person’s spiritual zibranda. Another initiation ceremony is the Madre De La Luna, which simply means the â€Å"witch of the night† or the goddess of the moon. This initiation ceremony for Madre de la luna occurs in a field at night when there is a full moon. It is prevalent among the Mexican witches. The individual being initiated receives a knife that contains power for casting love spells. The knife is a source of power for any individual initiated into the mysteries of Madre de la Luna. The spiritual cauldron for Madre de la Luna consists of crystal beads of quartz and a crystal skull (Bueno, 2000, p. 154). For Madre de Agua, another powerful spirit in Palo Mayombe, the initiation ceremony occurs inside a Santeria Sopera. The Madre de Agua is particularly feared for its power and magic for strong love and money. It also serves as powerful magic in other magical works. The spiritual cauldron for the Madre de Agua comprises of two clear beads, a coral bead, and seven multicolored beads. In contrast, the La Santisima Piedra Iman spirit primarily serves to attract wealth and money among businesspersons in Latin America. Its spiritual cauldron consists of green and black beads. The Mama Chola spirit is a powerful female spirit for casting spells of fertility and love as one of the practices of Palo Mayombe. The last ceremony that an individual can be initiated to in Palo Mayombe is the Francisco de loss Siete Rayos translated as â€Å"Francisco of the seven rays† (Bueno, 2000, p. 156). It is among the ancient traditional ceremonies of the Palo Mayombe. The secrets and its rules involve a spirit contained in an iron cauldron or a bowl. This spirit rules the four winds among the Palo Mayombe religious practices. The Power and the Practice of the Ngangas The sacred objects or ngangas serves to cast magical spells and usually involves communal ritual participation. The participation in the communal nganga rituals may be large especially during initiation ceremonies. The Palo Mayombe healing more often involves attacking the enemy or threatening them while promising prosperity in the lives of the afflicted. The harming or healing is achieved using prendas that bear the force of spirits of a kalunga el muerta or ma ss of the dead. The forms of attack often involve an attack by ruinous storms, hunting cats, birds of prey or bulls (Brandon, 1991, p. 59). The involvement of the dead, (kalunga el muerta), assures the keeper of protection through his/her prenda while taking advantage of the immediacy they have with the dead to attack the â€Å"unprotected lives† they target. They travel with the waves of the dead and repeatedly attack the life they want to destroy until it is carried away with the dead. The Palo Mayombe can make the nganga in various forms with different appearances managed by the paleros. While the rituals of the Palo Mayombe are shrouded with mystery, the nganga reflects the spiritual meanings in the physical world. Although every Palero can keep his or her spirits in ngangas or an outside house, most spirits of Palo Mayombe reside in a special house for the dead (La Casa de Los Muertos). Any spiritual guide cannot keep the spirits because they are so powerful and fierce ( Brandon, 1991, p. 64). Traditionally, the dark spirits are kept in a given house or under lock and key. Within the closet or room, access to other people is limited, lit only with a burning candle always. The La Casa de Los Muertos is stocked with elixirs of a magical nature for the spirits. The Production of Munansos in Palo Mayombe In Palo Mayombe practices, the munanso signifies a crucial space or room that houses the nganga. It can also mean the group membership in communal initiation ceremonies. In particular, the communal participation involves the palero, the mayombero or the ngangulero spiritual leaders depending on the nature of the ceremony or activities. The craft for Palo Mayombe involves a gradual process of ritual implementation by the practitioners (Monroe 2004). The spiritual leaders or mayombero or paleros possess plenty of knowledge gained through years of interaction with the dead and other religious members. The paleros and ahijados (children) form their own muna nso resulting into a religious family of palo at a given locality. Thus, the â€Å"munanso† represents a religious sect that consists of the members at a given locality. However, it can sometimes extend to include the participation of the whole community nationally or internationally. Initiates to nganguleros or munanso comprise of the padrino (father), ahijados (children) and the madrina (mother) forming a socio-religious organization. It is in these circles that the Palo Mayombe practices revolve with the minanso providing the channels of interaction in the Palo Mayombe practice. Teaching of the Palo Mayombe beliefs, rituals and religious language occurs within the ranks of the munanso (religious group). The padrina and the madrina undertake the initiation ceremonies of new individuals or ahijados into the munanso as they lead by example (Verger, 1984, p. 179). The responsibilities and the benefits of the group identify and determine the position of the group and its member s in the community. Thus, a munanso comprises of families of practitioners that have distinctive ritual ceremonies, beliefs and songs. In a common munanso ceremony, different practitioners play different roles including singing, playing drums or supplying religious elixirs including rum and tobacco. Sometimes during munanso ceremonies, the attendees give a small contribution in the form of pesos or human labor in the animal sacrifices and food preparations in readiness for the initiation ceremony (Clark, 2005, p. 231). Although most palero services are non-commercial, non-initiates seeking the services or adverse from a powerful palero usually pay a small fee or give some given goods or services. An older initiate enjoys a higher status and is accorded much respect from the other group members who, as years pass, become tatangangas (nganga owners). There are those who participate in various tasks such as singing or drumming and develop exceptional relationships with the paleros. Thu s, the participation of an individual in the ritual ceremonies is noteworthy as it provides a platform for social expression and religious ranking of a munanso. There are different levels in the ranking of a munanso, and each has distinct roles and functions (Bueno, 2000, p. 157). The position held by an individual depends on the roles and status during initiation and other operations. The Palo Mayombe initiation accords an individual access to the protection and guidance by munanso members, as well as, participation in ceremonies. The learning of the ritual languages occurs through song and dance during the religious ceremonies (Conrad, 1983, p. 342). However, the initiate’s religious affiliations or family determines the learning of the ritual languages. The ritual languages are extremely significant as the lack of knowledge of these languages limit an individual’s access into munanso ceremonies. In addition, participation in the ritual activities requires use of rel igious songs or mambos, which reinforces the use of the ritual language. The Palo Mayombe is a participatory religion, where each munanso member participates in ritual activities, ritual songs and various tasks during initiation ceremonies. Although it is a participatory religion, few members are destined to undertake prominent roles (Conrad, 1983, p. 346) Learning is essential in knowledge transfer and requires healthy relationships between the palores, the ahijados and the padrino/madrina. These relationships provide the means through which the Palo Mayombe practices are learned organized and replicated in each mananso. The number of the ahijados in each munanso is different led by religious leaders who instruct them, and in the process, they build a social network. Normally, a munanso in Palo Mayombe consists of family members and a few intimate friends. The predecessors or the godfathers pass on distinctive Munanso’s practices from one generation to the next, which form t he precise foundation of religious identity. Though munansos are largely distinct, some munansos bear similarities and common histories of beliefs and practices. Often, multiple interactions involving people from different munansos represents the solidarity in Palo Mayombe (Cervantes, 1994, p. 127). However, sometimes the paleros possess multiple religious identities such as catholic and santero, which illustrates the multiple religiosities of the Afro-Cuban people and cultures. Conclusion The Palo Mayombe is one of the many variants of Congo-inspired religious cults otherwise known as Reglas de Congo. The Reglas de Kongo or the Kongo law refers to the Palo society that comprise of the Palo Mayombe. The Palo Mayombe practices, most distinctively, involve working or wondering with the dead or dead spirits (kalunga el muerto). Their initiation ceremonies conducted by a palero or a spiritual priest are also distinctive and various items are required for constructing cauldrons or  "ngangas† for healing or harming. The dead spirits are housed in a â€Å"munanso†, which also signifies a religious society comprising of palero and aihijados. In Palo Mayombe, the magic and casting of spells for healing or harming others involve communication with the dead or dead spirits. Reference List Bockie, S. (1993). Death and the Invisible Powers: The World of Kongo Belief.  Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Brandon, G. (1991). The Uses of Plants in Healing in an Afro Cuban Religion, Santeria.  The Journal of Black Studies, 22 (1), 55-76. Brown, J. (1998). Black Liverpool, Black America, and the Gendering of Diasporic Space. Cultural Anthropology, 13(3), 291-325. Brown, D. (2003). Santeria Enthroned: Art, Ritual and the Innovation in an Afro-Cuban  Religion. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Bueno, G. (2000). An Initiation Ceremony in Regla de Palo. Gainesville: University of Florida. Cervantes, F. (1994).The Devil in the New World. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Clark, M. (2005).Where Men are Wives and Mothers Rule: Santeria Ritual Practices and  Their Gender Implications. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. Conrad, J. (1983). Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Signet Classics. Moore, R. (1997). Nationalizing Blackness: AfroCubanismo and Artistic Revolution in  Havana, 1920-1940. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. Verger, P. (1984). Latin America in Africa. In Africa in Latin America: Essays on History,  Culture and Socialization: 273-285. New York: Holmes Meier Publishers, Inc.

A Brief History of New York City

New York City is one of the most famous metropolises in the world. It is not only a huge business hub, but also an American cultural symbol for opportunity, hard work, energy, and eclecticism. But have you ever wondered about the history of this great city? If you have, you will enjoy the following paragraphs on New York City’s prehistory, European settlement, and modern development. Native Americans were the first inhabitants of the area of New York City. The Lenape people were the main residents in this land, and they spoke the Algonquian language (Kraft, Herbert). These people used the waterways in their surroundings for fishing, hunting trips, trade, and even war. In fact, many of the main trails of the Lenape are now major thoroughfares in New York, such as Broadway (Foote, Thelma Wills). Before European settlers came, the Lenape had agriculture, developed hunting techniques, and were managing their resources with ease. They even were harvesting large amounts of fish and shellfish (Kurlansky, Mark). According to estimates, there were around 80 settlements of the Lenape with a population of approximately 5,000 when European settlers came (Stanford Web Archive Timeline). Italian voyager Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to visit the area, which was in 1524 (Morison, Samuel Eliot). But he did not stay for long, and it was not until 1609 when English employee of the Dutch East India Company, Henry Hudson, was looking for a westerly passage to Asia and instead found a fine spot for beaver pelts. Hudson’s report about the beaver population of the New York City area prompted the Dutch to create trading colonies there (Sandler, Corey). Through 1624-1625, the founding of the first Dutch fur trading post was where what is now Lower Manhattan (New York City Department of Parks Recreation). In 1626, the creation of Fort Amsterdam was initiated. Through the bringing of African slaves to the settlement, construction improved and blossomed, but there was animosity between the Native Americans and the settlers. In February of 1643, there was the Pavonia Massacre in the area known as present-day Jersey City, but a peace treaty was eventually mad e on August 29th of 1645 (Ellis, Edward Robb). Shorty after, in 1652, the colony was granted self-governance. However, Dutch rule was short lived. The English took over the colony, renaming it â€Å"New York† in honor of the Duke of York in 1664 (Homberger, Eric). It became a colony of the Kingdom of England and subsequently of Great Britain. In the hands of the British, New York burgeoned into a full-scale city. From 1678 to 1694, 384 houses grew to 983, with a mix of African (slaves and free), Dutch, English, Welsh, Scottish, and Irish people (Harris, Leslie M). Unfortunately, through war and massacre, the population of the Lenape shrunk to about 200. On the other hand, the slave trade under British rule continued to boost manpower and also Africans and Caribbeans acted as servants within homes. With the introduction of the Stamp Act and other taxation measures created by the British government, the colonists became agitated under oppression. Official resistance to British authority began in 1765 with The Stamp Act Congress, and it eventually resulted in the American Revolution starting in the same year. The Revolution lasted until 1783 under the leadership of General George Washington with the aid of France and other countries. The 13 colonies built the Continental Army, and through much tribulation, were able to drive out the British Army from New York and the other colonies. Serving as the first constitution of America, the Articles of Confederation was made in 1785 by Congress in New York City, and by 1798, New York City became the national capital of the United States according to the new United States Constitution. You can say this was the true start of the modern New York City. From a relatively peaceful Native American settlement of the Lenape people to American rule, New York City has had a bloody, tumultuous history of banner-changing, massacres, mass fires, slavery, and revolt. Now the focal point of American urban culture and business, one can easily forget what it came from. References Kraft, Herbert. The Lenape: Archaeology, history, and ethnography (New Jersey Historical Society v 21, 1986). Foote, Thelma Wills (2004). Black and White Manhattan: The History of Racial Formation in Colonial New York. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 25. ISBN 0-19-516537-3. Kurlansky, Mark. The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Gotham Center for New York City History. Archived 2008-12-29 at the Stanford Web Archive Timeline 1700–1800. Morison, Samuel Eliot (1971). The European Discovery of America. Volume 1: The Northern Voyages. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press. p. 490. ISBN 978-0195082715. Sandler, Corey (2007). Henry Hudson Dreams and Obsession. Citadel Press. ISBN 978-0-8065-2739-0. Battery Park.† New York City Department of Parks Recreation. Retrieved on September 13, 2008.† Nycgovparks.org. Retrieved 2010-10-04. Ellis, Edward Robb (1966). The Epic of New York City. Old Town Books. pp. 37–40. Homberger, Eric (2005). The Historical Atlas of New York City: A Visual Celebration of 400 Years of New York Citys History. Owl Books. p. 34. ISBN 0-8050-7842-8. Harris, Leslie M. (2003). In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863. The University of Chicago Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0226317731.

Week 2-510 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Week 2-510 - Essay Example needed information, and when they receive the inputs, they should process it and take the correct decision for the proper functioning of the organization. One of the important inputs or aids that will surely help an organization in the decision making process is the research and statistics component. That is, components like descriptive statistics and probability concepts with good hypothesis and research will go a long way in aiding the management to come up with correct decisions. In the case to be analyzed, USA World Bank (UWB) is on the threshold of launching a new product, with the board already initiating the decision making process. And the component that is aiding this decision making process is the statistics work done by the respective department. So, this paper by using the research and statistical concepts will analyze the UWB’s issue or problem, opportunities, stakeholders’ view, end state vision, available solutions and the results. USA World Bank is facing some important issues, which needs quick and appropriate attention. The first issue is USA World Bank’s track record in introducing new products, which cannot be considered successful. Brian Allen, President of New Product Development for USA Word Bank, agrees with this fact, â€Å"Our new products have pretty much tanked in the past couple of years. We’re under a lot of pressure† (Scenario). So, the issue or challenge is to break this trend and introduce a truly workable product. The next issue that is plaguing USA World Bank is the need to select a product to launch using faulty statistical results. That is, a survey was done to find which product out of two, a consumer credit card or a credit card for small business owners will work optimally. Even though, the survey clearly favored the normal consumer credit card, the issue with that result is that a statistics specialist found faults with the statistical analysis particularly the me thod used to collect the data. As the product