Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Top Argumentative Essay Topics College Tips!

Top Argumentative Essay Topics College Tips! The Hidden Secret of Argumentative Essay Topics College Argumentative essay ideas can be associated with the moral facets of human life. Argumentative essay topics are so important since they are debatableand it's critical to at all times be critically contemplating the world around us. If you would like to learn what an argumentative essay is, the very first thing you ought to remember is that its principal objective is to convince the audience to accept your viewpoint. The very best thing about an argumentative essay which contains social issues is you may describe your own personal experience on the instance of the real-life case. There are lots of aspects about a sport that may be argued in an essay. The thing you ought to do as a way to structure an argumentative essay is to set a claim that's debatable. The shortage of great support sources are going to result in a decrease grade. Even if you're a specialist in a particular f ield, don't be afraid to use and cite external sources. Remember an argumentative essay is based more on facts instead of emotion. It is all about arguing and debating on a topic, which is debatable. It is a kind of academic paper that requires profound knowledge of analyzed problem and a big list of personal opinions and facts. Writing an argumentative essay can occasionally be confusing since you don't necessarily understand how to compose a convincing argument. When it has to do with writing an argumentative essay, the most crucial matter to do is to select a topic and an argument which you can really get behind. It is possible to also restate the ideas you've discussed in the body paragraphs in order to make your point valid. In the event you've wrapped up your primary argument, but you lack the idea about what's next, you own a reason to discover online academic writing service. It is possible to restate your argument, which is quite a common practice amongst essayists. Since you may see, there's a multitude of different argumentative paper titles you may utilize. To write a great argumentative essay, there are four important components of the essay you're likely to have to know about. If you're new to writing argumentative essays, there are a couple of crucial factors which you can learn that may help you compose a much better argumentative essay. Again, another essay that you might want to find expert help with if you wish to receive it right. The way to the best essay is via WritePaperFor.Me. Essay writing per se is no simple endeavor to do. If you're writing an argumentative essay and wish to find out more about creating an argument essay persuasive, read the following advice or contact us for expert essay writing services! Lies You've Been Told About Argumentative Essay Topics College In order to genuinely convince readers of your perspective, the argumentative essay must also check at the opposing views. Whatever the topic that you're exploring in your argumentative essay, following principles of the structure needs to be maintained to have a decent level. If you don't get a particular subject from your teacher, it means that you may use your entire imagination in choosing the subject. One particular important and appropriate subject is technology. Doing sports in college ought to be mandatory. The role of assi gning an essay to middle school students is to make awareness and permit them to develop writing skills. You're at college, or so the answer will likely be yes'. If you're applying to college, then you are going to most likely be requested to compose an argumentative essay or two. Key Pieces of Argumentative Essay Topics College An argumentative essay requires you to choose a topic and have a position on it. Researching the topic will enable you to find out more about what fascinates you, and should you pick something you truly like, writing the essay will be more enjoyable. Deciding on an argumentative topic isn't that easy. Choosing topics for argumentative essays is important for your general success. In this kind of situation, it's more convenient to discover ready-made essays and use them as an example. Then you need to endeavour to select an appropriate argumentative essay format. When asking us how to begin an argumentative essay, many students forget that they sho uld get started with an outline. You obtain a preview of your essay and ask to create corrections if necessary.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Freedom of Speech Essay - 1869 Words

Freedom of speech, ones right to say what they please without fear of being punished, is among one of the most treasured freedoms throughout America. Protected by the relevant constitutional provision, this freedom was also deemed most important by the founders. The first inhabitants of North American colonies, whom were controlled by the British, did not have the legal right to speak out against government policies or issues such as unfair laws and taxes, English speech regulations were quite restrictive. After several prosecutions of speaking out against the government, the trial of John Peter Zenger, who was convicted of opposing the government, marked the beginning of a greater tolerance of free speech. In response to the†¦show more content†¦First, â€Å"Education requires that ideas be freely available for discussion and evaluation. Therefore, free speech is the linchpin of any society† (Luft ). Here Luft claims that the free flow of knowledge allows for the development of a civil society since everyone can voice their opinion, there are no ideas being rejected some of which could help contribute to the goodness of a society. Of course not all ideas are heard, but those that are draw attention to certain aspects of society, which can end up benefiting the common good. As stated before, researchers think that protecting freedom of speech will contribute positively to a society because many people feel strongly that â€Å"Without freedom of speech, newspapers would not be able to inform the public freely about elected officials, proposed bills, and national and foreign policy†(American Government ). This is what the knowledge of a society is all about-keeping the public well informed. Individuals gain knowledge through the destruction of bad ideas or even good ideas. One can build one another person’s idea, without having to worry if it’s not deemed positive by the leader. Then through the process of everyone voic ing their opinions, knowledge is eventually gained which plays a big role inShow MoreRelatedSpeech : Freedom Of Speech1364 Words   |  6 Pages Even though freedom of speech can be tricky, understanding what can be said under the first amendment is key. This will give you more confidence when you re talking about current events, it ll inhibit social interaction, but the biggest reason of all is understanding your rights will keep you out of jail. Even the supreme court struggles to determine what exactly constitutes protected speech. When trying to see if your covered by the first amendment, certain questions have to be displayed. AreRead MoreSpeech On Freedom Of Speech1484 Words   |  6 Pages Abby Koopmann Ethics Freedom of Speech Professor Hunt Culver Stockton College Freedom of Speech Americans have many freedoms that people in other countries can only wish they had. Just imagine a life where you could possibly be killed for speaking your mind and stating your opinion, other countries are living lives like that. According to Katy Davis, The United States ratified the first amendment on December 15th 1791 (Davis, n.d). We as a country don’t know where the governmentRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : Speech1105 Words   |  5 Pages Freedom of Speech Freedom of Speech, part of the First Amendment, is a privileged right that should not be taken lightly. The Milo Bill is said to protect students’ right to their freedom of speech on school grounds. It was introduced at Tennessee’s State House and is named after Milo Yiannopoulos, a British public speaker who made a career out of â€Å"trolling† liberals and gained publicity for uncalled-for acts, such as racist and harassing comments on Twitter, which got him banned from the socialRead MoreSpeech : The Freedom Of Speech Essay1624 Words   |  7 PagesCitizens of the United States are privileged to the freedom of speech under the First Amendment, but the constitutional limits of the freedom of speech have been questioned on multiple occasions. Citizens of the United States have called upon the Supreme Court numerous times to interpret the meaning of the First Amendment, and the court has censored some forms of speech such as obscene speech --which has been pr ohibited--and indecent or pornographic speech--which has been regulated (Barrett, 1999). PublicRead MoreSpeech On Freedom Of Speech3937 Words   |  16 PagesZhiyuan Li Philosophy 2367 Freedom of Speech A couple of months ago, University of Chicago’s president Robert J. Zimmerin expressed his concern about freedom of speech on campus in a Wall Street Journal article: Free speech is at risk at the very institution where it should be assured: the university †¦ Invited speakers are disinvited because a segment of a university community deems them offensive, while other orators are shouted down for similar reasons. Demands are made to eliminate readings thatRead MoreFree Speech : Freedom Of Speech1403 Words   |  6 PagesFREE SPEECH Freedom of speech is perhaps the most precious tenets of liberal democracies accorded to the citizens of the free world. The United States, and the rest of the Western society is known to be the cradle of democratic principles, and this can be evidenced by the level of freedom accorded to the citizens of the United States and the West in terms of speech. The freedom of speech gives an individual an opportunity to speak his or her mind and also give his or her opinion, sometimes on veryRead MoreFreedom Of The Media And Freedom Of Speech1540 Words   |  7 Pageswhen Socrates was forced to drink poison for his â€Å"corruption of youth† (Mette), which can be seen as silencing one man for the betterment of everyone, but there is always an ample amount of opinions on such a controversial topic as Freedom of the press, or Freedom of Speech. Many nations today believe that very strict and regulated system of governing the media and entertainment is the best answer, such as China, w here â€Å"censorship was considered a legitimate instrument for regulating the moral and politicalRead MoreFreedom of Speech3842 Words   |  16 PagesFreedom of speech Freedom of speech  is the freedom to speak freely without  censorship. The synonymous term  freedom of expression  is sometimes used to indicate not only freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used. In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country and the right is commonly subject to limitations, such as on hate speech. The right to freedom of speech is recognized as a  humanRead MoreFree Speech Or Freedom Of Speech Essay911 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction America is known as The Land of Freedom, basically we are entitled for legal freedom to do whatever we wanted to. However, the freedom of speech has been challenged by many university students and educators recently. In their argument, they believe that free speech has triggered students’ unhappiness and jeopardize campus’ safety. What is the free speech or freedom of speech? According to dictionary, freedom of speech is the right of people to express their opinions publicly withoutRead MoreFreedom Of Speech : Speech And Expression898 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the words, â€Å"freedom of speech† are uttered today, it brings about much conflict and tension. The vagueness of the First Amendment is a pretty good indication of how different times were back when the Constitution and everything along with it were created. Back then, all the Founding Fathers wanted was the establish a democracy using the lessons they had learned from the tyranny of the British King. T hey wanted more freedom and power to the people. In the modern era, everything has changed, and

Monday, December 9, 2019

Utilitarianism Today free essay sample

Bentham goes on to explain that, for every question whereby we judge whether an act is good or bad, the criterion to answer would be by its consequence. This consequence is taken in regard to the effect that particular act would have on human pleasure and pain, the two ‘sovereign masters that govern mankind’. Bentham was a man of numbers and to him, good government needs numbers. The importance of numbers to him is indisputable and if anything his propositions were almost always quantitative in nature. Going back to the pleasure and pains idea, Bentham proposed an elaborate and rather thorough guide to analyzing them. For this, he devised a list of pleasures including pleasures of wealth, power, skill and memories among others as well as a list of pains such as pains of regret, disappointment, enmity and awkwardness to name a few. All in all, Bentham lists a total of fourteen pleasures and twelve pains. We will write a custom essay sample on Utilitarianism Today or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The value or degree by which a pleasure or a pain is to be measured posed a problem and so Bentham also devised a calculus in which he takes into account seven factors that is, intensity, duration, certainty, propinquity, fecundity, purity and extent. John Stuart Mill, another prominent utilitarian, rejected Bentham’s view that all pleasures were to count the same. He argued that differing people would have been brought up in varying manners and as such the appreciation of certain pleasures would greatly differ from one person to another. Also, Bentham’s own definition at the time was to apply the test of utility to private acts as well as public measures but was limited to ‘acts’. It would only be years later that other philosophers would draw a distinction between what we now call ‘act-utilitarianism’ and ‘rule-utilitarianism’. Put simply, act-utilitarianism concerns itself with acts that consequently have the highest net happiness whereas rule-utilitarianism applies where an act is permitted by a general rule whereby following that rule would have the best outcome. John Austin, the well known jurisprudence philosopher, strongly believed that the test of utility should apply to rules. Today, utilitarianism can be used in almost every aspect of our daily lives, whether it be our daily decision making, public policy by governing bodies or simple moral questions we would usually turn to religion for. As can be seen, the test of utility does not discriminate in where it’s applied, merely in how it is used that is, whether to apply it upon the rule or the act. It is no surprise then that the subsequent result of two different applications will lead to distinctively different conclusions. To exemplify how the utility test works and how different conclusions can be made one shall look at the famous Iran-Contra affair and in particular Oliver North’s assessment of the facts at hand and how he reaches his conclusion. In the 1980s, when asked why he had lied to congress regarding his role in the aforementioned affair, North said, â€Å"lying does not come easily to me. But we all had to weigh in the balance the difference between lies and lives†. Here, the ‘good’ decision according to North would have been to lie about certain facts to save others from possible harm. In his mind this was probably the act that would have maximised pleasure and minimised pain by the greatest extent and therefore judged it to be the best course of action. Applying the test on a rule in this case might have led to a different outcome. If, for example, ‘always tell the truth’ was the general rule by which the test concludes to be the best consequence, it may prove to lead North to a different decision in this case. This, however, depends on which rule one wishes to follow. Had the rule been ‘always protect lives’ then North may as well answer in the same manner. The difficulty here lies in which test (act or rule) to use and how to apply it. The news piece that one has chosen, entitled ‘Government to measure people’s happiness’, talks about the British Government’s attempt at measuring the happiness of UK citizens. The reason behind the move, the article reads, is to track the nation’s progress apart from the usual yardstick that is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The article also mentions Jo Swinson, a Liberal Democrat MP and probable utilitarian, as saying â€Å"what gets measured gets done. While its not governments job to make people happy, regular measures of wellbeing will at least make sure it is taken into account†. Statically monitoring the people’s happiness by way of a national survey can be likened to Bentham’s plea for the foundation of a statistical-gathering society to compile facts, as factual information about actual state of affairs will support rational and informed decision making. It is no surprise Bentham wished to propose this as he was an advocate of official criminal statistics which he maintained would be ‘a measure of excellent use in furnishing data for the legislator to go to work upon. ’ Using numbers to evaluate the health of a nation’s citizens is not uncommon or unheard of as, stated beforehand, GDP used to be yardstick. However, in the current state of affairs Britain finds itself in, perhaps it is time to turn to a different set of numbers. Many, if not most, countries use their national statistics on GDP as the focal point for policy decisions and measurement of welfare. Despite this, Treasury minister Angela Eagle who has long been accustomed to analysing GDP and working in the pursuit of economic stability using such data, conceded herself that, although not completely ditching the traditional form, a happiness index would be ‘useful for policy making’. When comparing the use of the wellbeing index as opposed to the GDP, one looks at it from a financial standpoint and in particular, given regard to wealth, opportunity and welfare on questions of distribution. How should it be distributed? According to need, ensuring equality or maybe in accordance with merit? A long standing argument is that utilitarianism does not even consider these factors and on top of that shows no concern whatsoever with how it should be distributed. The utilitarian in this context would look only at achieving the goal of maximising welfare with how much there is in total. For example, given two societies, A and B, with A having a highly imbalanced distribution of welfare but an overall higher total of welfare than B which happens to have exact equal distribution, the utilitarian would point to A to be regarded as the more morally preferable society. Nigel Simmonds, a noted reader in jurisprudence, states that it would be a mistake to conclude that since the distribution does not concern the utilitarian, it does not mean that the question of how wealth, resources and opportunities is ignored. The argument for that would be that a more equal allocation of wealth, opportunity and resources is desirable because it would eventually lead to maximisation of welfare and happiness. Put simply, if one gives a pound to a millionaire it would make for a negligible contribution to his overall welfare. Give that same pound to a poor man for him to use, for instance to purchase a meal he would otherwise not be able to pay for, it would be a significant contribution to his welfare. Insofar as the distribution of wealth, opportunity and resources is concerned, the aim in this instance is for the utilitarian to seek the maximisation of welfare by way of equality. Using the wellbeing index in a way that could enable the government to pinpoint where certain communities are happy and unhappy can help legislators and policy-makers take necessary steps to promote the nation’s state of welfare. Funds could be better allocated towards communities that are in more need of an increase in welfare and happiness by providing facilities, education, healthcare and the like in the right areas While on the topic of economic welfare with regard to utilitarianism, one wishes to mention the economic analysis of law, a principle that has its roots in Bentham’s theory. Since the felicific calculus of the utility test is a difficult one to apply, as one cannot be certain of people’s reaction to alternative measures, the difference here lies in making simple assumptions on human behaviour. The assumption to be adopted here is that mankind will rationally maximise his satisfactions or pleasure. Accordingly, this entire theory uses this premise to achieve, by its definition, what one wishes and what one is willing to pay for that. Payment here is not taken in the strictest sense of monetary terms but can include time and effort. The theory takes on a dynamic principle that this payment is the medium by which a hypothetical market of happiness can be run. Between two individuals, it is easy to demonstrate how this would work. If Adam wishes to run his laundry business all day long without closing shop, and Gary wishes for silence in the night, each would offer a monetary value for either privilege. If Adam’s payment is greater than Gary’s satisfactions are maximised by allowing him to run his overnight business. Economic analysis calls this the ‘efficient’ solution and the most obvious difference with utility is where greatest happiness of the greatest number is replaced by overall efficiency. This movement, primarily attempted in the United States, was first applied to specific areas in law for example anti-trust legislation and nuisance laws. Richard Posner, in his book, Economic Analysis of Law, explains that he believes to have found a more systematic application of this approach which he claims can explain why many of the legal rules and institutions that exist are as they are and also inherent implications for how the law should be improved. This however, leads one to believe that economic analysis of the law concerns itself primarily with maximising economic criteria, begging the question, is this the highest ideal one would want for society? It takes a U-turn on the very basis by which the government had wished to evaluate happiness instead of relying on GDP as a measure of public wellbeing. Even the UKs National Statistician, Jil Matheson, who will oversee the happiness measurement, said: there is growing international recognition that to measure national well-being and progress there is a need to develop a more comprehensive view, rather than focusing solely on gross domestic product. † If the Judiciary were to use this wellbeing index in reference to adjudication, would that infringe on the established practice of judicial independence? One would point out that public opinion is a matter for which the courts do take into consideration when a case of great public interest is in question. The very notion that judges would look into these statistical analysis of numbered data seems highly implausible. The judiciary as we know it preserves the doctrine of separation of powers. This holds that the laws they would apply and uphold cannot be changed whatsoever without the proper due process of parliamentary approval. With regard to those highly publicised cases, a judge today cannot merely change the course of the law due to social pressure even if would produce the greatest net happiness. However, if a judge were to be utilitarian in nature, as one is sure there is at least a single judge of that calibre, he or she might apply a rule that passes the utility test which would state â€Å"judge according to the greatest net happiness† and as such that rule could undermine all other factors including upholding parliamentary legislation. If the same judge were to follow a rule stating â€Å"always follow the letter of the law† the same conclusion as if the other did not exist would apply as always following the law would pass the test as generally being the best solution to achieving the greatest happiness. One would now like to delve into the topic of rights with regard to utilitarianism in the light of the government’s wellbeing index plans. Human rights has been a major concern since the atrocities of the first and second World Wars. Most nations have adopted or are a signatory or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In order to understand utilitarianism’s concept of rights, it is best to leave alone the notion of ‘moral rights’ as it is fundamentally opposed within the theory. Given the example of two conflicting interests in rights, whatever means one would employ would still lead to the same conclusion where one gains and the other loses. As mentioned before, utilitarianism would guide us to act in a way that would produce the greatest happiness for the greatest number and in doing so would find the best possible balance to ensure the net outcome is highest. One refers back to the infamous London riots of mid-2011 where police had a difficult time controlling the crowds. In this instance, the police would have had in mind the rights of the law-breakers and in turn led to minimal crowd control which unfortunately spilled over and caused massive collateral damage. Had the test of utility been applied, officers of the force may have come to a conclusion that infringing a few citizens’ rights will save shops and business from the damage that they eventually incurred. Monmouth MP Mr Davies said that we have to decide where our priorities lie. Is it with the police in trying to maintain law and order? Or does it lie with the human rights of those who break the law? †. One could say the test of utility applied here might have concluded that the former would be the answer to maximising overall happiness of society that day taking into account the welfare of the shop owners and other victims of this tragedy. Or perhaps had the wellbeing index been formulated earlier and the government had helped to alleviate the pains of those who turned to rioting, none of it would have happened. That however, is a purely hypothetical analysis. With every applied theory comes the good and the bad, the success or failure to accommodate all aspects of governance and the uncertain impact it can have on society as a whole. Utilitarianism brings about a change in mindset and approach to dealing with today’s issues but it does come with the risk of failing to protect the most vulnerable members of society. A report has sparked some debate across the Atlantic over the issue of special education funding in Kansas, USA, where budget cuts amounting to over twenty million US dollars are being contemplated. This is no isolated incident however, as a Christian activist group points out that even with the appropriate budget, schools are ever increasing the channelling of those funds to other departments instead of the purpose it was allocated for. In this incident, Broward County in Florida used eighteen million dollars of its special education budget to save around seven hundred jobs which had no relation to special education. It is without a doubt a utilitarian process of maximising overall happiness but it did come with a cost. The losers in this case were the children in need of special education in the first place. It is a difficult time for the economy and budget cuts are to be expected but this highlights the problem inherent within utilitarianism. If you are one of the losers to this policy, then that is the way the cookie crumbles. Unfortunately it was a segment of society that already is vulnerable. Additionally, utilitarianism can lead to injustice and breach of established human rights, that is the right against unlawful detention. Imagine a nation duped by its own government, propagandised to fear and hate and in turn direct those feelings towards a certain legislation that purportedly helps fight terrorism but instead merely gives powers to the state to detain and interrogate terror suspects without due consideration towards his or her human rights. One might think of the US and its anti terror campaign and acknowledge the fact that Guantanamo Bay is not just a movie. A government, using any means necessary, has the potential to manipulate its people into believing that in order to be secure and protected must pass into law some draconian legislation. If people do believe so, a nationwide survey on happiness might conclude that citizens will only be happy if their need to feel said security is fulfilled and the test can succeed if the circumstances are right. If one were to disbelieve such a notion, this idea has indeed been materialised in North Korea where an entire nation is fed news and reports directly aimed to instil a variety of ideas in its people. Of course, it is largely hypothetical but at the same time utilitarianism is not a known and practiced doctrine worldwide and this uncertainty is precautionary in nature. Is utilitarianism the way to go? Has the British government taken the right steps and the right precautions in ensuring a wellbeing index will not be put to use in a negative way? Some critics of the move have instead shown a distinct unhappiness over the issue.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism

Introduction The social cultural impact of tourism refers to the positive and negative effect or impact of tourism on the cultural heritage, traditions, customs, and social life style of host communities. This paper will look at the positive and negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism on host communities and tourists, as well as the different factors that influence these impacts.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is, however, important to keep in mind that all society’s problems can not be blamed on tourism, nor can all positive social developments be attributed to tourism (Liu 2003, p. 25). There are other factors that contribute to society’s problems and development, such as globalization and the influence of the mass media. Positive Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism The positive socio-cultural impacts of tourism include empl oyment, improvement of infrastructure, transfer of knowledge into a country, and improvement to the economy. These are discussed in the following subsections. Employment In most countries, the tourism sector provides employment opportunities to a huge percentage of the population. To facilitate tourism operations, people get employed to work in the hotel industry, the transport sector, and national parks as tour guides (Green 2005, p. 13). The economic benefits that are derived from tourism in terms of employment of a nation’s population ultimately impact people’s standard of living. Provision of Shared Infrastructure The development of tourist infrastructure, such as airports and leisure facilities, can also benefit local communities, as long as the infrastructure is not developed for the exclusive use of tourists (Allen et al. 1993). This tourist infrastructure affects the social and cultural lives of local communities because their way of living would have been diff erent had the infrastructure not been established and shared. For example, Maun, which is a rural area in Botswana, is a famous fast stop destination for tourists visiting the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve. Existing leisure facilities such as modern international airport, restaurants and shopping malls were originally intended for tourists, but are also shared by the local community (Long et al. 1990). Therefore, the social lives and contemporary culture of local residents are remarkably different from those in other major villages in Botswana. Transfer of Knowledge into a Country Tourism promotes the transfer of knowledge to the host country. When experienced people from a developed country visit a developing country, opportunities are created for knowledge to be transferred from one community to another. Ultimately, developing countries are able to benefit.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Economic Improvement Most tourist destinations across the world are able to improve their economies as a result of tourism activities. Among others, tourism enables countries to earn foreign currency which enables them to effectively trade with foreign states. In Kenya, the tourism sector employs a large number of people who work in world class hotels and the transport sector, among others. Tourism also contributes greatly to national income. Negative Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism Some of the negative socio-cultural impacts of tourism on the host community include decline in morality, interruption of family and gender relationships, interference with value systems and religions, reduction of culture to a commodity, and staged authenticity. These are discussed as follows. Decline in Morality in Society Exposure to the different values of tourists and, in some cases, irresponsible tourist behavior, may give rise to various moral and societal problems, such as crime, prostitution, gambling, unhealthy eating and drinking, and drug abuse. Interruption of Family and Gender Relationships In many traditional societies, the father, who is the head of the family, has the responsibility to provide for his family. By providing employment, wages, and a disposable income to other members of the traditional family unit, which can be seen as a positive development, tourism can interrupt traditional family and gender relationships, and create discord in the family. The end result may be communities that do not function properly because the traditional division of work has been overruled and undermined (McGehee Andereck 2004). An example of this disruption can be observed in the families of the employees of safari companies that operate in the Okavango Delta and are separated from their families for months on end. However, it must be noted that interruption of family and gender relationships, as is the case with the other impacts, can not be at tributed to tourism alone, as there are other industries, such as the mining industry, that also tend to have the same effect. Interference with Value Systems and Religion Tourism may introduce different and sometimes opposing values to established value systems and religion. On the one hand, host communities in developing countries sometimes perceive tourists from developed countries as too liberal and lacking in morals, and find them insensitive to local norms and taboos. On the other hand, local populations often reject old ways and adopt the ways of visitors too quickly. This most often happens if the practices are from rich, developed countries and the local population is in a less wealthy developing country (Murphy 1981, p. 56). While adopting foreign practices may not always be bad, it may cause culture shock, lack of social cohesion, and loss of cultural identity if it happens too quickly. No human culture should ever be sacrificed at the expense of another.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reducing Culture to a Commodity This involves reducing culture to another product with a price tag. In the context of the cultural impact of tourism, this wears the worth, dignity, value, and sanctity of particular cultures. Cultural practices, although often preserved by tourist interest, may lose their real value and meaning. An example includes the practice of performing sacred dances and rituals for the tourists for money. Similarly, watching the divination by a traditional healer, sangoma, or inyanga, can reduce it from being a spiritual exercise to a financial transaction or theatrical performance. Staged Authenticity This is experienced when the host community stages or enacts certain authentic elements of its culture for the benefits of tourists, even though those cultural elements may no longer be part of their normal mo dern daily living. This means that authentic elements of culture become rehearsed and non-authentic as they are performed out of context. Examples of authentic cultural elements that may be staged out of context for tourists include traditional dances, certain rituals or practices, the wearing of traditional dresses purely for the benefit of tourists, and the re-enactment of long gone or ancient lifestyles. In all the above, while these elements may be an authentic representation of how the hosts used to live, they may not be a true reflection of how they live today, and hence the representation is reduced to a mere staging of something. As an example, think of an authentic traditional dance performance by singers in animal skins at the Market Theatre in Johannesburg. The problem with this performance is that it may not be a true reflection of the contemporary and living culture of the place, and might even reinforce tourist’s perception that, in this particular case, African s are still primitive.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Factors that Influence the Social Cultural Impact of Tourism In general, the social cultural impact of tourism is not the same across the world, and a number of factors affect the impact of tourism on any community. Ordinarily, most tourist-host interactions occur at the tourist destination region, when tourists purchase goods and services from local people, when tourists and local residents use the same facilities such as beaches, shops, restaurants, and other amenities and infrastructure, or when they purposefully meet to exchange ideas and information. The type of interaction between tourists and hosts influence the relationship and the attitudes they have towards each other, and this in turn influences the social cultural impact of tourism (Wang Pfister 2008). The tourist-host relationship and thus the social cultural impact of tourism is affected by the differences between tourists and hosts, the type of contact between tourists and hosts, the importance of tourism in a commun ity, and community tolerance threshold which refers to how willing a community is to bear the inflow of tourists and their influences. These are discussed as follows. Differences between Tourists and Hosts The differences between tourists and hosts that can affect the social cultural impact of tourism are their basic value and logic systems, religious beliefs, traditions, customs, lifestyles, behavioral patterns, dress codes, sense of time budgeting, and attitudes towards strangers. Basic Value and Logic Systems The values and the logic systems of a host community and tourists will determine what they value and how they value it. If the hosts and tourists have different values and logic systems, it could cause attraction or resentment whenever there is an interaction. Religion, Traditions, and Customs When tourists and hosts belonging to different religions come into contact with one another, there are likely to be shocks and new discoveries. For example, the public display of affec tion between males and female Christian tourists may be shocking to many Muslims in the Middle East. Contact between tourists and hosts whose traditions differ might cause greater impact. For example, the scantily dressed tourist may, in the long run, impact on the dress code of many rural communities in Africa. The reaction might be to copy them or loathe them for not adhering to local norms and social codes. Variations in traditional practices can be found even among people of the same race and language. The similarity of customs between the guest and the hosts lessen the possibility of misunderstanding each other. For example, tourists from Cape Town visiting Durban will find many customary similarities to their hosts and may not have any impact on their host community. Differences in customs, however, do not always mean that there will be a negative social cultural impact. Lifestyle Lifestyle differences can be caused by income differences. The rich tend to lead similar lifestyl es even though their cultures may not be identical, as the way they spend their money on property, travel, and entertainment, for example, is usually similar. Such lifestyle differences might have an impact if the hosts copy, envy, or morally judge the tourists, or vice versa (Pizam 1978, p. 98). Dress Code When the dress code of tourists is different from that of hosts, the hosts tend to be either attracted to or offended by the dress of the visitors. In most cases, the hosts tend to envy and copy the dress style of tourists, which may not always be acceptable. Sense of Time Budgeting People from developed countries generally value time and think that it is polite to be on time for appointments. On the other hand, people from developing countries generally have a more relaxed attitude towards time, and are not as strict in keeping appointments. Such differences can be a source of misunderstanding or even conflict between tourists and the host community. Attitude towards Strangers S ome cultures and societies view strangers with suspicion while other cultures are more open towards outsiders. The more open the host communities are towards strangers, the greater the social cultural impact of tourism is likely to be on them. Type of Contact between Tourists and Hosts The type of activities tourists engage in, such as passive or active activities, can determine the type of contact and level of interaction with a community. The more active the activity, the greater the interaction with the host community, and the more likely tourism is to have an impact on them (Lankford 1994, p. 35). For example, formal contact, as in the case where tourists receive services from their hosts, makes it necessary for tourists and the local community to interact with each other and is a platform where cultures, norms, and values are exchanged. Thus, it is an opportunity for both parties to copy the behavior and mannerisms of the other. In a similar way, informal contact that takes pla ce where tourists and hosts share the same facilities such as stadiums, streets, or beaches may have either a good or bad influence on tourists or hosts or both. The Importance of Tourism in the Community The way tourism is perceived by the local people in communities, especially their perceptions about its importance to their livelihood, will impact on tourist-host relationship. In cases where there is an excitement about tourists and the benefits that their presence will bring, the tourist-host relationship is usually good due to mutual admiration between tourists and their hosts (Hafeznia et al. 2007). In contrast, when the novelty of meeting new cultures wears off and tourists begin to irritate the locals, probably due to their large numbers, their competing for the limited resources with locals, or the real or perceived ills that tourists bring, tourism might be seen as having less importance and a more antagonistic relationship will begin to develop (Huang Stewart 1996). Comm unity Tolerance Threshold As stated earlier community tolerance threshold refers to how willing a community is to bear the inflow of tourists and their influences. Where the members of a community are less irritable and able to accept tourists regardless of their mannerisms, then tourism will have an impact on them (Aref Redzuan 2010). On the other hand, when members of the host community are irritable, it becomes very difficult for tourists to penetrate their society and the tourism will have little or no impact at all on the local community. Conclusion As explained in this paper, the social cultural impact of tourism is not the same across the world. Various factors that differ from location to location influence not only the type of impact, but also whether those impacts will be negative or positive. The type of interaction between tourists and hosts influences their relationship and the attitudes they have towards one another, and this in turn influences the social cultural imp act of tourism. Typically, the tourist-host relationship and thus the social cultural impact of tourism are affected by differences between tourists and the host communities. Other factors are the type of contacts created and how tourism is regarded by the local community. The location of tourism, such as a rural or urban location or in a developed or developing country, determines whether the social cultural impact on the location will be positive or negative. To a great extent, the number of tourists visiting a location affects the level of impact on the host community. For example, a large number of tourists will have a greater influence on the host community, because there are many chances of a local person meeting a tourist. The origin of tourists also affects the social cultural impact of tourism because there might be notable differences between them and the hosts due to their origin, which might intensify the impact. The stage of tourism development in a destination affects the host community’s knowledge of tourism and attitude towards tourists, and its reaction to tourism. Reactions of host communities in the development stage can include hostility, lack of charity, and imitation. These in turn affect the nature of social cultural impacts that result from tourism. To some degree, the length of the tourist season influences the intensity of the social cultural impact. The longer the interaction, the greater the impact of tourism on the host community will be. Reference List Allen, LR, Hafer, HR, Long, PT Perdue, RR, 1993, ‘Rural Residents’ Attitudes toward Recreation and Tourism Development’, Journal of Travel Research, Vol. 31, No. 4, pp. 27 – 33. Aref, F Redzuan, M 2010, ‘Community Leaders’ Perceptions towards Socio-cultural Impacts of Tourism on Local Communities’, Journal of Human Ecology, 29 (2): 87 – 91. Green, R 2005, ‘Community Perceptions of Environmental and Social Change an d Tourism Development on the Island of Koh Samui, Thailand’, Journal of Environmental Psychology, 25 (1): 37 – 56. Hafeznia, R, Eftekhari, A Ramazani, I 2007, ‘A Comparative Study on the Tourism Policies in Pre and Post Islamic Revolution of Iran, Case Study: Babolsar in the Coast of Caspian Sea’. Journal of Applied Sciences, 7 (24): 3836 – 3874. Huang, Y Stewart, P 1996, ‘Rural tourism development: Shifting basis of community solidarity’, Journal of Travel Research, 35 (4): 26 – 31. Lankford, S 1994, ‘Attitudes and Perceptions toward Tourism and Rural Regional Development’, Journal of Travel Research, 32 (3): 35 – 43. Liu, Z 2003, ‘Sustainable Tourism Development: A Critique’, Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 11 (6): 459 – 475. Long, PT, Perdue, RR Allen, L 1990, ‘Rural Resident Tourism Perceptions and Attitudes by Community Level of Tourism’, Journal of Travel Research, Vol . 28, No. 3, pp. 3 – 9. McGehee, G Andereck, L 2004, ‘Factors Predicting Rural Residents’ Support of Tourism’, Journal of Travel Research, 43: 131 – 140. Murphy, PE 1981, ‘Community Attitudes to Tourism: A Comparative Analysis’, International Journal of Tourism Management, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp.189 – 195. Pizam, A 1978, ‘Tourism Impacts: The Social Costs To The Destination Community as Perceived by Its Residents’, Journal of Travel Research, 16: 8 – 12. Wang, Y Pfister, E 2008, ‘Residents’ Attitudes toward Tourism and Perceived Personal Benefits in a Rural Community’, Journal of Travel Research, 47: 84 – 93. This essay on Social Cultural Impacts of Tourism was written and submitted by user Ada O. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Classifying Solutions Essays - Solutions, Equilibrium Chemistry

Classifying Solutions Essays - Solutions, Equilibrium Chemistry Classifying Solutions Types of Solutions Gas Solid/Gas Liquid/Gas Gas Solid Solid/Solid Liquid/Solid Gas Liquid Solid/Liquid Liquid/Liquid Gas Solution-a liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent) Solvent- A substance that can dissolve another substance, or in which another substance is dissolved into Solute-The minor component in a solution, dissolved in the solvent Aqueous-contains water Alloy-a solid solution or two or more metals Solubility-The maximum amount of solute that will dissolve in a given quantity of solvent at a specific temperature Saturated Solution-a solution that cannot dissolve more solute (contains maximum amount of solute at which the solution exists) Unsaturated Solution-a solution that could dissolve more solute (contains less solute than the maximum amount possible is dissolved in the solution) Supersaturated Solution-a solution that contains more dissolved solute than a saturated solution at the same temperature Determining the type of solution -Add a seed crystal of solute -Dissolves= unsaturated -Does not dissolve= saturated -Begins to crystallize= supersaturated Solubility Expressed in grams of solute per 100g of solvent Solute Solubility (g solute/100g solvent)Qualitative Solubility description Less than 0.1Insoluble 0.1>1Slightly Soluble 1-10Soluble 10Very soluble e.g. A 3.20g sample of a salt dissolves in 9.10g of water to give a saturated solution at 25*C. What is the solubility (in g salt/100g of water) of the salt? Solute = 3.20gSalt = x _ Solvent 9.10gH2O 100gH2O x=3.20gSalt(100gH2O) 9.10gH2O x=35.2g Factors that Affect Solubility Forces that act between the particle of the substances in solutions: -forces that attract particle of the solute to each other -forces that attracts particle of the solute to particles of the solvent -forces that attract particles of the solvent to each other Solubility in Water -The polar nature of water molecules enables water to dissolve a wide range of solutes -Most ionic compounds are soluble in water 1.Electrical attraction between the polar water molecules and the ions pulls ions from the surface of the solute 2.Polar water molecules surround the separated ions in a process called hydration, and ions disperse uniformly in solution Polar compounds dissolve in water Nonpolar compounds dont dissolve in water Nonpolar compounds can dissolve in nonpolar solvents Conductivity of Aqueous Solutions Solutions of ionic compounds can conduct electricity. Temperature and Solubility (Solid in Liquid) For most ionic solids, solubility increases as temp increases. Temperature and Solubility(Liquid in Liquid, Gas in Gas) Temperature change has little effect on the solubility of one liquid in another one or one gas in another Temperature and Solubility(Gas in Liquid) The solubility of a gas in a liquid decreases as the temperature increases Pressure and Solubility(Gas in Liquid) The solubility of a gas in a liquid is directionally proportional to the pressure of that same particular gas above the liquid Factors that Affect Rate of Dissolving -agitation or mixing(stirring) -temperature increases -increased surface area of the solute Concentrations of Solutions as a % Concentration-the ratio of the quantity of solvent or the quantity of solution Concentrated-having a high ratio of solute to a solution Dilute-having a low ratio of solute to solution % (Mass/Volume) -a ratio of the mass of solute to the volume of solution, expressed as a percent %(m/v)=m of solute (g) x100% v of solution (mL) % (Mass/Mass) -a ratio of mass of solute to mass of solution, expressed as a percent %(m/m)=m of solute (g) x100% m of solution (g) % (Volume/Volume) -a ratio of the volume of solute to the volume of solution, expressed as a percent %(v/v)= v of solute (mL) x100% v of solution (mL) ex.(m/v but applies to all % questions) g:msolute=17.5g msolvent=350mL r: %(m/v)= ? a: %(m/v)=msolute x100% msolvent m: =17.5g x100% 350mL =5.00% [3 sig digs] Very Small Concentrations of Solutions Parts per million (ppm) -a ratio of solute to solution x106 ppm=m of solute (g) x106 m of solution (g) Parts per billion (ppb) -a ratio of solute to solution x109 ppb=m of solute (g) x109 m of solution (g) ex.(ppm but same steps for ppb) g:mNaF=32.2mg=3.22x10-2g mH2O=20.0kg=2.00x104g r: ppm(m/m)= ? a: ppm(m/m)=mass of solute x106 mass of solution m: ppm(m/m)=3.22x10-2g x106 2.00x104g+3.22x10-2g =1.61ppm(m/m) Molar Concentrations -the amount in moles of solute dissolved in 1L of solution equation: C= n/V ex. Molar concentration g:c=0.154mol/L V=500mL=0.500L r:n=? m=? a:n=cV m:n=0.154mol/L(0.500L) =0.077mol m=Mn =(22.989770g/mol)(0.077mol) =1.77g ex. Molar concentration of ions g:n=0.212molFeCl3 V=0.175mL r:c=? a:c=n/v m:c=0.212molFeCl3/0.175mL =1.21mol/L Determining Solubility Effect of Ion Charge -compounds of ions with small charges tend to be soluble -compounds of ions with large charges tend to be insoluble -why? Increasing ion charge increases the attractive forces that hold the ions together Effect of Ion Size -the size of an atom is different than the size of its corresponding ion -in general, metallic ions tend to be smaller than their corresponding neutral atoms; non-metallic ions tend to be larger than their corresponding neutral atoms -small ions bond more closely

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to write a business plan - Emphasis

How to write a business plan How to write a business plan Theres a memorable conversation in Alices Adventures in Wonderland, where Alice asks the Cheshire cat for directions. Unfortunately, Alice doesnt know where she wants to go, stating that it doesnt matter where she gets to, as long as she gets somewhere. This leads the cat to respond that it doesnt matter which way she turns. If you dont have a crystal-clear vision of where you want your business to go, youll be as confused as Alice when you hit a crossroads. Your business plan is your road-map. But in order to write it, you have to decide what you really want to achieve. This means youll have to spend time immersed in the strengths and weaknesses of your business, a process which, in itself, has numerous pay-offs. Studying and researching your company helps you to take a critical look at what you have to offer and who your competitors are. This enables you to better navigate the industry minefields and gives you a benchmark against which to measure success. Many people think of business plans as a necessary evil, written only to gain external funding. Instead, look at them as an essential planning tool, whatever your financial situation. Remember, if you dont plan where to go, youre inadvertently planning on going nowhere. Crafting your business plan Heres a seven-step guide to writing a winning business plan. Work through each section and youll have an ordered, content-rich document that gets you to where you want to go. Step one: Description of the business After the executive summary (see step seven), the first thing youll need is to describe your business. Get started by asking the following questions: What do I sell or offer? And why? Who do I sell to? What is the history of the business? What is my vision for the future? What is different about the services I offer? What is the legal structure of the company? Think about your audience carefully before you write the description. Ask yourself what words and phrases they will understand and be careful not to include too much jargon. Step two: Market research Think about your industry and what you think the future trends will be. Then analyse your competitors. Determine what size of the market they hold and then clearly define where you fit into the mix. Step three: Marketing and sales strategy Ask yourself why companies buy what you offer and how you plan to sell it. Think about how you are going to reach the organisations that need facilities management support and what pricing plans youll offer. Whether youre an in-house department, specialist contractor or a large multi-service company, therell be a variety of ways to reach prospects. Step four: Management and personnel team Many facilities management companies claim that people are their best asset. Think carefully about your management team and outline the background, experience and qualifications of each individual. The people on your team will often make or break your success. Fully evaluate their credentials and look out for any weak skill sets that could be improved with training. Step five: Operations Analyse the location of your business in terms of advantages and disadvantages. Your own premises, production facilities and IT systems must be excellent. Make sure you address any weaknesses in your plan with recommendations for improvement. Step six: Financial forecast This section requires you to translate the contents of your plan into numbers. Include cash flow statements, profit and loss forecasts and a sales forecast. Dont forget that if youre looking for funding, you need to spell out how much you need and how youll repay the loan. Step seven: The executive summary Leave this until last, even though it goes right at the beginning. Once youve followed all the other steps, youre in a position to write this stand-alone document, which outlines the key points in your entire plan. Keep it to a maximum of two pages. And remember, some people will only read this section, so make it shine. Tip: rather than trying to distil the full document, follow your original document plan. Just write less in each section this time (a couple of sentences or a paragraph, rather than several pages). Finally, the ink may be dry, but your business and the facilities management industry is constantly changing. Your business plan is a dynamic document, so you need to update it regularly.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Mangment 3000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Mangment 3000 - Essay Example Another factor which can motivate me is the rewards and complements. I always like to deliver 100% in my profession. But if my efforts gone unnoticed or unrecognized, then my enthusiasm might gradually decrease. On the other hand if my outstanding works were properly rewarded or complemented, I will definitely increase my productivity knowingly and unknowingly. I would like to build up my career in my organization and all my efforts were primarily focussed on attaining higher places in my organization. So promotion is the best way of rewarding me for my outstanding performances. I know it is impossible for an organization to reward me with promotions always. Incentives, complements, nice words etc can also motivate me. Managers should have some idea about the motivating factors of their employees. Some employees may be satisfied with incentives or cash rewards while some others may need complements or recognitions. The awareness about these individual differences in motivating factors of the employees will help the manager to make custom made strategies for motivating his subordinates. My perceptions about my profession and my organization are very clear. I work for contributing something meaningful to my organization and for that purpose it is important for me to attain higher places in organization. Moreover, I would like to utilize all my talents for the growth of my society through my organization. I have lot of ideas and perceptions about the changes needed in my organization. I would like to participate actively in my organization’s policy making and decision making bodies. I know very well that I can contribute a lot to my organization if I attain higher places in my organization. I know very well that it is difficult for an organization to reward each and every outstanding works. For example, while working in a group, collective efforts are often required

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Play represents Asia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Play represents Asia - Assignment Example This paper will argue that the play Bicycle by O Tae-sok provides the audience with a unique image of Korea that consists of a number of unusual as well as traditional elements. To begin with, one should define the concept of representation of Asia. It would not be a mistake to point out that this region is extremely vast an diverse; so, a detailed explanation is needed. This particular play represents Korea: a country which has retained some of its traditional ways of life, but has been following a socially accepted paradigm of development for a long time. Indeed, the piece of art in question might be viewed as a metaphor reflection into the past (Lee 211). In addition to that, the historical accuracy is what really makes this play moving (O 4). Thus, one is able to conclude that representation of a particular part of Asia is based on two elements: depiction of traditional elements of culture as well as representation of aspects of social order. The uniqueness of topic that will be discussed is apparent from the very first lines of the play: it puts great emphasis on the notion of duty in the Korean society. There are several examples that might prove it. Thus, the main character has a relative who have survived a horrible fire and considers himself to be guilty of his luck. However, unlike Europeans who would celebrate this, every year he cuts his face, reminding himself that his compatriots died at the hands of the enemy, but he survived. A similar focus on the social duty is seen later in the text when the main character confesses turning in his friend to police because he practiced medicine without license and had almost no knowledge about the topic. The dichotomy between friendship and duty is easily resolved in the Asian society in favor of the latter. Another point which shows a peculiar world of Asia focuses on the important place that is occupied by the bureaucrats in the society. To begin with, one should note

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Classical Civilisation Essay Example for Free

Classical Civilisation Essay To what extent can we reconstruct the palace civilisation of Mycenae? What does the evidence tell us about their society and how they lived?  This Golden Age, kept alive by Homers poetry, tells the story of an advanced society during a period in history adorned by wealth and legends, believed to have been circa 1450 to 1100 BC. Assembling the limited evidence reveals the art and architecture of the Mycenaean World. The remains of the palaces show evidence of a rich civilisation. The later Greeks referred to this period as a Golden Age when men were bigger and stronger than they are now (Homers Iliad). This is a fascinating era glorified with heroes and victory, which almost three millenniums later, still captures the curiosity of so many. The evidence used to reconstruct this period is questionable. There are archaeological finds, which include the sites and the artefacts. It is difficult to draw accurate conclusions from these due to their age. Then there are literary sources such as Homers Iliad and Odyssey. The problem with using these sources is that many people believe that Homer lived around 700BC, which means the stories he tells will have been greatly adapted to his period. Additionally, others argue that there is little evidence proving that the books are not purely fictional. Architecture and construction proves wealth and culture. Increasingly influenced by Crete, the Mycenaeans began to build palaces of their own. Initially they modelled them on Minoan architecture. This implies that they sailed across the sea. Later they began to develop huge fortifications. Palaces were built throughout Hellas. The most famous Greek palace of the Mycenaean period was found at Mycenae, the city of the legendary Agamemnon who was anax of the expedition against Troy. Others were found in Pylos, Thebes, Athens and Iolkos. They were logically constructed and shared the same features, which proves there was a link between them. They were obviously not isolated from one another. One may assume Mycenae was the main palace and possibly had a primitive infrastructure connecting it to the other sites.  The centre of the palace was a columned porch called a megaron (figure 1). A throne would have also been found on one side. This implies they had a King who held an important role in society. The first floor appeared to have been used for storage and the second floor was where the women lived. The materials used to construct these buildings include stone blocks, mud brick, bonding timber and plaster, which proves the Mycenaeans were a resourceful, organised society. Their building technique is known as corbelling, where each successive row of stones in a wall is laid further out than the previous one below it. The palace of Pylos was the only one not to be fortified by huge walls, one of the main features of Mycenaean palaces. There were three types of citadels: polygonal (various shaped blocks neatly fitted together), ashlar (squared blocks neatly fitted  Cyclopean walls 2 The Lions Gate   together) and finally the famous cyclopean walls (huge, irregular stones yielding massive walls) called so because they were so large that it was believed only a Cyclops could have built them (figure 3). The walls at the palace of Mycenae, where The Lions Gate was uncovered in 1841, are 1100 meters long, protecting the dominating power of the Peloponnese (figure 4).  These massive defences also show that the Mycenaeans felt the need to protect themselves from external threats. Houses were built below the citadel, which implies a close community. They were generally self-sufficient homes with a kitchen, altar and hearth. Their furniture was varied and frequently included a plaster bench, tables, foot-stoles and even bathtubs. Their homes appear to have been comfortable.  More isolated homes were also uncovered in the hills (i.e. Mouriatada, on the west coast). The constructions were smaller and did not use such high quality masonry but did include a megaron and private houses. One may deduce from this that wealth peaked in and around the palaces. Water supplies were an equally important construction to ensure survival and well-being. The palace of Athens had a well, built within the walls, making it accessible, even if they were threatened by a siege.  The cistern built at Mycenae at the end of the 13th century, extended underground beyond the walls, making it more vulnerable (figure 5).  The Mycenaeans learned from the Minoans, in crafts, in efficient organisation and in writing. This is concluded from the similar architecture, tablets and pottery found. The wave of palace destructions on Crete around 1450 and the eventual fall of Knossos around1375 marked the start of the most flourishing period for the Mycenaeans. New pottery shapes and styles began. They produced three handled jars, kraters (large bowls) and kylikes (goblets with long stems). Backgrounds were being painted red or black as opposed to light, matt tones. Forms appeared more natural, like the Minoan art. They began to use floral decorations.  Next, the Mycenaean Age adopted geometric patterns and abstract forms on its pottery. They made stirrup jars, yet another indication of Minoan influence. As the civilisation reached its height, so did the art. Vases were mass-produced for export as well as for use on the main land. Evidence of objects from afar were found at the Palace of Knossos, in Crete, which shows signs of huge wealth, probably due to the position of the island, the cross road of the Mediterranean in circa 1400 BC. The Mycenaeans were equally as good tradesmen as the Minoans. Their pottery was found in Sicily, Rhodes, Cyprus, Italy, Asia Minor, Northern Syria and Miletus, which suggests they were good sailors and traded with the east Mediterranean and Europe. In some places their influence seems so strong that one could think that they had permanent strongholds there, what we may consider today a colonisation. However, they were not able to enter Asia Minor because of the Hittites, described as a strong, troublesome civilisation.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays

There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College There are many arguments to support the abolishment of core classes in college. One reason is a financial one: a great bulk of tuition money that the students pay to college is for their courses. It is not right to have the college take this money and make the student's decisions for them. The students should have the right to make this decision on their own. This does not only make for unwisely spent funds, but also unhappy students who are therfore not going appreciate a forced class. Secondly, college is where a person goes to discover him/herself. This is one of the many goals of the college system, and that discovery process is hindered by unneeded, mandatory classes. Students should be able to try many different classes to discover what interests them the most, not to be fed knowledge that they very well might know already (and is perhaps of no interest to them). If required courses were eliminated, it would free up much time that students could then use to pursue their own interests. College exists to help people become unique individuals, not to put every person into the same standard mold. Thirdly, college selection systems are designed to admit most students on the basis of what they know already (after all, the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college). If the selection system was actually accurate or efficient, they would have chosen students who already knew the material that was required, thus not needing to take the core classes. This would save funding for the university because they would not have to teach redundant classes that only review what a student knows. For an institution that promotes self discovery and educational freedom, mandatory courses seem to be dogmatically needless. There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College :: Argumentative Persuasive Argument Essays There Should Not Be Any Required Courses In College There are many arguments to support the abolishment of core classes in college. One reason is a financial one: a great bulk of tuition money that the students pay to college is for their courses. It is not right to have the college take this money and make the student's decisions for them. The students should have the right to make this decision on their own. This does not only make for unwisely spent funds, but also unhappy students who are therfore not going appreciate a forced class. Secondly, college is where a person goes to discover him/herself. This is one of the many goals of the college system, and that discovery process is hindered by unneeded, mandatory classes. Students should be able to try many different classes to discover what interests them the most, not to be fed knowledge that they very well might know already (and is perhaps of no interest to them). If required courses were eliminated, it would free up much time that students could then use to pursue their own interests. College exists to help people become unique individuals, not to put every person into the same standard mold. Thirdly, college selection systems are designed to admit most students on the basis of what they know already (after all, the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college). If the selection system was actually accurate or efficient, they would have chosen students who already knew the material that was required, thus not needing to take the core classes. This would save funding for the university because they would not have to teach redundant classes that only review what a student knows. For an institution that promotes self discovery and educational freedom, mandatory courses seem to be dogmatically needless.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Autobiography of Ruskin Bond Essay

Ruskin Bond was born in a military hospital in [Kasauli] to Edith Clerke and Aubrey Bond. His siblings were Ellen and William. Ruskin’s father was with the Royal Air Force. When Bond was four years old, his mother was separated from his father and married a Punjabi-Hindu, Mr. Hari, who himself had been married once. Bond spent his early childhood in Jamnagar and Shimla. At the age of ten Ruskin went to live at his grandmother’s house in Dehradun after his father’s sudden death in 1944 from malaria. Ruskin was raised by his mother, who remarried an Indian businessman. He completed his schooling at Bishop in Shimla, from where he graduated in 1952 after having been successful in winning several writing competitions in the school like Irwin Divinity Prize, Hailey Literature Prize. Ruskin’s love for books and writing came early to him since his father had surrounded him with books and encouraged him to write little descriptions of nature and he took his son on hikes in the hills. After his high school education he spent four years in England. In London he started writing his first novel, The Room on the Roof, the semi-autobiographical story of the orphaned Anglo-Indian boy Rusty. It won the 1957 John Llewellyn Rhys prize, awarded to a British Commonwealth writer under 30. Bond used the advance money from the book to pay the sea passage to Bombay. He worked for some years as a journalist in Delhi and Dehradun. Since 1963 he has lived as a freelance writer in Mussoorie, a town in the Himalayan foothills. He wrote Vagrants in the Valley, as a sequel to The Room on the Roof. These two novels were published in one volume by Penguin India in 1993. The following year a collection of his non-fiction writings, The Best of Ruskin Bond was published by Penguin India. His interest in the paranormal led him to write popular titles such as Ghost Stories from the Raj, A Season of Ghosts, A Face in the Dark and other Hauntings. The Indian Council for Child Education recognized his pioneering role in the growth of children’s literature in India, and awarded him the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. He received the Padma Shri in 1999. Media-shy, he currently lives in Landour, Mussoorie’s Ivy Cottage, which has been his home since 1964 Filmography Based on Bond’s historical novella A Flight of Pigeons (about an episode during the Indian Rebellion of 1857), the Hindi film Junoon was produced in 1978 by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Shyam Benegal). Ruskin Bond made his maiden big screen appearance with a cameo in Vishal Bhardwaj’s film 7 Khoon Maaf, based on his short story Susanna’s Seven Husbands. Bond appears as a Bishop in the movie with Priyanka Chopra playing the title role.[2] Bond had earlier collaborated with him in the The Blue Umbrella which was also based on his story. Literary style Most of his works are influenced by life in the hill stations at the foothills of the Himalayas, where he spent his childhood. His first novel, The Room On the Roof, was written when he was 17 and published when he was 21. It was partly based on his experiences at Dehra Dun, in his small rented room on the roof, and his friends. Since then he has written over three hundred short stories, essays and novels, including Vagrants in The Valley, The Blue Umbrella, Funny Side Up, A Flight of Pigeons and more than 30 books for children. He has also published two volumes of autobiography. Scenes from a Writer’s Life describes his formative years growing up in Anglo-India; The Lamp is Lit is a collection of essays and episodes from his journal. Bond said that while his autobiographical work, Rain in the Mountains, was about his years spent in Mussoorie, Scenes from a Writer’s Life described his first 21 years. Scenes from a Writer’s Life focuses on Bond’s trip to England, his struggle to find a publisher for his first book The Room on the Roof and his yearning to come back to India, particularly to Doon. â€Å"It also tells a lot about my parents,† said Bond. â€Å"The book ends with the publication of my first novel and my decision to make writing my livelihood,† Bond said, adding, â€Å"basically it describes how I became a writer†. His novel, The Flight of Pigeons, has been adapted into the Merchant Ivory film Junoon. The Room on the Roof has been adapted into a BBC-produced TV series. Several stories have been incorporated in the school curriculum in India, including â€Å"The Night Train at Deoli†, â€Å"Time Stops at Shamli†, and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. In 2007, the Bollywood director Vishal Bharadwaj made a film based on his popular novel for children, The Blue Umbrella. The movie Works †¢ House †¢ Garland of Memories †¢ The Boy Who Broke the Bank †¢ Bus Stop, Pipalnagar †¢ Funny Side Up †¢ Rain in the Mountains-Notes from the Himalayas †¢ Our trees still grow in Dehra †¢ A Season of Ghosts †¢ Tigers Forever †¢ A Town Called Dehra †¢ An island of trees †¢ The Night Train at Deoli †¢ A Face in the Dark and Other Hauntings †¢ Potpourri †¢ The Adventures Of rusty †¢ The Lost Ruby †¢ Crazy times with Uncle Ken †¢ The Death Of Trees †¢ Tales and Legends from India †¢ Hip Hop Nature Boy and Other Poems Novels †¢ Room On The Roof †¢ Vagrants in the Valley †¢ Scenes from a Writer’s Life †¢ Susanna’s Seven Husbands †¢ A Flight of Pigeons †¢ Landour Days – A writers Journal †¢ The Sensualist by Ruskin Bond †¢ The Road To The Bazaar †¢ The Panther’s Moon †¢ Once Upon A Monsoon Time †¢ The India I love †¢ The Kashmiri Storyteller †¢ The Blue Umbrella †¢ The Tiger In The Tunnel †¢ Delhi is Not Far †¢ Animal Stories †¢ Funny side up †¢ Ruskin Bond’s children omnibus Ruskin Bond’s autobiography in Penguin’s Independence list âÅ"“ Scenes from a Writer’s Life, the autobiography of eminent English author Ruskin Bond; will be published in September this year as part of Penguin India’s †50 Years of Independence† series. âÅ"“ Bond said that while his earlier autobiographical work, Rain in the Mountains was about his long years spent in Mussoorie, Scenes from a Writer’s Lifedescribed his first 21 years. âÅ"“ â€Å"Looking back, I find that those earlier years of my life have more incidents resulting from youthful enthusiasm,† said the writer. â€Å"Two-thirds of the book talks about my life in Dehra Dun as a young boy,† he added. âÅ"“ Scenes from a Writer’s Life dwells on Bond’s trip to England, his struggle to find a publisher for his first book The Room on the Roof and his yearning to come back to India, particularly to Doon. â€Å"It also tells a lot about my parents,† said Bond. âÅ"“ â€Å"The book ends with the publication of my first novel and my decision to make writing my livelihood,† Bond said, adding, â€Å"Basically it describes how I became a writer.† âÅ"“ Speaking of his life in the mountains over the past four decades, Bond says, â€Å"Given the choice, I would not have done differently. When you have received love from people, and the freedom that only the mountains can give, then you have come very near the borders of heaven.† âÅ"“ Other books to be published by Penguin India as part of this series include Satish Gujral’s A Brush With Life (memoirs), R K Laxman’s comic account of his life titled, The Tunnel of Time, B K Karanjia’s Godrej: A Hundred Years, and R K Narayan’s collection of essays titled How to be a Writer in India and Other Uncollected Essays. âÅ"“ To mark the 50th anniversary of Partition, Penguin India is publishing a selection of stories by Saadat Hasan Manto titled Mottled Dawn: Fifty Sketches and Stories of Partition. Urvashi Butalia’s Partition Voices is a meticulous account of the traumatic event, recorded in the voice of survivors and others on whom Partition left its imprint. âÅ"“ Colours of Independence, a lavishly illustrated art book, is also being brought out on the occasion. In this book, 50 of India’s finest painters and artists interpret, through original paintings and drawings, the 50 key events in the country’s life since Independence. Short Information about Ruskin Bond: âÅ"“ Ruskin Bond was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on 19th May, 1934, and grew up in Shimla, Jamnagar, Dehradun and Mussoorie. As a young man, he spent four years in the Channel Island and London. He now lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his adopted family. âÅ"“ In the course of a writing career spanning thirty five years, he has written over a hundred short stories, essays, novels and more than thirty books for children. Three collections of short stories, The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra have been published by Penguin India. He has also edited two anthologies, The Penguin Book of Indian Ghost Stories and The Penguin Book of Indian Railway Stories. Bonds writing is greatly influenced by the hills, and the valley of Dehra Dun, where he spent his childhood. Ruskin Bonds first novel, The Room on the Roof, written when he was seventeen, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize in 1957. Vagrants in the Valley was also written in his teens and picks up from where The Room leaves off. These two novellas were published in one volume in 1993. His non-fiction writing, Rain in the Mountains was also much acclaimed. Since then he has written several novellas (including Vagrants in the Valley, A Flight of Pigeons and Delhi Is Not Far), essays, poems and children books. Ruskin Bond has also written over 500 short stories and articles that have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies. His novel, The Flight of Pigeons was adapted into a movie, Junoon. He received the Sahitya Academy Award in 1992 for Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra and the Padma Shri in 1999 for children literature Life and works Bond started displaying his literary talent in England. He wrote his first novel named ‘Room On The Roof’ when he was all of 17 years. The book made him win prestigious ‘John Llewellyn Rhys’ Prize that is awarded to British Commonwealth Writers who are under the age of 30. The book was primarily based in and around Himalayas and was successful in capturing its beauty and ethos in a manner that was never tried before. Its sequel named ‘Vagrants in the Valley’ followed it. Riding on the success of these two novels, Ruskin took the journey back home. Ruskin Bond has now been writing for more than 5 decades. He has stressed more on the local elements of Himalayas in his writings. His writing style is distinct in a way that it tries to make reader understand the landscape and ethos through carefully mastered words. His writings have won him both tremendous critical acclaim as well as a long list of fans through out the literary world. Replete with unassuming humor and quiet wisdom, his stories manifest a deep love for nature and people. His mesmerizing descriptions about the flora and fauna of Himalayas can not be missed in his 100 something short stories, essays, novels, and more than thirty books of children that he has written. His works has inspired several generations of writers, authors and scriptwriters. His novel named ‘The Flight of Pigeons’ has been adapted into the acclaimed Merchant Ivory film Junoon. Another less known novel named ‘The Room on the Roof’ has been adapted in to a BBC produced TV series. Nevertheless his greatest achievement comes from the fact that several of his short stories from his collections have been incorporated in the school curriculum all over India. It includes jewels such as The Night Train at Deoli, Time Stops at Shamli and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra. In spite of all these successes, Bond can be concluded today as a media-shy and reclusive literary genius. He spends his days with his adopted family at a place close to Dehradun. He received the Sahitya Academy Award for English writing in India for ‘Our Trees Still grows in Dehra’ in 1992. He has also been conferred with Padma Shri, one of the most prestigious civil awards in Ind ia.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

A Divine Image: a Direct Contrast to the Humanitarian Idealism Essay

In his 1932 article, â€Å"An Interpretation of Blake’s â€Å"‘A Divine Image,'† Stephen Larrabee views the entire poem as a direct contrast to the â€Å"humanitarian idealism† (307) of â€Å"The Divine Image,† with the author making direct line-by-line comparisons of the two. Not until 1959, however, does a critic actually examine Blake’s â€Å"virtues of delight.† In his The Piper & the Bard: A Study of William Blake, Robert Gleckner traces the psychological roots of each of those virtues, while asserting that Mercy, Pity, and Peace are each a part of, but distinct from, the fourth and greatest virtue – Love. Gleckner finally affirms the â€Å"human form divine† as a composite of all of the four virtues. Gleckner returns in 1961 with a comparison between â€Å"The Divine Image† and â€Å"The Human Abstract.† While primarily concerned with â€Å"The Human Abstract,† Gleckner does position the unity o f humanity and divinity in the four virtues of â€Å"The Divine Image† against the fall into fragmentation of the later poem. Gleckner also dismisses â€Å"A Divine Image,† the poem sometimes compared with â€Å"The Divine Image,† as a work with no subtlety of theme. Another comparison between â€Å"The Divine Image† and â€Å"The Human Abstract† occurs in Harold Bloom’s 1963 text, Blake’s Apocalypse: A Study in Poetic Argument. Here, Bloom asserts the deliberate incompleteness of â€Å"The Divine Image† by arguing that its God is a â€Å"monster of abstractions, formed out of the supposedly human element in each of Innocence’s four prime virtues† (41). Bloom continues by exploring the changes in the virtues from one poem to the other, finally exposing them as â€Å"founded upon the exploiting selfishness of natural man† (143). â€Å"The Divine Image† receives due critical recognition for the first time in 1964, when E. D. Hirsch asserts the centrality of the poem to the Songs of Innocence and of Experience by proposing as its them e the divinity of humanity and the humanity of divinity. Hirsch theorizes that Blake’s choice of virtues reveals his identification with God the Son (the New Testament God) over God the Father (the Old Testament God). In his 1967 discussion of the Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Sir Geoffrey Keynes concerns himself primarily with the plate of â€Å"The Divine Image.† Keynes first affirms the theme of the poem as â€Å"the identification of man with God† (Plate 18), and he then continues by arguing that the decoration on the plate – â€Å"a strange flame-like growth, half vegetable and half fire† (Plate 18) – is a symbol of human life. Meanwhile, David J. Smith returns to a comparison between â€Å"The Divine Image† and â€Å"A Divine Image† in a 1967 article entitled, appropriately enough, â€Å"Blake’s ‘The Divine Image.'† According to Smith, the less definite â€Å"A† in the title â€Å"A Divine Image† allows him to compare that poem’s remotely situated God with the immanent God of â€Å"The Divine Image.† Smith continues by placing the poetic speaker of â€Å"The Divine Image† in a state of innocence, thus explaining the â€Å"simplistic† unity of the virtues in the poem. John Holloway enters the critical discussion concerning â€Å"The Divine Image† in his 1968 text, Blake: The Lyric Poetry. In his rather straight, new-critical reading of Blake’s poems, Holloway compares the diction and meter of â€Å"The Divine Image† with that of hymns of the period. Holloway asserts that the poem contains no visionary quality because it is too neatly constructed – and because that neat construction invites a retort by the reader. Eben Bass’s 1970 article, â€Å"Songs of Innocence and of Experience: The Thrust of Design,† contains a narrow discussion of the relationship between the reversed â€Å"S† curve of the flame-plant in the plate of â€Å"The Divine Image† and Blake’s dramatization of the â€Å"two contrary statesà ¢â‚¬  of humanity. Robert Gleckner returns to the critical conversation in 1977 with his note concerning â€Å"Blake and the Four Daughters of God.† In this brief article, Gleckner argues that the allegory of the Four Daughters of God may be a source for Blake’s four virtues in â€Å"The Divine Image.† Gleckner continues by positing that Blake’s replacement of two of the â€Å"daughters† – Truth and Justice – with the virtues of Pity and Love might reveal his affirmation of the unity of divinity and humanity, for Truth and Justice may be viewed as Old Testament moral virtues that are bypassed by the New Testament Christ. Zachary Leader approaches the plate of â€Å"The Divine Image† from a different angle when he asserts in 1981 that the plate reinforces the poem’s theme (God as both transcendent and immanent) by positioning a Christ figure at the plate’s bottom (Earth) and angelic figures at the plate’s top (Heaven). Leader argues that the abstract quality of the poem reflects Blake’s dilemma in dealing with the qualities of an abstract God. Heather Gle n’s thorough examination of â€Å"The Divine Image† in her 1983 work, Vision and Disenchantment: Blake’s Songs and Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballads, posits Blake’s poem as an â€Å"exploration of the dynamics of prayer† (150) by comparing it with Alexander Pope’s â€Å"The Universal Prayer.† Glen demonstrates the similarities between the structure of â€Å"The Divine Image† and the structure of a scientific experiment. She then proves that the poem moves from the abstraction of the four virtues to their embodiment in the human form divine. Finally, Glen reveals the two-edged nature of the virtues of Mercy and Pity by arguing that each contains a presumption of inequality within itself (an argument somewhat similar to that made by Bloom in Blake’s Apocalypse). Stanley Gardner briefly notes the plate of â€Å"The Divine Image† in his 1986 text, Blake’s Innocence and Experience Retraced. Gardner asserts that the design of the plate deals with the â€Å"ideal of reconciliation derived from the fulfillment of Christian compassion† (54). David Lindsay also concerns himself with the abstract virtues of â€Å"The Divine Image† in his 1989 work, Reading Blake’s Songs. Lindsay demonstrates the transforming power that â€Å"The Human Abstract† has upon the virtues of â€Å"The Divine Image† by asserting that the idolatry of the concepts of pity and mercy â€Å"propagates the suffering on which its idols thrive† (80). Finally (and perhaps fittingly), E. P. Thompson positions â€Å"The Divine Image† as the â€Å"axle upon which the Songs of Innocence turn† (146) in his 1993 text, Witness against the Beast: William Blake and the Moral Law. Thompson continues by exposing the â€Å"egalitarian humanism† (153) that underlies â€Å"The Divine Image.† According to Thompson, the poem concerns not divine humanity, but human divinity. Thompson does assert (like Hirsch) that Blake emphasizes the humanity of God the Son over the divinity of God the Father, but he concludes by demonstrating that the poet does not elevate Christ above the rest of the moral creation that shares in the same divine essence.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II

USS Colorado (BB-45) in World War II The fifth and final class  of Standard-type battleship  (Nevada, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Tennessee) designed for the US Navy, the Colorado-class was an evolution of its predecessors.   Devised prior to the building of the Nevada-class, the Standard-type concept called for vessels that had similar operational and tactical traits. This would allow all battleship units in the fleet to operate together without concern for issues of speed and turning radius. As the Standard-type ships were intended to be the backbone of the fleet, earlier dreadnought classes ranging from the South Carolina- to the New York-classes were increasingly moved to secondary duties.   Among the characteristics found in the Standard-type battleships were the use of oil-fired boilers instead of coal and the employment of an  Ã¢â‚¬Å"all or nothing† armor arrangement.   This protection scheme called for important areas of the battleship, such as magazines and engineering, to be heavily protected while less critical spaces were left unarmored. It also saw the armored deck in each ship raised a level so that its edge was in line with the main armor belt. In terms of performance, Standard-type battleships were to possess a tactical turn radius of 700 yards or less and a minimum top speed of 21 knots.    Design Though largely identical to the preceding Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class instead carried eight 16 guns in four twin turrets as opposed to the earlier ships which mounted twelve 14 guns in four triple turrets. The US Navy had been discussing the use of 16 guns for several years and following successful tests of the weapon, debate ensued regarding their use on the earlier Standard-type designs. This did not occur due to the cost involved in altering these designs and increasing their tonnage to accommodate the new guns.   In 1917, Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels finally authorized the use of 16 guns on the condition that the new class not incorporate any other major design changes. The Colorado-class also mounted a secondary battery of twelve to fourteen 5 guns and an anti-aircraft armament of four 3 guns.    As with the Tennessee-class, the Colorado-class utilized eight oil-fired Babcock Wilcox water-tube boilers supported by a turbo-electric transmission for propulsion. This type of transmission was preferred as it allowed the vessels turbines to operate at optimum speed regardless of how fast the ships four propellers were turning. This led to an increase in fuel efficiency and improved the ships overall range. It also permitted a greater subdivision of the vessels machinery which enhanced its ability to withstand torpedo strikes. Construction The lead ship of the class, USS Colorado (BB-45) commenced construction at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden, NJ on May 29, 1919. Work progressed on the hull and on March 22, 1921, it slid down the ways with Ruth Melville, daughter of Colorado Senator Samuel D. Nicholson, serving as sponsor. Following another two years of work, Colorado reached completion and entered commission on August 30, 1923, with Captain Reginald R. Belknap in command. Finishing its initial shakedown, the new battleship conducted a European cruise which saw it visit Portsmouth, Cherbourg, Villefranche, Naples, and Gibraltar before returning to New York on February 15, 1924. Overview: Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, NJLaid Down:  May  29, 1919Launched:  March  22, 1921Commissioned:  August 20, 1923Fate:  Sold for scrap Specifications (as built) Displacement:  32,600  tonsLength:  624  ft., 3 in.Beam:  97  ft., 6 in.Draft:  38  ft.Propulsion:  Turbo-electric transmission  turning 4 propellersSpeed:  21  knotsComplement:  1,080  men Armament (as built) 8 Ãâ€" 16  in. gun (4  Ãƒâ€" 2)12  Ãƒâ€" 5 in. guns8 Ãâ€" 3 in. guns2 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes Interwar Years Undergoing routine repairs,  Colorado  received orders to sail for the West Coast on July 11.   Reaching San Francisco in mid-September, the battleship joined the Battle Fleet. Operating with this force for the next several years,  Colorado  engaged in a goodwill cruise to Australia and New Zealand in 1925. Two years later, the battleship ran aground on Diamond Shoals off Cape Hatteras. Held in place for a day, it was eventually refloated with minimal damage. A year later, it entered the yard for enhancements to its anti-aircraft armament. This saw the removal of the original 3 guns and the installation of eight 5 guns. Resuming peacetime activities in the Pacific,  Colorado  periodically shifted to the Caribbean for exercises and aided the victims of an earthquake in Long Beach, CA in 1933. Four years later, embarked a contingent of NROTC students from the University of Washington and the University of California-Berkeley for a summer training cruise. While operating off Hawaii, the cruise was interrupted when Colorado was ordered assist in search efforts following the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Arriving in the Phoenix Islands, the battleship launched scout planes but could not locate the famed pilot. Arriving in Hawaiian waters for Fleet Exercise XXI in April 1940,  Colorado  remained in the area until June 25, 1941 when it departed for Puget Sound Navy Yard. Entering the yard for a major overhaul, it was there when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7. World War II Returning to active operations on March 31, 1942,  Colorado  steamed south and later joined USS  Maryland  (BB-46) to aid in the defense of the West Coast. Training through the summer, the battleship shifted to Fiji and the New Hebrides in November. Operating in this vicinity until September 1943,  Colorado  then returned to Pearl Harbor  to prepare for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands. Sailing in November, it made its combat debut by providing fire support for the landings on  Tarawa. After aiding troops ashore,  Colorado  traveled to the West Coast for a brief overhaul. Arriving back in Hawaii in January 1944, it sailed for the Marshall Islands on the 22nd.   Reaching Kwajalein,  Colorado  pounded Japanese positions ashore and aided in the invasion of the island  before fulfilling a similar role off Eniwetok. Overhauled at Puget Sound that spring, Colorado departed on May 5 and joined Allied forces in preparing for the Marianas Campaign. Beginning on June 14, the battleship commenced striking targets on Saipan, Tinian, and Guam. Supporting the landings on Tinian on July 24, Colorado sustained 22 hits from Japanese shore batteries which killed 44 of the ships crew.   Despite this damage, the battleship continued to operate against the enemy until August 3. Departing, it underwent repairs on the West Coast before rejoining the fleet for operations against Leyte. Arriving in the Philippines on November 20, Colorado provided naval gunfire support for Allied troops ashore. On November 27, the battleship took two kamikaze hits which killed 19 and wounded 72. Though damaged, Colorado struck targets on Mindoro in early December before withdrawing to Manus for repairs. With the completion of this work, Colorado steamed north to cover the landings in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon on January 1, 1945.   Nine days later, friendly fire struck the battleships superstructure killing 18 and injuring 51. Retiring to Ulithi, Colorado next saw action in late March as it hit targets on Okinawa prior to the Allied invasion. Holding a position offshore, it continued to attack Japanese targets on the island until May 22 when it departed for Leyte Gulf. Returning to Okinawa on August 6, Colorado moved north later in the month following the end of hostilities. After covering the landing of occupation forces at Atsugi Airfield near Tokyo, it sailed for San Francisco. Following a brief visit, Colorado moved north to participate in Navy Day festivities at Seattle.   Final Actions Ordered to take part in Operation Magic Carpet, Colorado made three voyages to Pearl Harbor to transport American servicemen home. In the course of these trips, 6,357 men returned to the United States aboard the battleship. Moving to Puget Sound, Colorado left commission on January 7, 1947.   Retained in reserve for twelve years, it was sold for scrap on July 23, 1959.