Regrets Case Essay

I regret not doing a lot of things in life like telling that bully in the third grade that I was not afraid of him or telling a teacher that I really appreciated all she had done for me.   The one regret that I have that has really changed where I am in my life when I messed up an opportunity that I was given to be a â€Å"third key† manager at a high end retail establishment shortly after graduating from high school. I did not get the position because I failed a urine screening for drugs.   I had smoked a little pot (three puffs to be exact) a few days prior to my interview in â€Å"celebration† of this opportunity as my friends and I hung out and partied.   I had no idea at the time that a little pleasurable puff of paradise (39) from this marijuana cigarette would end the most promising career opportunity that I may ever have had.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After gradating from high school, I was on top of the world and loving life.   My life was like a box of chocolates (25), full of delicious and hidden opportunities.   I landed an interview for an amiable administrator’s (57) position and everything went well during the interview.   I was offered the job upon condition of a passed drug urine screening.   Drug urine screening?(12).   Say what?!   I had never had one of those before, probably because I had never had a job worthy enough of expelling urine for someone to analyze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Not only was I highly unprepared for this condition of my employment, but I was actually surprisingly very sure that I was going to pass the screening despite the fact that I had smoked some marijuana three days earlier (58).   At the time, I was unaware of how long drug traces remained in my system, so I thought I would be good to go, but deep down, something did not feel quite right.   Another part of me told me that I was going to lose this once in a lifetime opportunity (55) due to a stupid choice that I made one night to party and get high with my friend Andy (69).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Why didn’t I just say no, as all the commercials and billboards had been urging me to do for years (24)?   There is only one logical reason, and that is because I was stupid.   No, that is not a logical reason; that is a lame excuse.   I did it because I was selfish (17).   I was more worried about my image at the time than my own future (19).   Selfish†¦selfish†¦selfish (47).   And stupid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Losing the job that I had wanted so badly and that could have made a real difference in my life was highly disturbing.   I disappointed myself in the worst way.   I ended up working several mediocre jobs after that.   However, as the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade (51).   So, I made lemonade all the way to college.   Here I can advance my pool of job opportunities (20) and with the pool of knowledge that I already posses from previous mistakes, I will be able to do more than make lemonade.   I can make a better career for myself and can become a better person.

Debut albums, Life Essay

This is a phrase, a philosophy phrase that is about living, daily living. But what do you think it really means or should we say what is the hidden meaning about it? Why just living is not enough? Living is not enough because we need to experience all the things we can. Simple as to explore the world or the things that was given to us by our beloved GOD. We need to experience all good, better and best, bad, worse and worst. From worst to best to know what the word LIFE truly means. It also doesn’t mean we need to do crimes in order to experience bad things, it’s just like problems, wounds and etc. We and I consider it as bad things because I don’t like any of that happen to me. Just living is not enough†¦. We need to explore and find the true meaning of life. He who hesitates is probably right. This is a philosophy that we can use daily, why? Because this is about decision making. And we always make decision in every aspect of our life. As a student I can relate in this because of our recitations in school. We always hesitate before we raise our hands to answer. We will suddenly know that our or my answer is right because someone answers it. And it’s too late to get the credit. The philosophy above is trying to teach or to tell us that if we have ideas, share it, tell it, explain it because we will never know if our ideas is right if we don’t try it. Not only for students but all individuals around the globe. Human life is purely a matter of deciding what’s important to you. This Philosophy is saying human life always choose what’s important to you. But why? All individuals are different from each other, different tastes, likes, dislikes and many more. But we all have similarities, we always choose what’s important to us in every problem that comes in our life. For some instances, family problems like marriage and your family doesn’t want your fiance or fiancee, you will decide what’s MORE important to you your family or your love one? If you choose your family, then go and it’s also the same if you choose your love one. I understand in this philosophy that this our instict that we always choose what’s important to us but it never assures us that what is important will be the best for us. Only friends can answer your calls everytime of day that matter. This is a simple philosophy that is about friendship. If we first read it, we will quickly understand what it means. But what do we understand? We all know we have many friends in our life, friends in school, friends in the neighborhood and many more. We also know not all friends are real, just like this saying says â€Å"Some friends are gold and some friends are silver†. The philosophy above is trying to tell us that only TRUE and REAL friends can answer your calls no matter what your problem is. The friends that are there for you no matter what. No matter what time of day it is, you could call them and they’d be there for you. And it’s true, they are the ones that matter. The people who you can really rely on to be there for you are the ones that should matter in your life.

Work Breakdown Structure in Project Management Essay

Work Breakdown Structure in Project Management - Essay Example Some of its advantages are the following: A typical construction project involves a WBS that evolves from an initial task that is successively subdivided into smaller work blocks until the lowest level is reached, indicating a tree-like structure. Subdividing the project breaks down the project work effort into packages that are both manageable and independent. It connotes that the lowest level of the package corresponds to the smallest project work, which requires the shortest completion time periods. As WBS shows the relationship of all elements of a project, a sound basis for cost and schedule control is provided. Some lists of project activities involved in WBS include budgeting, cost allocation, time allocation and management, and quality assurance. These are being ensured in the process of work packages. A well-designed WBS often consists of software, hardware, services, data, and facilities (Zachman 1987). Since WBS breaks down the work project into subdivisions in a tree-like structure, the classification format of work packages may include cost centre, fields for responsibility, activity numbering, and so on. A description of the tasks purported to be performed is generated for each element of the WBS, in which each task is diverse from the others. Due to its being process-oriented, the WBS approach is convenient for activity definition, which is the starting step for project planning. ... Due to its being process-oriented, the WBS approach is convenient for activity definition, which is the starting step for project planning. This phase involves several dimensions such as budget, cost, time, and quality, to name a few. A well-designed WBS enables it to easily assign each level of project activity to one terminal element of the structure. From its inception to a completed project, the period of a project's life involves cost estimating, budgeting, accounting, reporting, controlling, and auditing (Wysocki et al., 2003, pp. 137). Work packages involved in the WBS process should be defined in terms of construction methods, design, and completion requirements, which are to be accomplished according to performance dates (Pritchard 1999).It provides a classification system for project work packages according to client needs. A code designation as a means of identification and classification is assigned in each account of a contractor's accounting system, in which the most widely used cost codes are Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) and Uniform Construction Index (UCI) (Zachman 1987). They keep the construction costs within the established budget as well as develop equipment and labor productivity information to estimate the cost of future work. Clearly, the client's budget allocation is reflected in determining a classification system for project work packages. (Task: Let us say you are the manager of a new project to build a new supermarket. Create two WBS examples, one is done by Discipline, the second one is Phase.) Using the Discipline of WBS I am a manager of a new project to build a new supermarket, which in this paper is called Need Superstore. Developing a comprehensive WBS serves as the framework for the new supermarket project,

Individual Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Individual Reflection - Essay Example We chose group consultancy model and with prior difficulties experienced with international students, it looked such a daunting task. Having had created a clear decision on this issue, I had decided that issues to do with group dynamics would be handled with a high sense of caution. We however got a group that would work very well for me. Using Tuckman’s stages of developing a group, the activities of the group seemed to go along well from the time of the group coming together to the level of initiating all the projects (Belbin, 1993, p 33). Our group consisted of five students. Some ties were strong while others were not but for the sake of the group work, we got along. There was a preliminary discussion that put together all our strengths and weaknesses as well as the experiences that we all went through in year 2. The ‘forming' part of the theory did not therefore take time to establish because I found out everybody was flexible enough as stated by Cassidy (2007) The ‘storming’ part of the theory was also done quickly because after a suggestion on the Burngreave Messenger newspaper group. There was a quick move from ‘forming’ to ‘norming’ as after the storming stage; a meeting was organized (Furnham, Steele & Pendleton, 1993). The tasks were broken down into two; primary and secondary research tasks. The final part in Tuckman, which is about performing was more useful. All the group members were aware of their tasks and the expected deadlines. We were of trust to each other and believed in our ability to perform with the best level of flexibility. Arguments against Tuckman’s theory use arose and this was just a proof of Belbin (1993) would argue that in a group that had so many roles, just taking primary and secondary sectioning was wasting of human resources(Guardian, 2012, p. 03). That was however expected. Belbin insists of norming and forming extremely rapidly for a better result. The project was done based on the two methods we had decided on where three of us carried out a primary research about the Burngreave Messenger to ascertain its strength among the residents of this Sheffield region. This was done through primary research by use of a questionnaire. The issues of social media came up as well as trying to establish the effects of the social media on the Burngreave Messenger newspaper. This was done through both primary and secondary researc

The Impacts of Sequestration on the Department of Defense Research Paper

The Impacts of Sequestration on the Department of Defense - Research Paper Example Reductions of federal funding across the boards, also known as sequestrations have had a considerable impact on the fiscal years prior to, and during 2014. It not only reduced optional operations, but also cut down on the direct spending of the federal budget (Epstein, 2013). This has led to widespread concerns about the Department of Defense’s personnel, reallocation budget, customer’s service and other such details. The federal budget cuts affected the Department of Defense Human Resources Management in several important ways. The former level of readiness, although sustained, has experienced an irrecoverable deficit due to a decade of counterinsurgency operations (Roulo, 2014). According to the Department of Defense website, the current President Budget promises to restore the equilibrium between readiness and planned force structure. The Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 encumbers this shift to the mission of Department of Defense. This is due to the fact that the reduced funding levels have decreased not only the number of trained personnel, but also hampered the maintenance of ground vehicle and aviation. Furthermore, the flying hours of Navy and Marine Corps are to be decreased, which would also result in decreasing the levels of their readiness (Estimated Impacts of Sequestration-Level Funding, 2014). Such are the impacts of sequestration that there has been a radical expected drawdown to 450,000 active soldiers, 335,000 in the Army National Guard and 202,000 reservists by the end of 2015 fiscal year. (Roulo,2014) These reductions will further lead to the Department of Defense relying more on National Guard. The Army personnel and readiness are perhaps facing the greatest drawback as almost 70 percent of the total cut-downs are facing in its direction. The Army, for instance cancelled seven combat training sessions and skilled personnel was lost due to frozen salaries (Roulo, 2014). This reiterates the Department of Defense concern about

Admin Law Question 1 + 2 (750-750 words) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Admin Law Question 1 + 2 (750-750 words) - Essay Example By s1 of the 1967 Act he is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the PM and holds office until the age of 65. Especially in relation to JR, the procedural requirements of public law element, leave, locus standi, time limits and grounds often deny speedy redress to the applicant. Matters such as delay, incompetence, stupidity, loss of documents, rudeness etc cannot be the subject to the JR. But, these fall within PCA’s jurisdiction. Disadvantage: the MPs check the legitimacy of complaints and it is called MP Filter. If a MP is the main culprit, claimants never get redress. In this sense MP enjoy more power. At the same time each year lots of letter of complain arises which not possible to review for an ombudsman. The most important factor to mention is the ombudsman will not investigate complaints where an alternate remedy exists. Ombudsmans powers of investigation are limited, for example-maladministration. 3) The PCA has had an impact on certain more High profile cases such as ‘Sachsendhausen’ case where the PCA found maladministration in distributing compensation. A recent example is the ‘Barlow Clowes Affair’. Jurisdiction: The 1967 Act should be amended to provide that the PCA could investigate all complaints other than those relating to matters specifically excluded. However, the govt. rejected this proposal. However MPs have some great advantages as redressers of grievances. Their services are free and easily accessible; many MPs take great pains to advertise their surgery times and other means of contract in the local media. Most are assiduous in taking up grievances, and often the mere fact of receiving a letter from an MP, rather than from an ordinary citizen, will induce the authority to give a favorable response. Further, the Mp’s services are equally useful whether the constituent is asking for the correction of an error or the more favorable exercise of discretion, where no legal

Billy Graham and His Impact Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Billy Graham and His Impact - Research Paper Example He has dedicated and devoted his whole entire life since he felt the calling of the Lord in the middle of the 1930s, and continues to touch and inspire the hearts and the spirits of millions of people to come to the Lord. Leading an extraordinary and remarkable life, Billy Graham’s name will forever be remembered as the man who has influenced and shaped the world of Evangelism and Christianity in all of the United States of America. His life is the account of the impact he has made in the world. Born as the eldest on the seventh day in the month of November in 1918, Billy Graham was raised on their family’s dairy farmland in close proximity to the largest city in the state of North Carolina by his parents, William Franklin Graham I who was a successful cultivator and entrepreneur and Morrow Coffey. As he was growing up with his four other siblings namely Katherine, Melvin and Jean, he was already surrounded by the Christian upbringing in the Associate Reformed Presbyter ian Church. When the Noble Experiment was imposed in 1933, when he was only a young man at the age of about fifteen years old, Graham’s father had forced him as well as his sister Katherine into drinking and engaging in alcoholic beverages to the point where they would start throwing up. This event that happened early in his life, only as a young teenager, has caused him and his sister a strong feeling of hatred and abhorrence for alcohol and intoxicating drinks and beverages as well as drugs. Graham, a year after the incident, was converted when he was only sixteen years of age at that time when he was attending a series of several revival and renewal meeting in which Mordecai Fowler Ham an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader, a social movement that insist on the reduction of in taking and drinking alcoholic beverages, was in charge of. He enthused up quite a number of different issues and controversies when he was charged and accused for e thical negligence and lack of discipline while he was attending and studying at his local high school. While he continued to be present and attend the meetings in Charlotte, the young Billy Graham was guided and was led, while listening to one of the sermons and lectures of Mordecai Ham, which resulted in the intensification and the increase of Graham's guilt of the outcome of his sins that he has committed in his life. Because of this, he soon after, committed and decided to give over his life to the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to put his name down for membership in the youth but was turned down and rejected since they thought of him as â€Å"too worldly.† Through the encouragement and persuasion of one of the dairy farm’s employees, Albert McMakin, Graham went to go and talk to Ham. Billy Graham, in the summer month of May of 1936, graduated from Sharon High School and went off to college and started attending the fundamentalist Bob Jones College, which has changed its name and is now presently called Bob Jones University, which was located in the city of Cleveland in the county of Bradley, Tennessee. He did not stay for a long while and after about a couple of months, only staying for one semester, because of not being able to adapt and adjust to the school’s environment, he transferred. He thought of the school as being too strict in both the coursework and the regulations and rules stringently implemented and followed by the school. At that particular moment in time, a pastor from Eastport Bible Church, Pastor Charley Young was able to inspire and had some bearing on Graham. Although he was nearly expelled and forced

Managing Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 25

Managing Information Technology - Essay Example are opened by the user, and sometimes information they have placed, like that their interests, hobbies and their personal details (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009), (I-Net, 2011) and (Prashant, 2009). Moreover, the major function of cookies is to recognize users and most probably organize customized web-pages for internet users. In this scenario, when we visit a web site using the information stored in cookies then we can be requested to complete a form offering data and information such as our name, likes/dislikes and hobbies. Afterward this information and data is wrapped into a cookie and transmitted to our web browser that stores it for afterward utilization (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009) and (Webopedia, 2011). There are lots of advantages of cookies for instance cookies do not require server resources as they are placed on the client system. Cookies are simple to apply. We are able to organize cookies to finish when the browser session stops. Some of the main disadvantages of cookies are that they can be erased by a user during their execution. Users browser are able to reject some sort of cookies, consequently our system has to predict that likelihood. Additionally, the cookies survive as a simple text on the client system as well as they can pretense a probable security risk since someone is able to interpret and change the information stored in cookies (Brown, DeHayes, Hoffer, Martin, & Perkins, 2009) and (Neeks, 2009). Neeks. (2009, March 21). What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cookies? Retrieved May 29, 2011, from http://www.dotnetfunda.com/interview/exam416-what-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cookies-.aspx Prashant, V. (2009, June 20). What is Cookie? What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Cookies ? Retrieved May 28, 2011, from

Analysis of Euthanasia Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of Euthanasia - Assignment Example Most of the countries consider non-voluntary euthanasia illegal. Involuntary euthanasia is considered murder even if the patient has a terminal illness and is in great pain. Non-voluntary euthanasia is one in which there is no consent and takes place by terminating the medication of sufferer and it is against patient’s will and is illegal in the Netherlands under Groningen euthanasia rules. Euthanasia carried out with the consent of the patient is known as voluntary euthanasia. In Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands active voluntary euthanasia is considered legal by the law. Interchangeably the term assisted suicide is also used to describe a physician-assisted death. Many countries refuse treatment for patients who become comatose (Dowbiggin,13). Referring back to the history of euthanasia it started in the era of Emperor Augustus who died in the arms of his wife without suffering (Dean, 276). The term euthanasia was firstly used by Francis Bacon in the early 17th century. The main aim of this practice was to have an easy, painless and happy death. There is a great debate-related to euthanasia which discusses both its pros and cons. The points which favor euthanasia includes the patient’s right to have a peaceful end of life, helping the patient in dying might be more beneficial for the patient rather than leaving him to suffer. There are many social and moral values when the topic of euthanasia arises. There are a lot of controversies. Arguments regarding euthanasia often vary with the method adopted for the patient’s death. Oregon death with dignity act made it legal for their residents and they were allowed to request for lethal injection (Perrett, 368). Â  

Synagogue Visit Essay Example for Free

Synagogue Visit Essay For me, to visit another place of worship other than a mosque was intriguing and exciting. I was curious to find out what a Jewish temple, oftentimes called synagogue, looked like and if it had any similarities to a Muslim mosque to which I am greatly accustomed to. Before going to the synagogue, I was given a few reminders or rules which I must observe while inside such as not putting the books on the floor because they are sacred, and that in the event that it did touch the floor, I must kiss it. I was also told that I did not need to recite their prayers with them and that I can politely refuse to wear a prayer shawl although men should wear a skull cap. I was also told that I cannot take pictures nor was I allowed to take out my cellular phone, which must be on silent mode. I had no problem in abiding by the rules as I was entering someone else’s sacred place and I would expect the same respect if a visitor was to come to my religion’s place of prayer. When I arrived at the synagogue, I instantly wondered if its location was also subject to the direction of a bigger temple. I cannot discount the fact that mosques are built in an angle allowing for the prayer hall to be facing the direction of the Mecca. But I was told that synagogues follow no tradition at all. But a smile crept through my face as I saw the Star of David (also known as the Megan Star) on the outside wall. I guess although their temple did not face a certain direction, they also placed a symbol of their faith outside their place of worship, just like the mosque bearing the crescent moon and star or the Catholics with the cross. As I entered the synagogue, I immediately noticed bowl-shaped cloths on the side. These are actually skull-caps for male visitors of the synagogue since Jewish men wear skull-caps everyday, but some of them only during prayers or while studying the Torah. A skull-cap is a sign of respect. I was about to take off my shoes when I realized that there was no shoe rack. And neither was there an ablution where cleansing and washing must be done. I learned that Jewish people do not take off their shoes when going inside their temple and they do not do any ceremonial washing right before prayers inside. Inside the synagogue, I keep thinking that they had so much furniture inside. I guess I am used to kneeling on the carpet for prayers, which is why the benches where the Jewish congregation sat were something new to me. There were chairs on all sides except for one side, the side wherein their altar was set-up. The Jewish altar is quite complicated for an outsider since it had many parts. On the wall was something like a closet, which is called the Ark. I learned that the Ark contains the Torah, which is like the Qur’an for the Muslims (or the Bible for the Catholics). The Torah is actually written on scrolls and these scrolls are covered by a breastplate and a mantle. The Ark is only opened during Sabbath day, wherein the community elders say a prayer before opening it. When the Torah is being read, a pointer called the Yad is used to follow the letters and words. On each side of the Ark are prayer boards written in Hebrew and right above the Ark I noticed that there is a replica of the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses. Right above the Ten Commandments is a lamp called the Ner Tamid. It is a symbol that God is omnipresent and it also shows the holiness of the Torah. In front of the Ark is a reading platform which is where the rabbi preaches and where the Torah is read. It is called a Bimah and it is lighted by seven-branched candlesticks called the Menorah but more often than not, it is just plain Sabbath candlesticks that are used during the Jewish Holy Day. I learned that there are two different candlesticks in Jewish tradition. These are actually kept at the back of the synagogue. One is the Menorah and the other is the Hannukiah. A Menorah is actually the candlestick used in the original Jewish temples and oils were put to light them. The Hanukkiah is a nine-branched candlestick with a Star of David on top which commemorates the Jewish holiday Hanukkah. It has nine branches instead of seven because on the night that the Jewish temple was desecrated, the olive oil used for the Menorah was calculated to last only one night and yet it miraculously burned for an additional eight more nights. Hence, the nine branches of the Hanukkiah. For orthodox Jews, only rabbis can lead the service and only men can be rabbis, in contrast with reformed Jews were in anyone can lead the service and even women can be rabbis. However, regardless of being orthodox or reformed Jews, there is no distinction as to the sitting arrangement in the synagogues. Right in front of the Bimah is the seats for the elders of the Jewish community. Behind and around them would sit the men. Women and children are not allowed to sit with the men of the community and so they are seated away from them towards the back or at a balcony above. Also noticeable are decorations nailed on each doorway. The decorations are called mezuzah, a container containing words from the Torah. At this point, it reminded me of the prayer carpets in mosques used as decorations. It seems that the Jewish also use holy things for their decorations, to be in-keeping with respect and sanctity of their place of worship. But the mezuzah is not only for the synagogues but also for Jewish homes and it is placed on each doorway except the doorway of the bathroom or toilet. Outside the synagogue there is also called the sukkah or a hut built for harvest. This is where the Jews pray and have meals. There is also a kitchen and it is kosher or clean according to Jewish laws. Meat and milk are separate and the parts of the kitchen are actually labeled so that the people will be reminded of where to place the meat or milk, thereby in keeping with Jewish laws. Also found in the kitchen is a special cabinet for things used during the Passover. This is to make sure that things used during the Passover is not mixed nor touches anything that has yeast in it, since things for Passover cannot touch anything that has yeast in it. I realized that a synagogue is similar to a mosque. Just like the skull-caps worn inside the synagogue, a spare head covering must be worn inside a mosque. We also have something like the Ark although it does not hold the Qur’an. It is the Mihrab which shows Muslims where to face during prayer, as it faces the direction of the Mecca. And just like the prayer boards around the Ark, a mosque has its own decorations around the Mihrab too like Arabic texts from the Qur’an and a picture of the cube inside the Mecca called the Ka’aba. Just as there are similarities, of course, there are also differences. I did not have to take off my shoes when I entered the synagogue and the carpet on the floor was used for walking on and not for kneeling in prayer. Neither does a mosque have a pulpit or the Bimah where a rabbi speaks. But more important than what I saw inside and outside the synagogue is the deeper realizations I had as a result of my synagogue visit. Each religion has its own place of worship and certain rules and proper decorum must be observed when visiting someone else’s place of worship. It is okay that I felt like a stranger in a place of worship or prayer other than your own and that is because I was a stranger to the place. I was a visitor. I watched my step, my every movement to make sure that I do not do anything that may be seen as a sign of disrespect. I did choose to visit a Jewish temple on a day that there was no service. Although I was told that it would be alright to attend the service and observe the Jewish day of prayer (and that they will not force me to pray with them), I did know my limits and personally did not want to intrude or disturb a very sacred religious practice. Each religion has its own beliefs, traditions and places of worship. And though there are many religions and each one believes in something different from the other religions, each religion must be treated with respect because if there is one common thing among all religions, it is believing in something higher and more powerful than the human being.

Quantization process

Quantization process Quantization is a process of mapping an infinite set of scalar or vector quantities by a finite set of scalar or vector quantities. Quantization has applications in the areas of signal processing, speech processing and Image processing. In speech coding, quantization is required to reduce the number of bits used for representing a sample of speech signal there by the bit-rate, complexity and memory requirement can be reduced. Quantization results in the loss in the quality of a speech signal, which is undesirable. So a compromise must be made between the reduction in bit-rate and the quality of speech signal. Two types of quantization techniques exist they are: scalar quantization and vector quantization. Scalar quantization deals with the quantization of samples on a sample by sample basis, while vector quantization deals with quantizing the samples in groups called vectors. Vector quantization increases the optimality of a quantizer at the cost of increased computational complexity and memory requirements. Shannon theory states that quantizing a vector will be more effective than quantizing individual scalar values in terms of spectral distortion. According to Shannon the dimension of a vector chosen greatly affects the performance of quantization. Vectors of larger dimension produce better quality when compared to vectors of smaller dimension and in vectors of smaller dimension the transparency in the quantization is not good at a particular bit-rate chosen [8]. This is because in vectors of smaller dimension the correlation that exists between the samples will be lost and the scalar quantization itself destroys the correlation that exists between successive samples so the quality of the quantized speech signal will be lost. Therefore, quantizing correlated data requires techniques that preserve the correlation between the samples, such a technique is the vector quantization technique (VQ). Vector quantization is the simplification of scalar quantization. Vectors of larger dimension produce transparency in quantization at a particular bit-rate chosen. In Vector quantization the data is quantized in the form of contiguous blocks called vectors rather than individual samples. But later with the development of better coding techniques, it is made possible that transparency in quantization can also be achieved even for vectors of smaller dimension. In this thesis quantization is performed on vectors of full length and on vectors of smaller dimensions for a given bit-rate [4, 50]. An example of 2-dimensional vector quantizer is shown in Fig 4.1. The 2-dimensional region shown in Fig 4.1 is called as the voronoi region, which in turn contains several numbers of small hexagonal regions. The hexagonal regions defined by the blue borders are called as the encoding regions. The green dots represent the vectors to be quantized which fall in different hexagonal regions and the red dots represent the codewords (centroids). The vectors (green dots) falling in a particular hexagonal region can be best represented by the codeword (red dot) falling in that hexagonal region [51-54]. Vector quantization technique has become a great tool with the development of non variational design algorithms like the Linde, Buzo, Gray (LBG) algorithm. On the other hand besides spectral distortion the vector quantizer is having its own limitations like the computational complexity and memory requirements required for the searching and storing of the codebooks. For applications requiring higher bit-rates the computational complexity and memory requirements increases exponentially. The block diagram of a vector quantizer is shown in Fig 4.2. Let be an N dimensional vector with real valued samples in the range. The superscript T in the vector denotes the transpose of the vector. In vector quantization, a real valued N dimensional input vector is matched with the real valued N dimensional codewords of the codebook Ci , the codeword that best matches the input vector with lowest distortion is taken and the input vector is replaced by it. The codebook consists of a finite set of codewords C=Ci,, where , where C is the codebook, L is the length of the codebook and Ci denote the ith codeword in a codebook. In LPC coding the high bit-rate input vectors are replaced by the low bit-rate codewords of the codebook. The parameters used for quantization are the line spectral frequencies (LSF). The parameters used in the analysis and synthesis of the speech signals are the LPC coefficients. In speech coding the quantization is not performed directly on the LPC coefficients, the quantization is performed by transforming the LPC coefficients to other forms which ensure filter stability after quantization. Another reason for not using LPC coefficients is that, LPC coefficients have a wide dynamic range and so the LPC filter easily becomes unstable after quantization. So LPC coefficients are not used for quantization. The alternative to LPC coefficients is the use of line spectral frequency (LSF) parameters which ensure filter stability after quantization. The filter stability can be checked easily just by observing the order of the LSF samples in an LSF vector after quantization. If the LSF samples in a vector are in the ascending or descending order the filter stability can be ensured otherwise the filter stability cannot be ensured [54-58]. The angular positions of the roots of and gives us the line spectral frequencies and occurs in complex conjugate pairs. The line spectral frequencies range from. The line spectral frequencies have the following properties: Ø All the roots of and must lie on the unit circle which is the required condition for stability. Ø The roots of and are arranged in an alternate manner on the unit circle i.e., The roots of equation (4.6) can be obtained using the real root method [31] and is The coefficients of equations (4.6) and (4.7) are symmetrical and so the order p of equations (4.6) and (4.7) get reduces to p/2. Vector quantization of speech signals requires the generation of codebooks. The codebooks are designed using an iterative algorithm called Linde, Buzo and Gray (LBG) algorithm. The input to the LBG algorithm is a training sequence. The training sequence is the concatenation of a set LSF vectors obtained from people of different groups and of different ages. The speech signals used to obtain training sequence must be free of background noise. The speech signals used for this purpose can be recorded in sound proof booths, computer rooms and open environments. In this work the speech signals are recorded in computer rooms. In practice speech data bases like TIMIT database, YAHOO data base are available for use in speech coding and speech recognition. The codebook generation using LBG algorithm requires the generation of an initial codebook, which is the centroid or mean obtained from the training sequence. The centroid, so obtained is then splitted into two centroids or codewords using the splitting method. The iterative LBG algorithm splits these two codewords into four, four into eight and the process will be continued till the required numbers of codewords in the codebook are obtained [59-61]. The flow chart of LBG algorithm is shown in Fig 4.3. The LBG algorithm is properly implemented by a recursive procedure given below: 1. Initially the codebook generation requires a training sequence of LSF parameters which will be the input to LBG algorithm. The training sequence is obtained from a set of speech samples recorded from different groups of people in a computer room. 2. Let R be the region of the training sequence. 3. Obtain an initial codebook from the training sequence, which is the centroid or mean of the training sequence and let the initial codebook be C. 4. Split the initial codebook C into a set of codewords and where is the minimum error to be obtained between old and new codewords. 5. Compute the difference between the training sequence and each of the codewords and and let the difference be D. 6. Split the training sequence into two regions R1 and R2 depending on the difference D between the training sequence and the codewords and. The training vectors closer to falls in the region R1 and the training vectors closer to falls in the region R2. 7. Let the training vectors falling in the region R1 be TV1 and the training sequence vectors falling in the region R2 be TV2. 8. Obtain the new centroid or mean for TV1 and TV2. Let the new centroids be CR1 and CR2. 9. Replace the old centroids and by the new centroids CR1 and CR2. 10. Compute the difference between the training sequence and the new centroids CR1 and CR2 and Let the difference be . 11. Repeat steps 5 to 10 until . 12. Repeat steps 4 to 11 till the required number of codewords in the codebook are obtained. Where N=2b represents the number of codewords in the codebook and b represents the number of bits used for codebook generation. represents the difference between the training sequence and the old codewords, represents the difference between the training sequence and the new codewords. The quality of the speech signal is an important parameter in speech coders and is measured in terms of spectral distortion measured in decibels (dB). The spectral distortion is measured between the LPC power spectra of the quantized and unquantized speech signals. The spectral distortion is measured frame wise and the average or mean of the spectral distortion calculated over all frames will be taken as the final value of the spectral distortion. For a quantizer to be transparent the mean of the spectral distortion must be less than 1 dB without any audible distortion in the reconstructed speech. But the mean of the spectral distortion is not a sufficient measure to find the performance of a quantizer, this is because the human ear is sensitive to large quantization errors that occur occasionally. So in addition to measuring the mean of the spectral distortion it is also necessary to have another measure of quality which is the percentage number of frames having a spectral distorti on greater than 2dB and less than 4dB and the percentage number of frames having a spectral distortion greater than 4dB. The frames having spectral distortion between 2 to 4dB and greater than 4dB are called as outlier frames [54]. In order to measure objectively the distortion between the quantized and unquantized outputs, a method called the spectral distortion is often used in narrowband speech coding. For an ith frame the spectral distortion (in dB), is given by equation (4.19). (4.19) Where and are the LPC power spectra of the unquantized and quantized ith frame respectively. The frequency f is in Hz and the frequency range is given by f1 and f2. The frequency range used in practice for narrowband speech coding is 0-4000 Hz [12, 33]. The conditions for transparent speech coding are: Ø The average or mean of the spectral distortion (SD) must be less than or equal to 1dB. Ø There must be no outlier frames having a spectral distortion greater than 4dB. Ø The number of outlier frames between 2 to 4dB must be less than 2%. These three conditions are required to evaluate the performance of a quantizer. At a given bit-rate, an optimization process has to be carried out so as to obtain better performance i.e., accepting a large average spectral distortion for a few outliers. In the design of a vector quantizer instead of using the mean squared error (MSE) distance measure the weighted LSF distance measurement is used. This is done to place emphasis on the low frequency LSFs and on the LSFs with higher power spectrum. The weights used can be of two types they are: static or dynamic [54]. Ø Fixed or Static weights : These are used to place emphasis on the low frequency LSFs in order to account for the sensitivity of human ear for low and high frequency LSFs. Ø Varying or Dynamic weights : These are used to place emphasis on the LSFs with high power spectrum. There exist a number of vector quantization techniques each one is having its own advantages and disadvantages. Each technique is developed to decrease the parameters like spectral distortion, computational complexity and memory requirements. The vector quantization techniques that exist are the Split Vector Quantization (SVQ) technique, Multistage Vector Quantization (MSVQ) technique, Split-Multistage Vector Quantization (S-MSVQ) technique and Switched Split Vector Quantization (SSVQ) technique. As marketability and cost of a product depends on the complexity and memory requirements, the performance of the vector quantization techniques is measured in terms of spectral distortion in decibels, computational complexity in kilo flops per frame and memory requirements in floats. The performance of a vector quantization technique mainly depends on how efficiently the codebook is generated. The codebook can be generated efficiently using a large training set and using more number of bits for codebook generation. The goal involved in the design of each vector quantization technique is to make the technique to use more number of training vectors and less number of bits for codebook generation there by the spectral distortion, computational complexity and memory requirements can be reduced. It has been observed that as the number of bits used for codebook generation decreases the computational complexity and memory requirements decreases but the spectral distortion increases, this increase in spectral distortion can be reduced by increasing the number of training vectors used for codebook generation [62-71]. The block diagram of an Unconstrained Vector Quantizer (UVQ) is shown in Fig 4.4. Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique is the most awful vector quantization technique used for achieving lowest distortion at a given bit-rate and dimension. In LPC-10 the order of the filter chosen is 10 and so the length of each LSF vector will be 10. In Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique the quantization is done on vectors of full length i.e., using 10 samples of an LSF vector. From Fig 4.4 S1, S2, S3Sn are the input LSF vectors to be quantized using the Unconstrained Vector Quantizer. The main advantage of this vector quantization technique is that it is expected to give lowest quantization distortion at a given bit-rate as the correlation that exists between the samples of a vector is preserved. But the disadvantage with this quantization technique is that as vectors of full length are used, at higher bit-rates the computational complexity and memory requirements increases in an exponential manner making it impractical for applications requiring higher bit-rates. Another problem with this quantization technique is that at higher bit-rates the size of the codebook will be large and the generation of the codebook for this type of quantization technique will be difficult on general purpose computers as the memory available with them is limited. So the number of training vectors used for codebook generation must be limited in number or the length of each vector must be reduced. In practice on general purpose computers the codebook cannot be generated even with train ing vectors less than the number of codewords in a codebook at higher bit-rates. But the number of training vectors required to generate the codebook must be large than the number of codewords in a codebook otherwise there will be too much over fitting of the training set [54]. The computational complexity and memory requirements of a b bit, n dimensional vector quantizer are calculated as follows [54]: Ø To calculate the mean square error (MSE) between two vectors of n dimension, n subtractions, n multiplications and n-1 additions are required. So a total of 3n-1 flops are required. Ø To search a codebook of 2b code vectors, (3n-1)2b flops are required in addition to the minimum distortion search requiring 2b-1 flops. Ø So the number of computations made by a b bit, n dimensional vector quantizer is Total complexity = (3n-1)2b + 2b-1 = 3n2b-1 flops per vector. (4.24) In the computing the complexity each addition, multiplication and comparison is considered as one floating point operation. So a b bit n dimensional vector quantizer requires a codebook of 2b code vectors, it needs to store n2b floating point values, it computes 3n2b 1 flops per vector. Instead of the mean square error distance measure if weighted distance measure is used in the design of a vector quantizer the complexity increases from 3n2b 1 to 4n2b 1 flops per vector. The computational complexity of an Unconstrained Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.25) Where n is the dimension of the vector b is the number of bits allocated to the vector quantizer. The Memory requirements of an Unconstrained Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.26) Exhaustive search vector quantizers achieve lowest distortion at the expense of complexity and memory requirements at higher bit- rates. So to make the vector quantizers more practical for vectors of larger dimension and higher bit-rates structural constraints are imposed on the design of a vector quantizer or codebook. One way of achieving this is to decompose the codebook into a Cartesian product of smaller codebooks i.e., C = C1 * C2 * C3 . ..*Cm. The advantage with smaller codebooks is that the computational complexity and memory requirements can be reduced to a very great extent. This is because the number of bits used for codebook generation will be divided among the sets of the decomposed codebook [12, 18]. Examples of product code vector quantization techniques are Split Vector Quantization (SVQ), Multistage Vector Quantization (MSVQ), Split-Multistage Vector Quantization (S-MSVQ), Switched Split Vector Quantization (SSVQ). In this thesis two product code vector quantization techniques are proposed they are: Switched Multistage Vector Quantization (SWMSVQ) and Multi Switched Split Vector Quantization (MSSVQ) techniques [54, 72]. The main disadvantage of Unconstrained Vector Quantizer is that the complexity, memory requirements are very high and the generation of codebook is a very difficult task as vectors of full length are used for quantization without any structural constraint. As a result more number of training vectors and bits cannot be used for codebook generation. With these constraints the quantizer cannot produce better quality quantized outputs. So to improve the performance of Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique a well known technique called Split Vector Quantization has been developed. The concept behind Split Vector Quantization is that, in it vectors of larger dimensions are splitted into vectors of smaller dimensions and the bits allocated to the quantizer are divided among the splits (parts). Due to splitting the dimension of a vector gets decreased hence more number of training vectors and bits are used for codebook generation. As a result the performance of quantization is increas ed, the complexity and memory requirements are reduced. But the main disadvantage with this technique is that, due to splitting the linear and non linear dependencies that exist between the samples of a vector will be lost and the shape of the quantizer cells will be affected. As a result the spectral distortion increases slightly. This increase in spectral distortion can be compensated by increasing the number of training vectors and using more number of bits for codebook generation. The number of splits in this type of quantizer must be limited in number otherwise the vector quantizer will act as a scalar quantizer. In Split Vector Quantization the training sequence used for codebook generation will also be splitted into vectors of smaller dimension and each split of the training sequence is used to generate separate sub codebooks, there by independent vector quantizers exist and the bits must be allocated to each of them. As a result less number of bits will be available at each quantizer, the computational complexity and memory requirements gets reduced as they depend on the number of bits allocated to the quantizer and on the dimension of the vector to be quantized. The block diagram of a three part Split vector quantizer is shown in Fig 4.5. From Fig 4.5 it can be observed that a vector S1 of dimension n is quantized by splitting it into sub-vectors S11, S12, S13 of smaller dimensions. Each of these sub-vectors are quantized using their respective codebooks. In this work the order of the filter is taken as 10 and so the LSF vector contain 10 samples and these 10 samples are splitted into three parts of 3, 3, 4 samples [54, 73-75]. From results of Split Vector Quantization technique it is proved that the computational complexity and memory requirements gets decreased when compared to Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique. So Split Vector Quantization technique is superior to Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique in terms of the computational complexity and memory requirements. In a Split Vector Quantizer of n dimension, SP splits, operating at b bits per vector. The vector space Rn will be splitted into SP subspaces or splits or parts of lower dimension then the dimension of each subspace will be and . The number of independent quantizers will be equal to the number of splits and the bits used for quantization are divided among the splits and is . Where is the number of bits allocated to each vector quantizer. The computational complexity of a Split Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.27) Where ni is the dimension of a sub-vector in ith split bi is the number of bits allocated to the ith split of a quantizer sp is the number of splits. The Memory requirements of a Split Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.28) Multistage Vector Quantization is a modification of Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique. It is also called as Multistep, Residual or Cascaded Vector Quantization. Multistage Vector Quantization (MSVQ) technique preserves all the features of Unconstrained Vector Quantization technique and decreases the computational complexity, memory requirements and spectral distortion when compared to it. When compared to Split Vector Quantization technique, Multistage Vector Quantization technique shows significant improvement in the quality of the speech signal, by decreasing the spectral distortion, but at the expense of increased computational complexity and memory requirements. This is because Split Vector Quantization technique deals with vectors of lower dimensions while Unconstrained and Multistage Vector Quantization techniques deal with vectors of larger dimensions. So the complexity and memory requirements are less for Split Vector Quantization technique. Multistage Vector Quantizer is a cascaded connection of several vector quantizers, where the output of one stage is given as an input to the next stage and the bits used for quantization are divided among the stages connected in cascade [12, 14]. As a result the computational complexity and memory requirements get reduced when compared to Unconstrained Vector Quantizer. The generation of codebooks at different stages of a three stage MSVQ is shown in Fig 4.6. From Fig 4.6 it can be observed that the codebook at the first stage is generated by taking the training sequence as an input. At the second stage the codebook is generated using the quantization errors of the first stage, likewise the codebook at the third stage is generated using the quantization errors of the second stage. This process is continued for the required number of stages [76-80]. The block diagram of a three stage Multistage Vector Quantizer is shown in Fig 4.7. Its implementation requires the design of vector quantizers at each stage. In Multistage Vector Quantization the input vector s to be quantized is passed through the first stage of the vector quantizer so as to obtain the quantized version of the input vector i.e., . The quantization error or residual error at the first stage will be computed which is the difference of the input vector and the quantized version of the input vector. The quantization error at the first stage is given as an input to the vector quantizer of the second stage so as to obtain the quantized version of the error vector at the first stage i.e., . Likewise the quantization error at the second stage will be given as an input to the vector quantizer of the third stage so as to obtain the quantized version of the error vector at the second stage i.e., and this process can be continued for the required number of stages. Finally the decoder takes the indices Ii from each quantizer stage and adds the corresponding c odewords to obtain the quantized version of the input vector i.e., [54]. In a Multistage Vector Quantizer each stage acts as an independent vector quantizer and the total bits available for vector quantization will be divided among the stages. Then the complexity of a particular stage becomes, where bj is the number of bits allocated to the jth stage. This is less than the complexity of Unconstrained Vector Quantizer. Likewise the memory requirements at each stage are , which is less than the memory requirements of Unconstrained Vector Quantizer. The computational complexity of a Multistage Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.29) Where n is the dimension of the vector bj is the number of bits allocated to the jth stage P is the number of stages The Memory requirements of a Multistage Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.30) In order to improve the performance of Multistage Vector Quantization and Split Vector Quantization techniques a hybrid product code vector quantization technique called Split-Multistage Vector Quantization technique has been developed. Split-Multistage Vector Quantization technique is a hybrid of Multistage Vector Quantization and Split Vector Quantization techniques. At reasonable improvement in the quality of the output speech signal, Split-Multistage Vector Quantization technique provides the lowest spectral distortion, computational complexity and memory requirements when compared to Unconstrained Vector Quantization, Multistage Vector Quantization and Split Vector Quantization techniques [73-80]. The decrease in spectral distortion is due to summing of the quantized errors at each stage. In Split-Multistage Vector Quantization the dimension of the vectors to be quantized has been reduced by means of splitting. Likewise the bits used for quantization are also divided among the stages and among the splits of each stage. As a result the computational complexity and memory requirements get decreased when compared to Unconstrained Vector Quantization, Multistage Vector Quantization and Split Vector Quantization techniques. This is due to the decrease in the dimension of vectors, number of bits used for quantization at each stage and at each split of the vector quantizer. The generation of the codebooks at each stage of the Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer is similar to the codebooks generation at each stage of the Multistage Vector Quantizer. But the difference is that each stage of the Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer involves the generation of several sub codebooks. The number of sub codebooks generated at each stage is equal to the number of splits at that stage. In this work, Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer with three parts (splits) and three stages have been developed. The performance of quantization depends on the number of stages and on the number of splits at each stage. As the number of stages increases the quality of the quantized output can be increased, but there must be a limit on the number of stages and on the number of splits at each stage as the number of bits at each stage is limited. The allocation of the bits at each stage is shown in Table 4.1 and the allocation of bits to each split of a stage is shown in Table 4.2. From Ta bles 4.1 and 4.2 it can be observed that the minimum number of bits at each stage with three parts must be at least three. So with three parts (splits) and three stages, in Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer the number of bits at a frame cannot be reduced below 9 bits. The block diagram of a Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer with three parts and three stages is shown in Fig 4.8. The block diagram is similar to three stage Multistage Vector Quantizer except for the splits at each stage. In Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer each split is treated as a separate vector quantizer and the vectors at each split are quantized independently. The quantization mechanism involved in Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer is similar to the quantization mechanism involved in Multistage Vector Quantizer, except that in Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer at each stage the sub-vectors are quantized independently. Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer is a hybrid of Split Vector Quantizer and Multistage Vector Quantizer. The equations for computational complexity and memory requirements are derived from the complexity and memory requirement equations of a Split Vector Quantizer and Multistage Vector Quantizer. Equations (4.31) and (4.32) below are obtained from the equations (4.29) and (4.30) by including the splits (SP) at each stage with a summation term having limits from 1 to SP. The computational complexity of a Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.31) Where nji is the dimension of a sub-vector in jth stage ith split bji is the number of bits allocated to the jth stage and ith split of a quantizer P is the number of stages sp is the number of splits. The Memory requirements of a Split-Multistage Vector Quantizer is given by equation (4.32) Switched Split Vector Quantization (SSVQ) is one of the latest vector quantization techniques and is developed to improve the performance of Split Vector Quantization technique. Switched Split Vector Quantization technique is a hybrid of Switch Vector Quantization and Split Vector Quantization techniques and is used to exploit the linear and non linear dependencies that exist between the splits of a Split Vector Quantizer. In Switched Split Vector Quantizer initially the Switch Vector Quantizer partitions the entire vector space into voronoi regions and exploits the dependencies that exist across all dimensions of the vector space. Then a Split Vector Quantizer is designed for each of the voronoi regions. As a Split Vector Quantizer is adapted to the local statistics of the Voronoi region the sub optimalitys of the Split Vector Quantizer will be localized. In a Switched Split Vector Quantizer a number of vector quantizers are connected in parallel and it can be implemented in two wa ys: hard decision scheme and soft decision scheme. In hard decision scheme each vector to be quantized is quantized in only one of the codebooks connected in parallel, the selection of a codebook for quantization depends on the nearest codeword selected in the initial codebook. An initial codebook is one which is designed for the selection of a switch. The initial codebook is generated by the training vectors used for the generation of the codebooks at the vector quantizers connected in parallel. The number of codewords or centroids in the initial codebook is equal to the number of switches chosen or number of codebooks connected in parallel and these centroids are used to form the Switch Vector Quantizer. In soft decision sc

Anorexia Nervosa :: essays research papers

Self-Image: Anerexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a lack of self-esteem, an intense fear of becoming obese, and self-induced starvation due to a distorted body image (Durham, 1991). Anorexia can occur later in life, but it is most common in girls between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. According to the Center for Change, recent estimates suggest that 1% of Americans within this age range will, to some degree, develop anorexia and 10-20% will eventually die from related complications. I have experienced this deteriorating disease from a bystander’s point of view. After making a pact with my friends to get physically fit for the summer, the four of us exercised and dieted daily for nearly four months. I never thought that this effort to become healthy (or just look good in our bikinis) would have such dire consequences. While everyone ended this exhaustive diet plan, one of my friends became obsessed with her body image and without our knowledge, gradually developed the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. She went unnoticed for several months because she masterfully disguised her eating habits by consuming large quantities of fruit, vegetables, and salads in our presence while secretly fasting at home. Moreover, in spite of her attitude toward eating, she took an avid interest in buying and preparing food for us. Looking back, I think that we were all anorexic to some degree. Personally, I was 16 years old, 5’7 and only weighed about 105 pounds. If I ha d lost a couple more pounds, I would have been 25% below my normal body weight, which would be enough to also diagnose me with anorexia nervosa (Shaw, 2002). The majority of people who suffer from anorexia begin, as we did, with an innocent diet that gradually progressed to extreme and unhealthy weight loss (Shaw, 2002). Unlike normal dieting which stops when the desired weight is reached, people who become anorexic atribute positive feelings to their ability to control their weight and become dangerously preoccupied with food and fear weight gain. Research suggests that stringent dieting can play a key role in triggering eating disorders. Adolescent and young adult women are more vulnerable to these disorders due to their tendency to go on strict diets in order to achieve an â€Å"ideal† figure (Lehrman, 1987). Even thought the cause of anorexia nervosa is not known several different studies suggest that social attitudes toward body appearance, family influences, genetics, and developmental factors are possible contributors to anorexia (Selzman, 1999).

Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? Essay -- English Literature Essays

Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? A Tragic Hero is a common figure in many of Shakespeare’s works. A Tragic Hero is usually a figure of royalty, fame or greatness. This person is predominately good, but falls from prominence due to personality flaws that eventually lead to self-destruction. Macbeth’s major flaws are his ambition and impressionability. Due to their flaws, a Tragic Hero’s actions are often atrocious and cause them to battle with their conscience after their desires have been accomplished. These battles with their conscience evoke empathy from the audience. A Shakespearean Tragic Hero will always lose their life in the end of the play as a result of re-establishment of what is good in the play. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title figure of the play can be seen as the Tragic Hero. There are many factors which contribute to the decline of Macbeth. The three main factors which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration are the prophecies which were told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeth’s influence and ability to manipulate Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's growing character decays from a noble man to a violent individual. When the play begins, Macbeth’s greatness is already established. Macbeth has already earned the title of Thane of Glamis and will soon become the Thane of Cawdor. The fact that he has these titles demonstrates to the reader that Macbeth is good and an important figu... Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? Essay -- English Literature Essays Macbeth: A Tragic Hero? A Tragic Hero is a common figure in many of Shakespeare’s works. A Tragic Hero is usually a figure of royalty, fame or greatness. This person is predominately good, but falls from prominence due to personality flaws that eventually lead to self-destruction. Macbeth’s major flaws are his ambition and impressionability. Due to their flaws, a Tragic Hero’s actions are often atrocious and cause them to battle with their conscience after their desires have been accomplished. These battles with their conscience evoke empathy from the audience. A Shakespearean Tragic Hero will always lose their life in the end of the play as a result of re-establishment of what is good in the play. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the title figure of the play can be seen as the Tragic Hero. There are many factors which contribute to the decline of Macbeth. The three main factors which contribute greatly to Macbeth's degeneration are the prophecies which were told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeth’s influence and ability to manipulate Macbeth's judgment, and finally Macbeth's long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeth's growing character decays from a noble man to a violent individual. When the play begins, Macbeth’s greatness is already established. Macbeth has already earned the title of Thane of Glamis and will soon become the Thane of Cawdor. The fact that he has these titles demonstrates to the reader that Macbeth is good and an important figu...

Self-Hate in Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye Essay -- Essays on The Blu

At a time when blue-eyed, pale skin Shirley Temple is idolized by white and black alike, eleven-year-old Pecola Breedlove desperately seeks out beauty for herself. In order to attain beauty in her culture, Pecola must do the impossible: find white beauty. Toni Morrison shows the disastrous effects that colorism and racism can have on a whole culture and how African- Americans will tear each other apart in order to fit into the graces of white society. The desire to be considered beautiful in the white world is so compelling, that the characters in The Bluest Eye loathe their own skin color and feel shame for their culture. These feelings of self-loathing and contempt pass on from the adults to their children, creating a continuous cycle of negativity and self-hate. â€Å"Here was an ugly little black girl asking for beauty†¦A little black girl who wanted to rise up out of the pit of her blackness and see the world with blue eyes† (Morrison, 174). By petitioning for white beauty, Pecola Breedlove is desperately attempting to pull herself out of the pit of blackness. Because Pecola has dark-skin and authentic African-American features, black and white society has conditioned her to believe that she is ugly. Pecola.s physical features ensure her to be a victim of classical racism; classical racism being the notion that the â€Å"physical ugliness of blackness is a sign of a deeper ugliness and depravity† (Taylor, 16). This notion allows the mistreatment of dark-skinned people because their blackness is a link to a â€Å"dark past† and to uncivilized ways. Pecola does not epitomize white society.s standards of beauty because she does not have light skin and trademark blue eyes; therefore, she must be ugly and ba... ...Melus: 19.4 (1994): 109-127. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 March 2014. Lobodziec, Agnieszka. â€Å"Theological Models of Black Middle-Class Performance in Toni Morrison.s Novels.† Black Theology: An International Journal 8.1 (2010): 32-52. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 March 2014. McKittrick, Katherine. â€Å"Black and „Cause I.m Black I.m Blue.: transverse racial geographies in Toni Morrison.s The Bluest Eye.† Gender, Place & Culture: A Journal of Feminist Geography 7.2 (2000): 125. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 24 March 2014. Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. New York: Penguin, 1970. Print. Taylor, Paul C. â€Å"Malcom.s Conk and Danto.s Colors; or Four Logical Petitions Concerning Race, Beauty, and Aesthetics.† Journal of Aesthetics & Art Criticism 57.1 (2000): 16-20. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 23 March 2014.

A Woman’s Place Is In The House Essay

A woman’s place is in the house The place of woman was considered to be in the house almost since the beginning of time. Back then, women used to be the only ones responsible for the household and for the bringing up of their children. They lacked of sufficient education, as most of them never finished school and only a minority went to the university. And even if they did acquire a higher education, they scarcely had the same opportunities as men because they were considered inferior. Therefore, they were usually forced to bow their heads and accept the situation the way it was because they didn’t know how to defend themselves and clarify the truth. All this took place up to 1880,when women started to rebel and to demand the equality of rights between men and women. They began fighting for their right to vote, to have the same educational opportunities as men and to be judged by their knowledge and their education and not by their sex. It took them years to accomplish their goals but they finally made it. The emancipation of woman was and still is a fact. However, there still exists a considerable amount of people that believes that a woman’s place is exclusively in the house. This, assuming that the woman is a mother and therefore responsible before the members of her family. But are all women going to marry or be relegated to a life of inaction during their youth or while they remain single? Certainly not. Moreover, a schooled and scientific woman can understand her duties a lot better and is capable of completing them. A mother should know science in order to inspire her children in great deeds and noble sentiments, making them feel superior to the other objects in the universe, teaching them from the cradle to become familiar with the great scenes of nature. And nothing more ideal and sublime than the scientific mother, who goes to spend an evening at the astronomical observatory with her children by the hand to show them Jupiter, Venus, preparing in that way their tender hearts for the most legitimate aspirations that could occupy men’s minds. In addition, a working woman provides financial aid and consequently a larger amount of money can be spent in order to satisfy less essential needs, which will please the members of her family. But there are times when scientific women become indifferent and are not capable of giving tenderness because they are too preoccupied with themselves and become demanding, despotic and vain and do not know how to make a happy home. For them, there are no responsibilities to carry out, only whims to satisfy. Thus, women should find the golden section between the responsibilities before their family and their job in order to be happy and please their family at the same time. Besides, there’s enough time and competence for cooking and mending and a great soul such as that of women, equal to their mates, born to embrace all the beauty that exists in creation of divine origin and end, should not be wasted all on seeing if the plates are clean and the rocking cradle.

Health Priorities in Australia Essay

1. Using measures of epidemiology, investigate the health status of Australians. Health status is a holistic concept that is determined by more than the presence or absence of any disease. It is often summarised by life expectancy or self-assessed health status, and more broadly includes measures of functioning, physical illness, and mental wellbeing. Epidemiology is the study of disease in groups or populations through the collection of data and information, to identify patterns and causes. The measures of epidemiology are: Mortality- refers to the number of deaths in a given population from a particular cause and/or over a period of time. Infant Mortality- refers to the number of infant deaths in the first year of life, per 1,000 live births. Morbidity- is the incidence or level of illness, disease or injury in a given population. Life Expectancy- is the length of time a person can expect to live. More specifically, it refers to the average number of years of life remaining to a person at a particular age, based on current death rates. In Australia, the median age of death among the entire population in 2007 was 80.5 years old. In 2011 that statistic had risen to 81.5 years old, an increase of one year to the average life. In both years the leading cause of death among Australians was circulatory diseases (diseases of the heart and blood vessels) and the second leading cause in both years was cancer. Although the percentage of cancer deaths rose from 29.2% proportion of totals deaths to 29.8% and the percentage of circulatory disease deaths dropped from 33.8% of the populations deaths down to 31%. In the past 100 years the infant mortality rate as decreased by 95%, from more than one in ten deaths in the first year of life (100+ deaths per 1000 live births) to one in 200 deaths in the first year of life (5 deaths per 100 live births). This can be attributed to improved health education, public sanitation, improved medical diagnosis and improved support services for parents and new born babies. Most infant mortalities are caused by congenital malformations which are structural or functional anomalies which are present at the birth of a child, preventative causes of this disease are  improving the diet of women through their reproductive years, avoiding exposure to harsh environmental substances and improving vaccinations and health education. Information about the incidence and prevalence of the total population gives a broader perspective on the nation’s health than just the mortality statistics. Australia’s population has a lowering incidence of asthma and rising survival rate of cancer although since 1984 the incidence of five major cancers has risen (Breast, Prostrate, Melanoma, Colorectal and Lung) and a report from SMH in 2008 shows 7.4 million people are overweight or obese and the prevalence of diabetes climbs rapidly, along with these problems the amount of people affected by STI’s has risen to more than 230 per 100,000 people. According to AIHW (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare) Australia is one of the healthiest nations in the world although Indigenous Australians lag behind in their health status. Australians live the second longest lives in world, behind Japan. The average Australian citizen will live to be 81.4 years old. And trends indicate that the expectancy of males and females is growing, since 2000 the life expectancy of males has grown from 77.4 years old to 79.7 years old, an increase of 2.3 years. The life expectancy of females since 2000 has grown from 82.6 up to 84.2, an increase of 1.6 years. This increase in the life expectancy of Australian residents indicates that their health is improving, with the help of increased knowledge and improved health services. Taking all of this information into account, using measures of epidemiology, the health status of Australians can be said to be relatively good compared with that of other nations. The improved health services and new discoveries in the health sector along with increased knowledge about health from the population also indicates that the health status of Australians may be improving. 2. Explain how health promotion, based on the Ottawa Charter, reflects social justice principles. Health promotion is a combination of science, medicine, practical skills and beliefs aimed at maintaining and improving the health of all people. The Ottawa Charter for health promotion promotes social justice as it incorporates the idea of giving all members of  the community access to health services and attempts to rule out inequities in differing communities. The Ottawa Charter does this through its five action areas: Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments, Strengthen Community Action, Develop Personal Skills and Reorient Health Services. All five of these action areas provide a building block for health promotions. The four principles of social justice are: Equity, Access, Participation and Rights. The way equity is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter is through the action areas Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as these three areas bring together people onto an equal level and give specific help to those who need it, creating equity in communities. Access is reflected in health promotion based on the Ottawa Charter t hrough the action area Reorient Health Services, as this area of the charter aims to bring together health services, governing bodies and other health professionals in an attempt to give more adequate access to health services to those who need it. Also reflected is Participation, which can be based on the Ottawa Charter action areas through Building Healthy Public Policy, Strengthen Community Action and Develop Personal Skills. This can be known as empowering the communities and bringing the communities the education and information needed to know more about their own health. Lastly, Rights is reflected in health promotion through the action areas Create Supportive Environments and Reorient Health Services as they attempt to give equitable opportunities for good health to all individuals. With these four social justice principles reflected in health promotion, the overall health of Australia can be improved, examples of this include: ‘Quit for you – Quit for two’ which promotes to pregnant women who smoke, who if they ceased their habit would be creating a more equal life for their expectant child and give them the right for an opportunity to good health. Another example would be the ‘Swap it’ campaign which aims at developing personal skills while creating equity through smart food choices. 3. Critically analyse how the action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australia’s health priorities through ONE health promotion initiative. â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† Campaign by the Cancer Council of Australia was created in 1980 and revolved around Sid the Seagull who gave a constant reminder of the easy ways that the population of Australia would be able to avoid skin cancer; slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat. 27 year later the ad was upgraded to include; seek shade and slide on sunnies, thus creating the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† song. The campaign aims to lower the prevalence and incidence of skin cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter address Australia’s health priorities through this campaign. The action areas are: Building Healthy Public Policy, Create Supportive Environments, Strengthen Community Action, Develop Personal Skills and Reorient Health Services. Building Healthy Public Policy- Policies have been created due to increased awareness attributed to the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† campaign; a commonly known policy would be the â€Å"No Hat, No Play† policy used in schools. This is used by teachers to protect children from skin cancer risks in the playground. Advantages of this would be that children will be increasingly protected and parents are given peace of mind, and no noticeable disadvantages are created by this policy. Create Supportive Environments- A noticeable environment change caused by the increased awareness of skin cancers would the addition of shaded areas to many public places. This creates an environment for the public population that is protected from harmful Ultraviolet sun rays. An advantage of this are that people can be outside but protected from skin cancer risks while a disadvantage would be that most of these shaded areas come at the expense of nature, eg- destruction of trees and/or other natural features. Strengthen Community Action- Two initiatives related to the ‘Slip Slop Slap† would be the introduction of Cancer Centres to many rural areas and the Relay for Life, which is about raising funds for the Cancer Council. These two initiatives can create awareness of skin cancer, while the former can save lives. Only advantages are created by these two initiatives, which are; increased knowledge, funds gained for research and practical use, the ability to detect cancers and save lives. Develop Personal Skills- The campaign of â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slide† uses a jingle to educate the Australian population. The TV ad itself is an educational video, which creates awareness of skin cancers in Australia. This leads to increased knowledge of how to protect yourself and others from skin cancers. An advantage of this is that the Australian public is being educated in their own home by the TV, although a disadvantage is that they do not know that  they are being directly educated. Reorient Health Services- A health service which has become operational due to increased awareness of skin cancers is the Skin Cancer @ Bondi checks, where on the beach at Bondi you can have a skin cancer check. This leads to a safer beach, as beachgoers can be precautious and have a skin cancer check. Advantages of this are that the population can be on the beach and get their skin checked at the same time as well as not have to book into a skin cancer centre for the check. A disadvantage may be that the check may not be a thorough as one performed in a more professional environment. Overall, the introduction of the â€Å"Slip Slop Slap† campaign and the readjustment to â€Å"Slip Slop Slap Seek Slid e† campaign has increased the awareness and knowledge of skin cancers in Australia. The action areas of the Ottawa Charter are relevant to the campaign and Australia’s health priorities.

Bullying: who does what, when and where? Essay

In this paper, bullying was defined as a form of aggressive behavior or negative actions reoccurring over time between children who bully and those who are victimized (Fekkes, Pijpers, & Verloove-Vanhorick, 2005). Furthermore, Fekkes et al. (2005) suggested bullying as a group phenomenon involving not only the bullies and their victims, but also the bystanders. Other problems addressed by this research included the negative impact bullying has on children’s mental and physical health and the level of involvement that is necessary for effective intervention strategies to be successful. The specific research questions posed investigated the extent to which children are involved in bullying behavior, the level of involvement of others (i. e. , teachers, parents, classmates), and the effectiveness of current intervention strategies used to stop bullying behaviors. The purpose of the data presented by this research was to gather information and to utilize that information to compose novel efforts in combating bullying in schools. Fekkes et al. (2005) presented a range of empirical literature to support the need for this research. Studies by Williams et al. , (1996); Salmon et al. , (1998); and Forero et al. , (1999) were included to support the problem of negative health issues associated with bullying behaviors (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Studies by Atlas and Pepler (1998) and Hawkins et al. (2001) supported the notion of bullying as a group phenomenon and the effectiveness of bystander intervention (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Participants in this study were 2766 children from 32 Dutch elementary schools. These children had participated in a longitudinal study on the effectiveness of an anti-bullying policy at schools. It is important to note that the data were collected prior to any implementation of the anti-bullying policy. In November 1999, children from 9 to 11 years old were administered a questionnaire in the classroom. The questionnaire addressed frequency of bullying behaviors, types of bullying behaviors, where bullying behaviors took place, who intervened to stop the bullying, and whether or not the interventions were successful. According to Liebrand et al. (1994), Mooij (1992), and Olweus (1994), this questionnaire was based on the Dutch version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, a well-documented questionnaire that was used in numerous studies on bullying (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Using statistical analyses to analyze the data from the questionnaires, Fekkes et al. (2005) found that active bullying was prevalent at schools. Physical forms of bullying behaviors, such as hitting or pushing, were found to be most typical of boys. Girls were found to initiate bullying behaviors that were relational in nature, such as isolation tactics and rumor spreading. Bullying was found to take place on the playground as well as in the classroom. Nearly half of children being bullied did not report it to their teacher but did speak to their parents about it. A similar finding was also reported by Whitney and Smith (1993) (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Intervention attempts by teachers were found to have little effect, if any, on bullying occurrences. All of these findings provided the insight needed to recommend future intervention strategies. The prevalence of bullying behaviors among children in this age group was found to be consistent with the findings of similar studies conducted cross-culturally. Fekkes et al. (2005) compared the findings of this study to others in Norway, the UK, Italy, and Germany. With regard to gender differences in bullying behaviors, Whitney and Smith (1993), Borg (1999), Junger-Tas and van Kesteren (1999) found similar results among the direct and indirect nature of bullying behaviors among boys and girls (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Olweus (1993a) found that levels of bullying were lower on playgrounds with more teachers present (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Consistent with Whitney and Smith’s (1993) study and Rivers and Smith’s (1994) study, teachers are not regularly told about incidents of bullying behaviors by victimized children (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Because so many of the findings of this paper were consistent with other studies, the next logical step for future researchers would be to systematically integrate the various aspects of this topic into an intervention model with a comprehensive approach. Fekkes et al. (2005) recommended many strategies to assist such interventions. One such recommendation stated that teachers should create an environment in which children feel comfortable talking about their negative bullying experiences. Olweus (1993a) suggested the establishment of class rules aimed at minimizing bullying behavior (as cited in Fekkes et al. , 2005). Fekkes et al. further suggested that in addition to establishing class rules to minimize bullying behaviors, class discussion of the rules on a regular basis may aid in establishing an anti-bullying culture within that community. Another possible step for future research may be to replicate the study with a younger set of participants. Data collected from a younger age group may provide more insight into the early stages of bullying behaviors and early intervention strategies may aid in minimizing the prevalence of incidents of bullying in the higher elementary grades. Overall, I believe this study provided some valuable insight with regard to prevalence of bullying behaviors without the aid of an established intervention program. One of the strengths of this study was its large number of participants as well as findings which were consistent in similar studies in other countries. Such a large sample size provides for a clear snapshot of the pervasiveness of this problem. An additional strength of this study involves its use of an adapted version of the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire which has been used in many studies on bullying. Using such a well-documented tool lends to the consistency of the findings across multiple studies. Something that stood out to me was that there was no mention of effects of bullying behaviors on peer bystanders, positive or negative. I feel this was a limitation because bystanders were referred to as having a certain degree of power when taught effective intervention strategies Fekkes et al. , 2005). Another limitation I observed was the limited age range of the participants. I feel that with younger participants, it may be possible to do comparison studies to try to pinpoint just when bullying behaviors begin to surface within the social structure of the classroom. A final limitation of this study was its use of a quantitative design to address issues more qualitative in nature. Fekkes et al. (2005) state that the aim of the data presented was to provide insight on the topic. This may be more effectively accomplished by doing a current literature review on the prevalence of bullying behaviors and current intervention strategies. Fekkes et al. (2005) describe their current involvement in a project aimed toward development of anti-bullying policies within schools in the Netherlands. They also describe how this study will be used in that capacity. This paper being linked to such a project also raises questions for me about the integrity of the purpose of the study.

The Price Of Life Aids

1. This communication piece is presented in the form of a documentary. The documentary is titled â€Å"The price of life† and is part of a series called â€Å"The money programme†. The documentary was aired on BBC2; the reporter was Nils Blyth and was about the aids epidemic in Africa and how their government is not funding treatment for those who suffer from aids. 2. I think the fact that this documentary was aired on BBC2 an educational television channel along with the complexity of some of the wording and terminology in the documentary suggests this article would be aimed at a target audience of professionals, such as people working in the medical profession, people in government and people working in the pharmaceuticals industry. However I think this documentary would also be of interest to anyone who has a general interest in the subject of aids. 3. I think the initial purpose of this documentary is to provide information. The documentary provides information such as the percentage of people infected by aids, medical treatments and other health issues that affect people once infected by the aids virus. This is achieved by shown interviews with different professionals throughout the documentary such as university professor Alan Whiteside, Aids consortium director Morna Cornell and Doctor Sean Drysdale. Another purpose of the documentary I think was to shock people, I think you would have t watch a documentary like this one to get a good insight to the suffering that goes on in Africa due to aids, I for one was very shocked by their living conditions, medical care and their lack of what seemed to me as their understanding of the seriousness of unprotected sex and their risk of contracting the aids virus. 4. I think this documentary achieves the purposes outlined in answer three by the way the reporter Nils Blyth presents the documentary he speaks in a professional manner covering all the issues, he has good eye contact and good body language. Another speaker in the documentary is Busi Chamane where she talks about her own battle with the HIV virus and how it affects her and her daughter's everyday life, listening to Busi gives you a personal insight of an aids sufferer. 5. This documentary is about aids in Africa and the struggle the people have to receive any sort of medical treatment. The documentary shows a woman Busi Chamane an HIV sufferer and talks a bit about her experience coping with aids. Busi was infected with the HIV virus by her husband who worked away from home, Busi's husband left her and her children and sold their home; Busi was then sacked from her job due to being HIV positive and was also throwing out by her family. On top of this the biggest fear Busi was going through was that her daughter who was born after Busi was infected would also be infected with the HIV virus but after months of tests her daughter was giving the all clear. The documentary also touches upon the issue of government funding for medical treatment for those who suffer from the virus. British made drug AZT (Glaxxo Welcome) is a drug that can prevent the virus being passed from mother to child and is being offered to Africa at a cut price 75% but the African Government say they wont bulk buy as they have doubts in regards to the price, safety and effectiveness. The documentary also films the workers of the platinum mines where hundreds of men work they all live around the mines sharing hostels and are away from their wives and families all year only returning home once. The mines are surrounded by shanty towns and prostitutes who have contributed to 45% of the miners carrying the HIV virus and taken it home to their wives. 6. Busi Chamane showed a few different feelings and emotions throughout the documentary at the start of the documentary you see Busi looking happy and singing at church but throughout the documentary her feeling about being infected with the HIV virus become more apparent. Busi said when she first found out she was infected she was was angry, scared and in denial and also feared for her daughters health. Throughout the time Busi has been infected she has managed to come to terms with her virus and is determined to make the most of the rest of her life, however she still shows anger towards the government and the drugs companies who appear to have the attitude that profits are more important than life. 7. I think this documentary has been very effective in achieving the purposes outlined in question three, it achieves this by the good communication, body language, eye contact, good vocabulary. It films people in their homes, out in their community and in the hospitals where you see one patient dying surrounded by family and friends singing and praying around her bedside. It also achieves the purpose of giving information by talking to professionals i.e. medical, government, university professors and people working for the aids consortiums. It shows good footage of the miners drinking and mixing with prostitutes and also talks to a girl who worked as a prostitute who is now campaigning for safer sex in order to help stop the aids epidemic from rising further.

No topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

No topic - Essay Example They are all similarly Caucasian in appearance, but they have different cultural traditions, and it is this social difference that is called ethnicity. These ethnic differences have been a part of American history from the beginning, because people from many different countries came over as immigrants and formed communities which carried on these original traditions. The bigger American culture is made up of elements from all those other cultures. The English view of race was very positive about white people, seeing them as conquering heroes, who had taken over lands as rulers, just as English companies took over India and other colonies. They saw other races as inferior, however, and this was very extreme in the case of Africa. African people were viewed as savages and they were exploited because the British had superior weapons. This treatment shows that the British thought of Africans as something less than human and this kind of attitude was brought over to America in the early days, and transferred also to the view that white Americans had of other groups, including all the native tribes and nations who were on the land before the Europeans arrived. The system of slavery began with the establishment of various kinds of colonies in the American territories. There were not enough white people to tend the fields and so a system of plantations was created, bringing African Americans as slaves to work in them. These people were brought by force. There were also many poor white people who voluntarily became slaves for a fixed period of time, because this gave them a chance to make a new life in America when they had failed to prosper in their home country. White people saw themselves as superior, and this is a social cause of slavery. Slaves were not allowed to decide about family matters like getting married, and having children, and they could not own property, or invest in their own education, making this a