Lamb The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Epilogue Free Essays

string(26) " sexuality comes to mind\." Epilogue The angel took the book from him, then went out the door and across the hall, where he knocked on the door. â€Å"He’s finished,† the angel said to someone in the room. â€Å"What, you’re leaving? I can just go?† asked Levi who was called Biff. We will write a custom essay sample on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Epilogue or any similar topic only for you Order Now The door across the hall opened, and there stood another angel, this one seeming to have more a female aspect than Raziel. She too held a book. She stepped into the hall to reveal a woman standing behind her, wearing jeans and a green cotton blouse. Her hair was long and straight, dark with reddish highlights, and her eyes were crystal blue and seemed to glow in contrast to her dark skin. â€Å"Maggie,† said Levi. â€Å"Hi, Biff.† â€Å"Maggie finished her Gospel weeks ago,† said Raziel. â€Å"Really?† The Magdalene smiled. â€Å"Well, I didn’t have as much to write as you did. I didn’t see you guys for sixteen years.† â€Å"Oh, right.† â€Å"It is the will of the Son that you two go out together into this new world,† said the female angel. Levi went across the hall and took her in his arms. They kissed for a long time until the angels began to clear their throats and murmur â€Å"Get a room† under their breaths. They held each other at arm’s length. Levi said, â€Å"Maggie, is this going to be like it always was? You know, you’re with me, and you love me and everything, but it’s only because you can’t have Josh?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"That’s so pathetic.† â€Å"You don’t want to be together?† â€Å"No, I want to, it’s just pathetic.† â€Å"I have money,† she said. â€Å"They gave me money.† â€Å"That’s good.† â€Å"Go,† said Raziel, losing his patience. â€Å"Go, go, go. Go away.† He pointed down the hallway. They started walking down the hallway, arm in arm, tentatively, looking back at the angels every few steps, until at last they looked back and the angels were gone. â€Å"You should have stuck around,† the Magdalene said. â€Å"I couldn’t. It hurt too much.† â€Å"He came back.† â€Å"I know, I read about it.† â€Å"He was sad because of what you had done.† â€Å"Yeah, so was I.† â€Å"The others were angry with you. They said that you had the greatest reason to believe.† â€Å"That why they edited me out of their Gospels?† â€Å"Good guess,† she said. They stepped into the elevator and the Magdalene pushed the button for the lobby. â€Å"By the way, it was Hallowed,† she said. â€Å"What was Hallowed?† â€Å"The H. His middle name. It was Hallowed. It’s a family name, remember, ‘Our father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.'† â€Å"Damn, I would have guessed Harvey,† Biff said. Afterword Teaching Yoga to an Elephant And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. JOHN 21:25 Can you really teach yoga to an elephant? Well no, you can’t, but we’re talking about Jesus here. Nobody knows what he could do. The book you’ve just read is a story. I made it up. It is not designed to change anyone’s beliefs or worldview, unless after reading it you’ve decided to be kinder to your fellow humans (which is okay), or you decide you really would like to try to teach yoga to an elephant, in which case, please get videotape. I researched Lamb, I really did, but there is no doubt I could have spent decades researching and still managed to be inaccurate. (It’s a talent, what can I say?) While I’ve made some attempt to paint an accurate picture of the world in which Christ lived, I changed things for my own convenience, and sometimes, obviously, there was no way of knowing what conditions really existed in the years 1 through 33. The available written history about the peasant class, society, and the practice of Judaism in the first century in Galilee degenerates quickly into theory. The role of the Pharisees in peasant society, the Hellenistic influence, the influence of an international city like Joppa nearby: who knows how these things would have affected Christ as a boy? Some historians postulate that Yeshua of Nazareth would have been little more than an ignorant hillbilly, while others say that because of the proximity of Sepphoris and Joppa, he could have been exposed to Greek and Roman culture from an early age. I chose the latter because it makes for a more interesting story. The historical life of Jesus, beyond a couple of references by Josephus, the Jewish historian of the first century, and the odd mention by Roman historians, is again mostly speculation. What we can know today of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is included in the four slim Gospels found in the New Testament: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. For those readers who know the Gospels (bear with me), you know that Matthew and Luke are the only two to mention Christ’s birth, while Mark and John cover only the ministry part of Jesus’ life. The wise men are mentioned only in one short passage in Matthew, and the shepherds are mentioned only in Luke. The slaughter of the innocents and the fleeing into Egypt are mentioned only in Matthew. In short, Jesus’ infancy is a jumble, but the chronicle of his childhood is worse. Of the time from Jesus’ birth to when he began his ministry in his thirties, the Bible gives us only one scene: Luke tells us of Jesus teaching in the Tem ple in Jerusalem at age twelve. Other than that, we have a thirty-year hole in the life of the most influential human being to ever walk the face of the earth. With Lamb, in my own goofy way, I attempted to fill that hole in history, but again, I am not trying to present history as it might really have been, I’m simply telling stories. Some of the historical elements of Lamb are uncomfortable to work the modern mind around. The precocious sexuality comes to mind. You read "Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Epilogue" in category "Essay examples" That Maggie would have been betrothed by twelve and married by thirteen is almost certain from what we know of Jewish society in the first century, as are the facts that a Jewish boy of the time would have been learning his trade by age ten, would be betrothed at thirteen, and would be married by fourteen. Trying to create empathy for the adult roles of those whom we, today, would consider children, was of no small concern to me when I was writing that section of the book, but it may be the one section where the sexuality of the characters is not historically out of place. The average peasant in Galilee would have been lucky to live to the age of forty, so perhaps the children, by necessity, reached sexual maturity earlier than they would unde r less harsh conditions. Although there are, I’m sure, many historical inaccuracies and improbabilities in this book, the most blatant that I have knowingly indulged is in the section where Biff and Joshua visit Gaspar in the mountains of China. While Gautama Buddha did indeed live and teach some five hundred years before the birth of Christ, and while his teachings were widespread in India by the time our heroes could have made it to the East, Buddhism didn’t make it into China for almost five hundred years after Christ’s death. The martial arts would not be developed by Buddhist monks until after that, but to remain historically accurate, I would have had to leave out an important question that I felt needed to be addressed, which is, â€Å"What if Jesus had known kung fu?† The life of Gaspar, as described in Lamb (the nine years in the cave, etc.), is drawn from the legends of the life of the Buddhist patriarch Bodhidharma, the man who is said to have taken Buddhism to China around A.D. 500. Bodhidharma (or Daruma) is credited with the school of Buddhism that we know today as Zen. Buddhist legend does not mention Bodhidharma encountering a yeti, but they do have him cutting his eyelids off to avoid falling asleep and having them sprout into tea plants which later monks would brew to keep awake during meditation (which I left out), so I traded that story in on an abominable snowman and Biff’s theory of natural selection. Seemed fair. Bodhidharma is also said to have invented and taught kung fu to the famous Shao Lin monks to condition them for the rigorous regimen of meditation he prescribed. Most of the details of the festival of Kali, including the sacrifices and mutilations, come from Joseph Campbell’s Oriental Mythology, from his Masks of God series. Campbell cites eyewitness accounts of the bloody ritual from nineteenth-century British soldiers and states that even today over eight hundred goats are beheaded for the festival of Kali in Calcutta. (Anyone who had trouble with this passage, please write to Campbell in his current incarnation.) The cited verses from the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita are actual translations of those revered writings. The verses from the Kama Sutra are completely from my imagination, but you’ll find weirder stuff in the actual book. Theologically, I made certain assumptions about who Jesus was, mainly that he was who the Gospels say he was. While I used the Gospels heavily for reference, and there are a couple of references to the Acts of the Apostles (specifically the giving of the gift of tongues, without which Biff could not have told the story in modern American idiom), I tried not to draw on the rest of the New Testament, specifically the letters of Paul, Peter, James, and John, as well as Revelations, all written years after the Crucifixion (as were the Gospels). These missives eventually went on to define Christianity, but no matter what you may think of them, you have to agree that Jesus would not have been aware of them, or the events in them, or certainly the consequences of their teaching, so they had no place in this story. Joshua and Biff, as Jewish boys, would, however, have been familiar with the books of the Old Testament, the first five of which made up the base of their faith, the Torah, and th e rest which were referred to by people of the time as Prophets and Writings, so I referred to these when I felt it was appropriate. As I understand it, however, the Talmud and most of the Midrash (illustrative stories explaining the law of God) had not yet been formulated and agreed upon, so they were not used as a reference for Lamb. From the Gnostic Gospels (a set of manuscripts found at Nag Hammadi, Egypt, in 1945, but which actually may have been written earlier than the canonized Gospels) I’ve drawn only slightly on the Gospel of Thomas, a book of Christ’s sayings, because it fit well with the Buddhist point of view (many of the sayings in the Gospel of Thomas are also found in Mark). The other Gnostic Gospels were either too fragmentary, or frankly, just plain creepy (the Infancy Gospel of Thomas describes Jesus, at age six, using his supernatural powers to murder a group of children because they tease him. Sort of Carrie Goes to Nazareth. Even I had to pass.) Lamb is peppered throughout with biblical references, both real and made-up (i.e., Biff quotes liberally from nonexistent books of the Bible such as Dalmatians, Excretions, and Amphibians). My editor and I discussed the merit of footnoting these references and decided that footnotes would detract from the flow of the story. The problem arises, however, that if the reader knows the Bible well enough to recognize the real references, there’s a good chance that he or she has decided not to read this book. Our final decision – well, my final decision, my editor wasn’t really consulted on this because he might have said no – was to advise those who are not familiar with the Bible to find someone who is, sit them down, read them the passages in question, then say, â€Å"That one real? How ’bout that one?† If you don’t know someone who is familiar with the Bible, just wait, someone will come to your door eventually. Keep extra copies of Lamb on hand so they can take one with them. Another problem with telling a story that has been told so many times is that people are looking for elements with which they are familiar. Although I’ve glossed over many events that are chronicled in the Gospels, there are numerous elements which many people think are there, which simply are not. One is that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She’s always portrayed that way in movies, but it doesn’t ever say that she is in the Bible. She is mentioned by name eleven times in the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Luke, Mark). Most references to her talk about her preparation for the burial of Jesus, and then being the first witness of his resurrection. It also says that Jesus cured her of evil spirits. No whore references, period. There are â€Å"Marys† without surnames all over the Gospels, and some of them, I suspect, may refer to the Magdalene, specifically the Mary who, soon before his death, anoints Jesus’ feet with expensive ointment and wipes them wit h her hair, certainly one of the most tender moments in the Gospels and the primary basis for my rendering of Maggie’s character. We know from letters that many of the leaders of the early church were women, but in first-century Israel, a woman who struck out on her own without a husband was not only considered uppity, but was very likely referred to as a harlot (as was a woman who was divorced). That could be where the myth originated. Another Gospel misassumption is that the three wise men were kings, or, in fact, that there were even three of them. We make that assumption because there are three gifts given to the Christ child. Their names are never mentioned. The names Balthasar, Gaspar, and Melchior come to us from Christian tradition written hundreds of years after the time of Christ. We assume that Joseph of Nazareth, Jesus’ stepfather, dies before the Crucifixion, yet it is never stated in the Gospels. He just may not have been involved. We make assumptions based on what we have been fed over the years at Christmas pageants and passion plays, but often, although inspired by faith, that material is little more than what you have just read: the product of someone’s imagination. The Gospels do not agree on the order of the events that happen during the ministry, from Jesus’ baptism by John to the Crucifixion, so I arranged events from all the Gospels in what seemed a logical, chronological order, while adding those elements that allow Biff’s participation in the story. There are, of course, elements of the Gospels which I left out in the interest of brevity, but you can always find them in the Gospels if you want. My sending Joshua and Biff to the East was motivated purely by story, not by basis in the Gospel or historical evidence. While there are indeed astounding similarities between the teachings of Jesus and those of Buddha (not to mention those of Lao-tzu, Confucius, and the Hindu religion, all which seem to have included some version of the Golden Rule), it’s more likely that these stem from what I believe to be logical and moral conclusions that any person in search of what is right would come to, e.g.: that the preferable way to treat one another is with love and kindness; that pursuit of material gain is ultimately empty when measured against eternity; and that somehow, as human beings, we are all connected spiritually. While historians and theologians don’t completely rule out the possibility that Christ may have traveled to the East, they seem to agree that he could have formulated the teachings we find in the Gospels with no more influence than the rabbinical teachin gs in Galilee and Judea. But what fun would that have been? Finally, this story was set in a dire time, a deadly serious time, and the world of the first-century Jew under the rule of the Romans would not have been one that easily inspired mirth. It’s more than a small anachronism that I portray Joshua having and making fun, yet somehow, I like to think that while he carried out his sacred mission, Jesus of Nazareth might have enjoyed a sense of irony and the company of a wisecracking buddy. This story is not and never was meant to challenge anyone’s faith; however, if one’s faith can be shaken by stories in a humorous novel, one may have a bit more praying to do. My thanks to the many people who helped in the research and writing of this book, especially those who were generous enough to share their beliefs without judgment or condemnation. Many thanks to Neil Levy, Mark Joseph, Professor William â€Å"Sundog† Bersley, Ray Sanders, and John â€Å"The Heretic† Campbell for their advice on religion, philosophy, and history. To Charlee Rodgers for putting up with the fits, starts, whining, and hubris of the process, as well as to Dee Dee Leichtfuss for readings and comments. Special thanks to Orly Elbaz, who was my tour guide through Israel and who showed infinite patience in answering my nitpicky historical questions. Also to my agent, Nick Ellison, and my editor, Tom Dupree, for their patience, tolerance, and advice. Christopher Moore BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA NOVEMBER 2000 How to cite Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal Epilogue, Essay examples

Dsd for us free essay sample

If you use your paper, be sure to revise it according to what you have learned about effective communication in this unit. Turning something written into something spoken requires some care. Some sentences or phrases that work fine in writing may be awkward when spoken and should be revised. Some ideas may need reorganizing to be effective as speech, also. Practicing your speech out loud will help you find these awkward spots. Jog for Your Health Knowing a Foreign Language Can Be Helpful How to Take Good Snapshots Instructions:Complete each step In the following list as you plan your speech. Decide on the central idea and form It Into one sentence. Choose the main points of your argument and arrange them in a logical order. Consider the audience in your selection of verbal and nonverbal techniques. Select the specific details or examples that will support each main point. Map out the introduction. We will write a custom essay sample on Dsd for us or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Use props, visual aids, graphs and electronic media to enhance your speech. Make an outline of the entire speech. Plan the concluding statement.Be sure you have moved smoothly from one idea to another. Type out your speech and let the teacher look at it before you present it. Compile concise notes which will aid you in an extemporaneous delivery. Present your speech, using the correct techniques of speaking. Gather data as you listen to other students speeches. Develop a feedback form which you compile from the above questions. For example: Was the central idea stated? Make sure the form information gives encouragement as well as suggestions for improvement.

HIV andAIDS Essay Example For Students

HIV andAIDS Essay HIV and AIDS The first case of AIDS was identified in New York in 1979. The cause of the disease, a retro virus now called Human Immunodeficiency Virus, was identified in 1983-84 by scientists working at the National Cancer Institute in the United States and the Pasteur Institute in France. These workers also developed tests for AIDS, enabling researchers to follow the transmission of the virus and to study the origin and mechanism of the disease. Close relatives of the AIDS virus infect some African monkeys. This fact and the high incidence of infection of people in central Africa has led to the opinion that the AIDS virus originated there. In 1990, the World Health Organization announced that 203,599 cases of AIDS were reported worldwide by the end of 1989, and estimated the actual number of cases to be 600,000. AIDS is part of everyday life for todays young people, and they have many questions about this important and often confusing subject. AIDS stands for a condition called Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome. This is a very long name, but it is easy to understand if you take the different parts one at a time. The word acquired tells us that AIDS is something that a person gets, or acquires, from another person. Although AIDS can be passed from an infected woman to her unborn child, it is not something that you can inherit from your parents like your height or the color of your eyes and hair. It is also not an illness that can occur with no apparent outward cause, as cancer is, or that is a result of the bodys aging process, like Alzheimers disease. Immunodeficiency is another long word, but it, too, is easy if you take it apart. Immuno refers to the bodys immune system. The immune system is the part of the body that fights off infections. When your body is invaded by organism that cause diseases like measles, the flu, or colds, the immune system prevents you from getting sick by attacking and destroying these organism. A deficiency means that there is a lack of something, or not enough of it to work correctly. So immuno- deficiency means that a persons immune system is not strong enough to work correctly and is lacking the ability to fight off disease-causing organisms that, normally, it would destroy easily. The last word, syndrome, means a group of conditions or symptoms that show, or indicate, that something is wrong. If you put these three words together, you get a good definition of AIDS. A person with AIDS has a group of conditions or symptoms that indicate that she or he has become infected with a virus that is causing the immune system to become weakened to the point where substances that would normally be destroyed are now able to survive and cause infections and diseases. AIDS is caused by a virus called HIV. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If we look at each part of this word, we will get a definition, as we did for AIDS. In this case, we will start with the last word, virus. A virus is a very small organism that invades a persons body and causes disease. Different viruses cause different illnesses. For instance, the flu virus causes the flu and the measles virus causes measles. In this case, the virus HIV causes AIDS. We already know that immunodeficiency means that a person has a weakened immune system. If we link this to the word virus, we know that HIV is a virus that causes immunodeficiency, a breakdown in the bodys immune system. The first part of HIV, human, lets us know that this is a virus that affects only people, not animals. Putting this all together, we can determine that HIV is a virus that causes the condition of When a person has been infected by the AIDS virus, we say that he or she is HIV-POSITIVE, or seropositive. This means that the persons blood has tested positive for the presence of HIV. Since their discovery, both HIV and AIDS have been called different things at different times. .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .postImageUrl , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:hover , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:visited , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:active { border:0!important; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:active , .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub80b980df59c9e8c2d264d6ffdbe22ee:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Picture of Dorian Essay Since AIDS is caused by HIV, many people simply it HIV disease. Throughout this book, the virus that causes .

The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis free essay sample

Yellow Wallpaper There are many symptoms that arise when one is diagnosed with postpartum depression. Among the many is â€Å"obsessive-compulsive features, including intrusive, repetitive thoughts and anxiety. You see this all throughout â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† and it begins when the narrator first describes the strange patterns in the incredibly symbolic wallpaper in the room that was once a children’s nursery: â€Å"It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow – turning sunlight. † When analyzing the first section of the passage, on realizes that she is referring to the invisible mask she has put on. She tries to hide that she is still deeply troubled by pretending to be happy and in control, however exhausting it may be. We will write a custom essay sample on The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And yet, this â€Å"disease,† if you will, irritates her to no end, as does the wallpaper. She is angry with her husband in that he believes this disease isn’t as serious as it truly is. Anger towards one’s partner or other family members is also a symptom of postpartum depression. Then†¦ she mentions something rather†¦ striking. She says, â€Å"When you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide – plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions. † Even after a short time of enduring severe depression, one can feel overwhelmed with sadness and grief, and they begin having reoccurring thoughts of suicide. She is afraid she is going to become insane, and take the â€Å"plunge†¦Ã¢â‚¬  perhaps off a bridge? Above all, she is afraid she is going to harm her newborn child. If, by her own hands, her baby is harmed, she will be destroyed from the inside- out because a new child is supposed to be something happy†¦ a joyous occasion, but her depression is preventing just that. She hates feeling this way. She believes it to be â€Å"revolting,† like the awful yellow of the wallpaper. But, if one looks closely, one will see that there is a bit of light in her logic. She says it’s â€Å"strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. † Through time, all be it slow, the disease will begin to fade away and inevitably disappear altogether. Through pain, and misfortune†¦ through sadness and irritation†¦ there is always hope. The smallest light in the darkest cave, there is hope. And she wishes to hold onto it as long as she can†¦ until the last bit of strength she has left dissipates completely†¦ †¦ There is hope.

American Black Bear Facts

American Black Bear Facts The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is a large omnivore that inhabits the forests, swamps, and tundra throughout the more northerly reaches of North America. In some areas such as the Pacific Northwest, it commonly lives at the edges of towns and suburbs where it has been known to break into storage buildings or cars in search of food. Fast Facts: American Black Bear Scientific Name: Ursus americanusCommon Name: American black bearBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 4.25–6.25 feet longWeight: 120–660 poundsLifespan: 10–30 yearsDiet: OmnivoreHabitat: Forested areas in Alaska, Canada, the United States, MexicoPopulation: 600,000Conservation Status:  Least Concern Description Black bears vary considerably in color throughout their range. In the east, bears are usually black with a brown snout. But in the west, their color is more variable and can be black, brown, cinnamon, or even a light buff color. Along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska, there are two color morphs of black bears that are distinct enough to earn them nicknames: the whitish Kermode bear or spirit bear and the blue-gray glacier bear. Although some black bears may be colored like brown bears, the two species can be distinguished by the fact that the smaller black bears lack the dorsal hump characteristic of the larger brown bears. Black bears also have larger ears that stand more erect than brown bears. Black bears have powerful limbs and are equipped with short claws that enable them to break apart logs, climb trees, and collect grubs and worms. They also claw apart beehives and feed on the honey and bee larvae they contain. Habitat and Range The American black bear lives in forested areas throughout North America, from Canada to Mexico and in at least 40 states in the U.S. They used to live in almost all forested areas of North American, but now they are restricted to areas that are less densely populated by  humans. In Canada, the American black bear still lives in most of its historic range, other than the central plains. These bears also once inhabited the mountainous regions of northern Mexico, but their numbers have dwindled in this region. Black bears are one of three bear species that live in North America; the other two are the brown bear and the polar bear. Of these bear species, black bears are the smallest and most timid. When encountered by humans, black bears often flee rather than attack. Diet Black bears are omnivores. Their diet includes grasses, berries, nuts, fruit, seeds, insects, small vertebrates, and carrion. In northern regions, they eat spawning salmon. American black bears will also occasionally kill young deer or moose calves. In the colder parts of their range, black bears seek refuge in their den for the winter where they enter a winter sleep. Their dormancy is not true hibernation, but during their winter sleep, they refrain from eating, drinking, or excreting waste for as long as seven months. During this time, their metabolism slows and heart rate falls. Reproduction and Offspring Black bears reproduce sexually. They reach reproductive maturity at 3 years of age. Their breeding season occurs in spring but the embryo does not implant in the mothers womb until late fall. Two or three cubs are born in January or February. The cubs are very small and spend the next several months nursing in the safety of the den. Cubs emerge from the den with their mother in spring. They remain under the care of their mother until they are about 1 ½ years old at which time they disperse to seek out their own territory. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the American Black Bears conservation status as least concern.  And, the black bear is the most common bear in North America. However, all large mammals who eat meat- big cats, wolves, and bears- face threats stemming from the loss of prey and habitat. This includes black bears, though they are less affected because 95 percent of their diet is plant-based. American Black Bears and Humans American black bears across North America are also facing a decline in forest areas where they once lived due to the rapid expansion of urban areas. Indeed, most of the challenges black bears face in North America come from humans. American black bears are intelligent and learn quickly where they can find garbage left by people as well as where human food is easily accessible. This makes for the perfect conditions for human-bear conflict, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society. The problem is particularly pronounced in backcountry areas where humans hike and camp as well as populated forest areas, leading to dangerous conditions for black bears and humans alike. Sources â€Å"Black Bears.†Ã‚  WCS.org.â€Å"Basic Facts About Black Bears.†Ã‚  Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019.â€Å"Carnivore Collapse.†Ã‚  Defenders of Wildlife, 10 Jan. 2019.

Religion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Religion Questions - Essay Example The weapon of Vishnu is a conch which he holds in his hand. Of the many symbols that denote him, one is Lotus. As opposed to Vishnu, Shiva has a terrifying nature and gets angry quickly to start a fight. Otherwise he is loving and kind and has a number of symbols. Around his neck is a snake and Shiva has three eyes; the third eye symbolizing his spiritual knowledge and power. He is considered to be neutral in nature; neither good nor evil, neither male nor female. In Buddhist understanding of the religion, six realms of existence are defined. First is the realm of jealous God. Characterized by suffering from permanence of war and violent struggles; this conflict has to be redirected for destroying unawareness and reaching the light of awareness. Second is the Realm of Hungry ghosts, which have narrow necks and pinhole mouths but large empty stomachs to fill. These beings are continuously in search of new things in the outside world to satisfy their hunger and craving, but are unable to do so, but they continue to demand satisfactions which are impossible to attain. 1. Compare and contrast the lives of Jesus, Mohammed, and Buddha. Discuss the following: their birth and early years, central moments in their lives that lead to their spiritual/religious quest, the nature and length of their ministry, and how they died. Answer: In 3 or 4 BCE, Jesus was born a Jew. According to the belief of Muslims and Christians, Jesus was born to Virgin Mary, however there is a difference among the two beliefs about the death of Jesus; Muslims deny his death on the cross. According to Christians, not much is known about the early years of life of Jesus, however it is well known that John Baptized Jesus and later he became a preacher and ultimately was executed on the cross. Muhammad is an Arabic word which literally means ‘highly praised’ and according to Muslims, Muhammad was born a natural birth and he belonged to the powerful tribe named Qurysh. His father

SWOT Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SWOT Analysis - Research Paper Example This practice aids the firm to ensure that its efforts bring positive results to the desired areas. In other words, combined operation would assist the firm to deliver quality care services to its clients. Camelot is located at Staten Island in New York City and the organization has counseling programs throughout the five boroughs of the New York City. The current location is a major internal strength to the organization since New York City is an important drug destination and distribution center in the United States (NC Buy). Excellent customer service also adds to the firm’s performance efficiency. It is the main reason why majority of the New York population primarily tend to opt Camelot’s services. Weaknesses Higher employee turnover rate is the most challenging weakness of the company. The employee turnover is often a costly process since the company needs to make some additional investments to train a newly appointed employee. The time taken for the employee repla cement process would adversely affect the organizational productivity. Furthermore, the increased rate of employee turnover may adversely affect the corporate image of Camelot. The issue would cause the organization to lose continuity in its proposed programs. Similarly, it seems that the organization does not hire from within the firms and this strategy in turn incurs the operating expenses of Camelot. Furthermore, this practice prevents the firm from obtaining experienced employees. Lack of employee incentive is another weakness of the Camelot Counseling Centers; and this weakness often leads to employee turnover. In addition, it negatively affects employee motivation and thereby organizational productivity. Finally, since the organization does not have sufficient funds to purchase up to date equipments for employees, it seriously impinge on the operational efficiency of the Camelot. Under such circumstances, employees may be forced to work with improper equipments. Evidently, thi s situation often affects the quality of the services delivered. Opportunities The Camelot Counseling Centers is the only one treatment facility in the New York City that offers assistance to teenagers in their problems associated with drugs and education. In addition, there are only a few providers in the City that offer residential treatment facilities. The US official data indicate that substance abuse is becoming a threatening issue in the country, especially in megalopolis cities like New York. Hence, the city’s lifestyle offers certain potential opportunities to the organization. Another opportunity for the company is that it possesses experienced teachers and counselors on every site. This facility helps the company to extend its services to each and every corner of the city with no time lag. Studies have pointed that a drug addicted person needs continuous support until he is completely recovered from addition.. Since the organization has counselors on site, they can more closely work with the clients. Since the lab suppliers charge the same price for private insurance and Medicaid, clients can obtain improved services from Camelot at a fairly low cost. This advantage may attract more clients to the organization. Threats Recently, the Camelot Counseling Centers are losing their customers to competitors including Drug Rehab & Alcohol Addiction Treatment New York and New York City Rehab Center. Over the past few years, the organization