Original Writing Story Kidnapped :: essays research papers

My stomach retched, my throat dry, had I got myself into this mess? A distant scrunch echoed across the cold, hard floor, ricocheting into my ear. Someone was coming.With a slow dawn I remembered. Had I slipped or had he hit me with something? My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth as I relived the figure advancing towards me. It was dark. The street lower that shone from behind the man in the faceless thickset man in the grey hoody ensured anonymity. Now he was coming. How long had I been here? My head ached as I struggled to assess my surroundings. Stamp. Stomp. Scuff. The torture was unbearable. I blocked the harrowing thoughts of my oncoming captor, and tried to construct a plan. I peered around the eerie room. Dust dulled each and every ornament, just adding to the clutter in the already paltry squalor. The lighting was poor, the only light came from the rotting window at the other side of the room. Suddenly my mind raced? A window I prepared to make a run for it. I pulled my self off the ground and began to stand. If only I could get to the window I could make my escape. OUCH My leg crippled with pain. I tried to shuffle my way to the window, provided it was excruciating. As my senses kicked back in, I felt pains shooting up and down my body. Peering down at my hands I screamed. My hands were covered in cold, congealed blood.Too late He had heard me. Why had I been so stupid as to scream? I had lost valuable seconds and pull negative forces to me.?Well, well,? droned a confident voice.His pose screamed power. His broad shoulders held high. His Doc Martens legs astride, he loomed ominously in my face.?Who are you I cried, ?Why have you brought me hereNo reply.I raised my arms in anger, ?I?m talking to you.? Instantly his arm swung swiftly, like steel, it impacted on mine. Fear bulged from my eyeballs, he grasped both(prenominal) my hands and heaved me up. My feet dangled in the air.Don?t make me angry Lady. I don?t like people who make me angry. He dr opped me like a sack to the floor. I winced, a white light of pain shot as my injured knee crushed to the concrete floor. He grabbed me by the head, my fuzz taut in his vice grip, he dragged me behind like a hunter drags home his prey.

Disillusionment in Europe During the years 1914-1918 :: essays research papers

Analyze the tempera manpowert of promise that gave way to disillusionment in Europe during the eld 1914-1918.Prior to the devastation of the first knowledge domain struggle, a spirit of optimism and enthusiasm engulfed the minds of citizens across Europe. Relating the potential outcome of another war to the short, decisive, progressive wars in the 19th century, Europeans greeted the opportunity for war as a tool to cleanse the current ailments of Europe. The people, blinded by an overwhelming belief in progress and a develop sense of nationalism, failed to foresee that they were heading for disaster. World War I emanated from European leaders aggression toward other countries, which was supported by the rising nationalism. Economic and imperial disputation and fear of war prompted military alliances and an arms race, which further escalated the tension contributing to the outbreak of a war greatly exceeding the lethality of European expectation.A spirit of nationalism rang hi gh in the atmosphere pre-world war Europe. Many were engrossed by potential benefits war could bring to their lives. Nationalism, however, was not a new conceit at the settlement of the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the principle of nationalism was ignored in favor of preserving the peace. Despite the settlement, the principle was rejuvenated by the onset of the World War. The ardent nationalists fussed in masses to champion the need for war. Patriotic demonstrations had an intoxicating effect and excited the war-mongers to excess... (Phillip Schneidemanan). Under false aspirations and expectations the naive soldiers marched off to war, unexpectant of the tragedies they would encounter. In solely a few short months, the soldiers realized how false their assumptions were. Nationalism presented itself as a misleading concept rendering the soldiers to a rude awakening. Oh, God how those men looked, as they came nearer-- those utterly immobile faces under their steel helmets... The illus ion brought about by nationalist ideals encouraged war, and under false pretenses delivered the devastation of the war as a shock exceeding all expectations.The power of alliances also played a key role in the creation and devastation of World War I. Dating back to the time of Bismarck, most alliances formed for the sake of reassurance or to postpone the outbreak of a war. But as time passed, alliances greatly increase international tension by dividing Europe into two armed camps. I felt strongly that England ought to remain neutral, and I collected the signatures of a large public figure of professors and fellows to a statement.

Free Essays - An Impression of An Essay on Man :: Alexander Pope Essay on Man

An Impression of An Essay on Man The beautiful poetry of black lovage Pope in An Essay on Man, has many deep meanings in it, but they be almost always hard to find if you only take in through it once. Only by recitation it several times and taking it apart, line by line, butt end you truly understand everything that pope is trying to hold back you to understand. Separated into ten stanzas, each matchless stating a clear part of his argument, and all relating to his main purpose of video display humankind that idol is superior to all, and everything is for reason.I have paraphrased the first stanza as follows maiden of all, we can only understand what we already fill out about God and man. For man, we see only his place on earth, and that isnt much to reason with or refer to when compared to Gods knowledge. While God knows of infinite amounts of worlds, he is the only God that we know of. God, who can see everything, who can create a universe with many other worlds, who k nows how our solar system works, who knows what other suns with planets there are, who knows what types of people live on those planets almost every sun, He knows why we are made the way we are. But in this frame of mind, with all of the ways we are connected to God, or ties, beefed-up connections, dependencies and gradations, have you really looked through your soul, or is only part of the truth enough for you? Is the Great Chain of Being, which everybody agrees on and many people support, something that God planned, or was it created by man? This first stanza is showing mankind that, while we claim to know the way everything works, we really dont know anything in analogy to God.The first line in the wink epistle, On the Nature and State of Man With Respect to Himself, as an Individual, is, Know then thyself, presume not God to scan The proper study of mankind is Man. This line is saying that we have to know ourselves, we cant just assume that God will arrange us, and that the only way we can know about mankind is to first know about ourselves.Free Essays - An Impression of An Essay on Man black lovage Pope Essay on ManAn Impression of An Essay on Man The beautiful poetry of Alexander Pope in An Essay on Man, has many deep meanings in it, but they are almost always hard to find if you only read through it once. Only by reading it several times and taking it apart, line by line, can you truly understand everything that pope is trying to get you to understand. Separated into ten stanzas, each one stating a clear part of his argument, and all relating to his main purpose of showing mankind that God is superior to all, and everything is for reason.I have paraphrased the first stanza as follows First of all, we can only understand what we already know about God and man. For man, we see only his place on earth, and that isnt much to reason with or refer to when compared to Gods knowledge. While God knows of infinite amounts of worlds, he is the only God t hat we know of. God, who can see everything, who can create a universe with many other worlds, who knows how our solar system works, who knows what other suns with planets there are, who knows what types of people live on those planets around every sun, He knows why we are made the way we are. But in this frame of mind, with all of the ways we are connected to God, or ties, strong connections, dependencies and gradations, have you really looked through your soul, or is only part of the truth enough for you? Is the Great Chain of Being, which everybody agrees on and many people support, something that God planned, or was it created by man? This first stanza is showing mankind that, while we claim to know the way everything works, we really dont know anything in comparison to God.The first line in the second epistle, On the Nature and State of Man With Respect to Himself, as an Individual, is, Know then thyself, presume not God to scan The proper study of mankind is Man. This line is saying that we have to know ourselves, we cant just assume that God will tell us, and that the only way we can know about mankind is to first know about ourselves.

Irratable Bowl Syndrome :: essays research papers fc

Bo MooreE-BlockIrritable Bowel SyndromeIrritable bowel syndrome (usually referred to as IBS) is a disorder of the liberal intestine that lasts for a long period of time. People who have IBS experience symptoms like constipation or diarrhea. These symptoms kitty occur one after another. A someone can experience constipation at some times and diarrhea at other times. Occurrences of lower bowel irritation may also be accompanied by mild pain, swelling of the stomach and a lot of digestive gas. Other names for IBS are spastic bowel, spastic colon, fractious colon syndrome, and functional bowel disease. A person who has IBS can lead a normal life. One would think that with continual diarrhea that a person with IBS would lose weight, be malnourished, or that they would develop more serious digestive problems. However, these are very rare. Only in a very small crook of cases does IBS become so disabling that it can interfere with a persons normal activities. But some people withdraw from activities because the diarrhea or constipation bothers them. In such cases, docs may recommend mental health counseling.Most patients who have IBS seek help from a gastroenterologist. A gastroenterologist is a doctor who specializes in the digestive system. Tests to diagnose IBS might include lab analyses of feces and barium X-rays of the lower digestive tract. For a barium X-ray, a patient drinks a special kind of liquid drink that contains barium. With the barium, the doctor can see how the liquid flows through the digestive system. A doctor may also carry out a sigmoidoscopy. This is an instrument on a long thin tube that is inserted through the anal opening up inside the colon. With this test, a doctor can visually examine the inside walls of the intestine. If these tests are negative, it is typically determined that a patient has IBS because all other possibilities are eliminated. Statistics show that about twice as many women develop IBS when compared to men. Most peopl e who have IBS are adults rather than children. There is no underlying cause for IBS. It is known that a person who has IBS has deviate contractions, or spasms of the muscles of the colon. However, through research, it has not been found that IBS is caused by abnormal action of the colon. The colon is what moves food wastes through the large intestine. Some of the contractions cause constipation, pain, and gas.

The Life of William Penn Essay -- American History

William Penn, most commonly known for the establishment of the state of Pennsylvania, could too be referred to as the first great pioneer of American liberty. His beliefs on equal rights and religious toleration not only contributed to liberty in the aging World, but in the New World as well. In a time when religions persecuted one another for their beliefs, colonists were stealing land from Indians, and women had little to no rights, Penn launch a sanctuary free from the stereotypes that were common in that time in history. Founded by William Penn, Pennsylvania and the eventual city of Philadelphia still bear the marks of the attainment of religious tolerance still witnessed by society today.William Penn was born October 14, 1644 in London, England and spent most of his youth in that general vicinity. He was the oldest of three children, having a younger brother and a younger sister. As the eldest son, Penn followed the usual path as heir to his fathers estates. Thus he was edu cated in the typical manner of the gentry, being sent to a private take aim and later to a university (Geiter, 14). After being homeschooled until the age of 11, he began his semiformal training at Chigwell Academy near Wanstead in Essex, England. Penn attended several colleges throughout Europe including Oxford University and Lincolns Inn, a prestigious law school in London. William Penns education and law background helped round out his skills and prepared him to take his place in society but his eventual revolution to Quakerism prevented him from entering a political career as expected by his family. While Penn did not follow the traditional route, by becoming, for example, a member of parliament, he did become a major figure in English Politics ... ...ter, Mary K. William Penn. Harlow, England Longman, 2000. 14, 167. Print.Powell, Jim. William Penn, Americas First Great Champion for Liberty and Peace. Quaker.org. The Freeman. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.Patton, Allyson. Brotherly deli ght in Comes To Philadelphia. British Heritage 26.6 (2006) 43-48. MasterFILE Premier. Jstor. 20 Mar. 2012.Foster, Genevieve. The World of William Penn. New York Scribner, 1973. 32. Print.Geiter, Mary K., and W. A. Speck. Colonial America From Jamestown to Yorktown. New York Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. 97. Print.William Penn Biography. N.p., 3 Dec. 2007. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. .Lingelbach, William E. William Penn and City Planning. The Pennsylvania Magazine of score and Biography , Vol. 68, No. 4 (Oct.,1944) 401. MasterFILE Premier. Jstor. 20 Mar. 2012.

Primo Levis Survival in Auschwitz Essay -- Primo Levi Survival Auschw

Primo Levis selection in Auschwitz Reading the novel Survival in Auschwitz by author Primo Levi leads one to wonder whether his survival is attributed to his unfixed will to start or a very subservient streak of luck. Throughout the novel, he is time and again sp ard from the fate that supposedly lies ahead of every inhabitants of the death camp at Auschwitz. Whether it was f in alling ill at the most convenient times or coming in contact with prisoners who had a compassionate, albeit uncommon, disposition, it would have the appearance _or_ semblance as though the Gods were always smiling upon him. Although throughout the novel primo is characterized as a very willing and competent individual, one can not say that his personality or his training as a chemist were the sole factors of his survival. For the purposes of this essay, it is necessary to further address the possibility that maybe Primo Levi was conscionable a lucky guy. The very first lines of the novel suppor t without a doubt the fact that even Levi (Hftlinge 174517) himself is aware of the capacity that luck plays in his life. He begins the novel with the phrase It was my good fortune to be deported to Auschwitz only in 1944, that is, after the German government had decided, owing to the growing scarcity of labour, to lengthen the clean lifespan of the prisoners destined for elimi- nation (Levi 9). So, had he been captured prior to 1944, his story might not have been told. Seeing as life in Monowitz (aka Buna or the Lger) was particularly brutal upon his arrival, one can only imagine the conditions that existed before the Nazi war machine experienced its labor shortage. When compelled to consider the conditions in which Levi was coerce to live, it is clear to see that the will to survive must be complemented by another factor, as this will alone is not at all lovesome enough to sustain life. Not only are the authority figures brutish and sadistic, but the code among the prisone rs themselves is even more cutthroat. In addition, the cuisine is terrible and is summed up in the following passage ...every two or three hours we have to get up to discharge ourselves of the great dose of water which during the day we are rackd to absorb in the form of soup in order to satisfy our hunger (Levi 61). Furthermore, the camp is arranged in a hierarchical scheme with each group of prisoners having corresponding... ...urvivors, how fortunate was he to be among them Primo Levis voice in this novel is so emotionless, that one is forced to jettison all biases regarding the Holocaust until completion of the novel. He does not concern himself with how the subscriber will look at his role in the story he tells it is his story, thus the reader need only read and formulate their own conclusions. Because his is the story that so many will never get the chance to tell. He comes off as the quiet submissive type, yet underneath this faade is a very perceptive and clever human be ing. In fact, the saying still waters chip deep just about sums up Levis personality. Recalling what was just written of Levis personality, it was premature to say that pure luck was the only guiding force in Levis survival some credit must be given to the individual also. So it is of utmost importance to mention that his determination to survive and to provide an accurate, albeit, detailed account of what he had endured was also a major factor in Primo Levis Survival in Auschwitz. Works CitedLevi, Primo. Survival in Auschwitz The Nazi Assault onHumanity. Trans. Stuart Woolf. New York Collier-Macmillan, 1987.

Development of Quality players Essay

On a performance perspective, the LTA stated some 7.3m has been spent on delivering the LTA Performance programme. This is manipulate to provide financial support to much than 600 givinged youngsters yearsd 8 to 21 years old. (LTA, 2002)The performance programme is constituted of six stages. Initially start-off with Mini- lawn tennis (4 8 year olds), then progressing to Club Futures (8 10year olds), County Futures (11-13 year olds), National Futures(11 13 year old), Academies and Intermediates (14 -22 year olds) and Seniors. The development of such a structure has mainly quite a little to the former French performance director of the LTA, Patrice Hagelauer, and his knowledge and implementation of the French development corpse.Originally seven Tennis Academy concenters were proposed save due to the inadequacy of junior talent coming through this was rationalised to four centres namely Bath, Leeds, Loughborough, and Welwyn Garden city. The Loughborough academy alone is cos ting the LTA 2m. In addition to this a 30m (Harris, 2001) National boil raze is in the pipeline and is due to be built at Roehampton and subject to planning process should be ready by 2006. This is set to consist of 6 indoor, 4 grass, 6 hard and 6 clay courts, gymnasium, player and coach support services, accommodation and medical centre. The LTA is likely to meet the majority of costs for the centre although The All England Lawn Tennis Ground plc argon lending a proportion of building costs.This development has been met with mixed reactions Mark Petchey Sky TV presenter commented erstwhile again the LTA have their priorities wrong. Unless good youngsters are coming through, the National centre will be a white elephant. Indeed it has been further commented that the belief that in that location is a misconception that we have talented youngsters (Bob Brett) in the last 10 years there has only been 2 juniors in the International Tennis Federations top 50.One of the chance upon s uggestions causing the lack of talented juniors is the quality of coaches in Britain. On 2002 spending figures only 3% of the budget was allocated to coach education. in that respect are currently 2, blow LTA licensed coaches working in clubs in the UK (Jago, 2002). Although that may sound substantial when this figure is put along side the total issue of registered player (116,588) it essences to one coach for every 55 players. The comparison of this to the Frenchs excess of 4000 licensed coaches clearly illustrates we have some catching up to go (Jago, 2002).The LTA aims to initially identify talent through the nations club system. Yet the current established club structure is will laughingstock that of France and Germany. ( figure of speech 5) France has some 9,200 clubs compared to the 2,400 on Britain (Fordyce, 2002). In addition approximately of the clubs in France have five courts and a clubhouse. Around 8000 of them were built and maintained by cities and local authoriti es, each(prenominal) one costs 500,000. The idea of which would be a dream to the LTA and leave them with a substantially greater proportion of finance to invest in more for coaches, development programmes and competition structures (Jago, 2002)The culture of British tennis clubs may also be to blame. Tennis clubs in Britain might be a pleasant confide for an adult to play a few sets on a Sunday afternoon but they do little to help the country produce forthcoming champions. The former performance director Patrice Hagelauer, stated The culture is one of leisure and social tennis which is great, if you also have junior tennis and competitive tennis, but at a lot of clubs, that is non there (Fordyce, 2002).However, the profound to developing successful players may not lie in the relatively expensive problems of change magnitude the number of clubs, courts and coaches but may be more with how we deal with potential talent and develop it.The LTA currently relies on talent selecti on, which is a process of differentiating amongst those young performers who are already in the sport in order to provide those with the greatest potential with opportunities for advanced level training, support and competition. However, there are a number of disadvantages with this method. Initially it relies on juniors to be playing the game and it has been shown that we currently fall behind in this area. Also, individuals usually compete with others in a similar age group and the most talented from that age group stand out. Selection of success at this young age may not be a direct indicator of potential due to the fact that it fails to take into account the varying maturation levels evident in individuals of the same age that actually dictates there power and strength due to their greater size evidently providing an advantage to those who have had a faster maturity rate. This may go some way in explaining why those talented at that young age and are selected to be developed fa il to continue through and bulge out and successful players on the senior circuit.It is obvious that this current method which the LTA employs doesnt seem to working very well. Our only two players in the top 100 have been described as an accident and a foreigner (Roberts, 2002). Tim Henmans talent was tutored in a privately-run development scheme, and Greg Rusedski, was developed in the Canadian tennis system.Around the world other countries seem to have realised more efficient way of finding talented individuals. Much of the sporting success of Australia has been down to the realisation back in 1988 by the Australian Institute of Sport and particularly Dr Allan Hahn that it is no longer possible to have a reliance on club systems to deliver talent at an elite level. He stated that to continue to be internationalistly competitive, we must actively seek to unearth the talent. Talent searches initially implemented in rowing spread to a wide variety of sports, and following the anno uncement in 1994 of Australia to host the Sydney Olympics back in 2000 their in Federal Government allocated $500,000 a year for two years for national talent identification. The success of many Australian athletes at these games demonstrated the deduction of such a programme (AIS, 2003). Subsequently in 2002, the tennis specific talent search was implemented namely the Targeted Athlete Project (TAP). The program is distributively designed to each player in the scheme to make them a better player. Each player is assessed upon joining TAP and areas of weakness identified. Funds are then allocated to addressing these problems (Tennis Australia, 2003)This programme aims to support 30 of Australias best boys and 30 of there most talented girls. Current members of the programme range from the ages of 11 to the oldest, 22-year-old Evie Dominikovi. With this system in place, Australia, who currently possesses the worlds number one in the male game, Lleyton Hewitt, will no doubt create ma ny more players of international calibre.The adoption of such a scheme may make considerable financial sense for the LTA. Through the development of a screening process that identifies key multivariate constituents of a successful elite player more appropriate funding can be targeted at a stipulateed number of individuals who it is cognize that they possess the right psychological, physiological, skill/decision making and even sociological aptitudes necessary for success. A system implemented in schools would not just limit the search to those who are currently active in tennis.This would eliminates both the players frustration of continued participation in a sport that they are not physiologically suited to and will prevent wasting finances on developing a talent that never had the potential to make it to the top, thus allowing the LTA to get the most out of its limited resources.Can we develop talent and increase participation rime simultaneously?The LTA may have set itself an impossible task of change magnitude player numbers and developing better quality players with the current finances. In an attempt to achieve both finances are spread too lightly and neither is achieved successfully. It is evident that these two aims may not be as mutually supportive as the LTA consider them to be. Indeed it has long been stated the key to possessing high numbers of elite sports players from a nation is to have a broad base of participation and the broader the base the increase in likely cowl and probability there is of finding quality players.There are several critical flaws in this assumption and there are anomalies in statistics that prove so. Figure 6 demonstrates the weak relationship between these two variables and an increase in players is by no means a necessary pre-requisite for developing large numbers of elite performances. This is clearly highlighted in the case of Russia which has double the amount of tennis players Britain has in the top 100 yet has a 1/18th of the amount of total registered players (ETA 2000).Indeed although increasing the number of players may not have a direct effect on the number of elite players, the concentration of efforts in talent identification and development which will produce a greater number of elite players may have a combined effect in inspiring more players to take up the game increasing the sports national profile and subsequent possibility of an increase in the sports allocation of financial assistant from national sources which would assist in broadening participation.

Battered women

Designation from different dusts of vitiate is necessary collect its prevalent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the somatogenic and psychic abuse shows symptoms of fear virtually of the time and feels very lost. The direct is caused by conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and encounters such as ball up.Apart category being common, the term is confused to refer to women who induct encountered aboutwhat of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in make certain that it is not mistaken for a detail form of abuse. custody are the perpetrators of this abuses that resolve to buffet in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major(ip) reactions to minute put unders. Apart from that they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, there are other effects that result from buffet. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women.Some of the wrangling that come into brain like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape should not be individually taken to be the cause of battering in women. Rather they should be considered as some of the causative agents. Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse to deflect misuse and reduce the ambiguity, especially direct that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 3 Definition paragraph Revised rough drawing Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today.A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless. The condition results from is caused by conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounter s such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end.The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, there are other effects thatother effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women. Some of the words that come into take heed like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape should not be individually taken to be thenotably are not the only causes of battering in women.Rather they should be considered asare some of the causative agents. Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important,. This is especiallyespecially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 4 Definition paragraph Revised Draft Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless.The condition results from conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounters such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today. Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this ab uses that result to battering in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma.Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, other effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in many battered women. Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape notably are not the only causes of battering in women. Rather they are some of the causative agents. Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important.This is especially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. Step 5 Definition Paragraph Final Draft Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse is necessary due its frequent occurrence today. A battered woman is one who due to the physical and mental abuse shows symptoms of fear most of the time and feels very helpless. The condition results from conjugal abuses, domestic violence, alcoholism, drug abuse and other encounters such as rape. Apart form being common, the term is confused to refer to women who have encountered some of the forms of abuse that women face today.Understanding the meaning of the word and the difference is Important in making sure that it is not mistaken for a specific form of abuse. Men are the perpetrators of this abuses that result to battering in the end. The victims exhibit fear most of the time with major reactions to minute issues. Apart from that, they are helpless in most circumstances that they encounter due to the trauma. Aside from creating fear in the lives of the victims, other effects result from battering. Arthritis, hypertension and other heart diseases like heart attacks are some of the adverse medical conditions diagnosed in man y battered women.Some of the words that come into mind like conjugal abuses, domestic violence, drug abuse, alcoholism and rape notably are not the only causes of battering in women. Rather they are some of the causative agents. Battered women Designation from other forms of abuse to avoid misuse and reduce the ambiguity is important. This is especially now that it has become an issue of concern due to its frequency. REFERENCE The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, 2010. Domestic violence. Retrieved on 9th August http//www. clarkprosecutor. org/html/domviol/effects. htm

Drug Trafficking

The world is currently engage in a War on Drugs, a war that has been waged for decades and which delegates no indication of being successfully concluded in the near future. As with other(a) types of wars, this nonpareil has fronts both indoors the domestic sharpnesss as well as in foreign areas and the war affects the expanses economic policy and shapes relationships with numerous foreign powers. Military and intelligence agency services atomic number 18 engaged in the war, as are various fairness enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal aims.Yet medicine use and abuse continues to be strong, and medicine interdiction efforts on the international level draw mixed reviews. This research considers the issue of dose callingking, and examines the policy-making ramifications. Drug traffickers run everything like a business. They sell a increase, compete for customers, and market their product collect payments, payout commissions and salaries for concourse t hat work for them. It is frequently argued that drug dealers can be viewed as entrepreneurs involved in enterprise crime and that drug trafficking has much in common with legitimate business (Desroches 830).A major difference betwixt running a business and upper level drug trafficking is that the traffickers do non follow the rules and regulations that a legitimate business is required to follow. Many people are aware of the pecuniary benefits that can be awarded from selling unlawful drugs. Generally, the remunerate overrides the risk to most people in the wicked drug market. Factors such as economical changes forced those who were used to making a living from repairing and reselling argufy to seeking fast money that could generate huge profits.One would think trafficking into US borders wouldnt be a big issue with all of the engineering science and man power of the United States. Trafficking into the United States is very difficult to pr regulart with more(prenominal) tha n 295 million people, involving upward of 88 million cars and 4. 5 million trucks and hale cars cross at 38 official border crossing points severally year. In particular, the San Ysidro border crossing at the junction of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico and San Diego, California, USA is reportedly the busiest land border crossing in the world, with 46 million persons and 14 million vehicles crossing annually (Brouwer et al 710).In Asia, China shares a 2,000 kilometer border with Burma, thus resulting in China serving as a major transit route in addition to a source of consumption (Clarke75). Estimations arouse that there are tens of millions drug users in China. 80 per cent support their drug trouble through crime and 40% of the crime is drug related. old foreign policy decisions by China and their traffic of weapons area main flat coat for the ease of importing illegitimate drug into the country. Korea is a neighboring country of China with government funded narcotics traff icking.Since Korea has some government funded traffickingthe detection of smuggling drugs into China is very difficult to regulate. Beijing spends a lot of focus on its borders with the southeastward Asian countries because of Xinjiang. Xinjiang is bordered by the Arabian Sea and is under developed. Xinjiang is a desirable trafficking destination, given its geographic proximity to major areas of production and the fact that station is much less risky, especially since counternarcotics measures taken by China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Central Asian republics remain inadequate (Clarke93).Overall, smaller is safer as far as drug dissemination enterprises are concerned. In countries with competent and uncorrupted law enforcement agencies, drug syndicates that remains small, inconspicuous, and fly under the radar of enforcement agencies are much more likely to stand firm than their larger counter parts (Desroches 833). Higher level drug traffickers closely resemble independent business persons in a wholesale distri andion system. noesis and information are tightly controlled which holds crew members from asking too legion(predicate) questions. Underlings go out know bitty or so the criminal enterprise other than their charge tasks and may non even be aware of the identity of core members above them in the drug chain (Desroches 835). Approaching and addressing international drug issues is not a simple task due to numerous contradictions that involve the built in nature of economics, politics, culture, and individual ideologies.The normal attributes of drugs, as well as the ever-changing characteristics of these mind-altering substances, makes them the center of complex studies that end up producing contradictory and inconclusive reports The United States is currently engaged in a War on Drugs, a war that has been waged for decades and which shows no indication of being successfully concluded in the near future. As with other types of wars, this one has fronts both within the domestic borders as well as in foreign lands, and the war affects the countrys economic policy and shapes relationships with numerous foreign powers.The United States military and intelligence services are engaged in the war, as are various law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels. Yet drug use and abuse continues to be strong within the United States, and drug interdiction efforts on the international level draw mixed reviews. A legal business operates under the scrutiny of law enforcement, illicit firms must distribute their goods and services in a secretive manner without the benefits of legal protections afforded to legitimate business (Desroches 830).This leaves them where they are not able to secure source and collect debts. They are overly not able to advertise their products and caseful the high risk of robbery and violence. The two competing views the upper level trafficker face are they are controlled by small number of large highly discipline criminal mafias, and the large number of small independent criminal ran organizations thatcompete with one another for market share. There are several obstacles that stand in the way of trafficking. Some of these include the RCMP, the natural law, and other such bodies.However, as for the strength of these bodies in terms of catching criminals in possession of or trafficking drugs the chances are very slim. Most of these people are caught when they are stopped for other related possessions Trafficking drugs exists scarce because certain drugs are illegal in the United States and elsewhere, and because a shadow and illegal market exists for these drugs. Clientelism is very active in countries such as Rio de Janeiro, and has little by little changed to the coming forth of powerful locally based narcotics traffickers.Politicians in Rio de Janeiro understand that if they can win the votes of people of favelas (the lower class slums of Rio de Janeiro), they can win their political races. In order for politicians to accomplish winning votes, they wreak to drug dealers. Drug dealers bend the favelas heavily and get them to vote for the politicians they say. Once that politician is elected into voice the drug dealers are given power from the favors they get from politicians they helped get elected into office.This has resulted in a double clientelism in which drug traffickers make exchanges with politicians and then turn around and deliver services to favelas themselves. Traffickers regularly threw parties for residents in each of the communities. It is widely known that traffickers in Rio de Janeiro provide services to favela residents in exchange for their protection from police and other traffickers (Arias 432). The favela residents see direct contact with the drug traffickers who they feel is in power because of the favors the politicians are providing them. Drug raffickers are a constant presence in favelas who work to provide some degree of regular security and assistance to residents while politicians appear in the favela only around elections which is why the relationship in the midst of politicians and favela residents tends to be much less personal than the relationship between residents and politicians (Arias 433). The growing tolerance of violence in poor areas among the upper classes and the ongoing relationships many politicians husband with drug traffickers means that crime has be scrape up naturally apart of the political system.It is unlikely to be controlled without some sort of major political change. Rio de Janeiros political system needs violence in order to function. Politicians depend on relationships with criminals to provide them with secure access to poor communities and, as a result, do little to remove them once in office (Arias 435). While drug traffickers can work with several politicians in order to get policies or conditions to their liking, favela residents are unremarkably domin ated by one gang and cannot choose their trafficker.As a result residents negotiating power during electoral periods is weakened by the fusion of a fixed-patron clientelism in which clients have virtually no choice about who their patron will be and of the more flexible neo-clientelism that characterized Rio politics (Arias 443). Bartilow and Eom argue the effects of trade bleakness beginning with whether or not it undermines drug interdiction. One argument was the concern of legal cross-border trade in volume provides cover for drug smuggling. As trade circularizeness keeps expanding the volume of legal trade, states ability to detect and interdict drug trafficking is severely diminished (Bartilow and Eom 119). The more openness to trade increases the odds and volume of illegal drugs being smuggled between countries. Over the past decade as trade openness has increased, the top seaports have nearly tripled the amount of containers that have been trade and inspected. Today, the s heer volume of trade via containerized shipping networks has allowed drug traffickers to conceal illicit cargo and has significantly lowered the probability of being detected by law enforcement. (Bartilow and Eom 119). A second argument by Bartilow and Eom was that trade openness makes it convenient for drug traffickers to launder money and invest in other legal and illegal activities. This increases the power of the drug industry and makes it difficult for officials to monitor the flow of drug money. Today, drug money is laundered through the stock market, Internet banking and Internet casino, the insurance and existing estate industries, credit and debit card schemes, the diamond and gold industries, currency markets, the entertainment industry, and the hotel and rental car industries (Bartilow and Eom 119).Bartilow and Eom also argue the effect on a countrys work force as well as the alliances among criminal organizations across different countries. The concern of trade openness enhancing drug interdiction was argued in the following part. The first argument was if the financial gains from trade would decrease the desire to participate in the drug industry. Trade openness can open new markets to domestic producers who would otherwise resort to exporting illicit drugs (Bartilow and Eom 120).The next view agrued that trade openness will increase government revenues and increase the boilersuit drug enforcement capabilities. The increased revenue would provide money to purchase security and surveillance to drug enforcement authorities. Another view was that increased trade openness between border states is that while trade openness facilitates the integration of markets, it also strengthens cross-national cooperation in the gathering and sharing of intelligence that is relevant in the interdiction and prosecution of drug smugglers (Bartilow and Eom 121).This would encourage and increase cross border security between two countries. The final argument was if tra de openness does not necessarily affect drug interdiction. There is no evidence to show whether illegal or legal trade is increasing. Therefore it is not clear what effect trade openness does have on transnational crime, such as drug trafficking, and consequently on the ability of law enforcement to interdict drug smuggling (Bartilow and Eom 121). Another perspective was whether the financial markets are affected.Once again there is no evidence towards such a relationship. Most of the arguments she that trade openness undermines drug interdiction has the greatest impact. In conclusion, drug trafficking is an ongoing problem that will not be going anywhere anytime soon. Struggles between politicians and people attempting to make fast money will keep the act of trafficking going forever. Unfortunately it brings down societies both economically and morally. These factors affect the youth of todays society and their future.Overall, drug trafficking leads to violence, political corruptio n, and the loss of many lives. Works Cited Arias, Enrique Desmond. Trouble en Route Trafficking and Clientelism in Rio de Janeiro Shantytowns. Qualitative Sociology 29. 4 (2006) 427-45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Bartilow, Horace A. and Kihong Eom. Free Traders and Drug Smugglers The Effects of Trade receptivity on States Ability to Combat Drug Trafficking. Latin Americans in Politics and Society 51. 2 (2006) 117-45. _ Academic Search Complete_. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.Brouwer, Kimberly, et al. Trends in Production, Trafficking, and Consumption of fruitcake and Cocaine in Mexico. Substance Use & Misuse 41. 5 (2006) 707-27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Clarke, Ryan. Narcotics Trafficking in China Size, Scale, Dynamic and Future Consequences. Pacific personal matters 81. 1 (2008) 73-93. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. Desroches, Frederick. Research on Upper Level Drug Trafficking A Review. _Journal of Drug Issues 37. 4 (2007) 827-44. Academ ic Search Complete_. Web. 3 Mar. 2010.Drug TraffickingDrug trafficking is getting more serious everyday that if we do not make an attempt to stop or slow it down, deadly consequences will occur. There have been so many articles about this issue and the rate of deaths of people using drugs is increasing rapidly. Everything has a start and so do drugs. The drugs come from traffickers who dont care about the result of people using it therefore, they only care about how much money they gain. That is why I chose this egress I chose it because I want to help everybody to stay away from drugs.In my opinion, drug trafficking has more impact to us than any of the other crimes such as tender-hearted trafficking or drug smuggling because once the drugs have been sold and used by the users, there is almost no way out. Drugs destroy you from your health to your job, business, and worse, your relationships. match to Fitzgerald, by 1925 there were at least 30,000 to 100,000 of illegal premises in New York alone (Fitzgerald). This proves that the disruptioning speed of drug trafficking is increasing fast, making more people suffer from the effect it brings.The reason I am writing this essay is that my cousin has used drugs once and it kept him isolated from everybody he knows, he stole all of his parents money and spent it on drugs. His parents are now so desperate, they gave up on him. Nobody knows where he is now. This creates such an impact on me as on my family. Drugs do not only make you sick, it is also a prison that locks you, makes you feel alone and isolates you. Nobody deserves to be like this, drug trafficking must be stopped now.As a high school student, I cannot do many things, but sometimes the smallest things you do can have an influence on the entire world. Research about this government issue has helped me a lot, it teaches me that spreading is incredibly dangerous in both positive and negative ways so I will use that way to fight against drug traffickin g. I will tell my friends about the cautions, the negative things about drugs and drug trafficking and remind them to spread the news to everybody. Activities such as organizing a concert or a festival can help a lot.I believe this will create a great impact on everybody if they know about the issue and be careful with themselves to stay out of drugs. People usually see drugs as an escape. That is why I am also making YouTube videos with my friends. We are going to discuss experiences in life and how fun each one can be. The goal is to show people life is amazing, there are more adventures outside than just using drugs. We want to say that if you have a life, spend it wisely in hopes this will affect people as it did to me. This highly spread of illegal action has even come to my city, which is Hanoi.This happened about two months ago when 216 kg of diacetylmorphine was being transferred from Taiwan to Vietnam (D?ng, 2013). The event took place right in an airport where our family u sed to go to. If this was not discovered, many drugs could have been brought to Vietnam and sold to many people. The reason I am thinking negatively about this subject is because many people are dying as a result of using drugs. concord to BBC, the number of people killed in drug-related violence since 2006 has reached more than 60,000 which is a tremendous number (Q&A Mexicos drug-related violence, 2013).Not only that, they may then force each other to use drugs which lead to buying more drugs that cause a lot of money. And, finally, they will end up bankrupt and killing other innocent people for money to buy drugs. I feel sorry for these people. That is why I do not agree on trafficking drugs. Researching about drug trafficking has taught me many things.It teaches me that even though drugs are very profitable, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, on 25th October 2011, drug traffickers have laundered around $1. 6 trillion, or 2.7 per cent of global GDP (unodc ), but we should not take advantage of it and sell it because when we sell it, we are killing people every second. I have learnt that we should not hurt each other just because we want to have profit. We belong to the same species, we should not kill each other, we should take care and protect each other. It also teaches me that life has better things to live for such as your family or your friends, spending your time on drugs not only end your life, but also causes your loved ones a very important piece of their life.In conclusion, there are many ways we can think or discuss drug trafficking, but the important thing is that you are trying to do something about it. Everything matters, even a small help can change the worlds thoughts about drugs and may stop the industry. I am now just a student, I cannot do much, but I know if I keep trying, someday my expectant work will pay off and then drug trafficking will not be a problem anymore. Making money isnt hard in itself Whats hard is to earn it doing something worth devoting ones life to. By Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Zafon)Drug TraffickingThe subject field I have chosen to write is about drug trafficking. This topic is very interesting to me because right now, everywhere you go its a hot topic. In my country drugs are a very big problem, too. So, nowadays this topic is increasing to top and unfortunately drug trafficking is an easy way of earning money for some people.Drug trafficking causes multiple problems for families and communities. The most important problem are the teenagers. Drug traffic is also influencing a lot of teenagers because of the easy money they can earn in a short period. This occurrence is causing widespread among young people. A second problematic effect of drug trafficking is the government. The government is doing nothing about it. This is important affairs and the states know this issue despite, but they didnt have the adequate intelligence to do anything for the countrys economy.Despite t hese problems, the menace of drugs can be fought. Education is the first line of attack. Parents and children need to be taught. This is a must. They can be taught at special conferences in community centers, live from the television, internet, at home and at school about danger of drug abuse and trade. For example, If a child in your class is using drugs and other friends saw him affected by these events. Another approach to the problem of drug trafficking is about governments. Governments should focus their attention to solve the problem of drug trafficking and they can also aggravate penalties.In conclusion, although the problems of drug trading and abuse may seem impossible to eliminate or to even control. So, to overcome this situation falls jobs for everyone. If everyone make something i think, this problem can be fixed.

Selection of College Major

Purpose 1 is to refund a personal analysis of personal bearing based on the responses that I have formulated and gather from the Self-Analysis Worksheet. Purpose 2 is to develop diminutive cerebration skills with the use of the avail commensurate data and information with an integration of the lessons that argon discussed in class. Questions Question 1 is about the capability of this assignment to bring out the critical thought skills that I posses. Question 2 is about the relevance of this assignment in the organic evolution of my critical thinking skills. ConceptsAccording to the assignments, concepts are ideas that we use in thinking to be able to make sense of something. In line with this sensation tidy sum generate three basic types of concepts, cognitive concepts, behavior concept and affective concept. Cognitive concepts are ideas that attentions us to become aware of the things the surrounds us. Usually these ideas compose the things that we learn by means of the u se of our sense-perception. For instance the concept of finishing college in four years is a standard cognitive concept among students taking a four-year baccalaureate degree.Behavior Concepts on the other hand is composed of ideas that makes sense of our habits or those that are formed through everyday experience. Behavioral concepts includes the ideas that one use to justify his/her action. One major Behavior concept could be the optimistic behavior that I have towards finishing college through going to class everyday and taking notes during lectures. Affective Concepts are those that make sense of our fears, goals and ambitions. Somehow, affective concept s is responsible for the purpose of ones actions.Such is the case that one does not do bad things because it generates bad Karma or because it makes one to become hated. Information Study I found out that when I study for two hours for a subject, I anticipate that I could get full(prenominal) grades. This is a cognitive conce pt since these are information I gathered from observing my action through factual data available in the surrounding. In relation to studying, I turn into behavioral concepts that reflect my study habits, which are taking notes and studying in bulk once a week or before examination.Affective concepts in relation to study can be seen in the way that I sense relief after studying and sense of manipulation I felt when studying with the music turned on. Motivation to Complete College I have learned that my motivation to complete college basically arise from the changes that college can bring to my life. The commitment that I have, to finish college in four years is actually the main occasion why I am striving so hard to finish my studies on time. Mainly, the idea of completing college and enjoying the life that it could open to me motivates me everyday into looking forward to do my best.Selection of College Major In selecting my college major I believe that it will dictate the course of my life and my career. Nonetheless, it is only now that I learned that it also hinders me to study other things besides my major subjects. It someway limits my horizon and cuts off my other potentials. Family Responsibility and Support I found out that I am not yet ready for any family responsibility. I still enjoy my life as a child and a teenager. My family is very supportive of me and I want to avail them in as a lot as I can. Thus, I seldom ask for financial support if I can manage my own expenses.Support from Instructors or Counselors Instructors and Counselors can really help one out in his or her assignments and the topics that he or she cannot understand. I found out that I do not really ask help from my instructors and counselor as much as I should, especially when I do not understand the lessons. Assumption Assumption 1 is about the reason why I am in college. Before answering the worksheet, I assume that I go to college simply because everyone is in college. But thr ough thinking about it in a deeper sense, I have realized that it is really a personal want to finish college and start a new life.Assumption 2 is about taking my major course. Before, I assume that I take the major because it seems fine and I find it easier than other majors, now I realized that there are so many things that I cannot do anymore because I need to concentrate on my major. Thus taking a major is actually a matter of priority rather than of luck or chance. Inference Inference 1 is about the fact that after completing the worksheet I would try to give some more time to my studies. With respect to this, I would try to asked questions to instructors and counselor/s when needed.Inference 2 is about making more inhibit decisions through critical thinking. That is that this assignment will be able to help me practice critical thinking in dealing with ideas and concepts. Implications Implication 1 is if do study on time and if I consult with my instructors, if I will be abl e to utilize my time more effectively, I would be able to have higher grades and I will be able to finish my college degree. Implication 2 is if I do not develop critical thinking during this assignment, I might as well repeat the assignment and find out what might be the reason why I cannot develop critical thinking.Point of View I view myself as a student who is ordinary, I mean someone who is neither a high profile intellectual nor a retard. I study for the sake of having a degree not because I love the major or I dreamed of being successful in the field. As a student I often look into things with lesser depth and with a practical point of view. This assignment has helped me sort out my behavior and my ability to reason. It gives me an idea regarding how I see myself. It develops a deeper and more profound type of thinking that makes one realize that there are reasons behind things. author Person. Lecture Notes and Assignments. 2008

Social Networking Is Bad for Teens

Imagine this A utopian society that doesnt nourish the dangers of cyber bullies or cyber bullying. No more headlines or news articles talking about the little girl who killed herself because she was cyber bullied on a affectionate networking site. In a society where you can relax and relinquish those thoughts at the back of your mind about what quite a little say about you over that social networking site. Unfortunately, thats fantasy, because teens are always using these sites, which can kick in to a danger little by little all(prenominal) day.For those teens that abundantly use social networking sites, you may think it gives you jubilance and entertainment, but social networking sites are such(prenominal) worse than you think. companionable networking is terrible for teenagers because it is distracting, it often leads to miscommunications and misunderstandings, and it is dangerous. To set forth with, social networking is terrible because it is distracting to teenagers. So me teens that have homework to do are some seasons hoarding the computer, social networking instead of doing their homework.When their parents would tell them to do their homework, theyll say theyll build to it. Do you think they were actually listening while commenting on their friends picture on Facebook? They were probably not. This distracting obsession can also have an effect on their English grammar. Some English teachers are disappointed to see some students use the chat language, which is comm entirely used in social networking sites. This includes lol, btw, brb, ttyl, l8r, etc. complaisant networking can also lead to the loss of focus in school.According to News Today News, Nearly half of the five hundred teachers surveyed intrust that this obsession affects childrens ability to concentrate in class and follow the lessons. Students can be distracted during a lesson, thinking about that person they sent a friend request to, or if anyone commented on their newly uploaded picture. This obsession about social networking is distracting to teens, and is preventing them to from getting back on track in school. Not only is social networking terrible because it is distracting, but it can also cause miscommunications and misunderstandings.Now imagine you have your birthday party coming up and you invite your new friend. The bother is that your new friend doesnt know where your house is. Through Twitter, you give directions to your house. Your big day is here, and an hour later, your friend still didnt show up. Eventually, you muster up out that she ended up somewhere else from the directions that were written in a kind of chat language that she couldnt understand. The next thing you know is that youre in a fight with your friend over a miscommunication through a social networking site.Fights commonly occur between teens through a miscommunication or a misunderstanding from a social networking site. Another conflict that could result in a fight is if you p ost a comment or upload a picture on a social networking site, and your friend takes it for something else and finds it offending. maybe you were just trying to be sardonic, but thats not how your friend proverb it. One of the most common results for this misunderstanding is a fight between the two. There are so umteen miscommunications and misunderstandings that happen every day because of social networking sites.Besides social networking being terrible because of the many miscommunications and misunderstandings it causes, it can be terrible because it is very dangerous. The dangers of a social networking site can start with sending a friend request to someone that you dont know. All you know is whats written on their profile, but could all of that be true? Maybe they say theyre around your age and live near you, and you think they could be fun to hang out with. The reality is that they could be an ominous consecutive killer whos three times your age, lives on the other side of the country, and is trying to track you down.That person can do this if you put too much information on your profile and make it public for everyone to see. On a social networking site, anyone can find you, if its either a family member or a complete stranger. Another danger is the dangers of cyber bullying. Very easily, someone at your school can post a comment about something embarrassing that happened to you for everyone to see. erstwhile you know that everyone knows about that embarrassing incident, you dont want to show your face anywhere anymore, and you just cant go on. This can lead to suicidal thoughts, which is the dangerous part.Just because someone said something about you, it doesnt mean that you should end everything right there. Still, many teens do try to end their life because of what people are saying about them through a social networking site, and they just cant take in all of the bullying and cyber bullying from that. Social networking sites come in a package deal either you get it with accepting all the dangers, or you dont get it at all. Social networking is a big problem in our modern-day society, but there can be a solution to that. The problem is that many teens dont try.Thats why social networking is terrible for teenagers it is a distraction that they cant get away from, it can cause miscommunications and misunderstandings that cant be fixed because some teens dont know how to deal with their feelings, and it has so many dangers that teens dont know how to react to. There could be many ways to end the negative side of social networking, but many people dont try. To those who abundantly use social networking sites, now is the time to face the facts. Try to put an end to the distractions, the miscommunications and misunderstandings, and the dangers.

African continent Essay

My friend came from the African continent, we had shared a lot since we had met in high shoal and she had always told me stories of her country, most of the stories sounded interestingly and I knew deep down in my heart that it would be a place I would want to visit in all probability for adventure purposes. It was one of the school holidays when she had been preparing to go back home for an fount that was important to her and her clansmen. She had told me that it would be great event and that I was welcome to attend, then event was supposed to go for a week.I was hesitant at first because I knew that I would a lot of money for my transport and accommodation scarcely still really needed to go for an adventure. I thought about it for about six months and I approaching my parents to see if they could finance me. It took a some days when at last they both asked me how safe I would being that far from home. My dad had wondered how safe Africa could be and especially for someone like me who had never been there before. When I convinced them that my friend would take care of me and always give me company they granted my wishI remember having sat near to my friend in the plane leaving for Nairobi with a lot of anxiety, many imaginations moreover soon feel asleep since the journey was a gigantic one. We flew for many hours and eventually got to land in the large airport that was filled with sights movements. We walked out through the arrivals exit and I followed my friends who led me to a huge base of plenty who I came to learn later that they were her relatives. We put our bags onto a car, entered and were driven off.We then reached to her parents home and for sure I could see that it was full of people, my friend told me that the main(prenominal) event was going to take place the following day and that is the reason there were so many people to do the preparation. We were walked through the people as we shook their hands a way of greeting in many parts o f Africa. I was shown the room that I would spend my nights which was well lit and beside to where my friend was to occupy. The next morning we were woken up very early, I had lost truck of time and I kept trying to figure out and sort out to the time zones.I had told that this day marked a very important transition period to the age group it was their initiation day That the carry through takes a week, which all the initiates had been sent away from home to the wild for months When the right time reached I saw a parade of many young looking people all in traditional attires, they looked so wonderful They had colors on their heads and funny slipper- like shoes. There was a lot of singing and dancing, ooh it was wonderful The main ceremony/initiation process was to start at 4.30 in the morning and it was a circumcision ceremony. Very old people were to perform the act, the initiates were many and that the process as painful as it is they do not administer anesthesia this way they rate the initiate who undergoes the whole process without any sign of business or pain as the bravest one. Now I realized at some point that some girls I had seen at the parade were also hold to undergo the same procedure I couldnt believe it, how could a society be so cruel? How could anyone want to mutilate the genitals of a female?I kept asking my friend and I was in total dismay She kept telling me that it is the society way of intiating the girl tike from childhood to adulthood. But I wondered why through much(prenominal) a cruel act? Cant there be anyone who can turn out against it and educate this society the health damages associated? I then observed that the same razor blades were used on all the initiates and at this point I made up my mind that I was not going to leave this place having not conveyed my dismay to the few people who would care to listen.There was so much tension as the process took place, much tension from the parents of the initiates because if anyone cried or screamed during the process they could be left alone and the whole society would treat such a person as a coward. Every time the outgrowth went well there would be ululations in high voices. The few times the operation didnt go smoothly there would kicks and blows it was so cruel.That whole event challenged me to try and convince the people there how wrong it was to use the same blades, the dangers of human immunodeficiency virus and AIDS associated to sharing such items, the health problems associated to Female Genital Mutilation and for sure I was met with hostility but with time since it sank down in some people and they began to see the truth of the matter. Well, I got the contacts of those I found to be reasonable and I have continued to having communication with them, trying to educate them on these matters but the response is slow and I dont think I will give up even if it takes my life time to have spreadhead this word.

Business plan †CoViTek Essay

CoViTek is an Atlanta based company that reach fall outs a unique value added improvement to the $11 billion dollars film renting persistence. CoViTek pull up stakes revolutionize the industry by renting videos through its video vending machines. These machines are already experiencing tremendous success in Europe, where they were invented. Customers allow now be able to rent videos twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in a sequencely and efficient manner at the lowest price. Our machines can be implemented anywhere, even in mendings that are not accessible to our brick and mortar competitors, and we lead therefore tension our efforts on all the strategic reparations.Reve-lution Int. will offer a unique business-to-consumer service for the letting of videos and DVDs. The technology, containing a fully automated system, will facilitate continuous rental and re reach of movies bridging the gap amongst video stores, who only are open 15 hours a day, and services s uch as the nonexistent Kozmo. com, who offer video delivery for a premium price. The company has a salute-per-action (CPA) pricing structure. CoViTeks target customers will accept universities with a student body of at least 10,000 in addition to the rest of the metropolis of Atlanta for the first six months of operation.CoViTek will grant their clientele with a complete set of coordinated tools within the machine to make accurate and enjoyable purchasing decisions. CoViTek will give video rental customers the freedom of rental 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. CoViTek will build the worlds truly first convenient and efficient rental system drive Customers Movie rentals have proven to be an integral part of the everyday lives of the American population. With more than $11 billion dollars in rental sales in 1999, we acknowledge the aggregate demand for the video rental industry.Constantly seeking immediate gratification, video rental stores want the most efficien t and cost-effective methods of acceptable their customers. CoViTek will make rentals simple by providing consumers the most efficient tools for with which to signize a rental process. With the orca application technology use in these machines, the customer will be able to conduct eight-fold searches in order to rent the movie of their desire. CoViTek will further assist them through the provisions of an alert preference search, which is currently being used by Amazon. com.This application will determine what the customer rented remainder and list the preferred movies of that category the customer will like based on past rental behavior. CoViTeks potential customers will represent the bulk of video rental households who value rental consequence convenience and flexible payment plans. CoViTek will strive for the most efficient, cost-flexible payments and active searches for preservation of quality time. merchandise Growth Perspective According to analyst Paul Keagan & Associ ates, at home movie custom expenditures will increase approximately 40% by 2005 to $27 billion, almost triple the amount spent in 1990.The vast majority of these expenditures, about 83%, will be for video/DVD rentals and retail. However, movie consumption will also encompass pay-per-view and video on demand (VOD) available through cable and major planet services. telly Production Companies Ninety percent of our videotapes will come from one of the six major return companies 1. Buena Vista 2. Warner Bros. 3. Universal 4. Fox 5. Paramount, or 6. Columbia-Tri-Star The power of these suppliers is very spunky, as they hold the exclusive rights to the movies they produce. unmatchable of our late competitors, Kozmo. com, has built a unique strategic partnership with these production companies. They have developed a profit sharing system with the major production companies requiring no initial investment in the videos, notwithstanding agreeing to give 40% of the revenue generated by t he rentals to the producer of the movie. We believe that this profit sharing system is financially unattractive, although it will allow us to reduce our initial investment be it minimizes our profits which in turn will delay our expansion strategy.We will use an initial video vendor, Video Bicicling, based out of Texas to supply us with our videos and DVDs. They will provide us with the most up-do-date movies for competitive prices. Competitor Differentiation CoViTek differentiates itself from its competitors in several attain areas. While companies such as smash hit and Hollywood Entertainment offer the selfsame(prenominal) features, only CoViTek will incorporate all of the features described below in a way that gives consumers the last-ditch ease of use, active preference search, and extremely convenient locations of operations.Time Availability CoViTeks competitive favour is based on its time availability for rentals. The machines will be open and available for usage 24 hou rs a day, seven days a week, all year round. CoViTek will keep customer service readily available even throughout holidays. Strategic Locations CoViTek will implement the vending machines in key strategic locations after performing a detailed demo-geographical out place of the city of Atlanta. Locations will initially be university campuses and later the urban areas of the city.Each machine will be located in areas where there is labored human traffic. Payment Flexibility Our pricing will be flexible depending on the amount of time the video is out. Since CoViTek is a system that is open 24 hours a day there are no late fees associated in our model. Our standard rental time for DVDs is midnight of the following day for a price between $2. 50-$3. 00. Each additional day will be between $1. 50-$2. 00. Video Cassettes will be $3. 99 and if returned within 24 hours $1will be credited back. Each additional day will be $1. 99.(Based on new releases) Active Search CoViTek will use an ad vanced application technology which actively searches for videos categorise by title, actor, new releases, type of movie (action, thriller, comedy), and most frequently rented movies. Relative Competitive Factor Blockbuster Video Hollywood Video Kozmo. com CoViTek Relative Product Quality and Differentiation i i i i Flexible Payment Plan i E-commerce Based i i Brand actualization % 100% 63% 40% N/A Locations around campuses i i i i Locations on Campuses i i Large video selection.i iNumber of employees less than 5/ location i One of the most compelling aspects of the CoViTek model is its portability into untapped realms of video rental opportunities. This will provide the company with a critical advantage-the flexibility to transform itself in response to competitive challenges or to shifts in the video rental market environment. CoViTeks flexibility will give downside protection to its owners by insuring that new, innovative means of generating cash flow can be realized. Future el ements of CoViTek may include National Expansion.Video rental opportunities in selected national markets such as Washington D. C. , Los Angeles, Miami and Huston. Washington D. C our second location has similar features to our first city of operation. It has a few large universities, widely used public transportation, and high pedestrian traffic. The schools we target will be American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University. Our downtown locations will depend on areas where there is an intersection of the public transportation lines and high pedestrian traffic. Data Distribution.Future plans may include the sale of CoViTeks proprietary online consumer data to the major video production companies. Specialized Machine cognitive content Another growth opportunity for CoViTek in the future is the implementation of machines with customized video selection. The content of these machines will be select videos and DVDs targeted toward an audience based on specif ic themes. These machines will be placed in strategic locations based around their themes. Some possible themed machines may include classic movie machines, foreign movie machines with Spanish subtitles or dubbing, and award-winning movie machines.The placement of these machines will require careful market analysis and planning, and therefore we plan to wait before implementation to gather enough data about the market and the purchasing patterns of our customers. Investment Needs Michel Khoury founder of CoViTek, has accumulated cash in excess of $10,000 for the ripening and the start-up cost of the company. CoViTek is now prepared to obtain financing through establishing a line of credit and implementing an equipment loan for its initial machine. It will later apply for loans as needed in order to buy more machines as it expands its operation.Using the machines and earnings as collateral CoViTek should have sufficient funds to obtain a line of credit that will secure its implement ation of strategy. The initial stage of funding will be used to complete Web-site development, obtain one machines, invest in computer hardware and software, lease location set needed for the machines and market CoViTek during the first 12 months of operations. After 12 to 18 months of operation, CoViTek will require an excerption of an additional $15,000 to expand its brand image and increase its service offerings at an accelerated pace.Successful development and operation of CoViTek will allow it to be self-sufficient within approximately 9 to 12 months of initial operation. CoViTek will be a for-profit company incorporated in the state of Georgia. CoViTek Start up costs Machines $20,246. 64 Inventory video tapes $9,210 Cash/ month $2,808 Advertising $8,000 Legal & Accounting $7,000 Insurance $3,000 essence $50,264. 64 Management team Michel Khoury Chief Executive Officer Founder While founding CoViTek, Michel Khoury is aid Managing Director at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.He is w orking hand in hand with the Managing Director of the company in order to implement a system of bringing foreign investment to the company. He has had significance image with young ventures as he has participated in the creation of several companies nationally and internationally. Michel Khoury is also consultant to the chief executive officer of Santege Capital Asset Management Group in New York City. Michel Khoury graduated in May of 2001 from Emory University with a Bachelor of Business administration with concentrations in Finance, Consulting, Venture Management and Marketing.

Testicular Cancer

Definition By Mayo Clinic staff Testicular malignant neoplastic disease occurs in the testicles (testes), which atomic number 18 turn up in grimace the scrotum, a loose bag of flake underneath the penis. The testicles produce male sex hormones and sperm for reproduction. Compared with other types of crabmeat, testicular crabmeat is rare. But testicular crabmeat is the most common toiletcer in American males amongst the ages of 15 and 34. Testicular crabby person is highly treatable, veritable(a) when crabby person has spread beyond the testicle. Depending on the type and constitute of testicular crabby person, you whitethorn receive one of several treatments, or a combination.Regular testicular self-examinations can help identify growths early, when the chance for successful treatment of testicular crabmeat is highest. Symptoms By Mayo Clinic staff Testicular ostentations Living with cancer newsletter sign to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on can cer topics. Signs and symptoms of testicular cancer intromit ?A pretentiousness or en vaingloriousment in either testicle ?A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum ?A dull ache in the abdomen or groin ?A sudden collection of peregrine in the scrotum ?Pain or discomfort in a testicle or the scrotum ?Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts Unexplained fatigue or a general feeling of not being swell Cancer ordinarily affects only one testicle. When to see a reconstruct See your remedy if you find oneself each pain, swelling or lumps in your testicles or groin area, especi all in ally if these signs and symptoms last longer than twain weeks. restrain an appointment with your load even if a lump in your testicle isnt painful. Only a small percentage of testicular cancers are painful from the outset. CAUSES its not clear what causes testicular cancer in most cases. Doctors know that testicular cancer occurs when healthy cells in a testicle blend in altered.Healthy cells grow an d divide in an orderly way to keep your body functioning normally. But sometimes some cells develop abnormalities, causing this growth to get out of control these cancer cells continue dividing even when new cells arent needed. The accumulating cells form a mass in the testicle. Nearly all testicular cancers begin in the germ cells the cells in the testicles that produce immature sperm. What causes germ cells to compel abnormal and develop into cancer isnt known. risk factors By Mayo Clinic staff Living with cancer newsletter bid to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.Factors that whitethorn increase your risk of testicular cancer include ? An undescended testicle (cryptorchidism). The testes form in the abdominal area during fetal development and usually descend into the scrotum in advance birth. Men who select a testicle that never descended are at greater risk of testicular cancer than are men whose testicles descended normally. The ris k remains even if the testicle has been surgically relocated to the scrotum. Still, the majority of men who develop testicular cancer dont flip a history of undescended testicles. ?Abnormal testicle development.Conditions that cause testicles to develop abnormally, such as Klinefelters syndrome, may increase your risk of testicular cancer. ?Family history. If family members have had testicular cancer, you may have an increased risk. ?Age. Testicular cancer affects teens and younger men, particularly those between ages 15 and 34. However, it can occur at any age. ?Race. Testicular cancer is more common in white men than in black men. Preparing for your appointment By Mayo Clinic staff Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics.Who to see Make an appointment with your family twist around or a general practitioner if you find a mass on a testicle. If your doctor suspects you could have testicular cancer, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in treating cancer (oncologist). How to prepare Because appointments can be brief, and because theres often a lot of ground to cover, its a good idea to be well prepared for your appointment. Try to ? Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions. At the time you make the appointment, be authentic to ask if theres anything you need to do in advance, such as restrict your diet. Write down any symptoms youre experiencing, including any that may seem unrelated to the reason for which you instrument the appointment. ?Write down key personal education, including any major stresses or recent life changes. ?Make a lean of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements that youre taking. ?Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Sometimes it can be difficult to absorb all the information provided during an appointment. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot. Questions to askYour time with your doctor is expressage, so preparing a list of questions forget help you make the most of your time together. List your questions from most master(prenominal) to least important in case time runs out. For testicular cancer, some basic questions to ask your doctor include ? Do I have testicular cancer? ?What type of testicular cancer do I have? ?Can you explain my pathology report to me? Can I have a copy of my pathology report? ?What is the stage of my testicular cancer? ?What is the grade of my testicular cancer? ?Will I need any redundant tests? ?What are my treatment options? What are the chances that treatment will cure my testicular cancer? ?What are the side effects and risks of each treatment option? ?Is there one treatment that you think is best for me? ?What would you advise to a friend or family member in my situation? ?Should I see a specialiser? What will that cost, and will my insurance cover it? ?If I would like a second opinion, can you suggest a specialist I shoul d see? ?Im concerned nearly my ability to have children in the future. What can I do before treatment to plan for the possibility of infertility? ?Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can buzz off with me?What Web sites do you advocate? In addition to the questions that youve prepared to ask your doctor, dont hesitate to ask questions during your appointment at any time that you dont guess Most men discover testicular cancer themselves, either unintentionally or spell doing a testicular self-examination to check for lumps. In other cases, your doctor may detect a lump during a routine physical exam. To ascertain whether a lump is testicular cancer, your doctor may recommend ? sonography. A testicular ultrasound test uses sound waves to create a picture of the scrotum and testicles.During an ultrasound you hypocrisy on your back with your legs spread. Your doctor then applies a clear gel to your scrotum. A hand-held look into is moved over your scrotum to make the ultrasound image. An ultrasound test can help your doctor fix the nature of any testicular lumps, such as if the lumps are solid or fluid filled. Ultrasound also tells your doctor whether lumps are inside or outside of the testicle. Your doctor uses this information to determine whether a lump is probably to be testicular cancer. ? rip tests. Your doctor may order tests to determine the levels of tumor markers in your relationship.Tumor markers are substances that occur normally in your blood, but the levels of these substances may be elevated in certain situations, including testicular cancer. A high level of a tumor marker in your blood doesnt mean you have cancer, but it may help your doctor in determining your diagnosis. ?Surgery to terminate a testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy). If your doctor determines the lump on your testicle may be cancerous, he or she may recommend surgery to remove the testicle. Your testicle will be analyzed in a laboratory to determ ine if the lump is cancerous and, if so, what type of cancer.Determining the type of cancer Your doctor will have your extracted testicle analyzed to determine the type of testicular cancer. The type of testicular cancer you have determines your treatment and your prognosis. In general, there are two types of testicular cancer ? Seminoma. Seminoma tumors occur in all age groups, but if an older man develops testicular cancer, it is more likely to be seminoma. Seminomas, in general, arent as aggressive as nonseminomas and are particularly highly sensitive to radiation therapy. ?Nonseminoma. Nonseminoma tumors tend to develop preferably in life and grow and spread rapidly.Several different types of nonseminoma tumors exist, including choriocarcinoma, embryonal carcinoma, teratoma and yolk sac tumor. Nonseminomas are sensitive to radiation therapy, but not as sensitive as seminomas are. Chemotherapy is often very effective for nonseminomas, even if the cancer has spread. Sometimes bo th types of cancer are present in a tumor. In that case, the cancer is treated as though it is nonseminoma. Staging the cancer Once your doctor confirms your diagnosis, the next step is to determine the extent (stage) of the cancer. To determine whether cancer has spread outside of your testicle, you may undergo ?Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans take a series of X-ray images of your abdomen. Your doctor uses CT scans to look for signs of cancer in your abdominal lymph nodes. ?Blood tests. Blood tests to look for elevated tumor markers can help your doctor understand whether cancer likely remains in your body by and by your testicle is removed. After these tests, your testicular cancer is assigned a stage. The stage helps determine what treatments are best for you. The stages of testicular cancer are ? Stage I. Cancer is limited to the testis. ?Stage II. Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes in the abdomen. ?Stage III.Cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Testicular can cer most commonly spreads to the lungs, liver, bones and brain. ?Treatments and drugs ?By Mayo Clinic staff ?Living with cancer newsletter ?Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics. ? ?The options for treating your testicular cancer depend on several factors, including the type and stage of cancer, your overall health and your own preferences. Treatment options may include ? Surgery Surgery to remove your testicle (radical inguinal orchiectomy) is the primary treatment for nearly all stages and types of testicular cancer.To remove your testicle, your surgeon makes an incision in your groin and extracts the entire testicle through the opening. A prosthetic, saline-filled testicle can be inserted if you choose. Youll receive anesthetics during surgery. All surgical procedures carry a risk of pain, bleeding and infection. ?You may also have surgery to remove the lymph nodes in your groin (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection). Sometimes this is through with(p) at the same time as surgery to remove your testicle. In other cases it can be done later. The lymph nodes are removed through a large incision in your abdomen.Your surgeon takes caveat to avoid severing nerves surrounding the lymph nodes, but in some cases severing the nerves may be unavoidable. Severed nerves can cause difficulty with ejaculation, but wont prevent you from having an erection. ?In cases of early-stage testicular cancer, surgery may be the only treatment needed. Your doctor will give you a recommended schedule for stick with-up appointments. At these appointments typically every few months for the first few years and then less(prenominal) a great deal after that youll undergo blood tests, CT scans and other procedures to check for signs that your cancer has returned.If you have a more advanced testicular cancer or if youre unable to adhere closely to the recommended follow-up schedule, your doctor may recommend other treatments after surgery. ?Radiation therapy Radiation therapy is a treatment option thats frequently utilize in people who have the seminoma type of testicular cancer. Radiation therapy is also used in certain situations in people who have the nonseminoma type of testicular cancer. Radiation therapy uses high-powered vigour beams, such as X-rays, to kill cancer cells.During radiation therapy, youre positioned on a table and a large machine moves around you, aiming the energy beams at precise points on your body. Side effects may include fatigue, as well as skin redness and irritation in your abdominal and groin areas. You may experience infertility as a result of radiation therapy. However, as the treated area heals, you may regain your fertility. ?Chemotherapy Chemotherapy treatment uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy drugs travel throughout your body to kill cancer cells that may have migrated from the original tumor. Your doctor might recommend chemotherapy after surgery.Chemotherapy may be used before or after lymph node removal. Side effects of chemotherapy depend on the drugs being used. Ask your doctor what to expect. Common side effects include fatigue, nausea, hair loss, infertility and an increased risk of infection. There are medications and treatments available that reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy. Prevention Living with cancer newsletter Subscribe to our Living with cancer newsletter to stay up to date on cancer topics. Theres no sure way to prevent testicular cancer. Some doctors recommend regular testicle self-examinations to identify testicular cancer at its earliest stage.Not all doctors agree, though, so discuss testicular self-examination with your doctor if youre unsure about whether its right for you. If you choose to do a testicular self-examination, a good time to examine your testicles is after a warm bath or shower. The heat from the water relaxes your scrotum, making it easier for you to find anything unusual. To do this examinati on, follow these steps ?Stand in front of a mirror. Look for any swelling on the skin of the scrotum. ?Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle while placing your thumbs on the top. Gently roll the testicle between the thumbs and the fingers. Remember that the testicles are usually smooth, oval determine and somewhat firm. Its normal for one testicle to be slightly larger than the other. Also, the cord leading up(a) from the top of the testicle (epididymis) is a normal part of the scrotum. By regularly performing this exam, you will become more familiar with your testicles and aware of any changes that might be of concern. ?If you find a lump, call your doctor as soon as possible. Testicular cancer is highly treatable, especially when identified early

Value Judgment and Consumerism: Evaluating American Consumer Culture

This canvas argues that American consumer civilisation is largely driven by the economic, brotherly and psychological landscape of consumption- which blurs the distinction in the midst of needs and wants of American consumers. Values of goods and products be in that locationfore judged on the basis of how they satisfy personal wants sort of of the intrinsic value of the products or services. However, while this is the case, American consumers have become more demanding and particular with products and services.The raillery shows that Americans argon driven by a consumerist tillage consumption and value judgment are make based on the personal and aesthetic value of products but competition is making consumers more intentional in choosing their products. American Culture of Consumption Consumption in American society has been regarded as a standard of living and a way of life- the bulwark of which is fuelled by a commodity culture that emanates from the copiousness in produc tion and from a sociological point of view, a way to distinguish and create bonds with each(prenominal) other (Friedman, 2).Consequently, it is not only the economic and sociological value that determines how Americans values goods and services- to a large extent, the psychological impact of consumption particularly the emotional gratification which has been celebrated and integrated in popular culture drives the value of goods and services regardless of their true meaning to the American consumer.Significantly, American consumer culture rests on the principle that people work beca practice they want to have the material things that they think they need- things that their social circle has or regular people in intensity media. To a large extent, American consumer culture is fuelled by big linees which prove to make consumerism of every American a trend rather than a pursuit of better value. Fundamentally, this hastens the capacity of American consumers to draw the line betwee n what is needed and what is wanted thus, making mistaken valuation of products and services.First, consumerism in American society is largely driven by mass media which largely dictates the value of products and services. Consumers belief in the value of an object is a construct that is driven by companies seeking to attain profitability- with the aid of mass media, companies capitalize on value creation consumers are made to want a product and are made to need them regardless if they really need the product or service (Plaster and Alderman, 2).The control of companies on the perception of the consumers on the value of the product and services in turn alters the psychological and social acceptance of a product- the more popular a product is, the higher the value it has according to the society. Thus, popular culture becomes more than an individual construct but rather, it becomes a social construct to which valuation of products and services are manufactured in the media and consum ed by the American public. For instance, the I-pod by Apple is now considered by any American youth to be a necessity.This is not the case for countries in Africa and to several countries in Asia. However, due to the bulky influence of mass media, owning an I-pod is now considered as a necessity instead of being a examine product. This is because American popular culture has accepted and embraced the trend thus, making its way into the lifestyle of the people. Essentially, the value of an I-pod or a product for that matter becomes prominent. This is regardless of whether it is needed to survive.Second, inability of American consumers to value products based on its intrinsic merits emanates from the materialist-fuelled society. Essentially, American consumer culture emerged from the association of materialism with that of the family, sexuality and the individual- realities that have given the essence of earthly concern and in order to be participants within the American culture (A gnew, 4). The association of social status and richness has been related to consumerism- the more one consumes, the higher the social standing one attains.Thus, the belief of consumers that getting or buying the most expensive brands would make their social standing better is again fuelled by the business environment and mass media. Due to societal pressure which can come from the family and ones social circle, American consumers become susceptible to the creation of needs and in the process, disregarding their personal perception or valuation of a product. For instance, while mainstream society values affordable products, the need to get the latest models and the opera hat brands drives competition to create brand names that precedes their reputation.This is the reason why surplus goods are abundant and midnight gross revenue are frequent. The insatiable drive to get the new products that neighbors or relatives have however blurred the precise valuation on the real value of the product. However, while mainstream American consumers neglects the intrinsic value of the product they are purchasing, another group of American consumers have emerged in recent years- those who have been advocating ethical and pragmatic consumption.Valuing a product or service according to Cohen, Comroy and Hoffner (67) necessitates the consideration of ethical consumption when making ordinary purchases in order to lessen the exploitation of the environment and the natural resources as well as the indiscriminate use of cheap labors to produce affordable and quality goods. This stream of consumers advocates for the vigilance and empowerment of the American public in choosing the products or services those are basic and fundamental to survival.While this has yet to receive much support in the society, this movement is gradually taking ground. Finally, with the advent of internet and technological revolutions, consumerism in American society is further heightened. The easier access to products and goods oftentimes, without looking at the products further diminishes the ability of consumers to make an accurate valuation of the products. Conclusion Essentially, American society values consumerism and materialism and in the process, the distinction between consumer needs and consumer wants have become indistinct.To a considerable extent, the inability to distinguish between the two has propelled the inability of most consumers to value products and services. Thus, while there are segments of the society that has opposed this type of consumer culture, the predominant and mainstream American culture continues to consume and spend on products that they may know little or nothing about. Works Cited Cohen, Maurie, Comrov, Aaron and Hoffner, Brian. The new politics of consumption Promoting sustainability in the American marketplace. Sustainability Science, Practice and Policy. 1, 1(2005) 58-76. Plaster, Gary and Alderman, Jerry. Customer value creation A platform for pro fitable growth. Charter Consulting. 1 (2006) 1-7. Friedman, Monroe. The consumer culture research landscape. The Journal of American Culture. 30, 1(2007) 1-5. Agnew, J. C. The Consuming Vision of Henry James. The Culture of Consumption. Eds. R. W. Fox and T. J. J. Lears. invigorated York antheon, 1983.