The growth of Indian casinos Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The growth of Indian casinos - Essay Example â€Å"In California, perhaps more than in any other state, Indians have endured uninterrupted exploitation, brutality, and sorrow†. Despite the general conquest all Native Americans had suffered in the past centuries, Californian Indians also were forced to experience whites’ cruelty and greed in times of Golden Rush. Than because of the gold (on which California Indians had never set much value, for example, in comparison with the nature) they were forced to give up native lands. With the time, tribes and smaller California Indians bands position did not take a turn for the better. â€Å"California basically ignored its Indians, right through the 1970s. [†¦] Tribal problems were never discussed†. – Lieutenant Governor McCarthy, a leading opponent of Indian gambling says. How then California Indians could be fully blamed for trying to survive in the only way they were left?Someone may say that an illegal way is not an answer under any circumstances, h owever hard our life can be. That’s true, but developing their gambling business California Indians were actually trying to run casinos in the legal way. For example, in 1990s, â€Å"the tribes said they wanted to sign a compact, but then – Governor Pete Wilson who had no great love of gambling or Indians – refused to negotiate†. Government itself had pushed them on illegal way. And now tribes are blamed for using their authority and financial resources for purpose of becoming a state governmental power.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Texas Parks and Wildlife - Research Paper Example Currently, the Texas parks and wildlife department has several responsibilities. These include managing and conserving states natural resources and providing the public with opportunities and access to fish and wildlife habitats. Background information and history The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) was created in 1983, following the merger between the State Parks Board and the Game and Fish commission. However, its formation can be traced back to 1879 when fish commissioner’s officer was first established as a state agency in 1879. In 1983, the department was authorized to oversee all the resources both fish and the wildlife in all counties of Texas. The authority was given after the Wildlife Conservation Act was approved by the Texas legislature. Several historic sites that were under the management of Texas Parks and Wildlife earlier were reassigned to the Texas historical commission on 1st January 2008. In 1879, the governor was authorized to appoint a fish comm issioner by the 16th legislature of Texas. The governor appointed the commissioner to a term of two years after being approved by the senate. This appointment was to ensure that the Act for fish preservation was carefully complied with. In addition, it was meant to ensure that fish ladders and fish ways were constructed. The Fish Commissioner’s office came to being in 1881. ... The commissioner was also given powers to appoint his deputy commissioners. In 1907, the responsibilities of Commissioner’s Office were expanded. It also covered protection of wild birds and wild game. Therefore, commissioner was renamed Game, Fish, and Oyster commissioner. Fish and Oyster Commissioner’s Office was made up of three members. In 1972, the number doubled to six members. By 1983, the commission was made up of nine members who were appointed by the governor and approved by the senate. The commission members are office bearers for overlapping six-year terms. The governor appoints the chairperson of the commission biennially. The meetings of the commission are normally quarterly. However, when required they meet on a regular basis. The major responsibility of the commission is to acquire the appropriate rules and policies that play a significant role in conducting the various parks and wildlife department programs. Location and management of the Texas parks an d wildlife department TPWD headquarters is located at 4200 Smith School Road in Austin, Texas. Both the regional and field offices are established in different parts throughout the state. Those who are not working with the headquarters in Austin are known to be seventy-six percent of the total department staff. The management and coordination of all the policies and programs that concerns personnel is done in the Austin headquarters, Human Resource Division. A commission that comprises of nine members governs TPWD. The governor appoints the commission. The major responsibility of the commission is to adopt appropriate rules and regulations. This will be used in various

How the world has changed Essay Example for Free

How the world has changed Essay The essay â€Å"Use Your Own Words† by Anne Trubek argues a great point that technology is changing the way we read and write and that spell must change also. Should the world let technology take over? What is the purpose of a map if you can easily find it on your phone and get directions? Think about it, what is the purpose of having a book or newspaper in modern times if you can easily go on the internet. She supports this by showing and explaining how spelling checkers and much more are slowly messing with the way we spell. What Trubek states in her argument is very true, spelling has went from â€Å"As soon as possible to ASAP† just in a matter of centuries. It all started in 1475 reducing the amount of letters in words, abbreviating. Back then there was no one or thing to tell you whether you spelled it wrong or right now we have many systems that correct the spelling. Even though it was used in that time as telegrams. I agree that we have let technology change the way the spelling system is now; some of the effects are hardly changeable. For instance text messaging has made people have a certain and crazy way of spelling that most well a lot of professors, teachers and more dont always understand. Kids and certain adults communicate in many different modalities as a result of technology. When using iPhones, tablets, smart pads and more they use T9 word which corrects the spelling as you text or swipe and let you circle some of the words and it spells them for you. When I started high school and got my first phone I used it, it’s a technology built to help people typing on cellphones. I didn’t know how to spell words so it used set of words that where similar to the word I was looking for. Texting became even easier to me when I was a minor. Some people are happy but 10% complain as Trubek stated â€Å"Damn you, autocorrect† (220). When you look on websites people misspell a lot using spelling systems like swipe, then have to apologize for the mistakes. While younger centuries are developing this apart of their lives, older are saying we have lost are mind. Another true fact is teacher even want us to use spelling  grammar and check on computers like in Microsoft word and more. The spelling system argues that spelling reform would make a huge change in the world today that’s the way she looked at it if you read page 221 they stated that reduce the words help people get a better understanding. Just slowly and often not in an organized way. There are many words that were once spelled very differently but have now changed. For example, error was spelled errour. In American language has been up and down beaten and destroyed just as fast as it was built. The writing has even changed certain formats for certain paper, the way your letters look, everything. I believe she feels we have already done enough to it what could possible go wrong with trying to make it better in the world, changing the spelling systems and making it not so much as slang but as proper English, or even just letting people know what goes where and not always shorting the word. In the future at the rate there going words want live on it will be codes that you will have to go by. It is great that we have established new inventions but not to take and destroy what many of our ancestors built. I think that most important thing to her is how she can make a change; I mean I understand we have let technology do a lot for us. Like computers, tablets, phones can keep all of those files and handouts in neat folders. The way that we think of textbooks is completely changing. It is no longer just text and pictures. Today’s textbooks often have web-based sites that include assessments, animations, additional materials, videos, and other materials to support the learning of new contents. Even you have books that can be downloaded on everything and it reads it for you and or watch the movie or as I like to call it the remake. Which by the way takes away from your reading skills and more? I’m not sure if this is a part of the learning, but we don’t pass notes in class anymore. Because we can easily get them off are email or as most students do text one another instead. Its just another funny way how technology has changed education. As I look over this essay it makes me want to take and bye me a lot of dictionary sit down and study every word in the book. Instead on using the one on my phone and cutting down on the way I spell in my texting. When Trubek stated â€Å"Standardized spelling enables readers to understand writing, to aid communication and ensure clarity† (222). She made me think about what my grandmother always told me â€Å"don’t eat anything if you can’t spell it; know where it came from and what’s in it. This is a great article I would encourage a lot of people to read it and think about it, and hopeful as they get older try to change the way they incorporate how to spell, read write and learn.

Personal Identity Defining Yourself Philosophy Essay

Personal Identity Defining Yourself Philosophy Essay Trying to define yourself is like trying to bite your own teeth Alan Watts. Personal Identity play its role as to define human with quality of its own which makes him or her a unique one. The identity of a person that is in question must be able to realize them, and he must be identified by other people. In short, what makes John unique from Felicia? Both internal (mind) and external (body) views are the two essential aspects that have to be differentiated by one. There are several general philosophical theories of this identity problem. Body theory, Soul theory and Conscious Theory will come to fit into the missing piece of the puzzle of personal identity. The body theory is one of the theories that define personal identity. It can be defined as when Person A has a personal identity if and only if they have the same body X. However, two problems can be found in this definition. Qualitatively, it is right to own the same body, but if changes happened to the body, can we still define that person as the same one? Everyones body is definitely different if we were to compare at the age of 60 and 4. Another problem popped out on the matter of body alteration. If Felicia becomes injured by a mine at war, and then her legs have to be amputated, is she not the same person, Felicia? Therefore, the definition of the theory is insufficient as the same body alteration is not accounted for. On the other hand, numerically, if a person lost his finger due to an accident, does that finger is counted as a different body? What if a scientist decided to use another persons DNA to clone another person with the exact same DNA? Two people with identical body surely cannot be the same person because they are still two different people with identical body. Both of them would be living totally different lives. Hence, in defining personal identity, the body theory by itself had failed to make it valid. The Soul theory will be the next common theory in defining personal identity. Similarly to the body theory: Person A has a personal identity if and only if they have the same soul. The idea became a lot more complicated when we are trying to define a rather controversial term soul. In the religion aspect, it is thought to be spirit of a person that passes through ones body into another realm (eg. Heaven or hell). However, it is still a mysterious phenomenon since there is no proof that can prove its existence. For instance, when a cloud changes to grayish puffy substance, we will still say, the cloud had turned gray. In short, we still recognized it as a cloud. It is just many souls in one body. Therefore, the soul theory is also not valid as it fails in that the definiens is insufficient to define personal identity.   The truest and most recognized philosophy theories about personal identity are the consciousness theory. However, this theory is interpreted differently in three ways: the experiential content, conscious self, and connected stream of consciousness theories. First on the list, the conscious self-theory: he or she is said to have personal identity if they have the same self-conscious. In another words, if there is a different conscious in two people, then both of them has personal identity. At first sight, it seems like a good theory to prove personal identity. It is analogous to Descartes cogito, I think therefore I am. Secondly, the consciousness of experiences theory is the common derivatives to the theory of consciousness. It is more easily known as the experiential content. This theory comes from the Lockes theory of having the mind blank, and accumulation from experiences. One is to have personal identity because only one person can experience at one finite space. We take twins f or instance. Although they have identical bodies, the moment they were born, they are already experiencing different moments. Therefore, both of them have personal identity because they experience different surroundings and see things in a different manner. The major problem is that we do not have the ability to remember every single experience in our life consciously. For instance, one can still tell another person what they have eaten three days ago but it is impossible for a person to tell another what they ate today after 10 years. In another example, one cannot be define as having different personal identity because they were drunk and acted like another person. In other words, because the human mind has failed to consciously remember every single moment of their lives, this theory eventually is invalid. The connected stream of consciousness will be the last theory about personal identity. With its definition of a persons identity is made out of a stream of connected conscious experiences, this theory eventually had solved the problem of human being unable to remember about their experience consciously. With this theory, we will still be the same person although we are unable to remember what we have done at the age of 4 when we are 60 years old. Generally with a finite mind, conscious is affiliated in a chronological pattern. In short, we will take the river as a metaphor. If you see a river flowing every day, you will not be looking at the same part of the river (representing body or experiences), however you will not be able to dispute that is not a river. Hence, let say the river is personal identity. This theory almost had it all right then. Thomas Reid which is also my preferred option to the idea of personal identity disagreed with Lockes memory theory by reducing it to absurdity. Lockes theory was criticized for a few irrelevancies. First of all, I strongly agree with what Reid hold on to. He thinks that personal identity should be determined with something that cannot be divided into parts indivisible but not by determining by operations. He, too, stated the main problem of Lockes is his ideas are of confusing proves of another thing with itself. Officer paradox was introduced by Reid at his attempt to Lockes theory to absurdity. Memory is the best evidence for identity, says Locke. If Felicia was able to remember what she had done, hence, she will be the same person with the same identity. But if Felicia happened to be a forgetful person, will that means she loses her personal identity? Reids idea can further support my point where he believes that to be able to prove something for its constituents and its existence, an evidence of a particular matter is relatively irrelevant. It was argued that if I were to believe the world is created, it does not mean that the creation of the world is valid. This argument is similar to someone who remember doing something but that does not mean he will the same person who did that something. I personally think that the memory and personal identity are both affiliated. They are related not in the sense of determining who a person is but they are related in a sense where one existed over time instead. Therefore, it was concluded by Reid that Lockes memory theory is a presup position of personal identity by memory rather than the creation of it. A U.S. author, James Baldwin once quoted, An identity seemed like it has arrived by the way when a person faces and uses his experience. Assuming that we will not be able to put everything into a complete puzzle, we are left with one choice. Pluck a rose, separate the petals one by one which each petals represents one idea. Whatever came out at the end, it is your call by your very own intuition. But for me, I would choose to go for Reids philosophical views about personal identity.

The Bonesetter’s Daughter Essay -- English Literature:

Bones constitute on important part in The Bonesetter’s Daughter. What is the significance of the book’s title? â€Å"The Bonesetter’s Daughter† in my opinion holds a deeper meaning as a title. Amy Tan could have called the book â€Å"Precious Auntie† or â€Å"Liu Xing Gu† if you directly translate the bonesetter’s daughter. Why did Amy Tan choose this title? These three words must contain some deeper meaning and therefore we should not judge the title at face value. The first thing that we should look at is what these three words are signifying. They are putting emphasis on the bonesetter by saying that this book is about His daughter. Tan could have paraphrased the title into â€Å"The Daughter of the Bonesetter† This means that there must be some importance laid on this bonesetter. The term â€Å"daughter of the famous bonesetter† is only used a few times within the contents. Amy Tan wanted to accentuate two bits of information. One of those words is daughter. Since most of the book is mostly feminine based, it should, naturally, have a more feminine title. Before reading the book we are told that this story is about a girl or a woman and perhaps her father. However, we are not told about the bonesetter’s daughter until page 155. This is telling us something. We thought that the main character in this book had to be the bonesetter’s daughter. We now find out that this is perhaps not so and that it will be difficult to pin point the main character in this book. The main difficulty is within the fact that this book has no immediate plot. It is more of a mixture between psychological drama and the autobiography of a woman. Nobody can summarize the book effectively within one sentence. The story is far too intricate. This is exact... ...ere used as a way to speak to the gods and ask them questions whose answers could be read from the cracks which appeared on the rocks. Bones are a very important part of the Chinese culture and are used for a holy purpose. Naturally, this again links to the curse that this family is haunted by. If bones really hold that much power over people by being able to communicate with the gods, then if they are misused and disturbed like the way the Gu family did, they can therefore be able to curse them. The curse has grown in importance for LuLing ever since she has realized why it has followed them and what kind of disasters it may lead to. Precious Auntie is the key link between the bonesetter and LuLing and Ruth. She is also the one who suffered most from this curse. This is why she is such an important character. This is why she forms the title of this book.

The Americanization of Puerto Rico :: American History

The Americanization of Puerto Rico When island inhabitants first heard that Americans were planning on invading Puerto Rico and driving out Spain's rulers, Puerto Ricans welcomed the North Americans to their home. (To view an in-progress work dealing with the Spanish-American War from a pro-colonial expansion point of view, visit this site/ For an objective historical account view this site). The Puerto Ricans were tired of not having a voice in politics and government and with the knowledge that America was a democracy, there was hope that this status quo would change. Although Puerto Ricans felt sentiments of fear at the arrival of the Americans, this did not curb their welcoming and enabling the American invasion. Unfortunately, the outcome of the invasion was not as positive as was thought it would be. During early U.S. rule, Puerto Ricans still were not included in the majority of governmental relations, and as with Spaniards, Americans who were sent to rule in Puerto Rico had never been there before and were i gnorant about the history, culture, Spanish language, etc. Basically, Puerto Rico continued being ruled by foreigners who sought to complete their own interests, as opposed to looking to what are the interests of the nation they are invading and ruling. A cogent metaphor in Ferrà ©'s novel for the unrequited hopes that Puerto Rico had when United States invaded is Tony Torres, who is supposedly going to dance in Kerenski's adaptation of Swan Lake and Firebird . The people who lived in Machuelo Abajo reacted to the news of Tony with respect and excitement. In my view, the initial reactions of Machuelo Abajo's young people, were on a smaller scale, comparable to the reaction of Puerto Ricans, especially the elite, to the proposed American invasion. Here is a sample of the reaction to Tony's being selected as Prince in the ballet school's production: "The young people in Machuelo Abajo saw him as a hero; it was the first time anyone from the slums had ever danced at La Perla or taken part in any way in any of its elegant cultural events. When posters advertising the performance, with Tony's picture, appeared all over town-affixed to the telephone poles and to the walls of buildings and to fences-the people of Manchuelo Abajo took them down, framed them, and hung them in their living rooms. (Ferrà ©, p. 170)" The Puerto Ricans, especially upper class, regarded the United States as the most powerful democracy in the world.

Autistic

A.) Autism is prevalent in the United States. The disorder is probably most famous for the cognitive greatness that is entirely unique to this kind of disorder. However, this is only an inherent in autistic savants, which is a much rarer form of autism. Autistic savants often have incredible abilities in the mathematics and science fields. For example, an autistic savant named Temple Grandin built her own machine to help her cope with her avoidance of human contact. Besides unique intelligence, autistic individuals are virtually emotionless and often have trouble forming attachments to others. Social interaction abnormalities preclude the formation of relationships partly because a simple touch – hug, pat, handshake – are rejected because of hyper arousal. Autistic children cannot stand to be touched; a simple hug from a parent or friend might send the child into a screaming fit. B.) As a parent of a child with autism, the worst part of the illness would be the inability to hug the child. Parents can never kiss or hug their children, which is an essential part of showing affection and love. Also, the intellectual incapacities of autism are devastating. C.) In the research study conducted by John Ratey in his book A User’s Guide to the Brain, Ratey found that autistic individuals are actually the key to scientific and mathematical progress. His studies are based on the progress of Temple Grandin, who was successful in measuring her own social abnormalities and building machines to teach herself how to interact ‘normally’ with others. D.) I enjoyed the doctor’s article. After reading about Temple’s charting and statistical readings and the production on her own ‘hugging’ machine so she could practice being hugged again, the progress of science and mathematics can indeed be greatly helped by autistic savants. E.) How long will it be before Temple Grandin’s machines are mass produced to help all autistic children? Can autism be avoided in the future through genetic engineering technology? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder A.) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is becoming more prevalent amongst children adolescents in each passing year. Intellectually this disorder has no influence upon perception or cognitive functions directly. However, the inability to sit still or focus on an assignment or a book can hinder progress in different academic subjects. Socially, ADHD sufferers are usually overly-talkative and constantly moving around – pacing, making broad, abnormal gestures while speaking, etc.. As a result, awkwardness, incessant loquacity, and hyper behavior can cause deter others. Emotionally, it is difficult for affected individuals to form long-lasting relationships because of the aforementioned social difficulties. B.) As a parent, the most difficult aspect of this illness would be watching the child struggle with his studies. Frustration is common in ADHD children because they are usually interested in several things at once, making it nearly impossible to concentrate. Of course, there are pharmaceuticals that can lessen these symptoms – the most famous being Ritalin. Medicinal treatment is very successful, but it can also be quite devastating to the parent to realize his child is going to have to take pills to function properly for the entirety of his life. Bibliography Ratey, John J.. A User’s Guide to the Brain. New York: Pantheon Books. 2001 Steward, Herbert. Mental Illnesses and the Future of Medicine. New York: Pocket Books. 2004 Â