The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana - 1631 Words

Marijuana is a naturally grown plant that has beneficial properties and the ability to create textiles, paper products, and other goods. Marijuana is currently illegal in many states in the United States. The legalization of Marijuana will produce enormous tax revenue, reduce crime, give us a renewable resource, and give sick and suffering patients a new effective medicine. The legalization of Marijuana in the United States would both benefit the well-being of its citizens as well the economy. The cost to keep Marijuana illegal is too expensive and unnecessary for something that does not pose a threat to society. The amount of money that is spent arresting responsible Marijuana users can be used towards something more high priority and important that will benefit the United States. Many Marijuana users are taking up valuable space in jail for possession when they in fact do not pose a threat to society. FBI records show that 829,627 marijuana users were arrested in 2006 which is a 43,000 person increase, for possession alone (Should Governments Legalize and Tax Marijuana). Jeffrey Miron is the director of undergraduate studies at Harvard University and estimates that legalizing marijuana would save $13.7 billion per year in government spending on enforcement of prohibition. Miron states that â€Å"First, legalization eliminates arrests for trafficking and possession. Second, legalization saves judicial and incarceration expenses. Third, legalization allows taxation of dru gShow MoreRelatedThe Economic Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1068 Words   |  5 PagesThe Economic Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana In 2007, the American economy took a downturn known as the recession. People began looking for a quick fix to our nation’s economic problems and one fix may be right in front of us, with the legalization of marijuana. The debate about legalizing marijuana has been going on for the last decade with no end in sight. Politicians, economists, and everyday people cannot come to an agreement over this growing issue. Today economists still converse overRead MoreBenefits of Legalizing Marijuana Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesBenefits of Legalizing Marijuana Every year, 400,000 Americans die of complications caused by tobacco products. Smoking kills more Americans each year than alcohol, crack, heroin, murder, suicide, car accidents, fires, and AIDS all put together. Every week, eight children under the age of eighteen die from alcohol related crashes. Alcohol abuse contributes to almost 50% of all traffic accidents, suicides, and homicides. However, despite the proven dangers of these socially acceptable drugsRead MoreEssay on The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1006 Words   |  5 PagesThe Topic of Legalizing Marijuana has been a very conversational argumentative issue in the American society; moreover in the American politics today. There are many good arguments on why Marijuana should be Legalize and my argument is based on facts and supporting details to prove why Marijuana should be legalize. The Legalization of Marijuana would be profitable to our government and economy, according to Evan Wood who is the founder of the Inte rnational Centre for Science in Drug Policy; The URead MoreEssay on The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1475 Words   |  6 Pagesthe marijuana prohibition. That is more money than the war on drugs spent on all types of drugs three years before (Hardy). Why is our government focusing on a drug that can be called merely harmless to those who use it? Why is this drug getting more money spent on it than drugs that are highly addictive and life threatening? Marijuana is not as dangerous as people may want it to seem, but there are some negative effects that come with this drug’s legalization. The legalization of marijuana can provideRead MoreThe Potential Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Essay1152 Words   |  5 Pages Legalizing marijuana is a concept that can potentially benefit the public as well as the local economies. There has been a nationwide debate on whether marijuana should be legalized or not. The major consensus is that marijuana is not only bad for one’s health, but it is also dangerous to the community. These allegations are not true. Marijuana actually has health benefits that most people overlook. It is important to understand the many issues of legalizing marijuana in order to better understandRead MoreEssay about The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1144 Words   |  5 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marijuana use is on the rise, especially among teenagers and young adults. With the recent laws passed in eight states, legalizing medical marijuana many stand divided when it comes to this never ending debate, but I firmly believe that this miracle working drug should be legalized throughout the United States. Marijuana is by far the most commonly used illegal drug. Statistics show that over 70 million Americans have tried Marijuana and more that 20 million smoked it last year. So it isRead MoreEssay about The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1494 Words   |  6 PagesLegalization of Marijuana Despite late controversy regarding weed or as most professionals call it now medical marijuana, I have a strong opinion regarding given substance. I think marijuana should be legal but Im going to discuss this matter more in my essay. Some topics I would like to discuss would be: should it be legal, is it beneficial for medical purposes, economy, job growth and reducing crime rates. Background Industrial Hemp Plant(â€Å"Hemp, Industrial Hemp field†) For most of humanRead MoreBenefits Of Legalizing Medical Marijuana1076 Words   |  5 Pagesof life incorporated cannabis of some form. Marijuana is a psychoactive drug made from the cannabis plant. It is sometimes used as a recreational drug by a few individuals, medical ailments and for spiritual purposes as well. The key element in marijuana is the delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This psychoactive component is found in the leaves of the plant (Ethan B Russo, 2013). This essay will demonstrates the advantages of legalising medical marijuana such as treatment for pain relief, nauseaRead MoreEssay about Benefits and Drawbacks of Legalizing Marijuana1177 Words   |  5 Pageswith harder drugs as cocaine and heroin, marijuana, also named as cannabis or hemp, is considered as a soft drug with less addiction and harm. In the 19th century, it was one of the most important crops in the American continent to the common wealth (Newton, 2013, p.32), but it has been banned to grow in mos t countries since the 20th century (Newton, 2013, p.45). Given the clamour for â€Å"decriminalization† of the personal possession of small amounts of marijuana is growing (Single, 2013, p.456) and theRead More The Economic, Medical and Industrial Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1710 Words   |  7 PagesThe Economic, Medical and Industrial Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Marijuana is the dried flower clusters and leaves of the hemp plant when taken to induce euphoria. Marijuana has been in existence for centuries even Magellan spoke of it during his trip to India. In his log he spoke of a plant that you smoked that made a man drunk without drinking. Marijuana would be beneficial if legalized because it would bring in extra money, it has medical uses, hemp is one of the best materials in the

Minimum Wage Should Be Raised - 895 Words

The rent is too damn high! At least that’s what the slogan of â€Å"Rent is too damn high† political party reads. As its name implies, â€Å"Rent Is Too Damn High† Party is that rents in the city of New York are too costly. However this issue goes beyond greedy landlords; in fact it starts with one simple statement: The federal minimum wage in America is simply too low. According to a national study in 2015, for a family to be just above the poverty level, the head of the house would be required to earn 8.50 an hour, while the current federal minimum wage is 7.25. Not only does the current minimum wage not cover the poverty line, it is more than a dollar less than current poverty levels. A raise in the minimum wage would reduce the number of working Americans who are below the poverty line, decrease unemployment, and help stimulate the economy. To begin with, the minimum wage should be raised at least above 8.50 an hour. According to The US Department of Health, the current poverty level is 17,000 a year, which is about 8.50 an hour (Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism). The current minimum wage is 7.25 an hour, a full dollar and a quarter less than the current poverty level. With this, the average American is not able to afford the basic living standards that America herself has set. The need for a work force has been on the decline in America with cheaper sources of labor being created. Ironically, the unemployment payment an American can receive is in someShow MoreRelatedMinimum Wage Should Be Raised?958 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum Wage Louis Montgomery III English Composition 101 Mrs. Blackwell April 23, 2015 Minimum Wage Do minimum wage jobs help pay the bills? Do minimum wage jobs support the family? Should minimum wage be raised? Will raising the minimum wage reduce poverty? The idea of minimum wage jobs is to help people get work experience without having any skills. Most minimum wage jobs include fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Minimum wageRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?1062 Words   |  5 Pagesever pressing question regarding Minimum wage. Not many subjects can ignite a controversy as quickly as that of whether or not minimum wage should be raised, or by how much should it be raised or if it should remain the same. What is minimum wage? By definition, minimum wage is the minimum hourly wage an employer can pay an employee for work. (â€Å"MinimumWage.com†) America’s minimum wage was first introduced by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. That minimum wage was introduced as part of the FairRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesgovernment has so generously termed the â€Å"minimum wage†. In Missouri, the minimum wage has been set at a rather appalling $7.65 per hour while in other states there are wages starting as high as $10. Though arguably the economy is not as sluggish and terrible as it once was, $7.65 per hour will not help those who have children, no college degree and debts to pay. It is not only Missouri that has minimum wage laws, but every other state in America has minimum wage laws in place. Both California and SeattleRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised1145 Words   |  5 PagesThe current minimum wage is $7.25, which equals two gallons of milk, one fast food meal or two gallons of gas. Can you imagine yourself working 12-hours a day and only having enough money to p ay for rent and put food on the table for your family? With working all those long hours, you can barely afford to pay your utility bills and after that you don’t have enough money or time for luxuries like clothing or vacation. You have no savings as matter of fact, you are in a huge debt and you are livingRead MoreShould Minimum Wage Be Raised?870 Words   |  4 PagesShould Minimum Wage Be Raised? Minimum wage has always been a controversial issue. Many politicians use the argument of minimum wage for their own political propaganda. Some may argue minimum wage should be raised, while others believe it will have detrimental effects on our economy if it is raised. Surprising to most people, minimum wage earners make up only a small percent of American workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, minimum wage workers make up about 2.8% of all workersRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised935 Words   |  4 PagesMinimum wage is an ongoing debate in the United States. There are some people who think that it should be raised to a higher rate and others who think that it should not. There are many different pros and cons with raising minimum wage. Minimum wage is at a balanced rate that should not be raised due to lack of skill, low education, and economic problems. Jobs that require minimum wage are created for young adults who are in college or high school. They are to help one get one on their feet so thatRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Be Raised910 Words   |  4 Pagesmaximize the American Dream on the minimum wage† (Benjamin Todd Jealous). In 1938, minimum wage was created by the federal government in order to protect workers by ensuring a minimum of twenty-five cents per hour worked. Though President Roosevelt had the right idea in protecting the workforce, something needs to be done to ensure that Americans are getting a reasonable amount of money for the amount of hours they have worked. As Benjamin Todd Jealous stated, minimum wage is not enough for the averageRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Be Raised998 Words   |  4 Pagesprestigious job at such a young age. However that is not the case, if the minimum wage is raised to $15 an hour, a 16 year old could make $18,000 yearly working only 25 hours a week at McDonalds. Now for tee nagers that have goals for college or a car, that would money to set aside for the future, however most 16 year olds do not have those goals in mind yet, so that extra money turns into wasted money. As of February 2016 the minimum wage ranges anywhere from $7.25-$10 across the United States. Florida’sRead MoreMinimum Wage Should Not Be Raised863 Words   |  4 Pagesthan triple the minimum wage. If the minimum wage is increased, it would eliminate people’s incentives to improve. On top of that, inflation would occur, and poverty would virtually stay the same. In addition, raising the minimum wage would bring on hardship for small businesses. Of course, one may argue that the minimum should cover the cost of living, but people should have to work for their money. The minimum wage should not be raised in the United States. If the minimum wage were to go up, peopleRead MoreThe Minimum Wage Should Not Be Raised858 Words   |  4 PagesRepublican presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, is of the opinion that the Minimum wage should not be raised. This is a large issue as the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 is not enough to support basic living costs in a fair number of states. Ted Cruz highlights the consequences of raising the minimum wage yet ignores the cons of it remaining static (Ted Cruz on the Minimum Wage). In an article in The Atlantic, the discussion of the cost of living is brought up. The article talks about how the

Mandatory Marriage Counseling Free Essays

America is continuously plagued by divorce at an alarming rate destroying the basic structure of our society, which is the family. The trend is ever increasing and a growing problem in American culture. Divorce rate kept rising since 1920s with 13. We will write a custom essay sample on Mandatory Marriage Counseling or any similar topic only for you Order Now 4 per 100 marriages to 32.8 per 100 marriages in 1988. Today, studies have shown that 50% of first marriages in the United States fail. In 1940, the National Center for Health Statistics recorded 264,000 divorces and annulments and reached 1,182,000 in 1990. On the other hand, the National Survey of Families and Household cited that 84 percent of separated women would seek divorce after three years of marriage and 91 percent after five years of marriage. Some studies find the divorce rate for second marriages is as much as 10 percent higher than for first-timers. The chance of getting divorced remains so high that it makes sense for all married couples – including those who are currently satisfied with their relationship – to put extra effort into their marriages to keep them strong. (Gottman Silver 4). The effects of divorce are most severe among women and especially to children who may develop psychological problems leading to juvenile delinquency. Economically dependent to their husbands and fathers, these women and children are forced to live on welfare and practically left homeless. Realizing this serious problem, state governments are now initiating measures to save marriages from deteriorating and protect families from breaking apart by enacting laws of mandatory marriage counseling prior to getting a marriage license in hope of preventing more divorces. I favor such law that would educate couples about the seriousness of marriage and the necessity to lifelong commitment. Critics oppose this early intervention because it is just a waste of time and money or that counseling does not work. More often in marriage expectations are in contrast with realities resulting to various conflicts. It is extremely important therefore that would be married couples completely comprehend what they are up against, know the challenges that they may encounter, and learn how to deal with uncertainties. When Louisiana passed the law in 1997, Steven L. Nock conducted a five-year empirical study about the consequences of premarital counseling. In the report entitled Can Louisiana’s Covenant Marriage Law Solve America’s Divorce Problem?, 81% of the 521 married couples believed that mandatory counseling was very important. Their overall marital quality was better compared to those who did not take premarital counseling. In addition, their levels of commitment and agreement were higher. They experienced fewer worries and have greater sharing of household chores. The Evil of Divorce. To clearly discuss the merits of mandatory marriage counseling, I feel the urge to talk about the evils of divorce so that one can truly appreciate the benefits of counseling in the preservation of marriage. Each year, some 1.2 million children become products of divorced parents. Their normal childhood experiences are disrupted and filled with all sorts of stress. Many of them carry physical and emotional pain throughout their adulthood and may commit the same mistakes as their parents did. It is a chain reaction that affects family and our society. Children raised in single-parent families are more likely to drop out of high school, have lower grades and attendance while in school, and are less likely to attend and graduate from college than children raised in two-parent families. They are more likely to be out of school and unemployed and are also more likely to become single parents themselves, than children raised in two-parent families. Studies have found that, compared to children in two-parent families, children of divorce score lower on measures of self-concept, social competence, conduct, psychological adjustment and long-term health. (Bramlett Mosher 4). Furthermore, they commit crimes, exhibit suicidal tendency, hook in illegal drugs, and become victims of abuse. They have turned into unproductive members of American society. The government spends almost $150 billion annually trying to subsidize single-parent families. However, only $150 million a year is devoted to programs that strengthen marriages. Most marriages end in divorce because of poor communications, financial problems, lack of commitment, infidelity, failed expectations, and physical, emotional or sexual abuse. As an institution, the government has the obligation to protect and restore the integrity of marriage. Thus mandatory marriage counseling is one of the best ways to teach couples the importance and true meaning of lifelong commitment. To rebuild the traditions of family life, the government in all levels must have the will to act to safeguard the sanctity of marriage. The Benefits of Marriage Counseling. The principal aim of marital counseling is to help couples stay together. Marital education â€Å"immunizes couples against disappointment and despair†¦it also prevents the development of problems that are costly to children and all of society. Mismanaged conflict†¦ predicts both marital distress and negative effects on children’s physical and mental health†. (Leslie par. 21). Preparation before marriage is critical to the success of family life. Mandatory counseling will help couples strengthen their relationship, love, intimacy, and commitment. It will enhance their communication skills and manage conflicts with the right attitude. This process will also evaluate the views and determination of the couples whether they are ready and compatible for marriage at the same time identify possible setbacks and weaknesses to better equip themselves in overcoming future challenges. Having a better view of marriage with its legal and natural obligations, couples will have a better chance to live a healthier marriage. Through counseling, couples will have informed decisions to enrich their married life. A well-planned marriage is the key to combat divorce. More often people get married only to discover the true character of their partner and it is already too late to retreat. With mandatory counseling, couples will have the opportunity to know each other sincerely and have the chance to confront and resolve their problems and apprehensions before living together for a very long time. I suggest that couples seek premarital counseling so that they would fully understand and value the meaning of marriage and family. Conclusion. In our modern culture many Americans no longer see the importance of marriage. They look at marriage as a private contract rather than a lifelong commitment. One can easily obtain divorce by simply writing â€Å"irreconcilable differences†. They forget that marriage has special obligations: 1) to love and respect each other; (2) to live together; (3) to make decisions relating to family life in the best interest of the family; (4) to maintain and teach their children â€Å"in accordance with their capacities, natural inclinations, and aspirations†; and (5) the right and duty of each spouse to manage the household. (Spaht 469). Marriage is a social institution and the foundation of every family. As a moral fiber of American society, families must be protected by all means. It is the duty of all citizens. However, the government must take steps to enact laws in preserving family values as well as formulate and invest in social programs that strengthen marriages. Counseling is a helpful tool in rescuing marriages. That is why I advocate for the passage of bills that would require couples to attend mandatory marriage counseling before they can obtain their license so that they be educated on the responsibilities and commitment they have to render to society and their families. Should it be necessary, the rules on divorce must be strict and that â€Å"no-fault† divorce must end. The government must set goals to reduce divorce and campaign on its risks. Community-based marriage programs are advantageous to assist couples in getting married and monitor those marriages that are endangered. In this way, any problem would be resolved immediately. By saving marriages, we save our families. References Gottman, John and Silver, Nan. â€Å"The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert†. Three Rivers Press, New York. 16 May 2000. Bramlett, Matthew D. Ph.D. and Mosher, William D. Ph.D. Cohabitation, Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage in the United States. Vital and Health Statistics, Series 23, No. 22. Department of Health and Human Services. July 2002. 10 April 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_23/sr23_022.pdf Leslie, Mark A. Legislative Efforts to Strengthen Marriage. Public Law Research Institute. University of California Hastings College of Law. 2004. 10 April 2007 http://sierra.uchastings.edu/plri/spring98/marriage.html Spaht, Katherine Shaw. Covenant Marriage: An Achievable Legal Response to the Inherent Nature of Marriage and its Various Goods. Ave Maria Law Review. Vol. 4:2. 2006. 10 April 2007 http://www.avemarialaw.edu/publications/lawReview/articles/AMLR.v4i2.spaht.final2.pdf How to cite Mandatory Marriage Counseling, Essay examples

Australian Business Number Process

Question: Discuss about the Australian Business Number Process. Answer: Introduction: Formation of Proprietor Ltd Company is needed to be created following various steps which is governed by ASIC. A company name should be chosen by the proprietor of the company before registering the company. The address of the company is needed to be stated while registering the companys name. The proprietor name and address is also required to mention. The office holder should have a unique entity where Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian Company Number (ACN) should be described. The address of the company is also needed to describe for the registration process (Legislation.gov.au, 2016). Consent plan of the Company should be drawn. There are several directors in the company who follow the rules of Company Act. Shareholders should be limited up to 50 in number. The method of the form registration process is described below: Company Name Jacob Pty Ltd Company address 14 Lindsey street, NSW, Australia-2134 Proprietor name Jacob Atkinson Proprietors residential address 67 Saint Joseph avenue, NSW, Australia-2134 ACN/ABN no 0607888341 Telephone no 0895499006 Post code 2134 If the company has appointed a director for the company the following details must be presented- Name of the Director Andrew Wilson Address of the director 44, Johnson Street, NSW, Australia-1235 Date of Birth 24/07/1983 Place of birth Sydney If the company is limited by shares, there must be preference shareholders who in turn are members of the company. The following details can be given regarding them- Name of the Member Joseph Mines ACN 753922816 Address of the member 8/A, Bentley Road, NSW, Australia-1235 In this case the preference shareholder or the member is a company. Their share details can be showed as follows- Share class code Shares taken up Agreed money to be paid per share ( in $) Total paid up value (in $) Unpaid amount Unpaid money in $ Fully paid Held beneficially ORD 200 20 4000.00 0.00 0.00 yes yes RED 300 10 3000.00 0.00 0.00 yes yes ORD refers to ordinary class of shares. RED refers to redeemable class of shares. According to Corporation act of section 117 there are various regulations of company which is needed to be followed for registering a company[1]. Registration process shows the validity of the company. There are several exemptions as per section 150 of Corporation act which are needed to be remembered by the companys directors and proprietor. The resolution which is special should be declared on the basis of 14 days which is followed under section 233 of corporation act under constitutional rules. There are several replaceable rules of the company which falls under corporation act of section 134 and section 135. The direction which is governed under replaceable acts should be followed with the rules of section 134 of corporation act. The modification of constitutional and replaceable rules is followed under section 135 of Corporation Act of Australia. As per rules of section 135 of Company Act of Australia after 1st July 1988, some of the modifications were made and those rules are followed in a proprietor limited company recently. Many share restrictions of the company is also described and those restriction and right of shareholders falls under section 254A (2) of Corporation Act 2001[5]. Cumulative and non-cumulative dividends with profit and capital repayment process is surplus led in the company as per section 254A (2) (Austlii.edu.au, 2016). Redeem of the liability with various conditions are declared with various regulations under section 254 A (3) of Corporation Act. As per Corporation act these sections rules are needed to be followed and companys regulations are directed by this methods. An organization is governed by its directors on the shareholders behalf according to Section 198A. There are certain onus imposed on the directors according to the Corporation Act 2001 applying to many organizational structures like public organizations and proprietary organizations etc. The powers of an organization are exercised by its directors. The only exception is if the constitution of the organization needs the organization to conduct a general meeting. The general meeting does not give express powers related to the business of the company. Powers of the members include the appointment of the directors and the directors should be paid the total remuneration cap and should be determined by the members of the general meeting. The members should also vote at the meetings of the shareholders and should amend the constitution. They should also amend the constitution and the shareholders should be registered by them. All members should be requested the circulation of a statement. The management of an organization is the responsibility of the members of the general meeting. It is not possible for the organizational business to be managed by the directors without the constitutional clause. A person using a registered trademarks relating to imported goods which are similar to goods respecting to which trademarks are not infringed. According to the Section 191 of the Corporations Act, the material personal interests are revealed to the board and deals with the conflict of the interests. There should be a strict liability for any offenses based on a subsection and the directors of the company have material personal interests relating to the companys affairs. Notice of an interest is given to the directors which arise as the directors are the members of the organization held in common with other members of the company. The proprietary organization as well as the other directors is aware of the extent and nature of interests in relation to the company affairs. The extent and nature of the company are given notice by the directors of the organization. The notice is given to a person who is made the new director of the company. The extent or the nature of the interest has not materially enhanced above the disclosed in the notice. A standing notice of the extent and nature of interest and notice is successful to the interest relation. There is a relation of the interest to the affairs of the organization. A meeting of the directors is as soon as practicable after there is awareness among the directors in the matter. An annual General meeting has its own business including the consideration of the annual financial report, report of the directors and the report of the auditors. It consists of the report of the directors and the auditor, the directors election and the auditors appointment. There is a vote on the resolution which is not binding to the organizational directors. There is a vote on the resolution which cannot be cast on behalf of a member of management personnel detailing the remunerations which are inclusive of the remuneration report. Such member should have a party. By the proxification of the writing specifying the vote on the resolution or the voter being the chair of the meeting or the proxification of the chairman. A vote casting on a persons behalf cast as a proxy of the person and respect the share in respect of which the person has the voting power and the exercising power, a right to vote. According to 250R of the corporation Act 2001 a person cannot cast a vote and company disregards any votes on Resolution 1. Reference list Symon, H,Corporations Act 2001. in , Melbourne, Leo Cussen Institute, 2006. "Corporations Act 2001 - Sect 117". in , , 2016, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s117.html [accessed 22 September 2016]. "Corporations Act 2001 - Sect 134". in , , 2016, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s134.html [accessed 22 September 2016]. "Corporations Act 2001 - Sect 135". in , , 2016, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s135.html [accessed 22 September 2016]. "Corporations Act 2001 - Sect 233". in , , 2016, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s233.html [accessed 22 September 2016]. "Corporations Act 2001 - Sect 254A". in , , 2016, https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ca2001172/s254a.html [accessed 22 September 2016].

The Writing Style of W.E.B. Du Bois Flashcard

The Writing Style of W.E.B. Du Bois

Free Essays on The Passion Of A Storm

The Passion of a Storm â€Å"The Storm,† written by Kate Chopin, opposes the ideas of the late nineteenth century by introducing the fulfillment of a woman’s desires by a man in her position. It shows how the needs and requirements of nature, as well as people, must be satisfied in order to sustain life. Chopin’s use of symbolism displays a connection between an emerging rainstorm and the storm of emotions growing within the individuals Calixta and Alcee. The intensity of their encounter mirrors the pattern of the rainstorm as it builds to a climax of thundering sheets of rain, and then reduces to a mere breeze. The escalation of their affair follows the patterns of the storm that occurs outside. The approaching storm has been brewing for some time, just as the relationship between Calixta and Alcee has. The third person narrator speaks of her appearance to him five years before, and expressed some of her old qualities that still remained. The narrator, alludes to a passionate encounter years ago, â€Å"Do you remember- in Assumption, Calixta†(97). The storm could be seen for miles before it got there; however Calixta does not recognize either of the storms until Alcee approaches her home on his horse. The wind begins to blow. When he speaks to her, there are gusts of wind that try to carry the clothes from the porch, and gusts of memories that carry Calixta back in time. As Alcee decides to stand on the porch, the weather forbids him and the rain forces him inside. He stares at her longingly as the rain clatters upon the shingled roof with a force that threatens to enter and deluge them there (109). Just as the heavy rain and wind tries to break down the barriers of the house to expose the lovers to the elements outside, the barriers between Alcee and Calixta are eroding to expose their inner feelings to the surface and their actions. The barriers they had built within themselves to resist such temptation were slowl... Free Essays on The Passion Of A Storm Free Essays on The Passion Of A Storm The Passion of a Storm â€Å"The Storm,† written by Kate Chopin, opposes the ideas of the late nineteenth century by introducing the fulfillment of a woman’s desires by a man in her position. It shows how the needs and requirements of nature, as well as people, must be satisfied in order to sustain life. Chopin’s use of symbolism displays a connection between an emerging rainstorm and the storm of emotions growing within the individuals Calixta and Alcee. The intensity of their encounter mirrors the pattern of the rainstorm as it builds to a climax of thundering sheets of rain, and then reduces to a mere breeze. The escalation of their affair follows the patterns of the storm that occurs outside. The approaching storm has been brewing for some time, just as the relationship between Calixta and Alcee has. The third person narrator speaks of her appearance to him five years before, and expressed some of her old qualities that still remained. The narrator, alludes to a passionate encounter years ago, â€Å"Do you remember- in Assumption, Calixta†(97). The storm could be seen for miles before it got there; however Calixta does not recognize either of the storms until Alcee approaches her home on his horse. The wind begins to blow. When he speaks to her, there are gusts of wind that try to carry the clothes from the porch, and gusts of memories that carry Calixta back in time. As Alcee decides to stand on the porch, the weather forbids him and the rain forces him inside. He stares at her longingly as the rain clatters upon the shingled roof with a force that threatens to enter and deluge them there (109). Just as the heavy rain and wind tries to break down the barriers of the house to expose the lovers to the elements outside, the barriers between Alcee and Calixta are eroding to expose their inner feelings to the surface and their actions. The barriers they had built within themselves to resist such temptation were slowl...

Becoming Global Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Becoming Global - Coursework Example If the party promises to accept the agreement, the other party must promise to give something in return (Burnett, 2004). A valid offer has a clear communication and is specific and definite in its terms. Considering the above three proposals, the first proposal gives a valid offer. The contractor clearly communicates the terms of her offer. She also gives the time lapse of the offer. The other three offers only communicate the quantity of the product they would produce and the cost of purchasing them. They do not give definite terms of the offer (Moens & Gillies, 2000). Gloria wants to engage in a global business because she wants to expand her business. Her concern is that if she engages in a business with the large retailer supplier, she will have to cut down her costs. However, she should consider other issues. Such issues are the laws of that country, the taxes that she would pay and language issues. She should also consider employing trusted employees for her business to succeed ( Hayward, 2012). Gloria can protect herself and her family from persona liability by obtaining an insurance cover for her business. She can also have some by-laws that would allow another person from the company to act on her behalf (Annabel,

Letter to the Editor Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Letter to the Editor - Essay Example The transmission of the disease occurs on sharing of the needles and syringes. Some drugs abused have effects of do not  care  aspect  coming from the drug abusers. They often  exchange  or share the needles and syringes containing the drugs. In the process of sharing, if one drug user is an HIV positive, the virus will end up spreading to many more users when they share the needles. Therefore, injecting drugs Users  constitute  a health threat to the local population. The main reason why IDUs should be focused is that most are young people.  They  spread  HIV to the rest of the people because they are more sexually active.  This means that the future  generation  will be at risk. HIV sequences  comparison  from newly reported cases amongst injecting drug users  has been used. Similarities of the genome got identified. This sums up that the virus must be circulating among drug users. Other data collected by  clinical  monitoring  are represented  for injecting drug users. HIV among the IDUs has remained a neglected issue. Policies have been many concerning drug control, but the  level  of a country to address HIV among IDUs is extremely  low. In most cases, prevention services  are limited. IDUs  get  no care or support from any source even when the funding of the HIV prevention measures got put into consideration. My main  objective  in this letter is to come up with an appealing solution to help curb this problem of HIV amongst IDUs (W.H.O., 2004). It is not necessary to stigmatise anyone as the cause of this but  rather  focus on the risk and take appropriate health  action  to  stop  the spread of the virus. Recent studies show that the IDUs remains excluded from the anti retroviral  therapy  and even basic care. To solve this problem, we need a multi combination of methods to at least be  effective. This  guide  is put  down for all institutions, individuals and

Heat and temperature Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Heat and temperature - Coursework Example As the kinetic theory of matter deals with the speed of particles of matter then the determination of particle speed can help us to study the kinetic theory of matter in greater detail. Therefore, the study of heat helps us to study the kinetic theory of matter. Heat is a form of energy that is transferred from one body to another in a system. When a warmer body is placed along a colder body, the heat from the warmer body will tend to go to the colder body. This process will continue until the energy of both systems becomes equal. (Reif, 2000) There are three modes of heat transfer better known as conduction, convection and radiation. Heat energy is important as it has direct relation to the physical state of a system. The addition of heat energy excites the particles present in a system. This enhances their random motion. Similarly, the removal of heat energy depresses the particles in a system which decreases their random motion. Temperature is a measurement that helps to quantify just how hot or cold a system is. Like other forms of measurement, the temperature scale is relative too. Temperature is used to measure just how much heat is being talked about. (Chang, 2004) Temperature helps to classify is there is some difference in heat between two bodies. This difference can be used to estimate the amount of heat transfer that will occur between both systems. Heat as already mentioned is a representation of the state of particle’s motion in a system. However, the speed of particles cannot be judged from one particle to the other. Therefore, there had to be some method of measuring the heat contained in a system. When a system contains heat, the particles in the system display random motion. This random motion is dealt with as the kinetic energy of the system. The speed of the particles and their weight are used to express the kinetic energy of a system. The total kinetic energy of a system is the heat content that resides in the system. This heat can be measured in reference to temperature. Temperature expresses the average measure of the heat contained in a system. Temperature expresses the willingness of a system to transfer heat energy if placed along a system with lower heat energy. Therefore, temperature is a method of measuring the total heat content of a system. (Kittel & Kroemer, 1980) Often heat and temperature are assumed to be one and same. However this concept is entirely false. Heat represents the total of a certain kind of energy possessed by a system. The temperature is only a method of measuring this energy possessed by the system. For example, if there were water standing in a pool which represented heat, then the measurement of its depth would be equivalent to temperature. Therefore, heat is a property possessed by a body while temperature is a measure of that body. Heat is possessed by all systems to varying degrees and is transferred by all systems to varying degrees too. However, the amount of heat retained by a system and the amount of heat transferred by a system vary in large part from one material to another. As an example, it is known that metals are good at the transfer of heat and insulators such as rubber are bad at transferring heat. The tendency of a body to both retain and transfer heat can be measured and expressed as well. This is also considered to be a property of the body and is known better as the â€Å"

Examining The Concept Of Motion Capture Film Studies Essay

Examining The Concept Of Motion Capture Film Studies Essay MoCap technology has revolutionary technology quickly, especially technologies that use in movie and games industries, MoCap has come a critical role in the creation of animation as smooth as real. The report will begin mentioned about MoCap technology such as what it is , How it useful , and Who will use this type of technology to bring more understanding to the readers. After that the report will focus on the Weta digital, a world s leading film studios which has continued to develop MoCap technology until it is highly successful. Nowadays, MoCap is use in many famous movies such as many characters in Beowulf, alien characters in District 9, character Gollum in Lord of the Rings trilogy, a giant gorilla named Kong in King Kong, and etc. And for more knowing about MoCap, so that Avatar , an epic movie which had the most gorgeous computer graphic (CG) details, was chosen for being an example of the latest evolution of MoCap. Besides, this movie was greatly well-known and also influences the revolution of film industry explicitly as well. WHAT IS MOCAP? MoCap is an abbreviation of Motion Capture; this technology is a process by which movement is digitally recorded. The technique was originally used for military tracking purposes and in sports as a tool for biomechanics research which focused on the mechanical functioning of the body, like how the heart and muscles work and move. In the last twenty-five years, motion capture has become an essential tool in the entertainment business, giving computer animators the ability to make non-human characters more life-like. Its a technology used in animated films and television as well as video games. Historically, MoCap in animated movies was created using an extension of the rotoscoping technique. In this technique, an actor is filmed making certain movements or gestures while wearing markers on specific points of his or her body. Each marker in each frame of film is then manually encoded into the computer. As animation software improved, it became possible to apply an algorithm to the markers that attach them to a 3D object, creating what is now called motion capture. MoCap can be categorized by their four primary input methods which are Prosthetic, Acoustic, Magnetic, and Optical method. 1. Prosthetic (or mechanical) method: This is one of the early methods for capturing the motion from various parts of human anatomy. These methods include simple on/off type of motion detection systems as well as complex motion tracking systems. The latter type of prosthetic motion capture could be an ideal approach if it wasn t for the complex mechanical requirements and the performance-inhibiting qualities generally associated with such designs. However, the type of data provided could be clean rotational data collected in real time without any occlusion problems. This method is based on a set of armatures which must be attached all over the performer s body. The armatures are then connected to each other by using a series of rotational and linear encoders. These encoders are then connected to an interface that can simultaneously read all the encoders in order to prevent data skewing. Finally, through a set of trigonometry functions, the performer s motion can be analyzed. These de sign restrictions seem to be quite difficult to overcome, and will probably limit the use of these type of devices for character animation. 2. Acoustic method: Acoustic capture is another method currently used for performance capture. This method involves the use of a triad of audio receivers. An array of audio transmitters is strapped to various parts of the performers body. The transmitters are sequentially triggered to output a click and each receiver measures the time it takes for the sound to travel from each transmitter. The calculated distance of the three receivers is triangulated to provide a point in 3D space. An inherent issue with this approach is the sequential nature of the position data it creates. In general, we would like to see a snap shot of the performer s skeletal position rather than a time skewed data stream. This position data is typically applied to an inverse kinematics system(1) which in turn drives an animated skeleton. One of the big advantages of this method is the lack of occlusion problems normally associated with optical systems. However, there seems to be several negative factors associated with this method that may or may not impede its use. First, there is the fact that the cables can be a hindrance to various types of performances. Second, the current systems do not support enough transmitters to accurately capture the personality of the performance. Third is the size of the capture area, which is limited by the speed of sound in air and the number of transmitters. In addition, the accuracy of this approach can sometimes be affected by spurious sound reflections. 3. Magnetic method: This is a popular method used for performance capture. Magnetic capture involves the use of a centrally located transmitter, and a set of receivers which are strapped on to various parts of the performer s body. These receivers are capable of measuring their spatial relationship to the transmitter. Each receiver is connected to an interface that can be synchronized so as to prevent data skew. The resulting data stream consists of 3D positions and orientations for each receiver. This data is typically applied to an inverse kinematics system to drive an animated skeleton. This magnetic approach shares the same lack of occlusion problems with the audio method. But it also shares the same negative factors such as the hindrance of cables, lack of sufficient receivers and the limited capture area. In addition, being magnetic the system is affected by any sizable areas of metal in the vicinity of the capture area, such as girders, posts, etc. 4. Optical method: Optical systems have become quite popular over the last couple of years. These systems can offer the performer the most freedom of movement since they do not require any cabling. Optical systems incorporate directionally-reflective balls referred to as markers which attach to the performer. Optical systems require at least three video cameras, each of which is equipped with a light source that is aligned to illuminate the field of view for that camera. Each camera is in turn connected to a synchronized frame buffer(2). The computer is presented with each camera view in order to calculate a 3D position of each marker; the resulting data stream therefore consists of 3D position data for each marker. This data is typically applied to an inverse kinematics system, to animate a skeleton. One typical problem with optical systems is the fact that it is quite easy for the performer to occlude, or hide, one or more markers thus creating holes in the data stream. Adding more cameras and/or more markers can minimize this occlusion problem. However, adding more cameras makes tracking each marker more complex, resulting in increased CPU time. Increasing the number of markers can result in exponentially increasing the confusion factor, i.e. keeping track of which marker is which. Optical systems are also limited by the resolution of the cameras and the sophistication of their tracking software. >> http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-motion-capture-technology.htm >> http://vizproto.prism.asu.edu/classes/sp03/motioncapture.htm WHO USES MOCAP? Films: MoCap is being used more and more in films nowadays. MoCap based animation is essential for creating characters that move realistically, in situations that would be impractical or too dangerous for real actors (such as characters falling off the ship in Titanic. MoCap was also used extensively in Titanic for filler characters (fit in between real actors) or in situations with virtual camera fly-bys over a virtual ship. Many of these shots would have been difficult or impossible to do with real cameras and a real ship, or real models, so virtual models, actors, and cameras were used. Some film characters require the use of MoCap, otherwise their animation seems unreality. More and more independent companies are starting to put together desktop studios The idea of two or three people creating an entire movie isnt that far off, if MoCap is used correctly. The Gypsy(3) is ideal for small and large shops. MoCap animation can be done very quickly and inexpensively, without scheduling expe nsive motion capture sessions in a studio. Games: Game development is the largest market for MoCap. With games drawing as much revenue as movies, it is easy to see why game development often calls for enormous quantities of MoCap. The immense competition to produce the coolest game possible (thus becoming a top-seller hopefully) means that greater production capabilities mean higher quality. More time is left for aesthetic finishing touches and fine-tuning of game play. Generally there are two main types of 3D character animation used in games: Real-time playback vs. cinematics. Real-time allows the game player to choose from pre-created moves, thus controlling the characters moves in real-time. Cinematics are the fully rendered movies used for intros and cut-scenes. Often the last part of game production, or a process that is sub-contracted to a separate studio, cinematics are generally not essential to game-play, but do add a lot of appeal to the game, and help immensely with story development and mood generation. Video and TV Performance Animation: Real-time motion is becoming popular for live television broadcasts. MoCap can be used to place a virtual character within a real scene, or to place live actors within a virtual scene with virtual actors, or virtual characters within a virtual scene. MoCap for real-time broadcast requires mock-ups of any non-standard physiology (big stomachs, tails, etc.) to keep the performers motions from causing the characters limbs to interpenetrate its body. Joint moving limits on the shoulders and knees. A real-time adaptation feature such as Film BOX Animations real-time motion mapping (from the performers skeleton to a different proportioned characters skeleton) is essential when the characters body is very different from the actors body. When combining a live elements with virtual elements the real and virtual cameras must share the same properties (perspective, focal length, depth of field, etc.) otherwise the illusion looks strange. Post-Production for Ongoing Series: MoCap for ongoing series is becoming very popular. Creating a weekly show without MoCap invariably causes shows to be late or production studios to go bankrupt. Having an efficient MoCap pipeline is essential to the success of an ongoing character animation based series. Web: MoCap is ideal for the web, whether used to create virtual hosts or greeting cards. As the web becomes more sophisticated and bandwidth(4) increases, MoCap will help bring a human element to the web, in the form of characters that viewers can relate to and interact with. Live Events: MoCap generated Performance Animation can be thought of as Improvisation meets Computer Graphics (CG) . At trade shows, meetings or press conferences, a good improviser acting through a CG character in real-time can create a very intriguing lasting experience for the viewer. Integration with live actors further helps create a fascinating experience. Scientific Research: MoCap is useful for perceptual research. By presenting test subjects with abstract movements, distilled from motion capture data, repeatable experiments can be developed that provide insights into human perception. Biomechanical Analysis: Biomechanical analysis for rehabilitation purposes relies extensively on MoCap, for its ability to produce repeatable results. MoCap can be used to measure the extent of a clients disability as well as a clients progress with rehabilitation. MoCap can also help in effective design of prosthetic devices. Engineering: MoCap is essential for producing product designs that are ergonomically practical, as well as designs for physical products that are comfortable and appealing. Even though there are restrictions of these systems. Optical systems are easily occluded and require a large distance between the subject and the cameras. Magnetic systems have major problems with metal in the capture space. Education: MoCap training can make a huge difference in an animators training. While access to MoCap is not a substitute for developing good art skills and good traditional character animation abilities, it can go a long way towards making someone more employable. Virtual Reality (VR): MoCap is indispensable for VR training applications. It makes for much better immersion than using a joystick or a positional handle. >> http://vizproto.prism.asu.edu/classes/sp03/motioncapture.htm TECHNOLOGIES IN FILM BEFORE BECOMING MOCAP 1971: Metadata An experimental 2D animated short by Peter Foldes drawn on a data tablet, who used the worlds first key frame animation software, invented by Nestor Burtnyk and Marceli Wein. 1973: Westworld First use of 2D computer animation in a significant entertainment feature film. The point of view of Yul Brynners gunslinger was achieved with raster graphics. 1976: Futureworld First use of 3D computer graphics for animated hand and face. Used 2D digital compositing to materialize characters over a background. 1977: Star Wars First use of an animated 3D wire-frame graphic for the trench run briefing sequence. 1981: Looker First CGI human character, Cindy. First use of shaded 3D CGI as we think of it today. 1981: Wolfen First use of in-camera effect for thermal vision sequence (see Predator). 1982: Tron Extensive use (15 min. fully computer generated) of 3D CGI including the famous Light Cycle sequence. Also includes very early facial animation (for the Master Control Program). 1983: Rock Rule First animated film to use computer graphics. 1985: Tony de Peltrie First CGI-animated human character to express emotion through his face and body language. 1985: Young Sherlock Holmes Lucasfilm creates the first photorealistic CGI character, stained glass knight with 10 seconds of screentime. 1986: Labyrinth First realistic CGI animal. 1987: Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future First TV series to include characters modeled entirely with computers. 1990: Total Recall Use of motion capture for CGI characters. 1990: RoboCop 2 First use of real-time computer graphics or digital puppetry to create a character in a motion picture. 1991: Terminator 2: Judgment Day First realistic human movements on a CGI character. First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3D effects. 1993: Quarxs First broadcast series of animated CGI shorts. 1993: Jurassic Park First photorealistic CG creatures. 1993: Insektors First computer animated TV series. First use of character animation in a computer animated television series. 1994: ReBoot First full-length computer animated TV series. 1994: Radioland Murders First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors. 1995: Casper First CGI lead character in feature-length film (preceded Toy Story by six months). First CGI characters to interact realistically with live actors. 1995: Toy Story First CGI feature-length animation. 1997: Marvin the Martian in 3D First computer animated movie viewed with 3D glasses. 1999: Fight Club First realistic close-up of detailed facial deformation on a synthetic human. 2001: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within First feature-length digital film to be made based on photorealism and live action principles. 2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring First use of AI for digital actors (using the Massive software developed by Weta Digital). 2003: The Matrix Reloaded The Burly Brawl the first use of Universal Capture, the combination of dense (rather than point-based) motion capture and per-frame texture capture. 2003: Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy First photorealistic motion captured character for a film, Gollum was also the first digital actor to win an award (BFCA), category created for Best Digital Acting Performance 2004: The Polar Express First CGI movie that used motion capture for all actors. 2009: Avatar First full length movie made using performance-capture to create photo-realistic 3D characters and a feature a fully CG 3D photo-realistic world. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_CGI_in_film_and_television WETA DIGITAL: THE WORLD LEADER OF CG STUDIOS Weta Digital is a world leading visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. They provide a full suite of digital production services for feature films and high end commercials, from concept design to cutting edge 3D animation. Weta was formed in 1993 by a group of young New Zealand filmmakers including Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk. It later split into two specialized halves Weta Digital (digital effects) and Weta Workshop (physical effects). One of Weta s first projects was to provide visual effects for Peter Jackson s film Heavenly Creatures. They went on to work digital magic on Peter s blockbuster movies The Lord of the Rings trilogy and King Kong. And they also work with other Hollywood directors, providing digital effects for box office hits like I, Robot, X-Men: The Last Stand, Eragon, Bridge to Terabithia, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, The Water Horse, Jumper, The Day the Earth Stood Still, District 9 and The Lovely Bones. Moreover, their teams of digital artists are world-leaders in all areas of visual effects production, including animation, motion capture (MoCap), crowd generation, modeling, compositing, and film scanning and recording. In August 2006, Weta signed on to help James Cameron, a world famous director, to produce Avatar. Production design for the film took several years. The film had two different production designers, and two separate art departments, one of which focused on the flora and fauna of Pandora, and another that created human machines and human factors. In September 2006, Weta was developing and combining its technologies with Cameron s technologies to reach a new level of creative and technological excellence, delivering the film in 3D. This combination renders a great CGI(5) power to both Weta and Cameron through all the process in making an epic movie like Avatar. Most recently James Cameron s Avatar had proven that Weta was the CGI professional. This leaded Weta to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Their work on the film involved using a new camera system and shooting on a virtual stage. Finally, Weta s reputation was spread throughout the world for the power of creativity and delivery which keeps them in high demand with some of the world s leading film studios and up until now there are very least of the visual effect companies that can match Weta CGI creating potential. >> http://www.wetafx.co.nz/about/ >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar_(2009_film) MOCAP AVATAR Each of Cameron s film introduces new technologies that change the way people make films. Avatar is the end result of the successful combination of a great talented director and a world class visual effect creator like Weta. Avatar making process step over the limit of the recent film making which supported by the innovation of the two new types of cameras which are the 3D Fusion camera and the Simul-Cam virtual camera, both of them are served as the part of MoCap. 3D Fusion camera: This camera is used for match-move, where you have motion capture CG characters and have to match their moves to composite them into an established shot. There are micro-motors on the Fusion rig to adjust the separation and convergence angle of the stereo Sony F950 cameras. The standard three lens functions of zoom, focus, and iris, plus interocular distance(6) and convergence are all under software machine control. Beam splitters provide the capability of having an interocular of half an inch even though the cameras are four inches wide. The cameras are mounted in the Fusion rig at a 90-degree angle. Simul-Cam virtual camera: A virtual camera with a series of super high intensity LED lighting system that fires off the LEDs in sync with the motion capture cameras running at 20 microsecond exposures, and these active LED markers on the Pace rigs. Therefore, this virtual camera would see the markers, but not see any of the bright live action stage lighting or even the sun, this mean Simul-Cam virtual camera can eradicate a great weakness of an original motion capture camera. >> http://hdusermagazine.com/wordpress/?p=12 The great benefit that can obviously seen while using MoCap in Avatar is its capability in capture a realistic movement of various types of object such as human, animal, and etc. Because all of the creatures and some humanoid characters like Na vi tribe in Avatar are based on an imagination of James Cameron, to shot those creatures by recording their reality life like many other movies did is impossible and almost impossible if the animator have to do every movement of all Na vi tribe characters and creatures in this movie by using only their high speed computers and mouse as well. Moreover, the realistic movement that recording by MoCap technology can persuade people to believe that if there are such kinds of those living things exist in the real world they must live in the same way as they did in film. Besides, there are many flexible way of using MoCap technology to match the diversity of users purpose, this is why MoCap is the best answer for making Avatar. WHICH DEVELOPMENT DIRECTION OF THE MOCAP IS HEADED? The uses of each type of MoCap usually depend on the motion data needed in each type of industry. Thus, the trends of each type of MoCap development are also difference. For example, in the film industry, a lot of research going into optical MoCap due to its flexibility and acceptable quality data while other industry investing in the development of other MoCap type seem to be a better choice due to the higher quality data but have some other restrictions. However, all type of MoCap future development is sharing some similar trends which are as followed: ? Every people in each area of using MoCap expect that this technology can provide them the result with a great accuracy (or quality); including improved physical abilities, so that characters can touch each other and feet meet solidly on the ground. This expectation directly affects the trend of the MoCap and all of the technologies evolution as well. ? When groups of performers are captured simultaneously, the number of polygons available to be digitized for each performer is decreased. Therefore, image quality will also reduce. Many MoCap manufacturer try to solve this problem and make MoCap to grow its ability to capture data from multiple characters. ? For better capturing details, MoCap s preview speed tend to drop down rapidly. Improving the speed of MoCap technology will provide a better use for the consumers. ? Capturing space or so called volume of MoCap is too narrow for a big project like capturing a big group of performers, so that increasing in volume will increase the value of MoCap technology. ? MoCap manufacturing cost is still too high which resulting in MoCap market price is very expensive. If manufacturers can lower the cost, so that consumers and independent artists can easy to access and experiment or even expand the technology much faster. >> http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/papers/furniss.html INDEX (1) Inverse kinematics: It is the process of determining the parameters of a jointed flexible object such as joints of creature models including humanoid type in order to achieve a desired pose. Inverse kinematics is a type of motion planning. Inverse kinematics are also relevant to game programming and 3D animation, where a common use is making sure 3D characters connect physically to the world, such as feet landing firmly on top of terrain. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverse_kinematics (2) Frame buffer: It is a video output device that drives a video display from a memory buffer containing a complete frame of data. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framebuffer (3) The Gypsy: It was the worlds first Inertial Gyroscopic Motion Capture System (Gypsy) . Gypsy was able to capture movement using inertial sensors or gyros attached to lycra suit, it records simultaneous action and reaction of performance. It uses 19 customized Inertia Cube (TM) gyroscopic sensors for detecting nuance of movement and optimizing data output, while global translation system promotes precision of actor positioning and can be enhanced by addition of optional ultrasonic tracking technology. System also allows actors to touch or hug without occlusion. >> http://news.thomasnet.com/fullstory/528380 (4) Bandwidth: bandwidth is often used as a synonym for data transfer rate the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second). >> http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid200_gci211634,00.html (5) CGI: It is a short term of Computer-Generated Imagery, this is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media. Video games usually use real-time computer graphics (rarely referred to as CGI), but may also include pre-rendered cut scenes and intro movies (or full motion videos) that would be typical CGI applications. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-generated_imagery (6) Interocular distance: The distance between the centers of rotation of the eyeballs of an individual or between the oculars of optical instruments. >> http://www.thefreedictionary.com/interocular+distance

Comparing The Scarlet Letter and Long Black Veil :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing The Scarlet Letter and Long Black Veil      Ã‚  Ã‚   The song, "Long Black Veil", written by Johnny Cash has many similar elements to The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Both have to do with the sin of adultery that ends up hurting the characters in the stories. In "Long Black Veil" a man is convicted of a murder because he cannot provide an alibi for the night that another man was killed. It turns out that the night of the murder, this man had been "in the arms of his best friend's wife." The man ends up being executed while the woman punishes herself for not saving his life by wearing a long black veil. "Long Black Veil" and The Scarlet Letter both demonstrate how secrets can destroy one's life. This theme is shown through the sin of adultery, the punishments that the characters go through and the symbolism of the long black veil and the scarlet letter.    The original sin of adultery is what starts the events that end up ruining the characters' lives. "Come up hither, Hester, thou and little Pearl...Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together!" (p. 133). Though it is never said out in the open, you come to the realization that Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have committed the sin of adultery and when Hester becomes pregnant, she is convicted for that sin. "I'd been in the arms of my best friend's / wife" The man and his best friend's wife also commit the sin of adultery and when he cannot give an alibi to a judge because he does not want anyone to know where he was that night, he is convicted for murder and executed. Adultery is what ends up destroying the characters lives because none except for Hester are willing to admit to the sin of adultery.    The punishments that the characters must undergo are worsened by the fact that they do not tell the whole truth. Hester has been found guilty of adultery but when she is asked to tell whom it was that she committed the sin with she refuses saying "Never.

PHI Summative Assessment

Introduction Health is defined as the stage of being physically, mentally and socially sound. To elaborate, health is both the inner and outer state, the stage of being free of diseases, the state of the soul, being more optimistic and not giving up in any kind of difficulties.(Manni, 2009). Health promotion is an important and crucial factor that is required to develop a healthy society. It can be defined as the process of making of people aware about their health, understand the risk factors associated with adverse health effects, as well as educating people and implementing a wide range of social and environmental interventions to improve their health and encouraging them to live a healthy life (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Promoting health through interpersonal relationship is an endeavour to take control of an individual’s health determinant which includes social behaviour, economic and environmental conditions. This involves a health professional with the knowledge, attitude and the skil ls to influence clients through communication on how to improve their health and maintain a productive life. (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Thus health professionals play a central role in uplifting individual’s health status. For instance, health care professionals can make people aware about the risks associated with smoking and alcohol, risk of practising unsafe sex, risk associated with high fat and calorie rich diet etc. In this report, the factors that may influence individual’s health, concept, attitude and behaviour are highlighted. Furthermore, the role of social and health workers in improving individual’s health and well being are reviewed. The health professional with self awareness and interpersonal skills can effectively communicate with people to achieve therapeutic benefits. Also, they can educate and inform people to achieve a positive outcome of holistic health using the fundamental aspect of care. Overall, the goal of therapeutic communication is t o help clients talk about and resolve their feelings and problems related to health, illness, treatments, and nursing care (Craven & Hirnle, 2007). This main of this assignment is to analyse the interaction between a social worker and a pregnant service user (a mother named Kim) who was a drug and alcohol dependant, and as a result of her addiction, her three children from the previous relationship were taken away from her care. This is because, she was found irresponsible about her children and was not providing enough care and support to her children. Factors that affected Kim’s way of living and its affect on her life and health There are several factors that may influence an individual concept of health which include, psychological and lifestyle issues. This was evidenced in the DVD clip of â€Å"Someone To Watch Over Me†, where it was witnessed that the drug and alcohol addiction made her to neglect her own children, and as a result, they were removed from her care by social services. In the DVD, it was also shown that she was expecting a fourth child with a new partner, Adam who had mental health issues. In this example, it was evidenced that Kim’s lifestyle choices, i.e. her way of living her life, made her the alcohol and drug addict. This had a significant impact on her family life. Moreover, the influence of the society could have been another major factor that would have pushed her to adopt the lifestyle she was living. The societal factors that could have contributed to Kim’s way of living life could be the kind of people living in her society, their educational and economic bac kground The consequences of all these influencing factors directly made an impact on her ability to look after her children, as well as her is a her ability to cope with the demands of her children. The effects of Kim’s way of living can also have serious consequences on Kim’s health. It is now well established that alcohol increases the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by the biochemical process known as lipid peroxidation. This increases the level of free radicals in the circulation leading to the formation of atherosclerotic plague. Similarly smoking clogs the arterial flow of blood and leads to ischemia (Laslett, et.al. 2012). Thus, her tendency to smoke alarmingly increases her risk of acquiring coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and respiratory disease. Substance abuse-involving drugs, and alcohol, or both- are associated with a range of destructive social conditions, financial problems, lost productivity, failure in school, domestic violence, child abuse, and crime (Health people.gov). To conclude, the impact of Kim’s way of living life can be really big and can bring serious consequences to her personal and social life. According to research, the risk factors associated with substance misuse can result in mental health and behavioural issues which were also evidenced in Kim’s lifestyle (Vivancos, et.al. 2013). Other research have indicated the link between coronary heart disease and various psychological factors including stress, depression, lack of social support and anger (Stansfied and Marmot, 2001; Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Although these links are yet to be established fully, these factors may encourage people to involve in drug, alcohol and smoking additions which are found to have direct links with heart attack, stroke, cancer, respiratory diseases. The impact of these factors on Kim’s unborn baby also cannot be neglected. As stated earlier, Kim’s current partner had a history of mental healt h illness, which although is manageable, can be hereditary and transfer to her unborn baby through her partner. Nurnberger, et.al (2003) suggested a genetic relationship between depression and alcohol dependence in some families. In the study they found that both alcoholism and depression can be genetically transmitted having a direct effect on the offspring. This can affect the baby’s personal and mental development, which can affect the baby’s development throughout the life. More so, prenatal and perinatal risk factors have been associated generally with behaviour problems in children. Maternal substance use, specifically smoking during pregnancy and persistence smoking during and after pregnancy, has been associated with conduct disorder in girls and boys (Romans & Seeman, 2006). Although Kim’s lifestyle choices may have been influenced by her social and community network, however, Kim lacked social and community support. She wasan unemployed full time mother who was unable to cope with the demands of her three children on her own. She did not seem to have a social support network from her friends or family to assist her with her three children before they were removed by social services. She had no educational backgrounds and not aware of social support network available which could have educated and supported her in dealing with issues relating to her health. Based on the video clip, these are other reasons why she might have started taking excessive drugs, alcohol and smoking as coping mechanism. Culture is both influencing and influenced by universal values, emotions and feelings that people may share across different groups within the same culture or in some cases, across cultures (Peace and Corps, 2011). Although the direct role of culture on Kim ’s way of living was difficult to predict, considering the definition by Peace and Corps, it might have influenced her either directly or indirectly. Impact of Kim’s way of living on her children Kim’s lifestyle could not only be a risk to her health, experiencing such event can also be a danger to her children’s future. It can have a major impact on the psychology her children if they see their mother’s way of living her life, which can also impact the lifestyle they might choose to live and may also encourage them to copy the same way of living. The idea that early childhood experience have long-term implications is not new; what is new, however, is the emerging understanding of how early childhood experience can influence biology of the developing child in ways that can influence health, well-being and competence decades later (Hertzman, 1999). Role of a health professional/or a nurse in addressing the issues of Kim and her unborn child The health professional caseload includes the substance misuse, Kim and her partner, Adam’s mental health issues. This is because, these issues put the unborn child in a significant risk of adverse health consequences. As a health professional, a nurse’s duty would be to address Kim’s health and development issues before and after the delivery of the child]. Another issue the nurse can face in Kim’s case could be lack of co-operation during the delivery of the service. There could arise the issues of stress as the nurse can be in fear that her client might not cooperate in the set agreements that would be required while giving her the health service. In Kim’s case, despite the risk, the health professional decided not to put the unborn baby on the child protection register and had empathised with them by giving them a second chance to prove they can be good parents by educating and monitoring them. She was also concerned regarding the risks involved during the trial if anything would happen to the baby. This was the big decision that was made, considering the fact that Kim had been a drug and alcohol addict which also resulted the loss of her right to look after her children and Adam, who had mental health illness. . However, making decisions like this was a part of her role because it involved educating her clients to take charge of their lives and health. Her decision is also supported by the guideline provided by public health agency (2009), which state that a fundamental aspect of health promotion is to empower people to have more control over aspects of their lives that affects their health. and enable them to live individually, socially, and economically productive lives. Discussion and Conclusion The DVD clip â€Å"Someone to Watch over Me† portrayed some health risk associated with each character’s lifestyle. Kim was addicted to drug, alcohol and smoking that made her totally irrepsobile towards her children, and thus, were ultimately taken away from her custody. There are other studies that have suggested the similar risk associated with chronic use of drugs and alcohol. Morales (2013) suggested alcohol dependence as a risk factor that can result in suicidal attempt. Furthermore, it suggested that chronic alcohol and drug intake is associated with mental illness such as depression and anxiety. It further suggested that excessive alcohol intake can decrease the person’s self control ability and common sense, thus putting them in a singnificant risk of harming themselves or even creating thoughts of suicidal activities. It was witnessed that children were kept under her custody were starting, and the level of personal hygiene and sanitation was below the standard. The children looked dirty and all them appeared confused, which clearly showed the lack of care and management from their mother. The reason behind this is quite understandable, which is also explained by Craven and Hirnle (2007). They explained the term â€Å"dehumanization† as the process of depriving a person’s personality, spirit, privacy, and other human qualities., whichleads to a stage where an individual neglects the individuality, ignore their specific needs and fail to recognize the importance of their care to the loved onces.To solve the health and social issues associated with Kim and Adam’s conditions, there were objectives set by the health professional with an aim to improving their conditions. A second chance was given where they had to agree upon certain thing in oder to have a fourth child. She and her partner Adam would have to follow a set of rules and sign an agreement to be closely monitored due to Kim’s past irresponsible behaviour However, this decision raised concern to Kim because she had feared that her unborn baby might be taken away from her by the social service care because she had previously failed to manage her three children due to drug and alcohol misuse. Drug and alcohol misuse ruined her life as she went on to lose her all three children as their grown up in extremely miserable condition with lack of food and sanitation. Alchol and drug abuse was the main culprit behind this, which as well affected her health. He had developed a self-reactive and self-destructive over the course of time with chronic abuse of drug and alcohol. The correlation between such behaviours and alcohol and drug abuse was also explained by Morales (2013), and thus, corroborated with Kim’s condition. Although Kim agreed on the certain conditions in order to have a fourth child, however, the decision can be challenging to Kim. Although, she decided to give up her previous way of living her life, to abruptly quit alcohol and drug is not easy and would require a great level of commitment from Kim itself. Health care professionals can help Kim in many ways to bring her back to a normal stage from where she and her newly born child can live a better quality of life In the DVD, Kim was witnessed smoking with her partner. Thus suggested that Kim was still unaware of the adverse health effects the smoking can induce during pregnancy.. One immediate action Kim should take was to quit smoking as she was in her final stage of pregnancy. Smoking in such stage could affect to herself, as well as her unborn child. The child might also be affected after the birth as the effect of smoking can persist longer even after the birth of the child. Communication could be an effective approach to deal w ith Kim’s condition in building a bridge between a health professional and Kim towards an aspect of achieving a positive progress in her health. References Accessed: December 2013 Bhopal (2007) Bhopal R S. Ethnicity, race and health in multicultural societies. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007. Craven, R. F. & Hirnle, C. J. (2007). Textbooks of Basic Nursing: Caroline Bunker Rosdalh Mary T. Kowalski 9 Edition. 2008 Craven, R. F., & Hirnle, C. J. (2012). Fundamental of nursing: Human health and function (7th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: LippinCott William & Wilkins. Depatment of work and pensions. Household below average income statistics.London: Department of work pension; 2005. Keating D, Hertman C editors (1999). Developing health and the wealth of nations. Social biological and educational dynamics. New York: the Guildford press. Laslett, L.J., Alagona, P.,Jr, Clark, B.A.,3rd, Drozda, J.P.,Jr, Saldivar, F., Wilson, S.R., Poe, C. & Hart, M. 2012, â€Å"The worldwide environment of cardiovascular disease: prevalence, diagnosis, therapy, and policy issues: a report from the American College of Cardiology†, Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 60, no. 25 Suppl, pp. S1-49. Marmot M, Wilkinson R G 2006 (eds) Social determinant of health, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, Oxford. An overview of factors known to affect health including unemployment, work and social support. Morales, J.C. (2013). Suicide: A permanent decision to a passing problem. United States of America. Palibrio. Copyright. Naidoo J, Wills J 2009 Foundation for health promotion. Page last updated: Thursday, June 06, 2013. Promoting Health: A Practical Guide by Ina Simnett, Linda Ewles Stansfield & Marmot 2001 cited in foundation of health promotion Naidoo Jane and Jane willis 2009 Vivancos, R., Abubakar, I., Phillips-Howard, P. & Hunter, P.R. 2013, â€Å"School-based sex education is associated with reduced risky sexual behaviour and sexually transmitted infections in young adults†, Public health, vol. 127, no. 1, pp. 53-57. Www. Healthypeople.gov/2020/lhi/substanceabuse.aspx?tab=overview Www.health promotionagency.org.uk/ Healthpromotion/Health/section 2.htm. Accessed: December 2013.

Free Essays on Effects of Princess Dianas Death

Effects of Princess Diana’s Death Diana, Princess of Wales, died on August 31, 1997, at only 36 years old. Why does society grieve so much over someone they have never known, or spoken to? (Kruh 1F). Diana was a known celebrity not only because of her unexpected death, but also for the good deeds she served for society. This death has affected her family, businesses, and society. Diana started out towards her role as princess when she was born, July 1, 1961, in Sandringham Norfolk, England. Diana was the youngest of Earl Spencer and wife, Frances. Her parent’s marriage ended in divorce when she was still young. She lived with her father along with her brother and two sisters. As far as school, she was sent off to a boarding school in Norfolk, and finished her education in Switzerland. She then took on a part time job as a kindergarten teacher in England. Shortly after she began teaching she met future husband, Prince Charles (â€Å"Diana†Brittanica). On February 24, 1981, the royal family made it known that Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were engaged (Leete-Hodge 41). Even though the couple was excited about their future together, the royal family though that Diana was much too young for Charles, being 31 at the time, and Diana only 19. Soon after the two married, Diana gave birth to Prince William on the 21st of June, 1982. Then came the birth of their second son, Prince Henry (Harry) on the 15th of September 1984 (â€Å"Diana†Brittanica). During her early stages of pregnancy with William, she developed severe depression and soon after his birth became bulimic. This was happening to her because she was unable to go out in public and do the things she could do before becoming the princess. The depression continued for several years due to marriage problems. She discovered that she was not in love with the same man she married. They had both gro... Free Essays on Effects of Princess Diana's Death Free Essays on Effects of Princess Diana's Death Effects of Princess Diana’s Death Diana, Princess of Wales, died on August 31, 1997, at only 36 years old. Why does society grieve so much over someone they have never known, or spoken to? (Kruh 1F). Diana was a known celebrity not only because of her unexpected death, but also for the good deeds she served for society. This death has affected her family, businesses, and society. Diana started out towards her role as princess when she was born, July 1, 1961, in Sandringham Norfolk, England. Diana was the youngest of Earl Spencer and wife, Frances. Her parent’s marriage ended in divorce when she was still young. She lived with her father along with her brother and two sisters. As far as school, she was sent off to a boarding school in Norfolk, and finished her education in Switzerland. She then took on a part time job as a kindergarten teacher in England. Shortly after she began teaching she met future husband, Prince Charles (â€Å"Diana†Brittanica). On February 24, 1981, the royal family made it known that Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were engaged (Leete-Hodge 41). Even though the couple was excited about their future together, the royal family though that Diana was much too young for Charles, being 31 at the time, and Diana only 19. Soon after the two married, Diana gave birth to Prince William on the 21st of June, 1982. Then came the birth of their second son, Prince Henry (Harry) on the 15th of September 1984 (â€Å"Diana†Brittanica). During her early stages of pregnancy with William, she developed severe depression and soon after his birth became bulimic. This was happening to her because she was unable to go out in public and do the things she could do before becoming the princess. The depression continued for several years due to marriage problems. She discovered that she was not in love with the same man she married. They had both gro...

Alcoholism Research Paper

Alcoholism Research Paper Example research paper on Alcoholism: Alcohol’s importance in our social history is significant. Even more significant is the abuse of alcohol and the how alcoholism has effected modern society. However, before the word â€Å"alcoholism† was ever spoken, alcohol was used for many purposes such as settling battles, giving courage in battles, celebrating festivals and wooing lovers. The history of alcohol can be traced all the way back to the Egyptians. In Egyptian burials, it was used to help the dead’s journey to the afterlife. There is also evidence that the Babylonians, around 1600 BC, knew how to brew 20 different types of beer. It was also around this time that alcohol was tied to abuse. The Babylonians made their laws include punishments against drunkenness. The Greeks and the Romans drank mostly wine, and they loved it so much that they worshipped Dionysus, the god of wine. When they worshipped, the Greeks and Romans would become extremely intoxicated. Their writings are full of warnings against drinking too much. In 55 BC, the Romans introduced beer, right before alcohol become important in religious cultures. The Old Testament refers to alcohol numerous times, and wine plays an important role in the rituals of many religions. Wine was sanctified by Jesus in the New Testament, and many Roman Catholics still drink wine today as part of their worship. Some religions, like Judaism and Christianity, wanted to keep alcohol sacred, so they made drinking too much alcohol into a sinful act. But alcohol’s popularity grew fast, and by the Middle Ages, many monasteries were making beer to give to the monks and to sell to pilgrims. Soon, home breweries were showing up, and they became taverns and other public places where people could gather to drink. The making of alcohol, specifically beer, was not modernized until the time of the Renaissance. Science played an important role in forming breweries that could produce high-quality and large amounts of alcohol. The industrial revolution also brought along steam power and refrigeration, and technology soon allowed for much purer and stronger alcohol, likes gin, brandy and rum. Soon, other countries throughout Europe, like Germany and Britain, created their own unique alcohol. Russian vodka, Scottish whiskey, Mexican tequila and Italian sambuca are a few examples. Today there is even a wider selection to choose from. These new drinks helped to develop trade between Western Europe and the Far East. Also, as colonies developed in America, European nations produced alcoholic drinks to ship over to the new colonies. This became a very lucrative business. From this, we can trace the origins of alcohol and how our culture became familiar with it. People continue to use alcohol in rituals and traditions, just like hundreds of years ago. But it has turned into a disease that punishes those who enjoy it too much. The development of alcohol from religious rituals to today, where there are a wide variety of alcoholic drinks, shows how alcohol abuse has increased as well. Alcoholism has been a continuous problem for centuries due to its harmful effects. In moderation, alcohol is used by some to relax and considered safe. However, misusing alcohol can cause harm not only to the drinker, but also to anyone close to the drinker, and society in general. There are three stages of ingestion that happen once a drink is downed. First, it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream through the cell membranes of the digestive tract. As it passes through the digestive tract, some of is absorbed by the mouth and stomach, and most of it is absorbed by the small intestine. The amount of food in the stomach affects the rate of absorption. If a drinker has a pint of beer without having dinner first, the absorption rate of the beer will be much faster. The drinker will get drunk much faster, and maybe even vomit. Most of the alcohol is absorbed by the bloodstream within an hour of ingestion. The second stage is distribution. Once the circulatory system absorbs the alcohol, it is sent out to all parts of the body. Some parts, like the brain, liver and kidney receive larger amounts of alcohol than other parts of the body because they receive more blood. And the third stage is metabolism. As the alcohol travels throughout the body, enzymes released by the liver metabolize the alcohol. This breaks down the alcohol and turns it into a food source for the body. Most of the alcohol ingested is released through the liver. The effects of alcohol on the liver can be deadly. In large amounts, alcohol can damage major organs, particularly the liver. There are three different alcohol-related liver diseases: fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and cirrhosis. Fatty liver disease is one of the first signs that alcohol is being abused. Fat builds up due to alcohol metabolism. This hurts the liver’s ability to work at full strength. Fatty liver disease can lead to cirrhosis of the liver. When the liver is too damaged from alcohol abuse, scar tissue forms, causing cirrhosis, and eventually causing the liver to shut down. Symptoms include loss of energy, loss of appetite, upset stomach, weight loss and weakness. Cirrhosis is one of the ten leading causes of death by disease in the United States. The third liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, is the inflammation of the liver, the stage right before cirrhosis. Jaundice, mental confusion and swelling of the abdomen are common symptoms. Alcohol is known as a depressant, and its effects on the brain and central nervous system are serious. When intoxicated, drinkers experience a mild euphoria, or temporary â€Å"happiness†, and loss of inhibition. Alcohol impairs regions of the brain controlling behavior, judgment, memory, concentration and coordination. On the central nervous system, alcohol acts as a sedative. Large amounts of alcohol can cause respiratory failure, coma and death. Impaired vision, hearing, and motor skills also occur. The drinker may also experience numbness and tingling in the arms and legs caused by nerve damage. This results in the staggering walk often seen coming out of bars. Long-term drinking can cause brain damage (Korsakoff’s Syndrome) and drinking while pregnant is known to produce sick babies (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Heavy drinking also has damaging effects on the stomach and intestinal system. Irritation of the stomach lining can cause peptic ulcers, bleeding lesions and cancer. Blood loss causes loss of iron, which can cause irritability, lack of energy, headaches and dizziness. Risk of pancreatitis is also increased. Other effects of alcohol abuse include irritation of the intestinal tract lining and the colon; nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, sweating and loss of appetite; and increase in blood pressure, risk of heart attack and stroke. These symptoms develop over time. Alcoholism, however, can begin to develop after the first drink. There are many reasons why people start drinking, such as to increase self-confidence, relieve stress, escape from personal problems, overcome shyness, or to overcome a poor self-image. Abuse of alcohol is defined as the use of alcohol interfering with physical, social, academic, or economic functioning. The first stage of alcoholism involves the use of alcoholism as a way to deal with other problems. The abuser will drink more than the average amount and is usually preoccupied with partying or going out socially to drink. The abuser will also drink to cope with personal problems, have trouble stopping after one drink, and they’ll feel guilty about drinking so much. The drinker will usually deny that a problem exists. The second stage of alcohol abuse begins to interfere with daily activities like work. The drinker finds it typically hard to get through the day without a drink. It also becomes difficult to get the same good feelings from drinking, so more alcohol is consumed. The drinker will start drinking alone and in secret. Ambition and drive are lost and interest in family and friends goes away. This leads to the third stage where the alcoholism takes over. The drinker lives for alcohol and nothing else. They experience loneliness and continue to drink even with disastrous results, including financial and personal problems. The alcoholic will experience physical symptoms in this stage, including difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite, malnutrition, the â€Å"shakes†, and sometimes blackouts and serious memory loss. Alcoholism is the most serious form of alcohol abuse. Once the drinker reaches this stage, serious treatment should be considered. By tracing the steps leading to alcoholism, it is natural to ask what causes the alcoholic to pick up a drink in the first place. Of course, it is the own personal responsibility of each individual who chooses to ingest alcohol. There are however, outside influences that can effect that decision. The power of the media and the messages it sends out can influence any impressionable person, especially teenagers, to consume alcohol. Characters in film and TV are seen smoking and drinking all the time. Signs and advertisements for alcohol use fun animals to pitch the drink, or they show a drinker looking sexy and cool. If everyone is doing it and having fun, then everyone else should do it too. That is the message advertisers want the teenager to pick up. Advertisers leave out the negative information on alcohol on purpose. As a result, teenagers often do not know what the health risks are when they use alcohol. A study done by Washington drug and alcohol officials in 1998 showed that the media has major influences in all outlets. Some of their findings show that almost all, or 98% of movies depict some form of alcohol intake. They also show that nearly 30% of all songs contained messages about drinking. On the other hand, negative effects of drinking were only shown in half of the movies and only one-fifth of the songs. American consumers are heavy consumers of movies, music and TV. So the government is targeting the entertainment and advertising industries in order to change the positive image of alcohol being put out. Anti-alcohol propaganda has proven to be not very effective. Advertisements promoting alcohol usually make you want to try the product. The ads convince the drinker to buy alcohol so they can feel glamorous, powerful and successful. The ads also use status symbols like cars, jewelries and mansions so that everyone will believe they can have the same lifestyle as long as they buy their products. Visual propaganda is very powerful. Unfortunately, people fall for it many times. When you see advertisements against alcohol, they’re usually trying to scare the drinker away from alcohol. Often times bloody pictures of drunk-driving car accidents are shown. Images of badly torn up bodies can persuade someone to stop drinking for the moment. However, an alcoholic’s disease is more powerful than a picture. While the bloody pictures may make the drinker think twice, the effects are not huge in preventing alcoholism. A lot of the anti-alcohol propaganda is about driving drunk. Drinking and driving is a combination that leads to horrible accidents. Driving while under the influence is a serious concern that has gained more and more attention. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, the leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds is drunk driving. Whether it’s New Year’s Eve, the prom, or a weekend pizza party, there is a good chance that alcohol will be served. Getting behind the wheel puts in danger not only the driver who is drunk, but any passengers and non-drinking bystanders as well. The government and police force have come up with several ways to prevent drinking and driving. One of the methods is through a blood test. This is the most difficult one to carry out because it usually requires the person to go to a hospital after being pulled over by the police. Another test police administer is a breathalyzer test. The policeman will make the driver breath into a tube that is able to read the level of alcohol in the blood. This is a valuable test because the police are able to do it as soon as they pull over the drunk driver. The third test is less scientific. The police have the drunk driver attempt to walk a straight line and then cross their legs in the format of a number four. If they have been drinking, then they will be unable to stand up straight, their eyes will be redder, and they will lose their balance. Even though there should be more tests and more instructive propaganda on the subject of drinking and driving, the steps policemen take now do help to save lives. Unfortunately, innocent people can be hurt by drunk drivers. But there are ways to prevent unnecessary accidents yourself. Some ways include volunteering to be a designated driver, trying to avoid driving on rural roads, using four lane highways, avoiding going on the road after midnight, and always wearing a seat belt. It is also helpful to recognize when friends may be in danger of drinking and driving. A good thing to do is to take away the car keys or simply call a cab. Preventing drunk driving is only one way of fighting alcoholism. To really treat it well requires long-term care in almost every case. There are several treatments today for alcoholics to choose from. Three of the major forms of treatment are Alcoholics Anonymous, psychological treatment, and substance abuse clinics. Through treatment, alcoholics can lead normal, productive and happy lives. The ultimate goal of alcoholism treatment is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence. Immediate goals, however, are to reduce the drinking in steps. It is very difficult to quit drinking †cold turkey.† If an alcoholic chooses a treatment program, there are several options out there. A short-term treatment that is popular is the 28-day in-patient treatment. This involves the patient going to a treatment facility for about a month to detox their bodies. This method can be helpful as sort of a crash course in alcoholism treatment, but care must continue following the month-long treatment. Other methods last longer, some for 6 months. These treatments include residential therapy, where the patient is living at a treatment facility for an extended amount of time. Many severe alcoholics need this kind of structure to succeed. The Betty Ford Clinic is an example of a treatment facility that allows patients to live there until they overcome their addiction to alcohol. Another method to treating alcoholism is outpatient therapy. Outpatient therapy offers a wide variety of programs for patients who visit on a consistent basis. Almost all of the programs will offer psychological therapy of some sort, in the form of individual or group counseling. Often it is easier to talk about the addiction in a group of people with the same problems rather than alone. Out-patient therapy often is not effective by itself for the serious alcoholic. Usually this therapy is combined with another method. The third method is the most popular one. Alcoholics Anonymous, also known as AA, was founded in 1935. It is based on the premise of the 12 steps to recovery. AA thinks of itself as a community of recovering alcoholics. They share their common problems with drinking and help each other recover from the addiction of alcohol. The main purpose of AA is to help people stay sober. Alcoholics Anonymous consists of more than two million people all over the world. They meet in local groups that can be big or small, some having a handful of drinkers and others having hundreds attend a meeting. All of the meetings are free. Most Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are open to the public. However, some places have closed meetings in case members want to talk only about their alcohol problems and not be distracted by anyone there who may not be an alcoholic. The 12-step program used by Alcoholics Anonymous is a world-renown treatment method that’s used for all kinds of addiction, not just alcohol. Alcoholics are encouraged to work the 12 steps. The first step involves admitting the powerlessness over alcohol, how it takes over the alcoholic’s life. The second step has the alcoholic believe that there is a greater power working that will help the alcoholic stay sober. This step is an example of the religious influence on the 12-step recovery process. The steps continue to involve the healing process. One of them asks the drinker to go to any friends or family that have been hurt by alcoholism and apologize. Another step asks the drinker to take a sponsor. A sponsor is also an alcoholic who has been sober for a longer amount of time. The sponsor helps the recovering alcoholic make it through the steps. Throughout their recovery, alcoholics will also get chips. The chips are usually different colors, depending on how long the alcoholic has been sober. The final two steps of AA involve â€Å"taking inventory† of your life and understanding why you did what you did when drunk. These are called the drinker’s motivations. Step 12 talks about three major parts the alcoholic should have accomplished. They are having had a spiritual awakening, practicing the lessons learned in AA, and carrying the message of recovery to other alcoholics. The final step seems like a lifetime step. It is practiced by the drinker, along with the other steps for the rest of their life. It stresses the amount of work they must put in for the program to work for them. Once completed, the alcoholic has a lifetime of recovery. Alcoholism is a disease that most alcoholics will admit never goes away. Alcoholics need ongoing treatment and support. There is always a chance to fall off the wagon. Ideally, alcoholics should enter a long-term treatment facility, go through detox, and join Alcoholics Anonymous and attend meetings regularly. The longer an alcoholic receives treatment, the better the chances for becoming sober. The best way to stay sober, though, is simply through abstinence. It is the only true cure of alcoholism. Drinking is classified as a disease by doctors and psychologists. It is a disease because once the drinker is addicted, they cannot stop drinking. It is beyond their control. They cause physical harm to themselves and others. Their health declines and death by alcoholism is not uncommon. That is why it is better if someone who is more likely to drink and enjoy it to abstain all together. Drinking in moderation works for some people, but for alcoholics, there really is no other choice. For the sake of their own lives, for their family and friends, and for society as a whole, alcoholics should pursue the most effective treatment and help everyone fight the terrible disease of alcoholism.