The Giant Panda

The giant panda, which lives only in China outside of captivity, has captured the hearts of people of all ages across the globe. From their furry black and white body to their shy and docile nature, they are considered one of the most loved animals. ï ¿ ¼Quick Fact The estimated number of giant pandas in the wild varies between 1,500 and 3,000.Intriguing Giant Panda MysteriesWhile most adore their fluffy fur and round head, which help give them their cuddly bear quality, others are fascinated by the many mysteries of the giant panda. Did you know that a giant panda may actually be a raccoon, they have an opposable pseudo thumb, and they’re technically a carnivore even though their diet is primarily vegetarian? These things and more have baffled scientists and naturalists for hundreds of years.Opposable Pseudo ThumbA characteristic of the giant panda that has mystified scientists is their movable, elongated wrist bone that acts like an opposable thumb. This human-like quality that helps give them an even more cuddly-bear appearance enables the giant panda to pick up objects and even eat sitting up. ï ¿ ¼Quick Fact Giant pandas have five clawed toes and one pseudo thumb. Their pseudo thumb, along with pads of skin, help the giant panda strip the more nutritious small bamboo shoots and leaves while they hold the stalk in their mouth.Small Bear or Large Raccoon?Giant pandas are generally referred to as bears and are typically called panda bears rather than giant pandas. Though we may think they look like bears, there has been a great deal of discussion for decades about where giant pandas actually fit in the animal kingdom. Much of the debate has been whether they are more closely related to the red panda, once thought to be a member of the raccoon family, than the bear family.While a giant panda has a body that resembles a small bear and climbs trees like a bear, it also has several characteristics in common with the red panda. For example, both giant pan das and red pandas eat bamboo and have the same pseudo thumb. The  table below lists the main characteristics the giant panda shares with the bear and red panda.ï ¿ ¹ BearRed Pandaï ¿ » ï ¿ ¹ ShapeDietï ¿ » ï ¿ ¹ SizePawsï ¿ » ï ¿ ¹ Shaggy furEyesï ¿ » ï ¿ ¹ GaitNose and teethï ¿ »Cat-like featuresWhile the body of a giant panda looks like that of a bear and the dark circles around its eyes resemble those of a red panda or raccoon, its pupils have vertical slits like the eyes of a cat. Because of their unusual eyes, a popular Chinese name for panda is ‘big bear cat’ orÃ¥ ¤ §Ã¢â‚¬ Ã§â€ Å Ã¢â‚¬ Ã¨ ²â€œ /dà   xià ³ng mÄ o, pronounced as dah-sshyong-maow. DNA resultsDNA analysis has put one mystery to rest. It has revealed that while the red panda is a distant relative, the giant panda's closest relative is the spectacled bear from South America.Mostly Vegetarian DietGiant pandas love bamboo! In fact, their diet is 99% bamboo. Along with bamboo, they eat o ther plants, small rodents, and occasionally fish. The mystery behind their diet is they have the digestive system of a carnivore. ï ¿ ¼Their ability to digest bamboo is attributed to tiny microbes that live within their digestive system. Since they can only digest about 20% of what they eat, the average giant panda consumes around 14 kilograms (30 pounds) of bamboo a day. In comparison, humans eat about 2 kilograms (5 pounds) of food a day. This enormous diet means the giant panda spends more than 12 hours a day eating to stay nourished. ï ¿ ¼Quick Fact As the seasons change, the giant panda prefers different species and parts of bamboo.Tiny CubsAn infant giant panda cub is about the size of a croissant, weighs less than a coffee cup, and is about 900 times smaller than its mother. An average adult mother weighs around 91 kilograms (200 pounds) while a newborn weighs only 83 to 190 grams (3 to 4 ounces).Other Fun Giant Panda FactsResearchers have recently discovered the gene resp onsible for tasting savory or umami flavors, such as meat, is inactive in giant pandas. For many centuries, giant pandas were thought to be a mythical creature, similar to a dragon or unicorn. Unlike other bears in the region, giant pandas don’t hibernate.Giant pandas can stand erect on their hind legs but rarely walk. The Qinling panda, another giant panda species with a dark brown and light brown coat, lives only in the mountains of Shaanxi. Giant pandas have very sensitive hearing and smell, but they have poor eyesight. A newborn giant panda is blind and looks like a tiny, pink, hairless mouse.

Haverwood Furniture Inc Case Study Essay

Background on the merger In April 2008 Haverwood Furniture merged with Lea-Meadows, a manufacturer of upholstered furniture for living and family rooms. The merger was not planned in any conventional sense. The merger proceeded smoothly since the two firms were located on adjacent locations and the two companies would maintain as much autonomy as was economically justified. The only real issue that still remained was merging the selling efforts. The question was straight-forward â€Å"do we give the upholstery line of chairs and sofas to our sales force, or do we continue using the sales agents?† Haverwood’s vice president said the line should be given to his sales group, but Lea-Meadows said the upholstery line should remain with sales agents. Lea-Meadows Inc. Lea-Meadows Inc. is a small, privately owned manufacturer of upholstered furniture for use in living and family rooms. The firm is more than 75 years old. The company has some of the finest fabrics and frame construction in the industry. Their net sales in 2007 were $5 million and the total industry sales in 2007 were $15.5 billion. A forecasted industry sale for 2008 is about $16.1 billion. Over the past 5 years sales had increased 3% annually, also believing that this trend would continue. Lea-Meadows employed 15 sales agents to represent its products. Sales agents found it necessary to deal with several buyers in a store in order to represent all the lines carried. On a typical sales call, a sales agent first visited buyers to discuss new lines, in addition to any promotions being offered by manufacturers. These new orders were sought where and when it was appropriate. Lea-Meadows paid an agent commission of 5 percent of net company sales for these services. Also were thought to have spent 10-15 percent of their in-store time on Lea-Meadows products. There is no influence on who to sell their products to but there is a stigma of not selling to discount houses. Records show that agents were calling on specialty furniture and department stores. An estimated 1,000 retail accounts were called on in 2006 and 2007. All agents had established relationships with their retail accounts and worked closely with them. Haverwood Furniture Inc. They are a manufacturer of medium- to high-priced wood bedroom, living room and dining room furniture. Their net sales in 2007 were $75 million; and the industry sales of wood furniture in 2007 were $12.4 billion. It is projected that in 2008 they will have $12.9 billion in industry sales. The company has 10 fulltime sales representatives, who call on 1,000 retail accounts. They perform the same activities as sales agents but were paid a salary plus a small commission. In 2007 the average sales representative received an annual salary of $70,000 and a commission of 5% on net company sales. Total administration costs were $130,000 Haverwood’s salespeople were highly regarded in the industry. They were known particularly for their knowledge of wood furniture and willingness to work with buyers and retail sales personnel. Sales representatives were presently making 10 sales calls per week with an average sales call running three hours. Their remaining time was accounted for by ad ministrative activities and travel. It was also recommended that the call frequency be increased to seven calls per account per year. Pros and Cons Points in favor for combing the two companies Haverwood has one of the most respected sales force in the industry. Their sales force could easily learn the lingo to interacting with upholstery buyers. Selling Lea-Meadows would only require 15% of present sales call times More control over sales efforts is possible and a combined sales forces fits with the belief that â€Å"only our people are willing and able to give† It would not look right if both representatives and agents called on the same stores and buyers because of the overlap on the companies on both companies’ accounts. Points in favor of keeping in the sales agents All sales agents had established clients and were highly regarded among the store buyers. Sales agents represent little cost beyond commission Sales agents were committed to the lea-meadows line. Sales agents were calling on buyers not contacted by haverwood sales force. Haverwood sales people would have a tough time learning the ways of lea-meadows because there are over 1 billion possible items to learn. Both companies make valid points but the main thing is to determine the cost and profitability. Financial calculations based off the cost of sales force,  and sales agents. Haverwood 10 (sales force members) x $70,000 (average salary) = $700,000 .005 (commission) x $75,000,000 (net sales) = $375,000 x 10 = $3,750,000 $130,000 (total sales administration costs) Total cost of sales force $4,580,000 Lea-meadows 5,000,000 (net sales) x .05 (commission) = $250,000 x 15 (sales agents) Total cost of sales agents $3,750,000 Although Lea-Meadows pays their sales agents less with 5 more employees, their profit margins fall 5% below that of Haverwood. It ultimately will affect them more than the cost for Haverwood affects them. If Lea-Meadows were to give their line to the Haverwood sales force, they would only need to pay for 15% of the cost for the sales force. Haverwood Total sales force cost = $4,580,000 Lea-Meadows $4,580,000 x .15 (percentage of time devoted to Lea-Meadows line) = $687,000 The decision to give the line to Haverwood saves Lea-Meadows $3,063,000. Haverwood’s sales process Haverwoods personal Sales forces Retail Consumer Lea-Meadows sales process Lea-Meadows Sales agency Retail Consumer

First Opium War Essay

In 1899, right after the First Opium War, China was under the control of European powers and Japan, Qing Dynasty was so weak that hardly could defeat these powers. Each of these powers found out that China was a country which owned variety of resource. Therefore, all of them wanted to trade with China to earn more benefit and robbed various parts of coastal places, unfold Chinese territorial and Administrative integrity and would not interfere with the free use of the treaty ports within their spheres of inference in China. John Hay, the private secretary to Abraham Lincoln, the person who proposed the Open Door Policy. At that time, the United States was just finished the invasion of Philippine with Spanish and turned to China. They also had great interest in China and found out that China was the biggest market in the whole world. The Open Door Policy was declared base on this situation. Hay said,â€Å"Earnestly desirous to remove any cause of irritation and to ensure at the same time to the commerce of all nations in China†¦shall enjoy perfect equality of treatment for their commerce and navigation within such spheres.† The purpose of writing the document was to reduce the power countries had gained from their spheres of influence. The United States had no spheres of influence in China because it had just recently taken interest in Asia. Therefore, John Hay sought to prevent other countries from having more power than the United States. Each power claimed exclusive privileges of investment, and other powers seek to monopolize the trade as well. As the Open Door Policy took into action, each power should have to follow the rule 1. Each great power should maintain free access to a treaty port or to any other vested interest within its sphere. 2. Only the Chinese government should collect taxes on trade. 3. No great power having a sphere should be granted exemptions from paying harbor dues or railroad charges. This policy which showed above has obviously changed both China and the United States. From the United States, they found the biggest market in the whole world which is China. Before America was unable to trade with China and didn’t have time to care about China. No later than they defeated Spain in Philippine. They turned their sight to China, a huge market for trade which had been untapped and allowed America to gain a financial foothold in China. This decision can give them earn the most benefit. United States became China’s largest partner. Therefore, although the tax they need to pay was as the same as all the other powers, they occupied the most market of China, which means they were the largest earner between China and European power. By the way, it was the first time for the United States to expend their market to Asia. It has laid a good foundation for the commercial intercourse between America and China several decades later. On the other hand, this policy has changed China a lot, even much more than America. During that period China was nominally controlled by Qing Dynasty, but actually almost half land of China was invaded by foreign country and divided by France, German, British, Italy, Russia, Japan, and the United States, we call these eight countries as Eight-Power Alliance. Anyway, China was a country with half colonization and half feudalism. Each power was interested in the huge benefit in China. But they all had a fear with others. None of them dared to become the first. As the Open Door Policy proposed by America, the entire problem has been solved. Everyone got the same right to trade with China and had to pay the tax. It looks like everyone received what they want except China. However, just the opposite, China has occupied a huge change during this period. First, it has increased the trade of China and help to develop the economics of China. After the First Opium War, that was the weakest period of China. Drug has poisoned this huge country suffer from paining. Open Door Policy gave China a chance to develop them. Second, this policy gave China to advocate an impartial system of taxation set up a system of equal trading rights, which also helped to prevent European Power and Japan divided China into separate colonies, also intended to lower taxes and gave America an equal chance to trade with China. Third, the United States was the biggest partner effectively stopped countries from colonizing China; this helped to keep China a united, sovereign nation. In recent years, China has developed much faster than before. In 1978, the president Deng Xiaoping took office, China formally cooperated with America. It can be said as America helped to increase China’s economic. The development of trade gives both China and America pretty much benefit. Finally, the Open Door Policy is the most important policy during the whole that period. Without that policy, maybe China would be divided into several parts. Open Door Policy give America more benefit, but actually the biggest earner is China.

Science in the medieval islamic world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Science in the medieval islamic world - Essay Example Knowledge occupies â€Å"a dominant position in Islamic doctrine†.1 Farudi discusses individuals who excelled in both scholarly as well as pious fields. These individuals include Al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, and Al-Biruni who despite having great knowledge in religious texts also excelled in medicine, mathematics, astronomy, geography, chemistry, and physics. 2 Science made great strides in the Golden Age of Islam compared to the Dark Ages in Europe when scientific knowledge languished. The contribution of Muslim science was the one that made renaissance occur in Europe in the preceding period. The Umayyad Dynasty is the one that set the stage for what came to be labeled as the Islamic Golden Age. The Umayyad Dynasty was in power in the period 661 to 750. Mu’awiya took over power after the death of Ali.3 Mu’awiya was an Umayyad, who used both force and persuasion to expand the empire. This set a pattern for the years that followed. During this period, many non-Arabs were converted to Arabs and brought into the Islamic faith. The 14 Umayyad rulers were the ones who played the greatest role in the expansion of the Islamic state. Under the Umayyad’s rule, the Islamic state expanded to the lands across Northern Africa, the Indus Valley (Pakistan), Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. These happenings/events are the ones that laid the foundation for Islamic Golden Age. The Abbasid Dynasty took over power from the Umayyad Dynasty and the years of Abbasid Dynasty (750 to 1258) are considered to be golden in many ways.4 These years were characterized by great discoveries and advancements in arts and sciences. There was also a great expansion in trade and the Islamic community expanded. Nevertheless, the period was characterized by plenty of unrest originating from Shi’a people in North Africa who were revolting against the Abbasid rule. In ninth century, the Abbasids faced a lot of

Development, experience and completition of distance learning course Essay

Development, experience and completition of distance learning course - Essay Example Distance learning broadens ones capacity of thought and it helps one to have the zeal to find out knowledge and meet concepts individually. Throughout this program, knowledge gained was through observation, experimentations, research, and experimentations. For application of knowledge, one had to be keen on observation to ascertain the truth value of existing knowledge because not all knowledge is necessarily. Observation was of great help since they aided one to have a clear insight of the real world in relation to the theoretical knowledge. There was also a broader experimentation of various phenomena. The experimentation method helped one to be sure and to prove true or disapprove the hypothesis that were covered the common knowledge. This also helps in distinguishing fallacies and general knowledge which have not been verified. In most cases, one had to conduct research to find out the cause and effects of certain phenomena so as to come up with effective conclusions and deductio n. Also, experiences that one gained from interacting with various issues and challenges also helped one to unlearn the previous knowledge and to learn new ones. All these experiences and concepts defined one journey of learning throughout the entire period of the distance learning program. Throughout this period, ones performance was not good throughout. At some point the performance was good and at other times, the performance was averagely low but at the end of the entire program the overall performance was marked by distinction. This was because of one’s capability of adapting to the system and one’s ability to adjust to the environment and to the course requirements. There were times when there were courses which required one to carry out laboratory tests and some required one to conduct research. In the event that one was to be at the laboratory to conduct the experiments, it was difficult to make clear observation and to draw the right conclusion as there was no body to offer explanation to what was going on. Research that needed one to go to the community to find out the aspects of various phenomena also was marked with various challenges. This is because the community was not ready to give proper information and those who did gave irrelevant information that led to an irrelevant conclusion. This impacted negatively on the overall outcome of the result. However, studies which required observation and the critical analysis of books and just the general study of concepts were of great advantage to my performance. It was a great experience to read through books and to learn new concepts that were brought forth. These conceptions helped in dealing with the fallacies and the misconception that the society has had for a long time. The tangibility of the knowledge gained through literature enabled one to be a student of high aptitude and acuity of performance. For learning to be effective, it has to be maintained, retained, and one has to continu e with the search of knowledge. To enable one achieve these, one has to study widely. It is through study that one’s knowledge and concepts get challenged. Wide reading helps one to have different perspectives and approached towards something. This gives one the authority to speak on an issue from an open minded view. Wide study also keeps one relevant to the changing times, for example, science keeps on

CIS 312 4.5.6 question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS 312 4.5.6 question - Assignment Example Q2. A. Assigning permissions to user groups as opposed to assigning permissions to user accounts is a an important best practice for shared resources in a Windows environment because it simplifies the management of shared resources. It also allows the administrator to add or remove new users without amending or reassigning permissions and assigning restrictive permissions to allow users to perform only the required tasks B. Organizing shared applications in a single shared folder to simplify administrative functions due to the existence of one location for upgrading or installing software and avoiding explicit denial of shared resources Q1. A. The chosen design and function is a stateful operation with uniform namespace and UNIX semantic, which enables clients to use the same access file path and to enable visibility in terms of noting changes to files. This design and function can work with enhancements in non-distributed systems to achieve transparent access to files. B. The chosen design is uniform name space, stateless operation and session semantics, which allows granularity consistency and the client can send server requests described as self-containing. This design may not work in a non-distributed architecture due to because it is based on the simple recovery as a design goal. Q2. A. The two main benefits of cloud computing are reduced IT costs and scalability because cloud eliminates system upgrades and reduces operating costs. One challenge that an organization could face when implementing an existing in-house application into cloud is the problem of user lack of trust in privacy and data security. Concerns arise when mission critical applications and sensitive data moves to a cloud paradigm. B. The two main benefits of cloud computing to organizations are business continuity achieved through enhanced data protection, and collaboration efficiency. An important challenge of moving in-house

Strategists Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategists - Essay Example (7-8) Machiavelli, meanwhile, introduced the concept of the â€Å"just war† in his exhortation on Italians to recapture their own land: â€Å"You have justice on your side; for war is just which is necessary and it is piety to fight where no hope is left in anything else.† (cited in McAlpine 2000, 6) For these two philosophers war or preparedness to engage in it is fundamental for the survival of a state. In regard to military strategy, Sun Tzu captures something of the sense of Machiavelli’s last words in the Prince when he stressed the importance of a positive attitude and the goodness of opportunity – seizing the occasion to put something right, to make a person, place or thing better. According to Sun Tzu, one who foresees victory before a battle will most probably win and that, one who predicts not much of a chance of winning before the fight, will most probably not win. This principle of unashamed act of winning is supported by this text of The Art of War: â€Å"If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbids it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler’s bidding.† (158) Machiavelli’s assertion that men have evil in them as well as good is an important factor when considering his perspectives on leadership. This is highlighted in his discourse of what characterize the ideal prince. Machiavelli believed that a prince as a leader needed above all to pursue virtue, but not the one in the traditional sense. Machiavelli often told the reader that qualities traditionally called virtuous in the Christian or feudal senses were not virtuous at all in a prince. For Machiavelli, a prince who truly understand virtue – in the sense of the qualities needed to perpetuate his state and his own power – would prefer ‘vice’ of meanness, say to the virtue of

Historical Figure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Historical Figure - Essay Example As a function of understanding these contributions, this brief paper will seek to categorize and elaborate on but a few of the contributions to the field of nursing that Florence Nightingale has affected. After her rise to notoriety and prominence during the Crimean War, Nightingale used her newfound fame and influence not for selfish purposes or to enrich her own life. Rather, she established St Thomas’ Hospital of professional nursing in London. As a function of this, she ultimately laid the framework for the way in which modern nursing education would be administered and provided within an entirely new system. Although a great deal has changed since the establishment of St Thomas’ Hospital, the basic tenets of the nursing profession as lain out by Nightingale have remained almost entirely unchanged. Nightingale was also someone who was far ahead of her own time with regards to the understanding of the way that society and social consciousness, class, race, and gender ultimately affected the way in which individuals integrated with understandings of their own health and ways in which to better it (Stanley et al 2012). At a time in which common Victorian understandings of class, gender, and race frowned upon dealing with any group differently than established norms would dictate, Nightingale went out of her way to create and distribute key health information, pamphlets, give lectures to the disenfranchised populations that she saw within her midst. Whereas the understanding of the different ways in which the healthcare practitioner should be mindful of the unique and peculiar needs that different ages, education levels, classes, races, and ethnicities might require has been something that has only come to a degree of prominence within the medical community within the past 30-40 years, Nightingale predated this by nearly an entire century. As such, classifying her as a powerful visionary who was socially motivated to not only administer to the phy sical needs of her patients but also take part in socially conscious work that needed to be done cannot be understated. A further contribution that Nightingale has given to the field of nursing is her background in statistics and mathematical analysis. Her father, himself a very progressive man of the times, insisted that his daughter should be a well rounded and fully educated young woman. As a function of this, Florence Nightingale took a particular interest with relation to the study of mathematics and statistics. This fascination and interest carried over into her desire to benefit humanity. In such a way, Nightingale was among the first people to actively integrate statistics, graphs, bar charts and a range of other mathematical implementations into the field of nursing. Whereas these had been used in medicine since the time of the early Greeks, they had not carried over into nursing; an oversight which Nightingale saw certain to correct (Schiller 2011). One would have a very h ard time indeed imagining a world of current nursing in which careful documentation and statistical analysis of patient progress, condition, and pharmaceutical intakes were not recorded and analyzed. As such, one can see that the contributions that Nightingale made in

Plan for Positive Influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Plan for Positive Influence - Essay Example In our society, individuals with different responsibilities and with different titles do important work. In the context of business, restaurant manager, chairperson, dean, production manager, governor, and human resources manager are some of the titles associated with the position of management in different parts of the globe. These individuals may work in different types of organizations with different purposes; however, they all have one thing in common. They practice management and they make efforts to manage arrangement of the work, in order to ensure cooperation among the workers, employees, staff, etc. (Hayes, 2002) Additionally, they ensure positive influence at workplace, which is essential for the success of any business organization. It is observed that during social communications and interactions, communicative algorithms play an important role that have been referred as interpersonal skills, which facilitate and impact significantly on positivity of the workplace. Within business organizations, social communication and interactions is the major tool that is utilized by managers to operate and manage the employees in an efficient manner. In other words, interpersonal skills can be referred as an art that is used at the time of interacting with one another. It is indicated by the experts that interpersonal skills are key factors in the reduction of conflict within the workplace, and managers should refer these skills as a communicative respect for the workers. It is an observation that tasks are completed efficiently and professionally, when the information is obtained, processed, and employed with the help of interpersonal skills by the employees, especially the managers in an organization. (Gootnick, 1999) For instance, the interpersonal skill trains the manager to interrupt work of an employee with

Compensation issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Compensation issue - Essay Example Compensation issue Depending on the job functions, various workers under the policy are assigned certain classifications which determine the premiums paid for compensations. The policy will accord compensation to workers regardless of fault by negligence. The state laws regarding workers compensation provides benefits such as medical coverage and treatment, disability whether permanent or temporary, vocational rehabilitation and death benefits (Hargreaves v Telstra Corporation Limited). The policy also covers bodily injuries by accident or injuries resulting from disease that occur within the policy period (Deneault & Mullins, pg.89). These diseases must however be accelerated by the conditions in the workplace for it to be covered. The compensation policy may however not apply where willful misconduct is committed, an employee is employed in violation of the law, safety and health regulations are not observed, and coercion and discrimination against employees are done violating the compensation policy . The manager breaks his leg whilst at work rendering he incapacitated. This constituted further employment as a replacement to ensure continued operations in the enterprise. Despite the fact that Gino is the manager and owns the business, he can claim compensation under the workers compensation policy or the Corporations Act 2001. This is to ensure that he attains compensation for his broken leg from the company which he suffered at work in the course of his duties.

How important is the setting in R L Stevensons portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Example for Free

How important is the setting in R L Stevensons portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written in 1886 by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Robert Lewis Stevenson was born and brought up in Edinburgh in the 1850s. He was part of a middle class family, his parents were strict Christians and it was very important to them that Stevenson behaved respectfully. When Stevenson was a child, Stevensons nanny frightened him with stories of hell and suffering which may have contributed to his ideas in the novel. When he was a young man in Edinburgh he may have used a false name or a hidden identity in order to indulge himself in forbidden activities or he may have fantasized about them, like crime, affairs and homosexuality. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses his experiences to describe the unpleasant side of life. The novel is about how Dr Jekyll leads a double life and its devastating consequences. The book reflects Victorian concerns about city life such as crime and poverty. The novel is set in the city of London and is significant in the novel because in general most gothic novels at that time were set far away or in unfamiliar surroundings, yet Stevenson sets the novel in London which shocked readers because it was a place they all knew which made them think that the themes discussed in the novel could be happening near them. This makes it more frightening to the reader and therefore made it a more popular novel. In the novel Stevenson describes London as labyrinths of lamp lighted city. This suggests that the city makes it possible for people to easily lose themselves in London. We see this in the novel when Stevenson says he was often absent; for instance, it was nearly two months since she had seen him till yesterday (the day of the murder). This tells us that Hyde was often absent and it relates back to people losing themselves in the city. Another important aspect of the setting is the weather, which for most of the novel is described as fogged city moon This creates an atmosphere of mystery and unknown and it also suggests that something might be about to happen. The chapter which describes the Carew murder case is an important event in the novel because the murder forces Mr Utterson to investigate and piece together the link between his friend Dr. Jekyll and the murderer Mr Hyde. The reader learns, however, that they are the same person. Stevenson sets the murder scene in a lane which the maids window overlooked and interestingly chooses the murder to be brilliantly lit by the full moon. He does this in order to display every detail of the murder and to show the viciousness of the attack. For example the murder is described as a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered. This tells us how brutal and violent the murder was by the maid being able to hear the victims bones being broken. It also gives the reader the full affect of the damage that had been done. The murder is particularly shocking because it enables the maid to describe the murder so well as a result of the murder scene being so brilliantly lit by the moon. The characters houses in the novel also suggest something about them, Dr Jekylls house, for example, is described as having a great air of wealth and comfort. Hydes rooms are described as well furnished, but theyre located in Soho which is a seedy area full of unrespectable people. The themes in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, for example crime and concealing forbidden activities touched on issues Victorians were concerned with because it was set in a familiar place and it made people think the sort of themes discussed in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could be happening around or near them. Darwins ideas about evolution and how human beings descended from apes changed Victorian beliefs. His ideas about people being evolved from apes suggest that animalistic urges and desires might be present in all men. Victorians tended to see crime as being carried out by the poor, who they thought of as being more brutish or animal like. Hyde is described as ape like but he is the other side of Jekyll, so Stevenson is saying all men are capable of brutish behaviour, regardless of their class. He is also described like this because of the brutal behaviour he shows during the Carew murder case. This suggests that Hyde is less evolved than other human beings. The reader learns however that Hyde is also Jekyll; this makes the reader think that anyone is capable of ape like behaviour. Another theme that is discussed in the novel involves people leading a double life. The idea of a double life, like the one Jekyll leads, would have appealed to Victorian readers because of the familiar background the novel was set in. Also Victorian codes of behaviour and social rules were strict and repressive, so people liked the idea of breaking out of this. In this novel the setting is important because it creates a sense of uncertainty and creates atmosphere because of the novel being set in dark and fog for most of it. Stevenson created a genre called urban gothic, this is because he set the novel in a familiar place and also at the time he wrote the book. He created a modern urban setting in order to engage his readers which mean they feel all the emotions more intensely because they can imagine it happening to them. The idea of the double life in the novel not only is of interest to Victorians but also to modern day readers because of the familiar setting. The phrase Jekyll and Hyde personality is used today when someone shows two very different sides of their personality because the book is about Dr Jekyll who leads a double life as Mr Hyde. So by saying a Jekyll and Hyde personality it is like saying a split personality. We can see many of the ideas that are in the novel in our present times for example leading a double life and this suggests that the ideas behind the novel are still as relevant today as they were in Victorian times.

Road Accident in Kerala Essay Example for Free

Road Accident in Kerala Essay At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. They all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with Down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, â€Å"This will make it better. † All nine linked arms and walked across the finish line together. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes. People who were there are still telling the story. Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves. What truly matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course. — Origins: The story is more true than not, although its primary point has been grossly exaggerated. According to folks at the Special Olympics Washington office, the incident happened at a 1976 track and field event held in Spokane, Washington. A contestant did take a tumble, and one or two of the other athletes turned back to help the fallen one, culminating in their crossing the finish line together, but it was only one r two, not everyone in the event. The others continued to run their race. The story is thus not about an entire class of â€Å"special people† who spontaneously tossed aside their own dreams of going for gold in favor of helping a fallen competitor, but rather one about a couple of individuals who chose to go to the aid of another contestant . Unfortunately, this tale as it is now being told helps further a stereotype that deficiencies in intelligence are compensated for by unfailingly sweet natures and a way of looking at the world in childlike wonder. Special Olympians train long and hard for their events and are every bit as committed as athletes who compete in any other athletic endeavors. The Special Olympics are not a casual get-together organized to give less fortunate members of the community a day to socialize and perhaps run in a foot race or two. They’re highly organized sporting events taken very seriously by all involved, with each competitor striving to do his best. It’s about trying. And succeeding. The Special Olympics oath is â€Å"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt. †

Cause And Effect Of Gender Discrimination Sociology Essay

Cause And Effect Of Gender Discrimination Sociology Essay Gender discrimination started since the days of our ancestors who had been suppressing womens rights and is perceived to be the norm of the male-dominance society. Men are always, until today, seen as the figure of leadership and success in many countries with no exceptions to some well-known countries where women are given as much rights as their counterpart (Dailymail, July 18, 2011). Although the idea of women belongs in the kitchen is fast fading or much despised by the society as discriminatory, women are underperforming comparing to their male counterpart. Women are facing these hard truths mainly because the fact that most traditional minded people thinks that women are underrepresented. After that, education is one of the main causes for gender discrimination. Lastly, religion is also the factor for this issue. Traditional lifestyle in some households causes unjust discrimination to women (Anderson, Moore, Faison, 1995). For instance, many Asian cultures groom young girls to becoming women, who later in life play the role of a homemaker responsible to prepare meals for the family and to do everyday house chores. On the other hand, they are deprived off some basic rights now considered to be essentially important such as their marriage. In their culture, they are required to seek for their parents blessing on their marriage, if it is unsuccessful, their relationship would fall apart. Daughters are matched for marriages with their parents discretion and rejection is a form of disobedience which is unacceptable in their society. Old folks especially Asians are concerned about the surnames and it is the duty for the younger generation to pass on. However, only the male members are able to inherit the surname while woman must adopt their husbands surname, abandoning their maiden name (WHO 2011). It is perceived to be important to uphold their familys name because family history is the pride of many people. Therefore, traditional lifestyle is the cause of gender discrimination. As mentioned by Moreau (2010, 159). Education opportunities are prioritized for the male family members. This is due to most of the people have a thought that men are more talented to studies. This will cause that men think that they have more knowledge compared to women and it is a cause of gender discrimination. Another cause for education opportunities are prioritized because men should be responsible for the family. They think that men must be educated in order to find a better work to give his family a better life. This is also the factor that cause gender discrimination due to men will think that they have to work hard to earn a living while women only prepare meals for the family and to do everyday house chores. Therefore, the equality of education opportunity is important to prevent gender discrimination. Religion in some ways contributes to gender discrimination. Women are suffering in countries where religion is law, such as many Muslim countries (MUNFW 2012). Some of the religion such as Muslim prohibits women to become leader. They think that men should take the responsibility while women are expected to be the followers of men. This fuels men with overwhelming self-confidence and underestimate womens ability without having to evaluate them. In-born egoism causes men to always think that they are right all the time and refuse to accept suggestion from women. This is also caused them to think that women do not have the ability to get things done. Therefore, some of the religion will cause gender discrimination in the society and will bring a lot of bad effect to the society. Most of the people think that gender discrimination doesnt really bring any negative effect to the community and society. They do not really comprehend the severity of gender discrimination to the community. The population of women is shrinking in China as the result of gender selection. Trafficking of women are becoming more common in European countries. Last but not least, gender discrimination leads to violence against women. Gender imbalance is one of the effects of gender discrimination in China. International average gender ratio is 104 boys for every 104-107 girls while Chinas gender ratio is 123 boys per 100 girls in 2005 (Hua 2006). The gender imbalance in China is due to abortion of female fetuses because Chinese parents desire sons over daughters due to surnames purpose and they believe girls will leave the family once they get married and no one is going to take care of them in old age (Hua 2010). Gender imbalance in China also caused twenty percent of men in China are single in twenty years time, that attitude itself reflects gender imbalance. Gender imbalance is one of the major effects of gender discrimination in China. Trafficking of women became more general in Europe since the collapse of Soviet Union for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Prostitution is a multi-billion dollar shadow market and it is estimated to generate seven to twelve billion annually. On top of that, this industry is relatively low risk compared to drugs or arms (Hughes, 2000, 4). They abduct women, because women are weaker and are able to contribute into the sex industry. The collapse of Soviet Union opens up a pool of millions of women from which trafficker recruited. It has become a major sending country for women trafficked into sex industry all over the world (Hughes, 2000, 14). Therefore, trafficking of women is caused from gender discrimination. Violence against women is also a miserable experience for women due to gender discrimination. Gender based violence reflects and reinforces inequality between both gender, it compress wide range of human rights violation, including abuse of children, violence of women, sexual assault, trafficking of women and girls and others (UNFPA 2012). Violence has profound effects on a womans reproductive health including unwanted pregnancies, restricted access to family planning information and contraceptive, unsafe abortion after an unwanted pregnancies, sexual transmitted infection including HIV and others. Other than that, gender based violence also serves to perpetuate male power and control. It is sustained by a culture of silence and serious health consequences due to long term abuse (WHO 2011). Lastly, sexual inequality is the main factor of violence against women. Gender discrimination is a very harmful activity to everyone in this world. In traditional, education and religious view, women are weaker compared to men and it is now a reason for gender discrimination as every person has human rights in this world. Other than that, gender discrimination brought us a lot of negative effect for us. Gender discrimination caused sex-imbalance in China and trafficking of women in European countries (The Problem 2012). Gender discrimination also caused womens life to be miserable because of the violence against women from gender discrimination. Lastly, men shall not discriminate women as this common saying stated Behind all successful man, there is a woman. This quotes stated clearly that everyone have their role including women in the way to success of a man.

Good vs. Evil Essay -- essays research papers

Good vs. Evil So often we see a battle of good vs. evil in movies, books, society, and in this case, an epic poem. This motif is used so often because it pertains to so many facets of authentic life. The epic poem Beowulf is an example of this because the hero of the story has an ongoing conflict with the evil villain, Grendel. The same motif is true in the discussion of Christianity versus Non-Christianity. Good and Evil can be talked about in different ways, but here you will see the Good in Beowulf, then in Christianity and the Evil in Grendel along with Non-Christianity. Beowulf reveals numerous qualities that prove he is a great leader and warrior. Courage, religion, and strength just break the ice. He proves to be courageous when he says, â€Å"That I alone and with the help of my men may purge all evil from this hall.† Throughout the story, Beowulf has the courage to never back down from a confrontation and is willing to fight till the death. Beowulf shows that he is religious when â€Å"they gave thanks to God for their easy crossing.† This is talking about when the Geats make their journey safely from home to the Danish shore. Every time Beowulf is victorious in battle he gives thanks to God and says that he knows his fate is in God’s hands. Beowulf is also strong. Strength allows him to show society that they can be strong. He shows strength as a leader but he also shows this as a warrior when he used his strength to kill Grendel and his mother. Beowulf shows integrit...

A Man For All Seasons :: essays research papers

A "Man for All Seasons" is about a man so subtle and saintly that an actor who takes on the role must be able to project an almost superhuman presence. As is evident, the story is based on the life of Sir Thomas More, man of God and chancellor to the court of Henry VIII. The year is 1530 and from what I know, actors in this movie typically wear transparent half-masks and double up on roles. More was the only member of Henry VIII's government who would not be seduced or corrupted by Henry's threats. When the king asked More to sign an oath establishing the monarchy as head of the Church of England, More refused. He could not alter the law, he said. As the play progresses and More loses his wealth and even his freedom, he becomes almost self-righteous in his strict adherence to the law. Exasperating, but he must remain sympathetic as his family goes down with him into grief and poverty. The man who plays him must show both his affectionate disposition and his unshakable piety or the script would be just an exercise in mouthing lines. What I saw from the story was how the wheels turn in More's mind, the glow of warmth and the bleakness of despair that flicker across his face. It is not enough to paint him as a man. He must be a man among grovelers and syncophants, a towering presence. A man for all seasons, in other words. In most cases, I am compelled to say that one probably would not be able to successfully preserve their integrity in a situation such as Thomas More's. But in response to the question of whether or not a man can reasonably hope to do so, I believe that More's behavioral response exemplifies a positive confirmation of such. Even if it could not be reasonably expected for a man to maintain his integrity when consistently faced with such a dilemma, it would probably be asserted that such was understandable. Somewhat indirectly, this case reminds me of Aristotelian and Platonic discussions of virtue and the nature of man. Some philosophers would probably insist that man

muscle memory :: essays research papers

What does it mean to learn a new skill and go from "novice" to "expert"? In the world of heavy equipment, part of that learning means memorizing how to use levers, joysticks, and even pedals in a coordinated way to control the attachment at the end of the boom. But how does this memorizing take place? At first, you need to concentrate in order to make your fingers, hands, arms (and feet) move in just the right way, based on what you see. What you're learning is precision, i.e. how to make the boom attachment perform the task (move a load, grapple a tree, drill a hole, etc.) carefully. (Scientists have discovered that there are a large number of internal brain structures, which work together with the input and output brain structures to form fleeting images in the mind. Using these images, we learn to interpret input signals, process them, and formulate output responses in a deliberate, conscious, way.) But after a while, the "seeing-thinking-doing" gradually becomes "seeing-doing" because your muscles seem to "know" and "remember" just what to do. What you're learning now is speed, i.e. how to perform the task carefully and quickly. That's muscle memory. Scientists call this "kinesthetic memory" or "neuro-muscular facilitation" and they speak of "sensory-motor" learning, since you are combining sensing input, i.e. what you see with your eyes, with motor output, i.e. what you do with your body. Of course, during the "drill-and-practice", your muscles aren't really memorizing anything (since all memories are stored in your brain). Instead, what you see with your eyes is interpreted by your brain in the form of nerve signals to your muscles to make your body move. Now by making the same movements in response to the same visual cues over and over again, the associated nerve-muscle connections gradually become more effective, i.e. the transmission of the signals becomes more effective, and this is how the "thinking" in the "seeing-thinking-doing" is gradually replaced by "seeing-doing", i.e. by muscle memory. And this is exactly what we observe when people spend time at the controls of our Personal Simulators. At first, their body language tells you at a glance that they are concentrating carefully, working hard to watch and learn. But come back sometime later and the same people are now relaxed, sitting back, and making the same precise gestures but now much faster! In the world of heavy equipment, muscle memory is especially important because it's the combination of care and speed that make operators truly competent.

How Fitzgerald Tell the Story in Chapter 1 of the Great Gatsby Essay

Write about some of the ways Fitzgerald tells the story in chapter 1 The chapter begins with Nick Carraway introducing himself as the narrator. Fitzgerald uses a first-person retrospective narrative, therefore we are given Nicks point of view throughout. The chapter begins with Nick remembering his father’s advice that â€Å"all people in this world haven’t had the advantages that [he’s] had† this tells the reader that the main theme of the novel is wealth. The use of the word â€Å"advantages† suggests that Nick comes from a wealthy family. Fitzgerald makes Nick claim that â€Å"I’m inclined to reserve all judgements† yet quickly contradicts this he tells â€Å"the intimate revelations of young men† are â€Å"marred by obvious suppressions†, by Fitzgerald doing this, the audience are given an opinion on Nick, realising he is likely to be an unreliable narrator. However when Nick says â€Å"I’m inclined to reserve all judgements† the reader may also feel that Nick will give a true and honest account of the events and will not be biased against any of the characters. Fitzgerald uses this chapter to set the scene of the novel. Fitzgerald makes it clear through Nick’s narration that the events within the novel have already taken place â€Å"back from the East last autumn†, the reader instantly knows that we will be given an interpretation of the events and they will all be from Nicks point of view. Nick talks about â€Å"Midas and Morgan and Maecenas† all three of these men were renowned for their wealth. Morgan and Maecenas were real men, whereas Midas’s story is a Greek myth. By mentioning both myth and reality in the first chapter Fitzgerald tells the reader that myth and reality will be mixed throughout the novel. Fitzgerald introduces most of the main characters within this chapter as part of the establishment of the text. Gatsby is the first to be introduced excluding Nick, which could suggest that Gatsby is the protagonist of the novel. Later on in the chapter we are introduced to Tom, Daisy and Jordan as Nick goes to a dinner party over at East egg. Fitzgerald has Nick use exaggerations of expressions and body language to create an impression of Tom Buchannan and the others in East egg. Fitzgerald has Nick harshly describe Tom as being â€Å"arrogant† and powerful â€Å"not even the effeminate swank of his riding clothes could hide the enormous power of that body† by using this description Fitzgerald highlights his role as a dominant male, Fitzgerald supports this by the use of direct speech from Tom â€Å"I am stronger and more of a man than you are†, this again shows that Tom believes  he is above everybody else again re-enforcing his arrogance. Fitzgerald uses oxymoron’s to describe the way in which Tom handles Nick â€Å"he turned me around again politely and abruptly† this shows that Nick as a narrator is contradicting himself hence causing the reader to question his narrat ion once again. Throughout the chapter, Nick uses adverbs such as â€Å"accusingly† and â€Å"helplessly† when referring to Daisy, allowing Fitzgerald to give the impression that she is dominated by Tom and that they are living in a patriarchal society. This contrast is displayed by Nick’s use of adverbs such as â€Å"decisively†, â€Å"restlessly† and â€Å"crossly† when retelling Tom’s speech, showing Tom’s power. During the dinner where also introduced to myrtle in a way as her phone call interrupts dinner, we also find out about how Jordan talks about her Tom and his family, â€Å"Tom’s got some woman in new York†, therefore showing she’s not a very trustworthy character. Fitzgerald also uses simile’s to add more emphasis to the point he is making â€Å"compelled me to the room as though he were moving a checker to another square†, this also shows Tom’s power. towards the end of the chapter Nick witnesses Gatsby standing at the end of his lawn, nick describes the way in which Gatsby held out his arms as â€Å"curious† this gives the reader an urge to want to read on and find out what the green light is and what significance it holds in relation to Gatsby. Fitzgerald makes Nick use the word â€Å"vanished† at the end of the chapter which give the chapter a more dramatic end.

Second Foundation 6. One Man, the Mule – and Another

Two men, apparently relaxed and entirely at ease, poles apart physically – with every nerve that served as emotional detector quivering tensely. The Mule, for the first time in long years, had insufficient surety of his own way. Channis knew that, though he could protect himself for the moment, it was an effort – and that the attack upon him was none such for his opponent. In a test of endurance, Channis knew he would lose. But it was deadly to think of that. To give away to the Mule an emotional weakness would be to hand him a weapon. There was already that glimpse of something – a winner's something – in the Mule's mind. To gain time- Why did the others delay? Was that the source of the Mule's confidence? What did his opponent know that he didn't? The mind he watched told nothing. If only he could read ideas. And yet- Channis braked his own mental whirling roughly. There was only that; to gain time- Channis said: â€Å"Since it is decided, and not denied by myself after our little duel over Pritcher, that I am a Second Foundationer, suppose you tell me why I came to Tazenda.† â€Å"Oh, no,† and the Mule laughed, with high-pitched confidence, â€Å"I am not Pritcher. I need make no explanations to you. You had what you thought were reasons. Whatever they were, your actions suited me, and so I inquire no further.† â€Å"Yet there must be such gaps in your conception of the story. Is Tazenda the Second Foundation you expected to find? Pritcher spoke much of your other attempt at finding it, and of your psychologist tool, Ebling Mis. He babbled a bit sometimes under my†¦ uh†¦ slight encouragement. Think back on Ebling Mis, First Citizen.† â€Å"Why should I?† Confidence! Channis felt that confidence edge out into the open, as if with the passage of time, any anxiety the Mule might be having was increasingly vanishing. He said, firmly restraining the rush of desperation: â€Å"You lack curiosity, then? Pritcher told me of Mis' vast surprise at something. There was his terribly drastic urging for speed, for a rapid warning of the Second Foundation? Why? Why? Ebling Mis died. The Second Foundation was not warned. And yet the Second Foundation exists.† The Mule smiled in real pleasure, and with a sudden and surprising dash of cruelty that Channis felt advance and suddenly withdraw: â€Å"But apparently the Second Foundation was warned. Else how and why did one Bail Channis arrive on Kalgan to handle my men and to assume the rather thankless task of outwitting me. The warning came too late, that is all.† â€Å"Then,† and Channis allowed pity to drench outward from him, â€Å"you don't even know what the Second Foundation is, or anything of the deeper meaning of all that has been going on.† To gain time! The Mule felt the other's pity, and his eyes narrowed with instant hostility. He rubbed his nose in his familiar four-fingered gesture, and snapped: â€Å"Amuse yourself, then. What of the Second Foundation?† Channis spoke deliberately, in words rather than in emotional symbology. He said: â€Å"From what I have heard, it was the mystery that surrounded the Second Foundation that most puzzled Mis. Hari Seldon founded his two units so differently. The First Foundation was a splurge that in two centuries dazzled half the Galaxy. And the Second was an abyss that was dark. â€Å"You won't understand why that was, unless you can once again feel the intellectual atmosphere of the days of the dying Empire. It was a time of absolutes, of the great final generalities, at least in thought. It was a sign of decaying culture, of course, that dams had been built against the further development of ideas. It was his revolt against these dams that made Seldon famous. It was that one last spark of youthful creation in him that lit the Empire in a sunset glow and dimly foreshadowed the rising sun of the Second Empire.† â€Å"Very dramatic. So what?† â€Å"So he created his Foundations according to the laws of psychohistory, but who knew better than he that even those laws were relative. He never created a finished product. Finished products are for decadent minds. His was an evolving mechanism and the Second Foundation was the instrument of that evolution. We, First Citizen of your Temporary Union of Worlds, we are the guardians of Seldon's Plan. Only we!† â€Å"Are you trying to talk yourself into courage,† inquired the Mule, contemptuously, â€Å"or are you trying to impress me? For the Second Foundation, Seldon's Plan, the Second Empire all impresses me not the least, nor touches any spring of compassion, sympathy, responsibility, nor any other source of emotional aid you may be trying to tap in me. And in any case, poor fool, speak of the Second Foundation in the past tense, for it is destroyed.† Channis felt the emotional potential that pressed upon his mind rise in intensity as the Mule rose from his chair and approached. He fought back furiously, but something crept relentlessly on within him, battering and bending his mind back – and back. He felt the wall behind him, and the Mule faced him, skinny arms akimbo, lips smiling terribly beneath that mountain of nose. The Mule said: â€Å"Your game is through, Channis. The game of all of you-of all the men of what used to be the Second Foundation. Used to be! Used to be! â€Å"What were you sitting here waiting for all this time, with your babble to Pritcher, when you might have struck him down and taken the blaster from him without the least effort of physical force? You were waiting for me, weren't you, waiting to greet me in a situation that would not too arouse my suspicions. â€Å"Too bad for you that I needed no arousal. I knew you. I knew you well, Channis of the Second Foundation. â€Å"But what are you waiting for now? You still throw words at me desperately, as though the mere sound of your voice would freeze me to my seat. And all the while you speak, something in your mind is waiting and waiting and is still waiting. But no one is coming. None of those you expect – none of your allies. You are alone here, Channis, and you will remain alone. Do you know why? â€Å"It is because your Second Foundation miscalculated me to the very dregs of the end. I knew their plan early. They thought I would follow you here and be proper meat for their cooking. You were to be a decoy indeed – a decoy for a poor, foolish weakling mutant, so hot on the trail of Empire that he would fall blindly into an obvious pit. But am I their prisoner? â€Å"I wonder if it occurred to them that I'd scarcely be here without my fleet – against the artillery of any unit of which they are entirely and pitifully helpless? Did it occur to them that I would not pause for discussion or wait for events? â€Å"My ships were launched against Tazenda twelve hours ago and they are quite, quite through with their mission. Tazenda is laid in ruins; its centers of population are wiped out. There was no resistance. The Second Foundation no longer exists, Channis – and I, the queer, ugly weakling, am the ruler of the Galaxy.† Channis could do nothing but shake his head feebly. â€Å"No- No-â€Å" â€Å"Yes- Yes-† mimicked the Mule. â€Å"And if you are the last one alive, and you may be, that will not be for long either.† And then there followed a short, pregnant pause, and Channis almost howled with the sudden pain of that tearing penetration of the innermost tissues of his mind. The Mule drew back and muttered: â€Å"Not enough. You do not pass the test after all. Your despair is pretense. Your fear is not the broad overwhelming that adheres to the destruction of an ideal, but the puny seeping fear of personal destruction.† And the Mule's weak hand seized Channis by the throat in a puny grip that Channis was somehow unable to break. â€Å"You are my insurance, Channis. You are my director and safeguard against any underestimation I may make.† The Mule's eyes bore down upon him. Insistent- Demanding- â€Å"Have I calculated rightly, Channis? Have I outwitted your men of the Second Foundation? Tazenda is destroyed, Channis, tremendously destroyed; so why is your despair pretense? Where is the reality? I must have reality and truth! Talk, Channis talk. Have I penetrated then, not deeply enough? Does the danger still exist? Talk, Channis. Where have I done wrong?† Channis felt the words drag out of his mouth. They did not come willingly. He clenched his teeth against them. He bit his tongue. He tensed every muscle of his throat. And they came out – gasping – pulled out by force and tearing his throat and tongue and teeth on the way. â€Å"Truth,† he squeaked, â€Å"truth-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, truth. What is left to be done?† â€Å"Seldon founded Second Foundation here. Here, as I said. I told no lie. The psychologists arrived and took control of the native population.† â€Å"Of Tazenda?† The Mule plunged deeply into the flooding torture of the other's emotional upwellings – tearing at them brutally. â€Å"It is Tazenda I have destroyed. You know what I want. Give it to me.† â€Å"Not Tazenda. I said Second Foundationers might not be those apparently in power; Tazenda is the figurehead-† The words were almost unrecognizable, forming themselves against every atom of will of the Second Foundationer, â€Å"Rossem – Rossem – Rossem is the world-â€Å" The Mule loosed his grip and Channis dropped into a huddle of pain and torture. â€Å"And you thought to fool me?† said the Mule, softly. â€Å"You were fooled.† It was the last dying shred of resistance in Channis. â€Å"But not long enough for you and yours. I am in communication with my Fleet. And after Tazenda can come Rossem. But first-â€Å" Channis felt the excruciating darkness rise against him, and the automatic lift of his arm to his tortured eyes could not ward it off. It was a darkness that throttled, and as he felt his tom, wounded mind reeling backwards, backwards into the everlasting black – there was that final picture of the triumphant Mule – laughing matchstick – that long, fleshy nose quivering with laughter. The sound faded away. The darkness embraced him lovingly. It ended with a cracking sensation that was like the jagged glare of a lightning flash, and Channis came slowly to earth while sight returned painfully in blurry transmission through tear-drenched eyes. His head ached unbearably, and it was only with a stab of agony that he could bring up a hand to it. Obviously, he was alive. Softly, like feathers caught up in an eddy of air that had passed, his thoughts steadied and drifted to rest. He felt comfort suck in – from outside. Slowly, torturedly, he bent his neck – and relief was a sharp pang. For the door was open; and the First Speaker stood just inside the threshold. He tried to speak, to shout, to warn – but his tongue froze and he knew that a part of the Mule's mighty mind still held him and clamped all speech within him. He bent his neck once more. The Mule was still in the room. He was angry and hot-eyed. He laughed no longer, but his teeth were bared in a ferocious smile. Channis felt the First Speaker's mental influence moving gently over his mind with a healing touch and then there was the numbing sensation as it came into contact with the Mule's defense for an instant of struggle and withdrew. The Mule said gratingly, with a fury that was grotesque in his meagre body: â€Å"Then another comes to greet me.† His agile mind reached its tendrils out of the room- out- out- â€Å"You are alone,† he said. And the First Speaker interrupted with an acquiescence: â€Å"I am thoroughly alone. It is necessary that I be alone, since it was I who miscalculated your future five years ago. There would be a certain satisfaction to me in correcting that matter without aid. Unfortunately, I did not count on the strength of your Field of Emotional Repulsion that surrounded this place. It took me long to penetrate. I congratulate you upon the skill with which it was constructed.† â€Å"Thank you for nothing,† came the hostile rejoinder. â€Å"Bandy no compliments with me. Have you come to add your brain splinter to that of yonder cracked pillar of your realm?† The First Speaker smiled: â€Å"Why, the man you call Bail Channis performed his mission well, the more so since he was not your mental equal by far. I can see, of course, that you have mistreated him, yet it may be that we may restore him fully even yet. He is a brave man, sir. He volunteered for this mission although we were able to predict mathematically the huge chance of damage to his mind – a more fearful alternative than that of mere physical crippling.† Channis' mind pulsed futilely with what he wanted to say and couldn't; the warning he wished to shout and was unable to. He could only emit that continuous stream of fear- fear- The Mule was calm. â€Å"You know, of course, of the destruction of Tazenda.† â€Å"I do. The assault by your fleet was foreseen.† Grimly: â€Å"Yes, so I suppose. But not prevented, eh?† â€Å"No, not prevented.† The First Speaker's emotional symbology was plain. It was almost a self-horror; a complete self-disgust: â€Å"And the fault is much more mine than yours. Who could have imagined your powers five years ago. We suspected from the start – from the moment you captured Kalgan – that you had the powers of emotional control. That was not too surprising, First Citizen, as I can explain to you. â€Å"Emotional contact such as you and I possess is not a very new development. Actually it is implicit in the human brain. Most humans can read emotion in a primitive manner by associating it pragmatically with facial expression, tone of voice and so on. A good many animals possess the faculty to a higher degree; they use the sense of smell to a good extent and the emotions involved are, of course, less complex. â€Å"Actually, humans are capable of much more, but the faculty of direct emotional contact tended to atrophy with the development of speech a million years back. It has been the great advance of our Second Foundation that this forgotten sense has been restored to at least some of its potentialities. â€Å"But we are not born with its full use. A million years of decay is a formidable obstacle, and we must educate the sense, exercise it as we exercise our muscles. And there you have the main difference. You were born with it. â€Å"So much we could calculate. We could also calculate the effect of such a sense upon a person in a world of men who did not possess it. The seeing man in the kingdom of the blind- We calculated the extent to which a megalomania would take control of you and we thought we were prepared. But for two factors we were not prepared. â€Å"The first was the great extent of your sense. We can induce emotional contact only when in eyeshot, which is why we are more helpless against physical weapons than you might think. Sight plays such an enormous part. Not so with you. You are definitely known to have had men under control, and, further, to have had intimate emotional contact with them when out of sight and out of earshot. That was discovered too late. â€Å"Secondly, we did not know of your physical shortcomings, particularly the one that seemed so important to you, that you adopted the name of the Mule. We didn't foresee that you were not merely a mutant, but a sterile mutant and the added psychic distortion due to your inferiority complex passed us by. We allowed only for a megalomania – not for an intensely psychopathic paranoia as well. â€Å"It is myself that bears the responsibility for having missed all that, for I was the leader of the Second Foundation when you captured Kalgan. When you destroyed the First Foundation, we found out – but too late – and for that fault millions have died on Tazenda.† â€Å"And you will correct things now?† The Mules thin lips curled, his mind pulsing with hate: â€Å"What will you do? Fatten me? Restore me to a masculine vigor? Take away from my past the long childhood in an alien environment. Do you regret my sufferings? Do you regret my unhappiness? I have no sorrow for what I did in my necessity. Let the Galaxy Protect itself as best it can, since it stirred not a whit for my protection when I needed it.† Your emotions are, of course,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"only the children of your background and are not to be condemned – merely changed. The destruction of Tazenda was unavoidable. The alternative would have been a much greater destruction generally throughout the Galaxy over a period of centuries. We did our best in our limited way. We withdrew as many men from Tazenda as we could. We decentralized the rest of the world. Unfortunately, our measures were of necessity far from adequate. It left many millions to die – do you not regret that?† â€Å"Not at all – any more than I regret the hundred thousand that must die on Rossem in not more than six hours.† â€Å"On Rossem?† said the First Speaker, quickly. He turned to Channis who had forced himself into a half-sitting posture, and his mind exerted its force. Channis, felt the duel of minds strain over him, and then there was a short snapping of the bond and the words came tumbling out of his mouth: â€Å"Sir, I have failed completely. He forced it from me not ten minutes before your arrival. I could not resist him and I offer no excuses. He knows Tazenda is not the Second Foundation. He knows that Rossem is.† And the bonds closed down upon him again. The First Speaker frowned: â€Å"I see. What is it you are planning to do?† â€Å"Do you really wonder? Do you really find it difficult to penetrate the obvious? All this time that you have preached to me of the nature of emotional contact – all this time that you have been throwing words such as megalomania and paranoia at me, I have been working. I have been in contact with my Fleet and it has its orders. In six hours, unless I should for some reason counteract my orders, they are to bombard all of Rossem except this lone village and an area of a hundred square miles about it. They are to do a thorough job and are then to land here. â€Å"You have six hours, and in six hours, you cannot beat down my mind, nor can you save the rest of Rossem.† The Mule spread his hands and laughed again while the First Speaker seemed to find difficulty in absorbing this new state of affairs. He said: â€Å"The alternative?† â€Å"Why should there even be an alternative? I can stand to gain no more by any alternative. Is it the lives of those on Rossem I'm to be chary of? Perhaps if you allow my ships to land and submit, all of you – all the men on the Second Foundation – to mental control sufficient to suit myself, I may countermand the bombardment orders. It may be worthwhile to put so many men of high intelligence under my control. But then again it would be a considerable effort and perhaps not worth it after all, so I'm not particularly eager to have you agree to it. What do you say, Second Foundationer? What weapon have you against my mind which is as strong as yours at least and against my ships which are stronger than anything you have ever dreamed of possessing?† â€Å"What have I?† repeated the First Speaker, slowly: â€Å"Why nothing – except a little grain – such a little grain of knowledge that even yet you do not possess.† â€Å"Speak quickly,† laughed the Mule, â€Å"speak inventively. For squirm as you might, you won't squirm out of this.† â€Å"Poor mutant,† said the First Speaker, â€Å"I have nothing to squirm out of. Ask yourself – why was Bail Channis sent to Kalgan as a decoy – Bail Channis, who though young and brave is almost as much your mental inferior as is this sleeping officer of yours, this Han Pritcher. Why did not I go, or another of our leaders, who would be more your match?† â€Å"Perhaps,† came the supremely confident reply, â€Å"you were not sufficiently foolish, since perhaps none of you are my match.† â€Å"The true reason is more logical. You knew Channis to be a Second Foundationer. He lacked the capacity to hide that from you. And you knew, too, that you were his superior, so you were not afraid to play his game and follow him as he wished you to in order to outwit him later. Had I gone to Kalgan, you would have killed me for I would have been a real danger, or had I avoided death by concealing my identity, I would yet have failed in persuading you to follow me into space. It was only known inferiority that lured you on. And had you remained on Kalgan, not all the force of the Second Foundation could have harmed you, surrounded as you were by your men, your machines, and your mental power.† â€Å"My mental power is yet with me, squirmer,† said the Mule, â€Å"and my men and machines are not far off.† â€Å"Truly so, but you are not on Kalgan. You are here in the Kingdom of Tazenda, logically presented to you as the Second Foundation – very logically presented. It had to be so presented, for you are a wise man, First Citizen, and would follow only logic.† â€Å"Correct, and it was a momentary victory for your side, but there was still time for me to worm the truth from your man, Channis, and still wisdom in me to realize that such a truth might exist.† â€Å"And on our side, oh, not-quite-sufficiently-subtle one, was the realization that you might go that one step further and so Bail Channis was prepared for you.† â€Å"That he most certainly was not, for I stripped his brain clean as any plucked chicken. It quivered bare and open before me and when he said Rossem was the Second Foundation, it was basic truth for I had ground him so flat and smooth that not the smidgeon of a deceit could have found refuge in any microscopic crevice.† â€Å"True enough. So much the better for our foresight. For I have told you already that Bail Channis was a volunteer. Do you know what sort of a volunteer? Before he left our Foundation for Kalgan and you, he submitted to emotional surgery of a drastic nature. Do you think it was sufficient to deceive you? Do you think Bail Channis, mentally untouched, could possibly deceive you? No, Bail Channis was himself deceived, of necessity and voluntarily. Down to the inmost core of his mind, Bail Channis honestly believes that Rossem is the Second Foundation. â€Å"And for three years now, we of the Second Foundation have built up the appearance of that here in the Kingdom of Tazenda, in preparation and waiting for you. And we have succeeded, have we not? You penetrated to Tazenda, and beyond that, to Rossem – but past that, you could not go.† The Mule was upon his feet: â€Å"You dare tell me that Rossem also, is not the Second Foundation?† Channis, from the floor, felt his bonds burst for good, under a stream of mental force on the part of the First Speaker and strained upright. He let out one long, incredulous cry: â€Å"You mean Rossem is not the Second Foundation?† The memories of life, the knowledge of his mind – everything – whirled mistily about him in confusion. The First Speaker smiled: â€Å"You see, First Citizen, Channis is as upset as you are. Of course, Rossem is not the Second Foundation. Are we madmen then, to lead you, our greatest, most powerful, most dangerous enemy to our own world? Oh, no! â€Å"Let your Fleet bombard Rossem, First Citizen, if you must have it so. Let them destroy all they can. For at most they can kill only Channis and myself – and that will leave you in a situation improved not in the least. â€Å"For the Second Foundation's Expedition to Rossem which has been here for three years and has functioned, temporarily, as Elders in this village, embarked yesterday and are returning to Kalgan. They will evade your Fleet, of course, and they will arrive in Kalgan at least a day before you can, which is why I tell you all this. Unless I countermand my orders, when you return, you will find a revolting Empire, a disintegrated realm, and only the men with you in your Fleet here will be loyal to you. They will be hopelessly outnumbered. And moreover, the men of the Second Foundation will be with your Home Fleet and will see to it that you reconvert no one. Your Empire is done, mutant.† Slowly, the Mule bowed his head, as anger and despair cornered his mind completely, â€Å"Yes. Too late- Too late- Now I see it.† â€Å"Now you see it,† agreed the First Speaker, â€Å"and now you don't.† In the despair of that moment, when the Mule's mind lay open, the First Speaker – ready for that moment and pre-sure of its nature – entered quickly. It required a rather insignificant fraction of a second to consummate the change completely. The Mule looked up and said: â€Å"Then I shall return to Kalgan? â€Å"Certainly. How do you feel?† â€Å"Excellently well.† His brow puckered: â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Does it matter?† â€Å"Of course not.† He dismissed the matter, and touched Pritcher's shoulder: â€Å"Wake up, Pritcher, we're going home.† It was two hours later that Bail Channis felt strong enough to walk by himself. He said: â€Å"He won't ever remember?† â€Å"Never. He retains his mental powers and his Empire – but his motivations are now entirely different. The notion of a Second Foundation is a blank to him, and he is a man of peace. He will be a far happier man henceforward, too, for the few years of life left him by his maladjusted physique. And then, after he is dead Seldon's Plan will go on – somehow.† â€Å"And it is true,† urged Channis, â€Å"it is true that Rossem is not the Second Foundation? I could swear – I tell you I know it is. I am not mad.† â€Å"You are not mad, Channis, merely, as I have said, changed. Rossem is not the Second Foundation. Come! We, too, will return home.†

Gun Violence in Canada

Gun violence in Canada is an issue which is evident within Canadian society, especially in the last year. The shooting in the Eaton’s Centre in Toronto recently was the largest mass shooting in its history. The reason behind the shooting was related to gang violence in the area, therefore there is a social issue that demands solution. Gun violence in Canada is generally on the low end of the overall crime rate, and in recent years the severity of crime was down four percent, but this does not mean there is no reason for alarm anymore.A Statistics Canada study on criminal code statistics offer misleading information on the severity of the situation, this includes gun violence. A past Statistics Canada study based on 2009 data showed that only 31 percent of the most common types of crimes were reported, therefore there is 69 percent that has not been recorded leaving a gap in the knowledge we have about the true violence within Canada (Ottawa Citizen,2012). Gun violence is as Gl obal Mail see’s it an expression on manly rage, but I do not agree with this accusation.Gun violence in Canada is a social issue in relation to gang violence, and although this crime rate is not on the rise it cannot be taken lightly and it is not to be blamed as an expression of manly rage also known as pistolization. As the Globe and Mail states two weeks after the shooting in Toronto’s Eaton’s Centre, Police Chief Bill Blair sees the gang violence at its root (Globe and Mail, Aug 2012). Gang violence is the cause for the largest mass shooting Toronto has ever seen, but it is also the basis for any other reported shooting in the Toronto area, along with the rest of Canada.The solution is to prevent the young men in and around the communities with the highest recorded gang violence from joining or going down the path of gang violence. Catching them at a young age is easy, young men are easily influenced and this is generally how they join a gang in the first pl ace. Therefore, if society gives those who are in a higher risked neighbourhood the attention they need, gang violence may decrease. With this decrease will come the decrease of criminal rates, this includes gun violence.Young men who are brought up in a home with risk factors such as domestic abuse and alcoholism are prone to being initiated into a gang. Solutions such as summer employment programs are the best options for these kids. Helping these children may also change Canadians views on the issue of gun violence. People’s impressions of crime are formed by more than what is captured by official crime stats (Ottawa Citizen, 2012). Statistics Canada does not report all they are informed about, Canadians then take what they hear on the news and what they experience for themselves when understanding violence, this gives them a false understanding.People are not that concerned for their own general safety, this may be because of how little we know but at least from what we d o understand we are trying to change. It would be the best viable option if Canadians were to be informed more in terms of violence in Canada. Crime is a problem even if crime rates are diminishing, and although many of us are not in imminent danger we still need to change for the future. That is why dealing with young men before they curb to the norms of gang violence would be the best long lasting solution.In opposition to this belief, blaming gun violence in Canada on pistolization is not the most appropriate way in dealing with this issue. Although it is obvious that gun crimes are nearly always perpetrated by men does not mean that gun violence is a problem of men’s social-psychological dimensions (Globe and Mail, July 2012). We live in a culture that gun violence is all over the media, whether it be in video games or in movies. There is proof that men tend to be more susceptible to any sort of violence, but just because gun violence falls under this category does not me an there is a social psychological problem.Women can be part of the same crimes as men, the only reason the rate for women is lower is because we still live in a society where the media is still geared towards men. It is also unwise to believe that gun violence coming from men is a form of status anxiety and that the culture has been significantly shaped by pistolization and guns are being used as a weapon for acting out (Globe and Mail, July 2012). Blaming gun violence in Canada on drug dealing because there is no form of legal recourse is a scapegoat.It is true that drug deals can be violent if a merchandiser or customer of drugs does not live up to their end of the bargain, but to blame gun violence in Canada on this is inappropriate. It would be understandable if one was in Columbia, due to the amount of cocaine that is imported and exported from there, but Canada has never been one of the top countries in drug solicitation. These issues are complex, and they are merely speculat ions of the plausible explanation of gun violence in Canada.Gun violence in Canada is not to be blamed on expression of manly rage which is pistolization; it instead is due to the social issue in relation to gang violence and diminishing crime rates. Gang violence is the leading cause to gun violence in Canada, the best long lasting solution to ensure that crime rates do not raise is to deal with young men before they are influenced into joining a gang. Crime rates from Statistics Canada give a false apparition into the true violence that is evident in Canada.Both the media and government know either too much or too little but whatever the case may be they are not giving the full story to the Canadian public. Canadians are little concerned with their safety due to the diminutive knowledge they have been given. Their impression of Canada may change if they had the whole story, but this is not the case. The blame of gun violence being either because of pistolization or drug abuse in C anada is not a viable argument. In turn, gun violence in Canada is due to gang violence and is best dealt with in the neighbourhoods with higher rated crimes before they grow in numbers and moved on to new communities.

Alcohol Abuse Introduction

Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse Signs, Symptoms, and Help for Drinking Problems It’s not always easy to see when your drinking has crossed the line from moderate or social use to problem drinking. But if you consume alcohol to cope with difficulties or to avoid feeling bad, you’re in potentially dangerous territory. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can sneak up on you, so it’s important to be aware of the warning signs and take steps to cut back if you recognize them. Understanding the problem is the first step to overcoming it. In This Article: * Understanding drinking problems * Signs & symptoms of alcohol abuse Signs & symptoms of alcoholism * Drinking problems and denial * Effects of alcoholism * Getting help for alcohol abuse * When a loved one has a drinking problem Understanding alcoholism and alcohol abuse Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional heal th. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems.Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk, because alcohol may be used to self-medicate. Since drinking is so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social drinking and problem drinking. The bottom line is how alcohol affects you. If your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem. Do you have a drinking problem? You may have a drinking problem if you†¦ Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking. * Lie to others or hide your drinking habits. * Have friends or family members who are worried a bout your drinking. * Need to drink in order to relax or feel better. * â€Å"Black out† or forget what you did while you were drinking. * Regularly drink more than you intended to. Signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse Substance abuse experts make a distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism (also called alcohol dependence). Unlike alcoholics, alcohol abusers have some ability to set limits on their drinking.However, their alcohol use is still self-destructive and dangerous to themselves or others. Common signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse include: * Repeatedly neglecting your responsibilities at home, work, or school because of your drinking. For example, performing poorly at work, flunking classes, neglecting your kids, or skipping out on commitments because you’re hung over. * Using alcohol in situations where it’s physically dangerous, such as drinking and driving, operating machinery while intoxicated, or mixing alcohol with prescription medication ag ainst doctor’s orders. Experiencing repeated legal problems on account of your drinking. For example, getting arrested for driving under the influence or for drunk and disorderly conduct. * Continuing to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships. Getting drunk with your buddies, for example, even though you know your wife will be very upset, or fighting with your family because they dislike how you act when you drink. * Drinking as a way to relax or de-stress. Many drinking problems start when people use alcohol to self-soothe and relieve stress.Getting drunk after every stressful day, for example, or reaching for a bottle every time you have an argument with your spouse or boss. The path from alcohol abuse to alcoholism Not all alcohol abusers become full-blown alcoholics, but it is a big risk factor. Sometimes alcoholism develops suddenly in response to a stressful change, such as a breakup, retirement, or another loss. Other times, it gra dually creeps up on you as your tolerance to alcohol increases. If you’re a binge drinker or you drink every day, the risks of developing alcoholism are greater. Signs and symptoms of alcoholism (alcohol dependence)Alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. Alcoholism involves all the symptoms of alcohol abuse, but it also involves another element: physical dependence on alcohol. If you rely on alcohol to function or feel physically compelled to drink, you’re an alcoholic. Tolerance: The 1st major warning sign of alcoholism Do you have to drink a lot more than you used to in order to get buzzed or to feel relaxed? Can you drink more than other people without getting drunk? These are signs of tolerance, which can be an early warning sign of alcoholism. Tolerance means that, over time, you need more and more alcohol to feel the same effects.Withdrawal: The 2nd major warning sign of alcoholism Do you need a drink to steady the shakes in the morning? Drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms is a sign of alcoholism and a huge red flag. When you drink heavily, your body gets used to the alcohol and experiences withdrawal symptoms if it’s taken away. These include: * Anxiety or jumpiness * Shakiness or trembling * Sweating * Nausea and vomiting * Insomnia | * Depression * Irritability * Fatigue * Loss of appetite * Headache | In severe cases, withdrawal from alcohol can also involve hallucinations, confusion, seizures, fever, and agitation.These symptoms can be dangerous, so talk to your doctor if you are a heavy drinker and want to quit. Other signs and symptoms of alcoholism (alcohol dependence) * You’ve lost control over your drinking. You often drink more alcohol than you wanted to, for longer than you intended, or despite telling yourself you wouldn’t. * You want to quit drinking, but you can’t. You have a persistent desire to cut down or stop your alcohol use, but your efforts to quit have been unsu ccessful. * You have given up other activities because of alcohol.You’re spending less time on activities that used to be important to you (hanging out with family and friends, going to the gym, pursuing your hobbies) because of your alcohol use. * Alcohol takes up a great deal of your energy and focus. You spend a lot of time drinking, thinking about it, or recovering from its effects. You have few if any interests or social involvements that don’t revolve around drinking. * You drink even though you know it’s causing problems. For example, you recognize that your alcohol use is damaging your marriage, making your depression worse, or causing health problems, but you continue to drink anyway.Drinking problems and denial Is my drinking a problem? by Harvard Health Publications Denial is one of the biggest obstacles to getting help for alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The desire to drink is so strong that the mind finds many ways to rationalize drinking, even when t he consequences are obvious. By keeping you from looking honestly at your behavior and its negative effects, denial also exacerbates alcohol-related problems with work, finances, and relationships. If you have a drinking problem, you may deny it by: * Drastically underestimating how much you drink Downplaying the negative consequences of your drinking * Complaining that family and friends are exaggerating the problem * Blaming your drinking or drinking-related problems on others For example, you may blame an ‘unfair boss’ for trouble at work or a ‘nagging wife’ for your marital issues, rather than look at how your drinking is contributing to the problem. While work, relationship, and financial stresses happen to everyone, an overall pattern of deterioration and blaming others may be a sign of trouble.If you find yourself rationalizing your drinking habits, lying about them, or refusing to discuss the subject, take a moment to consider why you’re so d efensive. If you truly believe you don’t have a problem, there should be no reason for you to cover up your drinking or make excuses. Five myths about alcoholism and alcohol abuse Myth #1: I can stop drinking anytime I want to. Maybe you can; more likely, you can’t. Either way, it’s just an excuse to keep drinking. The truth is, you don’t want to stop.Telling yourself you can quit makes you feel in control, despite all evidence to the contrary and no matter the damage it’s doing. Myth #2: My drinking is my problem. I’m the one it hurts, so no one has the right to tell me to stop. It’s true that the decision to quit drinking is up to you. But you are deceiving yourself if you think that your drinking hurts no one else but you. Alcoholism affects everyone around you—especially the people closest to you. Your problem is their problem. Myth #3: I don’t drink every day, so I can’t be an alcoholic OR I only drink wine o r beer, so I can’t be an alcoholic.Alcoholism is NOT defined by what you drink, when you drink it, or even how much you drink. It’s the EFFECTS of your drinking that define a problem. If your drinking is causing problems in your home or work life, you have a drinking problem—whether you drink daily or only on the weekends, down shots of tequila or stick to wine, drink three bottles of beers a day or three bottles of whiskey. Myth #4: I’m not an alcoholic because I have a job and I’m doing okay. You don’t have to be homeless and drinking out of a brown paper bag to be an alcoholic.Many alcoholics are able to hold down jobs, get through school, and provide for their families. Some are even able to excel. But just because you’re a high-functioning alcoholic doesn’t mean you’re not putting yourself or others in danger. Over time, the effects will catch up with you. Myth #5: Drinking is not a â€Å"real† addiction like drug abuse. Alcohol is a drug, and alcoholism is every bit as damaging as drug addiction. Alcohol addiction causes changes in the body and brain, and long-term alcohol abuse can have devastating effects on your health, your career, and your relationships.Alcoholics go through physical withdrawal when they stop drinking, just like drug users do when they quit. Effects of alcoholism and alcohol abuse Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can affect all aspects of your life. Long-term alcohol use can cause serious health complications, affecting virtually every organ in your body, including your brain. Problem drinking can also damage your emotional stability, finances, career, and your ability to build and sustain satisfying relationships. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse can also have an impact on your family, friends and the people you work with.The effects of alcoholism and alcohol abuse on the people you love Despite the potentially lethal damage that heavy drinking does to the body—in cluding cancer, heart problems, and liver disease—the social consequences can be just as devastating. Alcoholics and alcohol abusers are much more likely to get divorced, have problems with domestic violence, struggle with unemployment, and live in poverty. But even if you’re able to succeed at work or hold your marriage together, you can’t escape the effects that alcoholism and alcohol abuse has on your personal relationships.Drinking problems put an enormous strain on the people closest to you. Often, family members and close friends feel obligated to cover for the person with the drinking problem. So they take on the burden of cleaning up your messes, lying for you, or working more to make ends meet. Pretending that nothing is wrong and hiding away all of their fears and resentments can take an enormous toll. Children are especially sensitive and can suffer long-lasting emotional trauma when a parent or caretaker is an alcoholic or heavy drinker. Getting help for alcoholism or alcohol abuseIf you’re ready to admit you have a drinking problem, you’ve already taken the first step. It takes tremendous strength and courage to face alcohol abuse and alcoholism head on. Reaching out for support is the second step. Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance. Without support, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns when things get tough.Getting sober is only the beginning Learn about roadblocks to staying sober Watch 3 min. video: Roadblocks to awareness Your continued recovery depends on continuing mental health treatment, learning healthier coping strategies, and making better decisions when dealing with life’s challenges. In order to stay alcohol-free for the long term, you’ll also ha ve to face the underlying problems that led to your alcoholism or alcohol abuse in the first place. Those problems could be depression, an inability to manage stress, an unresolved trauma from your childhood, or any number of mental health issues.Such problems may become more prominent when you’re no longer using alcohol to cover them up. But you will be in a healthier position to finally address them and seek the help you need. Helping a loved one with alcoholism or alcohol abuse If someone you love has a drinking problem, you may be struggling with a number of painful emotions, including shame, fear, anger, and self-blame. The problem may be so overwhelming that it seems easier to ignore it and pretend that nothing is wrong. But in the long run denying it will be more damaging to you, other family members, and the person with the drinking problem.What Not To Do * Don't attempt to punish, threaten, bribe, or preach. * Don't try to be a martyr. Avoid emotional appeals that ma y only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to drink or use other drugs. * Don't cover up or make excuses for the alcoholic or problem drinker or shield them from the realistic consequences of their behavior. * Don't take over their responsibilities, leaving them with no sense of importance or dignity. * Don't hide or dump bottles, throw out drugs, or shelter them from situations where alcohol is present. * Don't argue with the person when they are impaired. Don't try to drink along with the problem drinker. * Above all, don't feel guilty or responsible for another's behavior. Adapted from: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol ; Drug Information Dealing with a loved one’s alcohol problem can be an emotional rollercoaster. It’s vital that you take care of yourself and get the support you need. It’s also important to have people you can talk honestly and openly with about what you’re going through. A good place to start is by joining a group such as Al-Anon, a free peer support group for families coping with alcoholism.Listening to others with the same challenges can be a tremendous source of comfort and support. You can also turn to trusted friends, a therapist, or people in your faith community. * You cannot force someone you love to stop abusing alcohol. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is to watch, you cannot make someone stop drinking. The choice is up to them. * Don’t expect the person to stop drinking and stay sober without help. Your loved one will need treatment, support, and new coping skills to overcome a serious drinking problem. * Recovery is n ongoing process. Recovery is a bumpy road, requiring time and patience. An alcoholic will not magically become a different person once sober. And the problems that led to the alcohol abuse in the first place will have to be faced. Admitting that there’s a serious problem can be painful for the whole family, not just the alcohol abuser. But don†™t be ashamed. You’re not alone. Alcoholism and alcohol abuse affects millions of families, from every social class, race, and culture. But there is help and support available for both you and your loved one.What Not To Do * Don't attempt to punish, threaten, bribe, or preach. * Don't try to be a martyr. Avoid emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to drink or use other drugs. * Don't cover up or make excuses for the alcoholic or problem drinker or shield them from the realistic consequences of their behavior. * Don't take over their responsibilities, leaving them with no sense of importance or dignity. * Don't hide or dump bottles, throw out drugs, or shelter them from situations where alcohol is present. Don't argue with the person when they are impaired. * Don't try to drink along with the problem drinker. * Above all, don't feel guilty or responsible for another's behavior. Adapted from: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug In formation When your teen has a drinking problem Discovering your child is drinking can generate fear, confusion, and anger in parents. It’s important to remain calm when confronting your teen, and only do so when everyone is sober. Explain your concerns and make it clear that your concern comes from a place of love.It’s important that your teen feels you are supportive. Five steps parents can take: 1. Lay down rules and consequences: Your teen should understand that drinking alcohol comes with specific consequences. But don’t make hollow threats or set rules that you cannot enforce. Make sure your spouse agrees with the rules and is prepared to enforce them. 2. Monitor your teen’s activity: Know where your teen goes and who he or she hangs out with. Remove or lock away alcohol from your home and routinely check potential hiding laces for alcohol—in backpacks, under the bed, between clothes in a drawer, for example. Explain to your teen that this la ck of privacy is a consequence of him or her having been caught using alcohol. 3. Encourage other interests and social activities. Expose your teen to healthy hobbies and activities, such as team sports, Scouts, and afterschool clubs. 4. Talk to your child about underlying issues. Drinking can be the result of other problems. Is your child having trouble fitting in? Has there been a recent major change, like a move or divorce, which is causing stress? . Get outside help: You don’t have to go it alone. Teenagers often rebel against their parents but if they hear the same information from a different authority figure, they may be more inclined to listen. Try seeking help from a sports coach, family doctor, therapist, or counselor. Next step†¦ Find the right treatment for you. Many effective alcohol treatment options are available, including rehab programs. However, professional help isn’t the only way to get better. There are also plenty of things you can do to help yourself stop drinking and achieve lasting recovery.