The Scarlet Letter The Forest Essays - English-language Films

The Scarlet Letter: The Forest In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how he or she truly feels; otherwise the emotions are bottled up until they become volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not permit this kind of expression; thus characters had to seek alternate means to relieve their personal anguishes and desires. Luckily, at least for the four main characters, Hawthorne provides such a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of shelter for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the pivotal characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as women, can open up and be themselves. It is here that Dimmesdale openly acknowledges Hester and his undying love for her. It is also here that Hester can do the same for Dimmesdale. Finally, it is here that the two of them can openly engage in conversation without being preoccupied with the constraints that Puritan society places on them. The forest itself is the very embodiment of freedom. Nobody watches in the woods to report misbehavior, thus it is here that people may do as they wish. To independent spirits such as Hester Prynnes, the wilderness beckons her: Throw off the shackles of law and religion. What good have they done you anyway? Look at you, a young and vibrant woman, grown old before your time. And no wonder, hemmed in, as you are, on every side by prohibitions. Why, you can hardly walk without tripping over one commandment or another. Come to me, and be masterless. (p.186) Truly, Hester takes advantage of this, when Arthur Dimmesdale appears. She openly talks with Dimmesdale about subjects that would never be mentioned in any place other than the forest. What we did... she reminds him, had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said to each other! This statement shocks Dimmesdale and he tells Hester to hush, but he eventually realizes that he is in an environment where he can openly express his emotions. The thought of Hester and Dimmesdale having an intimate conversation in the confines of the society in which they live is incomprehensible. Yet here, in the forest, they can throw away all reluctance and finally be themselves under the umbrella of security that exists. In Puritan society, self-reliance is stressed among many other things. However, self-reliance is more than stressed- it is assumed. It is assumed that you need only yourself, and therefore should have no emotional necessity for a shoulder to cry on. Once again, for people in the stations of life which Hester and Dimmesdale hold, it would be unthinkable for them to comfort each other. Yet, in the forest, these cares are tossed away. Be thou strong for me, Dimmesdale pleads. Advise me what to do. (p. 187) This is a cry for help from Dimmesdale, finally admitting he cannot go through this ordeal by himself. With this plea comes an interesting sort of role-reversal. When Dimmesdale asks for help, he is no longer sustaining the belief that he is above Hester. He is finally admitting that she is an equal, or even that she is above him. This is possibly one of the reasons that Puritans wont accept these emotional displays- because the society is so socially oriented. Hester, assuming a new position of power, gives a heartfelt, moving speech. The eloquence of her words cannot be overemphasized, and a more powerful statement had yet to be made in the book. Hesters speech turns out to bear a remarkable resemblance to one of Dimmesdales sermons. Begin all anew! ... Preach! Write! Act!(p. 188) The questions she asks are also like the articulate questions which Dimmesdale would pose during his sermons. The

The Deficit for Those Economics Classes Essays - Fiscal Policy

The Deficit for Those Economics Classes Essays - Fiscal Policy The Deficit for Those Economics Classes here's one on the deficit for those economics classes Subject: the deficit good or bad Deficit Spending Spending financed not by current tax receipts, but by borrowing or drawing upon past tax reserves. , Is it a good idea? Why does the U.S. run a deficit? Since 1980 the deficit has grown enormously. Some say its a bad thing, and predict impending doom, others say it is a safe and stable necessity to maintain a healthy economy. When the U.S. government came into existence and for about a 150 years thereafter the government managed to keep a balanced budget. The only times a budget deficit existed during these first 150 years were in times of war or other catastrophic events. The Government, for instance, generated deficits during the War of 1812, the recession of 1837, the Civil War, the depression of the 1890s, and World War I. However, as soon as the war ended the deficit would be eliminated and the economy which was much larger than the amounted debt would quickly absorb it. The last time the budget ran a surplus was in 1969 during Nixons presidency. Budget deficits have grown larger and more frequent in the last half-century. In the 1980s they soared to record levels. The Government cut income tax rates, greatly increased defense spending, and didnt cut domestic spending enough to make up the difference. Also, the deep recession of the early 1980s reduced revenues, raising the deficit and forcing the Government to spend much more on paying interest for the national debt at a time when interest rates were high. As a result, the national debt grew in size after 1980. It grew from $709 billion to $3.6 trillion in 1990, only one decade later. Increase of National Debt Since 1980 Month Amount 12/31/1980 $930,210,000,000.00 * 12/31/1981 $1,028,729,000,000.00 * 12/31/1982 $1,197,073,000,000.00 * 12/31/1983 $1,410,702,000,000.00 * 12/31/1984 $1,662,966,000,000.00 * 12/31/1985 $1,945,941,616,459.88 12/31/1986 $2,214,834,532,586.43 12/31/1987 $2,431,715,264,976.86 12/30/1988 $2,684,391,916,571.41 12/29/1989 $2,952,994,244,624.71 12/31/1990 $3,364,820,230,276.86 12/31/1991 $3,801,698,272,862.02 12/31/1992 $4,177,009,244,468.77 12/31/1993 $4,535,687,054,406.14 12/30/1994 $4,800,149,946,143.75 10/31/1995 $4,985,262,110,021.06 11/30/1995 $4,989,329,926,644.31 12/29/1995 $4,988,664,979,014.54 01/31/1996 $4,987,436,358,165.20 02/29/1996 $5,017,040,703,255.02 03/29/1996 $5,117,786,366,014.56 04/30/1996 $5,102,048,827,234.22 05/31/1996 $5,128,508,504,892.80 06/28/1996 $5,161,075,688,140.93 07/31/1996 $5,188,888,625,925.87 08/30/1996 $5,208,303,439,417.93 09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73 10/01/1996 $5,234,730,786,626.50 10/02/1996 $5,235,509,457,452.56 10/03/1996 $5,222,192,137,251.62 10/04/1996 $5,222,049,625,819.53 * Rounded to Millions Federal spending has grown over the years, especially starting in the 1930s in actual dollars and in proportion to the economy (Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). Beginning with the "New Deal" in the 1930s, the Federal Government came to play a much larger role in American life. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sought to use the full powers of his office to end the Great Depression. He and Congress greatly expanded Federal programs. Federal spending, which totaled less than $4 billion in 1931, went up to nearly $7 billion in 1934 and to over $8 billion in 1936. Then, U.S. entry into World War II sent annual Federal spending soaring to over $91 billion by 1944. Thus began the ever increasing debt of the United States. What if the debt is not increasing as fast as we think it is? The dollar amount of the debt may increase but often times so does the amount of money or GDP to pay for the debt. This brings up the idea that the deficit could be run without cost. How could a deficit increase productivity without any cost? The idea of having a balanced budget is challenged by the ideas of Keynesian Economics. Keynesian economics is an economic model that predicts in times of low demand and high unemployment a deficit will not cost anything. Instead a deficit would allow more people to work, increasing productivity. A deficit does this because it is invested into the economy by government. For example if the government spends deficit money on new highways, trucking will benefit and more jobs will be produced. When an economic system is in recession all of its resources are not being used. For example if the government did not build highways we could not ship goods and there would be less demand for them. The supply remains low even though we have the ability to produce more because we cannot ship them. This non-productivity comes at a cost to the whole economic system. If deficit spending eliminates non-productivity then its direct monetary cost will be offset if not surpassed by increased productivity. For example in the 1980s when the huge deficits were adding up the actual additions to the public capital or increased productivity were often as big, or bigger than the deficit.

Synthetic Higher Learning with Three Branches Research Paper

Synthetic Higher Learning with Three Branches - Research Paper Example It was the only one offering graduate training in public administration, urban planning, and architecture among others. In addition, special health schools such as pharmacy, dental, physical therapy were also located on this campus. Its management process has experienced a lot of issues. To begin with, managing university budget had been a great area of contention between the involved bodies. Tension began growing between Owens, the university system and the higher education commission on this effect and consequently, the Board of Regents increased tuition fees by 28%. On the other hand, the state cut its appropriations. While Owens believed in independent university governance, he made a serious campaign for Referendum C that led to the suspension of Tabor restrictions and later, a state legislation that restricted any tuition increases to not more than 2.8 percent. However, more recommendations were made to other sectors of the university system whereby propositions ensured that se gments such as the transport system and healthcare got more appropriations. This left an implication of a collaborative approach to budget management (Dale, 2008). Arrival on financial management decisions on the board has not been spontaneous but rather evolving. For instance, TABOR, amended in 2000 and followed by a veto in 2003 made it difficult for the system to manage its own funds and thus budget. There was the imposition of expenditure limits, abilities to expand and any appropriate tax refunds when there was a necessity for such arising from financial surplus. However, the twenty-third amendment in 2003 under bill SB 264, the university system was exempted from TABOR and thus brought about greater flexibility in the financial management process. While discussing these issues, it is important to incorporate each of them into the appropriate discussion as done below. Planning Policy drawing within the institution is one of the most complex processes since it entails creating a foundation for the management process and thus a good ground for planning. Policies have largely been delegated as a duty to the Board of Regents, the president, and the state legislature. While the mandate of the president and the state legislation are limited to observation of implementation of policies, a direct influence from these two can have an equal impact on the creation of new policies. This is evident when Owens drew a policy that accentuated on efficiency and productivity within the institution. Thus the structure of planning is divided into layers. Implementation of these policies is executed within the institution. In this regard, the president, who is an internal element to the institution, becomes solely responsible for implementation of policies drawn by the Board of Regents (Daft, 2010). However, policies by the Board are limited in some aspects. For instance, the board can not have a sole authority to handle cases of financial uproars. In one scenario, happening in 2001, the Board of Regents had to be backed up by the joint budget committee, a state body, and the university system in order to raise influential concern on several issues such as continual increases of tuition fees, the rigidity of the system and state appropriations to higher education.

BORDER SURVEILLANCE USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK Research Paper

BORDER SURVEILLANCE USING WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK - Research Paper Example The troops guard the border according to prearranged route as well as the time interval (Ammari 12). Border patrol has widely depended on human participation. On the other hand, the relative cost for the growing number of workers as well as the retreating precision through human-only supervision has called for the contribution of high-tech devices in border patrol (Ammari 36). Amongst these, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for mid-air surveillance have lately been used to track routinely and detect track unlawful border crossing. Due to the outsized coverage as well as high mobility of the UAVs, the concentrated human participation in low-level surveillance practices can be minimized. In applications of border patrol, the established supervising network ought to cover a considerably large monitoring region. On the other hand, the radius of sensing of a single sensor node is usually limited. Consequently, many sensor nodes are expected to complete the coverage need. In addition, different kinds of sensor nodes like underground, camera, ground, and mobile sensors provide dissimilar coverage potentials. In addition, every sensor type has a special cost, sensing radius, as well as sensing accuracy (Aykanat54). As a result, a most favorable deployment approach is required to settle on the number along with locations of sensor nodes with varied capabilities. The primary objective of the deployment is to get the deployment tactic using the bare minimum number of each category of sensors to cover the entire surveillance area furthermore to accomplish desired intrusion detection likelihood. The aim is sensing the surroundings as well as communicating the findings to the data gathering center (Aykanat54). Most employment areas are envisaged for WSNs ranging from military surveillance to the monitoring of endangered species of animal populations. The research on the node placement together with coverage issues deals with effective use of

Oil in the middle east Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oil in the middle east - Research Proposal Example What is a good measure of oil dependency? What will the Middle East in general do as oil begins to run out? In particular, what will Kuwaits response be? First, I want to identify the likely date of peak oil. Peak oil is defined as the point where oil production is maximized. Peak oil does not mean that oil has run out, but it does mean that all subsequent attempts to get it will be more and more expensive, raising the price of oil ever and ever higher. Second, I want to determine the economic mix of the Middle East in terms of imports and exports, as well as look at the history of the Middle East to determine what has historically made it so oil-dependent. Marcus Noland and Howard Pack. "The East Asian Industrial Policy Experience: Implications for the Middle East" Industrial Policy in the Middle East and North Africa. Ed. Ahmed Gala. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press, 2008.

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society

Media Is Responsible For Dumbing Down Society Since becoming a prominent part of modern human society, the media has always been a source of controversy. In particular, the media has often been accused as playing a significant part in the so called dumbing-down of society. The term dumbing-down is used to describe the lack of a clear distinction between high culture and popular Pop culture in society today. While high culture were activities, usually relating to the classical arts, that were held in the highest regard by society in the past, and usually practiced by the rich upper-class, it has evolved to appeal to the masses now. Similarly, popular culture which are considered ephemeral and commercial, thus inferior to high culture have gone on to invade parts of our upper-class societies today. In this essay, I am going to investigate the blurring line between the differences in high and popular culture and use this as a pivot to critically assess the medias role in this phenomenon and ultimately determine if the media is inde ed responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Dumbing-down is believed to be present in many spheres of contemporary society, from the arts to even the quality of education that our generation are getting today. This is based on the premise that the Arts such as Theatre Productions and classical music have become more and more commercialised and overly-simplified in order to appeal to larger audiences. Similarly, the study of certain university courses ranging from Sociology to Media Studies and Animal Management have been labelled as inferior to the more traditional courses such as Law, Medicine and Politics. These so called Mickey Mouse degrees (which coincidentally were first made public by the media tabloids), coined by the then UK education minister Margaret Hodge were deemed to be less rigorous and thus unworthy of an actual University degree. Modern media itself is often criticised for putting ratings and audience popularity ahead of quality. Media institutions are run as businesses and are therefore more focused in creating productions that attract widespread interest and thereby maximise the chances of the sell rather than actual high quality productions. This can be seen through a number of examples, notably through news circulating productions such as Newspapers and News Broadcasting. The 1980s saw a sharp rise in the popularity of Tabloid Newspapers. Tabloids are based on the newspaper format seen in traditional Broadsheet Newspapers, but are smaller in size and feature exaggerated and often sensationalised stories. They often include much less hard news such as politics and global affairs to their Broadsheet counterparts, instead focusing on human interests and entertaining news stories (i.e. Celebrity Gossips, Scandals). There are also much fewer words and more pictures in a Tabloid than a Broadsheet. This form of junk food news is best described by researcher and writer Professor Bob Franklin in his book Newszak and News Media as being More bitesize McNugget journalism, which is small, tasty, bright coloured and easy to digest (Marr in Franklin, 1997: 5). Frankin came up with the term Newszak and asserted that there was a growing compulsion within British journalism to retreat from the publishing of hard news in favour of light hearted softer news. The popularity of tabloids has resulted in many broadsheet newspapers adopting numerous characteristics of tabloids. This is evident in UK newspapers such as The Independent, The Times and The Guardian who have switched to the more compact Berliner format used by most tabloid newspapers. Reasons given to this change include that it allows people who commute to easily hold and read it on public transports, and that smaller-sized newspapers would allow for easier reads for other readers as well. These changes have however been criticised by loyal broadsheet readers who have argued that the loss of the traditional broadsheet format have led to a loss in quality of the publishing of news. They reiterated that with Broadsheets adopting tabloid-like characteristics, there is slowly becoming less and less differences between the 2 types of Newspapers. In a 2007 interview with then British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, Blair commentated about the ongoing struggle in which Broadsheets and Tablo id face to gain readership by becoming more similar to one another. In his words Broadsheets today face the same pressures as tabloids; broadcasters increasingly the same pressures as broadsheets. The audience needs to be arrested, held and their emotions engaged. Something that is interesting is less powerful than something that makes you angry or shocked. (BBC News, 12 June 2007) While the tabloid-like changes that many broadsheets have undergone is a controversial topic even today, Tabloids have also evolved and have become even more tabloidized in recent years. In their study of the Tabloidization of British Tabloids, Rodrigo Uribe and Barrie Gunter discovered that the emergence of tabloids can be attributed to a dominance of soft and home stories. By analysing issues of The Sun and The Mirror that were published between the years 1991 and 2001, Uribe and Gunter learnt that tabloids themselves had become even more simplistic in recent years. They wrote that the amount of column space allocated for text had decreased substantially, whilst the size of space allocated for visuals and pictures had instead increased. (Uribe and Gunter, 2004: 399) Looking back at what I have learnt so far, I believe that when considering whether the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing-down of society, one has to look at the problem from two different perspectives. Yes, the media, owned by giant conglomerates aim to increase financial gain and therefore create products that are popular and sellable to their target audiences. However, one must also note that the reason broadsheets started adopting tabloid-like characteristics in the first place were partly due to the rising popularity of tabloids. In a highly competitive economic market as we have today, the media was simply responding to the ever growing demand for a particular product, in this case, tabloids; and therefore evolved its production of broadsheets to satisfy audience demand. It is therefore unfair to lay the blame solely on the Media when in this particular case; I believe that society is responsible for the dumbing-down of society. Broadcast media is another area within the media that is nowadays criticised as playing a role in the dumbing-down of society. News Broadcasting is often accused as being no longer truly informative and lacking the journalistic quality that was present in the past. With Broadcast Media prioritising audience and consumer ratings today, News Broadcastings are becoming more entertainment orientated, in that part of the appeal of watching the news nowadays is the entertainment value one gains from it rather than the traditional hard news journalistic approach seen in the past. This form of Infotainment, a term used to describe media programmes that combine information with entertainment is seen in numerous News Broadcasting Productions. Many have expressed concerns that the emergence of infotainment has led to an over exposure of soft news, news that often lack importance but are entertaining to audiences at an expense of actual important serious hard news. A clear example of this can be seen on a February 2004 edition of CNN News where the lead story was a feature of the Super Bowl XXXVIII incident in which Janet Jacksons breasts were exposed onstage. The story was then followed by the news of a chemical attack on a member of the US Senate. (Anderson B, 2004: 33) The basis of Infotainment is the assumption that viewers are no longer concern about the informative quality of such programmes but are rather driven to watch and consume something due to superficial reasons such as the entertainment that the programme provides or even by how visually attractive the product looks. The aesthetics of modern News programmes also serves as a means of entertaining viewers. News broadcastings nowadays contain expensive visuals, flashy animations and often elaborate filming sets. The use of such technology in modern news broadcasting allows for more contemporary looking visual presentations and thus attracts audience appeal. In a vastly competitive industry in which different Media Networks vie for control over audience viewership, the quality of presentation often plays an important part of the process. Networks which benefit from higher production values often score higher in viewership numbers and audience share. This would explain why the Big 4 televisi on networks in the US consisting of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX have a significant edge over other smaller networks such as The CW Television Network. In terms of actual substance and quality, there is little difference between one News Channel to another; rather the difference in popularity is often determined by insignificant reasons. An excellent example that clearly illustrates the importance of infotainment in todays Media is the ongoing ratings/ popularity war between two of the most popular News Networks in the US, FOX News and CNN. Though the CNN News Network has had a longer and more illustrious history (est. 1980) compared to the FOX News Network (est. 1996), ratings for CNN has fallen in recent years whilst FOX has seen a steadily increase in audience viewership. In 2009, FOX News officially supplanted CNN to become the No 1 News Network in the US. FOXs ratings increase has been attributed to the fact that it provides opinion and personality-driven programming. FOX slanted views to favour the republican (conservative) party in the US is no secret. It is however ironic that a network that bills itself as Fair Balance, whose slogan happens to be We Report. You Decide does not provide impartial and balanced news reporting. The appeal of FOX News lies in the entertainment it provides for its audience. The ne ws that it broadcast is often colourful, and interesting to audiences. Unlike CNN that features a more global perspective on news stories, reminiscent to the more traditional broadsheet news format, FOX has been known to employ tabloid-like tactics to gain audience receptions and stir controversies. Whilst CNN is in no way a haven of quality and unbiased news reporting, there is a fine line between biased information presented in a fair and proper manner and that of a piece of pure synthesized propaganda (DuBach J 2005, Fox V. CNN: An Observational Comparison). An example in which FOX has deliberately created news-stirring controversy to further its political agenda can be seen in several news reports during the Obama Presidential Campaign in 2008, in which FOX News provided highly bias opinions against Obama and his campaign team, even going as far as to compare him to Joseph Stalin. News Reporters and Journalists are no longer detached personalities from the audience but are instead groomed to become popular and celebrity-like. Rather than employing real hard-line journalists and political analysts (McChesney R), News networks are more interested in hiring celebrity pontificators to provide news commentary as a cost cutting solution that also ensures maximum audience appeal. This is evident by the growing number of so called special guest experts that regularly provide their views on the news at hand. News Commentators such as Bill OReilly, Gleen Beck and Jerry Springer have gone from being news readers to become well respected and popular television personalities that hosts their own talk shows and are regularly watched by a loyal viewership. As a matter of fact, OReillys political commentary program titled The OReilly Factor that airs on FOX News was the most watched cable show between 2007 and 2008. Despite the level of media saturation and the wealth of info rmation we have at our disposal, it is still in the hands of each individual to decide whether consuming a particular media text is indeed beneficial. However, with audiences seemingly enjoying such a skewed and biased view on everyday news reporting, its no wonder that some people believe that the media is indeed responsible for the dumbing down of society. The belief that the media is responsible for the dumbing down of society is rooted in the fear that the audience lack the perception to tell what is right and what is wrong when consuming a media text, thus believing whatever the media projects. It is therefore important to understand the concept of Audience Reception in order to determine how media viewers interpret a particular media text differently from one another. The basis of Audience reception is the understanding that there are two different kinds of audiences; active and passive audience. Active Audiences are people who are not drawn to whatever the media tells them, who constantly filter out what they see in the media and possess the strength of mind to decide whether what they see in the media is true or not. In contrast, Passive Audiences are people who are vulnerable to the words of the media and are seemingly accepting of whatever the media tells them. The belief that the media has the ability to alter audience percept ion and in a way control the way we make decisions and live our lives is one that has existed for decades. The Hypodermic Needle Model, conceived in the 1940s was perhaps the earliest form in our attempts to understand audience reception. The model was based around the assumption that mass media (e.g. the radio and television) had a direct and often profound effect on its viewers. It was believed that the media was able to send messages directly to the viewer thus gaining some measure of control on the viewer. Today, the model is almost unanimously considered obsolete as it perceives all media consumers as passive audiences, and thus believes that the media has the same effect on all people. It perceives on the assumption that people were uniformly controlled by their biologically based instincts and that they react more or less uniformly to whatever stimuli came along (Lowery DefFleur, 1995: 400). More to the point, the hypodermic needle theory is an outdated Audience Reception model that however flawed, reflected the social situation during that time. In an era of political upheaval an d social unrest, fuelled by the World Wars, propaganda emerged as a form of communication utilized by nations to persuade the general public to unite behind the actions of their countries and allies alike. The power of propaganda was regarded as a powerful tool by many, with countries using propaganda to achieve many different aims, from enlisting more men to become soldiers to even attempting to promote public outrage. A more efficient audience reception model which does take both passive and active audiences into account is the Uses and Gratifications Model. Unlike the Hypodermic Needle Model that interpreted its findings based on what the media did to people, the Uses and Gratifications model took a different perspective by placing focus on the viewers instead of the media and basing its findings on what did people do with the Media. The Model was conceived in the 1970s by critical theorists Blumber and Katz, who originally used it to investigate the social and psychological needs of people. The model was based around a more consumer/ audience centred approach whereby it was believed that people consumed media as a form of satisfying their own individual needs. Rather than basing its study that all media viewers were passive audiences who are unable to resists the words of the media (as the hypodermic needle theory had suggested), the theory was based on the belief that the audience did in fact p lay an active part in choosing the type of media text that they were consuming based on their individual needs. The needs of individuals were varied and included but not limited to things such as gaining entertainment (diversion) from the text t or perhaps even gaining more of an insight into themselves (personal identity). Despite the consensus that the Uses and Gratification model is a far better representation of audience reception, compared to the Hypodermic Needle Theory, it has also been criticised by many who state that viewers nowadays do not have any means of control over what the media produces. In my opinion, I would actually argue with that statement, as I believe that the audience make educated choices on the type of media they consume. I believe that the types of medium that are produced today are developed specifically to satisfy the needs of people. Due to the different trends and genres that go in and out of fashion today, media companies create productions that the y know would attract a sizable audience market. Similar to how many Broadsheet Newspapers are adopting the more popular Tabloid-like format and the use of Infotainment in todays News Broadcasting Programmes, the media is simply responding to the audience preferences. In conclusion, I believe that although the media does play a part in the Dumbing down of society, it is not directly responsible for this, and is often conveniently made a scapegoat of the problem due to people take comfort in having someone or something to blame, in this case the media itself. Rather, I think that the media acts as a catalyst for the true culprit behind the degradation of society humans. The dumbing down of society is caused by us; modern people have grown lazy, becoming interested in trivial things and finding quality activities and productions a chore to do and consume. We prefer the simplifying of things as it makes it easier for us to understand and

Balancing Inequality Essay -- Education

The California public school system is failing in educating children state-wide. One of the most difficult problems is budget, which affects tremendously children in poor areas. Children from these areas should have equal access to resources, programs and opportunities as those from more propitious communities. In order to close the gap of inequality, we all need to change the way California school system’s funding is allocated and put into use. First, we must increase the income tax of the richest people or the top two tax brackets and divide that extra tax money we collected to public schools in poor areas. This idea was mentioned in a research by professor Picus from University of California Rossier School of Education. Although the idea does not sound very fair to the richest people, it is what needs to be done for California school system to improve statewide. The gap of expenditure per student in higher and low-income districts is too great. According to Just Schools California, districts like Palo Alto spend more than $10,000 per pupil, while largely low-income communities like Lynwood spend around $6000 per pupil. There are rich people who donate a large amount of money to schools every year because they have a lot of extra money and they like to do their part for the society. In fact, the wealthiest Californians have a lot of extra cash even after they bought their Lamborghinis and holiday mansions. Increase the inc ome tax of these people by as little as 1% or 2% will not affect them much, but will benefit a lot to all Californian students, especially those in the poor areas. The reason this extra money will be given to only schools in low-income areas is because the current taxes on wealthier areas is high enough to gi... ..., we could provide every child in California with a better education and equality. Works Cited Picus, Lawrence O. Funding California's Schools: Past, Present and Future? Rep. 2006. Print. "$1B in Teacher Compensation under Attack | California Watch." California Watch | Bold New Journalism. Web. 29 Nov. 2010. . "Prop 13 Facts | Close the Loophole." Close the Loophole | Close the Prop. 13 Loophole. Web. 30 Nov. 2010. . Moore, Michael. Idiot Nation. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. By Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. 128-46. Print. Conditions, Opportunities and Outcomes in California Public Schools. UCLA IDEA & UC/ACCORD, Jan. 2010. PDF.

Qualitative Research and Respondents Essay

1.1. Introduction Leptospirosis is one of the deadliest bacterial infection that I commonly acquired in tropical countries. you can get the disease when you were exposed to soils and waters that is contaminated by leptospira bacteria. Rodents such as rats are the primary carriers of the leptospirosis bacteria. It is important to identify the signs of rodent infestation at home. If you regularly see rodent droppings around food packages, in drawers, cupboards, under the sink, then your house is infested. Whenever you see such droppings or boxes of food, or wirings that has rodent bites, you must take an action. Symptoms can take 2 – 26 days (average 10 days) to develop this may include: dry cough, fever, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, shaking chills, less common symptoms include: abdominal pain, abnormal lung sounds, bone pain, conjunctivitis, enlarged lymph glands, enlarged spleen or liver, joint aches, muscle rigidity, muscle tenderness, skin rash and sore throat. (Dugdale III, 2010) Test to be done to find if you contract leptospirosis are the following: CBC (Complete blood count), creatine kinase, urinalysis. Medications are given to the patient but complicated cases however are life-threatening if not treated promptly. The fatality rate of the disease is 5-40. (Dugdale III, 2010) Here in the Philippines one of the most common cause of leptospirosis is flood water. Leptospirosis cases goes up in the rainy period. In Metro Manila, improper disposal of our wastes such as plastics, domestic wastes, and others blocks the water pass on the sink or to the drainage system. This causes floods even in just a small amount of rain. And garbage attracts rodents that carry a letpospira bacteria and it contaminates the flood water that leads to acquiring the leptospirosis. 1.2. Background of the study Flash floods are common throughout the Philippine archipelago during the monsoon seasons, which runs from the June to December. They are particularly common in Manila, the country’s sprawling capital and home of 14 million Filipino’s. The awareness of the people is very much important especially when flash floods or typhoons occur. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease which could be contracted by humans when exposed to flood waters containing urine infected animals like rats, dog, and pigs. The leptospirosis cases was caused by the widespread flooding caused by the typhoons that affected the Luzon areas. In Quezon City one barangay, barangay Gulod, has encountered many cases of leptospirosis. Barangay Gulod is located near the Tullahan River and Kaybuktot Creek. The barangay itself is along the Quirino Highway. The barangay is big but because of poor urban development program the drainage system is still a problem during the rainy seasons they have the most number of incidents of leptospirosis cases in the past 3 years. In 2009 the disease, according to the record of Department of Health (DOH) has afflicted more people in Metro Manila, attributing the â€Å"Outbreak† to large numbers of people wading in flood waters carrying the bacteria. The DOH had recorded 1,027 leptospirosis patients, wherein 89 died. There were 122 cases in Quezon City alone with 14 cases in Barangay Gulod. (Quezon City Health Department [QCHD], 2011) In 2010, leptospirosis was noted as the fourth on the list of the top disease outbreaks in the Philippines. The DOH has recorded over 400 leptospirosis cases in the first half of the year (Department of Health [DOH], 2010), which includes 26 deaths with 1 case in Barangay Gulod. (QCHD, 2010) Recently, the Department of Health released an announcement that casualties from leptospirosis has increased 247% in 10 months (January-October) in Metro Manila with number of 131 cases of Leptospirosis in Quezon City with 5 cases in barangay Gulod. It usually takes two weeks after the infection to manifest flu-like symptoms. If not diagnosed early enough, it can lead to more severe symptom and may cause death. Mild infections can be treated by antibiotics like doxycyline, but for severe infections generally, they require Intravenous Penicillin which is still dangerous because the patient might encounter the Jarisch-Hexheimer reaction. This disease needs prompt medication upon its contraction. (Uy, 2011) 1.3. Theoretical Framework Systems design approach is interconnected, interdependent and interacting problems that seeks to create an action to take the entity as a whole. It implies that we take the responsibility of the whole thing to be able to create future better by understanding the nature and saving the environment by fulfilling its requirement on saving it. (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998). Living in this planet, there are things we need to maintain. The Systems Design is said that it is interconnected and interacting problems. Meaning every problem we do, creates another one and relates to another, everything is a chain from small to the biggest. Just like what is happening here in the Philippines right now the people who throws their trash everywhere creates a bigger problem. Systems Design is participatory by nature (Bethany, 1996), meaning everyone from the society can make a change on how the problem will be solved by making small steps on providing a remedy on their problems. They can engage themselves by becoming an active participant on change and they can be more resourceful. Bela Bethany (1996), a Systems Theorist characterized the systems design focusing the humanities to be, experience oriented, rational, neutral, and it has concerns on future generations . (Banathy, 1996, pp. 34-35.) Here in the Philippines we believe that systems design by being participatory makes people move on their own on the time of calamities. Disasters are made by simple forms of action. Nowadays when it rained a little it floods the city and that would make people alarmed and take actions. And by that they will learn from their mistakes and try to solve their problem as a â€Å"system† and functioning as one. Because being in a societal systems human beings actively apply their skills to the analysis of the design of socially and ecologically sustainable systems by becoming active participants of their community on shaping their future. (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998) 1.4. Conceptual Framework This part of the paper will serve as a guide to study systems approach of the input-process-output devised by Stoner, Freeman and Gilbert Jr. (1995). The system has flows of information, materials and energy, including human energy that enter as an inputs then transform the processes on the system and exit as an output. A feedback is considered as a key to systems controls . Leptospirosis prevention on barangays are being followed in the subject matter. The following protocols followed by the local government is preventing leptospirosis: â€Å"Policy-Making† it refers to the concept of operation and the tasks for execution of the organization’s programs by the respective staffs and officers, ths directs the functions and responsibilities of the personnel to strict guidance and compliance. (Leveriza, 1983) â€Å"Access† it is the portal of each citizen to the city government on the services of the city government. On every projects and information about the services they need. This would let them have the power to know and accumulate certain information. (Dr. Cruz, Personal Communication, 2011) â€Å"Social Participation† is the extent of the participation of the people in both formal or informal group activities. (Leveriza, 1983) These inputs undergo the process of assessment to determine whether the existing policy and procedures being implemented by each of the subject government institutions are sufficient to protect the network resources from any unlawful acts, as well as identify problems in relation the said review of the prevention of leptospirosis cases on the barangays. (Stoner et al., 1995) The dynamic process in the framework shall contribute, as output, to a significant improvement of the review of leptospirosis cases, including the measures that should be adopted by each respondent government agency. Given the foregoing system’s model, the research paradigm of the study id presented in Figure below for a clearer understanding and appreciation.   Selected Government Institutions.City Health Government-Policy procedures-Access-Society Awareness| | Analysis of-Leptospirosis cases in Barangay Gulod, Quezon City. | | A significant review of Leptospirosis prevention on the barangays.| FEEDBACK Research paradigm As shown in paradigm, the input variables include the profile of the network of subject government institution. It is the city health department of the Quezon city is the department of the city from which the programs and developments are made while encountering this leptospirosis cases. 1.5. Scope and Limitations This study would focus more of Leptospirosis cases in Barangay Gulod, Quezon City from the year 2009 – 2011 who had recorded the most of the cases of the said disease for the past 3 years. This would include the citizens of the barangay in all age groups. We would also investigate the programs (if any) implemented to prevent the Leptospirosis cases in the Barangay before, during and after the floods, and the projects aimed at eliminating the floods and rats that caused the disease. 1.6. Statement of the Problem This study would like to the answer the following problems about the strategies of the City Government towards the leptospirosis cases encountered in Barangay Gulod Q.C.: 1. What are the efforts made by the City Government before, during and after the typhoon? 2. Are the efforts effective enough? 3. What are the programs and projects implemented on the said Barangay? Does the programs and projects help the citizens of the Barangay? 4. What are the steps of the City Government to empower its people on the time of floods and rains? This study would like to help the barangays and the Quezon City on preventing the leptospirosis cases during the time of typhoons and floods. 1.7. Importance of the Study This study is important to the following: Quezon City Government – to help them on implementing: rules, programs and projects to prevent Leptospirosis on the barangays that is said to have a large scale of Leptospirosis cases. This hopefully would help them on the ideas of the other barangays and cities to prevent and hopefully stop the spread of the disease. Barangay officials – to give them knowledge on the status of the leptospirosis on their barangay. Barangay Citizens – to help them and their families on contracting the disease. 1.8. Definition of Terms 1. Afflicted – being troubled with pains. 2. Ceftriaxone Injection- injection used to treat certain infections caused by gonorrhea (a sexually transmitted disease) and infections of lungs, ears, skin, urinary tract, blood, bones joints and abdomen. It is also given to some types of surgery to prevent the development of another disease after the operation. 3. Chemoprohylaxis – use of a chemical agent to prevent a development of disease. 4. Creatine Kinase – The mitochondrial creatine kinase (CKm) is present in the mitochondrial intermembrane space, where it produces phosphocreatine (PCr) from mitochondrially-generated ATP and creatine (Cr) imported from the cytosol. 5. Disease – disturbed or abnormal structure or physiological action in the living organism as awhole or in any of its parts. 6. Dopamine – an important neurotransmitter in the brain. 7. Doxycyline – this is used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections or to treat the trave ler’s diarrhea. It acts by inhibiting the growth of bacteria 8. Fatality – a state of how bad the disease is 9. Flashflood – an event caused by heavy rain   10. Furosemide- this is used to treat high blood pressure. Furosemide reduces fluid accumulation by increasing the elimination of sodium and water through the kidneys. 11. IgM ELISA – is a fast test for a qualitative detection of IgM anti Bodies. 12. IgM leptospira Dipstickâ„ ¢ – is a fast test for a qualitative detection of IgM anti Bodies against Leptospirosis. It is used to determine the leptospirosis cases in Yucatan, Mexico. 13. Input – something put into a system or device as energy into a machine, food into the body, data into a computer, etc. 14. Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction – reaction caused by organisms (bacteria) dying off and releasing toxins into the body faster than the body may comfortably handle it. 15. Meningitis – an inflammation of the meninge, the membranes that covers the brain and spinal cord. 16. Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT) – a test to determine if you are infected by leptospirosis. 17. Outbreak – a sudden and violent breaking forth; said of passion or of disease affecting large numbers of people. 18. Output – the quantity put out or produced in a specified time 19. Sanitation – making something sterile or clean. 20. Seropositivity – showing positive reaction to a serological or test on blood serum for a disease. 21. Serovars Manilae – sample Vaccines used for Leptospirosis 22. Spirochetes – any of a genus of typically saprophytic bacteria commonly found in water and sewage and characterized by spiral flexible filaments with apparently rotary movements. 23. Thrombocytopenic – relative decrease of platelets in blood. 24. Urinalysis – also known as Routine and Microscopy (R&M), is an array of tests performed on urine, and one of the most common methods of medical diagnosis. 25. Vasodilatation – dilation of blood vessel, as by the action of a nerve drug. 26. Vax-SPIRAL ® – Trivalent AntiLeptospirosis Vaccine for Human use. 27. Zoonotic – a developed individual of a compound animal or of a simple egg CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES This portion of the research gives some additional information that have been made both local and foreign researchers which are in one way of the other related in the research under taken in this study. 2.1. FOREIGN LITERATURES According to www.Leptospirosis.org (2010) a reference archive on the internet for Leptospirosis information, the Leptospirosis bacteria can’t live on saltwater. We cannot get Leptospirosis by taking a bath on a beach. Contaminated fresh waters and flood waters are usually the bacteria carrier. They also said that you can get Leptospirosis by swallowing, swimming with open wounds on contaminated water. It is never air borne. It also said that the bacteria can’t survived by acid, heat, disinfectants, and alkali’s. Thus cooked foods are safe. Everything in your house should be clean most especially if your house is infested by rodents. Doxycycline offers some protection against severe illness and is the best and normal medication to be given in these situations, but it cannot guarantee protection and a mild illness may still occur. Therefore, protection is all we need. We should be aware that the disease is existing and might cause death. According to an Indian heath portal www.aarogya.com gave some guidelines on how to prevent the Leptospirosis infection. The first step is sanitation, of course cleanliness is the first step. Then protect your self with gloves, masks, boots, when going to a water area that might be contaminated by the Leptospirosis. (S. Pallavi, 2008) You should also keep your open wounds from the contaminated water, and also wash your hands after touching an animal. Do not touch rats. Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, we should educate people from the disease, do not let them swim on a possible contaminated fresh water. Get rid of rats and throw your waste properly. Waste management repels rats. The Medicenet.com states some implications or symptoms of the Leptospirosis, he said that at the first phase the patient would experience some flu like symptoms like fever, headaches, muscle pains, cough and colds. Then the redness of the eye would develop on the ninth day. Then it will develop some aching with stiffness of the nerves then some inflammations. This disease is somewhat connected to liver and kidney disease. That would take the disease to another implications. (Cunha, 2009) That is why whenever you experience the first types of symptoms then you should do something about it right away before it’s too late. Vaccines are developed already which are given to some explorers but it is not that advisable for some research are not yet done about the vaccine. According to www.nlm.nih.gov there the procedures to cure Leptospirosis, this would include the intakes of medicine, such as Ampicillin, Ceftriaxone, Doxycyclne, and Penicillin. He said that complicated cases need to be taken care in ICU (intensive care unit). Leptospirosis is curable, but serious and complicated cases maybe life-threatening. There are also other complications that the patient can get in Leptospirosis. There is the Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is a reaction of the body when the is an intake of Penicillin, there is also Meningitis, and severe bleeding. Therefore, although the Leptospirosis is life threatening there are still hopes that is coming out, there is a vaccine developed in Europe and in Asia that might not stop but at least freeze the Leptospirosis spread. Still prevention is better than the cure. We must manage our surroundings to stop the infestation of the rodents on on our households. And we should learn to clean our environment to stop the flooding. (Dugd ale III, 2010) 2.2. LOCAL LITERATURES Sison, (2009) said that â€Å"the Philippines is facing a serious problem of Leptospirosis. Poor sanitation and the increase of the urban slums along with frequent typhoons and expansion of flooding areas in the country have exacerbated the risk of infection. Leptospires are said the cause of the Weil’s disease in Japan, where it was common in coal miners. Leptospirosis can affect many species of of wild and domestic animals, including marine mammals. Prompt scientific treatment is essential, and aggressive support care with strict attention to fluid and electrolyte is a must. Some severely ill patients may require dialysis.† So with a clean surroundings, and a better prevention of the disease is a Leptospirosis free community even those people in the slum area, if know how to clean and sanitize their belongings they can’t get leptospirosis. So whenever there are contaminations in the place they should be alert. Cause prevention is better than cure. (Sison, 2009) (Medenilla et al., 2009) Leptospirosis is a disease caused by a bacterial infection when humans get contact in flood waters contaminated by animal urines from dogs, cats, pigs and specially rats. It takes 5 days t o 2 weeks before you can see the symptoms. During that time the leptospirosis cases hits a large amount of cases in Luzon with 1,027 cases with 89 fatalities. Sec. Duque said that the widespread cases were caused by the two tropical storms that hit the country. The Government warned the public to avoid flood water to prevent getting infected by the bacteria. The government that time prepared P 4-million pesos for the leptospirosis victims. Phrophylaxis, a drug which cures leptospirosis. This medicine is given immediately to those admitted cases of Leptospirosis. However, Prophylaxis is not suitable for children and pregnant women. The PCP (Philippine College of Physicians) and PMA (Philippine Medical Center) released a guidelines on an antibiotic â€Å"Prophylaxis† to people in leptospirosis-affected communities. They said that Prophylaxis is not recommended to those individuals unless they confirmed that they have visited a leptospirosis contaminated area. Ii is said that to prevent this disease, sanitation and protection is the best. Flood water is one of the risk factors that would infect you a leptospirosis. By just wearing boots, goggles, overalls, gloves and others. 2 capsules of Doxycycline is given once weekly for those who were exposed and should be continued through out the end of the exposure period. Then, the use of Prophylaxis is not 100% effective. It is said that it would depend on the quality of the drug and the timing of the intake. (Manongdo, 2009) If the rat’s urine was mixed in the flood waters, what comes next is the Leptospirosis. There lots of rats in metro manila, Rats are the largest group of mammal in the world. Their population is even greater than humans. The dirtier the place the more they would get in to your households. (Editorial: Pilipino Star Ngayon; 2009) For the past epidemiological research the Leptospirosis cases in the Metro manila especially in the Quezon City, were reported to have a high case of Leptospirosis. One of the reasons of this disease is the improper waste management. Many of Filipinos are not disciplined enough to throw their waste properly, some were just throwing their garbage on the river. And some doesn’t separate the biodegradable and the non biodegradable. So by keeping the discipline everywhere and not just throwing waste every where we can at least refrain the floods that brings the Leptospirosis.

The world of classical art Essay Example

The world of classical art Essay Example The world of classical art Essay The world of classical art Essay Essay Topic: Classical Orlando In a city known for artifice and family-friendly pleasure seeking, it seems to make sense that the world of classical art would collide with the world of the strangely fantastic.   While there are some that claim buildings such as the ones in Las Vegas, with its full-size replicas of pyramids and Venetian waterways, are devoid of artistic value or significance.   To a large degree, this perception is true, for there is little artistic value in simply copying the work of another for mass marketing purposes.   However, the building that houses Wonderworks in Orlando, Florida is far more than a mass marketed copy.   It is an original structure used to pique interest in science, and its building surely reflects its function.Walking down the tourist strip in Orlando is always an interesting thing to do, to see all the shops, restaurants, and various other attractions designed to pull the eye and the money of entertainment seekers.   While many think that Orlando is nothing but a n ode to Disney, the strip on International Drive is touristy, but largely free of the Disney magic.   However, there is a little magic on the strip, and it was on a trip down this stretch of artificial structures that I saw the most original structure of all in the form of the building created as the educational/recreational playground known as Wonderworks.Amongst the many other cookie-cutter tourist traps on the strip, Wonderworks sticks out like a sore, but highly interesting, thumb.   It is not meant to harmonize with its surroundings at all, but rather seeks to call attention to itself and the types of things that go on inside its walls.   The structure itself is situated right along the road, a multistory plantation-style white building, complete with four columns in the front and large arched windows.   It looks similar to the White House, and its tight symmetry suggests a heavy neoclassical influence.   A few special touches are the few palm trees positioned in the front and along the sides that give it a tropical feel so indicative of its Florida home, with all eyes drawn to the top of the building, which also just so happens to be its bottom.The building for Wonderworks is made to look like a giant colonial mansion dropped at a canted angle on top of a smaller, one-story brick warehouse from the 1930s.   The entrance to the main building is ground level, and cut into the top of the upside-down building.   Artistic embellishments such as cracks in the columns and the face of the building, along with a few feet of foundation at the top of the building make it seem as if it were just uprooted and slammed down.   The palm trees hang from this upside-down foundation, as well as lampposts near the upside-down door.   Real palm trees and manicured grass surround the entire structure, which faces one corner of the intersection, while the warehouse faces the other.   The fact that it is a perfectly normal-looking building that may be nothi ng more than a striking, old mansion on the strip is completely turned on its head, just like the building.   The result is something similar to the wonder that its name suggests, and the fact that it is so different is part of its disharmonious appeal.The nature of the Wonderworks building, as well as its location in the middle of tourist heaven, suggests that it was designed most likely by an anonymous designer working for a large firm sometime in the past few decades.   As there are a few other Wonderworks buildings scattered across the country, the design suggests that its form was consciously designed to echo the many scientific and interesting things that happened within its walls.   It is an example of form perfectly matching function, and makes the view question not only the creativity and architectural science that went into it, but also the line between art and homogenized culture.   Indeed, Wonderworks can be argued to be art or lowbrow entertainment, but the natu re of what it tries to accomplish can only be respected in its ideals, and therefore the building itself becomes far more credible and charming than any of the buildings by Vegas or Disney, as impressive as both locales are.Inside the Wonderworks building, there are many things, scientific and entertaining, that kids and adults will find interesting and educational.   The interior of the main building is also upside-down, and adds to the overall feeling of eccentricity and whimsy.   There are exhibits inside that allow a person to make giant bubbles, lay on a bed of nails, wear an astronaut suit, and scores of other interesting activities.   The unusual design of the building compliments perfectly its unique position the most offbeat attraction on the tourist strip, as well as the strange information it provides through its exhibits, like the number of teeth a mosquito has.   Though the building for Wonderworks was built in 1998, it recalls the classical style, and then turn s it upside-down in a post-modern way.   The fictional story behind the building is that it was once a top-secret lab from the Bermuda Triangle brought by a tornado to its final spot on top of the brick building.   While the story may be fictional, the impact the building has on those who see it is very real.Seeing the upside-down building immediately makes people feel happy when they see it, young and old, and it is difficult not to try to figure out exactly how they built it.   Because the attraction is in the middle of the touristiest part of Orlando, Florida, it is surrounded by a plethora of other attractions, including the many famous amusement parks only short drives down the highway.   However, the building for Wonderworks provides an experience that makes it one of the hidden gems of the area.   It is hard to visit Wonderworks and not come out feeling gratified that the day was spent exploring its interesting exhibits and architecture.Not only does the building in side and out echo its true purpose, but the nature of the building itself echoes its location in the middle of a city known for artifice, special effects, and entertainment.   But, still, Wonderworks manages to become something far more than another amusement for tourists, almost in the way a poem takes on different meanings to different readers.   Some may see it as an amusement park, a fake building, a mass-produced symbol of homogenized entertainment, while some may see it as an allegorical about American society.   And, even still, some may just see it as an interesting place to visit.

Risking Everything for Body Image

Risking Everything for Body Image Free Online Research Papers Images of models are everywhere. Women’s bodies are used to sell everything from coffee, cellular phones to yachts. Actresses and models are becoming thinner and thinner as well as younger. Magazine articles have reported actresses fainting while on the set from lack of food. Television commercials promote the next magic wonder diet pill, diet centers and the promise of a perfect life after they lose those last nagging five pounds. Few realize that these perfect bodies are created by younger and younger women and with the creative help of retouched photographs. The number of women and girls who look for an underweight body is reaching epidemic proportions and they risk potentially lethal health consequences. History of Body Image and Obesity 1908: A body-revealing style is introduced for women by French designer Paul Poiret. This sends a body fat is unfashionable message. 1940s: Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. publishes new height-weight tables, sending the message that it is unacceptable to gain weight with age. 1945: The bikini is invented by Lewis Reard, a Paris fashion designer. Bikinis grow in popularity throughout the year, culminating in the ‘90s TV show â€Å"Baywatch.† 1951: The US government begins a campaign against obesity. 1956: Fitness becomes popular with the Jack LaLanne show premiering on television. 1960s: British fashion model Twiggy begins a new rain-thin faze with fashion. This later revitalized in the 1990s by Kate Moss. 1968: Erwin Stillman and Samm Sinclair Baker begin the first of many diet fads with the best selling book The Doctors Quick Weight Loss Diet. 1972: Robert C. Atkins becomes a best selling author of the Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution. This book begins the extremely popular low-carbohydrate diet. 1983: Karen Carpenter a 32 year-old pop idol dies of anorexia nervosa. 1994: 51,072 liposuction procedures are conducted as reported by The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. 1996: It is estimated that 8 million Americans suffer from anorexia, bulimia or both as reported by National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated. 1996: The Body Mass Index (BMI) becomes the set definition of obesity. Media Influence Images of the ideal female beauty are unattainable for all but a very limited number of women. When surveying women in college about their attempts to manage their weight through dieting, 91% admitted to attempting to control or manage their weight and 22% dieted always or often (Kurth et al., 1995). Often-times these college women use unhealthy methods of weight control including starving themselves, limiting their number of meals, excessive exercise, diet pills, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. This preoccupation with being super skinny is not exclusive to adults either. Statistics show that 42% of the 1st-3rd grade populations of girls want to be thinner (Collins, 1991). Additionally, 81% of 10 year-old girls are frightened of being overweight (Mellin et al., 1991). These efforts are supported by the front covers of magazines that include messages about how to change a woman’s bodily appearance, whether by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. We have been taught t hat the only beautiful figure is one with less than 10% body fat. Research reveals that the average American woman is on average 5-6 inches shorter and 15% 23% heavier than actresses and models. Given these startlingly statistics, it is no surprise that an approximate 95% of women are anxious or depressed about their weight. Runway Standards The issue of models becoming alarmingly thin has made it to the runways of Madrid. There are now requirements that state a model must be at least 16 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 18. BMI is a calculation that measures body fat based on height and weight. The ban on skinny women has come as runway organizers move toward a healthier image. This move has been celebrated by new and upcoming models who are literally starving themselves to death as they work toward becoming the next top model and achieve a multimillion dollar contract. The Madrid council, who instituted these changes, has also arranged for medical treatment for those models that have a BMI of 16 or less. Brazil and Argentina have followed suit and London is expected to do so later this month. The decision to ban ultra thin models is a positive move for teens everywhere, as these role models present an unrealistic and unhealthy body image for teenagers. Dr. Cynthia Kapphahan of California’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford advises that, â€Å"Kids are incredibly affected by media images, and models are still held up as the â€Å"perfect’ standard.† When teenagers by pass their family and look to models as role models, an unrealistic and perhaps unachievable standard is set. Genetics Within the United States, over 60 million adults are considered to be obese. This means they are at least 20% above their ideal weight. Obesity is caused by controllable factors such as lifestyle and environment as well as physiological factors like genetics. Genetics helps determine your natural weight range, but you have some control over where you fall within that range, says Edward Abramson, PhD, an expert on obesity, dieting, and weight disorders and the author of Body Intelligence. Studies have determined that genetic factors are not the lone cause of the large increase in childhood obesity; however they are believed to influence one’s weight much like environment. A person reared in an environment of little exercise, high-fat foods and a genetic disposition towards obesity, is likely to become obese. This is why obese parents often have obese children. Studies conducted with identical and fraternal twins raised separately, suggest that 70% of the variation in BMI may be genetically based in origin. So do not aim for a size 0, aim for health: if obesity is a family trait, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses could be as well. Exercise is fundamental to maintaining a healthy body weight, try using the stairs instead of the elevator, and make it a point to get up and move around every hour. In short, take care of the body that one was born with. A healthy body is not necessarily a thin body, these are two different distinctions. Research shows that overweight people who are physically fit can live just as long as or longer than those who are at the ideal weight and not physically fit. Anorexia, a Psychiatric Disorder Anorexia is an eating disorder where people literally starve themselves, sometimes to death. One percent of teenage girls develop anorexia; up to 19% of which may die as a result of anorexia. Anorexics strive for a super thin body due to the warped body image they see in the mirror rather than outside pressure from society. Individuals suffering from anorexia typically experience weight loss that is 15% below their normal body weight. These individuals are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight, even obese. This weight loss is obtained in many ways, excessive exercise, starvation, laxatives and more. These individuals have an intense fear of becoming fat and as a result their dieting habits take on extreme measures. Typically, adolescent girls are most affected by anorexia. Even after obtaining an extremely thin body, anorexics continue to think that they are overweight. An anorexic will prepare a large meal for family and friends and refuse to eat any of it. The disorder is thought to be most common among people involved in dancing, theater and running. These are activities were thinness is an advantage and highly sought. With proper treatment, anorexia can be overcome. While some peoples desire to be super thin may be explained by anorexia, this alone is not the sole cause. Healthier Food Choices Women’s thinner bodies can also be attributed to the prevalence of healthier living and the significant food choices available today. Previously, fast food restaurants did not provide alternative options such as salads, grilled chicken, milk and juice. These options have far less calories and fat than the typical burger, fries and soda typically offered. Changes such as this may seem small; however combined with the opening of other healthier fast food restaurants such as sub sandwich shops and Chinese food, busy families now have choices and options that were previously unavailable to them. These subtle changes can be attributed to women’s body image changes. Effective Dieting Healthier food options combined with effective dieting centers like Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig have aided many women across the US in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. This success is due to their holistic approach, support system, weekly weigh-ins and nutritional advice. These programs have also been proven effective in achieving long-term weight loss success and may influence body image perceptions as well. Body Image A womans body image comprises her shape, size and physical appearance. Body images are formed from our experiences, parents, peers, role-models, models, and friends who provide an idea and value of body images. An image is formed from the positive and negative feedback received from people whose opinions matter to us. The way we perceive our own body to fit the cultural image is incorporated as well. Many women have a distorted perception of their bodies. They may look in the mirror and see an overweight body or slightly larger body than what is there. Large thighs, extended abdomen, and a larger buttocks may lead to distress for some women. James Rosen, Ph.D. from the University of Vermont has done studies indicating that women are most dissatisfied with the parts of their bodies between their waist and their knees. Cosmetic surgery and liposuction are the fastest growing medical specialties within cosmetic surgery. Young girls are repeatedly told that they must adapt to so-called â€Å"feminine† qualities: skinny, nice personality, perfectly proportioned, nurturing of others, supporting male figures, glowing skin, fabulous makeup as well as model perfect clothing styles and dress. A women’s sense of self is so influenced by others opinions and how she sees herself, she puts extra effort in to being the perfect person. Body image includes much more than just weight. Women are constantly bombarded with products that are designed to appeal to vanity. Skin tone, hair color, and hair style are common products. In addition, we are conditioned through the clothing industry to purchase expensive clothing from designers such as Juicy Couture. Conclusion Americans are completely obsessed with diet and weight and this obsession has reached an all time high in magazines, movies, and runaways around the world. The pressure for models and actresses to be super thin is the latest trend. This is a trend that has come and gone throughout the years but is now at a fever pitch. There is no easy answer to the obesity epidemic and maintaining a healthy body image. Body image begins with learning to love what is seen in the mirror, a celebration of our bodies, nourishing our bodies, and the decision to change one’s body image not one’s body. With a positive body image, one will have a realistic view of size, shape and is therefore more likely to be comfortable with their body. Satisfaction with one’s body image affects more than body weight alone, it affects emotional health, self-image, stress management, and self-esteem. Essential to developing and maintaining a healthy body image are eating healthy, regular exercise and receiving plenty of rest. Building a healthy lifestyle includes physical activity. Healthy bodies come in variety of sizes and shapes should be nurtured and valued for their individuality and uniqueness. When looking in the mirror appreciate the image and resist the urge to compare oneself to societies and culture’s ideal of beauty, look to family and friends for a positive and reinforcing body image, and trust the health advice of medical personnel on obesity. Resist the temptation to use models and actresses as the ideal body and beauty standards. Body images should be a result of an individual’s perception of beauty based on their experience with family, friends and not media images. Unrealistic and unattainable are words that can be used to describe images in the media. Full-bodied is fabulous; it is time to change the perception of beauty! Here’s to seeing more natural models in magazines, television and movies. Reference List Body mass index (BMI). (2006). Partnership for healthy weight management. Retrieved March 2, 2007, from www.consumer.gov. Collins, J.K., Beumont, P. J., Touyz, S. W., Krass, J., Thompson, P. and Philips, T. (1987). Variability in body shape perception in anorexic, bulimic, obese, and control subjects. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 6, 636-638. de Vries, Hilary. (July 2006). Why were at war with our bodies: you hate your hips and worship Madonnas abs. Marie Claire, 13, p78(6). Retrieved February 02, 2007, from Thomson Gale. Gorman, Megan Othersen. (Dec 2005). The good news about being fat: no need to starve yourself down to celeb size this season. Marie Claire, 12, p203(1). Retrieved February 02, 2007, from Thomson Gale. Hutchison, Sue. (October 2006). Hutchison: Link between bony models, anorexic teens isn’t a fantasy. The Mercury News. Retrieved February 16, 2007 by Mercurynews.com. Kurth, C.L., Krahn, D.D., Nairn, K., and Drewnowski, A. (1995). The severity of dieting and bingeing behaviors in college women: interview validation of survey data, Journal of Psychiatric Research 29 (3) pp. 211-225. Mellin, L. M., Irwin, C. E., Scully, S. (1992). Prevalence of disordered eating in girls: A survey of middle-class children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 92 (7), 851-853. Webster, Jessica, and Marika Tiggemann. (June 2003). The relationship between womens body satisfaction and self-image across the life span: the role of cognitive control. Journal of Genetic Psychology. Retrieved on February 2, 2007 by Thomson Gale. Weiner, Jessica. (Feb 2006). Bod talk: just like clothes and hairstyles, in body types come and go and come back again. CosmoGirl!, 8, p124(6). Retrieved February 02, 2007, from Thomson Gale. Research Papers on Risking Everything for Body ImageThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraThe Fifth HorsemanResearch Process Part OneQuebec and CanadaGenetic Engineering

The Codex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Codex - Essay Example By describing brief history of different codices, an attempt has been made to highlight the importance of codex history. Such history will not only provide a better understanding of past work but it will also provide an understanding of the development of ideas as well as a base for future research. Today’s physical form of the book took a series of severe changes of about 5000 years. However, its most popular format has been in the shape of codex i.e. a collection of bounded and covered pages. Just after few hundred years of its creation, the codex book gained a distinct domination over the past well-liked format of papyrus scroll. One important factor that brought the supremacy of codex on scroll was the effective role of Christianity. Christian church took revolutionary steps to distinguish the writings of its holy books from the Jewish influence. They implemented several unique codex formats for its scriptures. Consequently, Christianity spread throughout the history and its codex formats as well. The Romans civilization is considered as the pioneer that used the codices (plural of codex) as personal notebooks e.g. their use in the form of mail etc. For this purpose they used wax-covered pills of wood and stylus. These codices were ephemeral and informal because after using once, they were washed out for their use again. In the history, the first occurrence of the use of the codex is the later part of 1st century when The Romans used the codex for the circulation of educational works. At that time, literary works were carried out through scrolls media which remained dominantly effective till the 4th century. Later on Chinese remained in practice in using of scroll for their literary purposes. Christians also widely used the papyrus codex during 2nd century. Evidences revealed that the most primitive surviving fragments from codices came from Egypt during the 1st and 2nd century (Turner, 1977 and Roberts & Skeat, 1983). An example of egypt

Networking Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Networking Management - Essay Example Typically network management software is based on a particular network management protocol. The capabilities provided with the software are basically based on the functionality support by the network management protocol. Most systems are not only using open protocols, but also vendor specific proprietary protocols. When selecting management software, the decision is driven by present status alerts and information to the operator, managed devices and network environment (Schwalbe 2005). IT Lab plans has plans to radically expand and upgrade its existing network infrastructure by opening new branches. This brings out more requirements and tasks for the administrator in terms of; management, monitoring and configuration. Expansion to remote branches requires remote configuration, proactive management with backbone links to all remote sites. IT support is critical and availability of the network will be a factor for support to consider. The fact that there is existing infrastructure will affect the compatibility and setup configuration of the additional devices. For this reason IT lab needs a solution to cut across the typical installed operational platform. It has built up a system that is not integrated and the consideration that integration costs more time and resources than available is crucial. The first option that IT lab has is using Sieomons NMS to manage their network. Evaluating the solution against their needs is the first task at hand. In comparison, Siemon is built for large networks with functionality to automate the critical and most important tasks of network management. Offering the unparalled ability to manage complex networks, Siemon’s solution fits many network administrators tasks as a general solution. Siemon provides a next generation intelligent infrastructure management solution. They have made an improvement on one of their