Creation vs evolution essays

Creation vs evolution essays If you're planning a vacation later this year, better make sure it's not in Kansas. According to recent reports, the state's overall IQ has just taken a nosedive. What has caused this "giant step back into the nineteenth century" as one person called it? Quite simply, the State Board of Education voted to de-emphasize evolution in state testing and to give local school boards the option of deciding whether or not evolution would be taught. Nationwide, the reaction has been vehement. On ABC's "Politically Incorrect," Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists, Inc., referred to the Board of Education members as "Neanderthals." Invectives like "embarrassing," "backward," "insane," "intellectual backwater," "blotting out the light of truth and knowledge," peppered the Letters to the Editor of the Wichita Eagle's online edition. Even PBS's Bill Nye, "The Science Guy," weighed in on the topic. The Associated Press quotes Nye as saying "to reject this fundamental, beautiful thing about the world around us is harebrained. It's nutty." What is striking about the reaction to the Board's decision is not that some people disagree with it. Anything as controversial as the creation/evolution debate is bound to generate a diversity of opinion. But the ferocity of the responses reveals something at work other than a simple difference in points of view concerning educational policy. After all, the Board of Education did not mandate the teaching of a particular view of creation. They did not endorse fundamental Christianity, or Judaism or Islam. They didn't even order the teaching of creation alongside of evolution. They chose merely to de-emphasize evolution and allow local school systems to decide how or if it is taught. If you listen to the voices raised in protest, you might conclude that creationism is inherently anti-scientific and anti-intellectual. Th ...

20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You

20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You 20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You 20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire You By Mark Nichol Similes, metaphors, and analogies are turns of phrase that help readers conjure images in a narrative, whether in fiction or nonfiction, but it is in the latter form that they bloom more profusely. And what’s the difference between each of the three literary devices? A simile is a comparison between one thing and another. If you refer to a figure of speech blooming like a flower on a page, you have created a simile. If you more directly say that the figure of speech bloomed before your eyes, you have employed a metaphor. An analogy is a more practical, didactic description: â€Å"Imagine that the figure of speech is like a flower blooming on the page.† Analogy is more common in nonfiction, but simile and metaphor are found there as well. Strive to create engaging similes and metaphors, but insert them in the service of your prose, as stars in the sky, not entire moons. They are foot soldiers, not field officers, in your campaign to inform and/or interest your readers. They are chorus members, not ingenues; extras, not stars. They are OK, enough with the metaphors, already. But before I share with you 20 top similes from great literature, I offer a few tips, like lanterns that serve to light your way: They should be simple and clear: The ones you will read below are literally outstanding, but they’re also removed from their context, where they are mere flowers in fertile fields of great writing. Similes and metaphors should be useful, concise, and then perhaps memorable as well, in that order. And if the task of creating one becomes toil, you’re trying too hard, and your exertions will show. They should stir, but they shouldn’t be mixed: When you adopt a specific theme, stick with it. A mixed metaphor is a missed opportunity, and a distraction rather than a delight. They should be original: If a simile or metaphor doesn’t rise head and shoulders above a more functional description, it won’t fly. Make sure the imagery is worth the effort of creating it. They should entertain: A simile or metaphor, to return to a previously employed metaphor, is like an actor with a bit part who utters a single line, but that line should be trenchant or ticklesome. They should be visually arresting: Similes and metaphors are intended to paint a picture for the reader in order to endow a person, place, or thing with resonance. Herewith, lessons in incandescent imagery: 1. â€Å". . . she tried to get rid of the kitten which had scrambled up her back and stuck like a burr just out of reach.† Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott 2. â€Å"Time has not stood still. It has washed over me, washed me away, as if I’m nothing more than a woman of sand, left by a careless child too near the water.† The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood 3. â€Å"Her romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other, that come from the puzzling East . . .† Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie. 4. â€Å". . . and snow lay here and there in patches in the hollow of the banks, like a ladys gloves forgotten.† Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor, by R. D. Blackmore 5. â€Å"I would have given anything for the power to soothe her frail soul, tormenting itself in its invincible ignorance like a small bird beating about the cruel wires of a cage.† Lord Jim, by Joseph Conrad 6. â€Å"In the eastern sky there was a yellow patch like a rug laid for the feet of the coming sun . . .† The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane 7. â€Å". . . when I laid down the paper, I was aware of a flash rush flow I do not know what to call it no word I can find is satisfactorily descriptive in which I seemed to see that bedroom passing through my room, like a picture impossibly painted on a running river. To Be Taken with a Grain of Salt, by Charles Dickens 8. â€Å". . . utterly absorbed by the curious experience that still clung to him like a garment.† Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas 9. â€Å"She entered with ungainly struggle like some huge awkward chicken, torn, squawking, out of its coop.† The Adventure of the Three Gables, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 10. â€Å"He looks like right after the maul hits the steer and it no longer alive and don’t yet know that it is dead.† As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner 11. â€Å"Past him, ten feet from his front wheels, flung the Seattle Express like a flying volcano.† Arrowsmith, by Sinclair Lewis 12. â€Å"Her father had inherited that temper; and at times, like antelope fleeing before fire on the slope, his people fled from his red rages.† Riders of the Purple Sage, by Zane Grey 13. â€Å"The very mystery of him excited her curiosity like a door that had neither lock nor key.† Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell 14. â€Å"Elderly American ladies leaning on their canes listed toward me like towers of Pisa.† Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov 15. â€Å"Camperdown, Copenhagen, Trafalgar these names thunder in memory like the booming of great guns.† Mutiny on the Bounty, by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall 16. â€Å"It was Franà §oise, motionless and erect, framed in the small doorway of the corridor like the statue of a saint in its niche.† Swann’s Way, by Marcel Proust 17. â€Å"The water made a sound like kittens lapping.† The Yearling, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 18. â€Å"Kate inched over her own thoughts like a measuring worm.† East of Eden, by John Steinbeck 19. â€Å"He swung a great scimitar, before which Spaniards went down like wheat to the reaper’s sickle.† The Sea-Hawk, by Rafael Sabatini 20. â€Å". . . impressions poured in upon her of those two men, and to follow her thought was like following a voice which speaks too quickly to be taken down by ones pencil . . .† To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Bare or Bear With Me?Among vs. AmongstWhile vs. Whilst

Music in the Twentieth Century Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music in the Twentieth Century - Case Study Example An artiste achieves his goals through distortion, embellishment, primitivism, and castle in the sky and throughout the glowing, raucous, fierce, or vibrant use of formal rudiments. In a broad sense Expressionism is one of the major existences of arts of 19th and 20th centuries, and its excellences of vastly individualistic, delicate, spontaneous expressiveness are distinctive of a wide array of contemporary artistes and arty groups (Norman 1985). Expressionism is the past continuance of the common practice era. Not like Neo-classicism, which was a come back to the ancient times, expressionism pursued an almost continuous procession. Expressionism is often linked with the word ATONAL (which is equivalent of "without a tonal center") (Arnold 1967). Harshly speaking, this is vague, since the entire playing fields are in Expressionism are of equivalent meaning. Most inquisitive changes that come to mind are that tunes and harmonies be likely to build in a similar way. There is small, if some, difference between perpendicular and parallel configurations; in the Common practice era, melodies had a prevalence of step-by-step movements but harmonies were built in 3rds. Expressionism has a propensity for utilizing the same doctrine in constructing them both. Not like Impressionism, its objectives were not to make a re... The hunt for harmony and various forms of melody isn't as imperative as aiming to attain the maximum expressional strength, both from the aesthetic standpoint and consistent with inspiration and human being critics. Although openly atonal, Pierrot lunaire scores a come back to counterpoint and looks ahead to the prearranged "atonality of serialism" (Allen 2002). But, the feature of Schoenberg's Expressionist way which had the maximum impact on later on musicians and composers was his beginning of melody as open and free, twelve-tone chromatic pitch where any pattern of pitches could operate as a "standard" (Allen 2002). Appropriate composition, where every work describes its own exacting language and way, can only be comprehended in context of these new broader perimeters. The work "Au clair de la lune, Mon ami Pierrot" is a histrionic, a form well-liked at the moment, containing poems spoken beside an instrumental backdrop (Allen 2002). Schoenberg's label explains the work of art as "three times seven poems by Albert Giraud in German translation by Otto Erich Hartleben." Pierrot lunaire is the final imperative work of Schoenberg's Expressionist era (1907 to World War I ). An extremely influential part is the influence of expressionism on musical approach. Towards the closing stages of the 19th century, there was a rising gap between traditionalists' areas of skill and pioneering ones, conventional in a variety of themes (Norman 1985). This 'distance' can be simply noticed in Vienna's structural designs: the majority of organizational structures in the region of the Ringstrae were constructed in neo-Classical way, convening the flavor of the rather dyed-in-the-wool Habsburgs and other graciousness (Norman 1985). More or less this time

Social network and project management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Social network and project management - Essay Example Working on team projects of this type is a new experience for most of the students and the maturity of their thinking skills has advanced in important ways. Social Networking Systems (SNS), such as Facebook, are wildly popular in today’s world. This popularity and the availability of many interaction features in SNS suggest that they could offer new and powerful possibilities for technology-enhanced education. The study done specifically examined the potential for a social media platform called Ning, in providing helpful mechanisms for student teams to employ for communicating, collaborating and cooperating while undergoing major itinerary project and it all came out positive and so beneficial. The members involved in this kind of project teams can vary widely in terms of dimensions such as age, gender and cultural background even though highly diverse teams face special problems such as leadership structure, mutual respect, motivation and open discussion in conducting their project management activities. Social media brings knowledge democratization, and falling application costs bring a proliferation of application and content. This results in fragmentation that drives corporations and not-for profits seek out leadership to make use of their intangible assets and reuse their knowledge and expertise to evolve and remain competitive. The following are some of the discovered roles knowledge professionals are most likely to play in this rapidly evolving environment: Managing initiatives focusing on content and collaboration, supporting innovation and change, Identifying new methods to streamline processes and procedures throughout the organization. New academic programmers incorporating social media while focusing on project management and leadership, specifically as they relate to enterprise-wide information and knowledge, are

Milgrams Obedience Experiment Essay Example for Free

Milgrams Obedience Experiment Essay In the 1960s, Milgram, then a professor at Yale, recruited ordinary people through a newspaper ad offering them money to help in a project purporting to improve human memory. In Milgrams experiment two people come into the laboratory where they are told they will be taking part in a study of memory and learning. Milgram was interested in how people obey under authoritative circumstances, using fake settings to test obedience. Under any given circumstance people tend to obey authority differently. Milgram tested this theory out by putting his volunteers into a laboratory setting and having them pressing a button shocking the other person for a wrong answer . Most of Milgrams volunteers went through the experiment, not wanting to disobey the authority figure. The volunteers in Milgrams experiment were fighting their subconscious minds. The person had complete power over the other individual, whom he could punish whenever he saw fit. The subject had to decide if what they were doing was right (causing pain to another). This study suggests to me that, rightly managed, a cohesive group with an authoritative leader can find people who will do almost anything. The thing I found interesting while reading about Milgrams Obedience experiment was the deception that took place. Right from the start, the subject was deceived by the motives of Milgrams experiment. It is not an experiment on the affect of electric shocks on learning, it was an experiment aiming to see how far the subject would be willing to go, when instructed by an authoritative figure. To me his experiment seems like one a doctor would use to determine the effects of a new drug on a group of people. While some are giving the real drug others are giving placebos or fake pills. In Milgrams experiment, people are led to believe that they are shocking the other person for a wrong answer and increasing the voltage after each shock when they really were not. The button that they push to deliver that shock would be the placebo button placed there to make the  person think that they were really inflicting harm on the other person. The purpose of the study was to determine the degree to which a person will be obedient to an authoritys orders or requests if they do not agree with the requests being made. This situation occurs in many aspects of society, including the military, employer/employee situations, and most disturbingly,  Nazi  Germany. I think that this experiment shows just how sadistic one can be if one wishes to be.

Cable Modems Vs. Digital Subscriber :: essays research papers fc

The Internet has grabbed on to the world and it isn’t letting go. Nearly 36 million U.S. homes currently have PCs and everyone is dying to jump on the information superhighway. The Internet, which started as a group of government agencies and universities, has grown to include almost anyone, from home users to large companies and everyone in between. It makes sense then that providing Internet service is big business. The service which used to be dominated by groups of nerdy computer whizzes using equipment in someone’s basement is now being provided by many telephone companies, large on-line services and may soon be available from you local cable company. Computer users are an impatient group. They are starving for a faster way of connecting to the ‘net. Until now home users have had to suffer with the slow connections available with analog modems or spend a relatively large amount on having a digital line, such as ISDN, installed and then continue paying a lot for the monthly charges associated with such lines. Standard analog modems have always been hindered by the bandwidth they are allowed to use. Standard voice grade phone lines use the frequency spectrum between 0khz and 4khz to transmit their signal. 33.6 kbps modems packed nearly 11 bits of data per hertz, a remarkable feat, which is very near the theoretical limit. To allow faster connections modems must use a wider bandwidth. Two new competing technologies are now being developed which use this broadband idea to give computer users the speed they crave. Telephone companies are working on developing a way to use the standard twisted pair copper wires that now connect nearly every home in America to transmit data at high speeds. These technologies, collectively called DSL, come in two main flavors. ADSL, this is an acronym for asymmetric digital subscriber line, is the most common. This name was coined by Bellcore in 1989. The other main type of digital subscriber line is called HDSL. It stands for high-bit-rate digital subscriber line. These two technologies are essentially the same, except they apportion a different bandwidth to upstream (user to network) and downstream (network to user) data transmission. Concurrently, cable television providers are working on technologies to allow them to connect computers to their network and allow users to connect to the Internet at speeds just as high. Such equipment is being called a cable modem. Cable modems offer the possibility of transferring data at rates up to ten megabits per second, a speed nearly ten times faster than that of ISDN and about twenty times faster than today’s fastest analog modems. This number is somewhat misleading however. The truth is that in order to actually

Determinism, Compatibilism, Incompatibilism

Determinism is a philosophical standpoint, which advocates that every action and event, including humans' mental processes and decisions can be predicted using chains of previous occurrences. In this manner, humans' futures are not necessarily predetermined but can be shaped and influenced by past and present circumstances. Compatibilism is a philosophical viewpoint, which postulates that free will and determinism are complementary ideas. Free will can be defined as man's freedom to choose and be responsible for his actions and decisions. Compatibilists believe that as long as man's actions and decisions are not forced on him, or he is not constrained or coerced to do anything he doesn't want, then he is exercising his free will. In theological aspect, compatibilism argues that even if God is all-knowing, He didn't took away from man his capacity to decide whether he'd choose the right or wrong path. Man is left with the moral responsibility of his actions. Incompatibilism, as the term implies, is a notion that is opposite to that of compatibilism. Incompatibilists argue that free will and determinism are not complementary. There are two types of incompatibilism. First is the libertarianism, which states that the universe can't be deterministic and believers of this concept assert that free will exists. The second one is called hard determinism, which asserts that determinism exists but it is not compatible with free will. The Consequence Argument was formulated by Van Inwagen to support the Incompatibilists' assertion that free will and determinism can never go together. This argument operates on the no-choice premise, which states that if determinism exists, then man has no control over events and the nature's laws, and their consequences. There are two inferences that support Inwagen's argument: Inference A: man has no choice of what went on before his time and how things happened prior to his birth; Inference B: man has no choice on the laws of nature and how they affect and shape events of the present and future. From these inferences, Inwagen's argument concludes that the result or consequences of the natural laws and past occurrences are not up to man. Man, therefore, has no choice. If I were a compatibilist, I would argue against the Consequence Argument by contradiction. If I can prove that either A or B is not true, then, that would negate Van Inwagen's claim that incompatibilism is true. For instance, if Raul's father died because of weak lungs and Raul also has weak lungs because of his genetic make up, then Inference A would be true because he can't do anything about his genes. The natural conclusion, under determinism, would for Raul to also die because of weak lungs. However, Raul can make Inference B false by taking care of himself and avoiding any substance that would further weaken his lungs. He can also fight his condition by taking medicines and exercising. Raul has every chance of overcoming his weakness and need not die from weak lungs. Even if Raul has no choice about his genetic make up, he still has a choice on how to address this matter. Since Inference B is proven false, then, the Consequence Argument does not hold true.

Culture and Health Essay

A person’s heritage encompasses the full scope of inherited traditions, religion, and culture. It can influence the activities and behaviors that individuals draw from. Heritage is something that can give a sense of who, what, where and how a person fits into a society and develops over time. Heritage can be a sense of identity that is valued by a single person or include a wider group of individuals. Many times a heritage is something that is passed down through the generations. Health traditions can be a very important part of a cultural heritage. This paper will be discussing the usefulness of applying a heritage assessment in evaluating the needs of the whole person. Second, this paper will review information collected through interviews from three families each from a different culture. This section will address the differences in health traditions between the different cultures, including health maintenance, health protection, and health restoration. The three cultures being discussed include Chinese, Hispanic and American. The American heritage is that of the authors and will focus on the author’s religion of Mormonism. Common health traditions will be identified and how families subscribe to these traditions and practices will be discussed. The goal of this paper is to provide a greater understanding of the heritage assessment tool, how health traditions may vary in other cultures and how families subscribe to traditions and practices. People have a different cultural heritage that effects their beliefs and traditions. It is important to respect each individual’s different heritage. Rachael Spector created the Heritage Assessment Tool, a questionnaire used to assess an individual’s heritage. When describing this tool it states, â€Å"This set of questions can be used to investigate a given patient’s or your own ethnic, cultural, and religious heritage. It can help you to perform a heritage assessment to determine how deeply a given person identifies with a particular tradition. It is most useful in setting the stage for understanding a person’s health traditions† (Cultural, 2012, sec. 3) The heritage assessment tool helps to determine one’s ethnic, religious and ultural background. When showing sensitivity to a patient’s culture it can create a good relationship with them. Understanding the culture of a patient is important for the nurse so as to provide care that fits the patient’s health traditions. Once beliefs and culture are identified a nurse can respect those cultures and give culturally appropriate care to the patient. People come from different cultures with different heritage traditions, especially when dealing with health. Nurses have to respect these cultural diversities. By using a heritage assessment a nurse can understand the needs of their patient. A person’s cultural heritage, religion, and /or beliefs, greatly influences a person’s response to medical care and their health traditions (Spector, 2009). When looking at health heritage, one needs to look at traditional health methods used to maintain, protect, and restore health. These three methods have been described as follows, â€Å"Health maintenance—the traditional beliefs and practices, such as daily health-related activities, diet, exercise, rest, and clothing, used to maintain health. Health protection—the traditional beliefs and practices about what should be done on special occasions or on an ongoing basis for health protection, such as food taboos and wearing amulets. Health restoration—the traditional beliefs and practices concerning the activities, such as the use of folk remedies and healers, that must be used to restore health† (Cultural, 2012, sec. Selected Cultural Care Terms). Three individuals from different cultures have been interviewed to discuss their views on these health methods based on their heritage and traditions. Those three cultures include Chinese, Hispanic, and American. In the Chinese culture, the people believe that herbs and tea are essential in the healing and maintaining of ones body. To help with health maintenance many people in the Chinese culture will clean using herbs. To promote health protection different tea can be drank to prevent different illnesses, for example ginger tea can help prevent the flu. Chinese individuals may use different tea to help fight an illness, they believe herbal tea can help restore health after a bad cold or cough (J. Chen, personal communication, February 28, 2013). When it comes to health the majority of Hispanic culture are very strong believers in their religion. Often Hispanic families come from a Catholic faith and have a strong belief in God and prayer. In the Hispanic culture, families are very close and this typically includes the extended family. Some feel that living by family helps with stress and overall happiness, which improves health. When is comes to health they think eating is important and eggs are helpful in health maintenance. They also use tea and herbs for healing purposes. Many times Hispanics include their family in health decisions (L. Bayardo, personal communication, February 28, 2013). The last family interviewed was the author’s family. The author comes from an American heritage. In America there are so many different types of cultures and heritages. The author feels that his family heritage gains most of its beliefs and traditions from religion. The author grew up a Latter Day Saint, also known as a Mormon. In the Mormon religion families put a lot of belief in God, prayer, and priesthood blessings for healing and health. Mormons also believe in the use of modern day medicine for health and healing. In order to maintain and protect health Mormons believe in healthy eating habits, healthy living habits and abstaining from drugs, alcohol and coffee. Mormons have similar health habits and traditions to many Americans with other religions. Based on the interviews conducted many cultures believe in having healthy eating habits for health maintenance. It is also shown that different cultures have different ideas of health protection and restoration. These different methods can all be beneficial and should be respected. The different families subscribe to and support their heritage by practicing the things they have been taught and sharing the information that has been passed down. In order to keep traditions alive and health habits to be observed and practiced they need to be understood and respected by the next generation. Heritage and culture help individuals to understand whom they are, where they come from, and what they believe. There are many different cultures, each having different beliefs and values. These beliefs and values contribute to different perceptions on health and illness. By assessing an individual’s cultural heritage, nurses can have effective communication and provide meaningful care to their patients. It is important for nurses to not only understand their own cultural practices, but other cultures as well. In order to offer the best care heritage and culture need to be understood and respected.

Jamestown Essay essays

Jamestown Essay essays Jamestown offered more opportunity to colonists than Massachusetts Bay Colony by allowing more than one religion, more workers rights, and freedom of speech. Jamestown settlers had a charter from England guaranteeing the rights of settlers, as they would have had it in England. The Puritans formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony and they received a charter also. Both colonies had their have and have-nots in them. Massachusetts Bay Colony promoted the church greatly and Jamestown promoted working over religion. Jamestown was the starting of a democracy, equality. Colonists in Jamestown were given the right of free speech. The House of Burgess, first elected legislative assembly, was created for the settlers in Jamestown. Only white males, with property were aloud to vote in the assembly. When England started to send over indentured servants for the colonist, they were aloud to protest in courts for being abused or being handled in the wrong way. In Massachusetts the Puritans had set standards for the elect, visible saints. Not all the people could become the elect and participate in church. The justices in the local courts in Massachusetts were appointed by England, not by the people. Jamestown did not depend on one religion, as this was not the case in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts the colonists were mostly Puritans, some separatists were there also. Jamestown had a mix of all religions and did not really care about it as much as the Puritans did. It didnt matter what religion you where in Jamestown, because everyone was equal. Puritans made everything based upon religion because they had a covenant with God. They were giving faith to God to help them start a settlement that all the people would look up to. It didnt matter what religion you where in Jamestown, because everyone was equal. The colonists in Jamestown had more rights for workers because it didnt rely on religio ...

Zheng Hes Treasure Ships of the Ming Dynasty

Zheng Hes Treasure Ships of the Ming Dynasty Between 1405 and 1433, Ming China under the rule of Zhu Di, sent out enormous armadas of ships into the Indian Ocean commanded by the eunuch admiral Zheng He. The flagship and other largest treasure junks dwarfed European ships of that century; even  Christopher Columbuss flagship, the Santa Maria, was between 1/4 and 1/5 the size of Zheng Hes. Drastically changing the face of Indian Ocean trade and power, these fleets embarked on seven epic voyages under Zheng Hes guidance, resulting in a rapid expansion of Ming Chinas control in the region, but also of their struggle to maintain it in years to come due to the financial burden of such endeavors. Sizes According to Ming Chinese Measurements All of the measurements in the remaining Ming Chinese records of the Treasure Fleet are in a unit called zhang, which is made up of ten chi or Chinese feet. Although the exact length of a zhang and chi has varied over time, the Ming chi was probably about 12.2 inches (31.1 centimeters) according to Edward Dreyer. For ease of comparison, the measurements below are given in English feet. One English foot is equivalent to 30.48 centimeters. Incredibly, the largest ships in the fleet (called baoshan, or treasure ships) were likely between 440 and 538 feet long by 210 feet wide. The 4-decked baoshan had an estimated displacement of 20-30,000 tons, roughly 1/3 to 1/2 the displacement of modern American aircraft carriers. Each had nine masts on its deck, rigged with square sails that could be adjusted in series to maximize efficiency in different wind conditions. The Yongle Emperor ordered the construction of an amazing 62 or 63 such ships for Zheng Hes first voyage, in 1405. Extant records show that another 48 were ordered in 1408, plus 41 more in 1419, along with 185 smaller ships throughout that time. Zheng Hes Smaller Ships Along with dozens of baoshan, each armada included hundreds of smaller ships. The eight-masted ships, called machuan or horse ships, were about 2/3 the size of the baoshan  measuring approximately 340 feet by 138 feet. As indicated by the name, the machuan carried horses along with timber for repairs and tribute goods. Seven-masted liangchuan or grain ships carried rice and other food for the crew and soldiers in the fleet. Liangchuan was about 257 feet by 115 feet in size. The next ships in descending order of size were the zuochuan, or troopships, at 220 by 84 feet with each transport ship having six masts. Finally, the small, five-masted warships or zhanchuan, each about 165 feet long, were designed to be maneuverable in battle. Though tiny compared with the baochuan, the zhanchuan were more than twice as long as Christopher Columbuss flagship, the Santa Maria. The Treasure Fleets Crew Why did Zheng He need so many huge ships? One reason, of course, was shock and awe. The sight of these enormous ships appearing on the horizon one by one must have been truly incredible for the people all along the Indian Oceans rim and would have enhanced Ming Chinas prestige immeasurably. The other reason was that Zheng He traveled with an estimated 27,000 to 28,000 sailors, marines, translators and other crew members. Along with their horses, rice, drinking water, and trade goods, that number of people required a staggering amount of room aboard the ship. In addition, they had to make space for the emissaries, tribute goods and wild animals that went back to China.

Legalization of Same Sex Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legalization of Same Sex Marriage - Essay Example There was paramount work done in developed states mostly United States and those in the European continent. The initials perception for those who advocated and struggled to fight for this abhorrent practice was short sightedness of the issue several consequences. This is because most of them focused on the materials based on the biblical issues without the considerations of the surrounding factors of the family institution as better start point for healthy and prosperous communities of the nation. Their basement on the religious issue was personal to involve, getting in the different religions which was one way of gaining access of banning the laws which acted as barrage to fulfillment of the detestable practice. Then, as it has always been, the repercussions of every action are felt after sometime, hence the fulfillment of the adage which say "time is the best prophet of the future". (Symons, 1980) Gay and lesbian marriage brings about abnormal practices which were unheard in our traditions and already established society. It is not that the people of the old and new generations are in the state of objecting the change. But under the practices which have already been demonstrated throughout the world are alarming due to the use of such homosexually kinds of marriages. Gay marriages have rooted cultures which display non-commitments to the established ways of living. The era before the coming up of most arguments that lead to the founding of the gays and lesbianism, families were mostly established under the heterosexuality mode of marriage. The old set of heterosexuality was more binding to the building of families which were ever long lasting and welcoming. The rapid increase on religions and political as well economic trade with the globalization era is the ones which have brought with them to ever alarming issues on the marriage institutions. (Leach, 1978) The heated debates on liberty for women and for marriage has resulted to the allowing of people to do things on the own will. This has greatly ended up making many families on the contemporary society to have a misunderstanding of marriage values and purposes. As most people would think and consider marriage, most of the early people viewed marriage as means which was set to for particular goal. The family was highly valued as it created a place which the two married people would build one another. Basically, religious studies research and through the biological scientific work which have already been disseminated, there is clear evidence that neither man nor woman can claims that he/she is perfectly complete. This study reveals that they all have certain percentage which is complemented by the partners in which they get involved. The complementation of the two people who get involved in the marriage issues is quite unique. This of course involves a number of ways which are not limit ed to the spiritual, physical and even psychological means. (Rosenblatt, 2005) Legalization of same sex marriages would thus make individuals to get into gay and lesbianism. This would actually invert the purposes of complementation on the wide studied field. The natural over turn of the marriages issues can be viewed as the source of the many problems which the global world is