Abstract This paper explains that wildlife around the world is being affected by global warming and that the importance and impact of global climate changes have constituted discernible factors within our ecosystem. The paper further explains that these factors have disrupted animal and plant populations whereas further extirpation may result in extinction. In addition, there may be changes associated with migrating tendency, timing of events, distribution ranges, migrating routes and stopovers, traits of the birds and their population.
Abstract This paper explains that Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson, the wife of President Lyndon Johnson, during and after her husband's time in the White House, was involved with several environmental initiatives, which continue to make an impact decades later. The paper describes Lady Bird's efforts to make cities and highways throughout the U.S. more beautiful and relates that Lady Bird promoted legislation to protect the environment, although today not all laws remain in place. The writer also states that, as other first ladies, Lady Bird Johnson also knew that her place was to support her husband on his own personal issues.
Outline:
Introduction
Each First Lady Had Something of Her Own on which to Work, be in Healthcare, the Arts or Social Services
Lady Bird Johnson, Wife of Lyndon, Had Her Own Personal Issue
As Other First Ladies, She Will Always be Remembered for her Impact
Environment, the One Word to Sum up Lady Bird's Contribution
Quote: "Ugliness is so Grim..."
Beauty without and within People is her Legacy
Scenic America Considers Her its Spiritual Godmother and Inspiration
History behind Beautification Legislation
Bird Started the Committee for a More Beautiful Campaign Due to Run-Down and Decrepit Conditions in Washington, D.C.
Effort Grew from Cross City, to Neighborhood to Neighborhood to Across the U.S.
Her Committee Planted Trees and Flowers at Major Landmarks, and They Still Remain Today
As Momentum Increased, Wildflowers Began Replacing Ugly Billboards across the Country, and the Media Followed Her Ongoing Clean-Up Act
Despite Cynicism about Big Industry and Loop Holes, Legislation was Passed
Further Environmental Movements
She Pushed Hard from the Wilderness Act of 1964, Land, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Program and Expansion of National Parks
Made Littering A Public Acknowledged Problem and Led to Increase in Anti-Pollution Culture in 1970s
In 1982, National Wildlife Research Center
Grand Canyon and National Concerns
Problems Reappeared, as with any Legislation
Some states have Reneged on Billboard Usage; Others Continue the Fight
Still Better Than Situation Would Have Been
Conclusion--Why She Did It. Quotes.
From the Paper "Unfortunately, as with many laws, the Highway Beautification legislation was not tight enough to keep the large concerns from moving through the loop holes, and the small concerns, as those along Route 66, to suffer the consequence. Time went on, and the number of billboards continued to grow. Today, the billboard blight is worse in some states than others and environmental groups actively work together to keep additional laws from making matters worse."
Tags: wildflowers, scenic america, billboard native, loop holes
Abstract This paper discusses avian influenza, otherwise known as bird flu. According to the paper, bird flu is a naturally-occurring infection caused by avian influenza viruses. It travels in the intestines of wild birds, having little impact on these animals, though the transferal of the same virus to a domestic bird can have harmful consequences. The spread of the virus typically occurs via the saliva, feces and nasal passages of an infected animal; birds become infected when they come into contact with infected secretions or surfaces contaminated by such secretions. Commonly, the spread of the infection occurs when birds come into contact with materials such as dirt, cages, water or feed that have been contaminated with the virus.
Abstract This paper explains that legendary Celtics MVP Larry Bird did not simply prove that white men could jump but also he is credited in bringing back the lagging Boston basketball franchise and infusing new energy into the league. The author uses the functionalist theory, which relates the individual to culture, media and society, to describe Bird's life and career. The paper underscores that, although Bird came of age during an era when America was becoming increasingly racially polarized and although basketball is a cultural template of racial conflicts, this white star has remained focused on the game and has maintained cordial relationships with African-American athletes on his and other own teams.
Table of Contents:
The Importance of Larry Bird Chronological History of Bird's Career in Sports
How Socialized
Impact of Deviance
Impact of Violence
Athlete's Gender, Race/Ethnicity And Social Class Background As A Factor In His Sport Career
Economics of the Athlete's Sport and the Athlete's Career
Relationship with the Media
Functionalist Theory
From the Paper "Bird had no fancy schooling in the game and began playing after he received a cheap rubber basketball for Christmas, shooting hoops for hours in his backyard to dull the pain he felt from his parents' divorce and later his father's suicide. As for many disadvantaged players, basketball was his only solace during a lonely and troubled childhood. He also grew up with a strong female role model, although not with a strong male role model. In an era and a town where few women worked, his mother had to work long hours, away from the growing Bird."
Tags: mother teamwork morality harmony, olympic games
Abstract As she declares clearly in the beginning of her book, "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life", Anne Lamott's mission is not to fulfill her readers' dreams of getting published. Rather, her purpose is to pass on the knowledge she has acquired from direct experience and learning from other great writers to the readers to inspire them in their journey of writing. The paper discusses Lamott's book, including her unique style of writing, her use of analogies and images and the sense of intimacy she projects through the book.
From the Paper "Especially in the first section, Lamott presents a tremendous number of techniques to stimulate the writing process, such as creating a routine for writing and writing short assignments (4, 18). Instead of simply doling out the techniques, she enlivens her passages with humorous descriptions of the difficulties involved in the writing process: "The obsessing may keep you awake, or the self-loathing may cause you to fall into a narcoleptic coma before dinner" (Lamott 8). Therefore, she succeeds in tapping into the feelings of her readers who are probably aspiring writers. The readers know that they are in the hands of a truthful writer who understands and empathizes with their frustrations during the writing process."
Abstract This review offers an analysis of Caroline Bird's "The Case Against College". It explores Bird's major arguments against a college education, where she discusses that it is both a waste of financial resources and does not provide an adequate return of investment. The writer disputes Bird's arguments by offering a critique of her research methodology. The review concludes that although an interesting book, it is ultimately flawed.
From the Paper "She suggests that students and parents who see college as a status symbol or as evidence of being a "well rounded" individual should seriously reconsider a college education. She sees college as a huge waste of financial resources, and argues that students are often neither intellectually or emotionally richer for the experience. Given that the text was written over 25 years ago, some issues are longer current, and monetary figures are inaccurate. However, many of the issues raised in the articles remain valid to this day."
Abstract In his film "The Birds", Alfred Hitchcock uses metaphors to depict human lonesomeness and a balance between humans and animals. He uses images of bird attacks to reveal pain and suffering that humans suppress. He uses the same image to point out what would happen to humans if they were put in the place of birds.
Abstract This paper examines how the origin of feathers is unknown and how scientists have researched the topic. and none of the theories have even come close to being proved. It looks at how the mystery of the evolution of feathers is closely linked with the origin of birds themselves and how there is various evidence that shows that birds have evolved from small, predatory dinosaurs, known as theropods. It also examines the theory that, although the evolution of feathers and flight were always intimately linked, new fossils discovered in China show that feathers originated even before the evolution of flights or birds.
From the Paper "A bird's most distinctive attribute is its feathers. Traditionally it was thought that the evolution of feathers was linked to the origin of flight, but studies now confirm that feathers existed even in the non-flying dinosaurs, which shows that feathers pre-dated the origin of both flight and birds. The actual progress of feathers is not fully known because of various misleads one of which actually states that the primitive feather actually came about due to the elongation and division of the reptilian scale, and the misunderstanding that feathers evolved primarily for the function of flight. Another hindrance in the concept is that of the lack of the availability of primitive fossils. Many contributions from several fields have tried to bring about a solution for these problems."
Abstract The paper defines birds as warm-blooded vertebrate animals that are covered with feathers, have wings, a beak and no teeth. The paper describes the different types of feathers and their respective functions. The paper looks at the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems of the birds and their efficiencies. The paper discusses their food and habitats and notes that there are a few species of birds that do not fly, such as the penguin.
From the Paper "Birds belong to the Aves Classification in biology and live virtually anywhere in the world. They are amniotes (animals whose eggs are protected from drying out), a group that includes mammals, dinosaurs and reptiles). There are approximately 9,000 species, divided into 24 orders and 146 families (which include, for example, Anseriformes (ducks), apodiformes, caprimulgiformes, charadriiformes, ciconiformes, columbiformes, coraciiformes, cucliformes, falconiformes, galliformes, gaviiformes, and so on). Birds are warm-blooded vertebrate animals that are covered with feathers, have wings, a beak, and no teeth. Feathers are actually modified scales. (Enchanted 1)"
Abstract The paper demonstrates how bird's nest soup provides a glimpse into Chinese and South Asian cultures. The paper discusses how bird's nest soup is a status symbol, associated with special occasions. The paper highlights how food plays an important role in matters of culture, involving far more than environmental conditions and nutrition. The paper also assesses how popular bird's nest soup remains in China today.
Outline:
Introductory Discussion
A Ritual Dish and Economic Activity
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper "Swiftlet nests are believed by some to have aphrodisiac properties but more Chinese regard them as a tonic, their cost as a central ingredient renders the soup something served to honour an important guest or occasion. Consuming food in Chinese cultures remains a group, event-oriented process, the nature of dishes served known to guests, in contrast with what Marshall referred to as a 'narcissism' of Western consumption in its individual preferences. (2005:71) To prepare for a special meal in the home or in more expensive restaurants in Asia, a cook will buy cleaned and dried nests of the swiftlet, a tiny cave-dwelling bird whose nest is made from its own gummy saliva as hardens in the air. Dried bird's nest is soaked in water overnight, drained, brushed with peanut oil, and soaked again until no bits of feather, dust or other debris, rise to the top of the water."
Abstract Aristophanes' "The Birds" is a comedy, but it does make a number of philosophical statements about the human condition, particularly the inability of human beings to accept reality for what it is. The paper shows how almost every character in the play (not only human but also bird and god) is shown to be dissatisfied with his or her lot in life and seeks to create a better city or world. The world turns out not to be better, but worse than the reality each seeks to escape. The paper shows that while Aristophanes, from his satirical perspective, may handle some characters more tenderly than others, all are skewered in one way or another as deluded or self-deluded, as alienated from reality. No character is happy and contented with his or her lot, but instead believes that there is some way to control others or otherwise exercise power in order to win that elusive happiness.
From the Paper "However, the play is not overtly political, and the argument of this study remains philosophical rather than political, social, or even ethical. This is so because Aristophanes, at least in this particular play, seems to this reader to be focusing more on the human proclivity to self-centered dissatisfaction with reality in general rather than with the blatantly political. Certainly the subject of trying to create a utopia on earth is present, and that may certainly be said to be political, but, again, the goal of this study is to explore the theme of human restlessness in general, with the tendency of individuals at every point in history and in almost every culture to be unhappy with what they have and to seek something that they don't have and likely will never have. In fact, it can be argued their inability or unwillingness to be satisfied with reality (personal, social, psychological, and political) is the source of their happiness."
Abstract In the movie "The Birds" (1963), director Alfred Hitchcock suggests themes of horror related to primal fears of nature. While the story is based on the story "The Birds" by Daphne Du Maurier, the film version made many changes in the process of adaptation. The paper shows that the changes Hitchcock made utilized the same tensions as the original story while adapting the tale to something that could better take advantage of the visual element so important on the screen. It shows that these changes create a film that is more visual, but also develop the human element to a greater degree, shape the narrative for a different time and setting and create a different sense of the vagaries of nature and the way human beings fit into the natural world.
From the Paper "The first change noted is that the story no longer takes place at a farm surrounded by the sea, for now the setting is the coastal village of Bodega Bay in California and not a distant region of England. The original story is about a disabled man and his family, while the Hitchcock film begins the story with the meeting of a woman and man in San Francisco. Melanie Daniels meets Mitch in a pet store where Mitch is looking for a pair of lovebirds for his younger sister. The movie version therefore has the trappings of a traditional romance from the first, and the element of fear will be something that tests the romance and creates contrasts between the way the world was before the meeting and the way it becomes after. The suspense develops slowly as the couple travels to Bodega Bay, as Melanie meets some of the people there, and as the nature she is now exposed to begins to change into something deadly. The suspense increases as birds begin to attack, first singly, then in groups of hundreds and thousands of birds, all behaving contrary to their normal placid nature."
Tags: Melanie, Daniels, Bodega, Bay, Annie, Hayworth
Abstract This paper explains that, in Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", a story based on her life, the two things which propelled young Maya into adolescence were her thirst for learning and her love of reading. The author tells of several aspects of Angelou's life including her attending college at the age of fourteen and the birth of a baby boy out of wedlock. The paper concludes that, even today, Maya Angelou, who is a product of Stamps and Oakland and of the disdain and hatred of pre-Civil Rights Negroes, seeks freedom for all people, black and white, so that they are not a caged bird.
From the Paper "Maya also became somewhat of a dreamer, especially when thoughts of her mother, Vivian Baxter, arose from time to time. It seems that a movie star of that period, Kay Francis, was supposed to look like their mother, and the two would go to the movies- the colored balcony, of course, every time a Kay Francis movie would be shown at the local theatre. Slowly, there was a need for mother and daughter to reunite. But, still the heart and soul of Maya was her education. "I had met and loved the Bronte sisters, and had replaced Kipling's 'If' with 'Invictus'.""
Abstract This paper explains that bird abundance and diversity across a rural urban gradient are decreasing as humans encroach on natural habitats. The author points out the loss of bird species due to the environmental changes, which occur as man uses the land for farming, highways and housing.
From the Paper "Environments change over time inevitably and this leads to changes in bird populations. As human populations expand and change, the face of the earth and its natural inhabitants are forced into smaller and smaller ecological niches."
Abstract This paper examines how, in Michel Basiliere's "Black Bird", references to the October (FLQ) crisis are quite accurate, with the exception of some minor changes. There are many small intricacies that have been changed to make the story more interesting and readable, but in doing so the history is made inaccurate. The paper discusses how, although "Black Bird" is indeed a fictional work, it is a prime example of how changing a few facts here and there (usually to make the story more interesting) can serve to rewrite history.
From the Paper "A British diplomat was kidnapped from his Montreal home in much the same way that is represented. Although, the diplomat's name is James Cross ,not "John" Cross as is depicted in the novel. This minor change in name could be considered a clever trick by Basiliere or if one were to think in terms of a narrative history, a mistake, which modifies the truth albeit very slightly. The kidnapping that occurred is depicted very accurately. James Cross was indeed kidnapped from his home with his maid and wife present and taken to a working-class home in Montreal (Heinrich, 9). Cross has described his kidnapping as being "in the situation of a small child" (Heinrich 9). Basiliere captures this sentiment well when Marie and John Cross first arrive at Marie's secret room. Cross is thinking to himself that " he [can't] recall ever having felt so vulnerable, so small [...] not even in public school" (247). Thus far, the story is fairly accurate and the historical facts are mostly true, even down to the emotions of Cross during the kidnapping."
