African Americans and Slavery Essay

The American Revolution was a time of great turmoil for all men and women in the United States. Great debates came and went during this time; slavery and the freedom of black men being the main problems in these debates. Slaves were used for a great number of things during the American revolutionary period. The arrival of slavery to the American colonies began in the 1600s and started out in Virginia. As the years passed more and more African-Americans were brought into the colonies to be used as labor workers. The beginning amount of slaves continued to grow and by the beginning of the revolution there were about 273,000 slaves spread throughout the American states. With the coming of the revolution all African-Americans, slave or free, knew something was coming and each had a different response to these comings. There were differences in the responses of slaves and free men during the American Revolution. There were also consequences to their choices. â€Å"Gaining freedom in a land of captivity and wresting equality from a society whose founding documents guarantee it has been the consuming desire and everlasting hope that has kept harrowed bodies and weary souls going. † In the southern states African-American slaves were treated harsher than those in the north. The plantations down south required back –breaking hours of work in the sun that White Americans believed could only be done by those they had bought. There was a reason for them to be there and until they could no longer work they were to do all things imaginable for their owners, no questions asked. Some of these slaves thought it was easier to run away from their owners and that in doing so they would have a chance to fight for their country. Slaves could either flee to the north or they could flee to Spanish owned Florida. In cases where a master was called upon to fight, they would send a slave in their place and if they lived long enough to return home they earned freedom. Many of the slaves decided that if they had a chance to gain their freedom by joining the war effort then they would gladly take their masters place. They also believed that with the beginning to the revolutionary period would bring a new deed to the land and when it was over there would no longer be a need for slaves. The consequences for slaves in the south were innumerable. Like many slaves, they took this time to run from slave masters and plantations. If these southern slaves were caught, depending on the owner, the slave could suffer mild to severe consequences. Depending on the demeanor of the owner a slave could be punished in several different ways. Whipping, branding, slapping, being dunked underwater, and kicking were just some forms of punishment. The most severe punishments were to cut off a body part like an ear in the hopes that the slave would learn and never run again. There were also â€Å"nice† slave owners that chose not to punish their slaves. There justification for not punishing their slaves was so that they would continue to work and so that the owner could buy more slaves with the money that they continued to pool in from the work. Because of some owners that continuously harassed Washington, he stopped allowing slaves into his army. But General Washington, fearing rebellion, created an order that stated that all blacks were not allowed to fight. Later he partially reversed the order and allowed only free black men to fight with him. Some slaves believed that taking a chance to flee towards the north was a far-fetched idea. They were seeking freedom in the quickest possible way. Lord Dunmore sent out a proclamation that stated in exchange for freedom any black that came to him would fight against the patriots and become a loyalist. Dunmore’s promise of freedom fueled black slaves to escape and even some patriots fled to fight as a loyalist. After the war, true to his word, slaves gained their freedom. Some of these newly freed slaves went to Britain but many of them stayed in the Americas. On the other hand free men in the north believed the revolution would bring about change for the better. Their idea of the revolution was that they were being given the chance to gain independence from Great Britain and also for themselves. It was a defining moment in history that they were to be a part of. Fighting with white men gave these free black men a sense of honor and it also gave them a job where they could earn a little money to put towards getting homes and things of that nature. Men from the north gradually began to realize that they could fight with their brethren and bring independence to the land. General Washington passed an order stating that no black man was allowed into his army. This order came about because of general angst from some slave owners. These owners believed that there should not be any blacks fighting for the independence because they were only good for being slaves and they would never have say over anything. After some time Washington, fearing not having enough men to fight against the British, partially reversed this order to allow only free black men. Other than this there were not many consequences that are recorded for free black men. These free men not only fought for the independence of the nation but also for their independence and the independence of other black men and women. African-Americans from the north and south chose to join the continental army because they believed that they should help make the place the lived independent from a tyranny that had no say in the matters of a new country. They felt that this tyranny could take their rights and place them under unfair rule once again. Some of the freemen and slaves that had started out in the continental army decided to run to the British army but were not successful in their plights. Nash called the revolution the ‘greatest slave rebellion in American history’ because it was just that. The revolution opened up new grounds for slaves to rebel against owners because it was the most opportune time for them to do so. â€Å"If any group within America’s diversified people came close to answering John Adams’s plea that ‘we must all be soldiers,’ it was black Americans. No part of revolutionary society responded to the call for arms with anywhere near the enthusiasm of those who were black. Proportionate to their number, African American males— and some females— were more likely to join the fray than white Americans. † According to this excerpt from another one of Nash’s books, African-Americans were much more adept to answering the plea of John Adams. If there were more African-American fighters than white that meant that more black males were subject to put themselves in danger in order to gain freedom. They would rather have one day of freedom, not knowing if they would die in the next second, hour, or day, than be a slave for the rest of their lives. This is one of the reasons why Nash called the revolution the ‘greatest slave rebellion in American history’. â€Å"Desperate to fill the thinned ranks of its regiments, states offered freedom†¦ to serve during the continuance of the present war with Great Britain. Every black enlistee would be ‘immediately discharged from the service of his master or mistress, and be absolutely free, as if he had never been encumbered with any kind of servitude or slavery. † If states were desperate to have more men come into their ranks then there was nothing really stopping slaves from escaping their masters and coming to fight. They all wanted freedom from someone. Slaves wanted freedom from their bonds that were tied to the soil they worked and the Americans wanted freedom from Great Britain. Both groups had their reasons to fight and the only way slaves knew how to become free was to rebel and run to an army. This was a time for large rebellions on all fronts not just from the slaves. It was a rebellion against the British from the former colonists and a rebellion against the men and women that were taken from their homes to somehow create new ones. â€Å"It may have been, as Nash says ‘the greatest slave rebellion in American history,’ but for most of the rebels it ended like the others, in death. Slaves who supported the American side fared better, but not much better. Only with great reluctance did Washington allow some to join his army. Other Virginians had another wartime use for them. In 1780 the state legislature offered salves as a bounty for enlistment in the war against British tyranny. The revolution did see enactment of measures for gradual emancipation in the northern states, but the number who benefited was small. † My view on the American Revolution has changed somewhat because of how the African-Americans were treated during and after the period of war. The Americans act as though they had not been fighting alongside each other and because of this withhold distaste for the blacks. The completely disregard the idea that every man is created equal and has certain unalienable rights. They do not extend these ideas that were written down on the Declaration of Independence to the free black Americans. Men that had fought with and under Washington were not looked as the same because the color of their skin and were not given the same rights. Because of how they were treated I see the Revolution more as a war against Britain to save other whites from tyranny rather than to gain independence for all mankind. ——————————————–.of Revolution (Harvard University: 2006), 1. [ 2 ]. Taymor, . â€Å"US History Documents. † Last modified 2005. Accessed January 27, 2013. http://inside. sfuhs. org/dept/history/US_History_reader/Chapter2/Nashfighting. pdf. [ 3 ]. Taymor, . â€Å"US History Documents. † Last modified 2005. Accessed January 27, 2013. http://inside. sfuhs. org/dept/history/US_History_reader/Chapter2/Nashfighting. pdf. [ 4 ]. Edmund S. Morgan, review of The Unknown American Revolution:  .

Chekhov Setting Analysis The Lady with the Dog Essay

In Anton Chekhov’s story â€Å"The Lady with the Dog. † the main characters Dmitry Gurov and Anna Sergeyevna partake in an affair while in Yalta. Chekhov creates this with words that capture a place and time, the movements between two people and emotions of love discovered but contained in secrecy. The central idea of this story is that in reality everything in this world is truly beautiful when on reflects on it, except when we forget our dignity and our higher aim in our mere human existence. The setting in this story helps us understand the central idea by throwing in the stepping stones for these two people to sit back and look at their surroundings each time they meet. With every meeting comes a deeper understanding of the feelings being felt. In the first passage there is a lot of people gathered on a pier, everyone seems to be waiting on someone therefore not putting much attention or thought to the young lovers. This gives them that ability to sneak without much detection from anyone that may recognize them. The tone seems light but still prominent. The author writes, â€Å"In the evening, when the wind had dropped, they walked to the pier to see the steamer come in. There were a great many people strolling about the harbour; they had gathered to welcome someone, bringing bouquets. And two peculiarities of a well-dressed Yalta crowd were very conspicuous: the elderly ladies were dressed like young ones, and there were great numbers of generals. † The â€Å"great many people strolling about the harbor† make it easier for the pair to be part of the rea; world but still only really existing in their own realm without fear of being caught. Also the â€Å"well-dressed Yalta crowd were very conspicuous† so all the notice and attention would be on the â€Å"elderly ladies dressed like young ones† and on the â€Å"great numbers of generals. † The setting helps communicate the central idea, Chekhov did not look for a moral solution but instead hangs Gurov and Anna in a state of having no end that allows them to speak of what is real. As soon as Anna leaves, Gurov does not feel at home in Yalta anymore. In the story the author writes â€Å"The train moved off rapidly, its lights soon vanished from sight, and a minute later there was no sound of it, as though everything has conspired together to end as quickly as possible that sweet delirium, that madness. Left alone on the platform, and gazing into the dark distance, Gurov listened to the shrilling of the grasshoppers and the hum of the telegrap wires, feeling as though he had only just awakened. † When Anna leaves Yalta, it signals a shift in atmosphere and mood â€Å"as though everything had conspired together to end as quickly as possible. Gurov had a â€Å"feeling as though he had only just awakened. † And at that moment quickly decides it’s time for him to go north as well. The passage reveals how out of place and uncomfortable he feels with Anna gone â€Å"standing alone on the platform and gazing into the dark distance, listened to the shrilling of the grasshoppers and the humming of the telegraph wires. † Each of these an example of something unpleasant reflecting the emotions continuing to develop in Gurov. Anna brought about a softening of his heart, allowing him to love for the first time in his life.

A Review On Communication And Collaboration Education Essay

A Review On Communication And Collaboration Education Essay Communication and Collaboration Engaging learners in the learning progression encompasses communication and collaboration skills, practices and sympathies. Providing for students requirements is a composite process and it may even be more difficult when a class has learners with special needs or disabilities. In this case, a teacher may find it necessary to interact efficiently with other teachers, school administration, and professional support staff in addition to other special education suppliers. Teacher’s capability to collaboratively work collectively as a group of experts impacts on the learning results desired by all students (Friend therefore, communication can happen across huge distances in space and time. Communication necessitates that the connecting parties share a region of talkative harmony (DeVito, 2005). The communication practice is complete as soon as the receiver has apprehended the meaning of the sender Communication and collaboration goes hand in hand with one another in education particularly in teaching and learning (Bauwens, 1989). There is therefore a need for advanced collaboration among tutors in the schools specifically in centering on ways of boosting collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs (Phillips, 1990). The aim of this paper is to refer to communication and collaboration processes and skills that would be utilized by a year level coordinator to encourage collaborative planning timeline adherence and a combined collaborative focus on differentiated learning for students with special needs. The atmosphere of educational collaboration as one essential key to professional sharing of finest practices in the rationalization of schools in order to take care of distinguished learning for learners with special needs will be deliberated. Issues of Collaboration Processes, Collaboration skills, Communication Processes and Communicati on Skills will form the center of discussion in this paper. Communication Processes The fundamental to successful collaborations is communication. There is need therefore for development of collaborative and communicative expertise and skills which could be useful to different scenarios in teaching and learning activities, especially where student with special needs are involved. Communication process takes different forms depending on the parties involved in communication (DeVito, 2005). There is verbal communication in which words are used to exchange message and non-verbal communication which uses sign, body movement, and facial expression to convey message. There is another form called interpersonal communication that occurs between individuals who have a connection or affiliation. Interpersonal communication happens when one sends or obtains messages and when an individual allocate meaning to such messages (DeVito, 2005).

Economic Development, Trade, Environmental Issues In East Asian Research Paper

Economic Development, Trade, Environmental Issues In East Asian - Research Paper Example For three decades, the gap between China's swift economic progression and Western economies' gradual reduced performance has broadened. During the 1980’s, the economy of China escalated to average of 6.8% per year quicker than Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development markets. In the 1990’s, the pointer augmented to 7.5% and ever since 2000, it has been 8.4%. Nevertheless, with China's snowballing spearheading economic progression the prerogative appeared that its economy had faced appending meltdown. It is hence predictable that, as the newest data display of US gross domestic product development is slowing to 1.6% and Europe’s economy is constricting at an annualized -0.7%. Articles emerged cautioning of massive crunch in China. A standard example emerged in the New York Times, where in the caption "China confronts mounting piles of unsold goods", the writer (Wassener par. 3) gave the ensuing analysis, which reads that the surplus of the entirety fr om household and steel appliances to apartments and cars is hindering China’s attempts to surface from a strident economic barrier. The article itemizes a range of data regarding China's car markets and housing, and contended that hitches in China are giving nightmares to some economists. According to Bradsher (par. 1),China’s economic vulnerability means that China is liable to purchase fewer services and goods from overseas since the dominant debt predicament in US is by now harming the demand, levitating the possibility of a worldwide surplus of commodities, a drop in prices and inadequate production around the globe. This counts to China for at least two reasons. Principally, a deteriorating Europe will render it hard for China to stabilize progression away from investing, and additionally, China is undergoing a capital flight. To tackle the first view, any continual surge in the progression rate of China spending will not merely have to reimburse for a cutback in the development rate of China investment, nonetheless might correspondingly have to reimburse for a cutback in China’s existing account surplus. In addition, the crunch in Europe will simply render the global trade atmosphere nastier and tenser. This could be the reason why China has stated that it would sponsor European Union’s undertakings in handling debt crises according to an article on Daily China (â€Å"China Backs EU after New Debt-crisis-busting Bonds†). The same is happening in commodity-exporting nations like Indonesia. In relation to an  article  in New York Times: The Indonesia’s industry deficit cuffed high record in June 2012 as trades from Southeast Asia’s leading economy fell suddenly. This is an indication that unguarded demand from the West and China is distressing small number of nations that are developing at a substantial clip. A third conventional month of trade shortfalls in one of the globe’s biggest product manu facturers have been unfriendly for Indonesia, thereby befitting it a favorite of overseas investors who are eyeballing for fresh prospects. Nevertheless, this has struggled to suppress the damage from a strident collapse in its currency now, thereby, troubling the investors

The Main Objective Of The Copyright Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Main Objective Of The Copyright Law - Essay Example All intellectual property laws have the common goal of extending and controlling exclusive privileges over the products of creative work or intellectual works , offering the creator or the owner of those exclusive privileges with a limited monopoly as regards to that property , normally for some phase of time.(Nathan & Morgan 2008 :20). Copyright safeguards â€Å"original works created by the authors† that are permanent in nature and available in a corporeal guise of expression. The permanence need not be frankly discernible, as long as it may be expressed with the help of a devise or a machine. The following works are acceptable for registration with the copyright office provided they are original and creative in nature. †¢ Literary works †¢ â€Å"Lyrics and musical works† †¢ Play or drama with or without music †¢ Choreographic or Pantomimes †¢ â€Å"Sculptural , graphic and pictographic works† †¢ Audiovisuals and motion graphics †¢ Architectural works †¢ â€Å"Sound tracks or recordings† â€Å"Creative works are safeguarded by the Copyright Act†. Creative works may be in any of the following form viz. movies, video games ,poetry , CD-ROMs, plays ,videos , sheet music ,paintings , novels , recorded music performances , sculptures ,software codes, choreography , photographs and architectural designs. There should be some creative initiatives on the side of an author so as to receive a protection under Copyright Act. The Act does not quantify how much creativity should be there. For instance, a work should be more creative than that of a telephone directory where alphabetical records of telephone numbers exist instead of a creative selection of listings. It should be noted that an author’s creative ideas are not safeguarded by the Copyright Act. Thus, copyright protection is available only for an original, fixed, and creative expression and no protection is available for just facts or ideas on which the expression is footed. For instance, there may be prot ection availed for a specific novel, computer game or song about a marriage in space under copyright act but no protection is available to the underlying conception of a marriage in a star. Thus, permitting the creators to monopolize their conception or ideas would frustrate the underlying objective of copyright law, which is mainly aimed to encourage the authors or creators to invent or create a new work. Likewise, no protection is available under copyright law for the facts which may be either historical, scientific, news of the day or biographical info. For any discovery by an author which is available in the public domain, no protection under copyright law is available. For instance, anyone is at his liberty to employ the information which is contained in a book about how human heart functions, a TV documentary of the babyhood of erstwhile President George W Bush or a journal article on the lifestyle and natural beauties of the Andaman Islands – so long as they describe t he information in their own style and words. It is to be observed that real facts are not safeguarded under the copyright law even if the author splurges a lot of effort and time in divulging things that are not known early. For instance, if an author of a book on Andaman Islands

Dr.Jekyell and Mr. Hyde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dr.Jekyell and Mr. Hyde - Essay Example In such narratives, a character is divided â€Å"into two distinct, usually antithetical personalities† (Sosnoski 121). This observation becomes highly relevant in this context as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, if they are interpreted according to basic essence of their character, entirely from the social perspective it becomes clear that they are antithetical. However, mastery of the narrative lies in the fact it has successfully been able to establish, especially with support of psychological interpretation that beneath layers of apparently furnished and sophisticated existence, there always lays a cruel and heinous self that everyone keeps suppressed. Dr. Jekyll, on one hand, while through his scientific experiments, is keen on explore his brutal and wild nature, the murky side of his existence, on the other, he is equally scared of the truth that once that wilderness in him is unleashed as Mr. Hyde, he would lose control over him. Thus, in order to control himself he asks for help from Dr. Lanyon: â€Å"Confident as I am that you will not trifle with this appeal, my heart sinks and my hand trembles at the bare thought of such possibility† (Stevenson 53). There is no denial of the fact that Dr. Jekyll has sufficient intellect to realize consequences of his deed but he always had a tremendous desire to enjoy â€Å"an honorable and distinguished future† (Stevenson 60). This very lust has acted as the main impetus to defy his consent and continue with his scientific experiments to create Hyde out of him. While he enjoyed being a respected member of the society, he also was highly enthusiastic to enjoy his primitive sel f and in both these context he has remained honest to equal extents: â€Å"Many a man would have even blazoned such irregularities as I was guilty of; but from the high views that I had set before me, I regarded and hid them with morbid sense of shame. †¦ the exacting

Freedom of Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Freedom of Speech - Essay Example ould help to uphold certain values such as truth, to involve ordinary citizens in political-decision making, to strengthen the community, for self-fulfillment of the individual, to help check abuse of governmental power, to promote tolerance and to create a more robust community (Introduction to the Free Speech Clause). The Supreme Court has been more protective of political speech compared to other commercial speeches. For example, the first amendment does not give rights to individuals to lie about other people (First Amendment: Speech). The expression of artists and the use of symbolism are also protected under the first amendment (Camp, 2005). However the first amendment provides protection only to a lesser extent to commercial speech, defamation, speech that would be harmful to children, those broadcast on radio and television and speech given by public employees. On the other hand the freedom of speech offers no or limited protection to obscenity, child pornography, speech that advocates the use of force or law violation or causing panic, true threats like fighting words, sedition, blackmail, perjury and those which solicit to commit crimes (Camp, 2005; Cohen, 2008). In addition to having its reservations in providing protection to speeches, the first amendment has incorporated time, place and manner restrictions to speeches that enjoy a very elaborate protection under the first amendment. These would be upheld if the speeches are not sufficiently justifiable, or are tailored in a way to suit governmental interest or if they do not leave open other alternative channels of communication. While music is acknowledged as a form of communication and expression, which enjoys complete protection under the amendment, the Court has placed volume restrictions for outdoor music. The amendment also provides rights to a city to place â€Å"zoning restrictions on adult theatres and bookstores†, despite them being fully protected by the amendment, if the goal is to prevent

Economics goverment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics goverment - Essay Example Indeed, the defendants in the case, Carilion Health System defeated the U.S. Department of Justice by showing that hospital markets have unique characteristics that deviate from the norms of commerce. As such, in 1989, the U.S. Department of Justice failed to prevent the merger between Carilion Health System and another hospital in Roanoke (Eisenstadt, 1989). Hence, the two hospitals merged and continued to operate separately in Roanoke after the 1989 merger. However, in 2006, Carilion consolidated the two hospital boards and transferred most the workers and services to Roanoke Memorial Hospital (RMH). It also sought to buy the services of private physician groups. The CEO of Carilion Health System believed that medical staff could improve the cost and quality of care in Roanoke while operating in a centralized system. Because of the merger, there was no hospital competition in Roanoke. Subject to this, the cost of health care is on an all-time high and the health-insurance rates are very high in Roanoke, Virginia (Carreyrou, 2008). The Hospital Competition and Costs: The Carilion Case (1989) had fundamental legal issues as presented by the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ) and Carilion. The jury sought to litigate the issue related to the effect on competition and the presence of efï ¬ ciencies. Indeed, after the defendants and the DOJ have made their case, the court sought the jury’s advisory on three legal facts. The court sought an advisory on the correctness of the DOJ’s alleged geographic market, the DOJ’s assertion that the relevant product market consisted of only inpatient hospital care, and the consolidation’s likely effect on competition (Eisenstadt, 1989). To this effect, the DOJ had the legal burden of proofing that the proposed merger would lead to adverse competitive effects and would not derive

Ethical and Legal Issues in the Couseling Profession Research Paper

Ethical and Legal Issues in the Couseling Profession - Research Paper Example All in all, these dilemmas and decisions have made me more prudent and more discerning in my approaches to patient care. This essay will now serve as my reflective ethical autobiography with various sources and theories used to help support and evaluate the choices I have made during my immersion. Discussion One of the main teachings which were drilled to us by our professors was the fact that there were various ethical principles which we had to follow and consider with each patient that we cared for. These main ethical principles include: beneficence, patient autonomy or self-determination, non-maleficence, and justice. These principles helped me develop my sense of right or wrong. Whenever I doubted my actions or did not know whether my actions were right or wrong, I always considered these four ethical principles as a guide or as a foundation for my decisions. Beauchamp and Childress identified these ethical principles which should govern the ethical practice of our profession. T hey discuss that the principle of autonomy is basically about the personal rule of oneself which is apart or free from the influences of others and from the limitations which negate meaningful choice (Beauchamp and Childress, 1994). This autonomous decision making process allows the individual to act in accordance with his plans and his choices. Without such autonomy, an individual is dictated by others and is incapable of acting on his desires or plans (Beauchamp and Childress, 1994). In other words, patient autonomy is about allowing the patient to make his own decisions about his care – without forcing him or influencing him to decide in a particular way. In my practice, I often had to explain to patients the different types of care or interventions which can be implemented in their favor. There were times when I was tempted to influence their choices and to sway them towards making decisions which, I felt, were more favorable to the patients and to me. But noting that I m ight be unjustly and unfairly influencing them to make decisions on their care, I ended up being more restrained and being more balanced in explaining possible choices in their care. By allowing them to make their own choices, I was able to afford more respect to my patients as individuals. Patient autonomy is also about respecting the patient’s decision even if such decision is not the best decision for him. One time, I encountered a patient who refused further care and counseling. I knew that he needed to be in therapy and he needed to undergo intensive rehabilitation. However he wanted to undergo a less structured rehabilitation process and he wanted to do it outside the mental health institution. Even if I knew that his choices may not be effective in rehabilitating him, ethics dictated that I had to respect his choice. And so we released him and allowed him to make his own choices of care. The principle of beneficence is based on doing acts of kindness for others (Beauch amp and Childress, 1994). In essence, this principle â€Å"asserts an obligation to help others further their important and legitimate interests† (Beauchamp and Childress, 1994, p. 260). In applying this principle to my counseling practice, I often encountered situations where I knew that my patients needed more intensive counseling. One time, I encountered a high school student whom I assessed to be depressed. She had significant self-image

Marijuana and students Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Marijuana and students - Research Paper Example My comments are on the use of punctuation and absence of thesis of the paper. A thesis will provide the supporting claims for the paper. I also suggest creating better transition sentences, where it is clear what the claims are. Marijuana is the top illegal drug of choice for students in the United States and other nations, such as Ireland, Belgium, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom (Duarte, Escario, and Molina 90). Johnston et al. (2005) discover in their 2005 survey that the average incidences of cannabis use in the U.S. â€Å"for eighth, tenth and twelfth graders [were] 16.4%, 34.1% and 44.8%, respectively† (qtd. in Duarte, Escario, and Molina 90). At present, some people are lobbying to legalize marijuana beyond its medicinal uses. This paper believes that marijuana should not be legalized for all purposes, because of its diverse negative effects on students, especially on their health and academic success. Adolescents are particularly at risk, because cannabis use has been connected to the development of psychotic symptoms (Skinner, Conlon, Gibbons, and McDonald 1). Legalizing marijuana can encourage increased recreational use of marijuana among students, which can have negative effects on their health and academic status. One of the effects of legalizing marijuana is that it can lead to its widespread recreational use, which can result to a greater prevalence of risky behaviors among students. In â€Å"Sending the Wrong Message: Did Medical Marijuana Legalization in California Change Attitudes about and Use of Marijuana?† Khatapoush and Hallfors studied the impact of the legalization of medical marijuana on drug-related attitudes and use among youth in several communities in California and other ten states. They used telephone survey data that included beliefs and experiences related to marijuana use. Findings showed that legalizing marijuana did not encourage more drug use among

Postmodern Frame Essay - Text in Art Essay Example for Free

Postmodern Frame Essay Text in Art Essay The use of text within to the visual arts can be traced back as far as the inscribed carvings found on cave walls created by the Indigenous population of Australia approximately 46000 years ago. However, over the past few years, the use of text in art, also known as the art of typography, has become a frequent means of communication for artists in the creation of their works. Text within art can be projected, scrawled, painted, computerised and carved to the point that a work may be created of nothing but language. The art of typography is the technique of arranging type in such a way that makes language visible. It treats fonts as individual entities to be enjoyed by the audience. Some artists deal with language as a character on its own as opposed to a surface to draw upon. These artists place texts in ways that are intended to stimulate the way an audience perceives a work, to evoke emotion or to create a statement. However, others, particularly graphic designers, tend to focus on the decorative powers of text. Regardless of the artist’s intentions, the appearance of text within art can shift our appreciation of their sound and meaning. Artists that explore text in art include: Barbara Kruger, Yukinori Yanagi, Katarzyna Kozyra, Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu, Shirin Neshat, Miriam Stannage, Colin McCahon and Jenny Watson. Artists such as Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu and Shirin Neshat explore the cultural implications of language in art and the importance of language to identity through the inclusion of text that reflect a postmodern concern with the way we receive information in our contemporary society. Jenny Holzer is an American conceptual artist who belongs to the feminist branch of artists that emerged during the 1980’s. Originally an abstract painter and printmaker, Holzer became heavily interested in conceptual art and began creating works using text. The introduction of text within Holzer’s work occurred gradually however, over time, they have entirely replaced images. These works are usually displayed in widely viewed, public areas. Holzer’s works typically deal with the idea of communication. She is highly aware of the power of words and the power of the media and therefore has a focus on the ability of language to distort or manipulate truths. â€Å"I was drawn to writing because it was possible to be very explicit about things. If you have crucial issues, burning issues, it’s good to say exactly what’s right and wrong about them, and then perhaps to show a way that things could be helped. So, it seemed to make sense to write because then you could just say it†¦ no painting seemed perfect. In particular, I didn’t want to be a narrative painter, which maybe would have been one solution for someone wanting to be explicit.† – Jenny Holzer. Through the use of text in art, Holzer is able to transmit powerful environmental, social and political messages that reveal beliefs and myths and show biases and inconsistencies that highlight her social and personal concerns of today’s contemporary society. Holzer’s works are confronting and provocative and inspire us to make changes. They make us remember that language is not always a factual statement; it can be true or false depending on the context. Holzer forces us to analyse our own behaviour and consider how we have been influenced and manipulated. Her works are designed to make us stop and think about how we are maturing socially. Holzer’s truisms â€Å"MONEY CREATES TASTE – 1982† and â€Å"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT 1985† are part of her 1983-85 series – â€Å"Survival†. These are LED installation pieces consisting of large scale text that were projected onto a billboard in Times Square, New York. The inscriptions were bright, clear and menacing and connected themselves to the everyday glow of the city. The phrases were flicked over the busy intersection for two to three seconds creating an element of surprise and capturing the audience’s attention. The main focus of these works was to make a profound statement about the world of advertising and consumer society today. Holzer’s aim was to persuade the audience to pause and reflect on their lives. Her work emphasises the notion that within our society, we are driven by the world of media, thereby producing a mass materialistic, consumerist culture. â€Å"MONEY CREATES TASTE† is almost a plea from Holzer to stand back and assess our needs as a culture rather than what we are fed to believe we want by the media. The use of this concise statement â€Å"PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT† has shown us that we are in the process of losing our identity and sense of culture and can be manipulated by the underlying motives of the media. Shirin Neshat is an Iranian born artist who, upon turning seventeen, moved to California to study art. In 1990 when Neshat flew back to Iran to visit her family, she was confronted by the changes in culture and the narrow restraints of everyday life in the Islamic Republic. She was faced by a very strict, pure form of Islam introduced by the Iranian government in order to erase Persian history. Since having lived in the two cultural contexts of Iraq and the USA, Neshat is able to examine the cultural concerns of individual beings in a metaphorical and poetic way. She attempts to address problems of identity, race and gender in a shocking manner and intends to undermine social stereotypes and assumptions. Her works explore the differences between Islam and the West, males and females, limitations in life and freedom, old and new and the public and the private domains. Neshat aimed to provoke questions amongst her audience as she explored Islam through her art making and comments on issues related to feminism and multiculturalism. However, her works were not only confrontational and symbolic; Neshat also paid particular attention to aesthetics. In her 1994 print and ink, â€Å"Rebellious Silence†, Neshat depicts an Islamic, Muslim woman, covered in a veil holding a gun. Her calm face is divided by the starkness of the cold, steel weapon and is laced with Islamic calligraphy symbolic of the Niqab, a more extreme veil that an Islamic woman must wear as it signifies her obedience to the male supremacy in Islamic culture. Her clothing and weapon make us question whether this woman has rejected her submissive female role to embrace violence. She is looking directly at the camera and looks determined to fight. Questions of motives arise amongst the audience. Neshat’s 1996 work â€Å"Speechless† is a black and white photograph in which Neshat has chosen to make herself the subject. This image is a close up of Neshat’s face. She looks determined and powerful however, like her creation â€Å"Rebellious Silence† – her face is covered with an overlay of Islamic text. The Arabic inscriptions that create the veil act as a barrier. It symbolises the support of the Islamic revolution. The visual struggle between Neshat and the veil is representational of the fight for freedom and the support of religion. By putting the text on her face, the body part where people can identify emotions the most, it serves as a reminder of the power that religion has over women and the oppression it has towards free expression. The gun in the picture is another juxtaposition. The woman seems to be embracing the gun as a part of her, giving off a threatening feeling, but at the same time, it does not feel dangerous because of her conflicted emotions: freedom versus oppression. The inscriptions tell of a man who died in the Iran/Iraq conflict of the 1980’s. This is also insulting to the women who also experienced this conflict. Her art does not disapprove nor approve of Islam, but instead encourages the audience to reflect upon their own ideas, assumptions and expectations. He works carry both personal and emotional connotations. Wenda Gu was born in China and studied traditional, classical landscape painting. He was employed to teach ink painting and although he no longer practices in China, text remains central to his work. This initial technical training has provided the incentive for his most confronting pieces in which the powerful use of language challenges social and political traditions. â€Å"These are questioning and symbolic works that violate the orthodox doctrine of artistic value. They represent a direct threat to authority.† Michael Sullivan. Gu ambitiously attempts to address, in artic terms, the issue of globalism that dominates discussions of contemporary economics, society and culture. He aims to appeal not only to the present population, but also to future generations in his quest to extend the boundaries of human perception, feeling and thought and express humanity’s deepest wishes and powerful dreams. Gu strives to unify mankind and create a utopian feel within his works. Gu worked to simplify the Chinese language and to encourage people to embrace new attitudes towards their old language. He combines a long standing fascination with classical Chinese calligraphy with a contemporary take on universal concerns that cross cultural and ethnic boundaries. Gu’s work today focusses extensively on ideas of culture and his identity and has developed an interest in bodily materials and understanding humanity across ethnic and national boundaries. Gu’s 1994-96 work â€Å"Pseudo Characters Contemplation of the world† is a series of ink paintings in which he uses traditional calligraphic styles and techniques but subverts them with reversed, upside down or incorrect letters. The pseudo character series consists of three ink on paper scrolls in which he has combined calligraphy and landscape, disrupting the conventions of both, powerfully distorting artistic tradition of China. Gu has attacked the written word by glorifying the spirit of the absurd. Gu’s most significant artworks have been a series entitled â€Å"United Nations Project†. This is a series of 15 works that were conceptually planned to relate to the locations social, political, historical and cultural situation. This series confronts two taboos. That of language and the human body. The main material for these installations are human hair collected from hairdressers from all over the world and the hair itself serves as a connection to all people. They typically consisted of screens tied together with twine, forming a canopy of internationally collected hair that was fashioned into nonsensical scripts combining the Chinese alphabet and others. His works are distinguished by the two themes which intersect. The first relates to language and the way in which cultural conventions are signified ad the second, is the use of human hair which is a symbol for significant human endeavours. The human hair is a blueprint containing DNA information, which is common to all humans yet seen fundamentally as individual. Jenny Holzer, Shirin Neshat and Wenda Gu all explore the cultural implications of language within art. They share a prime focus on the links between culture and identity. They have used language and text to convey their powerful messages and have drawn upon their own personal experiences. Concerned with the human condition, both they and their artworks have had a significant impact on society and the way in which we interpret information. Madison ******** Year 12 Visual Arts Art History and Art Criticism. Essay on Text The inclusion of text in artworks reflects a post-modern concern with the way we receive information in our contemporary society and the importance of language to identity. Explore the cultural implications of language in the work of Jenny Holzer, Wenda Gu and one other contemporary artist. Analyse specific artworks to support your argument.

Johnny Depp - A Philosopher Among Actors Essay Example for Free

Johnny Depp A Philosopher Among Actors Essay If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. In simple terms, this quote is referring to those who do not conform to the standards placed on them by their culture or subculture. In Hollywood, the way one becomes an A-List actor is by conforming to the Hollywood system: take the roles that provide the largest paychecks. Ben Affleck did not become a superstar celebrity by following his passion; Reindeer Games and Gigli are perfect examples of that. However, there is one actor who has consistently chosen his own roles, much to the dismay of his agent, based solely on his interest in the character he will portray. This actor has never taken a role that he did not feel passionate about, regardless of the flack he received from critics or the general public, and he is now one of Hollywoods finest. Johnny Depp stands out from the crowd because rather than conforming to the Hollywood standard he has become an A-List actor by following his own muse, or walking to the beat of a different drummer. A perfect example of Johnny Depps passion for his work is his starring role in the movie, Ed Wood, about Ed Wood, a filmmaker best known for making bad movies. It sounds ironic, but Johnny was insistent that this was a great movie. Despite, at the height of his career, being told that making this movie would ruin his professional image, he pursued the role. The movie was made, and it went on to win an Academy Award. Another example of Johnny Depps dedication is the movie Once Upon A Time In Mexico filmed in the heat of the summer of 2002. Because he wanted this role, Johnny agreed to film for seven consecutive days at 12-16 hours per day! A typical A-List actor will, under no circumstances, work for more than 8 hours per shooting day. Other movies that Depp was warned not to do, which went on to become successful were: Edward Scissorhands, Dead Man, Whats Eating Gilbert Grape, and Pirates of the Caribbean, for which he is nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards this year. Johnny Depp is renowned for his choice of movie roles. He does not simply work for the paycheck; he is truly pursuing his passion, and he has done it  quite successfully. Roger Ebert, a well-known film critic, has called Depp a modern Thoreau a philosopher among actors. At the 76th Annual Academy Awards, Johnny Depp was recognized specifically for his success in taking part in only films that he truly wanted to be a part of. Considering the standards that the industry places on actors, the fact that Johnny Depp has not sold out and taken a role simply for the money, is an admirable quality. If everyone possessed such commitment in their work, and more so, such conviction, life would be much more enjoyable to live.

Is globalization of the Vietnamese economy good or bad

Is globalization of the Vietnamese economy good or bad Vietnam has made a great progress in global integration since it began the Doi Moi process, especially when our country became the 150th member of WTO in 2007. The global integration has helped to change a poor country facing with starvation in the 1980s into a highly developing country now. However, Vietnam also has to face up with challenges affecting economic stability such as global financial crisis, severe competition from foreign enterprises. In order to understand more about globalization and its effects on the Vietnamese economy, I would like to write this paper to discuss the opportunities and challenges of this process upon the Vietnamese economy and what can be done to overcome these challenges. I. Literature Review 1. What is globalization? Globalization has now become a popular term appearing regularly on television, radio and newspaper. It is a very broad term which is related to economy, politics, culture, and environment. Carbaugh (2008) defines globalization as the process of greater interdependence among countries and their citizens. It consists of increased integration of product and resource markets across nations via trade, immigration, and foreign investment that is, via international flows of goods and services, of people, and of investment such as equipment, factories, stocks, and bonds. It also includes noneconomic elements such as culture and environment. Simply put, globalization is political, technological, and cultural as well as economic (p.2). Within this paper, we only focus on the economic side of globalization. 2. History of globalization in the worlds economy Carbaugh (2008) mentions three waves of globalization which constitute the so-called globalization nowadays. The first process was initialized by the global economic integration occurred from 1870 to 1914. It began with the decreases in tariff barriers and the development of new technologies railway, steam engines, and steam ships which lowered transportation cost. This wave was mainly driven by European countries, American businesses and individuals. As a result, the ratio of exports over the worlds total income nearly doubled to 8 percent and the United States became the richest country in the world. The first wave of globalization was ended by World War I, followed by the Great Depression of the 1930s, which pushed back the process. The second wave of globalization happened within the period 1945-1980 with the continual falling cost of transportation and the removal of trade barriers among developed countries. This period were featured by a new kind of trade: agglomeration economies-firms clustered together and were connected in a vertical linkage; parts manufacturers located near the main assembly line to lower the cost of transport. However, most developing countries still could not participate in this process for many different reasons. As the result, per capita income in developed countries increased dramatically while other developing countries were left behind. The last wave of globalization began in 1980 and continues up to now. The pace of this global integration has become much faster and dramatic because of unprecedented advancements in technology, communications, science, transport and industry. The wave is featured by the dramatic increase in global trade not only from developed countries but also from developing countries, which has made the global GDP increase quickly. Developing countries such as China, India, Brazil have succeed in joining the world market, exporting the goods they have competitive advantage mostly labor-intensive products. The communication technology developed very quickly. Another aspect of this wave is the increasing foreign outsourcing, which aims mainly at lowering the production cost by producing parts in developing courtiers. The period is also featured by bilateral and multilateral trade agreements and the establishment of the worlds biggest trade institution: WTO (the world trade organization) to superv ise and liberalize international trade. 3. The globalization of the world economy-for better There is maybe no other issues which are more controversial than globalization. There are maybe no other international institutions which are more protested than WTO. However, theories and reality have proved globalizations indispensability. According to the law of competitive advantage by David Ricardo, because of trade, films, regions, countries will gain benefits if they specialize in producing things they do well at a lower cost and use the earnings from these activities to by goods for which they are high-cost producers. Carbaugh (2008, p.14) Globalization encourages innovation and efficient production in each countrys economy. Because of competitiveness from foreign enterprises, domestic producers have a strong incentive to improve the quality of their products. Carbaugh (2008, p.14) Globalization also helps reduce the price of goods. For example, in the case of the US, because of global competition, the prices of such items as TV sets, clothing, toys have reduced dramatically. Meanwhile, the prices of products untouched by globalization, such as hospital services, sports tickets, and car repair have a tendency to increase. Carbaugh (2008, p.14) Globalization through the form of international trade provides stability for production. For example, a company can buy parts and components worldwide to supply its production. Moreover, it can export its products to other countries if the demand in the domestic economy is low. Carbaugh (2008, p.16) Globalization plays an important part in the economic growth of one country. For example, countries that open their economy to international trade tend to benefit from new technology and other sources of economic growth. (Carbaugh, 2008, p.16) Protestants of globalization often mention job displacement, loss of countrys sovereignty, environmental damage, etc. as reasons for anti-globalization. Indeed, these problems can be properly addressed if each government has determination and right strategies. 4. The globalization of the Vietnamese economy-some important events To Vietnam, since the country began the Doi Moi process in 1986, the economy has gradually integrated into global market. With the guideline Vietnam is prepared to be a friend and reliable partner of all countries in the world community, striving for peace, independence and development. Vietnam has gradually joined international organizations and economic institutions as well as cooperated with other countries for mutual development. Vietnam re-joined the World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 1992 and 1993. The year 1995 saw many significant external economic events. Vietnam joined the ASEAN and committed to implement the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), signed a Cooperative Agreement with the European Union (EU) and normalized relations with the US and applied for WTO membership. In 1998 Vietnam officially became a member of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). (Ho) In order to enhance trade among Vietnam and other countries, many bilateral and multilateral trade agreements have been signed. On July 13th 2000, the Viet Nam-United States Bilateral Trade Agreement was officially signed. Our country has signed over 80 bilateral trade agreements 40 bilateral investment agreements and 40 agreements on avoidance of double taxation. Most significantly, after eleven years of negotiation, in 2007 Vietnam became the official member of the world trade organization (WTO)-the worlds biggest trade organization. Since then, Vietnam has entered the largest trade play ground where every country is equal in both opportunities and challenges. So it can be summarized that Vietnam has taken part in the international integration for over the past twenty years and fully joined in the globalization process for three years dating from 2007. II. Benefits and opportunities of globalization to the Vietnamese economy Integration deeply into the world market has brought many tangible benefits and opportunities to the Vietnamese economy. 1. Increasing export revenues As a result of integrating into the regional and global market, export revenues have increased continually since 1990, speeded up sine 1995 when Vietnam joined ASEAN and grew sharply since Vietnam joined WTO in 2007. The growth in export revenues is illustrated in the following table Total Of which: Balance(*) Exports Imports Mill.USD 1990 5156.4 2404.0 2752.4 -348.4 1991 4425.2 2087.1 2338.1 -251.0 1992 5121.5 2580.7 2540.8 39.9 1993 6909.1 2985.2 3923.9 -938.7 1994 9880.1 4054.3 5825.8 -1771.5 1995 13604.3 5448.9 8155.4 -2706.5 1996 18399.4 7255.8 11143.6 -3887.8 1997 20777.3 9185.0 11592.3 -2407.3 1998 20859.9 9360.3 11499.6 -2139.3 1999 23283.5 11541.4 11742.1 -200.7 2000 30119.2 14482.7 15636.5 -1153.8 2001 31247.1 15029.2 16217.9 -1188.7 2002 36451.7 16706.1 19745.6 -3039.5 2003 45405.1 20149.3 25255.8 -5106.5 2004 58453.8 26485.0 31968.8 -5483.8 2005 69208.2 32447.1 36761.1 -4314.0 2006 84717.3 39826.2 44891.1 -5064.9 2007 111326.1 48561.4 62764.7 -14203.3 Prel. 2008 143398.9 62685.1 80713.8 -18028.7 Table 1 Export and import of goods Source: General statistics office of Vietnam (GSO) The countrys export turnover in 2007 reached US$48 billion, 21.3 percent higher than 2006s figure, surpassing the 3.1 percent target set by the government. Vietnams key export items having high export turnovers were seafoods, rice, coffee, vegetables, rubber, cashew nuts, and pepper. (GSO) The second year of WTO membership saw a sharp increase in the countrys export turnover. Export turnover in 2008 reached US$62 billion, 29.5 percent higher than that in 2007. (GSO) In 2009 the export turnovers were estimated to be US$56.6 billion, reflecting a drop of 9.7 percent from 2008.However, it was due to price drops during the economic crisis. Vietnamese commodities have been exported widely to 150 countries and territories, with many sectors benefiting from WTO membership including labor-intensive industries like clothing, footwear and electronics. (SGGP) An example of quick development in export after joining WTO is textile and garment industry. Vietnam has become one of the ten largest exporters of textiles and garments in the world after earning US$7.7 billion from exporting these commodities in 2007. The US market made up 56 percent of this total turnover, followed by the EU (US$1.45 1.65 billion) and Japan (US$700 million.) (GSO) Unit 2005 2006 2007 Prel. 2008 Crude oil Thous.tons 17966.6 16442.0 15062.0 13752.3 Coal 17987.8 29308.0 32072.0 19354.7 Electronic parts (Including TV parts), computer and their parts Mill.USD 1427.4 1807.8 2165.2 2638.4 Articles of plastic 357.7 452.3 709.5 921.2 Electrical wire and cable 518.2 705.7 882.3 1001.3 Rucksacks, bag, pockets, wallets(*) 470.9 502.1 627.1 833.0 Footwear 3038.8 3595.9 3999.5 4767.8 Textile, sewing products 4772.4 5854.8 7732.0 9120.4 Rattan, bamboo and rush products 157.3 214.1 246.7 255.6 Pottery and glassware 255.3 274.4 334.9 344.0 Embroidery products 78.4 98.1 111.8 Fresh and processed vegetables fruit 235.5 259.1 305.6 407.0 Pepper Thous. tons 109.9 114.8 83.0 90.3 Coffee 912.7 980.9 1232.1 1059.5 Rubber 554.1 703.6 715.6 658.3 Rice 5254.8 4642.0 4580.0 4741.9 Shelled cashew nut 109.0 127.7 154.7 165.3 Tea Thous. tons 91.7 105.4 115.7 104.5 Wood and wooden products 1561.4 1943.1 2384.6 2829.3 Fishery products Mill. USD 2732.5 3358.0 3763.4 4510.1 Of which: Frozen shrimps 1265.7 1262.8 1387.6 Frozen fish 608.8 1083.4 1379.1 Frozen cuttle fish 73.9 92.5 60.8 (*) Data from year 2004 include hats and umbrellas. Table 2: Some main goods for exportation Source: General statistics office of Vietnam (GSO) 2. Rapid increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) As a WTO member, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors. Registered FDI surged to US$71 billion in 2008, compared with only $12 billion in 2006. Although FDI commitments dropped last year to $21.4 billion as a result of the global financial crisis, the figure was still at the same level as pre-crisis 2007. (Thanh Nien news) During the three years of WTO membership, total registered FDI into Vietnam reached more than $114 billion, 4.5 times higher than the target set for the 2006-2010 period. Of this, $29.5 billion was disbursed in the five years. (Thanh Nien news) The data for FDI into Vietnam over the past 20 years are summarized in the following table: Number of projects Registered capital (Mill. USD) (*) Implementation capital (Mill. USD) Total 10981 163607.2 57045.5 1988 37 341.7 1989 67 525.5 1990 107 735.0 1991 152 1291.5 328.8 1992 196 2208.5 574.9 1993 274 3037.4 1017.5 1994 372 4188.4 2040.6 1995 415 6937.2 2556.0 1996 372 10164.1 2714.0 1997 349 5590.7 3115.0 1998 285 5099.9 2367.4 1999 327 2565.4 2334.9 2000 391 2838.9 2413.5 2001 555 3142.8 2450.5 2002 808 2998.8 2591.0 2003 791 3191.2 2650.0 2004 811 4547.6 2852.5 2005 970 6839.8 3308.8 2006 987 12004.0 4100.1 2007 1544 21347.8 8030.0 Prel. 2008 1171 64011.0 11600.0 (*)Including supplementary capital to licensed projects in previous years. Table 3: Foreign direct investment projects licensed in period 1988 2008 Source: General statistics office of Vietnam (GSO) 3. Increase in enterprises awareness, adaptation and performance Joining WTO means that Vietnam has entered a large play ground where Vietnamese enterprises have to compete with many giant players-big foreign corporations with strong financial power and experience. Moreover, the reduction of tariffs and non-tariffs measures, the open of servicing market have made the domestic market more competitive. All these factors have forced domestic enterprises (both state-owned and private ones) to restructure and self-improve. Being aware of these challenges, Vietnamese enterprises have invested money to standardize their operation and products. Thousands of Vietnamese enterprises in different fields such as textile, transport, service, telecommunication, food production have met international standards: ISO 9000, ISO 14000. Furthermore, besides traditional markets such as the US, Japan, they have reached new markets such as Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. More effort is put on employee training and attraction high quality employees. Some big Vietname se enterprises which have strong competitiveness are Co.opmart, Hoang Anh Gia Lai group, Sai Gon tourist, VNPT. This is also a chance for state-owned enterprises pending on the Government protection and subsidies restructure their operation. Otherwise they will be defeated even in the domestic market. So under the competition pressure, the Vietnams enterprises will become more effective and competitive. 4. More favorable legal system for trading activities Global economic integration and accession to the WTO have given Vietnam a chance to refine its policy and legal system to be more transparent, sustainable and predictable to be in line with WTO regulations and to attract more foreign investors. For example, according to Law on Foreign Investment, there are flexible regulations of establishment Enterprises with foreign investment are permitted to change the form of investment, and divide, consolidate or merge with other enterprises. Existing joint ventures are allowed to transform into wholly-owned foreign capital enterprises under certain conditions. In addition, there is no obligation to form a joint venture with a local partner. Foreign investors are entitled to make their own choice from three forms of investment set forth by the Law on Foreign Investment. There is also the reduction of the administrative burden The duration for investment licensing was cut from 60 working days to 45 working days for projects under the category of appraisal and issuance of investment licences, and to 30 working days for projects under the category of registration for investment licences Furthermore, under the Governments Project 30 to enhance administrative reform, about 5,700 administrative papers at all levels have been under consideration. Duplicate or unnecessary documents will be abolished. The Prime Minister has proposed a 30 percent reduction of all legal documents. To enhance administrative procedures Vietnamese government are developing e-commerce and e-government to create effective links between administration agencies, businesses and people. (Vov news) Moreover, as a WTO member, Vietnam is treated as a full WTO membership. Vietnamese enterprises have a healthy environment for development in foreign markets. If there are trade disputes, they can be treated under WTOs Dispute Settlement Mechanism. Vietnamese enterprises will be judged by the WTO international court, which means we have more advantages to protect our rights. (Ho) For example, the lawsuit is no longer imposed by domestic laws as the previous catfish war case- Vietnams tra and basa dumping disputes, and we can implement some legal retaliating tools within WTO regulations. Vietnam will have equal status with other countries in the global trade policy-making process and an opportunity to participate in building a more equal and logical international trade cooperative framework. Le (2008) III. Challenges of globalization to the Vietnamese economy Globalization is an indispensable process. As a result, 153 countries have become official members of WTO and up to now no countries would like to exit this organization. This illustrates clearly the benefits of globalization. Globalization by its nature does not make a country worse. However, the opportunities created by globalization are always accompanied with challenges. If a country cannot overcome these challenges, it will meet a lot of difficulties. Vietnam is not the exception. Our challenges are not only from the outsiders but also from the domestic economy. Three major groups of challenges are described as follows 1. Low competitiveness of nation, enterprises and products Vietnamese enterprises are mainly medium and small-sized. According to Le (2008), none of Vietnams state-owned enterprises was on the list of 1000 world biggest corporations, neither its commercial trademarks in the list of 1000 most prestigious global trademarks. If we want to gain strong competitiveness in international market, we must have many strong enterprises like Sony, Toyota of Japan, or Hyundai, Samsung of South Korea. According to World Economic Forums report for the year 2009-2010, in terms of global competitiveness index, Vietnam ranked 75th out of 133 countries in the year 2009-2010, dropping 5 places compared to 2008-2009s index. From the report and practical situation, we can come up with some drawbacks in our economy which lead to poor nations competitiveness. Firstly, the most problematic factor of doing business which accounts for 16.1 percent in the World Economic Forums report is the inadequate supply of infrastructure. According to Thomas Siebert, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), the lack of high-quality infrastructure and logistical services is both a pressing concern and an impediment, especially to potential American investors. Indeed, this important issue has been brought up in every meeting between AmCham and the Vietnamese authorities since May 2006. Various problems include the delay in constructing bridges, inter-provincial roads and overland infrastructure. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) said that 80% of Japanese companies considered roads as the first factor that needs improvement, followed by power supply (60%) and ports (40%). Dr Le Dang Doanh once compared a gap in infrastructure among Vietnam and other economies in the region by a typical example, it takes ten minutes to do logi stics for a container in a Singapore port but seven days in a Vietnamese port. Secondly, difficulty in accessing financing ranks second in problematic factors of doing business in Vietnam. According to Dr Le (2008), Vietnams financial depth ratio, a measurement of money supply relative to the size of the economy the ratio of M2 over GDP was about 84% GDP, with around 6 million bank accounts over the population of 84 million, the stock market just accounted for 6% GDP and still in the pilot stage and incomplete. Not to mention technology, Basel standards for the banking industry, number of commercial banks services offered, ratio of bad debts, we can see clearly how big the gap is for Vietnam to fill. Thirdly, poor system of higher education and training, which ranks 92/133, is a big challenge. Inadequately trained faculty, ineffective teaching methods, and lack of access to modern technologies severely limit students learning. Government sponsored educational reform has not kept pace with the need to transmit from an agricultural economy to an industrial economy. We are now facing with the dilemma of too much common labor force but inadequately educated workforce which ranks 3 in the problematic factors of doing business in Vietnam. Moreover, the quality of management schools is too low (111/133), which results in incompetent staff at different levels, from central to grassroots, from State agencies to businesses. Table 4: The competitiveness index for Vietnam 2009-2010 Source: World Economic Forum Table 5: The competitiveness index in detail for Vietnam 2009-2010 Source: World Economic Forum 2. Issues relating to macro policies and administrative procedure According to the World Economic Forums report, although the country improves in most of the categories of the Index, Vietnam is down five positions to 75th, the considerable worsening of its macroeconomic situation-dropping from 70th to 112th place-weighs heavily on its economy and competitiveness. A widening trade deficit, an overheating economy, and a global rise in commodity prices caused inflation to shoot up to 23 percent in 2008.This in turn triggered a crisis of confidence, big swings in interest rates, and a sharp fall of the dong, the local currency. Although this issue was over and the government has performed better when dealing with the global financial crisis, it is an important lesson that because the Vietnamese economy has integrated deeply into the global economy, the exchange rates, inflation, balance of payment and budget deficit will develop unpredictably. I share the same point of view with what Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said when having a meeting with the ba nking sector: what is right today may not right tomorrow. If we follow the rightness today too long, we may make mistake in tomorrows situation. Hence, it is essential for the government to pay close attention to the world economy, better the forecast ability and have flexible guidance so that Vietnam can reap the benefits of the efforts and successes achieved in other areas. One of the main reasons for Vietnams 75th position is the variable Burden of government regulation (106/133) which constitutes a big disadvantage. In fact, the current administrative system is a serious obstacle to development. Although the government is trying to reduce unnecessary administrative procedure such as one door, the current result is not as much as expected. According to the former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Vietnamese public administration has been laden with the following problems: red-tape, ineffectiveness, inefficiency, cumbersomeness, corruption, and an unskilled and under-qualified public service. The administration is clearly not keeping itself abreast of economic level. 3. Difficulties in agricultural sector Agriculture  [1]  is the main sector in the economy, accounting for 20 percent of GDP and 66 percent of the national population. However, it is confronting with vigorous competition in the global market. Over the past three years, there was no sudden change in the export of agricultural products. Although the export revenue increased compared to the year 2006, the growth rate was lower than the general growth rate of export of the country as a whole, except for coffee. (Center for Information and Documentation). The table below illustrates the growth rate of agricultural export 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Prel. 2008 Mill.USD TOTAL 20149.3 26485.0 32447.1 39826.2 48561.4 62685.1 By economic sector Domestic economic sector 9988.1 11997.3 13893.4 16764.9 20785.7 28155.9 Foreign invested sector(*) 10161.2 14487.7 18553.7 23061.3 27775.7 34529.2 By commodity group Heavy industrial products and minerals 6485.1 9641.9 11701.4 14428.6 16000.0 19200.0 Light industrial and handicraft goods 8597.3 10870.8 13293.4 16389.6 21598.0 28575.0 Agricultural products 2672.0 3383.6 4467.4 5352.4 7200.0 10400.0 Forest products 195.3 180.6 252.5 297.6 Aquatic products 2199.6 2408.1 2732.5 3358.0 3763.4 4510.1 Structure (%) TOTAL 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 By economic sector Domestic economic sector 49.6 45.3 42.8 42.1 42.8 44.9 Foreign invested sector(*) 50.4 54.7 57.2 57.9 57.2 55.1 By commodity group Heavy industrial products and minerals 32.2 36.4 36.1 36.2 32.9 30.6 Light industrial and handicraft goods 42.7 41.0 41.0 41.2 44.5 45.6 Agricultural products 13.3 12.8 13.7 13.4 14.8 16.6 Forest products 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.8 Aquatic products 10.8 9.1 8.4 8.4 7.8 7.2 (*) Included crude oil. Table 6: Exports of goods by economic sector and by commodity group Source: General statistics office of Vietnam (GSO) This is due to a combination of many weaknesses. Farmers lack knowledge and professional skills. Production technology is small and backward, which increases the production costs compared to those of other countries and makes the quality of the products low. Agricultural enterprises are often of small size and disperse. As a result, they have weak financial capacity to improve production technology and labor productivity. Moreover, there are no shared strategies on developing in foreign markets, no strong and famous trade mark. For example, although Vietnam is currently the worlds second largest rice exporter Vietnamese rice still does not have an established trademark on the international market. Another problem is the slow and inaccurate market forecast about the worlds demand and price forecast by functional agencies, causing a lot of damages to agricultural enterprises and farmers. For example, in 2008, wrong forecasts about food security and the worlds rice price led to Vietnams not exporting rice when the worlds price was

Training Ground For Murderers Essay examples -- History Historical Ess

Training Ground For Murderers Continued U.S. support for the School of the Americas, an institution that has trained dictators and political assassins, is completely unjustifiable. At seven o’ clock in the morning on December 11, 1981 an evil force entered the small El Salvadorian village of El Mezote (School of Assasins). With painted faces and army fatigues, the guerillas carried machine guns and automatic rifles into the peaceful village. As survivor Rufina Amaya recounts, â€Å"At ten o’clock the soldiers began to kill the men who were in the church. First, they machine-gunned them and slit their throats† (â€Å"Country Sheets for Close it Down Fast!† 3). After the men, the women were placed face down in the dusty streets and shot to death. Amaya remembers listening as, â€Å"they killed four of my children; my nine-year-old, my six-year-old, my three-year-old, and my eight-month-old daughter. My husband was killed, too†¦ I didn’t see them kill the children, but I heard the children’s screams† (3). After days of hiding in the tall grass that surrounded the village, Amaya emerged to find that over 900 of her neighbors had been brutally massacred. Out of the dead, one hundred and thirty children were massacred in the horrific event, including three infants that had been burned alive (School of Assassins; â€Å"Country Sheets for Close it Down Fast!† 3). Who was to blame for the El Mezote massacre? Surprisingly, ten out of twelve of the officers responsible for the massacre were American trained guerillas and attendees of a Latin American military school located in Fort Benning, Georgia; the School of the Americas (Barber 144). Since its creation in 1946, the American government has provided extensive training for over 58,000 soldiers from se... ... April 2002. â€Å"School of the Americas: U.S. Military Training for Latin American Countries.† GAO/NSIAD-96-178. 22 August 1996. Letter Report. 4 April 2002 Schoultz, Lars. National Security and United States Policy Toward Latin America. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987. â€Å"Taking Stock: Plan Columbia’s First Year.† Columbia Monitor March 2002: 1. United States. Congressional House. Report of the Subcommittee on International Relations. 116 Cong., 2nd sess. H. Rept. June 16, 1999 Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999. United States. Cong. House. Testimony: Charles E. Wilhelm Before Appropriations Committee and Defense Subcommittee. H. Rept. March 3, 1999. Washington: Federal Document Clearing House, Inc. 1999.

Advertising . . . It’s What’s for Dinner :: Personal Narrative Papers

Advertising . . . It’s What’s for Dinner I was putting the finishing touches on the chicken when the doorbell rang. I ran to the table to make sure everything was in place. I wanted tonight to run as smoothly as possible because it isn’t every night that you get to have such internet advertising experts over for dinner. When I opened the door I was surprised to see all three of my guest standing before me. I guess it was coincidence that they all arrived at the very same time, but, nevertheless, they were right on the dot and I welcomed them into my home. After we all made our introductions, I took their coats and gave them a quick tour of my small, but cozy house. I found it funny that even before everyone was formally introduced I clearly could guess the identity of each person. I guessed that the woman in the business suit was Ms. Heim. She works for Media Week magazine and because of her to the point, matter of fact writing style she seems exactly like the type of woman who would have to wear a suit so much that it has become her own fashion statement. But surprisingly, her hair was down and hanging just above her shoulders, softening the official business-look of the suit. Ms. Zeff was more on the casual side wearing a nice sun dress that seemed proper for a woman of her age. The color of the dress was a peachy orange that accented her skin tones and gave her a very warm and loving appearance. Not to mention the wrinkles on her forehead that translated into a woman full of wisdom and knowledge. However, her appearance was not one that you would imagine for a woman of such caliber. But even though she has a PhD1, she refused to be addressed as Dr. Zeff - she simply told us that Robbin or Ms. Zeff would be fine.

The Dutchman - Oppression of the Black Man :: Amiri Baraka Dutchman Essays

The Dutchman - Oppression of the Black Man The Dutchman is not a play that you would take a child to. There is no optimism, no hope of a better future, and certainly no hero. It did, however, point out several flaws in society, namely the white man's oppression black men. The entire conversation between Lula and Clay demonstrates that, even as society had become more aware of the social inequalities imposed on minorities, much of society still regarded minorities with utter contempt. It did not come as a surprise that the stereotypes that both white and black individuals were present in the play despite heightened public awareness at the time. Such stereotypes are evidenced by Lula saying, ". . .you're a well-known type . . . I know the type very well," and Clay responding, "Without knowing us specifically?" (12). Stereotypes are the first walls to break through when associating with a member of another race or culture. Lula's continual concentration on Clay's "Uncle Tom" stereotype seems to be n ot simply her own ignorance, but it symbolizes the entire white people's ignorance of black people before and during the early '60's. At the end of the play, some of the root causes of most oppression--from forcing Native Americans on reservations to the lack of social equality at the time the book was written--is pointed out: tyranny of the majority and lack of sympathy for the oppressed. When Lula tells the people who are riding on the subway to "Get this man off me!," "Open the door and throw his body out," and "all of you get off at the next stop" (37), the crowd of people obeys without hesitance. The people in the subway--the majority--allow one man to be murdered and do not even give it a second thought. This is yet another metaphor for white people turning a blind eye to human suffering. Everyone gets off the subway, acting as if nothing has happened. The fact that the other

How a Text You Have Studied Created a Strong First Impression Essay

This was shown through the use of metaphors, repetition and antithesis. The first impressions of Benedick and Beatrice are of a proud misogynist and Beatrice is the parallel to Benedick: a strong willed woman who hates marriage. It is important to the text because it show not only love is a universal solvent between them but Shakespeare offer a fresh insight as well as a slight criticism of gender roles In the beginning of the text, Benedick and Beatrice playfully show off their wits by engaging a ‘merry war betwixt’ them. It is central that Shakespeare would have to impact the audience whether modern or especially the Elizabethan era with a pair of strong willed characters; whom the Elizabethans can relate to. Independent, assertive and unruly women commanded attention on stage, the traditional behaviour of femininity was under strain. Beatrice’s apparent indifference to marriage frees her to attack the vanity and hypocrisy of male privilege and honour. The attack could be directed at Benedick, whose reputation as exploiter of male privileges, is exposed through his first defeat: ‘I would my horse had the speed of your tongue. †¦ I have done’. This illustrates that Beatrice’s wit is too quick for Benedick (‘speed of your tongue’) and he essentially concedes to her. Benedick’s pride and misogyny is shown through the use of repetition and antithesis. His character is arrogant and overpowering. When Claudio asked Benedick about Hero, Benedick ‘as being a professed tyrant to their [women’s] sex’ produces a witty remark. He describes Hero, as ‘too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise. ’ This description employs the use of repetition and antithesis to communicate Benedick’s contempt for women. The repetition of the word ‘praise’ shows the understanding that women are subject to men’s approval. The use of antithesis and repetition shows that men are dominant. Benedick’s pride and misogyny is broken through the fierce but yet enduring love of Beatrice. Benedick has a relationship which is important to the text. It is the relationship with Beatrice that makes the text so interesting. Benedict insults Beatrice with an animal image â€Å"you are a rare parrot teacher’ Beatrice counteracts by saying ‘A bird of your tongue is better than a beast of yours’. Benedick’s treatment of women could be viewed as animalistic (women are properties; you can sell or buy without a feeling of guilt) and he is a chauvinist. Furthermore, he wishes to ‘consume’ their ego. Ironically, in the end, the relationship which Beatrice requires is a relationship deeply rooted in passionate commitment which transcends gender limitations and honour. It is for these reasons that make Benedick’s relationship with Beatrice so interesting The use of allusion and metaphors makes Beatrice’s relationship with Benedick so interesting and vital to the text. This is because Beatrice objects to male pretensions: would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered by a valiant piece of dust’. This perception of ‘valiant dust’ metaphor is very significant. Men, whether valiant or not, would be always be insignificant and this make Beatrice metaphorically compares them to dust. The use of biblical allusion is also important to the text. In context, in the Bible, men come from dust and Beatrice thought that women are superior. This is because women came from the rib bone of Adam, a man. Beatrice, who hates marriage, is softened by deception. Beatrice’s relationship with Benedick is vital for the text. Mutual love detaches Beatrice and Benedick from Messina and connects them with something more permanent. Beatrice exacts commitment to her, but not to abstract social ideals. She wants open, reciprocal love and sympathy and Benedick has the capability to give what she want or needs. The compromise that she asked Benedick reaches not to ‘woo peacefully’ but to retains some antagonism- ‘to love no more than reason’- guarantees balance and freshness through unceasing examination and constant redefinition. Benedick and Beatrice created a strong first impression. This was shown through the use of metaphors, repetition and antithesis.

5 Ways of St. Thomas

First Way:Â  The Argument From Motion St. Thomas Aquinas, studying the works of the Greek philsopher Aristotle, concluded from common observation that an object that is in motion (e. g. the planets, a rolling stone) is put in motion by some other object or force. From this, Aquinas believes that ultimately there must have been an UNMOVED MOVER (GOD) who first put things in motion. Follow the agrument this way: 1) Nothing can move itself. 2) If every object in motion had a mover, then the first object in motion needed a mover. 3) This first mover is the Unmoved Mover, called God. Second Way:Â  Causation Of ExistenceThis Way deals with the issue of existence. Aquinas concluded that common sense observation tells us that no object creates itself. In other words, some previous object had to create it. Aquinas believed that ultimately there must have been an UNCAUSED FIRST CAUSE (GOD) who began the chain of existence for all things. Follow the agrument this way: 1) There exists things t hat are caused (created) by other things. 2) Nothing can be the cause of itself (nothing can create itself. ) 3) There can not be an endless string of objects causing other objects to exist. 4) Therefore, ther must be an uncaused first cause called God.Third Way:Â  Contingent and Neccessary Objects This Way defines two types of objects in the universe: contingent beings and necessary beings. A contingent being is an object that can not exist without a necessary being causing its existence. Aquinas believed that the existence of contingent beings would ultimately neccesitate a being which must exist for all of the contingent beings to exist. This being, called a necessary being, is what we call God. Follow the argument this way: 1) Contingent beings are caused. 2) Not every being can be contingent. 3) There must exist a being which is necessary to cause contingent beings. ) This necessary being is God. Fourth Way:Â  The Agrument From Degrees And Perfection St. Thomas formulated thi s Way from a very interesting observation about the qualities of things. For example one may say that of two marble scultures one is more beautiful than the other. So for these two objects, one has a greater degree of beauty than the next. This is referred to as degrees or gradation of a quality. From this fact Aquinas concluded that for any given quality (e. g. goodness, beauty, knowledge) there must be an perfect standard by which all such qualities are measured. These perfections are contained in God.Fifth Way:Â  The Agrument From Intelligent Design The final Way that St. Thomas Aquinas speaks of has to do with the observable universe and the order of nature. Aquinas states that common sense tells us that the universe works in such a way, that one can conclude that is was designed by an intelligent designer, God. In other words, all physical laws and the order of nature and life were designed and ordered by God, the intellgent designer. A more complete explanation of St. Thomas' Fifth Way about God as Intelligent Designer can be seen on my web page dedicated to Paley's Teleological Argument.

Bipolar Disorder

Some people are more prone to either mania or depression, while others alternate equally between the two types of episodes. Some have frequent mood disruptions, while others experience only a few over a lifetime. There are four types of mood occurrences in bipolar disorder: mania, hypomania, depression, and mixed episodes. Each type of bipolar disorder mood episode has a unique set of symptoms. Mania Symptoms In the manic phase of bipolar disorder, feelings of heightened energy, creativity, and euphoria are common. People experiencing a manic episode often talk a recklessly and profligately, scarcely sleep, and are hyperactive.They may also feel like they're omnipotent, impregnable, or destined for prominence. Although mania inaugurates with delightful sensations, it has a tendency to spiral out of control. People often Denave uncontrollaDly aurlng a manic eplsoae: gamDllng away savlngs, engaging In inappropriate sexual activity, or making irrational business investments, for example . They may also become angry, irritable, and aggressive†picking fights, lashing out when others don't go along with their plans, and blaming anyone who criticizes their behavior.Some even become delusional or start hearing voices. Depression Symptoms In the past, bipolar depression was amalgamated in with regular depression. But a mounting reservoir of research suggests that there are significant differences between the two, particularly when it comes to recommended treatments. Most people with bipolar depression are not helped by antidepressants. In fact, there is a risk that antidepressants can make bipolar disorder worse†triggering mania or hypomania, causing rapid cycling between mood states, or interfering with other mood stabilizing drugs.Despite many similarities, certain symptoms are more common in bipolar depression than in regular depression. For example, bipolar epression is more likely to involve irritability, guilt, unpredictable mood swings, and feelings of restlessness. People with bipolar depression also tend to move and speak slowly, sleep a lot, and gain weight. In addition, they are more likely to develop psychotic depression†a condition in which theyVe lost contact with reality†and to experience major disability in work and social functioning.TYPES There are several types of bipolar disorder; all involve episodes of depression and mania to a degree. They include bipolar l, bipolar II, cyclothymic disorder, mixed bipolar, and rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Bipolar I Raging bipolar (l) is characterized by at least one full-blown manic episode lasting at least one week or any duration if hospitalization is required. This may include inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, decreased need for sleep, being more loquacious than usual, flight of ideas, distractibility, an increase in goal-oriented activity, and excessive involvement in hazardous activities.The symptoms are severe enough to disrupt the patient's ability to work and socialize, and may require hospitalization to prevent harm to themselves or others. The patient may lose touch with reality to the point of being psychotic. The other option for raging bipolar is at least one â€Å"mixed† episode on the part of the patient. The DSM-IV is uncharacteristically vague as to what constitutes mixed, an accurate reflection of the confusion within the psychiatric profession. More tellingly, a mixed episode is almost impossible to explain to the public. One is literally â€Å"up† and â€Å"down† at the same time.Bipolar II Swinging bipolar (II) presumes at least one major depressive episode, plus at least one hypomanic episode over at least four days. The same characteristics as mania are evident, with the disturbance of mood observable by others; but, the episode is ot enough to disrupt normal functioning or necessitate hospitalization and there are no psychotic features. Those in a state of hypomania are typically the life of the party, the salesperson of the month and more often than not the best-selling author or Fortune 500 mover and shaker, which is why so many refuse to seek treatment.But the same condition can also turn on its victim, resulting in bad decision-making, social embarrassments, wrecked relationships and projects left unfinished. Rapid Cycling DSM-IV defines rapid cycling as the occurrence of at least 4 major depressive, manic, ypomanlc, or mlxea eplsoaes aurlng tne prevlous year In a patient wltn a Olagnosls of BP I or BP II. These episodes must be demarcated either by a partial or full remission of at least 2 months' duration or by a switch to an episode of opposite polarity.Duration criteria for episodes are not waived, which means that each major depressive episode must last at least 2 weeks, each manic or mixed episode must last at least 1 week, and each hypomanic episode must last at least 4 days. Mixed Bipolar A mixed episode is not a disorder itself, but rather is a description of a component of a specific type of bipolar disorder. A mixed episode is defined by meeting the diagnostic criteria for both a manic episode as well as a major depressive episode nearly every day for at least a full week.Like most mental disorders, a mixed episode must be severe enough to cause distress or impairment in social, occupational, education or other important functioning and is not better accounted for by the physiological effects of substance use, or abuse, or a general medical condition. Cyclothymia Cyclothymia is a chronic bipolar disorder consisting of short periods of mild depression and short periods of hypomania, lasting a few days to a few weeks, eparated by short periods of normal mood.Individuals with cyclothymia are never liberated of symptoms of either depression or hypomania for more than two months at a time. In 1980 the classification of cyclothymia was changed in the DSM-IV from Personality Disorder to Mood Disorder. Though the above description portrays cycl othymia as a mild disorder, it is so only relative to the severity of Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders. Cyclothymia can completely disrupt the life of an individual and create personal chaos. In their continual oscillation of mood, they never know from ne day to the next what to expect.TREATMENTS Bipolar disorder is being better understood each day. There is also ongoing research into its treatment. But successfully treating bipolar disorder can involve several medication trials, and it can take years to achieve remission. Even if remission is attained, recurrence is the rule † not the exception. It's not uncommon for all first- line treatments to be exhausted. Common Treatments Lithium and the anticonvulsants lamotrigine and valproate are treatments for bipolar depression. They are mood stabilizers. For severely ill patients, lithium and an ntidepressant are sometimes used.A mood-stabilizing medication works on improving social interactions, mood, and behavior and is recomm ended for both treatment and prevention of bipolar mood states that swing from the lows of depression to the highs of hypomania or mania. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), lithium, lamotrigine, valproate, carbamazepine, and most atypical antipsychotic medications are approved by the FDA for treating one, or more, phases of bipolar disorder. Treatment Resistance There is no consensus among clinicians and researchers on one definition of reatment resistance.Generally, patients in an acute state, manic, depressed, or mixed, whose symptoms do not improve after at least two evidence-based medication trlals are conslaerea treatment-reslstant In researcn stu01es. In tne malntenance phase, patients are considered treatment-resistant if they continue cycling despite several adequate medication trials. In some studies additional criteria must be met in order to truly be considered treatment-resistant. These include functional measures of remission. Dr. Prakash Masand, p sychiatrist and founder of Global Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder Heather McLean HCA/240 Maryam Pirnazar 4/14/2013 Introduction Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder it can cause shifts in moods, activity level, energy, and also the ability to due day-to-day tasks. It is also commonly known as manic- depressive illness. This disorder is one of the oldest illnesses that is known. It is one of the first noticed that goes as far back and the second century. The first person that recognized the some of the symptoms is Aretaeus of Cappadocia. What he found went unnoticed until Richard Burton a scientist wrote a book, which the main focus was depression.This is still used in today’s time. There are many different myths and misconceptions about bipolar disorder. Some myths about bipolar disorder consists of things that people believe like, bipolar disorder can not get better or people with the disorder can not lead a normal life, people with this disorder swing back and forth between depression and mania. Some even believe that dipo lar disorder only affects moods, and some believe that medication is the only way people with this disorder can control it. Only with getting the facts will people be able to understand the truth about bipolar disorder.The causes of bipolar are unknown. There are several factors that do seem to play a role in triggering the bipolar episodes. These causes consist of biological differences, neurotransmitters, hormones, inherited trait, and environment. They’re are some that believes that, bipolar disorder is inherited and a family trait. Symptoms Symptoms for bipolar disorder are severe and people do not notice them off the bat. When a patient had bipolar disorder people experience different states. When patients have bipolar disorder, they experience an intense emotional state, which can be called ‘mood episodes’.A person that experience overly joy or overly excited times is called manic episodes. When bipolar disorder patients experience extreme hopelessness or s ad states, is considered to be a depressive episodes. There are even times when episodes are mixed, which are considered as mixed states. There are many different things that go with the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Patients can have extreme changes in their activity, energy, sleep patterns, and their changes in their total behavior. It is also possible that people with this disorder can have episodes for a long period of time.Symptoms of mania include mood changes, the patient can feel high or overly happy or a long period of time, and extreme irritable moods. Their behavioral changes consists of talking fast, going from one idea to a different one, easily distracted, an increase in goal-directed activities, being restless, have little sleep, behave impulsively and taking part in high risk behavior. They can also have unrealistic beliefs in ones abilities. Symptoms of depression include a long period of feelings, worry or even empty, a lack of interest and activities, which includ es sex.The behavior changes are felling tired, problems with concentration, and memory and even making decisions. Other symptoms are restlessness, a change in eating habits, and thinking about death and suicide. Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters are also involved with the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorders. Before knowing how it is involved in bipolar disorder, knowing what neurotransmitters are important. A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that is released at the very end of the nerve fiber. It transmits signals from the neuron to a target cell across a synapse.With bipolar disorders, neurotransmitters are involved in the aetiology of mood disorder. In earlier theories, suggestions where made that an excess of neurotransmitters occurred during a manic episode, which is not really what happens. It is the effectiveness of the cell functions under the modification and the control of neurotransmitters that underlines the patho-aetiology of mood disorders. Diagnoses Some people wonder how bipolar disorder is diagnosed. The person can do is talk to a doctor that can diagnose and give a physical examination, and mental lab test.It cant be found through a blood test or even a brain scan, although these tests can help make sure that there are not any other contributing factors. The doctor can then conduct a evaluation of mental health. He can also give a patient a referral to a mental health professional, like a psychiatrist, which is more experienced with diagnosing bipolar disorders. When conducting a diagnostic evaluation they discuss all family history and get the patients history of any symptoms. They will also talk about the patients close relatives and spouse.Getting more information about the patient and what they are going through in life will also help determine whether or not they are bipolar. When a person has bipolar disorder, they are more likely to look for help in their most vulnerable state, which is when they are depressed. Making sure that the patient is not mistakenly diagnosed it is important for the doctor to make sure that the patients medical history is done with care. After going thought the process of being diagnosed, the doctor will then find the appropriate treatment for the patient.Treatment Bipolar disorder has no known cure. The best thing for patients is to have proper treatments, to have a better control over their mood swings and other symptoms they may have. Patients with bipolar disorder are in need for a long-term treatment because the disorder is a lifetime disorder. The most affective treatment plan involves medication and psychotherapy, which help the patient from relapsing and helps them reduce the severity of their symptoms. Normally someone that is a doctor of medicine prescribes by a psychiatrist or medications.There are also others that can prescribe medications like psychiatric nurse practitioners, advanced psychiatric nurse specialists and clinical psychologists, but it all depends on the state that you are in, and it is best to check with your states licensing agency to make sure. Some of the types of medications that are used to treat bipolar disorders are, mood-stabilizing medications like Lithium and Valproic, Atypical ant-psychotic medicates like Olanzapine, and Aripiprazole, and antidepressant medications like Fluoxetine. Everyone may not respond to the medications in the same exact way.It may even take different tries with different medications to get the right one that works for the right patient. It may even help to keep a daily chard or the patients mood symptoms, sleep patterns, treatments, and their everyday life to make sure you can tell the doctor about how affective the medication is. With every medication, it is important that you know the side effects and patients should always talk to their doctor about and risks and benefits. Psychotherapy is a part of the treatment with bipolar disorders. It is really when the patient goes in to talk in thera py.It is a way to provide education, guidance, and more important support. Some treatments that can be used in psychotherapy are, cognitive behavioral therapy, family focused therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and psycho-education. It is a way to let the patient talk out their feeling and what is going on in their lives, and a way for the doctor to talk to the patient about how they should deal with thing and educate them on the process. Environmental surrounds also could help a person with bipolar disorder, not have an episode or is may cause them to have one. EnvironmentalAn environmental surround of a person that is suffering from bipolar disorder is very important. It is important that the patient understands that doing certain thing or even being around certain people may cause them to have an episode. If the patient is around people and surrounding that does not stressful and not giving the patient a hard time will help them not get over work about things, and b eing around people and place that could upset the patient can cause them to have an episode. Any life event may trigger an episode; alcohol or drug abuse or even hormonal problems can cause an episode.Knowing what is causing the episodes is important, and the patient will be able to have a better control over their episodes. In the Past Things are so much different than when they were before the 20th century. Before the 20th century diagnostic was done a bit different than in today’s time and so was the treatments. Physical explanations gave way to many theories that believed that mental illness came in the mind. The causes were thought to be a demonic possession or even a moral weakness, and it could be cured by exorcism or a religious zeal. People were even outcast and many was even convicted of consorting with the devil and burned.With ancient treatments, Egyptians believed that depression was caused by a reversal of fortune or even a loss of status. They thought that it c ould have been cured by talking it out or for the person to look to a religious faith. Some people believe that mental illness was a gift from the heavens, and it should have been cherished. The Greeks believed that depression was an overabundance of mania to yellow bile and black bile, that lives in the body, and the only help for it was bleeding or for the person to purge the system to regain their balance.In today’s time doctors are used to determine what is wrong with the patient, and they are able to treat them with medication and therapy to help them deal with their disorders. Conclusion It is a good thing that in today’s time we have people to example patients and get appropriate diagnoses for them, and to also make sure they get the help that is needed. Understanding what is going on with a persons mind is important and making sure they know how to deal with a life long situation like bipolar disorder, is necessary. Experience from a Patient with Bipolar Disord er Living with bipolar disorder isn’t easy. You never know when you’re going to have a good or bad day. You just have to be ready for whichever one comes. The medication help a little, but you have to be mentally strong to deal with the things this serious disorder will put you through, that the way I felt was completely natural. I had weeks I was angry, sad, and someday I was happy. It was easy to set me off, I would get mad at simple things and hold on to that anger. School become harder, I didn’t want to be there, everything pushed my buttons.I would hold my anger for so long and it would build up, then someone says something and I would blow the top off the kettle. Finally my build up anger caused me to go to fail, after that I decided I needed some sort of help. I made an appointment with an anger management person and they asked me some very personal questions. They proceeded to a drug test after I told them I did not do drugs, and everything was clean. Th en she said she wanted to try me on a simple mood stabilizer. So for a month I took this medicine called Saphris. It tasted like sulfur, and kept me awake and made me very hyper.I couldn’t sleep and wasn’t really hungry or anything. So I told her on my next visit what I was experiencing. She then changed it to a higher dosage and it did the same things. So my nexts visit, which was a month later, she changed my medicines again, and this time it was a simple anti-depressant call Prozac. Since taking this medicine I have gotten better, I am less angry, sad and hyper. I finally fell semi-normal, its been two months and I am pretty much controlling my moods with the help of Prozac, but I still have my days, that normal just something I live with daily and I am beginning to cop pretty well with everyday life. (Dezarare Walden 4/13/2013). Dezarae is an 18 year old, white, female, which agree to write her experience of bipolar disorder for me. The best way to talk to people a bout it, is to speak to those who are experiences the disorder. Reference: Copyright  © caregiver. com, Inc. 1995 – 2013  ©Helpguide. org Duman et al, 1997; Duman, 2002 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health NIH Publication No. 09-3679 Revised 2008 Reprinted 2009 Bipolar Disorder Bipolar Disorder Heather McLean HCA/240 Maryam Pirnazar 4/14/2013 Introduction Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder it can cause shifts in moods, activity level, energy, and also the ability to due day-to-day tasks. It is also commonly known as manic- depressive illness. This disorder is one of the oldest illnesses that is known. It is one of the first noticed that goes as far back and the second century. The first person that recognized the some of the symptoms is Aretaeus of Cappadocia. What he found went unnoticed until Richard Burton a scientist wrote a book, which the main focus was depression.This is still used in today’s time. There are many different myths and misconceptions about bipolar disorder. Some myths about bipolar disorder consists of things that people believe like, bipolar disorder can not get better or people with the disorder can not lead a normal life, people with this disorder swing back and forth between depression and mania. Some even believe that dipo lar disorder only affects moods, and some believe that medication is the only way people with this disorder can control it. Only with getting the facts will people be able to understand the truth about bipolar disorder.The causes of bipolar are unknown. There are several factors that do seem to play a role in triggering the bipolar episodes. These causes consist of biological differences, neurotransmitters, hormones, inherited trait, and environment. They’re are some that believes that, bipolar disorder is inherited and a family trait. Symptoms Symptoms for bipolar disorder are severe and people do not notice them off the bat. When a patient had bipolar disorder people experience different states. When patients have bipolar disorder, they experience an intense emotional state, which can be called ‘mood episodes’.A person that experience overly joy or overly excited times is called manic episodes. When bipolar disorder patients experience extreme hopelessness or s ad states, is considered to be a depressive episodes. There are even times when episodes are mixed, which are considered as mixed states. There are many different things that go with the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Patients can have extreme changes in their activity, energy, sleep patterns, and their changes in their total behavior. It is also possible that people with this disorder can have episodes for a long period of time.Symptoms of mania include mood changes, the patient can feel high or overly happy or a long period of time, and extreme irritable moods. Their behavioral changes consists of talking fast, going from one idea to a different one, easily distracted, an increase in goal-directed activities, being restless, have little sleep, behave impulsively and taking part in high risk behavior. They can also have unrealistic beliefs in ones abilities. Symptoms of depression include a long period of feelings, worry or even empty, a lack of interest and activities, which includ es sex.The behavior changes are felling tired, problems with concentration, and memory and even making decisions. Other symptoms are restlessness, a change in eating habits, and thinking about death and suicide. Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters are also involved with the signs and symptoms of bipolar disorders. Before knowing how it is involved in bipolar disorder, knowing what neurotransmitters are important. A neurotransmitter is a chemical substance that is released at the very end of the nerve fiber. It transmits signals from the neuron to a target cell across a synapse.With bipolar disorders, neurotransmitters are involved in the aetiology of mood disorder. In earlier theories, suggestions where made that an excess of neurotransmitters occurred during a manic episode, which is not really what happens. It is the effectiveness of the cell functions under the modification and the control of neurotransmitters that underlines the patho-aetiology of mood disorders. Diagnoses Some people wonder how bipolar disorder is diagnosed. The person can do is talk to a doctor that can diagnose and give a physical examination, and mental lab test.It cant be found through a blood test or even a brain scan, although these tests can help make sure that there are not any other contributing factors. The doctor can then conduct a evaluation of mental health. He can also give a patient a referral to a mental health professional, like a psychiatrist, which is more experienced with diagnosing bipolar disorders. When conducting a diagnostic evaluation they discuss all family history and get the patients history of any symptoms. They will also talk about the patients close relatives and spouse.Getting more information about the patient and what they are going through in life will also help determine whether or not they are bipolar. When a person has bipolar disorder, they are more likely to look for help in their most vulnerable state, which is when they are depressed. Making sure that the patient is not mistakenly diagnosed it is important for the doctor to make sure that the patients medical history is done with care. After going thought the process of being diagnosed, the doctor will then find the appropriate treatment for the patient.Treatment Bipolar disorder has no known cure. The best thing for patients is to have proper treatments, to have a better control over their mood swings and other symptoms they may have. Patients with bipolar disorder are in need for a long-term treatment because the disorder is a lifetime disorder. The most affective treatment plan involves medication and psychotherapy, which help the patient from relapsing and helps them reduce the severity of their symptoms. Normally someone that is a doctor of medicine prescribes by a psychiatrist or medications.There are also others that can prescribe medications like psychiatric nurse practitioners, advanced psychiatric nurse specialists and clinical psychologists, but it all depends on the state that you are in, and it is best to check with your states licensing agency to make sure. Some of the types of medications that are used to treat bipolar disorders are, mood-stabilizing medications like Lithium and Valproic, Atypical ant-psychotic medicates like Olanzapine, and Aripiprazole, and antidepressant medications like Fluoxetine. Everyone may not respond to the medications in the same exact way.It may even take different tries with different medications to get the right one that works for the right patient. It may even help to keep a daily chard or the patients mood symptoms, sleep patterns, treatments, and their everyday life to make sure you can tell the doctor about how affective the medication is. With every medication, it is important that you know the side effects and patients should always talk to their doctor about and risks and benefits. Psychotherapy is a part of the treatment with bipolar disorders. It is really when the patient goes in to talk in thera py.It is a way to provide education, guidance, and more important support. Some treatments that can be used in psychotherapy are, cognitive behavioral therapy, family focused therapy, interpersonal and social rhythm therapy, and psycho-education. It is a way to let the patient talk out their feeling and what is going on in their lives, and a way for the doctor to talk to the patient about how they should deal with thing and educate them on the process. Environmental surrounds also could help a person with bipolar disorder, not have an episode or is may cause them to have one. EnvironmentalAn environmental surround of a person that is suffering from bipolar disorder is very important. It is important that the patient understands that doing certain thing or even being around certain people may cause them to have an episode. If the patient is around people and surrounding that does not stressful and not giving the patient a hard time will help them not get over work about things, and b eing around people and place that could upset the patient can cause them to have an episode. Any life event may trigger an episode; alcohol or drug abuse or even hormonal problems can cause an episode.Knowing what is causing the episodes is important, and the patient will be able to have a better control over their episodes. In the Past Things are so much different than when they were before the 20th century. Before the 20th century diagnostic was done a bit different than in today’s time and so was the treatments. Physical explanations gave way to many theories that believed that mental illness came in the mind. The causes were thought to be a demonic possession or even a moral weakness, and it could be cured by exorcism or a religious zeal. People were even outcast and many was even convicted of consorting with the devil and burned.With ancient treatments, Egyptians believed that depression was caused by a reversal of fortune or even a loss of status. They thought that it c ould have been cured by talking it out or for the person to look to a religious faith. Some people believe that mental illness was a gift from the heavens, and it should have been cherished. The Greeks believed that depression was an overabundance of mania to yellow bile and black bile, that lives in the body, and the only help for it was bleeding or for the person to purge the system to regain their balance.In today’s time doctors are used to determine what is wrong with the patient, and they are able to treat them with medication and therapy to help them deal with their disorders. Conclusion It is a good thing that in today’s time we have people to example patients and get appropriate diagnoses for them, and to also make sure they get the help that is needed. Understanding what is going on with a persons mind is important and making sure they know how to deal with a life long situation like bipolar disorder, is necessary. Experience from a Patient with Bipolar Disord er Living with bipolar disorder isn’t easy. You never know when you’re going to have a good or bad day. You just have to be ready for whichever one comes. The medication help a little, but you have to be mentally strong to deal with the things this serious disorder will put you through, that the way I felt was completely natural. I had weeks I was angry, sad, and someday I was happy. It was easy to set me off, I would get mad at simple things and hold on to that anger. School become harder, I didn’t want to be there, everything pushed my buttons.I would hold my anger for so long and it would build up, then someone says something and I would blow the top off the kettle. Finally my build up anger caused me to go to fail, after that I decided I needed some sort of help. I made an appointment with an anger management person and they asked me some very personal questions. They proceeded to a drug test after I told them I did not do drugs, and everything was clean. Th en she said she wanted to try me on a simple mood stabilizer. So for a month I took this medicine called Saphris. It tasted like sulfur, and kept me awake and made me very hyper.I couldn’t sleep and wasn’t really hungry or anything. So I told her on my next visit what I was experiencing. She then changed it to a higher dosage and it did the same things. So my nexts visit, which was a month later, she changed my medicines again, and this time it was a simple anti-depressant call Prozac. Since taking this medicine I have gotten better, I am less angry, sad and hyper. I finally fell semi-normal, its been two months and I am pretty much controlling my moods with the help of Prozac, but I still have my days, that normal just something I live with daily and I am beginning to cop pretty well with everyday life. (Dezarare Walden 4/13/2013). Dezarae is an 18 year old, white, female, which agree to write her experience of bipolar disorder for me. The best way to talk to people a bout it, is to speak to those who are experiences the disorder. Reference: Copyright  © caregiver. com, Inc. 1995 – 2013  ©Helpguide. org Duman et al, 1997; Duman, 2002 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health NIH Publication No. 09-3679 Revised 2008 Reprinted 2009