Saturday, August 31, 2019

Food and Beverage Industry Essay

Around the time of A. D 850 legend has it that a lone shepherd and his flock happened upon a strange new plant that was growing upon the slopes of lonely hillside. Before the shepherd could intervene some of his herd had started to chomp away at this newly discovered delicacy. After about a quarter of an hour the shepherd began to notice that the entire flock were acting in an extremely lively manner. They appeared to be not only very alert but even hyperactive. Now the shepherd being slightly weary and more than a little tired decided that he also should sample the berries and see what, if any effect they would have on him. He secretly hoped that the dramatic effect that he had observed the berries to have on his greedy flock of sheep would also be his experience. Just as had happened with his herd, he too started to feel the benefits and in a matter of minutes he also [pardon the pun] was ? extremely full of beans?. A few hours passed and along came a wandering monk. The herder proceeded to tell him of the plants amazing qualities but he was immediately scolded for his outlandish ways and foolhardy behaviour. After he had finished telling the shepherd just what a sinner he had been the monk went on his way but not before he had hidden a little something in his bottom of his backpack. When the monk reached his monastery his fellow holy men also decided to try this new and enchanting beverage. Soon the endless hours of prayer no longer seemed so wearisome, in fact they became easy to endure with the help of this exciting new drink. Coffee, had now well and truly arrived and the news began to spread! Its widespread consumption first commenced in the wilds of the Ethiopian outlands before then moving on to the heart of Arabia . Here it was to be held as a holy delicacy but was eventually to be unlawfully exported by a trader by the name of Baba Budan. In no time at all word of its qualities began to spread and coffee was to evolve into one of the most valued drinks ever known to the human civilisation. Its hard to believe that each year we consume a staggering four billion cups and there are many among us who would not contemplate starting their day without it. Although coffee is usually thought of as a sleep suppressant there are many who think that it also has many health benefits. It is said that folk who suffer from the complaint of asthma and drink coffee have an average of at least 25% less symptoms due to a substance in the coffee named theophylline. This is known to be a bronchodilator which helps those who suffer with the disease to breathe a little more easily. Drinking coffee on a daily basis is also thought to help lower your chances of developing colon cancer. This is also by a figure in the region of about twenty five percent. Aside from the benefits that have been mentioned above, it has to be said that simply enjoying coffee as a beverage is a delight that will never be easily surpassed. The unbelievable thing is that most people have no idea of the different tastes and delights that this monarch of all drinks has to offer. One of the fastest growing trends of the past few years has to be the rising popularity of obtaining coffee via the internet. Never before has it been so easy to sample such a huge variety of blends, tastes and aromas, and all at the click of a mouse. I order coffee frequently through the internet and I always make a point to record the country, blend and from whom I purchased. Well now that you know the tale of the mystical beans I hope that if in the future you are considering visiting your local coffee shop you recall the story of the lowly shepherd and think about just what you might be drinking were he not to have wandered onto that bleak and lonely hillside. Why not take advantage of the internet and try the many different varieties and blends available. Not only will you impress your tastebuds, your friends will be grateful as well. Reference: http://www. streetdirectory. com/etoday/food-and-beverage-history-coepeu. html.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Jonestown Mass Suicide. Jim Jones

Jonestown Mass Suicide: A Look at Jim Jones diagnosis and the People's Temples 918. This is the number of people that died in Jonestown, from apparent cyanide poisoning because of Jim Jones. This mass murder/suicide was one of the largest in modern history that resulted in the largest single loss of American civilian life, without being caused by a natural disaster until the events of September 11,2001. Jim Jones was the leader of the Peoples Temple, a religious organization also seen as a sect. Criminal psychology is the study of the wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals.This is why, in the following essay, I will discuss, take a look and analyse Jim Jones and his diagnosis. I will also explore many ideas surrounding the Peoples Temple and their members. It is my hope that my research paper will provide an extensive and interesting psychological look at Jim Jones behavior, Jonestown mass suicide and the members of the Peoples Temple. Born on May 13,1931 in a rural a rea of Indiana, James Warren ? Jim? Jones had an uncommon childhood . His dad James was a World War 1 veteran, and his mother Lynetta believed that she had given birth to a messiah.Jim was Irish and Welsh, and was claiming that he was partial Cherokee, but it wasn't true. Hall (1987) basically explain that because of the Great Depression, his family had economic difficulties that necessitated them to move in another town in Indiana in 1934. He grew up there in a shack without any plumbing. According to a childhood friend and Jim Jones himself, his father, James, was associated with the Ku Klux Klan, which is a far-right organizations in the U. S who had advocated extremist reactionary currents such as some white supremacy, nationalism and anti-immigration through terrorism.In one of the interviews that took part in 2006 for the documentary ? Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple? some acquaintances of Jim childhood described him as being a ? really weird kid obsessed with religion and death?. They also reported that Jones was frequently holding funerals for small animals that he killed or that he found dead, and he had once stabbed a cat to death. As a child, Jim was a big reader and he studied Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Karl Marx and Mahatma Gandhi a lot. He was looking to find every strengths and weaknesses of them.Lately, Jones became a member of the Communist Party USA in 1951. In a way, Jones wanted to demonstrate his Marxism, and the only way that he found was to infiltrate the church. In 1952, he become a student pastor in a Methodist church. One theorist suggest that he didn't stay not much longer because they were barred him from integrating black people into his congregation (Wessinger, 2000). Jones started to do faith-healing services, and he observed that it was attracting people and their money. He started to organized religious convention with healing evangelist .He then began his own church, the Peoples Temple. It was initially made as an inter-racial mission. Then, Jones left the Communist Party because they were criticizing some of the policies of Joseph Stalin. During these years, Jones helped to integrate black communities into churches, restaurants, telephone company, police department, a theater, an amusement park and the Methodist Hospital. A lot of people were criticizing his integrationist view. Jim and his wife adopted several children with non-Caucasian ancestry. For him, this was his ? ainbow family? , and he was encouraging the member of his Temple to do the same. In the same year, Jones and his family travel in Brazil to find another location for the Temple. He then came back from Brazil and claimed that there would be a nuclear war, so the temple had to move to California. Like other cult leaders, Jones was easily able to gain public support and contact with important figures, such as politicians from among the United-States and other countries. The Peoples Temple and Jones were getting more and more known by the entire population.He was forging media alliances and was getting a lot of attention by political figures. It is in the summer of 1977 that Jones and several hundred of members moved to Guyana. This Temple was a ? Agricultural Project?. He named it Jonestown. This Temple was created both for a ? socialist paradise? and also a sanctuary to be hide from the media. According to both (Reiterman;Jacobs,1982), Jones didn't permitted members to leave Jonestown. For him, it was the beginning of one of his belief called ? Translation? here he and all of the members would die together to move to live on another planet. When Jones left, a lot of political allies broke ties with him. This is why, on April 11, 1978, a document called ? Accusation of Human Rights Violations to the Peoples Temple? by Jones had been distributed to members of the press and congress. With the testimony of an escaped Temple member, US delegations had enough details about rimes and the living condition s to an investigation on human right abuses. By this time, Jones hired Mark Lane and Donald Freed to repair his reputation.The investigation group, that included news reporter, congressman and cameraman arrived in Jonestown on November 17, 1978. Finally, they had an abrupt end because one of the members tried to kill the congressman with a knife. However, they succeeded to take fifteen members that wanted to leave with them. They were about to leave when a group of Jones Guard arrived in a trailer, armed, and started to shoot the group. The guards killed the congressman, the deputy chief of mission and three other news reporter. It is later on the same day that the mass suicide happened.The reason that gives Jones to convince people to commit suicide was his conspiracy theories of intelligence organizations against the Temple. He was saying that some men would parachute in Jonestown, shoot some innocent babies and torture the children and the seniors. It is in a big storage containe r that they made the mix ? Kool-Aid. For him, it was a worthless suicide  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We didn't commit suicide; we committed an act of revolutionary suicide protesting the conditions of an inhumane world† (Jones,1978). Children's were given the drink first, and families were told to lie down together.Some people escaped, but the majority drink the poison. Jones, for himself, committed suicide with a gun. According to the (DSM-IV-TR), Jim Jones is suffering from several personality disorders. One of it would be Anti Social Personality Disorder Cluster B. ASPD, is define to be ? a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood?. There is several point form that makes you diagnosed as ASPD, and you need to be indicated by three or more.For the case of Jones, there is easily three points that can be indicated. The first one is deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of alia ses, or conning others for personal profit of pleasure. One good example of it would be that Jones was doing some faith-healing. By doing this, one time, he engaged a woman to fake that she was handicapped and wasn't able to walk. Then, Jones did his faith-healing, the woman got up of his wheelchair and started to walk. He was getting attention and was making money for personal interest out of it.Also, Jones was lying repeatedly to his members, saying that they had to leave to California because the world would engage in a nuclear war and they had to move for safety. Also, this is only few examples from all of them. The second one is the reckless disregard for safety of self or others. An obvious example of it is that Jones wasn't letting people to leave Jonestown, and he obligated everybody to committed suicide. Also , he ordered his guard to shoot at the group who were coming to investigate the issue.The third one is the lack of  remorse as indicated by being indifferent to or  rationalizing  having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another. Jones had killed 918 peoples, and didn't express any remorse. For him, he was helping them to live on another planet. References Hall, John R. (1987), Gone from the Promised Land, Transaction Publishers. Chidester, D. (2004). Salvation and suicide: Jim jones, the people's temple and jonestown (religion in north america). (2nd ed. ). Indiana University Press. Wessinger, Catherine (2000), How the Millennium comes violently: From Jonestown to Heaven's Gate, Seven Bridges PressReiterman, T. , & Jacobs, J. (1982). Raven: The untold story of Rev. Jim Jones and his people. Dutton. Rosenburg, J. (2005, April 10). About. com. Retrieved from http://history1900s. about. com/od/people/p/jimjones. htm Jones, J. J. (1978, 11 17). [Audio Tape Recording]. Alternative considerations of jonestown and peoples temple. Jonestown project. Transcript of Recovered FBI tape Q 42. , San Diego State University. Antisocial personality disorder - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth edition Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR)  American Psychiatric Association (2000) pp. 645-650

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Web Services. Design Patterns Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Web Services. Design Patterns - Essay Example Web services have appeared as a most attractive and extensible technology that facilitates application-to-application interaction, using open standards and protocols. At the present, the use of web service has become very common. Basically, a web service is a software application that is purposefully designed for running over the internet. In this scenario, the web server is used to host a web service that is accessible to its users for use over the internet. Once the web service is created, it has to be uploaded on a web host, with the intention that Web service can be made available to everyone over the Internet. We should not use web server for the purpose of testing a web service. A web service can be tested by making use of a local web server (VKInfotek, 2012; Wang et al., 2004). Basically, the web services are created to address the need of connecting applications from incompatible and mismatched environments, for instance UNIX and Windows, or J2EE and .NET. The main theme behi nd the emergence of Web services was basically to efficiently deal with the challenge of interoperability and integration of applications developed in diverse platforms. In addition, Web services support almost all the programming languages on any platform. Additionally, the web services can also be used in the case when there is need to apply a specific functionality, feature in a wide variety of business applications. In this scenario, the integration of a web service to a business application improves the functionality and scope of that particular application. Furthermore, a web service can be integrated with web applications, windows applications, mobile applications and websites (VKInfotek, 2012; Wang et al., 2004). In addition, there exist a wide variety of web services across the web that have the capability of carrying out simple as well as complex tasks for instance performing the simple task of information processing as well as executing complex business processes. Also, w e have a variety of standards and protocols that have been developed to deal with web services such as Web Services Description Language (WSDL) that presents machine-readable information of Web services, simple object access protocol (SOAP) that enables exchange of messages between Web services, a Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) registry which is a directory of Web services WSDLs (Wang et al., 2004; Phu, 2005). In the light of the above discussion, we can conclude that in the near future, Web application development will be dominated by Web Services, and it is expected that most web application development will involve just the calling of existing Web Services. DQ2: Other Design Patterns This week we discussed and implemented the MVC design pattern for Web based database interfaces. However, there are otherdesign patterns that may be directly applicable to PHP programming, orweb programming in general. Find another design pattern which could be used for web b ased development and write a synopsis on it, pointing out whether it would be applicable for use within your project or not. Comment as applicable on design patterns that other class membersprovide. â€Å"A design pattern points to an issue that can take place repeatedly in a programming environment, and then points out the idea of the way out to that issue. In this scenario, this solution can be applied to this or any other similar problem a million times over, even there is no need to do it the same way twice" (Wallace, 2000). In simple words, a design pattern describes a problem and its solution. However, descriptive name should be used for a design pattern so that it can be

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Communication situation i been to Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication situation i been to - Essay Example One thing that differentiated Dr. Smith from other teachers was that he was very difficult to talk to. In the start, I thought it was the huge difference of our ages that made it difficult for me to develop a comfort level with him. But later, I realized he was determined not to be satisfied, though with a positive intention, so that I would work even harder to get him satisfied. â€Å"Yes Jonathan, show me what have you done,† he started the investigation. I handed over the questionnaire to him. After having a bird’s eye-view on the paper, he pursed his lips and gave me a stern look. Without sufficiently understanding the statements, he asked me why I had included certain questions in the questionnaire. Before I would answer him, he questioned about the link of another question in the questionnaire to the thesis. I realized I would have to make my point in order to let him understand why the questions were there. Although it was too difficult to interrupt him in the mi ddle of his endless taunt, I mustered up all my courage and said to him, â€Å"Sir, sorry to interrupt you, but here I want to clarify the validity of these questions.† He stopped, â€Å"Ok, what do you want to say?† While saying this to him, I looked him straight in the eyes, though with due respect. In all of my meetings with him, I was tentative to confront him or constantly look him straight in the eyes while talking to him. But this time, I did do it because I had recently learnt that eyes play a fundamental role in making the communication meaningful. Once we make eye contact with the other person while talking to him/her, we convey the feeling that we are mean what we say. This casts a good impression on the other person and he/she takes our point seriously. Eye contact is indeed, the most important of all facial expressions because it conveys an individual’s sincerity and credibility to the other (E. C. G., 2003). Making a constant eye-contact

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Human resources management development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human resources management development - Essay Example The first and the foremost ethical obligation upon a company toward the employees in the hard times is to provide them with a healthy and safe environment to work irrespective of the external influences or the present conditions of the company. Employers need to keep the employees motivated to work hard and reassure them that hard times would be over with their effort and cooperation. The best way to achieve this is by taking the employees into confidence and explaining the whole situation to them; this promotes trust, reliability, and honesty in the relationship between the employer and the employees. Besides, this also explains everything to the employees so that they can start looking for alternative opportunities in time. However, the prime concern of the employer in hard times should not just be sustenance of the profitability of the business as this sends the impression to the employees that the employer is selfish and that the management was fake in its assertions that they al l make part of the same family. â€Å"In the face of layoffs, employees often experience lower morale and productivity, higher levels of absenteeism and job-related stress, and a loss of faith in the business† (canadabusiness.ca, 2012). The employer should try, as much as possible, to retain all employees and draw a balance between the profitability of the business and benefits of the employees. If the hard times result from the unethical conduct of an employee or a manager, the responsible employee should be dealt with as per the company’s code of ethics while the rest of the employees should be dealt with in the same way as discussed before. AIG should not differentiate between its executives and other employees down the line in the organizational structure. For a company to be fair toward its employees, it is imperative that it fosters such a

Monday, August 26, 2019

Compare Hatshepsut's obelisk(s) with the Harburg Monument in Germany Essay

Compare Hatshepsut's obelisk(s) with the Harburg Monument in Germany within the cultural context of each artifact - Essay Example The pharaohs erected the monuments to depict their reign showing a form of stability and continuity of the kingdom. The pyramid shaped top, pyramidion reflected the light to indicate the power of their ancient god, Ra to make a reflection to the land. Ancient Egyptians were intensely religious and believed in connection with the supernatural erecting symbols to honor the presence of the gods. In their efforts to create continuity of their rule, the pharaohs erected their personalized obelisk to glorify specific events. In the individual faces of the monolith, there were inscriptions that were made to glorify the pharaoh that erected the obelisk. In this monument, Hatshepsut features the story of her fathers that she honors Thutmose and Amun, dedicating the inscriptions to their memories (Seawright). This structure had been erected to indicate the strong belief in the traditions and honor outstanding societal members that acted as peace symbols. The monuments acted as unifying figures for the ancient Egyptian reminding them the value of upholding respect and discipline (Strouhal, 180). With the rule of the pharaohs, there was the order in the society as the people believed in serving their rulers and the gods would offer them blessings in turn. Today, fragments of the fallen obelisk are found at the MFA, Boston. The monument depicts a king carrying out a momentous event in the Egyptian culture that involved appeasing the gods through offering sacrifice. The female pharaoh of Egypt carried the routine of the society and the entire kingdom by honoring the religious entity of the tribe and ensured continuity of this meaning incised in the famous structure (Brand, 160). The piece, made out of graphite represent an inscription in the obelisk that relayed the god Amun and the figure of the head can be clearly seen. This had been one side of the fallen obelisk that Hatshepsut had erected in honor of their religion and to establish her rule as a dominant female pharaoh who managed to rule the Egyptians during her time. Today, the monument represents a rich tradition and symbol of the grand Egyptian kingdom that unified its individuals to uphold religion and authority. This particular monument is notable because it was erected by a famous personality of the ancient Egypt. The pharaoh ensured that the memory of the famed events in the Egyptian calendar are upheld and remembered through precise inscriptions to deliver the memories of her rule. Egyptian art was not only beautifully precise in nature, but the inscriptions had a meaning and purpose in this case religion and culture. Through visiting museums like MFA and the actual site to view the obelisk, an individual is able to revisit the ancient Egyptian history and be informed of the principal unifying figure. Image retrieved from: http://womenshistory.about.com/od/hatshepsut/ig/Hatshepsut-Female-Pharaoh/Obelisk-of-Hatshepsut.htm Hamburg Monument in Germany German artists Jochen Gerz and Esther Sh alev were accorded the responsibility to erect a monument that upheld the societal values of peace and anti-fascism to be introduced to the German society. The monument was initially intended to be placed in a fancy park to be viewed by the citizens, an attribute that the two refused erecting their piece in a

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Housing segregation in the us Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Housing segregation in the us - Research Paper Example Gotham (2000, p. 13) found out that while housing subsidy housing programs created a situation for a great number of white families to buy â€Å"new† housing units in suburban areas, African American families were only able to buy â€Å"existing† homes in â€Å"racially transitional neighborhoods† in the inner city. Gotham (2000, p. 13) interpreted his data to mean that his research corroborated research that showed that the â€Å"market-centered† focus of federal housing policy has created obstacles to the â€Å"ability of African Americans to accumulate wealth through home ownership and reinforced racially segregate housing patterns.† For Gotham, the culprit is Section 235 of the 1968 Housing Act that â€Å"was designed to shift the focus of federal housing policy away from dispensing aid to local housing authorities for building public housing to providing direct supply-side subsidies to the private sector to stimulate home ownership for nonwhit es and the poor† (2000, p. 13). Taking off from the work of Oliver and Shapiro (1995), Gotham argued (2000, p. 14) that the operation and implementation of the United States 1968 housing program is an example of the â€Å"racialization of state policy.† Citing the study of Massey and Denton (1993), Gotham (2000, p. 15) specifically pointed out Kansas City as one of the United States’ prime examples of â€Å"hypersegregated metropolitan areas due to the high degree of segregation in housing patterns on a range of indices.† Gotham (2000, p. 16) blames the â€Å"segregative effects of federal housing policies and programs, and private real estate activity† for the hypersegregation. In addition, Gotham said (2000, p. 17) â€Å"the various economic and political dimension of housing-related activities have been conducted through an organized and interconnected system of racial discrimination.† At the same time, Gotham (2000, p. 17) also pointed out racial discrimination was

Saturday, August 24, 2019

God father film Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

God father film - Research Paper Example The movie is considered the touchstone for other gangster movies for its highly sophisticated setup and depiction of the underworld mafia which does not care for life if it is experiencing loss in business. Movie opens with a wedding reception of Don Vito Corleone’s daughter. Vito is a Mafia boss who is known as the Godfather who is shown to conduct business in his office. Don is shown to be an influential and powerful person who can grant people’s requests. However he is sensitive about matters he does not value such as Sollozzo’s request to involve the Corleone family in the narcotics business. Barzinis and Tattaglias are two other families who have agreed to take part but Sollozzo’s main interest in Vito’s approval is his protection and financing. Vito’s skepticism and later a series of events such as Vito’s bodyguard Luca Brasi’s murder, attempt to assassinate Vito and later on Vito’s son Sonny’s murder confirm the dirty politics played by Sollozzo. Michael, Vito’s younger son who is shown to be disconnected with such family games is transformed by these series of events and takes over family’s responsibility as Vito recovers and eventually settles the matter fulfilling the dream of his father towards the end of the movie. What really makes the movie so outstanding is the performance of the main characters especially Al Pacino as Michael and Marlon Brando as Vito. The Corleone clan is known for sticking together in good and harsh times. That is what makes them popular and respected. Brando’s performance won him the Oscar and his â€Å"I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse† kept the crowd in its place awestruck and bemused (The Godfather 1972). The Corleone clan is Italian immigrants who are most caring. No Sicilian can decline a request on the wedding of Vito’s daughter Connie. Michael who has returned from Second World War as a hero has seen worst in the field. Times are changing

Friday, August 23, 2019

Psychology Behind Supreme Court Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Psychology Behind Supreme Court Case - Essay Example was in the business of vending drugs in the school premises. After conducting this search and accruing much incriminating and objectionable evidence in the purse of T.L.O., the vice principal contacted the appropriate authorities and T.L.O. was subsequently arrested by them. T.L.O. sought to suppress the evidence recovered by the school authorities at her trial, claiming that this violated her Fourth Amendment rights pertaining to unreasonable search. The school authorities did say that they had a reasonable reason to conduct this search. Hence T.L.O.’s motion was totally denied by the concerned court and this evidence recovered by the school authorities was declared admissible in the court of law. Following her conviction on the basis of the evidence recovered by school authorities from her purse, T.L.O. appealed against her in the New Jersey Supreme Court, citing the same reason that the search conducted by the school authorities violated her Fourth Amendment Rights (Slobogin 207). The New Jersey Supreme Court concluded that the search was indeed unreasonable and consequently reversed the conviction of T.L.O., setting her free. The state of New Jersey appealed against the reversal of T.L.O.’s conviction in the US Supreme Court. The US Su preme Court ruled in favor of the State of New Jersey, by a resounding margin of 6-3, declaring that the search conducted by the school authorities was valid and thereby the exclusionary principle did not apply to the evidence presented against T.L.O. While delving on the psychology behind this Supreme Case, it does need to be mentioned that the Supreme Court thoroughly considered the claims of all the stakeholders in this particular case. The honorable Court did say that the students in the high school do have the right of privacy against unreasonable search as enshrined in the Fourth Amendment. Yet, the court did acknowledge that when it comes to the constitutional rights of the children and

Report about Virgin Mary and Saint Maria Goretti Essay

Report about Virgin Mary and Saint Maria Goretti - Essay Example She was an Israelite woman and was chosen by God to carry and give birth to his firstborn Son. Similarly Saint Maria Goretti was also handpicked by God for her humble yet unrelenting love and acceptance of God into her heart. She was a simple little poor country girl, not yet 12 years of age, and yet God chose her, clothed her with honor by the power of his Spirit. The bond she had with God was so strong that she chose to give her life up for it and be forever the living proof of the Pope John Paul II quote â€Å"God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.’ (R.schmid, 2011). Maria Goretti from a very early age was able to ‘accept what pertains to the Spirit of God.’ It was this Spirits voice that she has incorporated in every aspect of her life. She did not flee from this voice even as she was attacked by her assailant but it was the voice of her conscience that let her not give in. She chose death over the alternative of being defiled knowing that her body was the house of God. The gift of her fortitude was so great that the Holy Spirit helped her make her moral decision and chose such a difficult feat with her young spirit. She chose death when she saw no other way to defend her virginal purity. Her final act is a perfect depiction of how she lived her entire young life (Likoudis, 2004).

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Draft Letter Going to War in Vietnam Essay Example for Free

Draft Letter Going to War in Vietnam Essay It was a very hot and humid day. I will never forget that awful day. I just had gotten home from work; the traffic that day was horrible. The mail was in top of my dining room table, and there it was on top of all the mail, the only thing o saw on the envelope was draft and I was the addressee. My reaction was â€Å"Oh My God†, my heart was pounding very heart it felt like it was about to jump out of my chest, my ears were burning. All I could think was that we are told that we are helping people and fighting for our freedom. Instead innocent people are being killed; I have lost most of my freedom. What options do I have, leave the country, or hide for the rest of your life. Or go to war not only means serving your country, but helping people along the way. What were my advantages or disadvantages? None of those options were good, at that point I was in shock, and I just could not believe that this was happening to me, till this day I do not remember ever opening that letter. The advantage I saw was, if I went to war the money I will be getting. With that money I could help my family, have a better future, and it can help me open a lot of doors. The disadvantage is that I can get killed, injured, my family would be devastated, but at the same time they would feel proud. To some, including me the Vietnam War was a crime, an attempt by the United States to suppress a heroic Vietnamese national liberation movement that had driven French colonialism out of its country. To others, the Vietnam War was a forfeit, a just war needlessly lost by timid policymakers and a biased media. For many including myself, the Vietnam War was a tragic mistake brought about by U.S. leaders who exaggerated the influence of communism and underestimated the power of nationalism. Another advantage would be that I would come back as a hero, either alive or in a box. I will still be considered a hero, that is, if I live in a community that is very patriotic. But in my case I do not live in a community like that. The disadvantage would be that my community would not even know that I have gone to war. All I could think was that the draft discriminated against the poor, the less educated and ethnic minorities. Many of us were drafted into the Army against our will nearly all of us are kept in its grasp against our will all in order to carry out this illegal, immoral, and unjust war. We are forced to fight and die in a war we did not create and in which we don’t believe. There are advantages and disadvantages in every war that can either be minute details or change the whole course of war. I would go to war even knowing that I may get killed, injured. Morally is the right thing to do. As a citizen we have a duty to this country whether or not we believe in the cause of war. Initially, people going to Vietnam bought the domino theory. They willingly went because they were defending freedom and democracy and the American way, those who were sent to Vietnam knew that they did not have the support of the American people, knew that they were there in support of a failed policy, and knew that they were not defending freedom or democracy, but were pawns in an ongoing political struggle. My conclusion after writing this is that never think for a moment that you are the only one side that is suffering you might be physically safe from the effects of war. But war is an insidious enemy and all the more damaging when it is implications reach you, others through a dead and suffering.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Brain-Imaging Techniques for Cognitive Functions Analysis

Brain-Imaging Techniques for Cognitive Functions Analysis Using examples of fMRI, explain how researchers use brain-imaging techniques and discuss what, if anything, these techniques can tell us about cognitive functions. Here is introduced the method of fMRI, how imaging data is gained and at what cost is involved in getting it. Further to this the experimental designs are discussed and how these might add to the toolbox available to the experimental psychologist. A study will be looked at, which has used fMRI imaging to add to the existing knowledge and psychological theories that exist around memory. Last of all some areas of concern are looked at as the structure-function data will continue to grow and expand. Before the use of imaging methods, such as that of fMRI and PET scanning, as Naish (2010) points out, it was possible to discover whether certain parts of the brain were responsible for certain cognitive functions. There were problems with this, often relying on accidental legions meant the more than one function could be damaged or it produced inconsistent findings. Lack of clear resolution resulted in the patient being tested through their life to only discover the underlying neurological damage after death. Kaye (2010) highlights a common critique that the current use of imaging techniques does not provide cognitive psychologists with much. The simple structure-to-function mapping does not improve our understanding of cognitive theories. This has been challenged in Henson’s (2005) review of Tulving (1985) ‘remember’ or ‘know’ memory experiment with the use of fMRI methods. Still, it is important to explore the way that imaging methods work for cont inuing psychological understanding. MRI and to an extent also PET imaging works based on the idea that when a cognitive task is being undertaken both glucose and oxygen will be carried to those area(s) of the brain, which requires it significantly over than that of resting or less activate areas (Johnsrude and Hauk 2010). The imaging technique is sensitive to that increased blood flow and that according to Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) this is used to study the functioning of the brain. This is often known as regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF): alongside this the level of oxygen that is left in blood can also be looked at known as the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) contrast, as deoxyhaemoglobin and oxyhaemoglobin produce different magnetic fields (Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Although there are some methodological problems with this, such as the lag between neural processing and increased blood flow, it is argued that with the correct design and computer analysis such problems can be dealt with (Henson, 2005). Function al MRI over PET is less intrusive in the sense that more participants can be involved, be studied over a longer time and it is generally easier to maintain. This is due to PET requiring the participant being injected with a radioactive substance which because of health issues rules out who can take part and how many times each participant can undergo PET imaging (Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Functional MRI has become the choice of many experimental psychologists. Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) also highlight other issues that make fMRI difficult, but not impossible, the first that the machine itself makes a lot of noise to the extent it can cause hearing damage, it can be constricting and participants cannot move their heads while imaging is taking place. Those with anxiety issues, for example, will find fMRI studies very difficult to take part in but when participants move their heads computers can adjust the images to match up with earlier ones and ear plugs can be worn. Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) present two types of experimental design. Subtractive designs such as that used by Klein et al (1995, cited and explored by Johnsrude and Hauk 2010) is based on the assumption that [cognitive] tasks can be broken down and by adding an additional task between two tasks, the extra load can be subtracted from the two tasks. This allows the extra task to be measured and Klein et al (1995) followed this design. Using native English speakers who later in life learned French, these participants were asked in either language to either repeat the heard word or create a synonym for that word. Speech perception and production would always have to be used, but when asked to create a synonym it would also involve semantic association and word retrieval (cited by Johnsrude and Hauk, 2010). Klein et al (1995) subtracted speech perception and production, allowing them to solely study semantic association and retrieval. They found activation in the prefrontal cortex, perhaps indicating the importance of this region in processing word meaning and response selection. Further to this activation in the basal ganglia in the French synonym task which is linked to motor action a previous known process. The second type of design is that of correlations which Johnsrude and Hauk (2010) highlight as examining the relationship between a presented stimulus or behavioural response along with the associated brain activity. They are relatively simpler than subtractive designs avoiding the interpretation or subtraction of tasks. For example, cognitive states can be examined so signal change in one area can be predictive of activity somewhere else in the brain. If the two areas correlate it could be assumed they are part of the same neural network for the cognitive function either directly or through another region. In this case it is not simple structure-to-function but rather exploring the areas of the brain that are required to perform one cognitive task. Adding or reducing theoretical components to such cognitive tasks. It could be argued that subtractive designs look for differences within known theoretical connected functions, whereas correlational designs look for explorative patterns without assuming such a strong known function-to-structure relationship. Henson (2005) distinguishes between two types of imaging inferences the first function-to-structure deduction and the other structure-to-function induction. The first inference is that of deduction, if one condition activates area one and the second condition activates area two it would be possible to assume that these two different conditions activate different areas within the brain. It does not matter which areas of the brain are activated only that there is a qualitative difference. In terms of function-structure mapping at the psychological function level according to Henson (2005) the only assumption is that the same psychological function (or task) will not give rise to different activation patterns within the brain. For function-to-structure induction the areas of the brain activated are important for each presented condition. Henson (2005) goes on to explain for each presented condition the same area of the brain is activated which can lead to experiments which conditions use the same area of the brain to explain that a certain area of the brain has more than one function but can operate differently depending on the processing task. Rather than there being a disassociation that you would find in deduction there is an association, Henson (2005) argues that in most cases the null hypothesis, therefore has to be accepted, although at the same time this could suggest the abilities and/or limitations of that area of the brain thus results in limitations of that cognitive ability and task. Through psychological manipulations it can be shown that there is a reliable regional dissociations (Henson, 2005). One experiment as mentioned above is that of the remember/know memory experiment that also uses function-structure deduction. The importance of this fMRI study is that it takes psychological theory and determines what the processes are occurring. This experiment presented by Henson (2005) and others is based around the argument that there is either a single-process model such as that presented by Donaldson (1996, cited by Henson, 2005) or a dual-process. Using Tulving (1985, cited by Henson, 2005) participants are asked to indicate if they have seen a stimulus previously and whether they think this because they remember the encounter (remember) or they just think the stimulus seems familiar (know). It was found that within the remember condition the left hemisphere was more responsive while the in the know condition other regions such as the right prefrontal cortex were more activated. The conclusion is that the imaging data support a dual-processing model over the single-process model. Functional MRI imaging was helpful here as behavioural findings could not agree and the debate was in part helped by imaging data. Both deduction and induction results in the function-structure mapping according to Henson (2005). It is important to follow the logic of Henson that imaging data is useful within itself for providing another dependent variable, such is the case if reaction time is being recorded alongside imaging data, that imaging data would provide additional information such as right/left activation of the motor cortex (Henson, 2005). This might not be relevant in all contexts, still it can provide information which could be necessary to the research if that research included or required such information. This is described as function-structure mapping. Henson (2005) argues that the systematic function-structure is an assumption, for deductive areas of the brain to perform certain functions whereas for induction a strong sense of systematicity is necessary. In this case there may be a function that depends on co-activation with at least one, perhaps more regions. In this case a network is what is being observed activated within a condition. Through subtraction analysis, it allows for this test of a ‘neural network’ and McIntosh (1999, cited in Henson, 2005) the function of the area or region of the brain depends on its interaction with other regions (Henson, 2005, referred to this as hot-wiring). Adding to this there might be an activation of a region or area which does produce suppression of other areas or regions. Nelson (2005) calls for the redundancy of networks, to summarize this within a brain damaged patient, it might be that although the function-structure mapping is incorrect for this person. There might be a d ifferent function-structure mapping present. Henson (2005) counter-argues for this position to say that if through trial to trial or from many experiments, it would not be observed that there are reliable or reproducible activations. Most psychologists are also content with the idea that there is a hierarchy of abstraction of functions. For example, visual perception occurs within a region which is divisible into sub-functions. Where colour, form perception and motion perception can occur (Nelson, 2005). However, there is agreement that there needs to be a one-to-one mapping or function-mapping before one can infer structure to function. Henson (2005) calls this the structure-to-function induction, the usefulness of this approach or paradigm will have to stand up by its success or failure. Henson (2005) further argues the fMRI is a recent invention, the computer mapping even so, with such new areas of technology it has to prove itself to be of benefit. So even if mapping critics have a point it will perhaps be years before the value of imaging technique come to be very useful. Currently they can be useful, though by using existing completing cognitive theories which can be settled using imaging data with caution. For Henson (2005) imaging data simply comprise another dependent variable along with behavioural data that can be used to test competing theories. Imaging can determine the circumstance under which a tactile stimulus produces activity in the visual cortex give clues about the mechanisms of sensory integration that are not provided by behavioural data alone (Henson, 2005). There are criticisms of using imaging data, one produced by Coltheart (2004, cited in Henson, 2005) that understanding the hardware does not mean that we then reach an understanding of the neuro software. Henson (2005) argues that it does provide information on performance and on the distribution of the processes while the software is performing. To finally say that once you have the performance data, through behavioural data, the knowledge of the hardware this then can tell you something about software (Henson, 2005). Henson (2005) argues that neuroimaging data can be informative to the experimental psychologist, although there is perhaps too much excitement around such data. No other technique comes close to this ideal of measuring brain activity, if we assume that ideal is measuring activity simultaneously the activity of many individual neurons, we currently are not there but MRI is the best that we currently have. This is still a developing technology, it may in future years wit h advances it can become something quite special. Functional MRI is a relatively safe method and it can be used to replace the more traditional method in the Neuropsychology of relying on accidental brain legions to discover the link between psychological function and structure. The two methods mentioned above, that of subtractive and correlational designs allows for the more traditional dissociations along with associations of areas or regions of the brain. Although fMRI does not study the neural activity directly it is currently one of the best methods for studying activity at levels of relatively high resolution. Still fMRI is relatively new and the computing software more so, so it is likely that in years to come these technologies will improve. This is not to say that such imaging should be a replacement for more traditional methods, above the example of the Remember/Know experiment imaging extends or made clear the already present psychological models. The mainstay of cognitive psychology is behavioural data and imaging should be used alongside. To what Henson argued that imaging data as another dependent variable. This is to say that it won’t always be appropriate to use imaging data still there is excitement about imaging data and as it improves it will become yet another useful tool in the experimental psychologist toolbox. Word count: 2204 References: Naish, P. (2010) Perceptual Processed in: Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive psychology’ ed, The Open University, Milton Keynes Kaye, H. (2010) Foundations of cognitive psychology in Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive Psychology’ ed, The Open University, Milton Keynes. Johnsrude, I. S. and Hauk, O. (2010) Neuroimaging: techniques for examining human brain function, ed in: Kaye (2010) ‘Cognitive psychology: methods companion, The Open University, Milton Keynes. Henson, R. (2005) What can functional neuroimaging tell us the experimental psychologist? The quarterly journal of experimental psychology, Issue 58A, pp. 193-233 Lewis Karl Flood

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Defences Against Pathogenic Organisms

Defences Against Pathogenic Organisms Bacteria Defined in the dictionary as ‘a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease. Which can then be divided into different categories, bacterium, virus, fungus and finally protozoa. Bacteria can be in the form of many sizes and can cause such things as cholera and typhoid fever. The virus type of pathogens are much smaller than bacteria and have a ‘fragment of genetic material inside a protective protein coat’. They are also especially common of causing influenza. Fungi can look like mould and can cause such things like athlete’s foot. Protozoa can come in the form of contaminated food and some are parasites. They are organisms that live in or on, certain things. A very serious example of this type, is malaria. Features Virus Bacteria Fungus Protozoa Nutrition Do not have or need nutrition and do not eat anything Mostly are heterotrophic, which means they live from and off other organisms. Also ‘At an elementary level, the nutritional requirements of a bacterium such as E. coli are revealed by the cells elemental composition’. Absorbs nutrients like carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, xylose, sucrose) and also starches, cellulose, hemicelluloses and proteins. Require organic materials ‘which may be particulate or in solution’. They are holozoic. Reproduction Rely on host cells for the ‘machinery needed to survive and reproduce.’ Once finding a host, it then looks for host cells to take over and ‘slowly implants its genetic makeup into the cell.’ Reproduce by the process binary fission. Where the cells split into and divides into 2 identical daughter cells and ‘When conditions are favourable such as the right temperature and nutrients are available, some bacteria like Escherichia coli can divide every 20 minutes’. Environmental conditions can influence how this happens and usually sexual or asexual reproduction are the main methods. Some yeasts and funguses thrive in warm environments, and can multiply at an extremely fast pace. Also may be a sexual, and also reproduction by binary fission is very common here. Structure Their structure consists of a strand of nucleic acid, which is either DNA or RNA. Then it has something called a ‘capsid’ which is a protective protein coat. Bacteria have a cell wall with no nucleus and have two types of DNA- plasmid and chromosomal. Some are unicellular but most are multicellular which have cell walls and they are made of chitin. Single celled organisms that have a cell membrane, nucleus, cytoplasm and vacuole. Sources used Bbc bitesize . (2015). Whats in a cell?. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_edexcel/cells/cells1.shtml. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Chris Sherwood . (2015). How Do Viruses Reproduce?. Available: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4567511_viruses-reproduce.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Constantine John Alexopoulos . (2015). Fungus . Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/222357/fungus/57967/Nutrition. Last accessed 17th march 2015. G gingham. (2014). Bacteria. Available: http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/introducing-microbes/bacteria. Last accessed 17th march 2015 Kenneth Todar. (2014). Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria. Available: http://textbookofbacteriology.net/nutgro.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Robert G Yaeger . (2015). Protozoa . Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8325/. Last accessed 17th march 2015. How does the body defend itself against pathogens which cause infectious disease? Pathogens can enter the body by ‘route of transmission’. People can pick up a pathogen by person to person contact with touch, saliva and contaminated blood or bodily fluids. Pathogens can also be transmitted through foods, water, insects and fomites. Food can be contaminated by unclean hands, unclean utensils, and is cross contaminated. Water can be contaminated by human or animal faeces which spreads the infection when drank, and insects can also carry a pathogen for example malaria. Lastly fomites are actually non-living but can spread pathogens by way of bedding, toys and wire for example. A common one is also athlete’s foot. Airborne pathogens enter through the nose and mouth of the body as you breathe, and food pathogens enter through your mouth and then into the digestive system. Also they can also enter into the blood stream through ‘vectors’ which is transmitted by mosquitos, fleas, ticks and contaminated needles. Breaks in the skin are also ways of entering. From the outside of the body the physical defences and barriers we have to help us are the skin which is a physical barrier, clotting which if skin is broken the blood clots to stop any entering, sebaceous and sweet glands that produce chemicals that kill bacteria, lysozyme which is in saliva and tears that kills bacteria, mucous membranes which secretes mucous and traps pathogens, nasal hairs that remove the organisms from the air, cilia force mucus to the pharynx for swallowing, hydrochloric acid kills microorganisms, and the vagina produces lactic acid which stops growth of pathogens and has a low ph and mucous membranes that kill bacteria. If the physical barriers cannot defend against pathogens, then a ‘second defence line’ takes over which is a general defence system. Phagocytes that are white blood cells engulf pathogens and macrophages which are a longer living phagocytes help digest the bacteria and protect the body. Substances that are produced by other proteins called complement defence proteins can help fight pathogens, and are produced in response to knowing the presence of foreign materials in the body and ‘burst or engulf the pathogen.’ Also interferons are proteins that help prevent spread of the virus, and inflammation are infected cells that produce a chemical histamine, and help more white blood cells get to the area to help fight infection. Antibodies play a special part to fight pathogens as they are ‘lymphocytes that produce antibodies as a result of antigens.’ These are proteins in the group called immunoglobulins. Each antigen will only stimulate the production of one specific antibody that will fit into its receptor area. This is called natural active induced immunity. It is protection gained against a particular pathogen by the production of specific antibodies after the antigen on the pathogen has been detected.’ Pathogens are prevented from entering a host cell by antibodies binding to the antigens which are on the surface of the pathogen, and pathogens can be burst by antibodies activating the complement system. -see diagram here T and B cells are lymphocytes, while t cells mature in the thymus gland and b cells mature in the bone marrow. The point of t cells, is that they are defenders that are activated in the thymus gland and do not actually produce antibodies but do help to protect in other ways. They have helper t cells which recognise antigens especially macrophages that multiply and enlarge and form helper t cells that produce chemicals (interferon) that then stimulate the forming of b cells. Then they stimulate the reproduction of killer t cells. Killer t cells produce and destroy abnormal body cells and release a protein named perforin which form pores in the membranes of the cells they attack and ‘Water and ions from the surroundings flow into the cells and burst them. This is called lysis.’ Suppressor t cells inhibit working after the pathogen is destroyed, and memory t cells survive for a long time and stimulate memory b cells to produce antibodies. B cells work in the lymphatic syste m ‘especially the spleen and lymph nodes’ and work on just one specific antigen and comes into contact with an antigen to then reproduce at a rapid pace which are plasma cells. They are very efficient and effective, but do only last a few days. Most b cells die within a few days like said before, but some do stay alive which are referred to as memory b cells and ‘When the same antigen becomes present in the organism these memory B-cells are already there to begin the production of plasma cells and antibodies.’ Which is secondary B cell response. These are more powerful because they are produced faster, more are produced, and they are produced to a smaller amount of antigen. The primary response of the immune system to infection is on the first time it is encountered and ‘Depending on the nature of the antigen and the site of entry this response can take up to 14 days to resolve and leads to the generation of memory cells with a high specificity for the inducing antigen.’ As soon as a foreign antigen is exposed, an even though no antibodies are produced activated b cells differentiate to plasma cells. Secondary response is the response to the antigen where there is a large production of amounts of antibodies. Memory cells help generate what type of antibodies to produce during an immune response. It is like a B cell that keeps a memory of the older lymphocyte that was generated when there was an immune response for a specific antigen. They act as guardians waiting for the return of the same antigen so they can recruit the immune system and mount an attack sooner and more aggressively. Sources used for this TAQ *Alexander A Ademokun. (2015). Immune Responses: Primary and Secondary. Available: http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0000947.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. *bbc bitesize . (2015). Defending against infection. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/human/defendingagainstinfectionrev1.shtml. Last accessed 17th march 2015. *ico praver . (2015). Routes of Transmission. Available: http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/microbes-and-the-human-body/routes-of-transmission . Last accessed 17th march 2015. * S Detea . (2015). secondary response . Available: http://thesciencedictionary.org/secondary-immune-response/. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Immunity Natural Acquired Similarities Resist a specific disease. ‘Inflammation.’ Resist a specific disease. Inflammation.’ Involve the action of antibodies in the body somehow Involve the action of antibodies in the body somehow Technically use white blood cells to try and fight pathogen/ infection Technically use white blood cells to try and fight pathogen/ infection Differences Natural is from birth, and get it from being born and is ‘genetic’. You acquire this immunity after exposure to a pathogen. Remains throughout your life Can be short lived or life long This immunity has barriers that prevent entry of foreign agents Consists of special t and b cells and also antibodies that are in body fluid Response is immediate Response can take a few days, and is not immediate Sources used *Christopher Hassell. (2014). Acquired Immunity. Available: http://greaterimmunity.com/Files/acquired_immunity.html. Last accessed 18th march 2015 *Garland science . (2015). The immune system in health and disease. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27090/. Last accessed 18th march 2015 References and bibliography Alexander A Ademokun. (2015). Immune Responses: Primary and Secondary. Available: http://www.els.net/WileyCDA/ElsArticle/refId-a0000947.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Ananya Mandal. (2014). Cholera Transmission. Available: http://www.news-medical.net/health/Cholera-Transmission.aspx. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Arthur Schoenstadt. (2012). Malaria Transmission. Available: http://malaria.emedtv.com/malaria/malaria-transmission.html. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Bbc bitesize. (2015). Defending against infection. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/human/defendingagainstinfectionrev1.shtml. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Bbc bitesize. (2015). Whats in a cell?. Available: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_edexcel/cells/cells1.shtml. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Influenza. Available: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Eric J. Nelson, Jason B. Harris, J. Glenn Morris, Jr, Stephen B. Calderwood Andrew Camilli. (2014). Life cycle of pathogenic Vibrio cholerae.. Available: http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/journal/v7/n10/fig_tab/nrmicro2204_F2.html. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Christopher Hassell. (2014). Acquired Immunity. Available: http://greaterimmunity.com/Files/acquired_immunity.html. Last accessed 18th march 2015 Chris Sherwood. (2015). How Do Viruses Reproduce?. Available: http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4567511_viruses-reproduce.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Constantine John Alexopoulos. (2015). Fungus . Available: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/222357/fungus/57967/Nutrition. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Garland science. (2015). The immune system in health and disease. Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK27090/. Last accessed 18th march 2015 G gingham. (2014). Bacteria. Available: http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/introducing-microbes/bacteria. Last accessed 17th march 2015 Great Ormond. (2015). Infection prevention and control. Available: http://www.gosh.nhs.uk/parents-and-visitors/coming-to-hospital/infection-control-and-prevention/. Last accessed 18th march 2015. Ico praver. (2015). Routes of Transmission. Available: http://www.microbiologyonline.org.uk/about-microbiology/microbes-and-the-human-body/routes-of-transmission . Last accessed 17th march 2015. Kalyan Das. (2015). Influenza A life cycle.. Available: http://www.nature.com/nsmb/journal/v17/n5/fig_tab/nsmb.1779_F1.html. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Kenneth Todar. (2014). Nutrition and Growth of Bacteria. Available: http://textbookofbacteriology.net/nutgro.html. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Kristeen Cherney. (2014). What is Cross Infection?. Available: http://www.healthline.com/health/cross-infection#Overview1. Last accessed 18th march 2015. Lisa minu. (2014). Understanding Athletes Foot . Available: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/understanding-athletes-foot-basics. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Public Health England. (2015). Infection control: New best practice guide will bolster fight against healthcare associated infections See more at: http://www.buildingbetterhealthcare.co.uk/news/article_page/Infection_control_New_. Available: http://www.buildingbetterhealthcare.co.uk/news/article_page/Infection_control_New_best_practice_guide_will_bolster_fight_against_healthcare_associated_infections/71006. Last accessed 18th march 2015 Robert G Yaeger. (2015). Protozoa . Available: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8325/. Last accessed 17th march 2015. S Detea . (2015). Secondary response . Available: http://thesciencedictionary.org/secondary-immune-response/. Last accessed 17th march 2015. Thomas Urbauer. (2014). What Is the Life Cycle of Tinea Pedis? . Available: http://www.ehow.com/about_6513541_life-cycle-tinea-pedis_.html. Last accessed 16th march 2015. Toni Rizzo. (2015). Hospital-Acquired Infections . Available: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Cross_infection.aspx. Last accessed 18th march 2015 WHO. (2015). 10 facts on cholera. Available: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/cholera/en/. Last accessed 16th march 2015.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives :: Botany

Cotton: The Fabric of Our Lives Oils, balls, swabs, bandages, tissue, paper, napkins, diapers, socks, underwear, shirts, shorts, sweaters, pants, coats, towels, linen, cushions, drapery, upholstery, rugs, carpet, comforters, mattresses, insulation, filtration, and many other things that are used daily by everyone are composed of, or inspired by cotton. Cotton is a soft, fluffy, naturally occurring fiber plant that can be processed into an array of materials and goods. Many, many things that we wear, sleep on, sleep under, walk on, or utilize in wound-care, etc., contain some percentage of cotton. It is a fiber that is used everyday, by everyone, in one way or another. It has qualities that have made it a choice crop for centuries around the world. Today though, cotton is being largely displaced by synthetic fibers that have qualities that exceed the natural crop plant. These fibers can also be mass-produced and sold at relatively lower costs. Still, cotton stands alone as the most utilized fiber crop plant used around the world. Also known as "King Cotton," in the United States, it was the major force behind the institution of the American age of slavery, and cotton prevailed as the economic source for the southern states of the United States and its antebellum prosperity before the civil war. It holds an important place in America's past, present, and future. Cotton is truly the "Fabric of Our Lives". Characteristics Cotton is an annual, biennial or perennial plant, but in cultivation it is generally treated as an annual; herbaceous to short shrub or small tree - two to six feet tall. It consist of a primary axis, erect and branched with a vegetative lower zone having monopodial branches, and a fruiting upper zone with sympodial branches. The leaves of the cotton plant alternate, cordate petiolate, three to nine lobed and palmately veined, with varying size, texture, shape and hairiness. The large, showy, cream yellow, red or purple flowers are extra axillary, terminal, solitary, and borne on sympodial branches. The calyx (= collectively the sepals) consists of a very short cup-shaped structure at the base of the corolla. The five petals of the corolla are either free or slightly united at the base of the convoluted bud (Sundararaj, 1974). Cotton belongs to Gossypium, a genus named by Linnaeus in the middle of the 18th century. The genus has been classified in both the Malvaceae or mallow family and the Bombacaceae families and in both the Hibsceae and Gossypieae tribes.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Narrative about Brown vs. Board of Education :: Rhetoric

Narrative In my Rhetoric 105 class that I am required to take a freshman at the University, we spent the entire semester relating our class work to the ruling of Brown vs. Board. Our main focus was on an author by the name of James Baldwin, a prominent black writer during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. As a requirement for the course we had to attend a campus event related to Brown vs. Board. There were many events all over campus as a result of the campus celebration of the 50th anniversary of the ruling. My choice was to attend a speech given by a man named Julian Bond entitled â€Å"The Broken Promise of Brown.† Having never heard of this man, I took the recommendation of my teacher and attended with my notebook in hand. As I walked to Smith Memorial Hall located on the southeast corner of the Quad, I had no idea what to expect. My initial thoughts saw me as being the only white person in attendance and being surrounded by mostly black people. As I entered the doors of the building I he ard a lot of talking and socializing coming from upstairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a sign indicating that there was a â€Å"by invitation only† reception upstairs. On my way into the auditorium I learned that Mr. Bond was not just a randomly chosen speaker but was instead the chairman of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People. Since the auditorium was hardly filled and still believing that there was going to be a dominantly African-American crowd I came to the conclusion that the people upstairs must all be of African descent. After all, the major supporters of the NAACP are not white people. Inside the auditorium were mostly white people. Many of them were older and accompanied by what appeared to be a significant other. About 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the speech, the people from upstairs began to stream into the auditorium and much to my surprise the crowd coming in was dominantly white. Almost everyone came in with another person. Som e came in groups, some with a significant other and others with just a single friend. After the auditorium was filled, by my estimation it was 65-75% white. This was the opposite of what my initial thoughts were. In my opinion, I thought the speech would relate more to the black population and thus the crowd balance would reflect that.

Free My Antonia Essays: The Character of Antonia Shimerda :: My Antonia Essays

The Character of Antonia Shimerda in My Antonia Antonia Shimerda spends her whole life fighting, yet she is not known to be belligerent. She is constantly being battered, but still has no visible scars. Antonia is a girl who suffers all through her life, and somehow manages to keep an optimistic outlook. She is one of those rare people who gain character, rather than resentment, by enduring hardship. Throughout the book, MY ANTONIA, the strength and perseverance of this girl definitely portray her as "battered but not diminished." The symbol of freedom, courage and hardship, the country seems to invite all to come and settle, but not without a struggle. Antonia, along with her family, is among the many that takes on this formidable task. A girl with a great heart, she comes to Nebraska virtually helpless, She arrives in an unfamiliar country with the knowledge to speak only a few words in the native language, and her family with no knowledge at all. Living in a small hut made of dirt and wood, the Shimerda family is forced to make due with what it has; which is not much. This presents a tremendous strain on them. In contrast to Antonia's remarkable perseverance, misery plagues and inevitable overcomes her father. He eventually gives in to his despair, leaving his family to fend for themselves. There is a great sense of unease and apprehension that comes along with the suicide, that can be almost unbearable to a little girl. As any child, the loss of a parent is probably the most substantial event in his/her li fe and equally difficult to get over. Although Antonia never forgets her father, she uses her strength to move on. No matter how she tries, Antonia cannot escape the prejudices that surround the town. Working as a hired girl, a job that demands the skill of a housekeeper and a nanny, Antonia becomes an outcast in the city. Consequently, she is forced to associate with only other working girls like herself. Yet it is not just her job that earns her the prejudice, it is the color of her skin. Working in the fields of the country, Antonia had gained a remarkable tan. The latter, although accepted in the country, brands her a peasant in the town. No refined lady would ever subject herself to the brutal country sun.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Discrimination of Micronesians in Hawaii Essay

Since the COFA (Compact of Free Association) Act was formalized between the Pacific Island nations of Micronesia and the United States in 1986, there have been rising influxes of Micronesian citizens that have the privilege of entering the U. S. without the need for a visa or time limit. These FAS (Freely Associated States) include the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia. While there is no obligation to immigrate to a specific state within the U. S. , many choose to settle on Hawai’i. Due to its proximity to their home islands and tropical environment, the Micronesian population in Hawai’i has been steadily increasing during recent years. It is estimated that around 15,000 COFA migrants are currently residing in Hawai’i, where they subsequently face many barriers as new immigrants, including language, social and cultural barriers. Specifically, there is an ever-growing presence of Micronesian stereotyping and marginalization that is frequently exhibited by other ethnic populations in Hawai’i. Because they are seen as the â€Å"newest† population to arrive on the islands and the fastest growing, Micronesians are subject to many forms of discrimination. In recent years, our local community has been ill-equipped and misinformed about the Micronesian population. Consequently, our unfamiliarity has contributed to their isolation and discrimination within the Hawai’ian Islands. It is important for us as residents of Hawai’i to bridge the gap that exists between Micronesians and what we perceive as our own â€Å"local society†. Due to our society being misinformed and social control factors at work, we perceive Micronesians as being inept, destitute and imprudent. There are several barriers that hinder Micronesian assimilation within the islands. One such barrier is within the health care system. In Dr. Yamada’s article titled, â€Å"Discrimination in Hawaii and the Health of Micronesians†, he says Micronesians are often victims of â€Å"inferior care or denial of services†. There are instances of Micronesian patients that are denied services and being referred to another clinic, or being discriminated against due to their perceived lack of adherence to treatment plans. Personally, I believe that there is a kind of â€Å"ignorance† that health care providers bestow upon Micronesian patients. In 2006, I began working as a volunteer for the Kaka’ako homeless shelter and clinic started by Dr. Jill Omori that included inhabitants comprised mostly of Micronesian ethnicity. Many of them were unable to find a job and help themselves financially. Those individuals who lacked the means to support their family also sought refuge at the shelter. I observed that a lot of the older Micronesian shelter inhabitants could not speak English, and those who did only had limited basic knowledge and phrases that they used. What was surprising, however, was that most of the doctors and medical students who treated these patients did not having a working knowledge of the Chuukese language, which is spoken by the majority of the Micronesians. Many of these patients used the help of their children who were fortunate to attend public schools. Thus, a language barrier had existed, and still to this day, is continually a major factor in the fair treatment of health care delivery among Micronesians. In the health care system, it can be challenging to relay medical information from English into Chuukese. Pobutsky et. al. uggests having health education materials translated and readily available for Micronesian patients. Pobutsky also notes that having interpreters fluent in Chuukese is essential. Regarding denial of health services, Yamada talks about how COFA migrants were denied MED-QUEST (a Medicaid program) benefits in July 2010 by the Hawai’i State Administration. It was reinstated 4 months later because the denial was in direct violation of the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. Such discrimination is not only seen in our health care system, but also within the confines of social and economic settings. Yamada suggests that examining and countering â€Å"prevailing social forces† will help eliminate discrimination. By my personal interpretation, he is saying we must realize that social forces – such as the criminal justice system and the government – are shared by all of us as one single community in Hawai’i. By being responsible and looking out for one another regardless of race or ethnicity, we can close the social bridge that divide us. In other words, we must be proactive and bring to light the issues that face Micronesian immigrants who are treated unfairly. Another brief policy report from the Hawai’i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice (HACLEJ) provides accounts of stigmatization by governmental leaders towards COFA migrants. The report further goes on to explain how there is an absence of interpreters available to help COFA migrants within labor, housing and court disputes. Within the context of the court system, it can be a challenge for someone convicted who does not have a working knowledge of the English language. HACLEJ emphasizes the need to â€Å"stimulate awareness, advocacy and action† in order to better address Micronesians living in Hawai’i. Several paths can be taken to address discrimination issues against Micronesians. Already, there are many advocates and groups that support Micronesians and other at-risk migrants. Some of these groups do not receive funding from the state of Hawai’i, and must rely on private funds to continue their work. There are also few research projects that involve Micronesians living in Hawai’i and thus there is little information in regards to ethnographic and qualitative studies. Additionally, surveys measuring Micronesians’ health needs and risk factors should be included within the context of how to better deliver health care. Within the political system, our lawmakers should be better informed and take more consideration into immigration affairs. Pobutsky et. al. gives several examples of health service programs that are currently in the process of addressing the language barriers and health concerns of Micronesians, but there is much more work to be done in order to achieve long-term success. Allocation of state and government funds should be directed towards creating more educational and social programs that can help better address disparities quite often seen with newly arrived immigrants. Based in part by my own personal experiences and also through research, many Micronesians are illiterate and lack a good work ethic to succeed in future endeavors. Because Micronesians are discriminated both in the job market and in school, they may perceive themselves as being unable to achieve success that is often seen with other ethnicities. Consequently many of them, especially Micronesian youths, engage in criminal behavior and illicit activities. My worry is that this cycle will manifest itself unchecked among these youths well into adulthood and create more harm than good within the criminal justice system of Hawai’i. As citizens of a diverse society in Hawai’i, we need to be more proactive and open-minded on issues that deal with the Micronesian population as a whole. Local perspectives that Micronesians are a kind of â€Å"deviance† on the islands and a â€Å"burden† to our society are obstructive to our continuous theme of the â€Å"Aloha spirit†. We must come together as a society and be more considerate and helpful to those who we might think less highly of. As long as institutions of power continue to ignore the problem of discrimination and disparity, then recent immigrants who include Micronesians will continue to face hardship. In our study of social control theory, there is the idea of â€Å"strain† that is frequently seen in societies that stress hard work and having a good education. More research efforts and studies must be done in order to better assess disparities present within the Micronesian population in Hawai’i, as well as having adequate funding by the state to support programs that meet the needs of the Micronesian community.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Culture and Cognition Essay

Culture may be defined as a combination of different traits of a social group. These traits or ways of life can be language, arts, sciences, thoughts, spirituality, social activities, interactions, and many more (â€Å"Definition†, n. d. ). The world has many peoples and thus many cultures, thus each has their own beliefs, traditions, and customs. Another characteristic of a certain culture may be cognition. Because of human diversity in traditions and customs, there is also diversity in intelligence. According to Cole, Gay, Glick, and Sharp (as cited in Sternberg, 2004), certain behaviors may be smart in one culture but plainly stupid in another (1971). Culture and Intelligence According to Robert Sternberg in his article entitled â€Å"Culture and Intelligence†, intelligence cannot be fully measured, developed, and conceptualized when it is outside the cultural context. This creates an impression that intelligence is a norm and being a deviant from that norm would mean less intelligence (2004, p. 1). An example given by Sternberg about intelligence tests shows an evidence of his argument. Any intelligence test created in one culture may not be valid in another culture. Sternberg also constructed models in order to determine if the culture has a significant effect on intelligence. On the third model, the dimensions of intelligence are the same as with the other models. However, the instruments used are different from the other models. The measurement process was therefore derived from the culture being studied and not from outside it. As this is done, the psychological meanings of the scores of the assessments change from one culture to another. Culture and Cognition Intelligence is just one of the cognitive characteristics of man. Culture, as well as social systems has a role in developing the people’s system of thought. This is according to Richard Nisbett, Incheol Choi, Laiping Peng, and Ara Norenzayan, when they studied the difference between easterners and westerners in terms of cognitive processes (2001). They stated that east Asians are holistic in their cognitive processes, focusing on an entire field and its causality. On the other hand, westerners such as Americans are analytic because they pay more attention on the object and the categories, making use of rules such as formal logic. The authors of this article suggest that the origin of these differences is traceable to different social systems (p. 291). They were able to conclude that there is still a very great difference between cultures. It is because of the circumstances brought about by these cultures that one process will always be different from another. Furthermore, the norms or the normative standards for though will differ across cultures (p. 306). The influence of culture has many implications in cognition. This insight may change the very definition of intelligence as related to different social systems. This also has a great effect in cognitive assessment since one measuring tool may not be appropriate for all cultures. Although international communication is already established, this information would give more understanding to people as to how others with different cultures are different to them in terms of learning styles, perception, and other aspects of cognition. It would also change the perception on people who are considered as intellectually inferior since intelligence no longer focuses on a dominant or normative standard set by those perceived as superior. References â€Å"Definition of Culture†, (n. d. ). Roshan Culture Heritage Institute. Retrieved 24 May 2010 from http://www. roshan-institute. org/templates/System/details. asp? id=39783&PID =474552. Nisbett, R. E. , Peng, K. , Choi, I. , & Norenzayan, A. (2001). â€Å"Culture and Systems of Thought: Holistic versus Analytic Cognition†. Psychological Review. 108(2), pp. 291-310. Sternberg, R. (2004). â€Å"Culture and Intelligence†. American Psychologist. 59(5), pp. 325- 338.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Philippine agenda reaction paper Essay

When our teacher told us that we will be watching a video about political government in the Philippines, I thought that it would be about politics only. But as the videos are playing, I realize that it was more than politics. It is an eye-opener not only for the government officials but also to all Filipinos. They made a documentation to open the eyes of the candidates for the election. It was made to let the government know the current condition of the Philippines with regards to the concern of the Filipinos. PHILIPPINE AGENDA: EDUCATION (EDUKASYON) The video entitled â€Å"Edukasyon† was one of the documentaries presented by Jessica Soho. The film shows the problem on education in our country. Many students and teachers are having a hard time in studying and teaching because of the insufficient facilities in different public schools. This includes the lack of chairs, tables, classrooms, chalkboards, books, and many others. Most teachers also have not undergone a proper training. Well, what they have documented is very true because I too came from a public school. And our school was also facing that kind of problem before. Though in my time, our school has improved a little bit. All of us had been given the privilege to have a book in different subjects one by one. We also have chairs to sit and tables to write on. Our chalkboard also is big enough, though some of it has a hole already. But our neighboring school was facing almost the same fate as the schools in  Masbate, as what the film documented. They have broken chalkboards, not enough classrooms, chairs, tables and books. Their teacher would go to our school to borrow a couple of books for them to use. There were also some privilege schools in our place who was included in the feeding program of the government. Our elementary school was included. The selected students who were malnourished were being feed every afternoon by the teachers and some of the parents. And after the feeding program, there is another program which is the giving of rice, noodles, and canned goods for the students. Each students was given one kilo of rice, some noodles and canned goods. But the program did not last long. The film helps me realize the great problem that our country is facing today with regards to the education for every Filipinos. And I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to have a better education. I also felt pity on the students who are having a hard time in getting the education that they wanted and at the same encouraged to pursue more on my studies to help those who are in need. Just like the students who were showed in the film, even though their fate in acquiring education is not as good as mine, but they still pursue their goals to finish their education to have a better future. These problems in our education today can be solved by giving more funds for education to build enough classrooms, chairs, tables, chalkboards, and other facilities for the students, publish more books, and support the teachers for their training in order for them to enhance their skills in teaching and to help the students to be more productive in their studies. PHILIPPINE AGENDA: HEALTH (KALUSUGAN) â€Å"Health is wealth†. Indeed, health is the true wealth of our nation. But as I watched the film â€Å"kalusugan† reported by Arnold Clavio, I found out the reason why our country is at the bottom of the list when it comes to the richest country. Because even the citizens here in our own nation have suffered from malnutrition. And how can they call our country rich when they have not taken care of the citizen which is the inheritance of our country? Just like the citizens on one of the place in Mindanao. Each children have a disease and are malnourished because there are no one who can monitor their health. It would take four to five hours to walk just to get to a hospital. And what do they get when they arrived there? Only paracetamols good for ten people. How can that cure there diseases when that is the only medicine that is free? Every other medicine has high price which they cannot afford to buy. There are many other places in the Philippines which was not visited by a single doctor. The government must make a move on reaching those citizens who have not yet been checked on their health status. They must act so that there will no more citizen in the Philippines who will die because of lack of food and medical support. Also, there are many places here in our country who are lacking facilities and medicines for the hospitals. Just like here in Bacolod and in Manila. The family of the patient must be the one who will provide a bed for their patient because there are no more vacant room. And there are many patients who have not given any medical attention that’s why some of them just died in the corner of the hospital. And there are many places also who do not have any hospital or health centers at all. The residence on that place was the one who built a health center. And the medicines they are having are just the usual medicine for fever, cough, and other common diseases. They only have one nurse who also became a doctor and a midwife. How can the government take care of the citizens when they let the doctors and nurses flee to another country? They must take care also the needs of the doctors and nurses so that they will not flee from our country. There are budgets given for the health of the people but where did the money go? What do they spend the money for? If they would have spent it wisely for the specific purpose of that money, our country and the people would not be suffering from lack of food and medical support. Each citizen must have been given a good service, maybe not given all that they need, but given just enough to make them feel that the government was not abandoning them. The government officials are educated people who knows how to manage a money and to spend it wisely for the specific purpose of that money. They must stop their corruption because instead of them helping the problems of our country, they were the one making it worst. If only they hear they cries of the family who lost their loved ones because of lack of support from the government. And they must act so that situations like these would not repeat again and again. All I can do now is to take care of myself and my love ones. Eat the right kind of food to avoid being hospitalized. And help those who are in need of my service. PHILIPPINE AGENDA: CORRUPTION (KATIWALIAN) One of the major reasons why our country are suffering from different problems is because of corruption. Even the educated people, like the government officials, are blinded when it comes to money. Their knowledge and discipline were gone when money was in front of them. Thus leads to corruption. Our country is facing some serious problems today like lack of services for the citizens. And they said that they have given a solution by giving a budget to that particular problem. But the question is, where is the budget now? Do the budgets intended for that problem really made a change? Or they just say that there is a budget to calm the people down but not used all of it for the specific purpose intended in that budget? Even the professionals who are educated, have learned the proper attitude, and knows the right discipline can be like a dump person who knows nothing when money is in front of them. They can be bought by just one to three numbers with many zeros on it. And if you think that zero is nothing, well, of put it behind a certain number, then that would change its value. It would not be nothing anymore. It would be something that can bought a life, especially when there are many zeros that are involve in that particular  number. It can either give or save lives, get or bought lives and change lives. Money have that kind of power in our world nowadays. It can make the powerful man even more powerful and it can ruin life. It can make a simple man be a powerful man or a criminal. And people can be crazy when it comes to money. But it can also change the life of a single person and the status of a certain country. It can be an instrument to ruin things but it can also be used to save and change everything. If it is used in a proper and good way, then it can change our lives forever. If only the government would discipline not only the citizens but also themselves, our country would be a better place to stay. It would be harmonious and the citizens would not go to other countries to serve other people just to provide the needs of their families. They would just stay here and serve our fellow Filipinos who needed their service. And if they only use the money intended for that specific purpose and not for their own, there will be less problems that our country would be facing today. And the problems that we are facing will be slowly but effectively be solved. And if there will be less problem, then our country will be a prosperous and harmonious one. And it would be included on the list of the richest country in the world. PHILIPPINE AGENDA: HOUSING (PABAHAY) One of the basic needs of a person is shelter. A good, nice and warm shelter or house for him to be protected from any cold, rain and sunshine. It is also a private place where a man can spend an alone and bonding time for his family. But how can a man be protected from cold and have a family time if he is sleeping under a bridge, in the street or in a squatter’s area where he is sharing his house with four more families? That is what most of the people in the cities where suffering. Most of them left the country, sold their belongings, and transferring to the city to find work. But because of the overpopulation in the city and they did not found any good work, they end up living under a bridge, on the street, and in a squatter’s area, sharing their shelter with two or more families. And  because they cannot go back to the country because they have no more belongings there, some of them have begun a family in city. The government had implemented a housing program and relocation sites. Some of it were already been built. But there are quandaries in the given solution of the said problem. Some have no electricity, the water is not clean, the location is not very suitable and comfortable, and is far from the city because there are no more sites available near the city. And some also are not finished. The government must give more budget for the housing of the citizens who are living under a bridge and in a squatter’s area. There are also some citizen who lost their home because of the natural calamities that struck the country. And many families are still suffering until now because of the slow action of the government. And the one that they have built for the families who were the first victims of the natural disaster had been broken again by the following typhoon that pass the country. They were providing a shelter for the victims but it was not good and long lasting because of the lack of budget for that project. And the government’s point of view is that the shortcomings are not all their fault. There are also people who lacks discipline. They sold their lands in the country, which was given by the government, and migrated to the city thinking that they will find fortune and good life there. Well, I don’t blame the government for that because it is true. They think that by living their comfort zone in the country and moving to the city would be a better idea. Some of them had found luck in the city but luck is just luck. And most of them did not found good luck. They found misfortune and ended up living and having a family under a bridge, on the street and in a squatter’s area. Their luck had run out. And because they did not found any good job and they cannot plant vegetables and other nutritious foods in the place where they live, they end up picking some left overs in the garbage and looking and selling scrap for them to make money to buy food to put on their tummy. And because of this, malnutrition takes place. PHILIPPINE AGENDA: HUNGER (GUTOM) When I was watching the video entitled â€Å"gutom†, I realized that I am lucky I am eating nutritious foods three times a day. There are many people out there who are starving and having a hard time in getting food. They were just eating the left-overs that are found in the trash bins. And they felt contented if they can eat even just one meal a day. And the worst part is, they have so many children. I am always wondering why do they made many children when they themselves are having a hard time in finding food for their own. How can they find food that is enough for them to eat if they have so many kids? Just like one of the family that was shown in the film which had 12 kids. And the mother is still caring a life inside her tummy. She was still pregnant even if they already had many kids. And the result is malnutrition because the children have not eaten the right kind of food and the right amount of vitamins and minerals that are needed in their body. It was hard for them to get nutritious foods because the foods that are prepared on their table is not enough to make their tummy full. And the baby inside the mother’s womb is also malnourished because the food that the mother had eaten is not nutritious enough to make the baby inside of her become healthy. So, even if the baby have not yet been born, it was already malnourished. If only they have planned well in making a family, they would not having a hard time finding food to feed their children because they only have fewer mouths to feed. And they can also eat nutritious foods three times a day. It is heartbreaking to know that there are Filipinos who are starving and have not eaten foods with the right nutrition. While there are many officials who are just expanding their riches and wasting their money instead of helping the Filipinos who are in need and giving them the right service. They are just having a good time with their money, spending it for their own good, not thinking that there are many children who are dying because of hunger and thirst. They did not consider the fact that even the  small amount of their wealth is enough to save a person’s life from dying of hunger. But this concern is not for the officials but also for the Filipinos who have so much wealth. Some of them are not officials but they are business men who are making wealth but not helping their fellow Filipinos. They must open their hearts to share their wealth and help those who are in need. Even a small act of kindness can save a person’s life. I felt pity on the people who are starving and I cannot even help them on my own. All I can do for now is not to waste anything-food, money, time and many others, and helping others who are in need if I have anything that can help them. And most of all, open my heart and mind to my fellow Filipinos who are in need of my help. PHLIPPINE AGENDA: WORK (TRABAHO) Work is essential to every person to earn money and to buy things we need in our every life. Money is needed in every manner to survive. And we cannot have money without working, either in a simple way or a hard way, in a good or bad way. But it is better to earn money in either simple or hard way but in a good way. But here in our own country, most of the citizen don’t have a good job and some of them really did not found a job. How can they provide money for the needs of their family when they don’t have any job at all? Some of them are being kicked out from the company they are working and others are forced to leave because of some reasons, it could be that their performance is not good enough, the company is reducing some workers, the wages are not enough or the company is closing. Because of the technology in our time now, most of the work are being done by machines. Instead of manually doing the work, the company are hiring more machines than hiring actual human to do the job because machines can do the job two to three times faster than humans. That is why they are losing more workers even if their work is getting bigger and faster. The only one who will remain in that company is operator of the machines and other important people who are expert in that field of the  work. And I cannot blame the Filipinos for going out from our own country and work in other countries because the government cannot provide them a good salary that can provide the needs of their family. They have to look for another job in other countries in order for their family to survive and to have a better life. They have finished a professional course here in our country but the salary is the major reason why they leave the country. But not all who go out from our country have found good fortune. And that is not the fault of the government. The citizens are also to be blamed because of lack of discipline. They just wanted to go out of the Philippines and paid a lot of money to a company who are hiring Filipinos to work for abroad, not inquiring if that company is a legal company, thus end up in a work they were not expecting to have in that particular country. And instead of practicing their profession in the place, they end up being a domestic helper, laborer, babysitter, housemaid , and many other work that is not related to their profession. Some got lucky and had a good boss but some of them were being abused by their boss and the owner of the house because of several reasons. They are lacking good skills, their performance in that work was not good enough, their boss is just so strict and abusive, and they were being forced to do things not according to their will and their contract. And some ended up being imprisoned, bullied by the person they work at, and the worst of all is being sentenced to death. Some of them are being hanged and others are being executed through the way they execute a person in that particular country. Some Filipinos also did not go out of our country but did not found a descent work. Thus end up in finding an illegal job like stealing, selling illegal drugs and other illegal products. Others also have become a holdaper and a killer just to have money to provide for their family to survive. They are lacking skills that is why there are no company hires them. These events can be avoided if only the government will not let anyone who go out of the country without a proper training and have undergone a proper procedure to ensure the work they are working in that particular country. And the Filipinos will not go out from our country if the work here in our own country gives enough wages to keep their family from being hungry. If the wages here in our country is enough to let the tummy of the worker’s family be full every day, then we would not be having a problem in giving service to the citizens in places where  services are highly needed, just like in a hospital, schools and other public service company.