Welsh Education Essay Example for Free

Welsh Education Essay According to Welsh Assembly Government the provisions of education is aimed at liberating talent, to empowering of the people of Wales, as well as meet the job and skills departments, as well as the creation of sustainable future (Randall, 1975). To show its commitment the government supports all stages of learning (Randall, 1975). The 1944 education is one of the most significant changes in education for Welsh. The 1944 Act was geared to aligning the education system in Wales to match standards in other common wealth countries. The 1944 Education Act also introduced free secondary school education as well as consolidating both church and state schools to ensure both maintained high standards of education (Randall, 1975). Major changes in the education in Wales have always corresponded to major social events as well as political events and particularly election. The year 1988 saw the introduction of ERA which was met with stiff resistance from teachers and parents although that did not influence the then leadership in government to consider revising the policy. Another significant change took place in 1992 in which schools gained control over the school budges (IMS) as well as a system in which schools began operating independent of the local councils. Other major changes were experienced in 1997 which saw the introduction of smaller class sizes, creation of education action zones to favour marginalised areas as well as the setting up of a general teaching council which aimed at improving the standards of education and at the same time ensuring effective teaching. Other recent changes in the year 2005 and 2006 have included introduction of Welsh Baccalaureate, which continues to be applied side by side with the long existing GCSE and A-level. Other changes have included introduction of breakfast in primary schools and a play curriculum for 3-7 year olds. Finally if the recommendations of Rees commission on higher education will be adhered to, every qualified student in Wales will continue to study without worrying about fees. The purpose of education is to ensure subject mastery, which is a vital pre-requisite in any profession. While not all careers are embedded in subject matter, certainly education and subsequent subject mastery is very vital for one to become a qualified professional. This calls for a deep studying and understanding of the usually complex subject matter. The above, points to the importance of the education to the growth of the profession. First of all, education enables professionals to keep abreast with new research findings in their profession. Since knowledge is dynamic, discoveries of new concepts are common and therefore professionals are better off if they remain in touch with new scientific discoveries concerning their professions. The above is important if professionals are going to be responsive to the needs of their organizations and the society at large. Education is also very important to professionals in that it gives them the necessary skills required to deal with people in their day to day running of their business affairs. It is through education that, a professional comes into contact with scholarly materials that play an important role in preparing a professional into becoming qualified and shaping their career. Education is evidently important to the growth of any profession; there is a need for the improvement of the training and curriculum so that the kind of education students receive is more responsive to the needs of the clients in the organizations where they serve. It is only through education that professionals can perform their duties more diligently, faithfully and effectively. In addition, the design of the curriculum programs should be aligned with the needs of the job market. The achievement of the purpose of education is largely dependent on how effective the teaching and learning process is. Effective teaching in England both at the local education authority as well as the higher education has been a subject of study by many scholars and commission. However most scholars concur that, the status of the teacher that is; qualified teacher status or lack of the qualified teacher status plays a very significant role in determining how teachers end up teaching. Equally important is the commitment and experiences of the teachers. The need for effective teaching is further complicated by the fact that the needs for schools differ widely depending on the facilities available, location as well as the type of students the schools are likely to admit. For example schools located in rural areas or schools serving marginalised communities such as the blacks and immigrants may have to adopt different teaching strategies so as to be effective in teaching. Such schools are likely to go for the strategies, which meet the needs of the vulnerable children they enroll. When designing or determining the most suitable or effective strategies for schools it is important to bear in mind the level of the pupils. Strategies, which may be effective in primary school level, may fail terribly if applied to higher education level. Developmental stages must be considered by teachers. For example primary school pupils are more likely to experience emotional imbalances than high school students. This calls for teachers to be careful on the way they plan for their teaching sessions. To counter behavioural barriers to effective teaching (Department for Education and Employment, (1997) suggests several forms of interventions such as behaviour management through training programmes, change of class environment as well as introduction of rewards or punishment to influence behaviour. The effectiveness of teaching in the UK and Wales has in the past been measured by performance of the students. However this kind of measurement is faulty and may place on the teacher a heavy burden of blame when performance is low and at the same time lead to praising of the teacher when performance goes up. According to (Tiffin, Rajasingham, 1995. 12-68), there is a lot to effective teaching than the exam results. For instance there is the issue of legislation, the kind of legislation in place can hinder or promote effective learning depending on how well suitable they are. Equally important is the class environment, which may include the size of the class, the facilities available in the school, the level of training of the teachers as well as kind of pupils or students in the class. Very important is the methodology teachers’ use in the teaching. This calls for the effective teachers to integrate all the applicable learning and teaching methods. The above serves to underscore the fact that teaching is just one component of learning which plays an important role in determining learning outcomes. For the education process to take place in an effective manner several factors are necessary; such include availability of teaching resources such as materials and staff, a conducive learning environment as well as the right working relationship between staff and students, students and parents as well as between staff and student (Department for Education and Employment, 1997). If the above is lacking the learning process is curtailed, students are likely to perform poorly, teachers are likely to get de-motivated and in general education standards diminish. According to the Department for Education and Employment, (1997. 4 -19) the social context of learning influences teaching and learning. These social contexts may be beyond teachers’ control in most cases. This implies that the kind of school one attended rather than the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the teachers was responsible for the performance. Pupils provided with an environment of fostering were more likely to excel academically than those pupils put in a social context, which is not empowering. According to (Department for Education and Employment, 1997) effective teaching calls for teachers to put more emphasis on academic learning, good utilization of learning time as well as offering result-based teaching whereby the pupils are made aware of the goals and objectives of the learning process.

Focus on urbanization within India

Focus on urbanization within India Urbanization or the process of the development of cities is a relative term which varies from country to country. urban being non-rural, that is, no agriculture, livestock and extractive industries, urban area being the area where residents derive substantial amounts of household income from non-rural economic activities focused on a particular town, city or group of cities; and urbanization being the process by which increasing proportion of a countrys people live within urban areas  [1]  . Ironically India is considered less urban as compared to many of the European countries but its acquaintance with urban settlements is extremely deep rooted. Urbanization is not a new concept for India. India has witnessed different phases of Urbanization since the Bronze Age. The first phase of urbanization began in the Indus valley where Harappan civilisations flourished between 2350 B.C. and 1500 B.C. Major towns of this civilization were Harappa, Mohenjordaro, Lothal, Surkotada, Rojdi (Gujarat), Kalibangan (Rajasthan), Banwali (Haryana) and Ropar (Punjab). Some of these towns are in Pakistan now. In the ancient period of Indian history many other towns flourished and declined at different points of time. During the Vedic period in the north and the Dravidian age in the South this process of urbanization continued and cities like Hastinapur, Mathura, Ayodhya, Kapilavastu, Kusinagar, Vaishali, Patliputra, Varanasi, Rajgir, Champa, Ujjain, Mahishamati, Nagarjunakonda, Kancheepuram, Puhar, Uraiuyur, Madurai, Korkai and Vanji fourished. In the Mauryan and Gupta periods waves of urbanization gripped Indian subcontinent and then as the law of nature prescribes left the scattered remains that still attract our attention. During the medieval period many other towns and big cities thrived and became cradle of art, culture and civilization. Making new cities with certain distinguished features was the passion that Delhi Sultans and mighty Mughal Badshahs nurtured on a grand scale. New capitals were made that still stand as the symbol of their lost glory. The cities which grew and flourished during this period are Ludhiana, Hisar, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Kota, Chittaurgarh, Moradabad, Agra, Jaunpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Raipur, Aurdfcgabad, Ahmadnagar, Pune, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Vijaynagar, Hyderabad (Golcunda) and Mysore. Cities like Delhi which had a several phases of development and redevelopment till the time of British is a silent witness to the waves of urbanization that engrossed it from time to time. This practice of renovating the city of Delhi continued after Independence of India in 1947. The British East India Company after its arrival contributed remarkably to the urbanization process by creating three metropolitan part cities of Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta) Chennai (Madras) and a chain of hill stations such as Shimla, Mussoori, Almora, Nainital, Darjeeling, Ooty, Kodaikanal, 85 many more. Besides, steps such as introduction of civil lines, cantonments, railways, modern industry and improvements in urban amnesties also strengthened the process of urbanization. Urbanization in India has progressed at different paces due to different reasons. Under the colonial rule it was stagnated due to the oppressive policies of the British. After gaining independence urban population in India has increased fivefold. However, the pattern of urbanization and pace at different places imitates the diversity of the Indian population. URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT There are numerous factors, which might influence the urban structure of a country viz. history, topography, natural resources and climate etc. however, when it comes to explaining the location, size and growth of urban centers, economic factors turn out to be the most dominating ones. Historically, urbanization has been viewed as an important factor in the arena of economic change. Urbanization is intrinsically connected and irrevocably enlaced with the development process, as an essential strand in the contemporary economic system. Urbanization is considered as an essential part of a stronger and more stable economy. It helps in improving the living standards the people living all over the world. Urbanization is regarded as synonymous with the economic development. The countries in the South Asia that urbanised most rapidly in the latter years of the 20th century are those with the most rapid economic growth  [2]  . Most of the worlds largest cities are in the worlds largest economies. Cities and towns also have important roles as centres of artistic, scientific and technological innovation, and of culture and education. In the last half a century urban population in the world and specifically in Asia has increased leading to the conclusion that many people are getting diverted to non-agricultural works. Here is a table showing growth of urban population in the World, Asia and India:- We can calculate the average annual growth rate of the urban population to do a comparative analysis of the process of Urbanization all over the world. Lets have a look at the growth rate of urban development from 1970 to 2005. It is clear that India is not lagging behind in the race of urbanization inspite of suffering under the colonial rule for almost three centuries. Moreover we have to consider the fact that India is largely an agricultural country where a huge section of the population is employed in cultivation. This factor not only ensures our self sufficiency in food production but also solve the problem of employment to a great extent. Today India can boast of being emerged as a strong self sufficient nation even after suffering under the colonial rule for a long period. Not only India, but many other Asian countries have established themselves as strong independent nations that can not only sustain themselves but also supply valuable goods to the world. Although most of the Asian countries suffered under the colonial rule till the mid of the 20th century, in 1990, 17 of the 28 largest urban agglomerations in the world were located in Asia. Cities such as Beijing, Bombay, Calcutta, Jakarta, Seoul, Shanghai, Tianjin and Tokyo had a population of close to or above 10 million. Some of these cities even perform key functions in the global economy and are world class cities. China which is the fastest growing economy in the world has the capacity to surpass America and England in the near future. So also India which has registered GDP of more than 8 per year. In the table given below we can get a fair idea how number of metropolitan cities has been increasing in the Asian countries which are classed as third world countries by the powerful European and American nations. The United Nations estimates indicate that at mid 1990s, about 43 per cent of the world population lived in urban areas. With the urban population growing two and a half times faster than its rural counterpart, the level of urbanization is projected to cross the 50 per cent mark in 2005. United Nations projections further show that by 2025, more than three- fifth of the world population will live in urban areas (U. N. 1993). According to Dr. Bhagat, there are three components of urban growth viz., the natural increase, net migration and the areal classification i.e., addition of new towns minus declassification of existing towns. Besides the extension of boundaries of towns also tend to influence the urban growth  [3]  . However urbanization is closely related to the agricultural surplus and industrialisation. Only when the agricultural system was capable of producing a surplus it was possible to divert labour for other activities. Thus, the size of urban population was directly related to the efficiency of agricultural production. Agricultural revolution facilitated more people per square miles than hunting and food gathering societies. Settled agricultural villages led to teleological advances, which further led to the process of urban development. Gordan Childe lists the features, which define the urban revolution. They are:  [4]   a) Permanent settlements in dense aggregations, b) Non-agriculturists engaging in specialized functions, c) Taxation and capital accumulation, Public buildings, e) Trade and f) The replacement of kinship by residence at the basis for membership in the community. With the expansion in agricultural production labour can easily be directed towards other sectors of production viz. Non-agricultural vocations which lead to non-agrarian settlements. These settlements qualify to be called cities or urban areas. The expansion of non-agricultural activities comprise of industrial units. These units offer large number of vacancies which attract people to the cities leading to urbanisation. The urban growth rate is higher in agricultural states like Punjab and Haryana and states like Maharashtra and Karnataka as compared to rest of the country. The agricultural development, better farm productivity, rising farm income and limitation in absorption of labour force, all lead to urbanization  [5]  . The three great socio-economic revolutions i.e. the industrial revolution, the agrarian revolution and the transport revolution, sparked off another great revolution, the Urban revolution. While the industrial revolution necessitated urbanization, the agrarian and transport revolutions facilitated it. The tremendous improvements in the agrarian section helped industrialization and urbanization by supplying raw material and food. Nevertheless, this was not sufficient for there has to be a satisfactory movement of men and material between the industrial centers and other places. Thus, the hinterland of an industrial urban center depended upon the efficiency of the transport system. Finally, large-scale industrialization resulted in large concentration of production facilities and people.  [6]   Industrialization results in increased production and the increased production in turn leads to division of labour. The produce has to be transported from one place to another and put in the market. This requires means of transport, markets, godowns, shops etc. Therefore, wherever there is industrialization, a big labour force is needed.  [7]  In other words, industrialization is considered a very factor for urbanisation. After 1991 India has followed a policy of economic liberalisation. With this Indian economy is increasingly becoming global. With the emergence of industrial passage, the new telecom technology, super highway development and internet exposure, the urban scene in India is going through radical transformation. New job opportunities are opening up in the cities. Multinational companies are opening their franchises in Indian cities creating lots of job vacancies for the Indian professionals. This phenomenon is bound to accelerate the urbanisation of some of the metropolitan cities. However, there is embedded shortcoming in the process itself. Arrival of MNCs as these multinational companies are called, will convert some of the Indian cities into Mega cities but it will not bring a boom of urbanisation in India. Only some of the cities which already have better infrastructure and amenities will benefit from them. Whether we should take it as a benefit or not is also controversial. Because concentration of these units in some cities will create problems of housing, transport, water and power supply sewage etc. As Dr. Bhagat predicts, small cities will remain neglected and they will not benefit from this rapid industrialisation. Therefore, it will not be correct to think that urban growth and rural to urban migration will accelerate in future  [8]  . GROWTH OF URBAN POPULATION IN INDIA With only one tenth of her population classified as urban, India entered the twentieth country as under-urbanized. It was only after independence that urbanization started acquiring momentum. In absolute terms, there has been a phenomenon growth in urban population since Independence. Many of Indian urban cities are can compete with any of the cities in the world. Apart from four metropolitan cities viz. Delhi, Bombay or Mumbai, Calcutta or Kolkata and Madras or Chennai; many big cities like Hyderabad, Banglore, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad etc are attracting attention of international traders and entrepreneurs. During the period 1947-2001, urban population has increased from 50 Million to 285 Million i.e. 27.8 percent of Indias population lives in urban areas as per 2001 census. The degree of urbanization in India has moved from nearly 11 percent in 1901 to about 30 percent in 2001 i.e. approximately trebling, while the absolute urban population has gone up from nearly 26 to 285 Million i.e. increasing by more than 11 times during that period. The tempo of urbanization had not been uniform across different censual decades rather it has recorded uneven momentum during 1901-2000. In India out of the total population of 1027 Million as of 1st March, 2001, about 742 Million live in rural areas and 285 Million in urban areas. The net addition of population in rural areas during 1991-2001 has been to the tune of 113 Million while in urban areas it is 6 Million. The percentage decadal growth of population in rural and urban areas during the decade is 17,9 and 31.2 percent respectively. The percentage of urban population to the total population of the country stands at27.8. The percentage of urban population to total population in the 1991 Census (including interpol ated population of Jammu and Kashmir where Census could not be conducted in 1991) was 25.7 percent. Thus, there has been an increase on 2.1 percentage points in the proportion of urban population in the country during 1991-2001.  [9]   GROWTH OF URBAN POPULATION IN HARYANA The Urban population of Haryana was 52.36 lacs in 2001 and is expected 83.43 lacs in 2011. At present the total population of the State is 207.64 lacs and 28% of it live in the Urban areas which is higher then the India total urban population. The number of municipal areas would therefore, increase tremendously requiring rural areas to be declared as municipal areas.  [10]   SPECIALISED AGENCIES AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Urban Planning and development, and provision of civic amenities such as water supply, and sewerage, prevention of pollution constitute some of the basic functions of urban local government. But our municipal institutions are alleged to be incapable of performing these functions. The state governments therefore constitute specialised agencies such as: (i) Improvement Trusts (ii) Housing Boards (iii) Water Supply Sewerage Boards (v) Pollution-Control Boards to carry out these functions. The specialized agencies or single purpose agencies are set up in addition to the existing urban local bodies to provide a specific service in their respective area. Their presence has been extremely beneficial and purposeful taking into account their contribution in urban development. The study of these specialised agencies, is highly essential to explore the possibilities of analysing their strengths and weaknesses to make them vital urban development institutions. HARYANA URBAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (HUDA) Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), a statutory body of Haryana Govt. was constituted under the Haryana Urban Development authority Act, 1977. The authority consists of a Chairman (Minister for Town Country Planning and Urban Estates Deptt.), a Vice Chairman (Chief Secretary to Govt., Haryana), Chief Administrator and such other members (not more than 12 but not less than 6) appointed under notification issued from time to time provided that the number of non-official members shall not, at anytime exceed three. The HUDA has various wings, like Urban Branch, Engineering, Town Planning and Architecture, Financial, Legal and Monitoring. The Chief Administrator at the Head-. Quarters is the overall incharge and responsible for discharging functions of the Authority assisted by four zonal Administrators, posted at Panchkula, Faridabad, Gurgon, Hisar and one Administrator at H.Q. The Chief Administrator is guided by the polices framed by the Authority headed by the Minister- in-ch arge (designated as the Chairman of the Authority) of the Town Country Planning Departments, under Section 8 of the HUDA Act, 1977.  [11]   REVIEW OF LITERATURE The literature on urbanization is available in published and unpublished form. This includes public documents, government resolutions, reports of commissions and committees, contribution in specialized journals, papers presented at various national and international seminars and conference, reports of study teams sponsored by various research institutions both in India and abroad. Datta has discussed the system of municipal organisation, municipal administrative processes, state- local relations, municipal finance, organizing and financing urban development, goals of urban planning, urban economic base, urban land values, urban housing, urban community development and grass-root politics as if prevailed in the Pre-74th Amendment period.  [12]   Sachdeva has pointed out that urban governments have been decaying. Their performance in providing civic amenities has been dismal. Their supersessions have been rampant. Eminent academicians and seasoned administrators in their respective contributions to this compendium of articles on various facets of urban government have analysed the causes of this phenomenon, chief among these being their 19th century structure, erosion of their powers by multiplicity of special purpose agencies, financial scarcity, lack of adequately qualified personnel, political interference etc. They have also made valuable suggestions for restructuring, rejuvenating and revamping the urban Government for rendering them into effective instruments-for grass-root democracy and agencies for development and planning and provision of basic civic services. They all are of the view that the implementation of Constitution (74th Amendment Act 1992) in letter and spirit will hopefully achieve the desired objectives t hrough its main provision of three tier municipal bodies, regular elections, independent state Election and Finance Commission, District Planning Committees etc.  [13]   Goel and Dhaliwal discussed the existing, emerging and future problems faced by Urban local self government and come out with constructive suggestions, which can make the life of the people in the city enjoyable in all aspects.  [14]   Ray in his book A Short History of Calcutta take up the city in legend, tradition and literature, from the British advent, inner structure of the fort, towns and suburbs, its population and the port, as well as its trade. However, the scope of these work is limited as far as the process of urbanization is concerned. They take up different aspects of urban history in isolation and do not cover the pattern and processes of urbanization in terms of variations over time. No attempt is made to underline these factors responsible for change either. Grewal in her articles The Pattern of Urbanization in the Punjab under Colonial Rule and her doctoral thesis on Urbanization in the Punjab is one of the few works done on the subject of urbanization. Prior to this work the studies related to the region have largely been concerned with individual centers like Amritsar, Sirhind, Patiala and Faridkot and have remained essentially biographical and narrative and as such restricted in scope. This work is a comprehensive study in the urban pattern, urban demography, urban morphology, urban functions and urban government. The scope of this work, however, is limited to the developments in the Pre-Independence Punjab.  [15]   Gosals two articles special reference to Punjab are of much relevance for our present study. In the first article the author studies spatial variations in the growth of urban population in each decade and the locational shifts in areas of urban development from decade to decade.  [16]  In the second article he establishes that the development in agriculture develops smaller towns while industrialization leads to the emergence of large cities or metropolitan areas. However, these studies touch the fringe of the problem of urbanization as these do not discuss in detail the urbanization process in all respects especially in southern region particularly, after the creation of Haryana. These also exclude the introduction of National Capital region scheme. The first article limits the study upto 1961 while the other goes upto 1981.  [17]   K. Prabha in her book Towns : A Structural Analysis: A case study of Punjab, find out measures to safeguard the urban dwellers from problems arising out of the growing population. It covers two important problems of the present Punjab state: a) It analyses the structure through the dimensions of demographic, industrial and linkage analysis; b) It identifies the hierarchy of Punjab towns. It analyses the town in area and the town as area. Sharma in his Research work, Urban Development in the metropolitan Shadow: A case study of Haryana has taken up a study of urban development in the town of Rohtak and its evolution with special reference to its growth after independence due to the resettlement of displaced person from West Punjab and its overall effect on the economic, social and cultural life of the town and its surroundings. He highlights those aspects which have been generated by its location being in close neighbourhood of the swelling metropolis of Delhi. This study identifies the linkage that exists between Rohtak and its surrounding areas. However, its scope is limited as it leaves out the study of other such towns in the State of Haryana.  [18]   Sinhas Processes and Patterns of Urban Development: A case study of Haryana is an attempt at analyzing and determining the possible processes of urban development which have been responsible for the spatial pattern of urban settlement in Haryana. It concentrates on population study, urban- rural relations and the working population. It also presents an analysis of physical growth and functional morphological zones of select urban places in Haryana. This world does not co-relate the factors that influences the processes of urbanization and excludes a comparative study of the urbanization in Haryana and Punjab. It also ignores the capital region scheme and its impact on the process of urbanization in Haryana.  [19]   Chapterisation: The second chapter in this study will focus on the Urban policy and Legislation of HUDA. Here we will discuss about the fundamentals of the urban policy of the Indian union in general and Haryana in particular. The formation of HUDA in 1977 through Haryana Urban Development authority Act, 1977 will be discussed in detail. The third chapter is the Organizational setup of HUDA where we will discuss the constitution of HUDA and the placement of different officials in different cadres. The actual physical set up of HUDA will be the focus of this chapter. The Fourth chapter is Physical and financial performance of HUDA where we will discuss about the actual performance of HUDA in leading Haryana towards urbanisation. The fifth chapter is Accountability of HUDA, where we will look at the responsibilities and liability of HUDA. Indian is a democratic country where all the governmental institutions are ultimately answerable to the public or the people of India if we want to use the constitutional term. The sixth chapter consists of concluding remarks of the study and Suggestions regarding suitable measures to make Haryana Urban Development Authority more efficient and accountable institution for urban development.

Ghost Light :: essays research papers

Ghost light refers to the superstition that one small bulb should always be left on so that no theater is ever totally dark--and thus vulnerable to "ghosts." A reader of Frank Rich's memoir Ghost Light is likely to conclude, however, that the title refers to the author's attempt to exorcise his miserable childhood. The son of Frank Rich Sr., whose family had been in the shoe business in Washington since the Civil War, and Helene Rich, a teacher, was born in 1949. Members of the family led seemingly ordinary lives in Somerset, Md. There, according to Rich, all the houses looked alike, dads went to work, moms stayed home and television perpetuated the myth that all families were happy. While he was in grade school, Rich's parents split up, making him the first kid on the block to bear the stigma of coming from "a broken home." Both parents subsequently remarried, and, in a telling detail, neither Rich nor his younger sister, Polly, was invited to either parent's second wedding. Rich is venomous on the subject of his stepfather--a crude and violent man with a vicious temper--but acknowledges that thanks to his affluence the family went to the theater often. The protagonist in Rich's life is his mother (described as a Judy Holliday, not physically but emotionally); her death was tragic. The driver of the car in which she was killed was Rich's much-loathed stepfather. Rich, writes freely of having been a lousy athlete, an insomniac and a loner. What pleasures he had in childhood came from theater--listening to recordings of musicals ("South Pacific," "The Most Happy Fella" and, while in bed with measles, "Peter Pan") and reenacting shows in the miniature theaters he created out of shoe boxes from his father's shop. For lighting, a desk lamp was put into service; pillowcases became curtains. He saved playbills (even ones found in trash cans for shows he had not seen), analyzed album covers and memorized lyrics. For his third-grade talent show, Rich sang "You Gotta Have Heart." Educated in public schools, where he claims classes were undemanding, Rich was blessed with teachers, librarians and friends who abetted his passion for theater, for reading and for writing. At the age of 8, he published a neighborhood bulletin that announced the arrival of babies, puppies and new cars. He also wrote a "book" titled "A World All My Own," about a boy who lived in a big box.

Adverse Effects of the Atkins Diet Essay -- Exploratory Essays Resear

Adverse Effects of the Atkins Diet The Atkins diet prescribes a menu consisting of high-fat, high-protein foods that theoretically stimulate weight loss. However, excessive consumption of such foods is associated not only with weight loss, but also with several serious health problems. For example, heart disease and atherosclerosis have been linked to foods with high fat content. Further, replacing the carbohydrate component of one's diet with fat and protein stimulates a fat burning process called ketosis, which may adversely impact kidney and liver function; for some dieters, ketosis may result in dehydration and related symptoms, including muscle cramping and fatigue. Based upon the possible side effects of a high-fat, high-protein diet, it is reasonable to assert that the Atkins diet does not promote healthy food choices. Consequently, one's health might be affected adversely by the Atkins plan. As mentioned, heart disease and atherosclerosis are associated with the excessive consumption of high-fat foods encouraged under the Atkins program. More specifically, the Atkins diet places few restrictions on the quantity of fat consumed. One problem with this relatively unregulated intake of high-fat foods (e.g., butter) is that such foods, especially in large portions, have been linked to serious heart and vascular problems. For example, a recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children who consumed large amounts of very high-fat foods (foods averaging 90% fat content) demonstrated significant increases in bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and a corresponding decrease in good HDL cholesterol1,2. Triglycerides are derived from glycerol, the chief component of fa... ...tkinsuooh.htm> 3 Webster's New World Dictionary and Thesaurus. 1996. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc. 4 Journal of Ultasound Medicine . 5 Borgia M.C. and Medici F. "Perspectives in the Treatment of Dyslipidemias in the Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease" 6 Fogoros, M.D. et. al. 7 "Muscle Cramps/Twitching." . 8 "Sports Med Tips." . 9 "Ketones Definition." . 10 Bailey, Kathryn. "The Atkins' Diet: Friend or Foe?" . 11 Bailey, Kathryn. et.al. 12 HyperDictionary. .

Reader Response to Wells’ The Time Machine :: Time Machine

Reader Response to Wells’ The Time Machine As a Christian, I don't personally believe in evolution in general; I don't think humans evolved from a lower life form and I don't think we will be here for another 800,000 years to evolve into anything else. But the logical scientist in me is nonetheless intrigued at the possibilities presented in The Time Machine. So what would happen to the human race a few hundred millennia from now? Would it divide into two distinct races that live separately from one another as Wells describes? I personally don't think this would happen. The human race seems to have a stubborn quality about it -- anytime there is a challenge or obstacle to face, we tend to try to overcome it in one way or another. I remember reading somewhere recently (I can't remember where) that humans have a natural tendency to resist captivity or oppression. This is why slavery is never permenent, and the history of man is littered with uprisings and revolts. This line of thinking begs the question: if indeed the Morlocks were forced underground at one point or another, why did they stay there? Even if they accepted their new environment without question, they were going to run out of food eventually -- no sun means no plants or vegetables, correct? This is where the Time Traveler presumes that the Morlocks began to feed on the Eloi out of necessity. But wouldn't the Morlocks just return to the surface at this point? Why would they stay underground if their only food was on the surface? It doesn't seem to make sense. Nevertheless, the year 802,701 as envisioned by Wells is fascinating. I have always loved good stories, especially imaginative ones, and I must admit that The Time Machine has become one of my favorite works of literature. Along these same lines, I have to agree with what Michael wrote in the first part of his journal entry. I, too, am not a fan of overanalyzing works of literature. For me good stories are just that -- stories. Don't get me wrong, there are many cases where looking past the surface of a book is appropriate -- for example Animal Farm is obviously allegory, and The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is not so obviously a book promoting socialism. But sometimes I think that critics are digging too deep into literature and finding things that just aren't there, nor did the author intend for them to be there.

Doubt and the Acquisition of Knowledge Essay

Is doubt of any value in acquiring facts and knowledge? There are a number of approaches to tackling this question. If we were to look at various religious philosophies such as the teachings of Hinduism, Buddha and Christ, the disadvantages of doubt can be ascertained. The Bible says that there is a proper time for everything under the sun: â€Å"Every activity and every purpose has its proper time† (Ecclesiastes 3:17) This statement has bearing on the question as to the role doubt can play in acquiring knowledge. It implies that there is a proper time for doubt. I feel that one such time is when doubt serves as a driving force towards acquiring knowledge. Doubt certainly can be a stumbling block in acquiring knowledge and using it. Doubt can make an individual leery and hesitant. Yet, like most aspects of life, doubt can have both positive and negative effects on anything, including the process of learning and acquiring knowledge. While doubt can make one skeptical, it can also serve as a driving force to motivate a person to find the truth. In the opening quote, Dr. Bartus points out that insecurity and uncertainty can have value. Elsewhere in his book, he says that false assumptions and self-delusions are our greatest obstacles to solving problems (p. 107). This idea has bearing on the role of doubt in acquiring knowledge. Certainly, doubt can be an obstacle to acquiring knowledge, but when doubt causes a person to examine (or re-examine) his or her assumptions and discover his or her self-delusions, then doubt has served a valuable service that can lead to a search for answers and knowledge. While doubt can make people closed minded, I feel that doubt can drive people to ask probing questions that increase one’s knowledge when they pursue the answers to their questions. Columbus and Magellan doubted that the world was flat. They resolved to prove their point by sailing around the world to India. Even though the world is round, these explorers took a great chance. There was no guarantee that one could sail from Europe to India even if they were correct about a round world. They had no idea as to what dangers might lay ahead. There could have been scorching deserts, impassable jungles, large continents covered by marshland, hostile people, man eating animals, bitter cold or any one of an infinite number of unknown dangers. Whatever they encountered would have confirmed or refuted their doubts and added to the knowledge of the time. So, doubt can definitely assist one in acquiring knowledge. Attempting to answer questions that arise from doubt can cause/create insecurity. It takes courage to face the uncertainties that arise when challenging and facing your doubts and the unknown, but the reward gained in pursuit of the challenge can be worthwhile and valuable Ultimately, I must conclude that doubt can serve as both an asset and a hindrance in acquiring knowledge, but those who are willing to face their doubts may find their efforts rewarding. In the end, perhaps doubt leads to questions that bring about the acquisition of knowledge. I would like to think that is the best outcome and reward from doubt. We do not progress by being perfect. We progress by making mistakes and correcting them, and we do not acquire knowledge without doubt, but by having doubts and resolving them. Perhaps that is as it should be. The uncertainty and insecurity of doubt propels us forward towards greater knowledge.

“A Case for Torture” by Michael Levin Essay

â€Å"The Case for Torture† by Michael Levin, presents excellent justification for the use of torture in situations of extreme desperation. Levin gives great arguments for the use of torture through clever wording and great exemplification. In supplement to the already great argument, he provides potential counter-arguments and proves why they are invalid. It is made very clear that he believes that torture is morally mandatory and makes great effort to sway the opinion of readers, provided they keep an open mind. Levin presents a great argument and presents the ideas in an organized fashion, but as with many essays, it is not without flaw and could use some minor changes to make this great essay into a incredible essay. The format of the introduction of Levin’s essay is somewhat unusual. It begins with a few powerful statements, but the very first statement violates a rule of literature, inclusion of an unsupported fact. Levin says,† It is generally assumed that torture is impermissible, a throwback to a more brutal age.† Not only is the statement a generalization, he is saying that something is generally assumed, but he does not say whom it is assumed by. So who generally assumes it? It seems it is more of a mistake of wording because he is the one who is assuming that generally people think torture is wrong, therefore the essay should read that way because the last thing one should do is start off on the wrong foot. The essay truly lacks any real lead-in or background. The essay just jumps right into the real issues without introducing them or explaining why it was even written in the first place. The reason for the essay is not the real issue though. The issue is that it lacks background because it doesn’t appear that Levin is actually arguing against another point of view. Last I knew, an argument required two points of view to start with, but as I read the introduction it doesn’t seem he has an opponent to win favor over. Without question it is obvious that the paper is about torture, but the introduction does not introduce the main ideas as clearly as it should introduce them. Upon reading the body of the essay, it also comes off as unfinished. The paragraphs in the essay do not seem to flow together, but rather jump from  one point to the next. While the paragraphs may be about the same topic overall, the transition between minor points is somewhat abrupt and adds to the essay’s unfinished feel. Another point of interest is Levin’s inclusion of two subtitles; however, the subtitles are not complete. The first subtitle reads, â€Å"Death†, but the following paragraph does not discuss death. With â€Å"Death† being the subtitle, it seems that’s what the paragraph would be about. The next and last subtitle reads, â€Å"Idealism†, and accordingly that is what the following paragraph is about, but why does that paragraph gets a subtitle and the previous do not is a mystery because they are all about something different as they should be. It seems to be another oversight that also adds to the essay’s unfinished quality. Though the essay has its flaws, it is not without strong points. Levin’s great use of examples through hypothetical situations really brings the reader in and aids in his quest to change their point of view. The examples themselves do not make the essay; however, it’s clear they are greatly assisted by the excellent use of vocabulary and clever wording. Levin does a great job of using powerful words, it makes the essay seem more credible and creates a feeling that the writer really knows what he’s talking about. Why that may or may not be the case, it can be said that Levin really knows how to write a good persuasive argument; however, his oversights deduct from what could be an incredible persuasive essay. The overall impression of the essay was good. It seemed the argument itself was well though out, but the actual writing itself was what most needed work. Without a doubt, Levin’s essay presents some very valid facts and they are rather well supported in most cases; however, to make a strong argument you need support on every level. Not only do all the facts need to be organized and well developed, but the writing does as well. As previously stated, it is clear that Levin really knows how to write a good persuasive argument; however, his oversights deduct from what could be an incredible persuasive essay.