Rita Dove

The poet that I have chosen to do is Rita Dove. In her newest collection of poems, Sonata Mulattica, there were many to choose from. However the two that I wanted to look deeper into were Exit and Golden Oldie. In both poems she is able to convey strong emotions in the characters she described. Rita Dove was born in Akron, Ohio. Her father, Ray A. Dove, was a chemist, and a pioneer of integration in American industry. Both of her parents encouraged persistent study and wide reading. From an early age, Rita loved poetry and music. She played cello in her high school orchestra, and led her high school's majorette squad. As one of the most outstanding high school graduates of her year, she was invited to the White House as a Presidential Scholar. At Miami University in Ohio, she began to pursue writing seriously. After graduating summa cum laude with a degree in English in 1973, she won a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany for two years at the University of Tubingen. She then joined the famous Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, receiving her Masters' Degree in 1977. At Iowa, she met another Fulbright scholar, a young writer from Germany named Fred Viebahn. They were married in 1979. Their daughter Aviva was born in 1983. From 1981 to 1989, Rita Dove taught creative writing at Arizona State University. Appearances in magazines and anthologies had won national acclaim for Rita Dove before she published her first poetry collection, The Yellow House on the Corner in 1980. It was followed by Museum (1983) and Thomas and Beulah, (1986) a collection of interrelated poems loosely based on the life of her grandparents. Thomas and Beulah won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. In 1993, Rita Dove was appointed to a two-year term as Poet Laureate of the United States and Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She was the youngest person, and the first African-American, to receive this highest official honor in American letters. In the fall of 1994, she read her poem, Lady Freedom Among Us, at the ceremony commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U. S. Capitol. Other publications by Rita Dove include a book of short stories, Fifth Sunday, the poetry collections Grace Notes, Selected Poems and Mother Love, and the novel Through the Ivory Gate. Her verse drama, The Darker Face of the Earth had its world premiere at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in the 1986. Another production of the play appeared at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D. C. , in 1997. Dove has brought her poetry to television audiences through her appearances on CNN and NBC's Today Show. Public Broadcasting has devoted an hour-long prime time special to her life and work. She has shared television stages with Charlie Rose, Bill Moyers and Big Bird. On radio, she has hosted a National Public Radio special on Billie Holliday, and has been a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. She joined former President Jimmy Carter top welcome an unprecedented gathering of Nobel Laureates in Literature to Atlanta, Georgia for a Cultural Olympiad held in conjunction with the 1996 Olympic Games. That same year, a symphonic work for orchestra and narrator — â€Å"Umoja — Each One of Us Counts,† — was performed at Atlanta's Symphony Hall with Rita Dove's text performed by former Mayor and U. N. Ambassador Andrew Young. Dove's lifelong interest in music has taken other forms. She has provided text for works by composers Tania Leon, Bruce Dolphe and Alvin Singleton. Her song cycle Seven for Luck, with music by John Williams, was featured on a PBS television special with the Boston Symphony. In 2009, she published Sonata Mulattica, a book-length cycle of poems telling the story of the 19th century African-European violinist George PolgreenBridgetower and his turbulent friendship with Ludwig van Beethoven. Rita Dove is Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she lives with her husband, the German author Fred Viebahn. They have one daughter. In her spare time, she studies classical voice and practices the viola da gamba, a 17th century forerunner of the modern cello. Now that a little more about her life is understood it is time to examine the poems themselves. In Golden Oldie Dove tells a narrative about her getting home. The emotions in this poem are clearly evident, and show that the speaker is confused about her life. The first thing I noticed was a irregular rhyming scheme. Often times poetry follows certain patterns, but in this case there is none. The words that rhyme are: swaying and playing, and sentiment and lament. Also, the words â€Å"alive† and â€Å"live by† are very similar sounding. Thus by having some things rhyme, in an irregular manner she shows that there is some consistency within randomness. This is similar to the girls life – very confusing. Moreover, her word choice is quite important in the poem. For instance, swaying is a specific choice because it has connotations of being lost or indifferent. Later on she reaffirms this thought by comparing herself in a simile to a blind pianist caught in a tune meant for more than two hands. The scenario she compares herself to is somewhat humorous to think about, because the pianist is basically completely helpless. Obviously the feat described is quite confusing. In the next few lines she describes the song playing on the radio in her car. It is being sung by a young girl who, in her opinion is dying to feel alive. Dying to feel alive is a pretty intense statement to make. It seems that to make such a drastic statement she may be feeling that same issue. It continues to say â€Å"to discover a pain majestic enough to live by. † This line is very interesting because most people don’t require a pain to live. Rather they try to avoid pain. But it appears that the girl singing, and possibly the author, want to feel something rather than nothing at all. She was getting very intimate with the song, as proven by her turning off the air conditioning, despite the hot temperatures. Also, she leaned back as if to block out everything else but what she heard. The line in the song so closely paid attention to is described as a lament. A lament is described as a way to express sadness, grief, or sorrow. Then, upon hearing the melancholy statement, the speaker says she greedily took in without a clue who my lover might be. This was the most confusing part of the poem to me. At first I didn’t understand how she could greedily take something in, when there was no actual object to get. However, it appears that she is hoarding the idea of having a lover who wants to know where their love went. Thus, it leads me to believe that she is in search of love when she concludes with â€Å"or where to start looking. † Searching for love can be really confusing. Therefore a theme statement for the overall meaning of the poem can be derived: Often times human beings can be very confused in their emotions. Sometimes they can find understanding in other confusing things because it is easy to relate to. The second poem by Rita Dove that I analyzed was Exit. In this case the author conveys that the emotion being felt by the speaker is anxious hopefulness. It is written from the speakers perspective about the reader, which I thought was very interesting. It's about â€Å"you†, the reader, who is going somewhere. There is no rhyming scheme and it is one large stanza. The speaker starts off by saying that a visa is granted. This tends to imply hat someone is going somewhere outside of their current country for an extended period of time. This can cause some anxiety. Moreover, it is said that the traveler wanted to get it, because there was hope that it would arrive. Then upon leaving, there is the realization that it is actually happening. The author compares the exit to that of in a movie. More information about the visa follows. It is has been granted, â€Å"provisionally. † Meaning temporary or conditional, the speaker describes it as a fretful, or scary word. Then a reference to the windows of the house is made. I think the author included this to reinforce the mindset that your leaving home, a very special place. However, an immediate contrast is made by saying â€Å"here it’s gray. † This is in regards to the fact that a feeling of sorrow is present due to leaving. A suitcase is described as the saddest object in the world, which seems odd because the person wanted to travel according to the hope for a visa. Although it may be the case where the traveler knows that it is best to go, but is still upset about leaving. The final few lines reference the childhood of the reader. A metaphor is used to compare the windshield of the vehicle too cheeks of the reader. â€Å"And now through the windshield the sky begins to blush as you did when your mother told you what it took to be a woman in this life. † This is a much more positive angle on the journey they're about to embark on. After reviewing the poems many times a general theme statement can be constructed: Often times human beings feel anxious about something they're going to do. However, despite their concerns they can still have some feelings of hope that they will be successful.

How do the newspaper and television channels present the news? Essay

Comment on use of language; fact and opinion; visual images; bias and viewing audience. Newspapers and television channels both present the news by giving different accounts of the same basic stories. Newspapers give different accounts depending on if they are tabloid and Broadsheet, whereas television gives different accounts depending on which channel the viewers decide to watch. To study television and newspapers, there are four channels to look at BBC1, BBC2, ITV1, Channel 4, and there are three newspapers: The Daily Telegraph, The Daily Mail, and The Sun. There are also the websites and radio programmes to use. On use of language, the way the newspapers present the news all vary depending on what type of newspaper and what the story is. Tabloid newspapers are looking to gain interest of the reader, so their language might contain gossip and can be very criticising. Broadsheet however has more facts; it is aimed for mature readers, and contains more facts and tries to give a straight report. Using two tabloids and one Broadsheet, the comparison is apparent straight away. The daily mail (Friday 3rd of January 2003) on the second page of the Daily Mail, there is a story all about Madonna and what she is wearing. The language in this report is quite informal with the words, â€Å"cool†, and â€Å"chic†. The article does use standard English most of the time, however. The start of the article doesn’t use the pyramid form of writing used in other articles. The whole article doesn’t tell the reader much apart from the fact that Madonna wears a lot of tracksuits. In the Sun (Friday 3rd January 2003) the fourth and fifth pages are taken up by a holiday they are starting with a lot of promotion to their newspaper. This shows the newspaper is more interested in it’s own affairs instead of the news. The next page has a double page on the twin killings from New Year’s day. The caption is â€Å"1 Twin lives†¦l One twin dies.† This is a very bold caption and brings the interest so the reader will want to find out about the twins and how they died. The first paragraph uses a pyramid style by telling the reader when, where, what, why, who, and how. The story is a very formal story. Other articles in the paper are more gossipy, and many of the stories are the same ones as in the Daily mail. The Daily Telegraph is very different. On the front page there is the gun shoot-out and the article has a more informative style. The first paragraph also uses pyramid writing, but there is more information. Some of the stories are the same as the Daily Mail and The Sun, but others are not in either of the tabloids. (E.g. full coverage on national news, and also there are more pullouts.) There are more articles from around the world in the Daily Telegraph, and all the articles are in Standard English. There aren’t as many picture in The Daily Telegraph either. The titles and subtitles all try to use rhyming, metaphors, repetition and alliteration to catch the reader’s eye. In the news, the reports are always done in Standard English. At the start of every report there is always a signature tune that shows the programme has started, and is repeated at the end of the program. In the reports, some of the people who speak might speak in their dialect. Channel 4 November 25th 6:00pm, there is a report on the fight fighters strike. When the fire fighters come on to talk about it, they all speak in their own dialect, which generally is from London or Liverpool. This can make it quite hard to understand, it also adds stereotype. Some reporters like to put in some of their own words into Standard English to make sure that everyone knows its them, (e.g. Simon Cowl saying, â€Å"You guys.†) Also the slight accent of reports can help to identify when they are on the news. Language in the news can sway which way the reader thinks about a story. The reporter can use bias in their language to get the reader’s sympathy. In Channel 4 news (November 25th 6:00PM) there was a report on the fire fighters strike. The reporter’s body language showed she was with the fire fighters, standing out in cold, with hat, gloves, scarf, moving away from the brazier while talking about fire fighters striking on minimal pay so near to Christmas. This language suggests that Tony Blair is callous for making the fire fighters strike to get their point across. Fact and opinion can be used more in different types of newspapers. Tabloids share more opinion while Broadsheet contains more fact (although that isn’t always the case.) The Daily Telegraph has two different clear pages of opinion, one is an editorial comment and the other is comment from the readers. This presents the news in a different way to giving facts all the time. The editorial comment can be from a main news story and shows the views of the editor. In the Daily Telegraph (January 3rd 2003) there are two pages, both are full of opinion and are about reports that are main stories. The editorial comment is found in a supplement called ‘comment.’ When commenting most of the letters and notes in these pages are opinions. There is another area of comment and this is Letters to the editor. On further inspection of comments I found a page on www.dailytelegraph.com, which gave the views of a lot of people. The main articles all have facts in the first two or three paragraphs, and after that there could be some opinion from the reporter. Traditionally, the Daily Telegraph’s 3rd page was more like a tabloid story. The stories here would have a lot of opinion and would be about people in the media. This has died down and now although the stories can still be about people in the media, they have a more formal approach. The Tabloids however both don’t show any sign of an editorial comment or a comment page. There is though, a lot more opinion on stories from show business and royalty. Stories such as Madonna, vicar’s and floods contain pictures and a lot of opinion after the pyramid first paragraph. The tabloids present the news by giving a lot of opinion on celebrity stories, as this is what people want to read. Channel 4 (November 25th 6:00pm) contains facts and opinions. In each report containing politics there is normally a video of a politician with a voice over from a reporter. This can sometime be a stream of short facts on what the politician is saying. The politician can often still be heard-this gives a sense of authenticity. Reporters often end on a statement. An example of this is BBC1 (6:00pm, Monday 25th November.) â€Å"They are not giving up.† This is about the fire fighters strike and shows a bold fact to close with. Facts and figures can be used to support stories and to show that the reporters know what they are talking about. These can often be used quickly in a stream so the listener feels bombarded and will accept the facts straight away. There is a reporter called Mark Mardell who uses a lot of opinion in his speech. â€Å"You see, I think† He often starts off with that phrase, which shows he is going to give his opinion. Mark Mardell also uses hand beats to stress what he is saying as if he is agreeing with himself: this is all opinion. There are a lot of visual images in newspapers, which come in the format of cartoons, pictures, and photos. Of all eight newspapers researched, it was a tabloid- the Daily Mail- contained the most photos, (not including adverts) with a total of 126 altogether. The Daily Telegraph was found to have the least pictures with an average of 46 photo’s every paper. Images can replace words, in fact in the Daily Mail; there was a whole article in cartoon. (January 3rd 2003,) There was a double page article on Les and Amanda, labelled ‘Dear Les’ This shows a very long story of Les and Amanda in 18 short captions, so anyone busy, or not wanting to read too much can go and read the page and story in a minute. Photos can often bring reality of a situation. Seeing a sight from a bombing and the victim’s make the deaths become real instead of a name on a page. Cartoons can often reflect on certain stories and show a funny side of them. Photos can show the person who is writing the article, which helps identify a certain writer at a glance. Visual images can show half the information of a story and make the reader continue and want to read the article to find out the rest of the information. In the news visual content is used. The news reporter often includes Power Points and other video footage to stress facts. In BBC1 (6:00pm Monday 25th November) there are pictures of Tony Blair for political messages. The fire fighters are shown almost always standing next to braziers to stress the fact that they are striking in the cold to get fairer pay for stopping fires. The camera will portray firefighters as good people, standing with their wives or their children to show how innocent people are affected. The reporters walk towards the camera away from the brazier to relate the fire strike to them. The camera often homes in on a TV outside, with their channel news on, through the brazier. When politics is discussed, a reporter standing outside 10 Downing Street is often used to show it’s political. Reporters often make hand movements to agree with themselves so to stress points and to get others to agree. Newspapers can be bias in certain points. If an article is going to be better if the newspaper slags off a certain person, then they will. The papers can give only one side of the story. All three newspapers (January 3rd) all give accounts of how a vicar was meant to have â€Å"kissed a parishioner,† but every paper has it in a view biased to the parishioner. This will make a better story then someone protesting his innocence. Bias can always be seen though in some shape or form. Unless there were two separate accounts in the one article about what happened from the different point of view, then the article is always going to sway to one side. Bias can sometimes be used as a way to form opinion, although the two are quite different as bias can be found in fact, but opinion can’t. Reporters can give a biased opinion, as I have lightly covered. As I said earlier, body movements can often show how someone feels about a subject. Being out in the cold suggests that they are supporting the fireman, as does certain ways the reporter can move their arms, they can suggests that the other side is being unjust by raising hands up in a gesture of â€Å"unfairness.† The voice-over’s of certain political statement (e.g. the Channel 4 25th November 2002) can be biased without the reader knowing. It is easy to subliminally show bias and the viewing might not even notice because it is a voice-over and must be correct. Many reporters can show bias by the level of their voice, which can drop when the reporter doesn’t agree. Reporters can get round bias by asking rhetorical question instead of saying their view; this however might make the reader answer in a biased way, and back one side of an argument. All opinion is bias. An example to answer is this essay , would it be called biased or opinionated? The viewing audience of newspapers comes with the two types of newspapers: Tabloid and Broadsheet. Tabloids generally contain show business, royalty, and gossip this gives a lower reading age of seven, whereas Broadsheet is a more formal, ‘harder reading’ approach which is more mature. The stories in tabloids often are easy to read with big images and smaller pages. This is so any person can pick up a cheap paper and read it quickly and easily. Pyramid writing keeps the reader interested and can keep the reader going and reading the article to the end. Smaller pages of the tabloid gives impression of easy to read, standing up. Broadsheet gives a sitting down approach with big pages. News reporters keep the viewing audience intact when they are speaking. Channel 4 news is more formal so there are slightly older respected newsreaders, which stand up (apart from Trevor Macdonald), and the reporters don’t smile as much as other channels. BBC 1 6:00pm news shows an upbeat news, the channel knows that the viewers are going to be quite young and so the reports don’t go into excess detail and really show everything. The BBC1 10:00pm shows a lot more detail and also contain ‘gorier’ pictures of events happening because the viewing audience is a lot older. There is also a newsround for kids that contain a lot of show business and has suitable stories for the age range. Apart from Newspapers and television, news is also reported on radio and by the website. Every national newspaper has a website; this gives the opportunity for up to date news. Radio gives a chance for travel reports and gives a summary of reports with any further development to them. In conclusion Television and Newspapers both present the news in different ways. Broadsheet’s are formal with facts and an input by the readers, whereas Tabloid seem to contain more show business, although both newspapers have the same main stories-although they are not always prioritised- the stories are normally all there in some form. Television, the 6:00/7:00pm news often goes into not as much detail as the 10:00pm newsreels. Newspapers and television both, try to present the news to get maximal readers/viewers, even if they have to stretch the truth or leave out some facts and replace them with opinion. Information used: BBC1 News 6:00Pm 25th November 2002 Channel 4 news 6:00Pm 25th November 2002 The Sun 3rd January 2003 The Daily Mail 3rd January 2003 The Daily Telegraph 3rd January 2003 WWW.DailyTelegraph.com 18th January 2003 Rachel Sweeney 10a1 1021 (A5)

Educating the Exceptional Learner Benchmark Assignment Essay

Abstract This paper reflects on the teacher candidate’s observations of the student â€Å"Junior† and the various accommodations that were made for him in various classroom settings. It also discusses different accommodations that could be made in general education classes and special education classes. The paper discusses the need for high school students to be self-advocating or self-determining and learning to make decisions on his or her own. SPE-226 Educating the Exceptional Learner Benchmark Assignment: Teaching for Exceptionalities Students with exceptionalities are a breed all their own. Each student has individual strengths, weaknesses, and individualized education programs/plans (IEPs) tailored to those needs. There are many resources, accommodations, and settings for these students to help ensure their academic success. One particular student, herein called â€Å"Junior,† is a mixed bag of interesting. Junior’s cognitive abilities are on par with his classmates. However, he needs help with reading, writing, and other social and behavioral skills. He likes to engage in discussion, enjoys music, and is diligent in his work. Observing him, his teachers, and other various special education classrooms has given valuable information to increase my teaching strategies. Inclusive Math Class Junior’s first period class is Algebra 1-2. It is an inclusive class and is co-taught by Meinen and Geigas. Meinen, the special education teacher, is there to help students and provide assistance services to Geigas’s teaching. However, all of Geigas’s classes have some form of inclusion. Consequently, Geigas’s teaching strategies differ from regular education teaching strategies in order to appeal both to the inclusive students and regular students. For instance, Geigas uses different colored pens for different the  different steps of a problem when he is teaching and doing problems with the class. He is also willing to create copies of the class worksheet for any student who needs it, not just special education students. The accommodations for Junior’s quiz were highlighting the directions for him and writing the different formulas, like point-slope form and the equation for finding the slope of a line, on his paper for easier access. Highlighting the directions for Junior’s quiz was successful. He knew what was expected of him, and what he needed to accomplish with the quiz. He did not need to have the directions read to him or explained to him. In addition, writing the formulas on his paper helped keep him on track. He only needed help with one graphing question, which could be a difficult question for any student. Because Junior only missed two questions due to minor mistakes, I believe the accommodations were very successful and do not need to be changed. Furthermore, I would review the minor mistakes with Junior, have him explain where he went wrong, and give him half-credit since he had the major concepts correct. Many other technologies or other instructional supports exist that could enhance the learning for Junior and his classmates. In the math classroom, there are white boards and a document scanner. The document scanner is what Geigas and Meinen use to do the problems together with the students. Two major benefits to having the document scanner are having a hard copy of what work was done in class and being able to go back if necessary. If the class were only using the white board, each problem would have to be erased in order to move on to the next problem. If a student needed to go back, this would create a lot of wasted time redoing work that was previously done. Another good technology tool that students could use is Khan Academy, a website with videos and exercises to help anyone learn skills and concepts at their own pace (Khan Academy, 2013). It also tracks all data inputted and shows the user’s statistics over time. This information is private to the user, but it can be shared with teachers and coaches, so teachers can use the Khan Academy classroom in their own physical classrooms (Khan Academy, 2013). While Khan Academy is a good resource, the classroom only has one teacher computer available, so any type of technology is extremely limited. Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination Junior is just one student of many. There are many other special education students in the inclusive classrooms that could need more help. Because these are high school students, they need to be taught the idea of self-advocacy or self-determination. This is the idea that the student’s ability to â€Å"consider options and make appropriate decisions and to exercise free will, independence, and individual responsibility† (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2009, p. 92). Therefore, many of the special education students in the inclusive classes must ask for the bigger accommodations. For instance, if a student needs to go to a separate room with less people and/or have the directions read and explain to them aloud, they must ask permission to do so (A. Geigas, personal communication, November 4, 2013). â€Å"Since self-determination skills are most effectively learned and developed by practicing them, students with disabilities should be given ample opportunity to use their self-advocacy, decision-making and socialization skills well before they leave high school to prepare themselves for working and living in their community† (PACER Center, 2013). Allowing this type of openness is actually beneficial for the students. It allows the students to become more independent while in the safe, closed environment of the classroom. Additionally, effective self-determination teaching can increase positive transitional outcomes in moving from high school to adult life (Hardman, Drew, & Egan, 2009, p. 92). For these reasons, many accommodations are not expressly given to students. Self-Contained Special Education Class When it comes to special education classes, there can be more focus on the individual student and his or her needs. In Junior’s special education behavior class period, the class focuses on what is expected of him and his classmates in social situations. They were planning a field trip to a symphony during the week, so the teacher discussed examples of the types of behaviors that would be expected of them and what behaviors would be unexpected in the given situation. As for Junior, he likes to be engaged in class, which leads to him shouting answers. In some classes, it is acceptable, and others it is not. He had to be reminded that he needed to raise his hand, and be acknowledged in order to speak during his turn. Michelle Garcia Winner gives a good accommodation or lesson that can deal with this kind of behavior: I encourage teachers to keep their eyes focused on who they were talking to, hold up the palm of their hand in the direction of the blurter and say to them â€Å"I was looking at this student (say the student’s name), I was talking to this student, I am not talking to you right now.† By doing this, the teacher provides cognitive information about the process of communication that helps the student learn how to avoid blurting. (2012) On the other hand, Junior did well in understanding why certain behaviors would be unexpected, offensive, or rude while at the symphony. Given this observation, one can tell that Junior only has mild or moderate problems with social behaviors. As a result, this self-contained class was geared more towards his classmates in the room. This is a prime example of how the accommodations of special education teachers differ so greatly between room s, classes, and students. Conclusion Observing and talking with Junior’s teachers, special and regular education, has given me a plethora of information that has increased my teaching tools and strategies. Observing a range of classrooms and situations has given me a deeper understanding of the kind of scenarios that may be presented in my future. Overall, Junior is a very bright, engaging student. Spending time with him and observing a multitude of different classrooms has given me valuable insights into the world of teaching students with exceptionalities. References Garcia Winner, Michelle. (2012). Social Thinking at School. Retrieved 13 Nov 2013 from https://www.socialthinking.com/what-is-social-thinking/-social-thinking-at-school Hardman, M. L., Drew, C. J., & Egan, M. W. (2009). Human Exceptionality: School, Community, and Family (10th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Khan Academy. (2013). A free world-class education for anyone anywhere. Retrieved 14 Nov 2013 from https://www.khanacademy.org/about PACER Center. (2013). SELF DETERMINATION. Retrieved 13 Nov 2013 from http://www.pacer.org/tatra/resources/self.asp

What are the implications of the beheading of Charles Research Proposal

What are the implications of the beheading of Charles - Research Proposal Example The conflict that ensured from the existence of these centers of power therefore, presented a threat to what the rule through divine right or great chain of being that the monarch alluded as the basis of the existence of their authority. One of the greatest implications of the beheading of king Charles in 1649 is that the action went against the great chain of being which creates the social hierarchy necessary for maintenance of social order. The great chain of being hypotheses has the king on top of a hierarchy also includes gentlemen and peasants in that order. Given that the England was a kingdom that had historically followed the absolutism form of rule; Charles as the king was facing great opposition from the parliament over his desire to use unlimited power in performance of his functions. The events leading up to the beheading is characterized by about ten years of civil strife and warfare with the King and the Long Parliament on opposing sides of the confrontation. The confrontation was over a litany of issues linked to the prerogatives of the King and the extent to which the constitutional parliament limited exercises certain powers and privileges1. Arguments on the basis of the great chain of being seek to assert the legitimacy of the king and his right to exercise powers over the people of the kingdom. The nobility during that time was a family perceived as appointed by God to rule over the rest in the kingdom and therefore had divine right to undertake their functions. Although Charles was not the first born in the family, the death of his elder brother meant that he was rightly the next in line to ascend to the kingdom. The legitimacy of the king therefore means the English civil war and the consequent defeat of the King Charles by the Parliamentarians (or the roundheads) led by Oliver Cromwell implies direct disregard of the hierarchy which had worked over the years to create

Global Perspectives in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Perspectives in Business - Essay Example It consists on the large household survey, researches, internet approach and cultural dimensions and models like, Hofstede, Trompenaars and Project GLOBE. These three models give us clearance about the cultural difference. This paper is to analyze the business and legal environment within and outside the organization. Introduction Culture is referring to behaviour of human being. Whatever the preferences are, the culture of each country depended on its people who always use to display various colourful customs, traditions, language, and many of which are heavily influenced by foreign customs. Big companies always get chances to work in the entire world to get their products and services more famous and demanded (House, 2004). When a company get to merge with some other international company, or is going to acquisition the company of some other country with different culture, they assume that each person working within the company has the same aim and goal but most of the times they h ad to bear many problems due to cultural diversity. When multiple cultures started work together, they ultimately face a lot of difficulties and problems and communication is one of the biggest problems they can have (Grzyb, 2000). When two or more different cultures works together they find many difficulties and the people of these companies, most of the times, do not feel comfortable with each other and many few people can adopt these differences of culture. Language is the most powerful and professional instrument one needed to work in good and effective way to make his communication understandable. Nevertheless, learning other’s language is not the biggest barrier and one can easily learn the other’s language by spending some time and giving attention (Grzyb, 2000). How Cultures Work Thinking deeply, cultures are a variable or a dynamic set of starting points allow us to respond to the society in particular ways. All of us freely belong to one or more than one cult ures that give us messages about what is normal, appropriate, and expected. When a person from other culture is unable to understand us, it clearly gives us a clue that our cultural expectations are different. What is common to one group may seem strange, counterintuitive, or wrong to another (LeBaron, 2003). Given Case: In given situation, a well known company in Netherlands wants to negotiate with its new subsidiary company in the Singapore. While working in the Singapore, the employee and associated persons of Netherlands can have the following problems due to the cultural diversification: Communication and negotiation Adopting Singapore’s culture Managing work with employee of Singapore These are some of the problems, which they can face due to difference of culture. The difference of culture can be a big reason of conflict (House, 2004). Here are some advices and suggestions, which can help the people of Netherlands to overcome the above-mentioned barriers in the light o f cultural dimension models like Hofstede, Trompenaars and Project GLOBE. Suggestions from five-dimension model Communication: In business, and especially in international business, it is commonly agreed that  communication  is one of the primary and more focused concerns. Good and effective communication is a thing, which can forecast the success of a business (House, 2004). Therefore, for professionals of Netherlands it is necessary to learn the native language of Singapore. All the levels in communication are affected by cultural

Book of Exodus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Book of Exodus - Essay Example It showcases the defining element of the identity of the Israelites. Memories and histories of the past that were marked by escape and hardship, coupled with an encompassing covenant with Yahweh, contribute to understanding the political development that took place in this period. There is the theme of election in the social setting of Israelites. Firstly, the nation has been elected as the people of God. Secondly, the â€Å"sons of Israel† have been elected as God’s â€Å"first born sons†. This is seen in how leadership boils down to Jesus from Abraham and Shem. Jacob’s name changes to Israel; a condition that helps his family to hold leadership positions simply because the people believe they have been chosen by God (Dozenman 26). The element of election further narrows down to the descendants of David, from the line of Judah. Finally, through Jesus, leadership can be seen from the power wielded by Jesus. Apart from the divine power inheritance, the connection between history and political is one theme that has been intensively described in the Book of

Change Work Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Change Work Diversity - Essay Example An organization could be structured to make sure that each department runs autonomously, but also collaborates with others to achieve its objectives. The structural breakdown in an organization is essential in ensuring accountability of each department so that the areas of weakness could be detected and corrected early. This is important for the growth and development of the organization. Sometimes, various departments may initiate competition aimed at increasing the overall productivity in the organization. In such scenario, none of the departments would lag behind in adopting progressive approaches to develop the respective section (Bartlett & Beamish 2011, p.74). One could understand the kind of interdepartmental relationships that the organization has. For instance, the human resource, finance and production departments are very critical to the organization and have to work closely to make sure that the company achieves its objectives. Moreover, they have to relate to other depar tments so that the production system does not halt. The procurement department also works closely with the production and export counterparts to harmonize the production system. On the other hand, the IT department also works closely with that of training, research and development to increase innovation and improve efficiency. Finally, all the departments have to coordinate with security docket to ensure that the operation is not threatened from external aggression and internal conflict. Implementing a Resource Accountability Matrix (RAM/RACI) In project management, resource accountability matrix is a way of ensuring transparency in implementing the project. Accountability reduces the amount of resources being wastage because the managers would utilize the available materials prudently. It shows commitment of the managers as they implement the project and it outlines the materials to be used (Hochschild 1983, p.64). This makes such information available for the people affected by th e project. The matrix includes a number of variables, which have to be applied in project management. For instance, the performance data during the project’s implantation is crucial when analyzing and presenting the achievements and steps made by the implementers. Similarly, project allocations are equally important when evaluating resource accountability so that the financiers might consider extending the aid or intervention. In order to ensure accountability, awarded amounts for each program from resource acquisition to its completion must be documented. This includes the cost of labor, procurement of materials and transportation cost. The contract period should be clear to facilitate planning and accountability for the available resources. This is significant because it facilitates the distribution of available fund equally during the project. Mostly, projects depend on the available funds to finance its projections, depending on the period it will last. Moreover, projects that cover large area are difficult to manage if the implementers are not conversant with the program units. Each unit must be accounted for, including its budget, accessibility and the kind of activity to be carried out there. Resource accountability matrix encompasses the management of the project materials and funds to ensure its successful completion (Bateman & Snell 2010, p.112). Analysis of the British Airways Change Management Plan In making sure that the British Airways achieves its change management plans, it has to consider the

Optical systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Optical systems - Essay Example These layers make them resistant to electrical and mechanical interferences. The refractive index feature makes plastic optics fibre multimode. The predecessor glass fibre come in single mode of step index or graded index profile. An illustrated diagram on how the two types guide the light is shown in appendix A figure 2. Three different light waves travel through the fiber. While the first one passes straight through the center of the core, the second mode passes at a steep angle and bounces back through the concept of total internal reflection. The third mode surpasses the critical angle, refracting into the cladding (www.fiberoptics4sale.com). The second mode is able to cover more distance than the first mode. These rays travel through a different paths, they thereby have different modes taking different time to reach. The variation so visible is termed as the dispersion, ultimately giving muddied signal at the receiving node. The output pulse varied against the input pulse. Increased index of refraction in the centre of the core leads to slowing down of the speed of some light rays, resulting in the rays to reach the receiving end at nearly about the same time, ultimately minimizing the dispersion and increase in the bandwidth (www.fiberoptics4sale.com).. Fibres work on concept of propagation of light, the light in a fiber-optic cable passes through the core of the fibre. At that time, if there are bends, it will result in reflection across the cladding .This concept is termed as total internal reflection. The part of light that skips through changes the direction on entering the outer layer due to refraction. Refraction occurs due to varying speeds and varying different refractive index (Wiley J,Ungear S (1990). Total internal reflection occurs (see appendix A figure 4 )when light passing through one material gets intact with a different

The Impacts of Television on the United Arab Emirates Culture Essay

The Impacts of Television on the United Arab Emirates Culture - Essay Example Television has become indispensable lately; life exclusive of it has been an absurd idea for people all around the world. It was meant to educate, aware the audience to the recent occurring all around the world by sitting cozily, mode of entertainment, sharing of cultural norms and customs takes place through it and a hub for advertising and marketing lately (Peter Fincham ,2007).   Media tool and exemplary revolutionary mean; television, was invented in a more unconventional manner. The quest started in 1884 when a German Scientist introduced a Nipkow disk, which could transmit pictures over the wire through the rotation of the disk. He was the first scientist who was able to discover the scanning law for mechanical television In 1897, another German scientist Karl Braun invented Cathode Ray Tube, which is the picture tube used in contemporary Televisions. In1920, John Logie Baird invented the mechanism of transmitting the image through the technology array of transparent rods. His display of television was mainly dependent on reflective light rather than back-lit silhouettes. In 1923, Charles Jenkins invented the first moving silhouettes image mechanism called radiovision.In 1927, Philo T.Farnsworth was the first scientist who was able to broadcast a TV illustration which consisted of 60 horizontal lines. It was a picture of the dollar sign. He also developed dissector tube which is still used in current technology of television. In 1929, a Russian scientist named Vladimir Zworykin worked on the cathode ray tube technology and redesigned it and afterward it showed the characteristics of the modern picture tube. Later on Louise Parker in 1948 invented receiver of television for scrolling different channels. Later on, with the passage of time, this exceptional invention was modified initially only  colored television was more than enough to fulfill the purpose of telecommunication.

Motivational Effects of Technology in Music Education Essay

Motivational Effects of Technology in Music Education - Essay Example This report stresses that one of the main issues facing music education is the technological gap between the teachers and the real world. This is because most of the teachers are from another generation of learning and hence they did not acquire technological skills and knowledge in their training. In order to avoid this problem, music teachers and curriculum developers should integrate technology in their learning activities. It is important to note that in this context technology is a purveyor of many benefits which have virtually transformed the music world. Therefore, technology inclusion in the school system is not an imposition but rather a necessity. This paper makes a conclusion technology in music education has many benefits ranging from ease of study accruing from repetitive teaching tasks by computers to unlimited availability and accessibility of learning materials. Music as a subject is not very popular as compared to other disciplines such as engineering. There have been attempts by some countries to reform their music curriculum in a bid to appeal to more students . For instance, Scotland has implemented major reforms in its music schools including establishing technologically-enhanced music rooms for their schools . Technology seems to be the only solution to a seemingly unviable field of study . Integrating technology in a formal learning setting is bound to affect the involved parties in various ways . The effects of technology in education have already been studied in other curriculum.

Dream Job Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dream Job - Research Paper Example There are various opportunities in different fields. All we need to do is focus on a specific post in a company and try to reach the position by dedication and a little smart work. My dream job is to become a production manager in a software industry. Being in a software industry I will have the opportunity to handle different projects that are helpful in modernization of technology. This assignment will discuss about a job description of a manager along with compensation, benefits and appraisal program in a software company. Most of the software companies in the world hire people with skills in programming and software testing. Being a production manager my responsibility will be to take over the challenges required in completion of a project successfully. A manager in a software company is responsible for selecting a project that can be completed by the team, explaining the details about the project, managing manpower and completion of the project in time. These are the key specifications that a manager needs to take care of while an on-going assignment. There are two major challenges for a manager in a software company. First is to select an appropriate project that the assigned team can handle. The project selected must be easy for the team members so that can complete it in time without any errors. The second most important challenge is to motivate the team members so that they do not take a leave between the crucial days. Lack of proper workforce can lead to delay of job which might not be accepted by a company. Hence these are the two major challenges to take care of being a manager of a software company. Another important responsibility of a manager is to communicate with the management about any threats his team may come across while handling an important assignment. It is a manager’s duty to balance and bridge the gap between employees and management

William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay Example for Free

William Shakespeares Macbeth Essay In William Shakespeares Macbeth, it is apparent that the character Macbeth is largely responsible for his own fate. Although other characters play some role in Macbeths final downfall, it is apparent that almost all underlying contributions to his fate can be traced to Macbeth himself. It is obviously apparent that Macbeths fatal flaw is his ambition. We see in Act I Scene ii that Macbeth is very noble and loyal to his king. Initially this is apparently because Macbeth is a good person who has his countrys best interests at heart, however later in the play we see that his loyalty falls from his country to himself. This is possibly because Macbeth has always had his own interests at heart, as being loyal to the king allowed him to excel as a nobleman, and gain an additional title to his current one of Thane of Glamis. It could be said that Macbeth was loyal to Scotland when he needed to be for the sake of his own interests, but later, after the witches spoke to him and he was told that he were to be king, Macbeths interests altered and thus so did his loyalty. The witches we see in Act I scene iii inform Macbeth that he is Thane of Glamis, he will be Thane of Cawdor and he shall be King hereafter. We see nowhere before this point that Macbeth has any intentions of becoming king, however after he is informed by three unnatural looking beings that he shall be king, the idea remains with him. If Macbeth did not have these ideas already, the chance of him believing the witchs prophecies is substantially remote. The fact that the witches are so odd in appearance may also have some bearing on Macbeth trusting them, as the fact that they are so unnatural makes Macbeth feel although they are indeed supernatural beings, and thus have supernatural powers. We find, however, that Macbeth takes a lot of poetic license in interpreting the prophecies of the witches and therefore we can hold him accountable for his final downfall. This is illustrated through the fact that the witches only tell him that he shall be king, and do not elaborate on this in any way. From this Macbeth apparently believes that it is his right to be king, and therefore kills Duncan as a matter of urgency in order to gain his throne. This same idea is present in Act IV Scene i when Macbeth sees the apparitions shown by the witches and is told Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth, beware Macduff; Beware the Thane of Fife for none of woman born Shall harm Macbeth Macbeth shall never vanquished be, until Great Birnham wood to high Dunsinane hill Shall come against him. As we see later in the play, all of the prophecies presented here are easily carried through, however not in the way that Macbeth interpreted them, which was in their most literal sense. It can therefore be said that Macbeths method of interpreting the apparitions may be reasonable, however his interpretations do not have enough foundation to safely base his life upon, as we see Macbeth do. For these reasons, it could be said that the witches are a catalyst for Macbeths behavior, and therefore do not influence Macbeths behavior other than through prompting it to occur sooner than it would have initially without the witches interaction. This argument can be supported through when Macbeth says in Act I scene iv Stars hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires. This speech occurs immediately after Macbeth learns that Malcolm, Duncans eldest son, has been made Prince of Cumberland, and hence will be king succeeding Duncan as king. We may assume that Macbeth was expecting to be named Duncans heir, and when this does not occur, Macbeth is understandably a little upset, however I feel that this speech shows us an insight into Macbeths thoughts that allow us to conclude that his thoughts are darker than could be generally expected in this situation. This I feel is strong reason to assume that Macbeth was considering taking action to gain the throne before the witches mentioned anything, and the witches therefore merely pushed the thoughts into stronger action. It is highly likely that if Macbeth did not want to be king in the first instance, he would not have actually gone through with committing Duncans murder, as this is an extreme step to take and there were many other ways that he may have become king, especially as he was viewed so highly by Duncan when he was alive. If Macbeth was not so intent on becoming king then he would have taken much more time considering the consequence of the actions that he was going to undertake and would have probably decided against killing the king. The only time that we see Macbeth think about what he is about to do is in Act I Scene vii, and this is a remarkably small scene for such contemplation. The next person who could be said to be partially responsible for Macbeths fate is his wife, Lady Macbeth. We see when we are introduced to Lady Macbeth that she is a very strong person whom has very strong intentions. This can be seen through her quote in act I scene v where she says Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty; make thick my blood, Stop up th access and passage to remorse This quote very strongly tells of Lady Macbeths nature and why she is so influential on Macbeths actions. It is apparent that Lady Macbeth possesses very little of the femininity expected by a lady at the time the play was set, and she is therefore well respected by Macbeth as equal in their marriage, which would have been unheard of at the time the play was set. This means that Lady Macbeth has obviously had considerable past influence on his actions, and therefore he is likely to listen to and respect her opinions. From this we may conclude that her character is very strong and is good at being persuasive and taking charge, which goes on to say that she, too, is a catalyst for Macbeths actions, as she initiates the action and Macbeth carries it through. Consequently, we can see that later the input that Lady Macbeth puts into the actions of Macbeth decreases. This is possibly because Lady Macbeth is becoming a lot less emotionally stable because of her input into Duncans death, as well as the strong alteration in the character of Macbeth, which is a direct result of her forceful ways before Duncan was murdered. Because of this, we may assume that Lady Macbeth is not capable of making large decisions. It is highly likely that this is also because Lady Macbeth has pushed Macbeth into a spiral of killing and dealing with the consequence and therefore not a lot of thought is needed to be put into the conduct of Macbeth by the end of the play. We see through the murder of Duncan that Macbeth loses his morals as the play goes on, and by the last scenes he has no hesitation at the thought of murder. This is likely to be because Duncan was the divine appointed king and through killing Duncan first Macbeth started at the top and thus killing others, such as Banquo, did not seem as bad to him, we also see that Macbeth has no interaction with Lady Macbeth over the issue of Banquos murder which is testimony to the fact that Lady Macbeths influence in diminishing. Although her character changes into a less dominant person later in the play than she was initially, we can see that the beginning of the play is where the most change in the character of Macbeth occurs and therefore this is where the character of Lady Macbeth is so important. It goes without saying that the most influential person on Macbeths actions in Macbeth himself. The choices that Macbeth makes throughout the play have an obviously detrimental effect on his fate and this is supported by the fact that at the beginning of the play Macbeth was loyal, honest and trustworthy. By the end of the play he was lost almost all of these traits and therefore we may assume that the extraordinary choices that he makes from the beginning of the play are responsible for this. Initially, we see that the first choice Macbeth made was to listen to the witches prophecies, which lead his to interpret them in a particular way. The way that Macbeth interpreted the prophecies was in their most literal sense, and so we can therefore assume, and are later shown, that there were other ways in which the prophecies could be interpreted. The fact that the witches only told Macbeth that he would be king and did not specify that Macbeth would need to interact with what is apparently the natural order to make this occur is testimony to the fact that Macbeth actually chose to murder and become king. This also allows us an insight into the witches actions, for they presumably knew that Macbeth would need to act evilly in order to become king, and hence we may conclude that the witches were toying with Macbeth and his ambition. Further to this point we also find that Macbeth hides himself in a false sense of security after he sees the witches apparitions, as his interpretations lead him to believe that he is safe from everything until the forest uproots itself and that he cannot be harmed by anything born of a woman. As these ideas seem remarkably unbelievable, Macbeth is obviously convinced about the fact that he is almost immortal. Through this Macbeth acts very confidently without thinking a lot, and tells us that the first thing he thinks shall be the first thing he acts upon. It is from this that Macbeth begins to disregard all advice that he is given and therefore does not take the necessary precautions to protect himself against the army that forms against him. From this we are in a way seeing once more a part of the old, loyal Macbeth, as we find that he fully intends to fight to the end, regardless of the fact that he has very little to actually fight for through the loss of his friends, his loyalty, his morality and his wife. Through the above outlined reasons it is clear that Macbeth is responsible for his own fate. Macbeths choices directly effect the actions of others and in this way even the actions of others that effect Macbeth are in some way his fault. We see that Macbeth sacrifices his loyalty, morality, friends and country in order to gain and retain his kingship, which is a direct result of his ambitious nature. From this, we see that others turn against him and effect the way in which his life ended. There is an enormous difference in Macbeth from what was expected of him at the beginning of the play given his nature, and what actually happened. It is therefore fair to conclude that Macbeth is mostly responsible for his fate.

The Boon Or Bane Of Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay

The Boon Or Bane Of Global Warming Environmental Sciences Essay The stratosphere ozone (o3) is a product of billions of years of the photochemical process catlalyzed by the solar radiation . The ozone screen provides a shield for living creatures by filtering out dangerous ultra-violet rays from sunlight . ultra violet radiation causes sun burn , skin cancer , cataracts and can suppress the immune system . Since 1973 it has been increasingly recognized that the ozone umbrella is being ripped off by the industrial activities of man which release chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) The main problem with the CFCs is their long life in the atmosphere ranging from 75 to 125 years . Also one molecule of CFC can destroy 1,00,000 molecules of ozone . Also rockets which take off vertically carry ozone killers (Chlorine containing chemicals and nitrogen oxides ) Eg : The American Delta booster, the authors rate it as a second ozone killer which destroys 8 million tonnes of the earth shielding gas during every take-off SOLUTION Coming to the question of stopping launchings of space ships to obviate thinning of the ozone layer , the soviet experts are of the view the problem can be tackled by taking positive steps like minimizing production of ozone-killing chemicals , banning solid fuel fired rockets , and setting international restrictions for the frequency of launches . A BRITISH ORGANIZATION , Ozone Help (OH ) has come out with a programme to produce ozone in the upper atmosphere . A solar powered machine is carried to high altitudes by balloons over the antartica , where the ozone depletion has reached its highest . This ozonator is a simple electronic unit about the size of a large microphone and generates a charge of more than 15,000 volts . When this charge is emitted into the air , it produces a significant amount of ozone by converting the oxygen of the air. GLOBAL WARMING (due to greenhouse gases ) The large scale burning of fossil fuels in modern industry and transport systems increases the concentration of greenhouse gases such as CO2 , O3 , CH4, CFC3 and N2O in the atmosphere . These greenhouse gases allow suns rays to penetrate the earth surface but retard the return flow of the infra-red radiation. Thus the suns heat would be trapped near the earths surface, raising the earths surface temperature over a period of time. Among all the gases CO2 alone plays a major role in creating greenhouse effect. There are many reasons to be cautious about accepting CO2 as the causative agent if there really is warming. This is highlighted by 2 papers published in March 2008. Scafetta and West showed that up to 69% of observed warming is from the sun and Ramanathan and Carmichael show that soot has 60% of the warming power of CO2 The fluctuations in the composition of the atmosphere and changes in the temperature over the past two lakh years can be determined by analysis of tiny air bubbles trapped in ice that has accreted year by year in arctic and Antarctic. All scenarios on global warming show that significant climate change will occur over a period of time. There are many other issues of environmental concern too like radioactive fallouts , phenomenon of acid rain , large scale deforestation and large scale use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in modern agriculture and so on . Here are some ways for the prevention of global warming Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.. Do not leave appliances on standby Use the on/off function on the machine itself. A TV set thats switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode Plant a tree A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. Encourage the switch to renewable energy Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them Try car sharing Need a car but dont want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Is Global Warming Bad? The IPCC 2007 Reports Suggest There Will be More Losers than Winners with Warming. The IPCC process includes many unlikely scenarios. These worst-case estimates also have associated impacts, from benign to worst-case. Thus we get the 5% worst impacts that have a 5% chance of happening (a combined 0.25% likelihood) equally discussed with benign changes that are reasonable to expect. By the time summaries are written, and press releases, only the bad effects are presented.   This leads to a gross exaggeration of the problems. Global Warming Will Actually Have More Winners then Losers. Throughout the history of human life, the Earths livability has always been better when the climate has been warmer than cooler. Human populations have expanded the most when the Earth warmed and turned greener, whether during the middle ages or during the last 2 decades. Whether it is a   fish in the ocean, a shrimp in an aquaculture pond, or a bean on a   vine, it will grow faster when it is warmer, all things being equal. Humans will   be quick to take advantage of a warmer climate and to adjust if it gets too warm in an area. More crops grow where it is warm or hot than in frozen ground, and CO2 is a primary food of plants basic facts that   seem forgotten. Even now, NASA satellites show that the Earth has become 6% greener as the world has warmed over the past 20 years (In the laymans approach, ozone depletion and global warming is mostly the same thing . However if you take a closer look youll know they are completely different . Although the two are different, activities leading to one always have some impact on the other ) Read more: Difference Between Ozone Depletion and Global Warming | Difference Between | Ozone Depletion vs Global Warming http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-ozone-depletion-and-global-warming/#ixzz1AiNbKbQO Facts about climate change This chart looks ominous until put into the context that the average temperature for 1901-2000 is 13.9C (57.0F), so we are talking about a change from about 13.5 to 14.3 C or 56.3 to 57. 7 F. Not only is Earths surface warming, but the troposphere the lowest level of the atmosphere, where weather occurs is heating up too, U.S. and British meteorologists reported The EPA is set to regulate greenhouse gases next year for the first time, after the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that it could treat heat-trapping gases such as carbon dioxide as pollutants.EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan responded: The commonsense and transparent steps weve taken are already proving doomsayers wrong, as evidenced by the fact that 98 percent of states have stated theyre in a position to comply (times of india) Democrats established the committee in 2007, after taking control of the House. At the time, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, called global warming possibly the greatest challenge of our time, setting at risk our economy, environment and national security. Scientists across the globe are toiling to perfect newer sources of energy that would end reliance on fossil fuels and threat of global warming. Those at citybased National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Neeri) have joined the pack. They have developed a process of producing biofuel from four different species of micro-algae (plants that cant be seen with naked eye). The climate is changing. The earth is warming up, and there is now overwhelming scientific consensus that it is happening .. With global warming on the increase and species and their habitats on the decrease, chances for ecosystems to adapt naturally are diminishing. Many have agreed that climate change may be one of the greatest threats facing the planet. Recent years show increasing temperatures in various regions, and/or increasing extremities in weather patterns. Climate change, in the absence of mitigation policies would in all likelihood lead to: 1 Possible disappearance of sea ice by the latter part of the 21st century 2 Increase in freqency of hot extremes, heat waves and heavy precipitation 3 Increase in tropical cyclone intensity 4 Decrease in water resources due to climate change in many semi-arid areas, such as the Mediterranean Basin, western United States, southern Africa and north-eastern Brazil. 5 Possible elimination of the Greenland ice sheet and a resulting contribution to sea level rise of about 7 metres. Without mitigation future temperatures in Greenland would compare with levels estimated for 125,000 years ago when palaeoclimate information suggests 4 to 6 m of sea level rise. 6 Approximately 20 to 30% of species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average warming exceed 1.5 to 2.5 degrees C. In Africa, by 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to water stress due to climate change, and in some countries yields from rainfed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50%. The impacts of climate change would be disproportionately severe on some of the poorest regions and communities of the world. My own analysis suggests that at least 12 countries are likely to tend towards becoming failed states and communities in several other states would show potential for serious conflict due to scarcity of food,, water stress and soil degradation. UN Summit on Climate Change, 22 September 2009 STATEMENT OF DR. R. K. PACHAURI Chairman, IPCC Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute Director, Yale Climate and Energy Institute Warming of the climate system is unequivocal as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice and rising global sea level, and that Most of the observed increase in temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic GHG concentrations. In the twentieth century average global temperature increased by 0.740 C while sea level rise resulting from thermal expansion of the ocean and melting of ice across the globe amounted to 17 cms. With this increase the Maldive Islands with land surface barely a metre or two above sea level, every storm surge and major upwelling of the seas represents a major danger to life and property. But this is not all. Climate change is already resulting in an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of floods, droughts and heat waves. Precipitation has increased significantly in eastern parts of North and South America, north ern Europe and northern and central Asia, whereas it declined in the Sahel, the Mediterranean, southern Africa and parts of south Asia. Globally the area affected by drought has increased since the 1970s If we take no action to stabilize the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, then average temperature by the end of this century would increase anywhere from 1.1 degrees to 6.4 degrees C. The world is increasing its emissions at a rate that may take us to the upper end of the range projected, which implies a total increase in these two centuries of over 7 degrees C, that is, over 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Yet between 1970 and 2004 global GHG emissions increased by 70% and carbon dioxide by 80%. We must halt this unacceptable trend. It is heartening that the G8 leaders have recognized the broad scientific view of limiting increase in global average temperature to 2 ° C. But, we have clearly specified that if temperature increase is to be limited to between 2.0 and 2.4 ° C, global emissions must peak no later than 2015. That is only six years from now. And the 2.0 ° ceiling too would lead to sea-level rise on account of thermal expansion alone of 0.4 to 1.4 meters. This increase added to the effect melting of snow and ice across the globe, could submerge several small island states and Bangladesh. CONCLUSION Like Michael Jackson said Heal the world make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race . There are people dying if we care enough for the living , make it a better place for you and for me While this is just the tip of the iceberg, many, many issues need addressing regarding the extinction of plant and animal species, polar bears and their natural habitat and as times of india has mentioned that the lakes are heating faster than the air There are many such questions that need to be answered. .It is more important now than ever before to pull heads out of the sand and make a change for the better to our mother earth before it becomes too late. The earth is something we borrowed from our future generation hence we must do what we can in our capacity to preserve it . where the question of global warming arises it is seen as a detriment to us hence we should take measures to counter its growth or to our peril .

Factors Affecting Kidney Function

Factors Affecting Kidney Function Kidney Diseases and end stage renal failure are not isolated to affecting just the kidney. All organs are affected by the disruption through Kidney disease and similarly other organs will also affect the kidney and how it functions. The following five diseases show the impact they have on the kidney, its function and pathophysiology. 2. HIV/AIDS Renal complications in patients with HIV/AIDS can be either as a result of the long-term repetition of, or simultaneous infections in an immune suppressed patient or as a result of the many drugs (nephrotoxins) used to treat the HIV/AIDS virus. The exact role that the HI-Virus plays in the pathology of the kidney is still controversial (James, 2005:1632-1633). There are a number of kidney diseases identified by means of biopsies associated with HIV, the most predominant one being HIV-associated Nephropathy. Others are Mesangial Glomerulonephritis where immune deposits are seen, to a lesser degree also minimal change disease, TTP/HUS, Amyloidosis and Lymphoma (Dolin, 2008:1257). It was shown that the type of nephropathy was also clearly defined by race, such being that people of Black African origin predominantly showed HIV-associated nephropathy whereas in other racial groups immune complexes played the major role (James, 2005:1632-1633). In a study done by Tygerberg hospital in conjunction with Stellenbosch university it has shown that 54% of biopsies done on Black HIV positive patients show HIV nephropathies, in the USA this figure shows that it is the 3rd most common cause of end stage renal failure (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV-associated_nephropathy accessed 19/03/2011). In HIV-associated nephropathy there is sclerosis of the Glomerular apparatus as well as microcystic tubulointerstitial disease which is defined by the enlargement of the tubules with protein deposits in the tubular space as well as oedema in the surrounding tissue, fibrosis and inflammation (Dolin, 2008:1257). Where kidney involvement is due to immune complex deposits the entire nephron is involved; this can be as a direct result of infection from the virus or alternatively due to the release of cytokines when first infected with HIV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV-associated_nephropathy accessed 19/03/2011). Treatment forms include transplantation, which can however, pose problems with regard to medication interactions between antiretroviral drugs and immunosuppressants, furthermore a high rate of rejection as well as a high risk of cardiovascular disease post transplant are a problem (Trullas [in press]) Treatment consists of slowing the process to ESKD and treating the HIV infection with antiretroviral drugs, further treatment with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers are used to treat hypertension, possibly immunosuppressant drugs or steroids and dialysis if kidney failure progresses to chronic (Greenberg, 2009:254) 3. Malaria There are four types of malaria parasites; the one that is generally known to show manifestations in other organs including the kidney is Plasmodium falciparum. There are over 500 million people infected with this parasite worldwide with an annual death rate of between 1-3 million. There are over 100 countries worldwide in which malaria is prevalent and many of these countries have reported a 0.57- 60% acute renal failure as a result of malaria. It has also shown that the acute renal failure associated with malaria is more common in adults than children in the tropics where transmission of malaria is low or unstable and where symptomatic disease occurs at all ages (Idonije, 2011:4-7) Acute renal failure occurs in a very small percentage of the cases infected, however the mortality rate can be as high as 45%. (Saroj, 2008:395) The exact pathophysiology of Malarial Acute Renal Failure is not known but there are many theories as to how the kidney is affected, namely through obstruction and adherence of the vascular space by disease affected and thus altered erythrocytes, this is known as erythrocyte sequestration. Further, immune complexes may be responsible for changes in the glomerular and tubular physiology. Dehydration due to sweating, vomiting and reduced fluid intake can lead to reduced perfusion of the kidney with ischemia resulting in acute kidney failure. Pulmonary oedema, acute respiratory distress syndrome and anaemia are all factors that may complicate the malarial acute renal failure. Treatment options include the identification of the involvement of the kidney early on which may be difficult especially in home based treatment in the rural environment, renal replacement therapy (haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), anti malarial drugs, intravenous fluid replacement (although this may lead to pulmonary oedema and must be closely monitored), diuretics which may reduce the time the patient requires dialysis, possible blood transfusion to help replace fluids as well as assist with the malaria induced anaemia and the avoidance of nephrotoxic drugs (Das, 2008:83-97). Mortality of patients increases with: high Creatine levels, oliguria/anuria, anaemia CNS involvement and late referral to a tertiary care center for early commencement of treatment, age plays no role in the mortality of these patients (Kanodia, 2010:1088-1091). 4. HUS/TTP There are three reasons for thrombocytopenia namely due to platelet destruction as in Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) and Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), failure of platelet production as in malignancies and platelet sequestration (Underwood, 2009:585) TTP and HUS are both thrombotic microangiopathies and both are characterised by the deposition of clots in the small vessels of various organs, amongst these being the Kidney. There is a large clinical overlap between the two (Underwood, 2009:670). HUS is an acute disorder often following a haemorrhagic or diarrhoeal illness. It is characterised by microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, which is caused due to an increase in fibrin in the vessels and this fibrin network damages the erythrocytes causing anaemia. It has been established that HUS is associated with viral and bacterial infections especially in children (McCance, 2010:1408). Both HUS and TTP are linked to pregnancy related acute kidney failure but it is a rare occurrence. If they occur then HUS generally occurs postpartum whereas TTP is linked to preeclampsia and occurs pre delivery (Greenberg, 2009:410). The toxin released from a bacterium such as E. coli causes inflammation when it attaches to the wall of the intestine and from here enters the vascular system. It finds its way to the kidney where it causes damage both in the glomerular and tubular system through thrombosis, and inflammation and thus kidney failure. This infection may also cause fever, hypertension, cerebral and pulmonary oedema, congestive heart failure and seizures (Lerma, 2009:289). TTP on the other hand is caused by blockage of the small vessels through the accumulation of platelets causing vascular lesions in the central nervous system, heart and kidney causing organ failure or malfunction (Underwood: 2009:671). There are two types of TTP, one is chronic relapsing TTP which is rare and the other is idiopathic relapsing TTP. This is a lot more severe in its course and can be fatal within 3 months if left untreated (McCance, 2010:1046). Treatment for diarrhoeal related HUS is generally supportive, fluid-electrolyte replacement, blood transfusion and dialysis if needed. Recovery rate is high but there is a 3-5% mortality rate during the acute phase (DAgati, 2005:498) Glomerular involvement HUS has a better prognosis than HUS with a high vascular involvement. Compared to HUS, the TTP has less haemolysis and milder renal impairment but shows more neurological symptoms such as confusion, headache and motor and sensory defects. Treatment for TTP takes the form of plasma exchange with fresh frozen plasma. Since the implementation of this therapy form the mortality rate has dropped by approximately 25% but with severe renal involvement it still has a poor prognosis. It may re-occur in 25% of the patients who have been successfully treated (DAgati, 2005:511). 5. HELLP Syndrome HELLP Syndrome is an acronym for Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, and Low Platelets and is generally found in pregnant woman who have developed preeclampsia or eclampsia (Gould, 2006:120). Symptoms are Microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, elevated liver enzymes are due to obstruction of the hepatic vessels by fibrin deposits and the low platelets are the result of either increased use of or the destruction of platelets (Counts, 2008:168). HELLP Syndrome may only develop during labour and as with preeclampsia the best cure is the delivery of the baby. Severe bleeding is unlikely unless platelet counts are very low (below 50 000/mm3). Severe thrombocytopenia or rupture of a subcapsular liver haematoma can both be life threatening (Ratcliffe, 2008:493) Many signs and symptoms such as jaundice, hematuria, GIT bleeds, gum bleeds can be seen in pregnant woman which are related to HELLP but could be mistaken for other diseases such as Hepatitis, ulcers, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, TTP or HUS so a full blood count is important to differentiate HELLP from other diseases (Queenan, 2007:275) HELLP Syndrome is one of the Thrombotic Microangiopathies as is TTP and HUS but as it is a result of preeclampsia it only occurs during pregnancy and then usually only in the third trimester. Preeclampsia is more common than TTP/HUS during pregnancy but with a lower risk of renal failure unless the case is a severe one. HELLP syndrome shows mild disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) which is characterised by uncontrolled coagulation, increase in bleeding time and liver enzymes (Greenberg, 2009:410) It can be potentially fatal to the expectant mother, decrease perfusion of placenta thus threatening the foetus (Counts, 2008:168) with a mortality rate of up to 24% for the mother and 7.7 60% to the unborn due to intrauterine asphyxia, placenta detachment or extreme prematurity (Feehally, 2007:350). In some instances symptoms do not improve after birth but generally the best therapy is the delivery of the baby. Corticosteroids may be used to help hasten the recovery and reduce the need for blood products (Feehally, 2007:350). Treatment is generally symptomatic; the stasis of any bleeding, blood products if a significant amount of blood was lost or is still likely to be lost without intervention, and the same applies for FFP. A cryoprecipitate may be given if the fibrinogen levels are low (for example Factor VIII from frozen blood) and fibrinolysis inhibitors may be considered in some patients (McPhee, 2009:474-475). 6. Rhabdomyolysis Rhabdomyolysis is due to damage of muscle cells as a result of a variety of factors and can become a life-threatening problem (McCance, 2010:1575). As a result of the damage of muscle cells, its contents (myoglobin, enzymes, potassium and phosphorus) leak into the blood stream. The kidneys secrete myoglobin as myoglobinuria in the urine (Lerma, 2009:109). Muscle cell damage can be due to a variety of reasons and amongst others are: Trauma, extreme exercise, seizures, compromised blood flow, electrolyte disturbances (such as hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia), drugs, temperature (hyperthermia, burns), inflammation and infections. Clinically this disease can vary from mild, with slightly elevated serum levels of myoglobin and creatine kinase (CK) to severe with the necessity for renal replacement therapy. Incidence of acute kidney failure due to rhabdomyolysis is as high as 5-15% (Greenberg, 2009:298-299). Renal insuffiency is due to the excessive amounts of myoglobin being filtered by the kidney resulting in tubular injury and is generally also associated with hypovolaemia (McPhee, 2009:742). Large amounts of myoglobin may clog the nephrons with these being overwhelmed and may produce casts which will also cause obstruction in the tubules. Hypovolaemia is due to not only a decrease in fluid intake but also due to large amounts of fluid accumulating in the damaged muscle tissue (Counts, 2008:162-163). Decreased renal blood flow, hypovolaemia and acid urine all are signs that acute tubular necrosis is likely (Lerma, 2009:109). Treatment consists of hydration with high volumes of preferably IV fluids to increase the intravascular fluid volume, thus increase the perfusion of the kidneys and forcing diuresis, reducing the risk of cast formations in the tubules and increasing the GFR. In severe cases of rhabdomyolis the use of mannitol and bicarbonate to improve urine pH as well as high fluid volumes of up to 12l/24hours have proven beneficial, Dialysis may need to be commenced if urinary output remains low and with urea and hyperkalemia not responding to conservative treatment (Greenberg, 2009:302). Fluid administration must be carefully monitored, as there is a risk of pulmonary oedema in the face of acute kidney failure. The mannitol will assist in myoglobin clearance and urine flow and thus assist with the reduction of the nephrotoxicity of the myoglobin. CK levels will drop over a period of a few days provided there is no further injury to the muscle. Hypocalcemia is generally not treated in these instances, as the calcium tends to accumulate in the injured tissue (Lerma, 2009:112). 7. Conclusion Many external factors and diseases with origins elsewhere in the body, easily affect the kidney in its function. The above five diseases showcase just a small percentage of the many diseases and dysfunctions which affect the kidney in a multitude of ways and gives us an insight of just how important an organ it is.

Jesus and Socrates Would Have Difficulty Surviving in America’s Public

Those at the plinth of the socioeconomic hierarchy face both structural constraints and functional impediments, especially people of color. The structural constraints imply socio-historical position of servitude, racial segregation and discrimination, ghettoization, distorted unemployment rates, and inferior health care funneled by deplorable education. The behavioral impediments on upward mobility connote the dwindling of the Protestant ethic an angle taken by Booker T. Washington and many other black Americans. Nonetheless, both categories can be marked as systematic obstacles. In my research paper, I focus on all components of the aforementioned dilemmas, particularly that pertaining to the black or minority experience in the American public education system. In doing so, I will prove that there is no reform or positive revision in America’s public education system. All of the previous listed problems are representative of a vicious cycle born from the lack of qualit y education; moreover, when discussing poor education in America, we are directly speaking to the educational crises of poor colored people – distinctively, blacks and Latinos. To put it clearly, the crux is K-12 public education in America is nowhere near as good as it should be, and it is predominantly the poor who bear the brunt of educational shortcomings. Chiefly, we ought to acknowledge that structures and functional dilemmas are inseparable, that institutions and values coexist as a dyadic function. â€Å"Minorities are more prone to attend high-poverty schools – that is, public schools where greater than seventy-five percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, and are less likely to graduate from high school and subsequently atten... ...nt: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything. New York: Penguin Group USA, 2009. Print. Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. Oxford: Capstone, 2001. Print. â€Å"The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report.† The Schott Foundation - 50 State Black Boys Report. Web. 07 May 2012. . Smith, Dane, and Shawn Lewis. African American Boys: ‘Too Important to Fai’' http://www.growthandjustice.org. 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 7 May 2012. Washington, Harriet A. Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial times to the Present. New York: Anchor, 2008. Print. West, Cornel. Race Matters. Boston: Beacon, 1993. Print. Whitman, Mark. Removing a Badge of Slavery: The Record of Brown v. Board of Education. Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener Pub. 1993. Print.

Crash Course In Density :: essays research papers

Crash Course in Density   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As flight 143, a twin engine 767, was passing over Red Lake on its was to Edmonton, Canada, the left front fuel pump warning light went on. There were a few possibilities for this to happen, such as the fuel pump failing, a fuel line clogging, or a empty fuel tank. The former two were easily dealt with, since the plane could fly without one fuel pump. However, the last possibility was horrifying. After a few minutes, the second fuel pump in the left wing began to blare. It would be too much of a coincidence for two fuel pumps to independently fail, or two fuel lines to independently clog, so it was apparent that the left tank was out of fuel. Quickly, the pilots decided that getting to Edmonton was out of the question. The nearest large airport was at Winnipeg, so they radioed ahead and changed their course. In a few minutes, all four of the fuel pumps had failed. The worst possible news, they were out of fuel. In a few more minutes the engines stopped running, and all of the high tech instruments became useless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They realized that they could not even make it to Winnipeg. Their only chance was an abandoned to a abandoned Air Force airstrip. Unfortunately, the airstrip had been converted to a race track, complete with race cars, fences, and spectators. The 767 crash landed, and, fortunately, no one was killed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Their were many contributing factors that made this plane run out of fuel. First of all, the computerized fuel gauge was not working, and a maintenance worker said , incorrectly, that the plane was still certified to fly. To measure the amount of fuel remaining, they use a drip stick method. They discovered that their was 7 682 liters in the tank. However, they had always measured fuel in the past as pound, while the 767 consumed fuel in kilograms. The drip sticks did not express the amount of fuel in pounds or kilograms, but in liters. It seems to be a simple matter of conversion to arrive a the answer.

Jihad: Moving Beyound Cultural Biases and Misconceptions Essay

The concept of Jihad was not widely known in the western world before the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. Since then, the word has been woven into what our media and government feed us along with notions of Terrorism, Suicide Bombings, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, and now, Jihad. Our society hears exhortations resounding from the Middle East calling the people to rise up in Jihad and beat back the imperialist Americans. Yet, if we try to peel back all of these complex layers of information we can we attempt to find out what Jihad really means. Webster’s Dictionary defines Jihad as â€Å"a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty or a crusade for a principle or belief† (1). Often, media depicts Jihad in the same manner—as a vicious clash between two very different peoples, each of whom believes that righteousness, and in many cases God, is on their side. From this interpretation and our daily media intake, one may re asonably assume that Jihad refers to nothing more than violent acts, or â€Å"holy wars.† While there is no precise definition of the term, the meaning of Jihad is far more complex. In fact, the term Jihad generally refers to the struggle one must undertake as one â€Å"strive[s] in the path of God† (Church 110). That struggle is defined both externally and internally. As so, they are classified in terms of an external struggle with enemies or non believers, or an internal struggle with oneself to reject greed and temptation. While popular opinion has been misconstrued to see Jihad as a malevolent, violent action; a serious investigation of the term’s historical and religious background reveals a multi-defined word. An examination of the Jihad’s etymological context will lend a k... ... As Americans, we must approach Jihad with sensitivity, an admission of our ignorance on the subject, and an earnest attempt to properly educate ourselves. Works Cited Church, Kenneth. â€Å"Jihad.† Collateral Language. Ed. John Collins and Ross Glover. New York: NYU Press, 2000. 109-123. Engineer, Asghar Ali. â€Å"The Real Meanings of Jihad.† December 2001. 1 October 2003.Husaq, Nina. E-mail to the author. 19 October 2003. Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror In The Mind Of God. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2000. Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (6th Edition) Springfield: Merriam-Webster, 1999.Rogers-Melnick, Ann. â€Å"Jihad Misused, Misunderstood.† Post-Gazette 23 September 2001. 2 October 2003. The Qu’ran. LXI:11, p.398; IX:41, p.149. Witham, Larry. â€Å"Muslims See Wordplay as Swordplay in Terrorism War.† The Washington Post. 24 July 2002. 3 October 2003.

Obesity as a Social and Medical Problem Essay

Obesity has become an epidemic in our over indulgent North American society. In addition to body image issues, obesity causes significant health issues. Society often views the word obesity to be a disease when it is actually a sign of a disorder; genetic or environmental. The percentage of our population that is growing overweight is increasing every year, and can become a very serious issue if it is not dealt with more urgently. Problems relating to self-confidence, self-consciousness, and isolation can occur as a result. An enduring problem in today’s society, especially with children, has to deal with sociality. Public appearance is very important to us and when we don’t look good, or have a low self-esteem, it can lead to further issues; possibly fatal. Those with the â€Å"obese† label have to deal with social problems every single day. The fact they don’t look â€Å"normal† causes them to not fit in with the â€Å"regular crowd† and can lead to isolation issues. Being isolated from the majority of the population can lead to problems such as depression and later on, suicide. Another big influence on social problems relating to obesity is the media. Every day at some time, somewhere, we are watching TV, reading the newspaper, or searching the web. The media tends to give labels and meaning to words in which we get influenced on. The view that the media portrays to us is that if you are a certain weight, you are obese; and vice-versa. Another problem with the media is the amount of time our society spends on it. Time consumed on useless media takes away from time spent doing productive activities such as exercising. However, the corruption in social patterns relating to obesity isn’t the only problem. Another big factor stands on the medical side. Obesity is a risk in a number of prolonged diseases. Maintaining a healthy weight is critical in order to reduce the risk of those diseases and additionally, improve your overall health. Many children and youth have fewer opportunities to be physically active at school as physical education classes and time spent being physically active at school have been reduced. Being overweight or obese has many risks involved. Serious conditions such as a stroke, high blood pressure, and Type 2 diabetes, can occur as a result; just to name a few. Linked with health problems is a poor diet. Variations in our food environment have made it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Society tends to want to eat more fast-food rather than cooking at home because it is cheaper and less time-consuming. We have become lazy when it comes to our diets. We don’t take into consideration the Food Guide and basically eat what we want, when we want. Obesity is also a major drain on the economy. The amount of money being spent on health care because of obesity-related diseases is astronomical. The Globe and Mail had an article headlined, â€Å"Obesity costs economy up to $7-billion a year†. By eating right and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, our society can cut down economic costs drastically. All we need to have is some discipline, the proper diet, and exercise. Numerous children today are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. Even worse, some schools have banned the use of balls used at recess. An article in the Toronto Star explained why such a peculiar ban took place at Earl Beatty Public School, â€Å"The letter stated that there have been a â€Å"few serious incidents† in which staff and students have been hit, or come close to being struck, by flying balls. Not only are we lacking in exercise, the catalyst for running around at recess has now been taken away for some. This issue is going to further decrease the amount of physical activity kids partake in, and increase the possibilities of obesity. Commuting to and from work also contributes to obesity when you consider that in order to get by, mo st families need to have at least two incomes. People often have to commute long distances to jobs, and with the minimal time for meal preparation, fast foods become a number one option. Furthermore, having supermarkets, as well as other grocery stores open all night, more money is being spent on expensive, half-prepared meals. Children need to have a healthy example with their parents being physically active and eating healthy. Preventing children from becoming overweight means adapting to the way your family eats and exercises. Many believe that it is the parents fault when it comes to child obesity, and they’re correct. Children don’t have the discipline to eat â€Å"healthy† foods and aren’t capable of preparing home-made meals. It is the parent’s job to influence and lead the way for our youth. If parents set a better example health-wise for their children, it is highly doubtful that the percentage of obesity would be even remotely close to where it is now. Managing and preventing obesity can lead to many societal benefits. Having healthy, positive-minded people in our cities is always encouraging. Managing obesity can lessen the stress that occurs at work, as well as create a friendlier environment. Having a good work environment has shown to raise productivity, therefore creating better capital. Another optimistic result from obesity management in society is the discipline factor. If those that are overweight can overcome a huge default in their life, by working hard and staying focused, it will then translate into other aspects of their day-to-day lives. Our society will become that of a disciplined one, therefore work will become more productive because there is better focus on the tasks at hand; furthermore, children in school will become more confident because of how hard they worked as well as their new self-image. Overall, if our world can manage and prevent obesity, living can ultimately consist more of positive vibes and less of anxiety. In conclusion, it is clear we have a serious issue with obesity that impacts many aspects of people’s lives. It is an austere condition that doesn’t get monitored with enough concern. Possibilities such as Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes from being overweight. Medical, as well as social research can help people further comprehend that weight and obesity issues are vastly social, not individual. We have to start working together on fighting obesity. We are a lazy society and we tend to make things harder than they really are. If society works together to help those in need by giving them the courage and confidence needed to make a personal change, this unnecessary burden called obesity can be upheld. It all starts with the right diet as well as exercise and a strong commitment. As little as ten minutes a day on the bike can improve one’s health. The ball is in our court, and stronger action needs to be taken. We need to start now because the benefits to individuals as well as society are well worth the effort.