Shoe-Horn Sonata and Changi – Distinctly Visual Extended Response

The distinctly visual is able to shape perception and meaning of concerns and experiences within the texts Shoe-Horn Sonata and Changi: ‘Seeing is believing’. The use of techniques in both texts allows the audience to understand the effects of war on the individual and the impact of the experiences encountered. The Shoe-Horn Sonata is a play by John Misto that gives an insight into two lives of two female prisoners of war in World War 2. The play explores terrible events associated with prisoners of war and follows the friendship of the two women Bridie and Sheila. Truth, honestly and candour is the central idea of the play. The idea of truth, telling the truth and recognising the truth is located in the interrelationship between the two women during the war. An example of this is when Sheila reveals her secret of ‘giving herself up to a Jap’ to save Bridie which has been kept hidden since the war. In the scene, Misto uses a combination of techniques such as lighting, music and sound to convey emotions from the audience as Sheila tells her story. The scene concludes with both characters isolating in separate spotlights and the music plays to the audience as the scene ends with tension and suspense. This then shapes the perception and meaning of concerns and experiences to make the audience think of the interrelationship between the two women and the heroic deeds of women during the war. Another technique which allows the audience to understand the effects of war and how it shapes perception and meaning of concerns and experiences is the use of visuals such as projected images. These projected images are use throughout the play to reinforce the ideas being presented and to convey to the audience a sense of reality. An example would be when projected images of ships burning in Singapore Harbour, the Japanese invasion and the horrors of war for women and civilians. This then highlights the memories of war and the atrocious ways during the war which shapes the perception and meaning of concerns and experiences of war. Projected images can also be accompanied by music and sound effects. Together it enhances the play’s impact helping to convey the emotions of the characters and the dialogue they are acting out. Songs are also used ironically within the play, which helps to create tension and to reveal the full extent of the horrors of the unfolding drama. This is demonstrated in Act1, where the patriotic English song ‘Jerluselum’ is reaching its crescendo, scenes of Japanese invasions is juxtaposed on the screen behind Sheila and Bridie. The ironic effect of the patriotic, riumphal song juxtaposed with scenes of utter defeat creates an extra sense of sorrow in the minds of the audience, and helps to recreate the scene in their mind. Together these two techniques shapes the perception and meaning of concerns and experiences of war. Nevertheless, the Australian Television Episode ‘Seeing is Believing’ of Changi is able to shape perception and meaning of concern and experiences through the use various techniques. Changi is about the stru ggle of the Australian prisoners of war. It mainly focuses on six young Australian men giving an insight of each character’s deepest struggle within the camp, with the main focus on David Collins. Like Show-horn Sonata the theme power and atrocities is evident in Changi The theme atrocities of war can be defined as the quality of being shockingly cruel and inhumane as an effect of war. Together both the theme of atrocities and power has been expertly utilised within John Doyle’s Changi episode ‘Seeing is believing’. Within the episode, power is demonstrated through the Japanese people. In a particular scene a Japanese Lieutenant is shown standing on a pedestal stating the rules of the camp to the POW’s. The Japanese Lieutenant states, â€Å"Any man who tries to leave will die, any man who steals food from the Chinese will die, any man who makes trade will die! † Power is portrayed through this quotation by the use of descriptive language, also the positioning of the Lieutenant in comparison to the POW’s signifies that he is in a higher position. Whilst the Japanese Lieutenant states the rules, the camera focuses on a close up shot on his face which remains dominant and strong, the camera then cross cuts to a close up of the POW’s who look afraid and weak. The use of this technique emphasises the superiority the Japanese people contain over the POW’s which then shapes the perception and meaning of concerns and experiences of war. Although it may seem like Changi is all about the characters but in one sense it is about the historiography. This is evident throughout the play including the flashbacks to the past and present which juxtaposes the old and young David. The scene shows David’s past and present thoughts and the experiences that he faced during the war which then conveys this emotion of sympathy to the audience. Conclusively, distinctly visual is able to shape perception and meaning of concerns and experiences within the texts Shoe-Horn Sonata and Changi: ‘Seeing is believing through the use of techniques such as lighting, music, sound, visuals, camera shots and flashback/forward. The use of these techniques then allows the audience to understand the effects of war on the individual and the impact of the experiences encountered.

My Secret: Pacific Rose

When I think about art I see Picasso. I see faces, colors, things that should never be together are now one, a happy one: collages, statues, weird figures everywhere. Art is an adventure through expression, style, and creativity. When I say adventure I’m speaking of a safari mixed with a survival of the fittest, spitting out only greatness and uniqueness. In Charlotte, North Carolina’s Mint Museum there were many that attempted this adventure but one in particular who made it through was Jon Kuhn; his adventure was backed up by a breathtaking piece called Pacific Rose. Jon Kuhn’s background makes him seem as if he is a world renowned artist. Yet he is a very underrated artist with an array of accomplishments. Kuhn’s specialty is glass work but unlike other artists who use molten and blown glass, Kuhn uses cold glass that is cut, polished, and fused into many shapes from the outside in (Kuhn). This unique style of work has lead Kuhn to be featured in over 40 international museums, and a few public and private residences. One of his greatest accomplishments is having a few of his pieces claimed by the White House’s permanent collection. With such a broad resume Jon Kuhn should be a household name, yet Kuhn enjoys and would rather play the background underrated artist who â€Å"brings light and joy to those who experience them† (Kuhn). When you see Jon Kuhn’s work you are sure to know it’s his. Kuhn likes to take a shape and make it where it absorbs light while reflecting a diamond like appearance (Kuhn). This is what captured my attention when it came to his amazing piece Pacific Rose. This piece was no bigger than roughly four feet and yet had such a loud, strong, engaging voice. When I first saw it I was amazed at how bright and colorful it was but the more I looked at it I saw something more, something deeper. Pacific Rose is four foot upside down, elongated, clear pyramid with two pyramids and a cube hanging freely within it. When one first looks at the shapes it looks like a bunch of small brick red, gray, black, and turquoise blocks put together to make the shapes. But the deeper you look into the figure you see that each small square has hundreds of layers. Also within the layers are scribbles and writing that take the piece to another level. I then walk around the piece to get a better view and I feel as if I’ve been tricked. The solid shapes that I saw on one side are no longer solid. This is where the bright lights shining on the figure plays a huge role. In actuality the shapes look as if they have been annihilated, like an atomic bomb was dropped and the shapes are exploding. But the unique thing about these exploding figures is that all the while that they are exploding they somehow manage to keep their shape. This figure makes me want to get inside of the clear upside down pyramid and take a walk through the little figures within. This figure showed the exact path and journey Jon Kuhn took on his adventure through expression, style, and creativity. It not only showed this but also explained as to why he is featured in so many great places. His work is so amazing and extravagant that a part of me is happy that he is so underrated, for I would love to keep his beauties a secret and all to myself. But I know this is impossible for his work speaks so loud and with strength so strong that you must listen. It is only time before Jon Kuhn is being used as a household name. Jon Kuhn is now my new definition of art. Works Cited Page Kuhn, Jon. â€Å"Artist Jon Kuhn.† Kuhn Studio. N.p., 2002-2011. Web. 21 Dec 2011.

Letter and Memo paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Letter and Memo paper - Assignment Example Media print, while still a viable and relevant source, cannot keep up with the pace of this world. Keefe's cartoon doesn't only criticize the congressman's glib remarks, but also calls for bloggers to be responsible for the information they are presenting. As a student and aspiring writer, I am all too aware of the importance of sources and presenting the correct information. The death of the Rocky Mountain News also signifies the dawning of an era that may run rampant with incorrect information and stolen material. Keefe's cartoon emphasizes the importance in maintaining journalistic standards as we move away from print media. The congressman was a bit over zealous in his congratulations for the takeover and should have also taken the opportunity to warn bloggers and citizen journalists about checking their sources and giving credit where it is due. Keefe did an excellent job of scolding Congressman Polis' thoughtless remarks while still calling attention to the larger problem at hand. As you have requested, I have outlined the purpose of my letter to the editor at the Denver Post. I took into account the audience that I will be addressing and the important factors that shape my letter.

Should parent be allowed to smack their own child Essay

Should parent be allowed to smack their own child - Essay Example According to Larzelere’s findings, whether children experience negative or positive outcomes due to their upbringing depends on the rate of recurrence of any disciplinary approach. This includes all types and does not single-out corporal punishment. Consequently, it is excessive recurrences of bad behaviour that is the root-cause of negative outcomes. Parents understand that recurring bad behaviour will hamper their child’s chances for a successful life as an adult and feel compelled to diminish poor behavioural patterns with disciplinary techniques they believe to be most effective. What parents need is quality information regarding methods by which to effectively discipline their children. Effective punishment techniques are established on the basis of a relationship between the parent and child that is positive and loving. The punishment methods are proactive but measured and administered with competency. When acting in response to bad behaviour, parents should apply mild corrective actions such as reasoning, grounding and time-out. Smacking is most effective when used to re-enforce these mild corrective actions. Studies have demonstrated that smacking is not merely effective on its own merits alone but it serves to increase the chance that the child will respond to the mild corrective tactics. As a consequence, smacking is needed less to control behaviour as the child grows older. â€Å"Spanking has consistently beneficial outcomes when it is non-abusive and used primarily to back up milder disciplinary tactics with 2- to 6-year-olds by loving parents.

Whats wrong with the American School system Essay

Whats wrong with the American School system - Essay Example The paper will highlight those elements and related factors that are the ultimate cause of substandard teaching and flaws in American school system. In America, the school system is unable to meet the learning needs of students and the approach is outdated that is not helpful for them in this digital age. It is due to the fact that America in the past focused on schools systems to be producing a workforce that was limited in number. Therefore, it was not a big deal if not all children were getting their way into classrooms. It ultimately resulted in making half population going to school with the other half remaining idle thus participating in criminal activities and becoming drug addicts. It is unfortunate but true that only one-third of American population got a change to finish their high schools with a rise in dropout rates at the same time (Gates, 2005). These are the students that gets their way into college and are ready for work while other students are taught things that they cannot make use of anywhere. Gates (2005) argues that class difference is also there in American school systems where not all children are getting equal chance to surpass due to economic conditions. In an attempt to highlight the nature of problems that American schools face, Steffin (2011) discusses the key aspects that are important in terms of drawbacks of majority of American schools. These drawbacks include the inadequacy of learning that does not contribute to creating certain skills in students that they could use in future. Moreover, the learning materials are not up to the mental level of some of students. An ambiguity also prevails in students mind as to what they are learning and what is their aim in reading the subjects they do. It is also disturbing for the teachers as they themselves do not think they are being successful in teaching students

Operations Management Principles Research Paper

Operations Management Principles - Research Paper Example According to the study conducted management has always been important to businesses and sustainability of organizations nowadays. All the functions and activities in a group of people must have proper management to ensure the success and that efforts given will not be put to waste. It also allows people to coordinate with one another in working and achieving certain goals. Management can be considered to be a field of study, a class of people, and a process. Management as a field of study means focusing on the principles, functions and techniques in the practice of that profession. Management may pertain to a class or level of people which can be seen in all organizations. They are responsible for practicing the managerial activities while process is the managerial activities itself. The activities involve POSDICON or planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and controlling. Management can be compared to investment as its goal is to maximize the results from the resources used. It focuses on getting the highest possible return from all resources involved in the process. In simple terms, management is concerned with how things are accomplished. It involves the ways on how a group or individuals get the set goals which is said to be both an art and a science. Management is considered as an art when it focuses on the method of doing things. When management is considered as an art, it must be able to apply the skills needed by a person on certain practice and can be enhanced through experience. It requires the manager to use his knowledge, experience and skills in making solutions to existing problems. Ernest Dale even pointed out that management involves more art than science since the managerial abilities is owned by personnel that requires thinking. On the other hand, management is considered as a science when it involves a system which means the discipline is an organized body of knowledge following certain verified principles and outcomes. It should be able to prove results as true in any kinds of situations. It is different from physical sciences which are very specific and exact since management involves people and human behavior is changing and hard to predict making management to be categorized under social sciences (Khandkar, n.d.). Now that management is thoroughly discussed, operations management would be the next to be defined. Operation management concentrates on managing processes to create desired outcomes and products. Product development, production and distribution are under the focus of that discipline or profession. It is also associated with process controls like inventory control and quality control. Purchases must be studied thoroughly as to be exact with the needed amount of products to be made. Processes are also analyzed and studied to ensure their effectiveness. In that discipline, standards and measurements are needed to enhance the performance of the internal processes. The way operations management is observed in a business depends upon the industry in which the organization falls under (McNamara, n.d.). Usually, operations managers perform the following tasks: budget preparations for programs, company programs for the company, inventory control, logistic responsibilities and employee supervision.

Low and management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Low and management - Essay Example A binding precedent adheres closely to the precept of stare decisis. It is â€Å"based on the premise that the function of judges is not to create law, but to find law in conformity with existing legal rules.† Under this doctrine, the judge is legally obliged to base his own rulings on previously decided cases, applying the principles of law determined therein. â€Å"This coercive character of the doctrine of precedent is a feature peculiar to the English legal tradition.† (Antoine 2008) On the other hand, persuasive precedents are those legal principles which, while controlling in previous cases, are merely referred to for guidance in the pending case. The judge may refer to these earlier decisions, but will not consider himself bound to abide strictly by them. Examples of such persuasive precedents are decisions of a court of another jurisdiction, and decisions of a lower-level court. Another consideration would be the date the precedent case was decided, since generally, cases which are more recent would be more authoritative as a basis for new decisions. Also, if the case were promulgated by a judge with more prominent reputation, the greater the degree of persuasiveness of that decision. (Gall, 1983) An important basis as to whether a precedent is binding or persuasive is that portion of the judgment from which the legal principle is drawn. Judgments are comprised of the ratio decidendi and the obiter dicta. The ratio decidendi is that part of the judgment where the judge states the material facts of the case and sets down his legal reasons for arriving at his or her decision. If the court which ruled on the precedent case is higher than the court hearing the pending case, then such precedent is binding upon the lower court. On the other hand, the principle may be embodied in the obiter dictum, which comprises the opinions and observations of the judge. The obiter dicta are persuasive in nature; the judge in the

The Effects of Police Morale in Chicago Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Effects of Police Morale in Chicago - Essay Example Therefore, Police force is an indispensable part of modern society. The term police originated from the city states of Greek and Romans. Initially in 1825, Charles II introduced the watch and ward system in England. The modern police system was introduced by Sir Robert Peel in England. He preferred to call it as a kind of preventive police. The Chicago police department is the largest police agency in the region and the nation's second largest department, which traces its origin back to1828 when Chicago elected its first Constable and first Sheriff in 1831. These groups discharged their duties on part time basis and were not involved in formal patrolling. The citizens who were aggrieved by Criminal acts used to obtain warrants through judicial process and Constables and Sheriffs would execute Warrants, after obtaining the prescribed fee. A system of watching at night was introduced during 1839 to apprehend alleged criminals and bring them within the purview of law. In 1853, the Government introduced a Nine day police system for monitoring traffic affairs at depots and bridges. A City marshall was appointed on salary, instead of fees was empowered to supervise and coordinate the activities and duties of these police officers. The unlawful pandemonium and chaos created by criminal groups and malcontents, who were not happy to see the progress of society, and intend to wreck good people, tried to create social disorders, and this became a hazardous task for the Government to monitor and control. Nevertheless, in the early part of 20th Century itself, the police administrative set up was not well organized, and consequently a chaotic situation arose within the uniform wearing guardians of the law themselves. At the particular juncture, Chicago city also witnessed many reforms which resulted in unexpected problems. The uniform wearing community and law enforcement officers was basically human being like other citizens, and had similar emotional and human feelings like other members of the society. The police people like other human beings, were made of flesh, blood and bones. They are also susceptible to the change factors in their routines and habits, either positively or negatively. When it appears in the form of negative form, it culminates in self inflicted death, or so called suicide. The terms suicide is a union of two Latin words sui and cide in which sui means self and cide means kill. This is one and only one kind of offense, the attempt to commit of which is a cognizable offense and punishable by law, while the actual successful commission is not. When problems and challenges posed to human beings rise to such an extend that he/she is not able to contain them, or not able to overcome them, they take a heavy toll on the minds and physique of human beings, and the state of no return is reached. At this stage the victim feels that his living is worthless, and a burden to himself/herself, or society and he/she then seriously contemplates suicide or ending

Managing and Working in a Virtual team Case Study

Managing and Working in a Virtual team - Case Study Example gain and maintain the trust of his or her charges, they must understand that trust depends on reliability, in virtual relations because there is usually limited personal interaction between members of a team. This eliminates chances of meeting and evaluating an individual’s potential or level of reliability. The only means to achieve this is to make sure that, as a team leader, you show team members that you are a reliable person by delivering on your responsibilities in time and in a competent manner, which serves as an example to the rest of the team. This will demonstrate to the members the level of quality of work expected of them, and this makes the team members respect and trust their virtual team leader (Lepsinger & DeRosa, 2010). Team leaders should establish guidelines in communication, which account for the differences in time zones, cultural and geographical variations between members. They can also specify the type of medium to be used when communicating to help av oid incompatibility and confusion when a meeting is about to begin. When considering how to enhance communication efficiency in a virtual team, a leader can consider creating team agreements on how and when to communicate across different time zones, team leader visits to the different members which helps establish engagements and trust by meeting the team leader face to face. A leader in a globally diversified team should formalize roles and duties of each team member starting with their own because this is the only way to ensure that the members have a clearly defined direction, which removes ambiguity in the roles that each member plays (Lepsinger & DeRosa, 2010). Staff changes on a virtual team can happen at any stage in the execution of a project, and how fast and effectively a new member is recruited and integrated into the team determines the successful completion of the project (Lepsinger & DeRosa, 2010). Integrating a new member, in the team, requires that the individual be

Attribution Theory Essay Example for Free

Attribution Theory Essay Attribution Theory Definition The process by which persons interpret and pinpoint causes for their own personal and other’s behaviour is the theory of attribution. 1 In this motivational theory, a person always finds a way to explain things, he make inferences on why things or events occur. After explaining the events a person then predicts future events through his inferences. He wants to understand the reasons or causes behind behaviour of people and why events happen. It was first proposed by Fritz Heider in 1958 and further developed by Harold Kelly and Bernard Weiner. Theories Internal vs. External Attributions Every person observe and analyze things differently thus having different ways of explaining things. The attribution theory proposes that when people observe and analyze things they try to find out whether it is caused internally or externally. 2 Attribution is a three-stage process: (1) Observation of an individual behaviour, (2) Determination whether the behaviour is intentional and (3) Attribution of the observed behaviour to internal or external factors. Those that are believed that can be personally controlled are called internal attributions while those believed to be caused by outside forces are external attributions. 2Â  Example of internal attributions are ability, personality, mood, efforts, attitudes or disposition while external attributions are task, other people and luck. 4 Following is an example of an application of this theory is when an employee failed to perform in a given task, a manager tries to explain why this thing happened. He may attribute this failure to poor efforts made by his subordinate (internal attribute) or he may consider that the given task maybe be too difficult for his employee (external attribute). Consistency, Distinctiveness and Consensus On the other hand, when making a determination between internal and external causes of behaviour, three factors must be considered: (1) consistency, (2) distinctiveness and (3) consensus. 1 Consistency is how frequent a person behaves similarly when faced with the same situations. Distinctiveness is how different a person behaves when faced with different types of situations. Consensus is when a group of people behaves similarly when faced with the same situation. 2 When a person behaves similarly when faced with same situations, we can say that the consistency is high; if he acts differently every time exposed with the same situation, consistency is low. 3 An example of consistency is the following is when an employee consistently has a low performance when he always assigned in a individual task rather when he is assigned in a group task. The observed behaviour of the employee wherein there is a high consistency can be attributed to an internal factor which is attitude. When a person behaves differently during different types of situations distinctiveness is high; if he behaves similarly during different situations, distinctiveness is low. 3 An example of distinctiveness is when an honor student gets high grades (same behaviour) in all of his subjects during three consecutive grading periods (different situations). The observed behaviour of the student wherein there is a low distinctiveness can be attributed to an internal factor which is ability or effort. When the observed behaviour of a group of people is the same in a given situation, consensus is high; if this group behaves differently given a similar situation, consensus is low. 3 An example of distinctiveness is when all students are late in a first period class (consensus is high), the attribution to this behaviour maybe due to an external factor which is traffic caused by a vehicular accident. Figure 1. Summary of the key elements in attribution theory. 2 Errors and Biases in Attribution The difference on how every person thinks, perceive and judge things may lead to some biases. One may consider the greater attributes of certain occurrences to external factors rather than internal factors or the other way around, well on the actual these considerations may not be correct all the time. Fundamental Attribution Error and Self-serving Bias Fundamental attribution error is when people have the tendency to consider the influence of external factors more than considering the influence of internal or personal factors. 2 An example of this is when we attribute the promotion of an officemate to perfect timing or luck rather than to his own efforts and perseverance. Self-serving bias is overestimating the influence of internal factors or personal traits rather than assigning external or situational factors to certain occurrences. When a person attributes his personal success to his own traits or internal and his misfortunes to bad luck or external factors, he is thus committing a self-serving bias. 1 Self-fulfilling Prophecy Perceiver’s expectations for a person will cause the perceiver to treat the person perceived differently and the person perceived will respond in a way that confirms the initial expectations. 1 Example of this is when a teacher thinks that his student will do well during his exam so he spends more time with this student and coaches him well, in return the student will get a high score in the exam. Summary Attribution theory is important to management because managers’ and employees’ actions and opinion can be influenced by how they perceive or see the reasons that cause human behaviour given a certain situation. 3 Different attributions of a manager to an employee’s attitude and performance can affect the standing of the employee in the organization. If a manager attributes the employee’s poor performance to lack of effort in performing the assigned task, he may fail the employee or give the employee a low rating during performance appraisals. On the other hand, if the manager attributes the poor performance to the high level of difficulty of the job, the manager may review and revise the job specifications to lessen the difficulty level of the job. Attribution also affects employee motivation. If an employee attributes the success to external factors, then they may lose motivation since anything that may occur is beyond their control. If an employee attributes success to internal factors like perseverance, then they are expected to have a high motivation for their job.

Comparison Of Online And Traditional Learning English Language Essay

Comparison Of Online And Traditional Learning English Language Essay Over the past decade, researchers have demonstrated that technology can be a useful and effective tool to administer education. Although, nothing can take the place of the teacher in terms of developing students education, online education is making their way into classrooms and homes now. The teachers are not the only ones who can open the door to education for students whereas the computer plays an additional role in helping students education technologically as a useful tool. Although you cant get the direct interaction; online learning provides convenient learning. (Shoeman-Jones 2009) With the economic conditions changing people are opting to go online. More people are working and going to school which will make them competitive and give the working man options about his education. However, online learning can be effective for students if its used wisely. The main focus of online is convenience but it can also be an alternative to get outside beyond the walls and connect to soci ety rather than sitting in a classroom. Computers are used for just about everything but can it really replace the classroom? In fact, education and technology, if we understand it in its broadest sense, is changing everyday in every way. Therefore students have several different options that can best suit their needs. Researchers agree that Technology is so advanced and sophisticated but can it really take the place of the teacher who can motivate, organize and manage the whole class by creating the pleasant aura of active teaching and learning process, but many have drawn quite different conclusions in addressing the following questions: 1. What are the advantages of a classroom setting? Classroom Vs Online 3 2. What are the disadvantages of a classroom setting? 3. Can Online Education be just as effective as the classroom? 4. What are the implications of Online Learning? This review of Teacher Vs Online focuses on these four questions. What are the Advantages of a Classroom Setting? In an influential article, Neobrain, Wright, and Cleaver (2009) argued that everyone need a person who can both understand their needs, their weak points and strong points and also know the most effective and suitable methods for the students to make them realize themselves what they are going to do is right or wrong. For the students in the classroom, computers are amazingly useful machines that, in almost no time, can perform sophisticated operations and solve difficult questions, which even the teacher, let alone students, cannot do. With that said the teacher can know who is following his teaching and who is not and give relevant examples during his teaching to keep the class interested in the subject he is explaining. Another advantage of classroom learning is that the teacher can give students the real essence of education by nourishing students hearts and opening students minds during the classroom teaching. Also, students have the advantage of having face-to-face interaction with the teacher which enhances their classroom experience. (Wonacott 2002) Teachers feel that they can assess their students better through weekly interaction in the classroom. In classrooms with a smaller teacher-to-student ratio, students can even get more direct assistance. Because there is real time interaction and students and their instructor speak instead of typing, more ground can be covered in less time. An instructor or student can point to a page in their text. The instructor can write Classroom Vs Online 4 information down on a white board. Students can discuss information with each other, and because they are speaking in person, there is less chance that one of them will be misunderstood. One thing that is affected by the Online Learning is the social interaction. (Anderson 2007) Social Interaction is important because traditional classroom teaching also provides students with the opportunity to have real social interaction with one another. This interaction in turn allows for the students to help one another in terms of academics or in terms of personal issues. Good learningis collaborative and social, not competitive and isolated (Fulford, 6). When students sit in chairs next to each other they learn from each others mistakes and learn social interaction skills. Also, traditional schools offer sports, recreation, student clubs and organizations, and other activities that allow you to form friendships and social networks. Good social interaction is a key part of living well. Study after study shows that good friendships, family relationships and health as the most important things to have in order to be happy and fulfilled. In this sense, again the computers performa nce is nothing compared to the traditional classroom. What are the Disadvantages of a classroom setting? In a traditional classroom environment, there are usually anywhere from twenty to thirty children and one teacher. In some cases, that teacher might have a teachers aid or an assistant teacher. This is where the disadvantage starts- it is simply impossible for one person to give each student the one-on-one attention or instruction that may be required. In a classroom of twenty to thirty students, there are going to be several students with differing learning styles and academic strengths and weaknesses. (Alavi Gallupe 2003) Classroom Vs Online 5 Which brings to light the next disadvantage of a traditional classroom. In a traditional classroom environment, its not uncommon for students to become bored or frustrated. Some students learn better by visual means, others will learn better with auditory means, and still others are going to learn better with a hands-on approach. It is virtually impossible for a single teacher to accommodate all methods of learning when he or she is responsible for teaching a large number of students. Thus, children who do not fall into the traditional learning method category are far more likely to fall through the cracks, become bored or discouraged, or to display behavior problems in the classroom. (Shoeman-Jones 2009) The traditional classroom environment works well for a large number of students, but there are many others who simply have difficulty learning in this environment, have difficulty interacting with peers, or who require more one-on-one attention and time to grasp certain concepts. In traditional classrooms, lecture is the main form of learning. One characteristic of traditional learning is: The student is forced to be in the same time day in and day out. With the economic changes we are facing in todays age and tuition cost rising, students are working. The career fields are more competitive and people are not alone seeking employees with an education but also experience. So with that said, students are seeking alternative options for acquiring an education so they can remain competitive in todays job market. Sitting in a classroom is not an ideal setting for some students. Being able to pace and not have strict time constraints on assignments can be beneficial. Some students have odd working hours and dont have the time to get to class on time and that can cause stress mentally and physically. Also, students have Classroom Vs Online 6 finally found themselves able to help themselves and get self-educated even long after finishing the class. (Shoeman-Jones 2009) Perhaps this may be the most significant fact that makes the difference between the teacher and the machine. You can cover more material and ground at your own pace and complete the class early. On the other hand, Classroom learning does have its disadvantage especially competing with convenience. Can online education be just as effective as the classroom? With so many advancements with the internet you have many options for online learning. From websites that exists to help elementary students prepare for statewide tests, to middle and high schools having the opportunity to take classes online and complete make up work. The internet has certainly made learning convenient and a much simpler process. Giving students flexibility in learning may push someone that may otherwise decide not to finish high school or even enroll in college into completing to a different decision. Also most students work either full or part time therefore having the option to take classes online is a great advantage for them. Education is now one of the many opportunities available for consumers on the Internet. The online student population is expanding by 30 percent a year, with over 75 percent of traditional colleges and universities getting into the market, according to experts. With the Internet, distance degrees have become a viable and valuable option fo r the individual who may not be able to enroll full-time in a traditional brick-and-mortar institution. (Neal) What is online education? Who can take online classes? Is an online degree the same as a degree from a college that you take on campus? These are some questions that you may want to know the answers to before deciding to enroll in online classes. According to, www.blackboard.com online education can be Classroom Vs Online 7 defined as an approach to teaching and learning that utilizes Internet technologies to communicate and collaborate in an educational context. This includes technology that supplements traditional classroom training with web-based components and learning environments where the educational process is experienced online. Anyone with access to the internet can take classes online. Whether you obtained your degree online or on a campus your degree is treated the same as long as the institution is accredited. Colleges offering online or blended classes have online learning tools that you take your classes at and participate in discussions. At Florida State Community College they use a platform called Blackboard. On Blackboard you can also view your grades and email other classmates, teachers also use this site to post messages to the students. You can also take exams and quizzes on blackboard. Unless there is scheduled maintenance Blackboard is accessible twenty-four hours per day, seven d ays per week. This is convenient for the students, and makes life much easier. Since September 11, 2001, the number of overseas inquires about online learning has jumped 40 percent. (Neal) There are many advantages and disadvantages that students take into consideration before enrolling in online classes. One of the best advantages to online classes is flexibility. Online classes do not require you to commute. In some cases, students travel from more than one campus. Most students like that they can make their own schedule, choosing to take your classes during the day or even in the middle of the night. When taking online classes you dont have to sacrifice a lot of your free time, especially when you can do work any time day or night. Classroom Vs Online 8 Students really dont have to leave the comfort of their own home, not to mention time saved on traveling to class and the amount of money saved on gas. You dont have to worry about what youre going to wear to school. Some students dread participating in class, they may not be scared to speak to others but sometimes having all eyes on you may make your uncomfortable. Participating with online discussion gives you a voice that may have otherwise have never been heard. Moving away from shyness and also giving you a better participation grade. If youre not a good note taker, dont worry, most of the lectures are already written out for you and you can go back and look at it anytime that you would like. If you have small children you can care for them and take your classes without having to send them off to daycare. Weve seen the commercials on television all the time, mostly of students in their pajamas and imagine that it could be us. Not having to go into a classroom and listen to a lon g lecture that you may think is so boring can otherwise be seen online and you dont have to worry about dosing off. Some students may have otherwise recorded the lectures in order to listen to again at a later time, now they can go back to it on the schools learning tool. Being able to complete assignments at home without any distractions from other classmates is also an advantage, especially for those who have a short attention span. Another advantage of online learning is the accessibility of learning materials. No matter your program of study you will more than likely able to find classes pertaining to your degree. Being able to control the timeframe in which you obtain your degree is another advantage, most colleges offer accelerated degree programs. Even though you may be earning your degree faster than most does not mean the task will not be difficult, you have to be dedicated in obtaining your degree or you may fail. You can also work on more the one degree Classroom Vs Online 9 program at a time. Make sure that you have a laptop so that anytime you have free time you can pick it up and get to work. Another advantage is that in some online classes most tests and quizzes are given online giving you the opportunity to use your textbooks. Even if the tests are timed you are more likely to score higher if you have the information in front of you to pass the test or quiz. If you have good time management skills and do not find yourself procrastinating often then online learning may be a good option for you. What are the disadvantages of Online Learning? There are many disadvantages as well to online learning. One disadvantage that students complain about is face to face interaction with other students and the teachers. One of the most common disadvantages that students have is the lack of supervision which leads to procrastination. Some students need constant motivation from teachers and students in order to succeed, so if you are not able to work on your own you shouldnt consider online classes. Even though you can wake up in the middle of the night to complete a paper at the last minute you find yourself doing it more often due to the lack of supervision. Usually students with poor study habits fail at online learning. Self-Pace is a lot of hard work and dedication. Usually online classes require you to read more and complete more assignments versus traditional classroom whereas you would take notes. Another disadvantage is that most online classes usually cost more than the classes taken on campus. With the rising cost of tuition and books, online fees are not far behind and doubling every year. Be sure to check with your college of choice when making this decision. Even though you may be saving with travel expenses you need to make sure that you are not paying so much more for your classes that saving on the traveling is not a Classroom Vs Online 10 big difference. If youre only reason to take online classes is to save money on traveling you may want to check on the cost of your online course first before making your decision. You also have to be very computer savvy or succeeding with an online course will be nearly impossible for students. With most online courses you are on the internet most of the time so you may want to make sure you are very familiar with the internet before starting an online class. To develop your computer skills to take online classes, you can take a computer course on most college campuses, and this should be done before signing up for online classes if you think you need better computer skills. Some online credits may also not be transferable so you may want to make sure that you check with your advisor before trying to transfer any credits. Not every school in the nation has migrated to virtual world completely. Make sure that you also that you find a fully accredited program. Conclusion Taking the advantages and disadvantages into consideration will make your decision easier when considering your education. Whatever path you decide to go be sure to weigh all of your options, and do what is best for you and not what others may think is best for you. We all have different learning styles so what may be the best option for me may not be the best option for you. Many have earned their degrees online or through blended classes and their degrees is just as good as the person who earned it in a traditional classroom environment. Just be very careful in choosing am program that is accredited or the classes youve taken could not only be a waste of time but also money. When it comes to education, there simply is no one size fits all answer. The teacher has got a unique human brain that can perform teaching in a way that the Classroom Vs Online 11 computer, a mere artificial brain, cannot do. Well when it comes down to it, traditional classroom will always win, you cannot put value on the long time study of a profession thats proven to be effective but if youre willing to step outside box consider taking at least one class online, just to see if its right for you. Remember you have to fail sometimes in order to succeed. Classroom Vs Online 12

Aristotle Essay -- Happiness Virtue

Aristotle believes that happiness is the ultimate goal in life. You can’t reach happiness unless you work hard and become successful. That is where virtue comes into play. A human’s function is to engage in â€Å"an activity of the soul which is in accordance with virtue† and which â€Å"is in conformity with reason† (page 76, Palmer). The two kinds of virtue are intellectual and moral. Our virtues are what make us all individual and all different. Intellectual virtues are what we are born with and what we learn. It is our nature as humans and what we have inherited that makes desire to learn. As humans, we develop wisdom to help guide us to a good life. With the intellectual virtue you develop two different kinds of wisdom: practical and philosophical. Practical wisdom is your rational actions. The highest virtue is philosophical wisdom, which is scientific, disinterested, and contemplative. Moral virtues are what we learn from imitation, practice and our habits we developed. Moral virtues are what we have learned from our society. â€Å"Neither by nature, then, nor contrary to nature do the virtues arise in us; rather we are adapted by nature to receive them, and are made perfect by habit† (page 223, Mayfield). This quote is explaining how you need both the intellectual virtue (nature) and the moral virtue (habit). The soul is made up of three things: passions, faculties, and states of character. Since virtue is in our soul one of the three must be it. Passions are uncontrolled feelings ...

Types of Cancer and the Impact Upon the Patient and Family Members Essa

Abstract This paper is about cancer and the devastating impact it has on, not only the patient but the family members as well. How it forms, takes shape, what the symptoms are, how to diagnose the illness, and how to treat it as well as live and everyday life with this form of disease. Also how you can prevent it. What steps you can take to make sure you don’t get it. I will also explain on how to look for signs of what types of cancers you might get. Tell you, how often you should get screenings. I will also tell you who is at risk for getting cancer. Just how many people have cancer right now, how many are expected to get it? I will also tell you how many people are expected to die from this disease. I will discuss how there are many different types of cancer. I will also tell you about the stages, symptoms and if it can be cured or be fatal. Finally I have to tell you about the costs of fighting cancer, plus how much of a toll it takes not only on the patient but the family members as well. With cancer it can take not only a physical but emotional toll on everyone involved. Not to mention, all the money and time that is involved in fighting to win the battle. (Ahmedin, 2009). Most people do not discover they have cancer till it is too late. One can hope and pray that they will never contract this disease. Some of it is hereditary and runs in the family. Cancer sometimes is passed down through the generations. Cancer can also skip a generation. Cancer can lay dormant in your body for years and never show signs it is there. The best way to avoid cancer is to eat healthy, exercise, don’t smoke. (Ahmedin, 2009). Cancer and the Devastating Affects On Family Members & Types Cancer is a group of growths and abnormal c... ...on and Cancer; The Currant Epidemiological Evidence. Electronic Journal Center. (Vol.96, Issue S1, 42-45). Khatcheressian, J.L. (2006). American Society Of Clinical Oncology. Breast Cancer Follow Up. (Nov. 2006, (31), 5091-5097). Kristal, Alan R. (2004). Vitamin A, Retinoid and Caroteniods as Chemopreventive Agents For Prostate Cancer. The Journal Of Urology. (Vol.171, Issue 2, Supplement 554-558). Mysliwiec, P.A. (2006). Malignancies Following Cancer of the Colon. Malignancies Among Cancer Survivors. (NIH Publ. No. 05-5302). Schairer, Catherine. (2006). Family History of Breast Cancer as a Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer in prospective Study. Breast Cancer. Electronic Journal. (Vol. 107, Issue 5, 1075- 1083). Siegfried, Jill M. (2001). Woman and Lung Cancer. Does Estrogen Play a Role. Lancet Oncology, Electronic Journal Center. (Vol. 2, Issue 8, 506-513).

Bluest Eye

A few decades ago, racial discrimination has been a great concern for many, as it existed in all aspects of the society. What we know of discrimination is that a certain race, color, or ethnicity views themselves superior to others, and the ones who often get discriminated often are the blacks, because of their history of slavery and abuse from the whites (Kuenz). This is the most common form of discrimination at that time. What some wouldn’t know is that discrimination is not limited to one race discriminating another.The other form of discrimination is racial self-loathing, or hating one’s own race because he views it to be inferior, ugly, poor, and the like. In Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, racial self-loathing in the black community is exposed and attacked through the development of Pecola Breedlove’s character. This development was clearly shown through her desires and aspirations of becoming white – of achieving the bluest eye, in order to a ttract attention and live a happy life. The idea of racial self-loathing was exposed and attacked when eventually her desires and aspirations were destroyed, driving her to insanity.Pecola Breedlove is a picture of a dreamer who seeks a better life at the start of the novel. All throughout the story, it was shown that she desires a few things, hoping that it could change her and her surroundings. One of these desires is to learn how she would be able to make people love her. Being born black, and experiencing a short stay with the MacTeers who are whites, she was able to understand how different she was. Her stay in the white household was very important because she was able to develop hatred for her race.She wanted attention, just like the attention being given to the white kids in the household. Pecola views that it was the overall features that would attract the attention of other people. She hated the color of her skin and her eyes. She thought that if her skin was white and her eyes were blue, more people would be able to notice her and love her (Wills). It was narrated in the story that â€Å"It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights—if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different† (Morrison).At this point of the story, we now see the intensity of her desire to shed her physical features as a black girl. We may judge that her desires were only skin deep, and that it was only her childish jealousy speaking. But still, she would grow up with this mentality, and one proof of this was her mother. It can be seen that this racial self-loathing can transcend age, and it doesn’t get any simpler, in fact, it gets worse. Pecola’s mother also hated her color and features, and the indirect effect of this is her fights and arguments with her husband.It was the fights between her parents that insinuated Pecola’s desi re to disappear. She often witnesses her mother and father beating up each other. She feels that it was again caused by their color, intensifying her desire to be different. She taught that if she was white or at least she has the bluest eyes, her parents would be happy and love each other. Her brother wouldn’t run away, and everything would turn out well. Somehow, she uses her racial self loathing as a means to an end. She thinks that the problem is rooted on color, and it would be resolved by color.Looking closely at Pecola’s understanding of her situation, we may say that she uses her desire for the bluest eyes as an escape. She wanted a new, different life, one rooted on love, care, and attention. She sees no difference between her and the white children except well, they’re white. It was pointed out by Claudia when she said â€Å"Nobody paid us any attention, so we paid very good attention to ourselves† (Morrison). If that is so, then the only thing that she wanted to change was her appearance, and she thinks that this would be the solution to all of her problems.At the end of the story, Pecola was driven into madness because her desires were never fulfilled. Instead, the entire world seemed to turn against her. She was sexually violated by her father two times. Her mother didn’t believe her, and even beat her up. She bore the fruit of the abuse, but it was lost in a miscarriage. Looking at the start of the story, we see a big change in Pecola. The hopeful child from the start was almost destroyed by violence in the end. This development in her character was the author’s take on the existing idea of racial self loathing at that time.For Toni Morrison, Pecola embodied every black person who hated their color. Toni Morrison’s take on racial self loathing is evident in the character of Pecola. Desiring for a better life by hating yourself would bring you more harm than good. Well, in the case of Pecola, it see med that it was brought upon her by her society. In her eyes, she sees people ignoring her, making fun of her, and even hating her because of her color. But then again, Pecola’s eyesight is clouded by her desire to be different, to be white, and to have the bluest eyes.Instead of being true to herself, she wanted to change everything. For her, it was a means to an end, the only way for her to accept by the people around her. For the author Toni Morrison, it was not. Hating one’s race and color wouldn’t change anything, instead, it would just attract more hatred, more cruelty, and more violence. Pecola shouldn’t have lost sight of the people around her. Not everyone overlooked and hated her. The MacTeer household, especially the children, loved her despite her color.This is one way for the author to say that color is not everything, and it shouldn’t be the reason for people like Pecola to hate. Works Cited: Kuenz, Jane. â€Å"The Bluest Eye: Notes on History, Community, and Black Female Subjectivity † African American Review Vol. 27. No. 3 (1993). Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. , 1993. Wills, Joy. â€Å"Genealogy of Rejection in Morrison's the Bluest Eye†. 1999. March 23 2009. .

Gender Inequality Essay

The issue of gender inequality or discrimination has existed in the financial industry of the United States. This paper aims to present the existence of such practice in the financial world of some of the famous yet lawsuit-stricken Wall Street firms. In particular, a book written by Roth, which has studied and presented the many incidents of gender prejudices, will be critically analyzed. To make the public realize the need for such harmful organizational practice to be stopped is the ultimate goal of this paper. A Critical Analysis of â€Å"Selling Women Short: Gender Inequality on Wall Street† Many literary writings have presented gender inequalities in work settings. Each work has revealed to the public the many damaging implications of gender discrimination. These kinds of prejudices have been manifested in several forms, notable of which are the famous sexual harassment and unfair labor practice cases. Almost always in such lawsuits, the women employees of big business organizations always fall prey or are subjected to various gender-related unfair practices. Several factors are taken into consideration when gender biases occur in work places. While it is worthy to note that modern working women have slowly achieved a sense of work fairness based from their significant contributions in their respective industries, the ghost of the past sill haunts the society. These are evident with the unsettled labor cases having women as the aggrieved parties. These are but some of the main issues presented in many books. Despite the efforts, however, to clearly present the realities within an organization setting, the fact remains that there are still no appropriate responses which may address the issues concerning women employees. One of the many books which concretely depicted the said condition is the 2006 book of Louise Marie Roth entitled â€Å"Selling Women Short: Gender and Money on Wall Street. † In fact, a literary work such as the Roth book is a clear proof that gender inequalities, which beset powerful Wall Street companies almost two decades ago, have destructively affected contemporary work environments. This is because of the idea that only a few of high-profile gender discrimination cases are resolved in favor of the women victims while majority of these lawsuits are decided favoring the managements where the supposed injustices emanate or where the suspected male offenders acquired their influences. These celebrated criminal cases and the eventual out of court settlements have clearly indicated the previous existence of discrimination and continued practice of gender inequality in the professional environment. Despite the efforts of the Roth book to enlighten and rectify the perspective that women in Wall Street nonetheless have their fair share of success, the reality that women in work places are likely to be shortchanged or are â€Å"sold short† of their respective powers and potentials will never cease to exist. This situation will continue unless concrete actions and sincere efforts are made in order to alleviate, if not stop, gender discrimination in work places. â€Å"Selling Women Short,† an Overview As an educator, Roth presented the book in a manner of self-realization. The author learned how Wall Street companies, such as Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, all of Citigroup, have provided and continued hostile work settings for their women employees despite the existence of many legal limitations. Based from a methodology using research questions and aimed at achieving an investigative design, â€Å"Selling Women Short† matched the male and female employees of Wall Street firms during the period of 1990s and at time when the market and chances were rich. In an era where the work setting was supposedly advantageous to women workers, Roth discovered the many forms of gender discriminations which hampered the female workforce to progress. In short, using thorough study procedures, the authors as presented by her book examined sex inequality on Wall Street and realized that deceitful prejudice is the outcome of people’s ignorant inclinations and injustices which manipulate how they regard other employees and their respective performances (Roth, 2006). The book specifically identified the Wall Street’s practice of performance appraisal system as the apparent cause of gender discrimination (Roth, 2006, pp. 36-37). The book further presented the various manners in which women employees of the said Wall Street firms have attained their respective success. In particular, the triumphs of women working in the security businesses involved searching for an influential male adviser but in the process, ultimately prevent them from joining team efforts where their inputs matter most. The book concluded by manifesting that work and family concerns do not go hand in hand. This is because of the reality that family-related issues could be the most difficult hindrances to gender fairness on Wall Street due to the fact that women workers desire and ultimately have their respective families. Appealing Components The book is most notable for its comprehensive and clear focus on gender-related emphasis, particularly the degrading reality of discrimination against women which was introduced by the Wall Street work settings and which has continued to harm the modern work place. Stunned by an outbreak of celebrated gender or sex inequality cases more than two decades ago, it was expected from Wall Street to sanitize its industries and the activities of its workforce. Interestingly for â€Å"Selling Women Short,† it has thoroughly and powerfully reflected on how Wall Street’s financial companies have cleared continuing discriminatory lawsuits. Roth is to be acclaimed for this fearless ability to research on the particular cases of gender inequalities and eventually share to the readers the results of her study as well as the appalling yet actual situations of discrimination involving women employees of the firms located at the financial capital of the United States. It is also interesting to discover from the book that Wall Street, which is regarded to be a fortress of untainted or wholesome economics as well as supposedly compensating employees according to their accomplishments and assessing their jobs impartially, is in reality nothing but deceptions. It was both an enlightening and enjoyable discovery that Wall Street was amiss with its supposed intention to equally pay employees, regardless of gender but who have the same qualities and achievements. The comparison made by Roth about the work experiences of the people who started their jobs at various Wall Street firms in the later period of the 1990s was truly appealing. This is because the author was able to unearth that aside from the reality that women employees are paid at a standard of 29 percent less than their male colleagues, they are likewise pushed to less rewarding career options as well as were deprived of promotion and worthwhile customers (Roth, 2006). Aside from the mentioned interesting points, the book has remarkably exposed the devious gender inequality in the Wall Street structure. Roth is again to be praised for her explicit revelation of gender discrimination when she wrote on the unwitting prejudices of the members of the management, colleagues of the women employees and the manipulation of the customers on the performance assessments, task allocation, and eventually compensation (Roth, 2006, p. 62). Simply put, the book, through the words of Roth, has effectively presented how employees behind Wall Street companies have portrayed realistically damaging components such as their penchant to relate with those of similar sex and how they have a say to the system of gender discrimination. Ultimately, the author is to be credited with her proposals to limit the practice of all gender-related inequalities. Though the suggestions seem to fall short of being real, such attempt by Roth implied her earnest intention for the public to realize the harms of discrimination. Conclusion Despite the above mentioned interesting attributes of â€Å"Selling Women Short,† the book itself is unfortunately similarly short of its suggestions on how gender inequality could have been addressed, if not stopped, even from its start of existence. While Roth’s writing job was generally appealing and informative primarily because of her efforts to deal with the issue of gender discrimination, it may be in a way perceived that the public was shortchanged of more concrete solutions. Nonetheless, what Roth has ultimately achieved was for the book to eventually sink into the organizational set-up of Wall Street firms where it is aimed at influencing the people who build the practice of gender discrimination to finally put an end to such prejudice. Reference Roth, L. M (2006). Selling Women Short: Gender Inequality on Wall Street. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Aphorism in Life

â€Å"Those who made sacrifices at first, earned happiness In the end† This aphorism came from my own experience and what I want to experience soon. My parents always told me â€Å"Nanas Kenton an Lang mackintosh aka rein, mastitis aka man†. Overtime I heard that, I always pray and talk to myself that â€Å"l know God loves me†. I have a lot of sacrifices made just to be here, to study and to reach for my dreams. My parents can't afford to send me to school that's why I stopped one year after I graduated high school.I worked for nine months and after that by God's grace an acquaintance of my ether told me that he wants to support my study. I was really glad because of that opportunity, but of course I need to do my part to them. I worked for their pharmacy every summer and when the school year started I will work for them as the housekeeper, cleaning and washing the clothes and dishes. I have a lot of sacrifices done Just to reach my dream and to help my family. There are times that my allowance is not enough but I didn't complaint for it. I will Just say to myself that all of the bad things happening to my life have a reason.Sometimes unexpected things name on our way. But all we need to do Is be patient, pray and sacrifice whenever we want to achieve something. And when the time comes, happiness will come on our way without noticing it. Don't look at the other's people state in life if they are rich; set that as the inspiration to be like them. If you are poor, don't make yourself down. It's not your fault to be born poor; but it's yours if you die poor. We should not hesitate to take risks, because if we know how to take risk and know how to sacrifice, the fruit of those sacrifices will be sweet.If we want to reach something In our life, we better prepare for the future and study hard. We should work for It and not depend on luck. Believe me, all the sacrifices and patience have a good result. Never ever give up when we think that we can 't do it anymore, that's why we have family and friends to help us in our struggles. Life is just a matter of choice, giving up or fight for what you want. As the oldest sister in the family, I have to fight for my dreams and help my family. I really want to give them a comfortable life that we are not experience until today.My father needs to work hard because If not, my younger sisters and brothers will not be able to go to school. I saw and feel their sacrifices for us and I put up In my mind that time will come their sacrifices will bear. I will let them experience how life is full of happiness and not only suffering. They are my inspiration, the reason why I stay strong and do not surrender in any kind of challenges I have faced. Like what we said, â€Å"The rain will stop and the sun will rise again†. We should not lose hope because blessings will come right on our way without noticing It.Because In all rills and challenges, there are good things that will happen. If at first things will not doing well we should learn to be patient and call God's name. Of course, we should also do our job and responsibilities to achieve our goal. Let's not waste our time doing nothing or doing bad things because, the result will not be good also. While we're young we should know the true meaning of life, it's not Just about being a happy-go-lucky ones, it's about knowing what Is the true meaning of life and learn how to sacrifice with Just simple things, appreciate what we have and see the true.

Business School Plan

Leslie Marion CEO of JCW Inc. has identified she will need $125,850 to open a Reference School Center in Houston, Texas. The funds will cover the purchase and installation of the equipment and machinery, leasehold improvements, inventory, office equipment, and working capital to start the business. Leslie Marion will contribute $20,000 to the project from personal funds. The remainder of $105,850 is requested to be a SBA loan at 6. 00% interest amortized over 5 years. The loan is to be secured by the equipment, and inventory, as well as the personal guarantee of Leslie Marion. JCW is a company investing in educational field for a learning center that caters to families with children who needs academic support. The Reference School Center at Houston will be a very attractive school for those who need special attention on preschool through high school difficulties. The program is based on the brain research that has accumulated in the last decade. This research suggests that stimulating the mind with mental exercise may cause brain cells, called neurons, to branch widely. This branching causes millions of additional connections between brain cells. Studies demonstrate that our brains develop throughout our lives and that they are constantly being modified and that training and practice can stimulate brain development in targeted areas. This is known as neuroplasticity. JCW company based on neuroplasticity studies created a special program to help the students to learn more from their works and solv their difficulties on memorization and getting knowledgement. We believe in our success and in our investment in the educational area.

Ugly or Beautiful

Ugly or Beautiful? It is well known that beauty and ugliness are opposites. If that is so, how can art be ugly and beautiful at the same time? Some pieces of art are ugly to the eyes but beautiful mind. The Venus of Willendorf (Venus of Willendorf: 1-3) is an example of such. It is a small figure of a large woman. She has very large breast with skinny little arms rested on top of them. Her breast lay on her even larger stomach, which hangs down to just above her pubic area.Her pubic area and belly button are well defined but there is only small evidence of nipples. Starting at her wide hips her thighs touch and press together down to the knees, and then become much smaller than the rest of her. Her head is completely wrapped with what seem to be braids, with no face visible. This figure, at first glance, and second, isn’t one of beauty. After all, it is a rather plump nude woman with no face. But, looking closer and noticing where the emphasis lies gives it a different look.Th e woman’s breasts, stomach, and pubic area grab the most attention; all three of these being attributes of a woman’s fertility. It seems as though they are being used to show a celebration of her fertility and ability to have strong children like her. Looking deeper into this figure it can go from something ugly to something special. Another example would be Punitavati (Punitavati/Karaikkal Ammaiyar: Intro 8). Punitavati is a bronze sculpture of a rather grotesque woman. She is very lanky.She sits with her bony legs crossed and spread, her arms in front of her holding a small musical instrument. She has the face of a crone, with large high raised eyebrows, a long protruding nose, and a fang-toothed smile. Her entire body is bone skinny, except for a slight bulge in her stomach. This sculpture was made to symbolize her immense inner beauty. According to legend, this now hag-like woman was once stunning. Her husband had left her because she gave away one of his mangoes t o a beggar. She then turned her god, the Hindu Shiva, offering up her beauty.Shiva accepted, turning her into this figure. Her appalling appearance is used to show the beauty of her generosity and sacrifice. One other would be Rebellious Silence (Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence 20-33). This is a photograph of an Iranian woman, she is wearing a traditional Iranian women’s wardrobe, except her face is completely uncovered. Calligraphy is written across her entire face besides her eyes, and straight through the middle of her face she is holding up a gun barrel. This image wouldn’t strike most as an object of â€Å"beauty†.It does grab your attention though. It makes you stare at the woman who is staring so intensely back at you. She wants to make her presence known and speak out in a country that doesn’t see women as equal. She is a strong and defiant woman. The longer you hold her gaze the more you can see the beauty in her braveness. All art may not be p leasing to look at, but a lot of the time there something deeper and more appealing in the meaning. Sometimes you must search to find the beauty of something ugly.

The Effects Of Mobile Phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Effects Of Mobile Phones - Essay Example Health Problems According to BBC News (2002), studies have linked the use of mobile phones with headaches, hotspots in the brain as well as cancer. However, Foster and Moulder (2000) indicated that lawsuits that have been filed in courts in the United States have not been able to provide any concrete evidence of this claim as there has been no proven associated increase in cancer among the population and the complainants have not been able to provide any evidence to substantiate that their case is caused by the use of mobile phones. ARPHANSA (n.d.) has also indicated that although there is a possibility of a small risk, there is no clear evidence in the scientific literature to suggest that it poses a long-term health hazard. Teenagers are high users of mobile phones. Studies carried out in the U.K. have found that approximately 80% of 11 to 14 year olds own a mobile phone (The Institute of Science in Society n.d.). Studies also indicate that prolonged use may cause teenage brains to age prematurely (The Institute of Science in Society n.d.). Behavioral Problems in Young Children According to Divan et al (2010), prenatal and postnatal exposures to mobile phones have resulted in behavioral problems in young children.

Organizational Behavior Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Organizational Behavior - Research Paper Example Other than waiting for the workers to seek out clarifications, information, the management will approach them in a direct manner for purposes of asking about their informational needs. For instance, most meetings within the organization end with meeting leaders asking for questions and requests. I encourage that management and supervisors move such questions to the start of all meetings. The switch tells workers that their concerns and questions are important as compared to impending meeting agenda. It is critical to developing opportunities in which more informal time is presented to employees while interacting with the management. Employees often hesitate from interrupting the busy bosses for asking small things including the information needs. Managers providing opportunities within Casual work conversations help employees feel comfortable and needed with the elements of sharing the information needs. Lastly, the approach improves the quality of the meetings. The general suggestions from running better meetings are acquired. Staff relations are involved in the planning of meetings and advancing maximum efficiency (Grandey, Diefendorff & Rupp, 2013, page 121). The organizer meeting will be sending out agendas as well as supporting materials prior the meeting. Assigning time limits in the discussion items on the agenda will avoid lengthy deviations within meeting purposes. It is relevant to ensure that there is certainty in establishing rules for managing meetings within the o rganization without side conversations. Fair performance evaluation of employees involves a range of considerations. To achieve honest and fair assessments of employees, it is important to keep them up to par with the organizational expectations. Judging employees with respect to unclear or outdated criteria is unfair. Further, job priorities and descriptions are subject to change across time. Employees should do outstanding jobs on

Literature review of Energy savings companies (ESCO) and marketing Essay

Literature review of Energy savings companies (ESCO) and marketing - Essay Example A true win-win-win if successfully implemented. As far as marketing is concerned it is a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and values with others. It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong relationships with them in order to capture value from customers in return. Thus for effective functioning of ESCO it has implemented various tools and strategies of marketing. According to European Union energy services, energy services are those activities which are taken up by the companies and market actors, and which result in demonstrable and sustainable savings of supplied/delivered energy in the customer's household and which includes the option of initial investment by other than the household or property owner [1]. The energy service company (ESCO) is in the business of providing broad range of comprehensive energy solutions including the designing and implementation of energy saving projects, energy conservation, energy infrastructure outsourcing, power generation, energy supply and risk management. Sixteen companies have been grouped together in the industry structure that provides projects based on ESCO structure [2, 3, and 4]. Ameresco is the only pure-play ESCO left in the market [5]. The others are Carrier, Honeywell Building Solutions SES, Johnson Controls Government Systems, L.L.C., Siemens Government Services, Inc., TAC Americas, Inc., Trane U.S., Inc., ConEdison, Constellation, FPL Energy Services, Pepco Energy Services, The Benham Companies, LLC (SAIC Acquired), Clark Realty Builders, LLC, McKinstry, Lockheed Martin and Chevron Energy [6, 7 ,8]. The ESCO customers include [9] Working of ESCO ESCO has its own way of working it starts with analyzing the part, then designs the energy efficient solution and installs the required elements, finally maintaining the system to ensure that the energy is saved during the payback period. The savings in energy costs is often used to pay back the capital investment of the project over a five- to twenty-year period, or reinvested into the building to allow for capital raise that may otherwise be impractical. If the project does not provide returns on the investment, then ESCO is often responsible to pay the difference [10]. ESCOs structure is as follows Contract Services Customer ESCO PaymentFinancing payment Contract Bank (ESCO feasibility report. 2007) Initially ESCO installs the energy conservation measures (ECM's) and measure the energy saved resulting from the projects and presents the data to the customer. A common way to calculate energy savings is to measure the flows of energy associated with the ECM, and to apply spreadsheet calculations to determine savings. They have formed a standardized table as follows; Description Typical

Chinese Culture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Chinese Culture - Term Paper Example Anthropological studies provide information, which explain cultural diversity that people experience across the world. Historical facts project various dimensions in human culture. Historians use cultural dimensions such as language, social structure, religion, beliefs, and relation to the environment among other dimensions to acknowledge diversity in humanity. Each geographical location in the world has people who are distinguished using their cultural identity. Chinese culture provides historical information about the Chinese people, their beliefs, and their attitude towards other people, social economic practices, and education among other factors. This paper is analysis of Chinese culture in relation to socio economic practices, language, education, belief, government, environment, topology, and historical facts about their cultural heritage. Language Historians believe that language is one aspect of culture, which distinguishes various communities from each other. Historians bel ieve that Chinese language has varieties, which have some close relation. The language family of Chinese is Sino-Tebetan (Pletcher, 68). Each group of Chinese language has its own dialect or sub-dialect. These dialects are less or more mutually intelligible. Chinese population, which stands at about 1.2 billion, speaks one these dialects. In China, Chinese is formal language, which they use in both public and domestic places. Sign communication and media communication in China uses Chinese language. It is arguable visitors coming China need to learn Chinese or use interpreters to help them in their communication. Clothes Chinese culture ranks clothing among other primary necessities in life. China a renowned history of garment making in which Chinese exchanged their garments in trade. Chinese garments in the ancient time had ornate details, refined artisanship, and bright colors. Clothes in Chinese culture changed with different dynasties. However, 20 century has observable changes in garments. Some styles portrayed on Chinese garment include Cheongsam, Qipao, western suits, silk stocking, hat, high heels, jackets, bell-bottom, bikinis, miniskirt, and bell-bottom among other fashion trends in the 20 century (Chen 111). Analysts believe that China decided to respond positively to the fashion trends in 1978 by embracing some western practices (Choi 89). During the ancient age, Chinese people devoted, various clothing to people according to the color of the skin. For instance, ordinary people wore costume and long hat when offering sacrifices to ancestors or gods. Another notable aspect of Chinese clothing culture is that ethnic minority wore clothing, which was colorful, flowery, and highly distinctive. Chinese people associate red color to good fortune. Red color characterizes wedding clothes for the Chinese people. It is notable that Chinese in the north wear qipao, and southern Chinese wear Kwa for their weddings. Dominance hierarchy Gender dominance is relev ant in Chinese culture. Men gender dominated over women in the Chinese culture. The culture views a woman a subordinate who is subject to his father during the youthful stages, to her husband upon reaching maturity, and to her son at old age (Palmer 44). Dominance by the male gender in the Chinese culture influences the activities of women. Women should not roam freely as men. Largely, their duty is to stay inside the house performing house chores. Cultural responsibility for women gave them the authority to govern their homes, whereas men guarded the outer world. In ancient time, women never had dominant role in the family. Historic information about hierarchy in ancient time in China indicates that social stigmatization characterized life of the Chinese people (Chen 138). For instance, women

Roman Republic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Roman Republic - Essay Example But having said that, in case the three parties contradict with each other, then living in Rome could become like running on thorns. As explained, each party controls crucial departments which are integral for the development of economy in Rome. If the consuls do not agree with the decisions of the senate then the country’s security would be in trouble causing the businesses running in the country, to fear for their lives. Similarly if the senate refuses to pay for working committee, then the revenue of the country could get a deep hemorrhage resulting in large number of people losing out on their jobs. On the other hand, If people fail to execute their rights properly by acknowledging committed performances from their compatriots or punishing the guilty properly or even if they contradict with the senate with regard to ramifications or penalties, then that could also ruin the lives of people as those carrying out illegal activities may feel even more comfortable knowing that the government is not providing proper penalties. On a personal opinion, as mentioned above, the rules and regulations, the policies, all could become the best ones available only if the three parties of the government work in unison.

US Steel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

US Steel - Essay Example The US steel industry justification for its request for protection is loss of jobs of many workers in the steel industry, as far as the workers unions are concerned, due to closure of business or folding up of some steel producers, due to lower import prices of steel products than those locally produced. As to whether the justification is legitimate should be gauged by a declaration of a body authorized by law to make determination. As far as the Bush administration is concerned, it may have believed that the justification was legitimate when it decided to self initiate Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974. Section 201 is the law for the protection of domestic industry in addition to the antidumping and countervailing duty laws. Said law operates not on proof of unfair trade practices but by ITC determinations that the volume of a particular import constituted a substantial cause of threat of serious injury to a domestic industry. The president can impose a temporary import relief without violating the rules of the World Trade Organization and after initiating, in a give industry, the case will go straight to the ITC, which rules on the case and, if positive, will make recommendation to the President, who then has 60 days to come up with a remedy. The remedy could be no action at al l, a tariff, a quota, a tariff-rate quota or some form of trade adjustment assistance. The legitimacy as believed by the President is questioned by domestic steel consumers and free trade advocates, who claims that the tariffs were blatantly protectionist, and could damage US steel-using industries more than they would help producers, and were adopted for purely political reasons, such a gaining support prior to the November midterm elections, and positioning Bush for the 2004 presidential election [FN3]. Gerald O’ Dricoll, director of the Heritage Foundations’ Center for International Trade and Economic commented on the Bush administration self-initiating Section

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 23

Case Study - Essay Example Chinese people have a habit of accepting that has been handed down to them, without questioning its basis. The Western culture believes in independence and individuality but Chinese have been trained to copy the best ideas of others and implement them in their own productions. They believe initiating something on their own could mean taking a risk or asking for a disgrace. They lacked communication, either the Germans would not understand what Chinese were trying to communicate or the Chinese would not bother making a second call if there hasn’t been a response in a long time. The Chinese people didn’t believe in long-term planning and they would only consider small things. Due to long chain of hierarchy, lack of coordination was seen which affected standardization of reporting. The Chinese automotive sector emphasizes on local production rather than imports as this substantially reduces the cost. Transfer of technology requires that timely trainings are provided to the Chinese engineers at the same time encouraging them to do research and development at their end too. The EE should be given more autonomy, where they are responsible to take decisions on their own without consulting everyone in the chain of authority. Professionalism – people should be made to realize that a comment on the professional work doesn’t indicate an attack on their personality. There is always room for improvement; if someone has identified some faults with their professional work it can always be corrected. Encourage questions and taking initiative – encouraging employees to ask relevant questions is going to reduce misunderstandings that can develop at some point. By taking initiatives and risk, employees will build up confidence and gain experience. Independence and authority – Project Managers of EE should be given the authority to control time

Jebediah Springfield Paper Essay Example for Free

Jebediah Springfield Paper Essay Did you know that the annual celebration of the founding of Springfield brings all the people of Springfield together and raises the overall happiness levels of Springfield by over 65%? This may show why Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield. The reason why Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield is because it would cause an uproar, and ruin the holiday and therefore the happiness of the people. Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about of Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield because it would cause an uproar. For example all the people that were celebrating the holiday would be out raged if they heard that their beloved hero, Jebediah Springfield was in fact a bloodthirsty pirate and enemy of George Washington named Hans Sprungfeld. This proves that the people of Springfield would be angry because they would be thrown into a different reality in which Jebediah Springfield is a fraud. Granted there will be some people who are open to this idea and are not furious because maybe they had a hunch that there was something odd about Jebediah Springfield and his story. Quite simply that would be prospectus for someone to be open to such an idea. It would be the equivalent of saying that Benjamin Franklin was a pirate or a murderous thief. Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield because it would cause an uproar. Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield because it would ruin the holiday and therefore the happiness of the people. For example in the episode it show many of the townsfolk celebrating and showing their support for Jebediah Springfield and they all seem to be very happy. This proves my point of saying that the holiday brings happiness and celebration to the people and also brings them all together. It is true that some people such as Hollis Hurlbut know the truth and do not celebrate the holiday because they know Jebediah Springfield was a fraud. Also if one person such as Hollis Hurlbut knows the truth other must know too. However, the number of people who know the truth must be small do to the fact that there were large amounts of people celebrating in the streets of Springfield on the holiday. Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about of Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield because it would ruin the holiday and therefore the happiness of the people. In summary the reason why Lisa Simpson should not tell the truth about Jebediah Springfield to the people of Springfield is because it would cause an uproar, and ruin the holiday and therefore the happiness of the people. Think would you want someone to tell you that all the events that happened on July 4, 1776 were all a hoax and that you’ve been celebrating a sham for your whole life. Even if it were true would you really want to know?

Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors

Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors Chronic Liver Disease and Its Risk Factors: Alcohol and Nutrition One of the most vital organs in the human body is the liver. The liver is the organ responsible for a variety of essential functions that is necessary for optimal health and well-being of a person. It is tasked with detoxifying your body from all the substances that circulates in the bloodstream coming from foods, medications and by-products of cellular processes. The liver is also responsible for other functions such as creation of bile and red blood cell composition. It can be said that a healthy individual needs to have a healthy functioning liver as well. Due to its numerous functions, the liver is also one of the organs of the body that is most commonly injured as well. Chronic liver disease is a condition wherein the liver is not able to carry out its functions for an extended period of time (i.e., 6 months or more). When your liver is subjected to a lot of stresses and harmful substances, problems with its functioning can occur and render it unable to carry out its vital functions. The most commonly mentioned factors related to the existence of chronic liver problems is poor diet and alcohol abuse. Problems with the functioning of the liver can contribute to the existence of a lot of other conditions that is harmful to your health since the substances that it is supposed to clear from your body are not eliminated. Nutrition and Chronic Liver Problems The food that you take contributes to meet your body’s need for energy to help you with activities of daily living. However, it has been found through numerous researches that the type of diet you take also can contribute to the existence of problems with your liver, injuring it and impairing its functions. Fatty liver is one of the most common causes of chronic liver diseases and is brought about by intake of foods that is high in fat and cholesterol content. These foods are those that are usually found in fast foods and are rich in sodium and sugars as well. Included in this would be foods that are deep fried in animal fat such as French fries and chicken, dairy products that are non-fat and processed and canned meat products. Apart from causing fatty liver, these foods are also pointed out to be the source of obesity, heart conditions. Alcohol Intake and Liver Injury Alcohol is another factor that has been linked to the development of chronic liver disease. This is because alcohol in itself is seen as an oxidizing agent, meaning that alcohol can cause the cells within your liver to dry, and easily get injured. When this happens, inflammation can occur in your liver. Imagine this happening on a long-term basis, and you will see that the liver gets repeatedly injured, resulting in a condition known as cirrhosis. In this case, the liver gets scar tissues in areas repeatedly injured, rendering these areas non-functional. This can result in the liver’s inability to detoxify your body of the substances you take that can harm the cells of your body. So, if you want to have a normal and healthy functioning liver, it is essential that you choose your diet very well and keep your alcohol intake to low or moderate levels if you really can’t avoid it totally. References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2009.03.019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gut.41.6.845 http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-62703-047-2_38 Maintaining Optimal Cognitive Health Through Diet The cognitive abilities of an individual is found to be on a continuous growth and development throughout the lifespan. This finding contrary to the previous notion that your cognitive abilities experience a decline as you age. This is because there are previous studies showing that decline in cognitive functioning occurring with age is mostly due to the existence of problems such as dementia, or other neurological condition like stroke. However, the growth of your cognitive capacities does not happen if conditions that are related to the overall functioning of your body are not conducive for it. It means that when you do not necessarily take care of your cognitive health, a decline may occur unless you take measures to delay or stop it from happening. Over the years, there are a number of researches that have been made in this area and these studies have turned out with findings that one of the ways to maintain and promote optimal levels in cognitive functioning is through managing the foods that you take. Nutrition is essential to overall functioning of your body and even cognitive health. If your diet is high in foods that contains essential fatty acids, nutrients and other vitamins, this can contribute to cognitive health. This not only increase your cognitive health but it can also prevent other chronic health conditions from occurring such as hypertension and strokes. Certain types of diet that are considered to be highly conducive in maintaining and promoting optimal health are the DASH and Mediterranean diets. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is a plan that is usually given to people who have hypertension. This is primarily composed of lists of foods that the person with hypertension can take and how much they are allowed to have in order to stop the progression of hypertension if they already have it, or to stop hypertension from occurring if they are at high risk for its development. Since this diet decreases the intake of salt, fat, and refined carbohydrates in the overall intake, it is also used for adoption in other people with other health conditions such as heart diseases, obesity and stroke. In a study conducted in the US, it has been seen that individuals who adopted the DASH diet have been seen to have lower blood pressures. This can be useful in prevention of cognitive decline since an effective blood circulatio n to your brain is also related to your blood pressure. When you have a blood pressure that is within the normal limits, then your blood is able to flow more efficiently, increasing the delivery of essential nutrients and oxygen to your brain and contributing to overall cognitive health. Another diet that has been found to be helpful in maintain and promoting optimal cognitive health is the Mediterranean diet. This diet has been followed by people from the Mediterranean such as the people from Spain, the Greeks and those who are living in the Mediterranean islands. It is rich in foods that are rich in essential fatty acids such as peas and lentils, fish and olive oil that is essential for cognitive health and functioning. Also, this diet is rich in fruits and bread using mostly whole grains and other unrefined sources of carbohydrates that are important in ensuring that the vessels and nerves in the brain remain healthy and disease free. The maintenance and promotion of optimal cognitive health is not essentially hard, if you know the necessary steps to take in its promotion. And, with it, always remember that prevention of any cognitive problems is way so much better than finding a cure for it! References: Gardener H, Wright CB, Gu Y, Demmer RT, Boden-Albala B, Elkind MS, et al. Mediterranean-style diet and risk of ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death: the Northern Manhattan Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94:1458–64. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13668-013-0070-2 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/nure.12040 http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/718338 Bach-Faig A, Berry EM, Lairon D, Reguant J, Trichopoulou A, Dernini S, et al. Mediterranean diet pyramid today. Science and cultural updates. Public Health Nutr. 2011;14:2274–84. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2997798/ Vitamin D and Its Benefits Vitamin D is probably one of those that are underappreciated for all its worth. Over the years, it was only usually related to or referred to its use in helping the absorption of calcium from your bloodstream to be deposited into your bones. This was probably the only function of this vitamin that you know, but it does more than that. Apart from helping calcium in your diet to be absorbed into your bones from your bloodstream, there are numerous other uses that Vitamin D can play in your body. Vitamin D Helps Maintain Immune System Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver has found that maintaining high levels of Vitamin D in your bloodstream can help maintain immune function and help you prevent from contracting infections such as colds and other common infections. Vitamin D Helps Reduce Your Risk of Developing Multiple Sclerosis Vitamin D is usually found in your blood stream and is activated when you are exposed to sunlight. Therefore, the more you are exposed to healthy levels of sunlight, the more Vitamin D is activated and conversely, more of it is found on your blood stream. Studies have revealed that people who live in tropical areas where they are more exposed to sunlight have lower risks for the development of multiple sclerosis throughout their lifetimes. Vitamin D Is Essential in Maintaining Cognitive Functions A European study involving 3000 males between the ages of 40 and throughout the continent has shown that increasing vitamin D levels in the blood stream has helped the respondents maintain optimal level of functioning in their brains even later on in their lives. This means that having higher levels of this vitamin in your blood stream can help reduce your risk for developing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions resulting in the decline of your cognitive functioning. Other Uses of Vitamin D As mentioned in the previous sections, Vitamin D has a lot of uses. Apart from those that were mentioned above, it can also help you maintain a healthier body weight and decrease your risk for obesity. This is seen in a research conducted by the Medical College of Georgia in the United States. It can also help in managing asthma and its symptoms. In a study that was conducted among over 600 children in Costa Rica by the Harvard Medical School, it has been found that those who were found to have high blood levels of Vitamin D have decreased episodes and severity of their asthmatic attacks. Moreover, increased level of Vitamin D is also found to reduce the likelihood of development of rheumatoid arthritis in women who are over the age of 40. Vitamin D has also been found to have a protective function in those who are being treated for cancer via radiation therapy. This is supported by a study conducted by experts in the field of radiology in the New York City Health Department. Vitamin D is also seen to decrease the risk for cancer development when it is maintained on a high level in the blood stream. This is regardless of the individual’s age and nutritional status. Vitamin D is also shown to help individuals with tuberculosis recover faster, decrease the risk of heart attacks and play a vital role in overall muscular health. References: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71. Vitamins and minerals Vitamin D UK National Health Service. Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention: Strengths and Limits of the Evidence U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. Accessed October 20th 2013. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568997213000402?np=y Key to Cardiovascular Health: The Role of Tea and Flavonoids For the longest time, a number of research papers has shown how coffee and other caffeine-containing products has been related to existence of a number of health problems. Caffeine containing products such as coffee, chocolates and tea have been linked to the incidences of heart problems, heart burn and ulcers, and other health conditions. You may probably be one of those who were told by their doctors that they need to lay low on their coffee because of this. It may have even been hard for you because you need coffee or other source of caffeine for your day to start properly. But this will soon come to an end, since there are studies done that can prove this notion otherwise. One of the substances that has been found by research studies to contribute to your health is tea. Both black tea and green tea are found to contain high levels of flavonoids. These flavonoids are believed to improve your vascular health by improving the general health of blood vessels that are responsible for controlling the flow of blood into the other parts of your body. Also, these flavonoids are also suggested to contribute to dilation of blood vessels, further improving blood circulation and oxygen and nutrient supply and delivery to other parts of your body. In studies done, it has been seen that flavonoids are also responsible for decreasing the risk of the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition wherein the fat and cholesterol often found in your diet gets deposited along the vessel walls and thickens and hardens in there, causing a disruption in blood flow. The presence of atherosclerosis has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and ev en stroke since it causes blood to flow more slowly, increase chances of clot formation and deprives your cells of the essential oxygen and nutrients needed for its overall functioning. There is also consistent number of data showing that one of the ways in which flavonoids contribute to general cardiovascular health is through certain mechanisms such as the enhancement of the status of the substance nitric oxide in your bloodstream. High levels of nitric oxide in your blood stream is responsible for the improvement of your endothelial functioning. This substance is consisted by both nitrogen and oxygen atoms and is seen to contribute to reducing the risk of inflammation of the blood vessels, improve functioning of the cells and acts to regulate cellular processes. Apart from the known benefits that flavonoids can have in terms of your cardiovascular status, it also has been found to have other health benefits too. The intake of green tea has been seen and is used to control body weight, reduce body fat content and control the risk of obesity. Tea and flavonoids are also seen to reduce cellular damage due to oxidation process that increases your risk for cancer development. It can also help to reduce incidences of inflammation, formation of clots, and reduce the risk for development of diabetes mellitus type 2. Yes, tea and flavonoids can have all these health benefits but it is also wise to keep its intake in moderation because anything taken in excess in never good for you and your body. References: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15678717 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20837049 www.proactivehearthealth.net/Nitric_Oxide.html http://cardiohealthresearch.com/nitric-oxide/ The Benefits of Food to the Brain The human brain is a complex and dynamic organ of the body. Your brain is responsible for all other processes taking place inside your body, whether you are aware of it or not. Your brain is not just responsible for cognitive and psychological processes, it also has something to do with your body’s physiologic processes as well. The healthier your brain is, the healthier functioning it can have and the better general health and well-being you can achieve. Brain health can be achieved through proper diet, exercise and good lifestyle choices. One of the most important aspects of brain health maintenance and development is feeding it with the right vitamins and minerals that it needs to be able to carry out its normal processes. When your brain is being fed with the right nutrients, its physiologic processes are better and more effectively carried out, improving its overall functioning. One of the benefits that you can have because of this is the positive influence it exerts in your brain’s metabolism of the energy coming from the food you take in. Proper metabolism of energy in your brain can help contribute to a more effective neuronal functioning, signal transmission between your neurons, and plasticity in synaptic activities (or the capacity of your brain to cause an increase or decrease in the strength of the synapses in response to time). This can affect how your brain maintains your mental health and your cognitive functioning. Food has a direct influence on the long and short term effects on your brainâ€⠄¢s neuronal plasticity. Food, being a source of both fuel and essential substance that your body needs to maintain and promote optimal cellular process is therefore important for your brain functioning. For the longest time, diet, has been studied in terms of how it affects the manner in which a person’s brain functions. It has been seen to exert an influence in the evolution of the brain and in improving its capacity as well. The manner in which you feed yourself and the choice of food you take is therefore important to consider if you want to maintain and promote optimal brain health and cognitive functioning. Essential fatty acids, specifically DHA which usually found in sources of protein such as meat products, dairy, fish and poultry and its products is helpful in synaptic functioning and in maintenance of cognitive functioning, decreasing the risk for the development of conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, and also other mental health problems as well. The use of DHA on your body, however is reversed when you prepare your food in a manner that is high in trans fat such as cooking it in animal fat like deep-frying. Other food sources such as vegetables, lentils and fruits and whole grain are also linked to their positive effect in terms of maintenance of the health of nervous tissues. Staying away from alcohol can also have a positive impact on your brain health and cognitive functioning since alcohol has been found to exert an oxidative effect, accelerating the manner in which the cells and tissues in your brain degenerates and die, therefore affecting your cogni tive health negatively. References: http://journals.lww.com/co-clinicalnutrition/Abstract/2013/11000/Diet_and_cognition___interplay_between_cell.21.aspx http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2805706/ http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/nutrition/brain-food-nutrition.php