The Evolution of Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Evolution of Work - Essay Example The significant changes in work ethic will be covered as well with relation to history and economy. The definition of work is the physical and/or mental efforts and other activities associated with the accomplishment of a specific duty. The applications of work in everyday life provide a more complicated meaning in part due to the constantly changing actions of humans themselves. This has caused historical context to become more important in the definition of the word. One noteworthy piece of history, which provided work, a new definition, was in the 15th and 16th centuries. The age of navigation was at its peak, and the colonial age became an integral part of history. In this time, work could be defined in two different ways. The first was through thte eyes of the colonizers themselves, and the other was through the eyes of those that were colonized. There was a plethora of work readily available about the western power, as well as in context of the un-colonized world at the time. I n respect to the western power, work was generally defined as parenthood. For these people, conquest was bringing civilization to what they perceived as an uncivilized world. Thus, the processes of conquests were important in the achievement of creating civilization among uncivilized people. The colonizers took the memories they had of their schoolmasters and used them, as they were the learned ones who were charged with the education of the uneducated and to show them a better life (Geddes). However, that definition of work that was exclusive in the eyes of the western power was masked. The plans of the colonizers sounded promising, as they promised a better life and way for the un-colonized people. They introduced the concept of civilization and education through their conquests as a primary source of bringing the life that they had experienced in the lands from which they came. The definition of work was not the same for those who were colonized. For the natives, the definition o f work as acculturation and conformity to their masters demands (Geddes). Although the promises of a better life through the development of the economy was seen as a compromise of the colonies, the benefits of this process being one-sided. This compromise was only beneficial to the colonizers. They began exploiting natural resources and introduced the idea and development of slavery. They took it upon themselves as a burden of their powers to civilize the native people and take the economic advantages they gained for themselves as part of a new development for their homeland (Geddes). Work for the natives ultimately meant the physical aspects of its definition. The natives were placed in forced labor, similar to the curve of the British Empire in India. Work for the colonized people was very hard, as they had to suffer the dictation of the colonizers along with the abuse of their masters (Geddes). As happens with historical progression, economic development and the definition of wor k became more diluted. Mercantilism became moot and capitalism began through the Industrial Revolution. It was in this time that the complications of work became evident through the new technology developing at the time. New machines were invented and introduced, allowing for mass production for the first time. This allowed them to produce products in greater volumes at lower costs. Capital investing and saving were being more strongly considered, and the introduction of wages for workers and profits for

Mental Models and Mindsets Paper Essay Example for Free

Mental Models and Mindsets Paper Essay This work OI 361 Week 4 Learning Team Assignment Mental Models and Mindsets Paper consists of the following parts: 1. Introduction 2. Power and Limits of Models 3. Testing the Relevance of the Models 4. Overcoming Inhibitors 5. Implementing the Model General Questions General General Questions Write a 700- to 1,050-word paper based on the organization your team selected for your Benefits and Drivers Proposal. Identify and explain how the four steps to change the mental models and mindsets can help your selected organization. Does a schedule or a routine work best for your family? A schedule is a plan set by time, while a routine is something habitual. Routines are more flexible than what a schedule is. Find what will work best for your family and get started with it as soon as possible.

Christian Morals versus Barbaric Customs in Hamlet Essay -- Shakespear

Christian Morals versus Barbaric Customs in Hamlet   Ã‚   Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play set in Denmark during the early seventeenth century. It was written at the same time the Bible was being translated by King James. Like the Bible, Hamlet is full of problems that all humans experience. These problems are best seen through the internal struggle of Prince Hamlet. The source of Hamlet's internal struggle, which is the direct contrast of his Christian education versus Denmark's barbaric customs, is developed throughout the play through the use of imagery, characterization, and theme.    Imagery is used to show how Hamlet's Christian morals differ from Denmark's customs.    Ay, marry, is't; But to my mind,-though I am native here, And to the manner born,-it is a custom More honour'd in the breach than the observance. This heavy-headed revel east and west Makes us traduc'd and tax'd of other nations: They clepe us drunkards, and with swinish phrase Soil our addition; and, indeed, it takes From our achievements, though perform'd at height, The pith and marrow of our attribute. (I,iv,13-22)    Hamlet is referring to Denmark's custom of drinking alcohol just to get drunk. Claudius is whimsically toasting to Denmark while Hamlet tells Horatio that Denmark is known as a country of drunkards. For this reason Hamlet is not proud of his origins. "'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me; so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abused: but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father's life Now wears his crown." (I,v,35) King Hamlet is telling his son that his murderer is wearing the King's crown. Shakespear... ...6.    Boklund, Gunnar. "Hamlet." Essays on Shakespeare. Ed. Gerald Chapman. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1965.    Epstein, Norrie. "One of Destiny's Casualties." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless to the Best of the Bard. New York: Viking Penguin, 1993. p. 332-34.    Gooch, Bryan N. S. "Review of The Shapes of Revenge: Victimization, Vengeance, and Vindictiveness in Shakespeare." Early Modern Literary Studies 4.1 (May, 1998): 5.1-6   http://purl.oclc.org/emls/04-1/rev_goo6.html.    Jorgensen, Paul A. "Hamlet." William Shakespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publ., 1985. N. pag. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.html    Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. T. J. B. Spencer. New York: Penguin, 1996.   

Philosophy Communication Barriers Essay

(a) How does James think of my intending to say something? Does he think of it as a process in consciousness? James argues that our phrasing â€Å"intended to say† is an almost wrong explanation on a subconscious or even psychic thing that it happening within our minds.   The point is that we never consciously form the words in our minds or even draw upon our memory banks to call to mind images of the thing that we mean to say. Instead, it is an unconscious function of the mind that we hear something and choose to respond to it with some form of language. In the event that the language we choose is wrong, we often react with the phrase. â€Å"What I meant to say was†¦Ã¢â‚¬  James argues that this happens when the precognition of our own mind fails to work rapidly enough to anticipate the reaction of the person we are speaking to and choose the proper words to convey to a thought stream to that specific person. On the most basic level, it means that our minds did not act quickly enough to substitute the proper word into a sentence. For example, imagine talking to your best friend about her sister. The intended sentence would be, â€Å"How’s she doing?† As the speaker you would not have planned out the conversation or thought specifically about what to ask, but when you speak and say, â€Å"How’s he doing?† the immediate response is to say, ‘I meant she. How’s she doing?’ there is never a point at which the conscious mind stops and chooses the words to use. This might therefore make an interesting discussion for linguists and psychologists to determine how speech actually happens. James argues that it is a subconscious thing, which implies then that speech is a learned ability you can train the subconscious mind. Take for example learning to speak another language fluently.   Teachers argue that you cannot speak another language fluently until you can think in that language. The premise is basically the same as what James has argues. If you are completely fluent in the language and someone asks,   â€Å"Que es el nombre del gato?† You will be responding with the cat’s name before the image of the cat is even called to mind. If you are less than fluent, you will need to translate the question before you can answer, thus moving the response from the subconscious speech centers to the conscious mind. [(b) Can the arguments Wittgenstein employs against the idea that understanding words is a conscious process be adapted to show that intending or meaning to say words is not a conscious process that begins before I say them   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Wittgenstein argues that the meaning of a word is defined as we use it, not by some memory flash card system begun when we are children.   This then would explain in English the tendency to crease euphemisms and phrases which cannot be translated literally based on the presumed meaning of the individual world. To use his argument, if language were a conscious thing, human speech patterns would always be precise and would never relay on simile, metaphor or any other form of literary device. Instead, in essence, he is arguing that because language to create imagery that is not a specific reflection of the exact meaning of what is said, it is a subconscious action. Likewise then, if the use of language is subconscious and not dependent on a specific meaning when a word is chosen, Wittgenstein’s argument can easily be developed to explain that the use of words or even the development of an answer is not necessarily a conscious thing. Think of it as a sort of language autopilot. Our subconscious mind understands what is being discussed and how to respond to it before the conscious mind has a chance to understand the nature of the question. Therefore, the subconscious mind can formulate a response and begin it before the conscious mind starts to speak. In the event that the conscious mind disrupts the process and inserts its own words, the subconscious mind can send it a message that says, ‘What I meant to say was†¦.† c) James claims that intending to say something is or provides an anticipation or premonition (=knowledge in advance) of the words I will say or think. Do Wittgenstein’s remarks in section. 187-192 show that James is laboring under some misunderstanding about this? Explain. Wittgenstein’s remarks indicate that James is misunderstanding the functioning of the mind by calling the natural process of communication between the conscious and subconscious premonition. He would argue that the act of speech is a sort of subconscious act, with only specific forms of speech coming from the conscious mind. If both parts of the mind are working in proper harmony, the subconscious can formulate and plan a response long before the conscious mind can even think about it. However, this is not a self-premonition or anything as supernatural as James might be implying. Instead, it is a factor of the understanding of the human brain and how it works. Since the body cannot, by definition, understand the workings of the subconscious, we simply must accept that these incidences occur when the subconscious works more rapidly than the conscious mind.   Wittgenstein argues that this is not a premonition, but simply evidence that the mind works much faster than we appreciate. 2.) P. F. Strawson writes: States or experiences†¦owe their identity as particulars to the identity of the person whose states and experiences they are. From this it follows immediately that if they can be identified as particular states and experiences at all, they must be possessed†¦in such a way that it is logically impossible that a particular state or experience in fact possessed by someone should have been possessed by anyone else. The requirements of identity rule out logical transferability of ownership. [Individuals, p. 97] (a) Briefly describe Wittgenstein’s treatment of the idea that â€Å"another person can’t have my pains† in Philosophical Investigations Section 253. (Describe the aims and strategy of his remarks.)[ Wittgenstein disagrees with Strawson, with a tongue-in-cheek sarcasm to illustrate that in the event of Siamese twins, two people could share the exact same pain. Ultimately, though his goal is to demonstrate that identity is not as important to the identification of pain as far as location and intensity. Whether a person has the exact same headache that you are having is not nearly as relevant as the fact that they have had a headache in the past and can therefore commiserate with the pain that you are feeling.   In essence, he is arguing that the sameness of the pain is also irrelevant. When discussing the human condition, it is more important to draw parallels between like circumstances than to throw up semi-rational boundaries such as the identifiers that Strawson used. While it may technically, maybe, be impossible for more than one other person to feel the exact same pain that you are feeling, in the human nature of inexact speech we often use the phrase â€Å"same pain† to indicate that we have been in similar circumstances. Drawing unnecessary barriers by pointing out that our individuality will affect the way that we feel pain does nothing to promote a greater understanding of pain, the nature of the individual, the nature of empathy or the human condition. If Strawson were attempting to define the uniqueness of the individual, his commentary might have been relevant, but in a discussion about the nature of pain, it is divisive and irrelevant. The point is to discuss the sameness of the human condition in that while we may have different understandings of pain, we can interrelate via the concept of pain. For example, two women with menstrual cramps may not be experiencing the same intensity of pain or even the same location, but they can relate based on the similar circumstance. (b) Do observations like those in his PhilosophicalRemarks *2 account for all the ways we use the expression (same) pain?] Wittgenstein’s examples via Philosophical Remarks perhaps do not go far enough in disavowing Strawson’s claims, but he does make a good start. By arguing that the criteria of identifying the sameness of pain involves location and intensity as criteria rather than identity of the person feeling the pain, Wittgenstein effectively argues that Strawson’s claim is false. What he fails to discuss are the non-physical sources of pain and whether they can be the same pain or if Strawson is closer to the mark when using inaccurate language to describe emotional trauma. But here too, if Wittgenstein had desired, he could argue that Strawson’s claim is fundamentally flawed. Again, we go first to the example of identical twins that are raised together. Though there might be some differences in their emotional makeup, for the most part, they are going to feel emotional pain in the same way. But even if we forgo the genetic aspect ad simply discuss emotion as an end result of experience, it seems ludicrous to assume that each of the six billion people on the planet will have experienced life in a completely unique way and will therefore never have the same pain as another person. (c) Push Wittgenstein’s investigation one step further. We say things like this: â€Å"I had two bad headaches today: one in the morning and one in the afternoon†. What are â€Å"criteria† for sameness and difference in such cases? The primary criteria for sameness and difference in this case would be the location of the headache and its intensity. For example, a tension headache might begin at the base of the spine and radiate upward, a sinus headache might begin just below the eyes and a migraine might be a throbbing in the temples. Each can be described as a bad headache depending on the severity and each is unique in its location. However, often people who are prone to headaches will have them in the same location and are given to saying, â€Å"I had that same headache again† to indicate to the listeners that this is a recurring problem in the same location with the same intensity. When language is used precisely, this is an inexact statement, but if the primary purpose of language is to convey meaning to the listener, this can be a much simpler way of saying â€Å"I have a headache again in the same spot as I did yesterday and it hurts the same amount.† Much like with the other discussion, Wittgenstein seems to be challenging his fellow philosophers regarding their choice and use of the language. Because the language itself is inexact, making a claim simply based on the language usage is invalid. (d) Do these cases vindicate Strawson? I do not believe these issues vindicate Strawson at all. It appears that he was doing exact what Wittgenstein was trying to warn against: he was using an imprecise example of language to erect a barrier to human empathy that need not exist. Generally speaking, when a person uses the phrases, â€Å"I feel your pain† it is to indicate that I have been in a similar circumstance and have felt pain because of it. As such, I can empathize with your pain. However, people simply do not talk that way and to expect them to do so is illogical. Therefore, Wittgenstein rebukes Strawson, fairly gently, trying to make him understand that the same is not always the same.   It makes perfect sense when you consider the propensity in English to use the phrase â€Å"exactly the same†. Though sameness implies that two things are alike, we have learned to differentiate between things that are similar and thus the same in casual conversation and things that are identical.

Truman Show Essay

Peter Weirs 1998 film The Truman Show is a metaphor for modern society, it focuses on the way the media manipulates reality. We are complicit in that manipulation and also victims of it. The film challenges us to critique the media and extricate ourselves from the â€Å"reality† it surrounds us with. The Truman Show tells us about life and reality, it portrays from what is real and what is a fantasy. Truman’s world is somewhat like our own world because of the way things are perceived and approached. Everyone expects and wants a true reality and build things around a world that we all seem to want and truly believe in.This is a similar case to what Christof seemingly tried to create, however it was more forced and mannered compared to what the worlds view and society’s form of a world would be like. We all expect things to be perfect; however nothing can be too perfect. There has always got to be imperfections or something going wrong. In a way we are set up, nat urally you’re always going to want something, but when you see something better you want that instead; it’s the same with wanting things that you can never get. The concept is the same.It’s that lust of just wanting to be accepted into the world accordingly to what society approves of, just that feeling of wanting to be accepted into the world. In Truman’s case, everything was controlled. From staging to lighting, friendships, and relationships and just how absolutely everything was set out. It was a manifested stage; the perfect little world where everything was always right. In our world, reality; we try and make it the same, however things don’t go our way all the time which causes the little caresses in time and change, completely flipping a scenario around therefore causing things to go unexpected.Not as planned and not as we have hoped. We are controlled by forces that we cannot handle such as the push and gravitational pull. The earthâ€℠¢s atmosphere and weather, our love and emotions. Little things like this that has such a big impact into the world; our world and our reality. The media plays a big role in both our world and Truman’s world. We are impacted by it every day and most don’t seem to notice. We rely on it a lot and we all seem to revolve around the media always wondering and dependent so we know what to expect next.The media plays an important role in The Truman Show because it is a set up world. The way that Christof has made it to be, to advertise to the viewers watching his show. Almost every way that it is staged out, there is a product being sold or just the way that they talk to each other is fake, you can tell that it’s been scripted and Truman is really only oblivious to this because he chose to believe that this is his real world and this is what it is made out to be until he has suspicions into what is really occurring.In our world, the media somewhat plays a similar part. We rely on it to get our information. It can be used for good and bad. There really is not telling in what to expect next coming from the media as they are so unexpected and mysterious. As it is, we are a lot like the viewers of the Truman show because we support the media industry. We are keeping the industry going by encouraging it and egging it to go on. The media is our form of entertainment and it’s almost our crucial bit of daily medicine, like we must take some in each day in order to survive and go on.We rely on the media as much as it relies on us to keep it running. In modern society we accept whatever goes on and most of the time approve and agree of whatever the media is saying, posting or filming; either broadcasting online or offline. It has become so relevant in our world and especially to this generation. We are like the viewers of the Truman Show because whatever the media plays, and we watch it is just another form of entertainment for us and the peopleâ₠¬â„¢s lives that they intrude on is merely a form of enjoyment to our eyes.

Graduate Admissions Essay Dos and Donts

Graduate Admissions Essay Dos and Don'ts Nearly all applicants to graduate school are required to submit one or several admissions essays, sometimes referred to as personal statements. This component of the graduate admissions application permits the admissions committee to see beyond the statistics to see you as a person apart from your GPA and GRE scores. This is your chance to stand out so make sure that your admissions essay truly reflects you. An essay that is truthful, appealing, and motivating can increase your chances of acceptance but a poor admissions essay can eliminate opportunities. How do you write the most appealing and effective admissions essay possible? Admissions Essay Dos Prepare an outline and create a draft.Answer all the questions asked.Make sure your essay has a theme or a thesis.Provide evidence to support your claims.Make your introduction unique.Write clearly and make sure it is easy to read.Be honest, confident, and be yourself.Be interesting and positive.Make sure your essay is organized, coherent, and concise.Write about yourself and use examples from your own life experiences.Use a mixture of long and short sentences.Discuss your future goals.Mention any hobbies, past jobs, community service, or research experience.Speak in the first person (I†¦).Mention weaknesses without making excuses.Discuss why youre interested in the school and/or program.Show, don’t tell (Use examples to demonstrate your abilities).Ask for help.Proofread and revise your statement at least 3 times.Have others proofread your essay. Admissions Essay Donts: Have any grammar or spelling errors. (Proofread!)Be wordy or use jargon (don’t try to impress the readers by using big words).Swear or use slang.Digress or be repetitive.Be boring (ask someone to read your essay).Generalize.Include cliches or gimmicks.Be comical (a little humor is okay but remember it can be misconstrued).Be defensive or arrogant.Complain.Preach.Focus on other individuals.Discuss politics or religion.Make lists of accomplishments, awards, skills, or personal qualities (Show, don’t tell).Write a term paper or an autobiography.Summarize your resume.Include information already cited on the application.Forget to proofread.

Biography of Marco Polo, Famous Explorer

Biography of Marco Polo, Famous Explorer Marco Polo was an inmate in the Genoese prison at the Palazzo di San Giorgio from 1296 to 1299, arrested for commanding a Venetian galley in a war against Genoa. While there, he told tales of his travels through Asia to his fellow prisoners and the guards alike, and his cellmate Rustichello da Pisa wrote them down. Once the two were released from prison, copies of the manuscript, titled The Travels of Marco Polo, captivated Europe. Polo told tales of fabulous Asian courts, black stones that would catch on fire (coal), and Chinese money made out of paper. Ever since people have debated the question: Did Marco Polo really go to China, and see all of the things he claims to have seen? Early Life Marco Polo was probably born in Venice, although there is no proof of his place of birth, around 1254 CE. His father Niccolo and uncle Maffeo were Venetian merchants who traded on the Silk Road; little Marcos father left for Asia before the child was born, and would return when the boy was a teenager. He may not have even realized that his wife was pregnant when he left. Thanks to enterprising merchants such as the Polo brothers, Venice flourished at this time as the major trading hub for imports from the fabulous oasis cities of Central Asia, India, and far-off, wondrous Cathay (China). With the exception of India, the whole expanse of Silk Road Asia was under the control of the Mongol Empire at this time. Genghis Khan had died, but his grandson Kublai Khan was Great Khan of the Mongols as well as the founder of the Yuan Dynasty in China. Pope Alexander IV announced to Christian Europe in a 1260 papal bull that they faced wars of universal destruction wherewith the scourge of Heavens wrath in the hands of the inhuman Tartars [Europes name for the Mongols], erupting as it were from the secret confines of Hell, oppresses and crushes the earth. For men such as the Polos, however, the now stable and peaceful Mongol Empire was a source of wealth, rather than of hell-fire. Young Marco Goes to Asia When the elder Polos returned to Venice in 1269, they found that Niccolos wife had died and left behind a 15-year-old son named Marco. The boy must have been surprised to learn that he was not an orphan, as well. Two years later, the teenager, his father, and his uncle would embark eastward on another great journey. The Polos made their way to Acre, now in Israel, and then rode camels north to Hormuz, Persia. On their first visit to Kublai Khans court, the Khan had asked the Polo brothers to bring him oil from the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, which Armenian Orthodox priests sold in that city, so the Polos went to the Holy City to buy the consecrated oil. Marcos travel account mentions various other interesting peoples along the way, including Kurds and Marsh Arabs in Iraq. Young Marco was put off by the Armenians, considering their Orthodox Christianity a heresy, puzzled by Nestorian Christianity, and even more alarmed by the Muslim Turks (or Saracens). He admired the beautiful Turkish carpets with the instincts of a merchant, however. The naive young traveler would have to learn to be open-minded about new peoples and their beliefs. On to China The Polos crossed into Persia, through Savah and the carpet-weaving center of Kerman. They had planned to sail to China via India but found that the ships available in Persia were too rickety to be trusted. Instead, they would join a trade caravan of two-humped Bactrian camels. Before they departed from Persia, however, the Polos passed by the Eagles Nest, scene of Hulagu Khans 1256 siege against the Assassins or Hashshashin. Marco Polos account, taken from local tales, may have vastly exaggerated the fanaticism of the Assassins. Nevertheless, he was very happy to descend the mountains and take the road toward Balkh, in northern Afghanistan, famed as the ancient home of Zoroaster or Zarathustra. One of the oldest cities on earth, Balkh did not live up to Marcos expectations, primarily because Genghis Khans army had done its best to erase the intransigent city from the face of the Earth. Nonetheless, Marco Polo came to admire Mongol culture, and to develop his own obsession with Central Asian horses (all of them descended from Alexander the Greats mount Bucephalus, as Marco tells it) and with falconry - two mainstays of Mongol life. He also began to pick up the Mongol language, which his father and uncle already could speak well. In order to get to the Mongolian heartlands and Kublai Khans court, however, the Polos had to cross the high Pamir Mountains. Marco encountered Buddhist monks with their saffron robes and shaved heads, which he found fascinating. Next, the Venetians traveled toward the great Silk Road oases of Kashgar and Khotan, entering the fearsome Taklamakan Desert of western China. For forty days, the Polos trudged across the burning landscape whose very name means you go in, but you dont come out. Finally, after three and a half years of hard travel and adventure, the Polos made it to the Mongol court in China. In Kublai Khans Court When he met Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, Marco Polo was just 20 years old. By this time he had become an enthusiastic admirer of the Mongol people, quite at odds with the opinion in most of the 13th century Europe. His Travels notes that They are those people who most in the world bear work and great hardship and are content with little food, and who are for this reason suited best to conquer cities, lands, and kingdoms. The Polos arrived in Kublai Khans summer capital, called Shangdu or Xanadu. Marco was overcome by the beauty of the place: The halls and rooms... are all gilded and wonderfully painted within with pictures and images of beasts and birds and trees and flowers... It is fortified like a castle in which are fountains and rivers of running water and very beautiful lawns and groves. All three of the Polo men went to Kublai Khans court and performed a kowtow, after which the Khan welcomed his old Venetian acquaintances. Niccolo Polo presented the Khan with the oil from Jerusalem. He also offered his son Marco to the Mongol lord as a servant. In the Khans Service Little did the Polos know that they would be forced to remain in Yuan China for seventeen years. They could not leave without Kublai Khans permission, and he enjoyed conversing with his pet Venetians. Marco, in particular, became a favorite of the Khans  and incurred a lot of jealousy from the Mongol courtiers. Kublai Khan was extremely curious about Catholicism, and the Polos believed at times that he might convert. The Khans mother had been a Nestorian Christian, so it was not so great a leap as it might have appeared. However, conversion to a western faith might have alienated many of the emperors subjects, so he toyed with the idea but never committed to it. Marco Polos descriptions of the wealth and splendor of the Yuan court, and of the size and organization of Chinese cities, struck his European audience as impossible to believe. For example, he loved the southern Chinese city of Hangzhou, which at that time had a population of about 1.5 million people. That is about 15 times the contemporary population of Venice, then one of Europes largest cities and European readers simply refused to give credence to this fact. Return by Sea By the time Kublai Khan reached the age of 75 in 1291, the Polos probably had just about given up hope that he would ever allow them to return home to Europe. He also seemed determined to live forever. Marco, his father, and his uncle finally got permission to leave the Great Khans court that year, so that they could serve as escorts of a 17-year-old Mongol princess who was being sent to Persia as a bride. The Polos took the sea route back, first boarding a ship to Sumatra, now in Indonesia, where they were marooned by changing monsoons for 5 months. Once the winds shifted, they went on to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and then to India, where Marco was fascinated by Hindu cow-worship and mystical yogis, along with Jainism and its prohibition on harming even a single insect. From there, they voyaged on to the Arabian Peninsula, arriving back at Hormuz, where they delivered the princess to her waiting bridegroom. It took two years for them to make the trip from China back to Venice; thus, Marco Polo likely was just about to turn 40 when he returned to his home city. Life in Italy As imperial emissaries and savvy traders, the Polos returned to Venice in 1295 laden with exquisite goods. However, Venice was embroiled in a feud with Genoa over control of the very trade routes that had enriched the Polos. Thus it was that Marco found himself in command of a Venetian war galley, and then a prisoner of the Genoese. After his release from prison in 1299, Marco Polo returned to Venice and continued his work as a merchant. He never went traveling again, however, hiring others to make expeditions instead of taking on that task himself. Marco Polo also married the daughter of another successful trading family and had three daughters. In January of 1324, Marco Polo died at the age of about 69. In his will, he freed a Tartar slave who had served him since his return from China. Although the man had died, his story lived on, inspiring the imaginations and adventures of other Europeans. Christopher Columbus, for example, had a copy of Marco Polos Travels, which he notated heavily in the margins. Whether or not they believed his stories, the people of Europe certainly loved to hear about the fabulous Kublai Khan and his wondrous courts at Xanadu and Dadu (Beijing). Sources Bergreen, Laurence. Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu, New York: Random House Digital, 2007. â€Å"Marco Polo.† Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 15 Jan. 2019, www.biography.com/people/marco-polo-9443861. Polo, Marco. The Travels of Marco Polo, trans. William Marsden, Charleston, SC: Forgotten Books, 2010. Wood, Frances. Did Marco Polo Go to China?, Boulder, CO: Westview Books, 1998.

D.B.H. or Diameter Breast Height Tree Measure

D.B.H. or Diameter Breast Height Tree Measure A trees diameter at your breast or chest height is the most common tree measurement made on a tree by tree professionals. It is also called DBH for short. The only other measurement made of a tree as important is a trees total and merchantable height. This diameter is measured over the outside bark using a diameter tape at the point foresters call breast height. Breast height is specifically defined as a point around the trunk at 4.5 feet (1.37 meters in metric using countries) above the forest floor on the uphill side of the tree. For the purposes of determining breast height, the forest floor includes the duff layer that may be present  but does not include unincorporated woody debris that may rise above the ground line. It may assume a 12-inch stump in commercial forests. DBH has traditionally been the sweet spot on a tree where measurements are taken and where a multitude of calculations are made to determine things like growth, volume, yield and forest potential. This spot at breast level is a convenient way of measuring a tree without the need to bend your waist or climb up a ladder to take the measurement. All growth, volume and yield tables are calculated to correspond with DBH. How to Measure DBH There are at least three devices you can use to measure a tree diameter. The most commonly used device is a diameter tape that reads directly into a measurement of diameter in given increments of your prefered unit of measurement (inches or millimeters). There are calipers that will hug the tree and the measurement is read using the caliper scale. There is also the Biltmore stick that is designed to use a sighting angle at a given distance from the eye and reads the left and right trunk sighting. Measuring the diameter of a normally shaped tree is straightforward. There are other situations where measuring DBH should be handled differently. Measuring a forked tree below DBH: Measure the tree diameter just below the fork swell. The measurement should be made at the normal spot if the tree forks above DBH.Measuring multiple stems from ground root sprouts: Measure each stem diameter at diameter breast height.Measuring a straight tree on a slope: Measure dbh at the upper side of the slope.Measuring a leaning tree: Measure the diameter at 4.5 feet from the base and up the lean.Measuring a Swelling Tree Base or Buttress: Measure the tree just above the swell. If the buttress stops before DBH, measure as usual.

Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final Project - Essay Example There are factors that urged the citizens to be more aware of the lifestyle they possessed as they are becoming much more concern on their food and nutrition intakes, considering the widespread of overweight individuals, nourishment of food that prevent illnesses, and many more. The main thrust of this report is to analyze a 3-day diet using the MyDietAnalysis program, specifying actual vs. recommended intakes and activity summary with the given motivation codes. Analysis of My 3-day Diet To analyze my nutrition habits and evaluate my own diet, I have organized a 3-day diet and entered it into the MyDietAnalysis program. See appendix A for my diet menu showing my food and beverages intake for 3 days in a row. Specifically, these include the corresponding meal (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack), quantity, units, and code motivation. This activity has allowed me to closely observe my eating habits in order to meet the daily nutritional requirement. Furthermore, during the 3-day diet, I have performed various exercises. Exercising proves to strengthen health in the long run (Schmidt, 2002). In particular, habitual physical actions proved to be safe and capable in improving health conditions (Biller, 2002). Among the exercises I have performed include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, bicycling, and playing badminton. After consuming the specific meal and having a moderate exercise, I felt more relaxed and less anxious. Logue (2004) noted that skipping meals greatly affects an individual’s thinking skills and overall performance. Personally, the food and beverages that are included in my diet have improved my performance in school and after-school activities. For the diet program, I kept track of my daily nutrients intake, including the amount of fiber, calories, protein, and many more. Table 1 below shows the actual intake versus recommended intake with the corresponding components and percentages. The data illustrate the amount of nutrient s in my 3-day diet with the equivalent recommended percentage. Table 1: Actual Intake vs. Recommended Intake Calories 1,033.652,329.66 = 44% Vitamin A –RAE (mcg) 237.94700.00 = 34% Calories from Fat 348.40652.30 = 53% Beta-carotene (mcg) 536.92 = 63% Calories from Sat Fat 129.86209.67 = 62% Vitamin B1 - Thiamin (mg) 0.461.10 = 42% Protein (g) 56.1561.69 = 91% Vitamin B2 –Riboflavin (mg) 0.541.10 = 49% Carbohydrates (g) 118.95320.33 = 37% Vitamin B3 - Niacin (mg) 10.2114.00 = 73% Sugar (g) 31.49 Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.791.50 = 52% Dietary Fiber (g) 11.1432.62 = 34% Vitamin B12 (mcg) 2.412.40 = 100% Soluble Fiber (g) 0.16 Vitamin C (mg) 43.3575.00 = 58% Insoluble Fiber (g) 0.58 Vitamin D - mcg (mcg) 4.0315.00 = 27% Fat (g) 38.7172.4853% Vitamin E -Alpha Toc. (mg) 0.9315.00 = 6% Saturated Fat (g) 14.4323.30 = 62% Folate (mcg) 57.79400.00 = 14% Trans Fat (g) 0.07 Calcium (mg) 243.371,200.00 = 20% Mono Fat (g) 4.9925.89 = 19% Iron (mg) 6.298.00 = 79% Poly Fat (g) 2.2323.30 = 10% Magnesium (mg) 101.53320.00 = 32% Cholesterol (mg) 281.73300.00 = 94% Phosphorus (mg) 374.25700.00 = 53% Water (g) 681.562,700.00 = 25% Potassium (mg)1,133.884,700.00 = 24% Selenium (mcg) 35.79 Omega-3 (g) 0.35, Omega-6 (g) 1.75 Sodium (mg) 1,618.681,300.001 = 25% Alcohol (g) 0.00 Zinc (mg) 3.008.00 = 37% Caffeine (mg) 0.00 Recommended intake per day. In my 3-day diet program, I have taken less than 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals.

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Frankenstein or the modern prometheus - Essay Example The defiance that Frankenstein displays in the novel, of the natural laws and the divine modes of creation makes him a modern-day Prometheus. This paper shall also seek to show the importance of this analogy to the Romantics. Revolution against established authority was one of the major concerns of the Romantics, who sought to express this concern in their literary creations. Mary Shelley’s own concerns regarding male authority can also be seen in this analogy that is a conscious device within her work. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS Victor Frankenstein, a Modern Prometheus The character of Victor Frankenstein has intrigued critics since the time of the publication of the novel, Frankenstein. Derided by some as a blasphemous character who seeks to appropriate the functions of God and meets his just end by the end of the novel, Frankenstein has also been compared to the mythic character of Prometheus for the defiance that he exhibits by the very act of creation that h e commits. By doing so, he challenges the authority of the Christian god, very much like Prometheus, who questions the right of Zeus to withhold knowledge from mankind. Rebellious figures both, Frankenstein goes one step ahead and actually attempts to appropriate the functions and powers that are conventionally associated with God. Modeling a character on Prometheus is part of an ethos that supports revolution and liberty. This was the prevalent ethos amongst the writers who were a part of the Romantic movement in England during the nineteenth century. By explicitly stating the analogy between Frankenstein and Prometheus, Mary Shelley erases any doubt as to the nature of the character of Frankenstein. The use of the figure of Prometheus for revolutionary purposes can be seen in the work of another writer of this period, P.B. Shelley. Mary Shelley’s husband, in his poem Prometheus Unbound portrays his main character Prometheus as a long-suffering revolutionary who finally mana ges the overthrow of the tyrant Jupiter (Shelley, 2001). The influence of the VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS ideas of her husband can definitely be seen in the work of Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, even while he is performing his scientific experiments, is aware of the blasphemous nature of it. When he says, A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. (Shelley, 2003, p. 36), he proves that he knows his aspirations: become capable of something that only God was capable of. In an act that would provide mankind with the secret of life and death, Frankenstein is similar to Prometheus who aimed to do something very similar through his theft of fire that enabled man to raise himself above the savage state in which he had existed till then. For their crimes, both the characters are separated from their fellow-beings and are tortured by a providential authority, which seems to be a punishment for transgression. Prometheus undergoes separation from his beloved in a manner that is similar to that of Frankenstein’s misery at the death of the members of his family. A thirst for knowledge and the urge to discover what is new characterizes both Frankenstein and Prometheus. Frankenstein is engaged in the constant pursuit of new experiences and it is only when his torture at the hands of his creature begins that he retracts VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, A MODERN PROMETHEUS from his policy of acquiring new knowledge. Similarly, Prometheus’s attempts to steal fire are born out of a thirst for knowledge. Apart from this thirst for knowle

Quicksand, Identity, and Women's Experience Essay

Quicksand, Identity, and Women's Experience - Essay Example The thesis also tries to compare the work with a similar novel by Larsen which is more or less of the same concept. It then concludes by taking into consideration the criticism in both novels. The thesis shows how both novels portray female characters in three dimensions: they are original, capable of independence, and have a common tragic fate. Class, Race, and Gender in â€Å"Quicksand† â€Å"Quicksand† explores the ways women’s identities are represented through the struggle of Helga to find her place in the contemporary society. She struggles against sexual objectification and exploitation. Through Helga’s fight for sexual autonomy, the book illustrates two stereotypes of African American females which prevail throughout the literature. The novel depicts limitations of stereotypes held across Europe and the United States. The stereotypes’ pervasiveness is conveyed via constant change of settings. For instance, it criticizes reactionary stereotyp es that treated sex with reticence and caution to counterbalance literary and social myths about sexuality of the black women. Helga flees and faces assimilationism and school internalized racism. In Harlem, the novel exposes how the white culture exploits the culture of African American. Helga flees again as she fears sexual objectification. ... The stereotypes were shaped and established by African females in the US (French and Allyson 453). Women who were enslaved were denied their humanity and stripped off their race due to lack of autonomy. The rape legacy contributed to the ruthless exploitation female slaves, which totally deprived African American women of their sexuality. â€Å"Quicksand† connects the dehumanization and exploitation of black women’s sexuality with objectification and exploitation of African American women in the culture of Harlem renaissance. In the primitivism of e Harlem Renaissance, one can see that the USA denied African Americans their identity via enslavement. Celebration of African roots is emphasized as a way differ The Afro-Americans displayed as uncorrupted have become a metaphor. The novel illustrates the prevalence of stereotypes via Helga’s internalizing them. She rates her intelligence to be different from African American race. For instance, Helga while in Harlem v iewed the patrons of African American descent as jungle creatures. Helga felt that being white separated her from the situation of distorted childishness (Nella 59). This novel contests this setting’s unreality and illustrates the cabaret situation in the context of a broader society. Trying to adjust to the life in Harlem, Helga learns that she is an outsider and she is keen of the whites’ dominance which has an intention of intruding cabaret scene. This situation plays out the fear in Helga by personification of the taxi cabs like cabaret dancers, displaying their movements (58). Helga fears that primitive cabaret is in low esteem in the society of the white. Otherwise, they will not pay attention to the African American, which will lead to

Microfinance Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microfinance Institutions - Essay Example Between the 1950s and the 70s, governments and donors used to channel funds to the poor communities for development through rural credit programmes, with most of these funds being subsidised. The results were high loan default rates and high loses that made it impossible to reach the targeted rural poor households (Anyanwu, 2004). In the early 1980s, the history of microfinance institutions gained shape as more of these institutions sprouted in developing countries. The Grameen Bank was among the first pioneers to offer small loans and savings services to clients on a large scale with considerable profit margins. These banks did not have any subsidies, they had highly sustainable businesses and were not commercially funded; they also had a wide outreach in such rural areas (Robinson, 2001). The difference between these institutions and the credit programs rolled by governments in the 50s and 60s was that the new institutions had more emphasis on repayment of credits, charged some int erests to cater for the costs of credit delivery and had more attention on customers in the informal sectors (Jegede, kehinde & Ahmed, 2011). In the early 1990s, there was increased growth of MFIs in the number of developed institutions initiated and outreach to more customers. The 90s was the microfinance decade, with attention changing from provision of microcredit to the informal sectors to provision of more services such as savings and pensions that the poor demanded, and which led to the name microfinance institutions (Jegede, kehinde & Ahmed, 2011). Doubts on their effectiveness Though microfinance institutions were believed to benefit the poor, there are ranging debates on the effectiveness of such institutions, with major doubts on their effectiveness in eradicating poverty among rural communities. Hulme & Mosley (1996) in a study on the effectiveness of microfinance institutions observed that the poor households in most cases do not benefit from these institutions (those be low the poverty line). The institutions usually benefit those way above the poverty line, defeating the purpose of microfinance institutions in poverty reduction. Most poor individuals according to this study but with significant starting incomes, when given such microcredits had much less growth in incomes obtained compared to the groups that did not receive the microcredits. In other words, the study indicated that credit is not the only factor to be considered in income generation, but other factors such as entrepreneurial skills have to be considered. Karnani (2007) further concurs that most people do not have the skills, visions, creativity and the persistence necessary in entrepreneurship. According to Karnani, in more developed countries, over 90% of people with incomes are in employed labour and not in entrepreneurship. This suggests that it is a simplistic assumption to offer credit facilities to the poor to start successful businesses. Moreover Pollin (2007) asserts that s mall business run by the poor cannot be successful by the mere fact that they have more opportunities to obtain such credit to initiate them. There are other factors that are pertinent and which are addressed in microcredit provision in poor areas. These include roads, affordable transport to move produce and market support to identify and target customers, which is mostly ignored in such efforts (Pollin, 2007). Daley-Harris (2007) on the same note remarked that microfinance cannot be the solution to global poverty levels, and neither can education, economic growth or proper educational facilities. In other words, it is not possible to use a single intervention to address poverty across the

International marketing planning (Opening Wal-mart in Saudi Arabia) Essay

International marketing planning (Opening Wal-mart in Saudi Arabia) - Essay Example (Aruvian, 2013). Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operates retail stores worldwide under the brand name Walmart. It is a company based out of Bentonville, Arkansas, USA. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has three sections: Walmart US, Walmart International and Sam’s Club. (Aruvian, 2013). In the business end of scheme, it has operations for â€Å"retail stores, restaurants, discount stores, supermarkets, supercenters, hypermarkets, warehouse clubs, apparel stores, Sam’s Clubs, neighborhood markets, and other small formats, as well as walmart.com; and samsclub.com.† (Aruvian, 2013) The company is engaged in selling products such as â€Å"meat, produce, deli, bakery, dairy, frozen foods, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, and floral and dry grocery; health and beauty aids, baby products, household chemicals, paper goods, and pet supplies; and electronics, toys, cameras and supplies, photo processing services, cellular phones, cellular service plan contracts and prepaid service, movies , music, video games, and books. Its stores also provide stationery, automotive accessories, hardware and paint, sporting goods, fabrics and crafts, and countless other products. Further, it operates banks that provide consumer financing programs; and offers financial services and related products, including money orders, prepaid cards, wire transfers, check cashing, and bill payment.† (Aruvian, 2013) The demographics and domestic demand in Saudi Arabia encourages Retail Markets. However, it is subject to similar issues that face the retail sector globally and the market is qualified with its own set of unique situations. (David Macadam and Soraka Al-Khatib n.d) Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest and rapidly growing markets in the retail sector across the Middle East and North African Countries (MENA). (David Macadam and Soraka Al-Khatib n.d). The Nation has a strong youth population which is quissentially the target market for big Retail Stores such

Microfinance Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Microfinance Institutions - Essay Example Between the 1950s and the 70s, governments and donors used to channel funds to the poor communities for development through rural credit programmes, with most of these funds being subsidised. The results were high loan default rates and high loses that made it impossible to reach the targeted rural poor households (Anyanwu, 2004). In the early 1980s, the history of microfinance institutions gained shape as more of these institutions sprouted in developing countries. The Grameen Bank was among the first pioneers to offer small loans and savings services to clients on a large scale with considerable profit margins. These banks did not have any subsidies, they had highly sustainable businesses and were not commercially funded; they also had a wide outreach in such rural areas (Robinson, 2001). The difference between these institutions and the credit programs rolled by governments in the 50s and 60s was that the new institutions had more emphasis on repayment of credits, charged some int erests to cater for the costs of credit delivery and had more attention on customers in the informal sectors (Jegede, kehinde & Ahmed, 2011). In the early 1990s, there was increased growth of MFIs in the number of developed institutions initiated and outreach to more customers. The 90s was the microfinance decade, with attention changing from provision of microcredit to the informal sectors to provision of more services such as savings and pensions that the poor demanded, and which led to the name microfinance institutions (Jegede, kehinde & Ahmed, 2011). Doubts on their effectiveness Though microfinance institutions were believed to benefit the poor, there are ranging debates on the effectiveness of such institutions, with major doubts on their effectiveness in eradicating poverty among rural communities. Hulme & Mosley (1996) in a study on the effectiveness of microfinance institutions observed that the poor households in most cases do not benefit from these institutions (those be low the poverty line). The institutions usually benefit those way above the poverty line, defeating the purpose of microfinance institutions in poverty reduction. Most poor individuals according to this study but with significant starting incomes, when given such microcredits had much less growth in incomes obtained compared to the groups that did not receive the microcredits. In other words, the study indicated that credit is not the only factor to be considered in income generation, but other factors such as entrepreneurial skills have to be considered. Karnani (2007) further concurs that most people do not have the skills, visions, creativity and the persistence necessary in entrepreneurship. According to Karnani, in more developed countries, over 90% of people with incomes are in employed labour and not in entrepreneurship. This suggests that it is a simplistic assumption to offer credit facilities to the poor to start successful businesses. Moreover Pollin (2007) asserts that s mall business run by the poor cannot be successful by the mere fact that they have more opportunities to obtain such credit to initiate them. There are other factors that are pertinent and which are addressed in microcredit provision in poor areas. These include roads, affordable transport to move produce and market support to identify and target customers, which is mostly ignored in such efforts (Pollin, 2007). Daley-Harris (2007) on the same note remarked that microfinance cannot be the solution to global poverty levels, and neither can education, economic growth or proper educational facilities. In other words, it is not possible to use a single intervention to address poverty across the

Literature Review on Nursing Home Quality Essay

Literature Review on Nursing Home Quality - Essay Example This website contains a study on quality improvement programs in nursing homes in various states. The site claims that the purpose of this "study is to inform state and federal policymakers about state-initiated quality improvement programs, with the particular goal of providing information to states that may wish to develop similar programs in their state." An independent site that provides information on various medical facilities including nursing homes. The site contains information on quality efforts by IPRO in the state of New York alone. The site claims that "IPRO has entered into the 8th Scope of Work (SOW) as the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) for New York State. IPRO's Nursing Home Quality Improvement (NHQI) team works with nursing homes throughout the state to help improve the quality of care for nursing home residents by providing facilities with complimentary clinical resources, quality improvement materials, and, where indicated or requested, 1:1 technical support." This site provides legal information concerning nursing homes in the US. The site deals particularly with the NURSING HOME REFORM ACT OF 1987 and any information pertaining to that can be accessed on this site. It is an excellent site containing important information on elderly abuse in nursing homes. This site helps consumers identify signs of elderly abuse and directs them to seek legal help in their states. This article addreArticles The Extent of Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing Homes -- Lee and Wendling 19 (6): 255 -- American Journal of Medical Quality This article addresses the problem of quality of nursing home care, which it recognizes as a cause of concern. The article discusses in detail the Nursing Home Quality Initiative launched by the federal government, which is meant to improve quality (QI). In order to assess the effectiveness of this initiative, the article examines the preparation done for the implementation of QI. The data comes from surveys of two Kansas nursing homes and it is found that most answers are

Masculinity in Science Fiction Essay Example for Free

Masculinity in Science Fiction Essay Throughout the past couple of centuries science fiction has become one of the most popular genres worldwide. Thousands of people of different age, gender, racial and ethnical origin submerge into a world where the level of technological development is incredibly high, and where the machines often seem to dominate their creators, humans. To begin the essay we should first give the definition for what the science fiction is. So, the Wikipedia says that: â€Å"Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology upon society and persons as individuals. † Scientists have long been arguing about the reasons that make science fiction so popular among the readers. The realm, depicted in science fiction novels isn’t magical or fairy, like the fantasy world is. On the contrary, it’s often more cruel and merciless than our reality is. One of the main hypothesis is that people like to drift into the worlds of robots, intelligent machines and spaceships because there the easy ways to solving the emerging problems exist. In most of those books there is little attention paid to the human to human relations. On the contrary, the problems that are dealt in science fiction novels are rather more global than the relations between the individuals. The authors of this kind of books prefer to write about the rise and fall of the empires, about the giant wars, won or lost with the help of the mind, intrigues and power. For lots of people in our Western, highly individualistic world, reading science fiction books is one of the few ways to forget about the necessity to maintain and keep social relations with others. Nowadays, when the society allows us, its members, to open and develop our individuality freely, communication between the individuals becomes more and more complicated, as people, given the opportunity to develop the way they want, find more differences between each other, so that they have less in common with each passing year. This fact, combined with the absence of the defined standards of communication that existed in traditional societies, make communication a tough task for the contemporary people. It’s well known, that women adapt easier and faster than the man do, thus they experience less difficulties in adjusting to this new way of communication. On the contrary, men are those who sometimes experience severe troubles when some advanced form of social interaction is required. Thus, man read science fiction in order to transfer themselves in the world where mind and power decide a lot, and emotions are usually seen as something lateral and even useless. This hypothesis is confirmed by the fact that males comprise the main auditory for the books, shows and films in this genre. In order to better understand what is science fiction about, and why is it preferred by man, we’ll research the inner genres science fiction has in it. Kay Fowler offers his classification for the genres of science fiction which is: World at Risk SF and Apocalyptic Science Fiction Political/Massive War/Doomsday Weapons Disaster Alien Invasion/Conquest of Earth Plague/Disease/Epidemic Agricultural/Ecological/Population Disasters Far Future or Ancient History-Future History . Utopias/Dystopias/and in-between Utopia near utopias; ambiguous utopias, heterotopias Dystopias Alternate Earth/Alternate History (What If?) Time Travel, Time Paradoxes, Time Patrolling, Time Wars, Alternate Time Lines Religion/Theology/Anti-religion and Science Fiction Space Opera Robots, Androids, Cyborgs, Clones and Cyberbunk/Virtual Reality, Genetic Engineering, and Nanotechnology. World Building/Terraforming/Scientific and Social Inventiveness ESP/Telepathy/Psi Powers Underwater living/ocean worlds Human Colonization/Conquest of Other Worlds Feminist Science Fiction/Alternate Sexualities/Gender Benders SF with a theme of deafness or a focus on non-oral communication (Kay Fowler, Themes/Genres in Science Fiction: An idiosyncratic and woefully incomplete list) As you can note from the list above, science fiction is mostly the literature of action, the field of action for the active people, warriors, politicians and scientists, where there is little place for emotions and emotional life. Contemporary critics say that science fiction is one of the genres whose main characteristic is reflecting and reproducing masculinity, creating the specific, sometimes even perverted image of it in the minds of those who fancy this kind of literature. Of course, some researchers of the SF literature consider that: â€Å"science fiction †¦ seem(s) also to promise more freedom than do non-genre literature to imagine alternatives to the privileged assumptions of heterosexuality and masculinity that suffuse our culture », as it is noted in The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts.   But, in the reality, the authors of the SF books put â€Å"the male as the central role and in a position of power†, as it is noted in the article Science fiction’s use of Utopian and Dystopian visions of the future in relation to challenging boundaries of gender and / or sexuality. Today, when the amount of novels, stories and tales written in this genre is enormous, science fiction authors will do anything to attract the reader’s attention to their novel. Some years ago, when the SF began its rapid development, it was new and original to make the protagonist of the story female. Unfortunately, for most of the SF writers it meant only the change of setting or decorations, not touching the key points of their writings. To attract the readers’ (and, as we can recall, those are mostly males) attention they   provide their main protagonist with huge eyes and breasts, enormously long legs and a tempting smile, but inside their â€Å"heroines† are as masculine as any male monster slayer with the huge gun is. Thus, changing the decorations for their stories, the authors evade the convictions in gender discrimination, in the same time attracting new waves of male readers who are longing to read about the long-legged half-naked amazons fighting with the evil. Thus, the heroes of science fiction novels are mostly males to the marrow of their bones, and it doesn’t depend of their physical sex. Science fiction literature usually describes conflict situations, like war, ethical, racial or cultural conflicts. The protagonists of the science fiction stories are always the people of action; those who possess notable decision-making skills, and are able to actualize their choices immediately. If we analyze current researches in the field of gender psychology, a conclusion can be deduced that those qualities characterize mostly males, while women are considered to be more of the facilitators, peace makers. Stereotypical women behavior is characterized by irrationality, which’s doesn’t belong to the features that characterize this genre. A considerable part of science fiction novels and stories are characterized by the external conflict between the protagonists of the story. Of course the existing external conflict in science fiction, like in some of the other genres, is often the reflection of the internal protagonist’s conflict, but in most science fiction stories this internal clash is moved on the background of the story. Most SF stories are written for the man to allow them to drift into the world, where power and mind is the key to solving all of the existing problems. The external conflict in the story is usually characterized by the considerable amount of power the opposing characters possess, for whether it is physical or mental. Power is the key to becoming a winner in the clash, which’s the only goal the masculine protagonists usually have in mind. Another gaze into the gender psychology study book provides us with the information that the necessity to prove one’s superiority by becoming a winner in some conflict is also mainly male characteristic. Science fiction novels are usually the stories describing concrete situations, where the plot develops, and one event causes another. To cut the long story short, SF books are usually based on logical interpretation of the events. The causal consecutive ties there are usually very strong, thus there are usually little unfinished plot lines and the events that do not have any substantional meaning to the development of the plot of the story. All the technologies used in the story are scientifically validated, the principles of their operation are usually explained or understandable to the readers, in contradiction to the principles that stipulate the usage of magic in fantasy books.   One of the reasons for which less women read science fiction than man do, is the lack of the elements of decoration that make the book â€Å"alive† in women’s opinion. In the feminine literature the event that is described or the person that appeared may be introduced only in order to help the reader to feel the atmosphere of the setting described by the author. Only few of the science fiction novels hold such seemingly useless elements in them, while in all of the others â€Å"every gun that’s hanging on the wall is going to fire†, and every person appearing, and every action been committed are the basis for some further development of the plot, as Justine Larbalestier proves in his research book The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. Science fiction novels’ protagonists are also often characterized by their orientation on victory. It’s a usual pattern of action for the SF heroes to fight the things they don’t like or don’t understand. They rarely seek for the round-abouts for reaching their goals, preferring the straight and habitual way of defeating and destroying the things that prevent them from getting the needed things. Such a way of solving the problems is also mostly male characteristic. For women the strategy would rather be to understand the enemy, to find the reasons for which he’s opposing and try to get rid of them, preferably uniting their forces with the past rivals. Women tend to understand and not to fight, as destroying diverges with the basic female ideals, while creation is their field.   But, as we can note, there are fewer science fiction novels that tell about the cooperation between the aliens and people, than of those, that describe the wars between the different races. In addition, most of the novels that actually describe that cooperation show it is based on the military, political or economic needs only. Actually, the situation with the aliens’ psycho type for lots of SF writers is the same as it is with gender appurtenant of the protagonists. The description of the aliens’ phenotype is called to create the impression in the consumer’s mind that humans in the story are contacting with the creatures totally different from them, but if the reader looks closer he begins to feel himself pigeoned, as there are the same humans under the scary carnival masks. Unfortunately, only a small amount of the writers puts an effort to design the psycho type different from the humans’ one.   Of course, most of them don’t even need it, as it’s not necessary and is even harmful to research the enemy’s psychology thoroughly, as it may summon sympathy or, which’s even worse, the desire to find the reasons for the antagonist’s inappropriate behavior. Psychologists prove this is typically masculine approach to problem-solving. That’s why only a few books describe cultural cooperation between the people and aliens. Human to human cooperation has been thoroughly researched and described, so it’s ineffective to create the â€Å"human in masks† type of aliens, while creating and designing the psychology of the race much different from humans requires lots of time and effort. Science fiction got its name because of the numerous elements of scientific research and the results of progress that characterize the books written in this genre. Science is the world of rationality, of the casual-consecutive bonds, where all the events have their reasons, and provoke certain consequences, the world where the miracle is unlikely, because it deprives that world of the reality it possesses. Introducing miracle in SF novel is the same as bringing the atomic bomb into the world of the faeries and dragons. If it is done without the proper skills only the excellent writers possess, those new elements ruin the authenticity of the imaginary world, making it look like a child’s picture with the broken proportions. SF world is primordially opposite to the woman’ irrational view of the surrounding world, the place where the content is valued and the form is neglected. Most of the science fiction worlds demand their protagonist to belong to one of the two categories, either the warrior or the scientist, in order to survive in the surrounding society. Of course there are woman whose nature is of one of this two types, but for most of the females those roles are unfamiliar and unwanted. It sometimes happens in the SF that the woman have to play those roles despite of their desires or longings in order to survive, but most writers prefer to describe the beings that feel themselves comfortable in those two roles, as only than their heroes are capable of actualizing their hidden potential and revealing some of the inner qualities.   Thus they prefer to write about males, who are naturally designed to play those roles. It is also important for the science fiction protagonist to be centered on the goals put before him by the gods, doom or just the consequences, and the science fiction writers know that man are much more suitable for this role than woman are. Realistic heroine will be distracted dozens of times a day from her high mission by the cute kitty mioving, new wrinkle appeared or the handsome man walking nearby. It is also worthy of mentioning that science fiction literature rarely describes the societies where the human’s individuality is valued. For most of the heroes their surroundings are not valued for their personal qualities, but for the things they can do, thus the notion of personality is often replaced by the notion of function in the mind of the protagonist of the SF novel. This also belongs to the typical masculine qualities, described by the gender psychologists. Te contemporary world becomes more and more feminine with each passing year, and the science fiction is often used to , distract the males’ attention from this fact. Using the example of Terminator 2, Amanda Fernbach in her article The Fetishization of Masculinity in Science Fiction: The Cyborg and the Console Cowboy says that: â€Å"Ordinary masculinity lacks, and the technological Terminator represents a fetishized, idealized masculinity that is a desirable alternative. In Terminator 2, the Terminator represents an idealized phallic masculinity heavily dependent upon technofetishes to ward off the anxieties of the male spectator faced with the prospect of a future vision of castrated masculinity. Although he learns to make jokes, the Terminator admits he could never cry. He becomes more human in every way except those that display weakness or vulnerability.† Thus we can make a conclusion that science fiction is a genre designed specially for man in order to solve some of their psychological problems and satisfy some of their needs. SF is designed for man and about them, at least most of the examples are. References Fernbach, A   2000, The Fetishization of Masculinity in Science Fiction: The Cyborg and the Console Cowboy. Science Fiction Studies, Volume 27, Part 2 Fowler. K 1999, Themes/Genres in Science Fiction:   An idiosyncratic and woefully incomplete list. Ramaro College of New-Jersey. Viewed 11 May, 2005.   http://orion.ramapo.edu/~kfowler/sfthemes.html Larbalestier, J 2002, The Battle of the Sexes in Science Fiction. Wesleyan University Press Science fiction. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. Viewed 11 May, 2005  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction Science fiction’s use of Utopian and Dystopian visions of the future in relation to challenging boundaries of gender and / or sexuality. 2002,   Viewed 11 May, 2005 http://www.corneredangel.com/amwess/papers/sf_gits_esca.doc. Summers. C (ed) 2004, The Queer Encyclopedia of the Visual Arts. Cleis Press.

The Pleasure Image Of Honolulu Tourism Essay

The Pleasure Image Of Honolulu Tourism Essay When we say Hawaii, the first things that come to our mind are nice weather, sandy beaches and relaxation. For my assignment I chose the capital and largest city of Hawaii, Honolulu. The reason of choosing this heaven on earth as the convention destination is not only because of its personality as the city of pleasure, but also because Honolulu represents an economic centre and principal port of the Hawaiian Islands where business can be conducted. Due to the fact that Hawaii ranks among the top 3 destinations for leisure travel in the US, Honolulu is a location that attracts a possible event clientele. From the pleasure side, Honolulu has an agreeable year-round climate, so planned events could be held at any given time of the year. Due to the fact that Honolulu has the lowest rate of violent crime of any US city, visitors can feel safe and secure. Besides enjoying the great climate and swimming on the magnificent beaches, the spectacular views of active volcanoes on the outlying islands also represent an attraction. The wealth of natural beauty combined with the splendid volcanoes offers a truly great choice for tourists. However, regardless of all the beauty of the volcanoes, tourists primarily are coming because of sun, sea and beaches. Several beaches are covered with black and green sand, which leaves no one indifferent. Their banks are covered with finest black and green stones, which are incurred by volcanic activity. The color of the beach combined with the beautiful blue oceans is unforgettable. Honolulu is a popular tourist destination and Surfers Paradise. The most famous and popular local beach is Waikiki Beach. Waikiki Beach has numerous hotels. Above the town rises the volcanic crater Diamond Head. From the top of the volcano is a beautiful view of Honolulu and surrounding areas. A further tourist attraction is the famous military base of Pearl Harbor. Additionally, in the surrounding areas are bamboo forests. Additional places of interest are: Aloha Tower, is described as the beautiful 10-story Aloha Tower, one of Hawaiis best-known landmarks. It is built in 1926 when all travels were done by boat. The tower was created in order to make an impression for tourists during entering and leaving the harbour. Kapiolani is Honolulus largest park, which contains a zoo, an aquarium, and the well -known Waikiki Shell structure. The Honolulu Botanical Gardens which contains four gardens in and around the city. The Arizona Memorial, for the 1,100 who died during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The University of Hawaii The Bishop Museum, well-known for its studies of Polynesia. The Honolulu Academy of Arts, known for its Asian and Hawaiian collections. Kawaiahao Church (1841), where funerals for Hawaiian monarchs and nobility were held. Iolani Palace, the previous home of Hawaiis kings, which represents the only royal palace in the United States. The factors that affected the citys growth as the business centre of Hawaii are: geo-political position of Honolulu; tourism development; diversification of industry; development of harbour facilities; the achievement of an international airport; constructions of luxury hotels; natural habitats of endemic species; ores; forests and volcanoes. Because of all this, Honolulu attracts a large number of tourists yearly. The Hawaiians make several hundred billion dollars annually selling sea, sun, palm trees and its superior climate. THE BUSINESS IMAGE OF HONOLULU From the business point of view, Honolulu has the remarkable 1.1 million-square-foot Hawaiian Convention Centre. Moreover my research indicates that Honolulu has hosted conferences and events for many well-known corporations, including: The National Psychological Association National Medical Association Hawaiian State Department of Health As a result of developed tourism, the population is focused on tourism and hospitality. During the past 100 years and due to its many advantages, the island attracted investors from the United States to invest considerable sums of money in its development. Honolulus current industry foundations include tourism, followed by: federal defence expenditures; agricultural exports (chiefly pineapples); telecommunications and mining. Moreover, worthwhile mentioning industries of Honolulu are: jewellery; printing and publishing; clothing; food and beverages; rubber products; construction materials and electronics and computer equipment. Additionally, Honolulu represents the regional headquarters for many well-known companies such as: Hawaiian Airlines; Bank of Hawaii; Oahu Transit Services, Inc. and Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. In addition, this city has several colleges and universities, including the University of Hawaii-Manoa, Hawaii Pacific University and Chaminade University of Honolulu. MEETING SERVICE PROVIDERS Based on my research extra meeting service providers in Honolulu are: The Catering Connection Unlimited Inc. represents the Award Winning Catering Connection Unlimited. It offers detailed execution, superior quality, creative culinary creations and complete beverage services. Creations in Catering represent Food Services famous for creating and producing successful on-premise and off-premise catered functions and special events. Creations in Catering is Known in the industry for producing award-winning presentations, Creations in Catering has gained recognition on the international, national and local levels for its expertise and creativity. Production Hawaii is Event Rental Dà ©cor service which offers event equipment such as Clear-span structures, Canopy tents, Stages, Portable floors, Carpeting, Dance floors, Tables, Chairs, Bleachers, Air conditioners, and Pipe Drape Trade Show Booths. Anthony Calleja Photography is Production Design Service by a professional photographer and artist whose specialities include Commercial, Corporate, Events, Banquet Dinners, Conventions, Product, and Stage Performances. CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAUS SERVICES Convention and visitor bureaus are organizations which offer to the meeting planners access to a variety of services, packages and value-added extras through meeting preparation, planning and applying. The main functions of CVBs are locating meeting places, checking hotel availabilities, arranging events. The advantages that CVB facilities offer to meeting planers are: Access to a range of services and value-added extras through a bureau. Help for developing the convention schedule through the creation of pre and post-conference activities, spouse tours, and hosting of special events. Direction for products and services that will work best to accommodate clients needs and budgets. Mediatising and matching meeting needs to the products, services, and speakers available in a community. Connecting planners with the suppliers, from motorcoach companies and caterers to off-site entertainment venues. Offering information about services and facilities in the destination. Informing about local events with which your meeting may beneficially coincide (like festivals or sporting events). Providing hotel room count and meeting space statistics, keeping a convention/meetings/events calendar in order to help planners avoid conflicts and/or space shortages. Matching properties to specific meeting requirements and budgets. Work with city government to get special permits and to cut through formalities. Some of the specific services that can be offered to the meeting planners are as well: collateral material ; help with on-site logistics, including registration ; housing bureaus ; supplementary services, for example production companies, catering, transportation ; speakers and local educational opportunities ; security ; coordination of local transportation and access to special venues. Hawaii Visitors And Convention Bureau http://custom.cvent.com/33CBACD109164CAB81B5F1D8FEA72786/pix/RFP/CF55FB69F5CF4D158028D9B5B66451AA/8e9114ca3d454f94aad464c7693ef81b.jpg 2270 Kalakaua Avenue Suite 801 Honolulu HI 96815 Listing/VenueOverview.aspx?ofrgstub=cf55fb69-f5cf-4d15-8028-d9b5b66451aapnum=1so=1returl=%2fRFP%2fVenues.aspx%3fma%3d47%26vtt%3d1%26wt.mc_id%3dDG_Right_Nav%26vt%3d32ckm=L1JGUC9WZW51ZXMuYXNweD9tYT00NyZ2dHQ9MSZ3dC5tY19pZD1ER19SaWdodF9OYXYmdnQ9MzI= 21.275800 -157.823400 3 CVB According to the Hawaiian Visitors and Convention Bureau description, Hawaii is world renowned destination of breathtaking natural beauty. Despite the image of a dream destination, Honolulu is a centre of international commerce and business meetings. AVAILABLE HOTELS AND CONFERENCE CENTRES FOR SPECIAL EVENTS My research points towards available hotels and conference centres as follows: The Hawaiian Imin International Conference Centre is designed for an international audience, offering outstanding resources to produce successful events of all kinds. The Hawaiian Convention Centre is easily located closest to the hotel-plentiful Waikiki Beach, which offers more than 30,000 hotel rooms. The centre is located 7.5 miles of The Honolulu International Airport .The Hawaii Convention Centre gives to the guests opportunity to take pleasure in Hawaii from inside. As it described more than 60 percent of the centre is landscaped with palm trees and green tropical plants. The Centre includes tropical garden and waterfall. Worthwhile mentioning is the fact that the centre was voted the most beautiful convention centre in the world by the International Association of Exhibition Management and is the winner of nine consecutive Prime Site Awards. The convention center has nearly 150,000 square feet of meeting space, cutting-edge technology and delicious Hawaiian cuisine. Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa according to the description represents an ideal place for planning an event by reason of premier meeting rooms set in the heart of a tropical island getaway. The hotel as it is described features 19,500 square feet of function space, 2,050 square feet of pre function space, and 9,800 square feet of exhibit space. Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort Waikiki Beach is located in the heart of Waikiki, with short walking distance from shopping, dining, and attractions. It includes more than 12,000 square feet of gathering space provides the perfect setting for parties, weddings, or business functions. As it described, there are eight meeting rooms ranging from the intimate 780-square-foot Board Room to our 4,340-square-foot Ballroom, which can host a reception for up to 300 guests. Outdoor spaces include the simply outstanding Diamond Head Lawn Terrace with breathtaking views of Diamond Head and the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful Roof Garden and Roof Garden Lanais are ideal for small to mid-size meetings and receptions for up to 50, and our private beach perfect for a sunset wedding for up to 150 guests. Best Western The Plaza Hotel is located just half mile from Honolulu International Airport and Honolulu Military Bases.The hotel is nestled between downtown Honolulu, Waikiki and the military bases, close to some of Honolulus major business districts. The hotel has four different size banquet facilities, enabling to accommodate from 10 to 200 guests. Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki Hawaii offers excellent facilities and services as well as the perfect location for events. The Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio hotel is located in the heart of Waikiki, closed to the famous Waikiki Beach. Apart the good location, the hotel has flexible meeting facilities of 17,000 sq ft. The Doubletree Alana Hotel Waikiki is located at the entrance to Waikiki in Hawaii. As it described, hotel is four miles from downtown Honolulu, and short walk from Hawaii Convention Centre. Turtle Bay Resort represents a breathtaking background for meetings and events. Featuring 31,000 square feet of function and pre-function space it represents an ideal destination for events. THE OBSTACLES OF HONOLULU The biggest problem for the local population is constant volcanic activity, which often forced population to change residence and move the entire settlement away from active volcanoes and earthquakes, which are the results of their activities. Furthermore, a double-edged sword is the major waves that sometimes reach the height of 25 ft.   Waves are known to have destroyed the coast, particularly these associated with frequent hurricanes and tropical storms. One of the disadvantages of Honolulu is the high cost of living. Moreover, according to information given by tourists experiences, Honolulu has more cars than the Roads and Highways which can cause massive traffic. In my opinion, some of the obstacles, such as the high cost of living and the issues with the considerable traffic need to be addressed and solved. From my point of view, the costs of living should be decreased, as well as the number of cars. Furthermore, by decreasing the number of cars and developing a more organized traffic system, road congestions may be avoided. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, Honolulu interested me as a location for pleasure tourism and as an economic centre as well; what I gained from my research was that I went deeper into the analysis of the city and its facilities available for conventions and meetings. Additionally, based on my research and looking at Honolulu at the point of view of meeting planner, I learnt a lot about city facts and facilities available for organizing conventions and meeting, moreover Meeting service provides, available hotels and conference centre for special events and convention and visitor bureaus services. Feb. 6th, 2010

The Real Rochester in Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre essays

The Real Rochester in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre    John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester was one of the most infamous rakes from the Restoration period. While Wilmot’s debauched lifestyle was well recorded, his deathbed conversion became even more popular. Through these early biographies and the poetry written by Wilmot, Charlotte Bronte became familiar with this historical figure. Bronte modeled her character of Edward Rochester on Wilmot. There are many instances in the novel Jane Eyre that link the two figures. In his essay "John Wilmot and Mr. Rochester" Murray Pittock establishes the link between Rochester and Wilmot. Pittock does such a thorough job of supporting the claim that Rochester and Wilmot are related. However Pittock fails to explain why Charlotte Bronte chose to compare her Rochester to the historical Rochester. The key to understanding Bronte’s motivation in selecting John Wilmot as the model for Rochester lies in Wilmot’s deathbed confessional. By the end of his short life Wilmot repented h is immoral lifestyle. After his death, Wilmot became the focus of a number of religious tracts publishing his deathbed conversion. It is this aspect of Wilmot’s career as the rake that intrigued Bronte. In Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte not only establishes a connection between John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester, but she also links Rochester’s reform to the reform of Wilmot. However, unlike Wilmot’s reform which occurs on his deathbed, Bronte allows her character to reform and continue his life. The similarities between John Wilmot and Edward Rochester go far beyond the traits associated with the rake. Charlotte Bronte uses names for her characters that link the two characters. Wilmot’s title as the Earl of Rochester directly relates to the name of Edward Rochester. John Wilmot’s grandfather had the name Sir John St. John (Pittock 464). Edward Rochester’s main rival for Jane’s affection is St. John Rivers. Again the use of a name closely related to John Wilmot is remarkable. The repeated usage of names links the character of Edward Rochester with John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. That Charlotte Bronte would have been familiar with the second Earl of Rochester is undeniable. In his Lives of the Poets, Samuel Johnson included a biography on Wilmot. That Bronte would have been familiar with Johnson’s work can be established in the references she makes to Johnson’s novel Rasselas. Gilbert Burnet, a Scottish Bishop and famed historian, wrote Life and Death of John Rochester based on interviews he had with Wilmot on his deathbed.

Teen Pregnancy and Ways to Prevent It

Teen pregnancy is an important issue all over the country. This is an ongoing problem that must be dealt with. Teenage pregnancy can ruin a teen’s life and also the life of an infant. In this paper I will discuss the many aspects of teenage pregnancy and how it affects the life of a teenager. Each year in the US almost 1 million teens become pregnant. While the facts are clear, the issues of teenage pregnancy are complicated. Talk of sex is everywhere in our society and young girls are portrayed as sex objects. Sex is used to sell everything from clothing to news and yet people are shocked at the rising number of teenagers who are sexually active. The concern about the welfare of infants and adolescents is so much that we must move beyond the denial and distinguish effective solutions that require us to come to a solution. Nowadays it is becoming more familiar to a teenager to be engaged in sexual activities. They have unprotected sex and have multiple partners. Today’s society is more open about the subject of sex than ever before. It is all over the television, the internet, and even on the radio and in music videos. It is all over the media and therefore teens believe it is ok to be promiscuous and do not think about the consequences they could face with an unexpected pregnancy and how much it will change their lives forever. Even though the best way to prevent a pregnancy is to be abstinent, there are many teens under a lot of pressure to have sex and engage in it quite frequently. Many seek the love and affection that they normally do not get at home and they usually find it in the form of sex with whomever they can get the attention from. They usually have a poor home life or low self esteem and may just be looking for love and acceptance in the form of sex to feel loved. Teenagers need encouragement to abstain from sex all together and they need to be given more information on the prevention of pregnancy if they are to become sexually active. Teens need to constantly hear strong messages about being responsible if they decide to engage in sexual activity. Parents should be the primary givers of these messages to guide them in the right direction. If teens are given positive life options then they are given hope for their futures as well as the motivation to avoid early pregnancies. Teen pregnancy has been an issue for many years. Even with all of the education on the subject it is still an issue that continues to be on the rise. There are lots of parents that don’t sit down and talk openly with their kids about sex and all of the consequences of their actions if faced with a pregnancy. Some teens don’t have the parental guidance they need to make the right choices, either because of single parent households that the parent works so much and does not have the time or can pay as much attention to them as the teen may like or parents that just plain don’t care what their kids are doing. Some of these kids go looking for love in all the wrong places and just want to fit in anywhere they can. They don’t think of the consequences if they are making bad choices. The best way to prevent teen pregnancies is to not only teach them about abstinence but also to inform them about the risks they could face if they chose to have unprotected sex or any kind of sex at all. They should be taught all of their options about being safe if they chose to make the decision to have sex. Some of these teachings should include what protected sex is and how it not only prevents them from an unwanted pregnancy but also from STD’s. Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have jumped for the first time in more than a decade and a campaign mandated by the government to reduce the issue is faltering (Stein, 2010). There are lots of political debates on teen pregnancy and the biggest debate is whether or not the federally funded programs on teaching teens abstinence are working or not and several experts blame the increase in teen pregnancies on sex education programs that focus on encouraging abstinence (Stein, 2010), instead of also teaching the use of contraceptives. Critics also argued that the disturbing data of the rise in teen pregnancies were just the latest in a long series of indications that the focus on abstinence programs was a dismal failure (Stein). Abstinence –only programs received more than $100 million in federal funding annually and $50 million in federal funding was given to states that utilized such programs (Medical News Today). James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth thinks that abstinence-only programs deny young people life-saving information about condoms and other forms of prevention. They should be taught all of their options about being safe from an unwanted pregnancy and STD’s, because by teaching abstinence only obviously is not working. Teens don’t realize that having a baby is a lot of responsibility financially as well as physically and mentally and they are not fully prepared to take on those responsibilities. So then it either falls in the hands of the teen’s parents or in the taxpayers in the form of welfare. Many teens that get pregnant not only suffer in school or drop out but they also could face other problems such as social or mental problems. Socially teen mothers have very limited social contact or friendships because their friends have moved on in school and with their social lives. The teen mother has little or no time for a social life because all of their time is focused on their child. Another problem they face is because of the lack of social interactions it could lead to depression or some sort of mental anxiety. Teens do have many options if they are faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Many unfortunately have abortions. There is also the option of giving the baby up for adoption; this would be the best option as it gives another family the chance at raising a child that they otherwise could not have of their own. That child may grow up very healthy and happy as opposed to growing up unwanted and possibly in poverty. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists adolescent mothers are significantly less likely to receive a high school diploma than teens that wait to have sex. They are also more likely to live in poverty, receive public assistance, and have long periods of welfare dependency. (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). Teen Childbearing in the US costs federal, state, and local taxpayers at least $9. billion annually (Hoffman). Other issues of teen pregnancy is that it can be physically difficult for a teen girl to go through a pregnancy because she is still growing herself and her body may not be able to take the physical demand of being pregnant. They are less likely to seek medical attention such as prenatal care because many are afraid to tell their parents and it could prolong the much needed early prenatal care and if there are problems in the pregnancy, they could have been avoided with early care. Other problems could be that the teen may have been smoking or drinking or doing drugs at the time of conception and those things could be harmful to the baby. In turn if the baby is harmed there will more likely be added medical expenses before during and even after delivery. Some of the most obvious consequences of a teenage pregnancy is that the baby will not receive the adequate support it needs either financially or emotionally because the mother or father has not fully matured and usually has dropped out of school to take a meaningless job that pay minimum wage. Often times the baby will suffer from emotional problems ecause the parent or parents also have emotional problems from not being mature enough to raise a child. Some teenagers feel burdened by the child because they never had the chance to live out their teenage years and many times the child of these parents could feel this resentment. Another negative aspect could be that the children of teenage parents could suffer from neglect because the parent hasn’t matured enough to recognize the need for proper nutrition, or medical care or the child is usually left in the care of others while they go out, regardless of whether that person is trustworthy or not. Children of teenage mothers have significantly higher odds of placement in certain special education classes and significantly higher occurrence of milder education problems, but when maternal education, marital status, poverty level, and race are controlled, the detrimental effects disappear and even some protective effects are observed (Sams). In conclusion a teenager is not fully equipped to care for a child and there could be devastating consequences for that child to be raised by a teenager whether it is because of financial burdens or emotional problems. Teenagers need to be made aware of all of these consequences and what could happen to them if they make the wrong choice of having sex before they are ready. References http://www.articlealley.com/article_479589_17.html