Spanish Countries Essay Essay Example for Free

Spanish Countries Essay Essay Now that we are in the 21st century the idea of a global village is fast becoming a reality, it is vital that we enlarge our worldview and reach an understanding of, and appreciation for, the cultures of the other peoples who share the planet with us. As cultural beings, we are raised with an certain way of giving order to the world around us but I also believe that we should embrace the cultures of those around the world. Known for its beauty extravagant tourist’s attractions the Caribbean island of Cuba, a communist state, is a multiracial society with a population of mostly Spanish and African origin. The island is known as the Republic of Cuba. Cuba is just ninety miles south of Key West, Florida; therefore its climate is subtropical or temperate. The climate is between 70Â °f and 81Â °. Cuba has a dry season between November to April and a wet season between May and October. Having such wonderful weather regularly makes Cuba an ideal tourist’s hot spot. Beautiful beaches and hotels also make the island a more desirable place to be. When in Cuba, there are more than enough things to do. Spain is a country on the Iberian Peninsula, and surrounded on the north by France, and Andorra on the east by the Mediterranean Sea. The capital and largest city is Madrid has a population of 3,010,492. The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples. Their population includes a mixture of ethnicities such as Roman, Mediterranean, Suevi, Vandals, and Visigoths, Teutonic people. Known for its natural beauty and people is a small country located in Central America. Located between the countries of Nicaragua and Panama, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea is the Republic of Costa Rica. Even though it is a small country it has a very diverse landscape and a variety of weather as well. One unusual aspect of Costa Rica is that the country has no army and instead of a national hero being a general it is a young barefoot farmer. Costa Rica prides on the idea that they have gained through evolution what other countries have tried to attain through revolution.

Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Renaissance Essay We mark Italian societys rebirth from the medieval period with the changes that occurred during the Italian Renaissance. Civilization was changing and what we consider the modern world was about to begin. The renaissance activity that happened in Europe outside of Italy is called the Northern European Renaissance. Italys humanist ideas and values moved out of Italy and throughout Europe, which spurred on the Northern European Renaissance. The Renaissance period began in the early 14th Century and lasted until the late 16th Century. Renaissance† comes from the French word that means â€Å"rebirth. † This time period is named and studied because of its unique art, literature, and music. It is also known as societys modern age. The Renaissance was a period of great cultural and technological changes which swept Europe from the end of the 13th century. It was integral in developing Europe was subjected to different changes there were two primary renaissance which were most notable. They were the Italian and the Northern renaissance. Both of the renaissance had a profound impact on Europe. But they also had some typical differences among them and each was unique in its own way. Early in the 14th Century, Italian scholars started to study the ancient cultures that preceded them, like those of Greece and the Roman Empire. This scholarly interest would lead to the Italian Renaissance. Italy and Europe was ready for change after the harrowing destruction of the Black Plague in the Middle Ages. Florence, Italy, was the home of the start of the Renaissance. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, culture, politics, and the arts had only been in decline. Petrarch advocated learning about Italys Latin and Roman history. The Pope and the royalty liked this idea, so other scholars begun to study in the same vein. These scholars valued the accomplishments of the Romans, but they wanted to improve on their society instead of blindly trying to recreate the same thing. These scholars wrote books that would stimulate Italians thinking and give them a new purpose. Italy was divided into distinct city-states, which gave them a more modern, and regional, cultural outlook. The city-states thrived, banking increased, and trade became more important. As Italian society became wealthier, they could strengthen their culture and their ideologies became entrenched. Wealthy people had the means to patronize and fund artists. Scientific development spurred Humanism as well as some of historys most important artists. Architecture evolved beyond the Gothic. The Renaissance period is considered the intellectual birth of modern society. Most thinkers were concerned with humanity and how to become a good and honorable person. The European, but not Italian, renaissance period is called the Northern European Renaissance. Similar growth in society and culture happened in Northern Europe as occurred in Italy during this time. This architecture did not change munch in the beginning, and did not stray far from the Gothic style that preceded it. Humanist changes resembling those in Italy also happened in the culture of Northern Europe. The Italian Renaissance focused its questions on humanity and mans ability to grow and develop. The Northern European Renaissance, though, focused on the secular reform of society and government. As Italian society changed as a result of their Renaissance, the people of Northern Europe became uneasy with Rome and the Popes control of their church. They thought that Italian powers had slipped away from traditional, strict, Christian belief and dogma. They began to strive to reform the church. The Italian Renaissance and the Northern European Renaissance did not happen in exactly the same ways. Italy grew and prospered with their city-state governance, while an aristocracy still controlled Northern Europe. Wealthy Italians patronized the arts, while in Northern Europe the arts were funded by the rulers and the church. Renaissance period art was bright and realistic, and the art of the Northern European Renaissance also followed this Italian style. Artists in Italy tended to work on paintings, sculpture, and architecture. In Northern Europe, artists created furniture, tapestries, and manuscripts. Europes wealthy had a lot of homes; they needed a lot of furniture and decorations. Literature in both regions was concerned with humans and humanity. Italians explored the idea that man was rational and decided rationally how to be a good person. Literature in Northern Europe was more concerned with the Catholic Churchs humanity and how to reform the church. Both areas wanted to reform the church – Northern Europe was more concerned with religion. Art in the Italian Renaissance was paid for by wealthy people. This art was concerned with nature. This art used a contrast between dark and light, 3D perspective, and human images. Northern European art used similar methods as Italian artists, but they were more concerned with depicting religion. Italian art used scenes from religion, mythology, the natural world, and eroticism. Northern European artists made portraits, scenes from the Bible, and tapestries. Aristocrats and the church owned most of the artwork. Below and to the left is a tapestry woven during the Northern European Renaissance called The Wedding Dance. This tapestry was made by the artist Peter Brueghel from the Netherlands. Not many pieces focused on the lives of everyday people as this one did – most were religious in nature instead. The work below and to-the-right is emblematic of the Italian Renaissance. It was pained by Giorgio Vasari.

Support For A Person With Disability

Support For A Person With Disability The  Imbecile Passengers Act 1882, have discouraged disabled people from settling in New Zealand. They had required a bond from the person liable for a ship that disembark any person lunatic, idiotic, deaf, dumb and blind who might become a charge on public or charitable institutions. In 1899, The  Immigration Restriction Act was made and  included in its list of restricted immigrants any idiot or insane individual and those agonizing from contagious/ infectious diseases. The purpose of such policies and strategies was to discourage disabled people immigrating to New Zealand. The government believed that they will become burden to the country and they would not want to waste government funds on them. They saw people with disabilities as a liability and can no way contribute for the betterment of the country. Funding: Support for a person with disability usually came from their own families. Any financial support that they received were from charitable organisations. Attitudes/Stereotypes: Disabled persons were regarded as useless that is why the government has established and implemented laws and policies to stop them from coming to the country. People with disability were perceived as a burden or an outcast. Terminology/Barriers: People in this era called disabled people dumb, lunatic, idiot, deaf and blind. They were often regarded as crazy. Labelling them as dumb means that they lack intelligence or they are stupid. The language that they used created barrier for the person with disability to even develop relationship with other people. Knowing that they were crazy or stupid the society has avoided and treated them as if they have no feelings. 1900 Strategies and Policies: The Mental Defectives Act 1911 had made a distinction among individuals of unsound mind, mentally infirm, idiots, imbeciles, the feeble minded and epileptics.In 1916, the New Zealand Census identified people who were deaf and dumb, blind, lunatics, idiots, epileptics, paralysed, crippled and/or deformed. Devices and special apparatus were put in place to identify defective children. Standardized care was emphasized especially for mentally incapable person. Children with special needs were not allowed to go to school and they were put away in institutions.Some of the positive actions that came out during this period was the Plunket organisation. This organisation was focused on providing care and assistance to children with disabilities and their mother as well. After the world war, majority of the soldiers returning home were suffering from mental illness and physical impairments. The public challenged the government to provide services for the returning soldiers such as psychiatric treatment, physiotherapy and plastic surgery. During this era, the rehabilitation of the mentally and physically impaired into nation was given importance. The Disabled Servicemens League further developed the medical rehabilitation for ex-servicemen. In 1954, services offered by the organization became open to the public. Funding: In 1950s and 1960s,the orientation towards large institutions for disabled people began to be challenged during the. IHC has set up day care centres, occupational groups and residential care homes. At the same time it followed a more rights-based way in seeking suitable learning facilities for their children. The governments access to services for disabled people became more community and rights based during 1970s. After the 1972 Royal Commission into Psychopaedic Hospitals, the authority funds were increasingly focused into building small residential care facilities rather than large institutions. Attitudes/Stereotypes: The 19th century saw greater separation of disabled people. The workforce had to be more physically consistent to perform everyday factory operations. Disabled individuals were cast off. They were pictured as worthy poor, in contrary to work-shy unworthy poor, and was given Poor Law Relief (money from public funds. They became more dependent on the medical calling for benefits, treatments and cures. Special schools and day-centres were set up separately which denied disabled and non-disabled people the day-to-day experience of living and growing up together. Terminology/Barrier: Disabled people were called cripple, epileptics, feeble minded, paralysed and deformed. They were labelled according to their appearance or illness. This has led to harsh criticisms and they became the object of bullying. The barrier is that due to their physical deformities, they became different and made them stand out so right away people would notice them. 2000 onwards Strategies and policies In 2000/2001, the government developed the New Zealand Disability Strategy. With the implementation of the new strategy, care for the disabled people has changed dramatically. Before, medical model was used which focuses on the treatment and rehabilitation of the impairments. Nowadays, the Strategy was based on the social model of disability. The model suggests that disabilities occur due to society unable to accommodate the disabled peoples needs. The aim of New Zealand Disability Strategy is to ensure that the person with disability is able to live his life on his/her own term and that their rights are protected all the time. Office for Disability Issues was set up in year 2002. Focusing on disability across government and to lead the implementation and monitoring of the New Zealand Disability Strategy was its main goal.In 2004, the New Zealand Sign Language Bill was made and introduced into Parliament. It proposed recognising New Zealand Sign Language as the third, official language in the country. New Zealand has taken a leading role at the United Nations in the growth of the agreement making absolute rights of disabled people. Funding The Labour-Alliance Coalition Government initiated a health system reform. In 2001, 21 District Health Boards (DHBs) were formed. Primary Health Organisation (PHOs) were developed in 2002 to manage primary care, including general practitioners and their services. New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 Attitude/ stereotype For most of the 20th century, disability was thought to be a problem inherent in individuals. This is commonly known as the medical model, where disability was seen as being something wrong with a person, which could be cured or at least contained. Solutions to the problem of disability took the form of government and wider society helping to fix or accommodate the problems of those afflicted individuals. This was often by segregating people with the problem and providing a service (such as an institution) to meet their special needs. As a result, the human needs of many individuals were unmet. Terminology/ barriers During this era, the publics view on disabled people has changed. they have accepted these people on what they are now and has stopped criticizing by not calling them degrading names. Instead of calling them confined to wheelchair or wheelchair-bound, they have changed it to having an impairment with their mobility. This era has also considered disabled people in public areas. Nowadays, they are now prioritized as evidenced by accessible toilets, mobility parking and priority lanes. Service provision and Access framework There are a lot of support services available for people with disabilities which are funded by the Ministry of Health. Below are some of the services: Behaviour Support Services are for people with intellectual disabilities who pose challenging behaviours which make it difficult for them to engage in social activities and develop relationship. Talk to the local needs assessment and service coordination (NASC) for a referral. The NASC will then assess your eligibility for the Ministry-funded Disability Support Services. If accepted, they will work out which service will best meet the needs of the person, their family/whanau and other networks. Supported Living is a service that helps disabled people to live independently by providing support in those areas of their life where help is needed. This service is available to anyone aged 17 and older. He/she should also be assessed for credibility. With Supported Living, youll identify the areas where you need help. These are written in a personal plan. Areas where support may be needed could include using community facilities, shopping, budgeting or cooking and help them in dealing with agencies such as WINZ or other bank. A support worker will work with you, usually at your home, but support will be provided at times and places that are agreed. This support is provided by an organisation that is contracted to Disability Support Services at the Ministry of Health. How do I access Supported Living? Talk to a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination (NASC) organisation about getting Supported Living. Theyll assess you to make sure youre eligible and that supported living is the right service for you. The NASC will then provide information about the Supported Living providers in your area and you can choose who you would like to provide this service. You may wish to gather further information about the providers before making your choice.

The Challenges of Being a Black Man in America Essay -- Racism, Prejud

"Black Lung" is a chronic disease of the lungs mostly associated with coal miners; "Black Magic" is the practice of witchcraft; illegal transactions take place in a a "Black Market"; a "Black Sheep" is a person who does not have the same values or behavior as their family. How does all this pertain to being a black man in America today? These examples indicate that the English language is prejudiced, and the process of learning the language teaches prejudice and passes on racist ideas to children as they learn to communicate. This results is the racist American society which we see today. However, before dealing with the burden of blackness, let us dive into what race really is. Some believe that race is a biological term, understandably so. People with similar physical appearance, such as eye shape or color, could be assumed to be of the same heritage, but this is not always true. According to the authors of Intercultural Competence, "Contrary to popular notions . . . race is not primarily a biological term; it is a political and societal one that was invented to justify economic and social distinctions. . . . One's 'race' is best understood as a social and legal construction" (32). Since race is not inherent or "naturally ordained" but a social and legal construction, the use of this term is subjective. One's "blackness" or "whiteness" is dependent on how society defines it. What are white and black anyway? As people of different origins and of different heritages, the average American is a "mutt" (of mixed ancestry). What defines what "race" the average American is or what race you are? The color you turn out to be? Is Stacy, a person who is ninety-five percent "white" and five percent "black," considered black because th... ...g the meaning to a human being. As the unknown poet said, illustrating how so many others feel: "But in his mind it wasn't lost, the one undeniable fact/That in a land of justice for all, he always would be BLACK." Works Cited Bradshaw, York W., Joseph F. Healey, and Rebecca Smith. Sociology for a New Century. Boston: Pine Forge Press, 2001. DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. 1903. New York: Bantam, 1989. Gazzaniga, Michael, and Todd F. Heatherton. Psychological Science. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2003. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Wheaton: Tyndale, 1996. Lustig, Myron W., and Jolene Koester. Intercultural Competence. 4th ed. San Francisco: Allyn and Bacon, 2003. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary Online http//www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/thesaurus. Rottenberg, Annette T. Elements of Argument. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

The Most Important Event of World War Two Essay -- World War Two Japan

The Most Important Event of World War Two   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was quite probably the most important event of World War II. Its consequences were greater than those of any other event of the war. On the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay flew over the Japanese industrial city of Hiroshima and dropped the first atomic bomb through its hatches. The city went up in a fireball, causing destruction unlike anything the world had ever seen. The fact that it killed one hundred thousand people instantly made the atomic bomb known as an instrument of terrible destruction, the fact that it helped bring about the Japanese surrender and thus ended the Pacific war made the bomb an effective deterrent of war. Even now, after almost fifty years since the â€Å"nightmare,† one only remembers the devastation after the A-bomb exploded, forgetting all the hard work it took to bring the remarkable weapon to life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story began when on August 2, 1939, a month before World War II began in Europe, Albert Einstein signed a letter addressed to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Concede in careful terms, the letter stated that recent nuclear research indicated extremely powerful bombs of a new type, based on Uranium, might soon be possible. Einstein warned that the secret work with Uranium was going on in Nazi Germany. He urged that similar American research be accelerated. Roosevelt filled with fear that Nazi Germany would develop the bomb first, marked Einstein’s letter for action. Eleven days after President Roosevelt authorized the go-ahead for the Manhattan project, the Japanese, too, without American knowledge, entered the race to develop an atomic bomb.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As the research for the first atomic bomb started, the military began its own preparation to use the atomic bomb. On Tuesday, August 29, 1944, General Barney Giles, assistant Chief of Air staff, decided that a well-respected Lieutenant Colonel Paul Tibbet should be awarded the honor of flying the first atomic mission. General Ent formally assigned the 393rd Heavy Bombardment Squadron, based in Nebraska, to Colonel Tibbet. Its fifteen bomber crews would provide the world’s first atomic strike force capable of delivering nuclear bombs on Germany and Japan. Their training base was at Wendover, Utah and the code name this project was named â€Å"Silverplate.† Tibbet was warned to commit as little as possible on pape... ...ing in its path. Hiroshima along with the crew of 509th composite group at that historic point guaranteed a page for themselves in the history books.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On August 9, another nuclear bomb was dropped, but this time on the port city of Nagasaki. Many more bombs were being readied, but President Truman gave orders to halt the attacks, saying he didn’t like the killings of â€Å"all those kids.† In the face of die-hard military opposition at home, Emperor Hirohita forced the issue of surrender and acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. â€Å"I cannot bear to see my innocent people suffer any longer,† he said, â€Å"ending the war is the only way to relieve the nation from the terrible distress with which it is burdened†¦The time has come when we must bear the unbearable.† (Thomas 323) The war was over. American celebrated August 14 as Victory over Japan day (VJ-Day), church bells rang, jubilant crowds danced in the streets, fireworks filled the skies, and war weary citizens from New York to San Francisco greeted the peace with flourish of uncorked energy. As Americans celebrated, the Japanese grieved for a nation defeated in war and for two cities sacrificed for the cause of peace.

Deciphering RU-486 Essays -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Deciphering RU-486 When told there is a drug available that may prove useful in the treatment of everything from cancer to HIV to Alzheimer ¹s Disease (1), the tendency would be to ask why its use isn ¹t more pervasive. Conversely, when told there is a drug that functions to terminate unwanted pregnancies as well as preventing them from occurring at all (1), it would be more likely to call into question the ethics of such a design. However, when considering a drug that does all these things, the need to see everything as black and white suddenly becomes less easily met. The drug RU-486, simultaneously vilified by anti-abortion advocates and praised by many research scientists, is just such a drug, and it presents a decidedly modern moral dilemma. Its inhibitory effects on the hormone progesterone are fairly effective in ending a pregnancy in its early stages (1), with this aspect of the drug being successfully marketed in Europe (6) prior to its more recent entrance into this country (13). Its othe r uses have been less widely publicized, largely because to an extent they are just being developed. RU-486 appears to also have an inhibitory effect on the class of stress hormones known as glucocorticoids, which have been recognized as being extremely harmful to the body in a whole host of ways given a high enough concentration. With the high-stress lifestyles we lead today and little evolutionary back-up to deal with that, it is imperative that we come up with a method of treating stress-related illness. It is worth considering at what point the more controversial use of RU-486 should be put aside to allow its beneficial features to achieve their fullest potential. The clinical efficacy of RU-486 comes in its ability to bind to... ... 6) Feminist Majority Foundation Reports on Mifepristone http://www.feminist.org/gateway/ru486one.html 7) Unleashing the Killer Pill: RU-486 Dangers, Lies, and Nazi/Communist Roots Exposed http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a21faea3ba6.htm 8) The RU-486 Files http://www.ru486.org/ 9) Penn Scientists Identify New Pathway in HIV Cycle http://www.upenn.edu/pennnews/features/1995/042595/Vpr.html 10) AIDS-related Kaposi ¹s Sarcoma: evidence for direct stimulatory effect of glucocorticoid on cell proliferation http://cancer.med.upenn.edu/cancernet/95/may/705001.html#6 11) Cushing ¹s Syndrome http://medhlp.netusa.net/lib/cushings.htm 12) Treatment of Cushing ¹s Syndrome http://www.uptodate.com/patient_info/topicpages/text/10348A3.asp#19 13) Time Magazine: The Pill Arrives http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,56387,00.html

Legalization of Marijuana Essay

BODY PARAGRAPHS: I. Topic Sentence that supports the thesis: Making Marijuana legal will save the U.S. government and the average tax payer a lot of money.  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Example: Billions of dollars are spent every year to arrest and lock up Marijuana users. Example: Taxpayers have to bear the cost for the expenses: food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses for these people. Example: In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. Closing or Transitional Sentence: We would have more money to spend on more important problems if marijuana were legal. II. Topic Sentence that supports the thesis: Legalization of this drug would reduce drug-related crimes. Example: All illegal drugs are expensive because their production, transportation and sale are very risky. Example: People with drug addictions must often resort to theft and other crimes in order to generate the funds necessary to purchase these types of drugs. Example: Legalization would reduce the risks, the prices, and, therefore, the crimes. Example: In addition, crimes related to drug disputes would also be reduced once Marijuana becomes a legal drug. Closing or Transitional Sentence: Not only could the legalization of Marijuana save the lives of drug dealers and their clientele, but it could also save many terminally ill patients from suffering. III. Topic Sentence that supports the thesis: Marijuana can be used as a treatment for certain medical conditions. Example: Marijuana could be  used to treat terminally ill AIDS patients by stimulating their appetite so they can resist emaciation (drastic weight loss). Example: Smoking this drug will alleviate the severe nausea that is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Example: In addition, Marijuana has been known to ease the pain of severe migraine headaches. Closing or Transitional Sentence: Since it is evident that Marijuana could be a valuable drug in the fight against many terminal diseases, it should be legalized. CONCLUSION: Repeat the idea of your thesis: By lifting the ban on marijuana use and treating it like other drugs such as tobacco and alcohol, the nation would gain immediate and long-term benefits. Summarize/Reinforce the outline of the body: Marijuana, a common and easily produced wild plant, could be beneficial to many if legalized. Return to a general level of the subject: Prohibition does not work. Education and treatment are better to address the drug problem in this country.