MySelf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MySelf - Essay Example Possessing such positive moral values would help to mold an individual into a true human being. These values have taught me to be more responsible both in my personal and professional life and to the society at large. And it is with the help of these qualities that I hope to achieve my career goals in the near future. Right from the start of my educational journey, I have always believed that the purpose of education should not be merely attributed to gaining degrees and work; rather it should contribute to the overall development of the individual. It should enable the individual to distinguish between right and wrong and also stick to what they believe. While some of these skills and capabilities can be gained from an institution, an individual can also derive such learning and thinking experiences during his contact with his family or the outside world either in his work or other related activities. The manner in which an individual presents himself to the world with or without the qualities and attributes presented above will help to determine the true nature of his education. Both my educational and work experiences have been vital learning and enriching experiences in my life. The experience gained from the summer jobs that I undertook following completion of high school have made me become more efficient and resourceful. They have also helped me learn the importance of team work and the need to build strong interpersonal relationships with working partners both in the internal and external work environments. It is my long-cherished dream to pursue my education and excel in the chosen field. Both me and my family have faced several setbacks in life but the moral values and principles that we have believed in have us the strength and courage to face them with a positive spirit and overcome them with right reasoning and tact. Despite the various challenges that I have encountered in life, I have always been keen on having a career and

Pornography Essay Example for Free

Pornography Essay Over the period of many years the consumption of pornography has massively expanded causing it to have presently created itself a significant position in culture. Society has learnt to accept and receive porn as part of its natural and regular routines. Whether it’s the control factor which porn allows its audience to hold or the fact that porn requires minimum effort and commitment, either way at least 40 million adults regularly find themselves visiting pornographic sites. (microtrends,2007, page 276) According to (George Barna, Boiling Point: It Takes One Degree: Monitoring Cultural Shifts in the 21st Century, p. 23) sales on the internet for pornographic images seem to exceed the sales of other online products. The demand of porn remains active as users place their confidence in the discretion factor which pornography holds. This demand contributes to the reason in which porn has created its significant niche into society, becoming effortlessly integrated into popular culture. Unlike technology used every day which is almost always provided with warnings for its consumers, pornography comes with no warnings. Material can range from contemporary and soft to offensive and degrading, yet many individuals believe that porn in a choice, in which its viewers take their own risk in any dangers it may cause. Whilst porn was once seen as an expression of male ethos, it has grown to have become enjoyable for both male and female nations. The extensions of sexual fantasies created by both the male and female mind are part of the contribution towards the change in the industry in which pornography has gone from practically invisible to globally unavoidable. Whereas many had once scorned porn or found it humiliating to be considered having any link with the industry, the substance is now much more open and can often be socially discussed. Whilst it may have once been demeaning to be seen with a ‘Playboy’ or ‘Nuts’ magazine, these images have now become part of our mainstream media creating an undistinguishable line of what one may consider as soft or hard porn. As porn has become progressively embedded upon philosophy, a wider range of pornographic footages and images become available for its audience at affordable charges, creating an overwhelming growth in the pornography industry. Alongside the growth of technology, this shift in culture has concluded in media finding itself with an excessive amount of porn accessible over the internet. Many of these images being classified as ‘extreme porn. ’ So what is extreme pornography? Commencing the 26th January 2009, laws on ‘extreme porn’ were put into action by the United Kingdom Government meaning it became illegal to possess any extreme pornography that may be ‘grossly offensive, disgusting or of obscene character’, alongside any pornography which may ‘portray any explicit and realistic way of extreme acts. (http://www. cps. gov. uk/legal/d_to_g/extreme_pornography/) Extreme porn was defined by the Government under specific sexual acts. The ministry of Justice put into place that any acts containing a result or likely result of serious injury to a person’s genitals, anus or breasts would be considered as extreme. Deeds threating a person’s life or sexual ac ts involving a corpse were also placed under this act. Pornographic images or footage which may be defined as such are strictly illegal in the United Kingdom meaning those found distributing or publishing may face conviction. Throughout the early stages of extreme porn publishing, images and videos were put together by students and television authorities with the help of prostitutes in order to create what would be the future of porn. Much of this media caused shock and controversy throughout many diverse cultures and societies who believed extreme porn should be categorized with child pornography. The Obscene Publications Act was put into place in order to support an argument in which would claim that limits were to be set in order to diffuse the growth of extreme pornography in order to protect children and the general public from the pornographic industry. The controversies around porn clearly show the modification of the purpose of pornography. As it was once used for satire, pornographic images gradually began and remain to be used in order to stimulate and satisfy. According to Gail Dines (How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality) the vast majority of porn which is being viewed today contains violent and extremely graphic images. Being an anti-porn feminist Dines feels porn is degrading to women who are often the receivers of the violent behavior. In writing her book, Dines expressed her feelings on the hard-core pornography industry and how she feels that pornography is changing the way in which men and women explore their sexual relationships, as if porn is celebrating the use of forcefulness, violence and humiliation in intercourse. Dines opinion is questioned by pro-porn feminists who believe women have as much of a right to explore their sexual fantasies which may involve forms of seduction and violence, as do men. As many more women believed that being involved in pornography was a right which they had themselves, more content began to become produced. As the desires of both men and now women began to grow so did the content used in porn. In April 2006, Chanel 4 released a series ‘The Dark Side of Porn’ in which researchers studied the adult pornography industry. Extreme pornography was explored throughout the series, particularly during season two, where bestiality was travelled in which Bodil Joensen’s life as a porn star was laid out for viewers. Joensen was known to have had sexual intercourse with animals in at least 40 extreme pornographically movies. Her sexual activities caused much shock however allowed her to create a celebrity status for herself. ‘Animal Farm’ contained sexual corruption meaning it wasn’t to be allowed for official release however this seemed to draw in more viewers who were eager to find out more about the film and to discover the reasons in which it may have been banned. Like many porn stars who may have engaged with sexual activity with animals, Joensen received much demand and attention from users who use porn in order to feel better about themselves. Whilst many might have found the footage to be offensive, conversely many users gained complete satisfaction as they believed that if Joensen would engage in sexual intercourse with animals she would also consider intercourse with them. Their gratification went on to turn into a fantasy, creating an increasing demand. Joensen, now known as the queen of bestiality, may have once disturbed many with her sexual activities, though now it seems as if her life is celebrated. This became an influence for other upcoming porn stars who also craved the attention of the public, using pornography to get to the top. However, many attempts were rejected by Hollywood who originally wished to have nothing to do with the porn business. As culture and society began to change, Joensen became one of the many porn starts to have created a distinguished career. Today porn stars are regularly placed into the same grouping as singers, actors and other mainstream celebrities, particularly as many personalities also become part of the pornography industry with the help of leaked home sex tapes which are often sold for unimaginable amounts of money. The industry has gone global in which the standards of porn anticipated by those who sell sex is beyond belief. In order to generate a celebrity status for themself, porn stars pornographic footage or images must be talked about. Due to television, magazines and music videos, soft porn will no longer create this image. As society becomes more comfortable with soft porn which is faced on a daily basis, porn stars are pushed to their limits in order to be noticed. The use of soft porn in daily media affects the whole society and has become a main contribution to the reason in which many individuals are left unconcerned with today’s mainstream pornography. ‘Sex sells,’ is often a statement used by the media in order to justify the use of sexual images throughout their broadcasting. As progressively more industries begin to use sex as an advertising tool, pornography starts to become the normality meaning it also becomes less offensive and more accepted. Hard-core need to involve the substances which soft porn lacks in order to achieve its desired effect. Whilst soft porn would have once been used as a method of arousal, magazines and television allow their audience to experience this pleasure every day, contributing in soft porn becoming more socially acceptable. An example of this can be seen in music videos in which women are often displayed as sex symbols where they dance erotically wearing racy clothing. Being exposed to these messages on a daily basic has created a sense of monotony towards soft pornography meaning the porn industry is pushed to its boundary in order to re-build the satisfaction factor it wishes to impose upon its audience. One of the main factors which contribute to porn being less offensive over the years is through acceptance. Pornography has become more established into many diverse cultures and societies, although many anti-porn feminists and religious icons may disagree, many will argue that pornography caries its advantages involving the non-judgemental form of stimulation it provides to its audience. Whilst once the use of porn in media was scorned, society has become more tolerant of the industry, even discussing the use of porn with minors on series such as ‘The Sex Education Show’ airing on Chanel 4. The growth of pornography has been joined by nourishment for the industry as many take on the approach that society has no choice but to live with porn and assume the responsibility that it may hold. Alongside being more accepted into popular culture, pornography has also become more accessible. This relates to both soft and hard-core porn. DVD’s, the internet, magazines, television and many other new technologies have allowed sexual media to become widely available to everyone including underage children. The average age of children wishing to explore sex decreases, as the typical age of internet porn expose is at a tender eleven years. (www. familysafemedia. co. uk) Children not only view sex, they are often manipulated in order to become part of sexual fantasies for adults. The availability of porn has as much contribution to the formation of extreme porn as the acceptance of soft pornography. Being seen as a delivery system in which porn can be easily accessed or delivered to its audience with no commitment or effort needed, pornography has broadened the perimeter of the amount of porn which can actually be accessed. The porn which has today grown to become widely available for viewers is far from contemporary, soft and friendly porn. Hard-core porn has become increasingly abusive containing numerous events of humiliation towards women. However, if women aren’t offended by the content shown in porn then how could society question a man’s enjoyment in watching a female being degraded. Pornography is often discussed throughout women’s magazines in which it becomes embraced; with journalists offering advice on how porn could become integrated into an individual own life. In defence of pornography women liberals believe that a woman’s body becomes a woman’s right in which she may enjoy any pleasure, whether or not it be degrading to others as each individual decides what liberating and demeaning may mean to themselves. Sexual, global socialization has had many consequences upon today’s culture, as years progress, pornography seems to become more acceptable, more accessible and more extreme. It becomes clear to see the factors in which have contributed the most towards the shift of pornography and to the change of outlooks towards the industry. By media producing sexually explicit material and publishing it for the nation to see, pornography industries have pushed themselves to their limits in order to provide new material to fulfil the needs and fantasies of its audience. Pornography has become legitimized and celebrated resulting in fewer cases of society being offended by its content. But is there more to come?

Inconsistency in Hamlet Essay -- The Tragedy of Hamlet Essays

William Shakespeare undoubtedly achieved one of his greatest characterizations when he created the role of Hamlet, in the tragic play Hamlet. Hamlet's appeal to audiences almost certainly stems from his many human weaknesses. The one for which he is best known is indecisiveness, but his inconsistency may well be an even more outstanding characteristic. T. S. Eliot, in 1932, wrote an essay on Hamlet that is still cited as a noted critique of Shakespeare's great tragedy. Eliot argued that Hamlet is an artistic failure, due to a basic weakness in the play. It was his contention that a playwright owes a duty to the audience to write dialogue appropriate to characters as they have been developed in the drama. Eliot made the point that in the "Closet Scene," when Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude, his mother, in her bedchamber, his words demonstrate an animosity and a vindictiveness for which the audience is totally unprepared. Since Eliot's charge against Hamlet is self-evidently valid, actors and directors attempting to stage Shakespeare's tragedy have struggled with the problem Eliot's essay highlighted, both prior to and after its publication. The conventional approach in the 20th century has been to imply, on Hamlet's part, a frustrated, incestuous love for his mother, which may justify the words Hamlet speaks, but for which Shakespeare gives no background whatsoever. As a result, rather than solving the problem, this approach creates yet another inconsistency. Still, in spite of these inconsistencies, and in spite of Eliot's accusation of artistic failure, Hamlet continues to walk the stage and fascinate theatergoers. If it is justifiable to look for logic and consistency in Hamlet, as Eliot did, one can find a far gre... ... times illogical and inconsistent. All of these examples suggest, however, that the logic and consistency advocated by T. S. Eliot are not essential to a play's success, nor to its greatness and immortality. Eliot's conclusion that Hamlet is an artistic failure is based on logic even more specious than that of the indecisive Prince of Denmark. A play succeeds because of its ability to stir the feelings of the audience, to transport the members of that audience to places beyond the bounds of the theater and their daily lives. Audiences, whether those of today or of Shakespeare's era, do not judge a play by its logical perfection. Hamlet, with all of its inconsistencies, evaluated on the basis of its emotional power, the majesty of its language, and by its seemingly timeless ability to move and enthrall audiences, remains one of the theater's ultimate masterpieces.

Evidence suggests a link between Late Onset

It is a primary degenerative disease of the cerebral cortex. It accounts for over 65% of all dementia cases, commonest cause of dementia. First described by Alzheimer in 1907 and named after him by Kraeplin. It is a progressive brain damage. It destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking and behavior. The incidence is about 2 – 7 % at ages above 65yrs. This doubles after every additional 5yrs to 8-10% at 80yrs and 30-40% at 90yrs. Rare below 50yrs. This progressive increase in incidence with age has caused significant medical, social and economic concerns in nations with growing number of elderly people.It is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. It does not have any current cure; treatment available is targeted at presenting symptoms. Pathology Aetiology: The cause is unknown. However there is increased incidence in Down’s syndrome. The risk is also higher with increased free radical formation and failure of antioxidant defenses which ma y contribute to the degeneration [SOD is reduced by 25% in the frontal cortex and hippocampus]. It is occasionally familial. Besides, genetic studies show linkage between Familial AD and loci on chromosomes 1, 14 & 21.Late onset AD is a heterogenous disorder. Evidence suggests a link between Late Onset AD and atherosclerosis, inflammation and cholesterol. Linkage has also been found to a gene locus on chromosome 19q. There is also a strong association between Alzheimer disease and amyloid proteins. In this disease condition, there is a breakdown in some of the synapses that serve the function of information storage, processing and memory; this spreads to other cells and over time, these cells die. Such affected cells are surrounded by plaques and contain characteristic tangles.Macroscopy: Macroscopic examination of the brain shows a variable degree of cortical atrophy with widened sulci. These changes are pronounced in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes. Hydrocephalus ex vacuo -compensatory ventricular enlargement occurs due to parenchyma loss. Microscopy: Microscopic examination shows senile plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid angiopathy. All these changes are also found in the brains of elderly because they are features of aging. The pathologic changes seen in this disease begin first in the entorhinal cortex, spread to the hippocampus and isocortex and eventually to the neocortex.Senile plaques: are spherical collections of dilate neuritic processes which surround a central amyloid core. The neuritic processes are also called dystrophic neuritis; are silver-staining and contain paired helical filaments, abnormal mitochondria and synaptic vesicles. The periphery is occupied by microglial cells and astrocytes. The amyloid core is stained by Congo red stain; it contains abnormal proteins predominantly amyloid proteins. There are also diffuse plaques in those with Down syndrome; these lack the neuritic processes seen in senile plaques.Neurofibril lary tangles: bundles of filaments in the cytoplasm of the neurons encircling the nucleus. They are vivid as fibrillary structures with silver staining although they are also basophilic with Hematoxylin and Eosin stain. These structures contain paired helical and straight filaments; the former contain protein tau, Microtubule-associated protein [MAP2] and ubiquitin. The quantities of these tangles correspond to the degree of dementia. Another pathologic feature is Amyloid angiopathy which is an invariable finding in Alzheimer disease associated with amyloid protein.Besides, there is also accumulation of intraneuronal vacuoles in the cytoplasm. Amyloid angiopathy, hirano bodies are mostly within the frontal, parietal and temporal cortex, hippocampus and substantia inominata. There is also marked reduction in Ach, NE, 5-HT. Diagnosis Alzheimer disease usually becomes clinically apparent as insidious impairment of higher mental functions with changes in mood and behaviour. Later progre ssive impairment in orientation, memory, attention and concentration worsens.Eventually patient becomes mute, immobile and severely disturbed. The diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is based on a combination of clinical and pathologic presentations. There are impaired cognitive functions, Psychotic features such as delusion and hallucinations, and depression. The course is relentlessly progressive. Survival rate varies between 8 & 10yrs Management includes Good history, mental state and thorough physical examination. Every patient must be thoroughly evaluated to determine the extent and severity of the disease.Psychometric testing – for confirmation, Mini Mental State Examination ,7-min screening, mental test score, clinical dementia rating, Wechsler adult intelligence scale [WAIS: current IQ to previous I Q] Investigation: these physical investigations are useful to access the physical status of the patient; identify any physical illness and determine co-morbidities. Blood test : full haemogram, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, C-Reactive Protein, urea and electrolyte, Fasting and random blood sugar, liver function test, Ca, Vitamin B12, Folate assay, Thyroid function test.Imaging: Chest X-Ray, cranial CT scan, MRI, PET, SPECT, angiography Others: Lumbar Puncture and CSF analysis, brain biopsy for histology Treatment Generally, goal of treatment is to maintain remaining ability as far as possible to preserve dignity, relieve distressing symptoms, slow disease progression & provide care for as long as possible in the familiar home environment. Patients should be made aware of their condition if possible. Inform patient the nature of the disease so that they can adapt favorably to existing conditions.Family support is an important part of the treatment plan: Counseling of the relatives & careers, family support and medical problems of the careers also deserve particular attention. The emphasis here is to encourage family members to show understanding for pati ent’s condition and help them live well with the condition. Behavioral methods that have been suggested include re- enforcement, shaping, desensitization, prompts & other practical aids to cope with forgetfulness. Drug treatment: there is not cure for Alzheimer disease but some drugs have proven useful in patients.These drugs are used based on their mechanism of action and the pathogenesis of the disease. These include: Antioxidants: these are useful to reduce free radicals implicated as etiologic agents for AD. Anticholinesterases, such as neostigmine, physostigmine increase, Ach levels. Antipsychotics are indicated to control paranoid delusions while antidepressants may be indicated when depressive symptoms are prominent. Prevention: recent evidence suggests that participation in cognitively demanding activities in later life can be preventive. Prognosis The changes in Alzheimer disease are irreversible.The disease is terribly progressive and the biological history can rare ly be altered. This makes the prognosis unfavorable. However, palliative measures can be adopted to alleviate the deficit and preserve remaining functions. References Cummings J, Cole G: Alzheimer Disease, JAMA 287:2335, 2002 Braak H, Braak E: Frequency of Stages of Alzheimer-related lesions in different age categories. Neurobiol Aging 18:351; 1997 Braak H, Braak E: Neuropahtological staging of Alzheimer-related changes. Acta Neuropathol [Berl] 82:239; 1991 Mirra SM, Hart MN, Terry RD: Making the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Arch Pathol Lab Med 117:131, 1993

Organic vs Non Organic Foods Essay

It’s hard to walk into a grocery store and not notice a certain new kind of trend. There is a growing urge to have more organic items on shelves. The general belief is that organic items tend to be better for the consumer and the environment when compared to non-organic items. Although many people cant tell the difference, there are multiple pros and cons between organic and nonorganic. In terms of consumer health, both organic and processed foods have their benefits. The benefits of processed foods are that scientists can place additives that increase the nutritional value. According to Dr. Mehmet Oz (2010), this helps to â€Å"prevent neural-tube defects and certain childhood cancers, boost brain development and may increase intelligence, and reduce the incidence of rickets. † This means that theres nutrients that can be added to aid in helping the country with disease prevention. Organic foods lack the ability to be genetically modified but offer their own benefits as well. According to Maria Rodale (2010), some organically grown foods have â€Å" more conjugated linleic acid, which is a powerful cancer-fighting nutrient. † Both these types of food can help consumers healthy and prevent disease. There are some alarming differences between organic and processed foods especially when considering agriculture. â€Å"Organic† means that a food is grown without the aid of pesticides or fertilizers. Organic farmers use manure and nothing else to grow fruits, vegetables, and grains. It says in The Organic Myth that this can lead to some bad cases of E. Coli that wouldn’t be present in foods grown with pesticides since there are all sorts of bacteria in the manure (2004). The reverse is that without all those chemicals being sprayed on crops, you tend to have less pollution. Rodale states, â€Å"Growing foods organically prevents thousands of toxic chemicals from entering the environment and poisoning our soil, our wells, our wildlife, our children and ourselves† (2010). Organic goods also tend to cost more leading to them being classified as a luxury item. The downside is that most cattle and genetically altered crops have â€Å"unwanted additives like growth hormone and chemicals† (Oz 2010). It’s hard to know whether it’s worth the money to go organic or just stick with the usual. Foods grown without the aids of pesticides seem to be beneficial to the consumer and the environment, which is a big selling point for those who want to go green. On the other hand they are much more costly than non-organic crops. Many people would rather risk the potentially harmful additives to shave a few bucks of the price. It all depends on preference and beliefs but its definitely easy to see where they offer there own pros and cons. Miller, M. (2004). The Organic Myth. National Review, 56(2), 35-37. Oz, M. (2010). The Organic Alternative. Time, 176(9), 46-46. Rodale, M. (2010). 15 WAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD (and your life)†¦ ONE APPLE AT A TIME. Men’s Health (10544836), 25(3), 113-138.