Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Evgeny Morozov Essay Example for Free

Evgeny Morozov Essay Evgeny Morozov’s article, ‘Technology’s Role in Revolution’, was very eye catching. Evgeny contended that numerous transformations since forever don't happen through web and innovation, yet in actuality, are molded by social elements. His term, digital utopianism, recommends that online communication between people is emancipatory, and that the web favors the abused, as opposed to the oppressor. He makes clear, that this conviction is nieve and difficult in light of the fact that it won't perceive its results. Evgeny contends against the specific thoughts of what he alludes to as web anti-extremism, and digital utopianism, and in reality calls attention to that there is a clouded side to web opportunity. Inside Evgeny’s article, there are numerous focuses he makes that certainly well-spoken digital utopianism, and its effect on numerous populaces. Evgeny clarifies the job of web in the center eastern transformations. He recommends that, individuals in the center east frequently gloat about archiving police fierceness, yet isn't what they ought to concentrate on. He contends that they should concentrate on how new pioneers will shape the new constitution, and how to manage issues with respect to past systems. Morozov accepts that the center east can get fruitful vote based system, however relying upon how they can respond, and deal with existing issues. Evgeny infers that systems would be significantly less feverish on the off chance that it weren’t for the web. He asserts, in the event that it the web wasn’t around, they could have taken an alternate course in deciding, could have been less rough, and choices could have been made months sooner than they. He clarifies how in Russia, kids were by and large so diverted by different sites that, for a brief timeframe, government had set up controls so individuals would be less occupied. He accepts that the best method of controlling the web, â€Å"isn’t one that has the most modern restriction, yet one that doesn’t need a one at all.† what's more, Evgeny proposed that it is nieve to accept that something as intricate and complex as the web, could make the very same results. Taking everything into account, he makes a straightforward methodology of managing strategy making; Cyber-authenticity. Digital pragmatists are individuals that make the web a technique for accomplishing explicit arrangement goals, rather than,â people who just spotlight on the internet’s philosophical effect all in all. Evgeny makes some striking focuses, and despite the fact that I think he somewhat performs the negative effects web has on the utilitarian states, he despite everything figures out how to persuade me regarding his contention. For example, I as well, accept that web is credited for some negative things, for example, nations having needed edification in the subject of political choices, being an interruption instead of a wellspring of data, lastly, giving the administration an unfaithful notoriety. 1 Evgeny proposes that specific nations don't be able to be told of political recommendations on the web, since PCs are not accessible to them. A relatable model he communicates is that, Fidel Castro has a twitter page, yet individuals in Cuba, don't have PCs, not to mention twitter. In Italy, for instance, just 300 and sixty seven individuals have PCs, out of one thousand individuals. That’s not exactly 50% of the populace that would not be very much educated. Moreover, in spots, for example, Russia, web isn’t a framework proposed to pick up data, but instead, an internet searcher used for individual delight. Web is frequently a method of getting kids far from legislative issues since they become far to diverted on different locales, for example, RuTube, to concentrate on government issues. I concur this is a contrary impact, in such a case that children are ignorant, their children will be clueless, and the example of utilizing web for individual use will negatively affect people in the future. Different nations, for example, North Korea and Belarus, come up short on the capacity to be innovatively up to speed in the public arena. Evgeny makes reference to, â€Å"I wouldn’t have a lot of expectation in the web in North Korea. It’s a nation with probably the least web associations on the planet, and normal North Koreans have been indoctrinated to such a degree, that you have genuine mental difficulties that you can’t beat just by utilizing websites and twitter.† This communicates the web similar to an out of line favorable position to specific nations that are not as mechanically progressed. Furthermore, web is giving the legislature an awful notoriety for two distinct reasons. Most importantly, Evgeny states that bloggers distributing about deceitfulness in neighborhood governments, are effectively co-selected by higher lawmakers, and are betrayed what they were blogging about. For this situation, bloggers are completely being closed down, in that the intensity of the governmentâ is less on neighborhood specialists, yet on the national government. This exhibits the legislature being backstabbing to the individuals, and utilizing a negative method of controlling the neighborhood populace, which thusly, can surely prompt trust issues between the two. Furthermore, the administration will much of the time contact residents for their assessment, however it doesn’t fundamentally imply that they are tuning in to what the residents need to state. 2 Evgeny recommends that legislatures claim to connect with acquire residents input, yet in all actuality, it is just a method of causing them to appear to be authentic. The issue with this is it makes the administration lose power, in that, they can never again be trusted by the individuals, in this way the individuals will gradually quit publicizing their information. Another point he could have reached upon would be that, since web is so discernible, some negative things that may have circulated around the web will consistently be followed back to you. At the point when bloggers compose against government data, they are giving out their area, and can undoubtedly be followed by nearby cops. Generally I imagine that Evgeny genuinely persuaded me regarding his contention since he had some exceptionally substantial thoughts, and as he brought up, there are a lot of reasons individuals censure web for the negative impacts it has on the unrest.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

How to Register for SAT Subject Tests Step-by-Step Guide

The most effective method to Register for SAT Subject Tests Step-by-Step Guide SAT/ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You may be required or emphatically urged to step through SAT Subject Examinations in case you're applying to exceptionally specific schools. Fortunately, enrolling for SAT Subject Tests is similarly as simple as enlisting for the normal SAT. It may take more intending to confirm that the test you need is being offered on a specific test date, however in any case the procedure is comparable. In this article, I’ll experience, bit by bit, how to enlist for Subject Tests so you don’t run into any disarray en route. The most effective method to Register for SAT Subject Tests, Step by Step I've portrayed each progression of the SAT Subject Test enlistment process beneath, with screen captures to assist you with tracking. Stage 1: Check Test Dates In the first place, go tothe official College Board websiteand verify which SAT Subject Tests are offered on which dates.Once you know the date you need to pursue, click the blue Register interface in the section for your ideal test date: You'll have to sign into your current College Board account or make another one in the event that you don’t have one yet (you presumably do in the event that you took the ordinary SAT as of now). When you sign in, you’ll be taken to your landing page. Snap the yellow Register for the SAT catch to get to the SAT Registration page underneath: Stage 2: Enter Your Personal Information Snap the â€Å"Continue† button in the base right corner of the page.You’ll be taken to a screen that requests that you round out some close to home data on the off chance that you haven't done as such during a past test enlistment. This is significant, so ensure everything is precise! The socioeconomics segment isn't as basic; it's only there for the College Board to use in factual calculations.It may take a couple of moments to round out, yet don’t stress a lot over it: Stage 3: Create Your Student Profile Proceed to the following module: Create Student Profile.Again, you can avoid this progression and proceed onward to the following one in the event that you've just rounded out your profile from a past enlistment. Making a profile can take a ton of time, yet it’s for the most part discretionary. On the off chance that you round it out, the College Board will impart your data to schools that will send you mail to attempt to lure you to apply. You can feel free to tap the â€Å"Update Later† button at the base of the screen once you put in your GPA in the â€Å"GPA/Rank† section,which is the main required data: Stage 4: SelectYour Subject Test Presently you've arrived at the â€Å"Select Test Center† module, where you should consent to the terms and conditions and would then be able to pick the test community where you intend to take your Subject Test.In the â€Å"Choose Your Test Date† area, select SAT Subject Tests, and afterward go to the tab for your picked test date and select up to three Subject Tests: This is additionally the screen where you’ll need to show whether you have been affirmed for test facilities or a charge waiver: Stage 5: Pick a Test Center On the following page, you will be approached to pick a test center.The postal district that you entered in the Personal Information area should as of now be there, so you’ll see test focuses that are near your old neighborhood. Remember that not all test habitats will be recorded as alternatives since some won't offer SAT Subject Tests. This implies you probably won't have the option to step through your Subject Examinations in a similar area where you took the ordinary SAT.Click â€Å"Select† close to the test community you need to utilize: Presently, the screen will resemble this: Stage 6: Upload a Photo Proceed to the following screen where you will be solicited to transfer a photograph from yourself for verification purposes. This photograph will be a piece of your confirmation ticket.These are the models given by the College Board for adequate photographs: Essentially, simply utilize a reasonable photograph that completely shows your face, isn’t excessively close up, and doesn’t incorporate some other individuals. You can edit your photograph after you transfer it if essential. Stage 7: Check Out Continue to the checkout step. Proceed past the screen that gives you choices to purchase heaps of prep books if you’re not interested.Review all your own data and the tests you need to take before clicking â€Å"Make Payment.† You will be approached to affirm your data one final time before you get to the installment screen.You can pay through PayPal or straightforwardly with a Mastercard relying upon what’s simpler for you: That’s practically the long and short of it. Enrolling for SAT Subject Tests isvery like enlisting for the normal SAT, and it shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes all things considered on the off chance that you skip rounding out the data for your understudy profile (or have just rounded it out). Significant Registration Tips for SAT Subject Tests Despite the fact that the SAT Subject Test enrollment process is quite clear, there are a few hints you should remember so you end up with the best testing experience. For one thing, ensure you pick the best area. This may not generally be your secondary school! Here’s a guide for how to pick the best test community for your requirements. You ought to likewise enlist a long time before the test's cutoff time so you don’t need to pay any late fees.Hereare the up and coming test dates and enrollment deadlines.Subject Tests are offered on these dates with the exception of the one in March. Check this connect to confirm that the test you need to take will be offered on the date based on your personal preference. Make certain to apply for a charge waiver before you register in the event that you figure you may qualify.Read our guide formore data on the best way to get an expense waiver for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests.You can get two expense waivers for SAT Subject Test enlistment. Thiswaiver will cover your enlistment for one full test day, so it can pay for one, two, or three subject tests on the off chance that you take them at the same time. The brisk riser gets the Subject Test worm. Or something to that effect. I just truly appreciate this pudgy winged creature. What's Next? What score would it be a good idea for you to focus on your SAT Subject Tests? Get familiar with what a decent score may resemble for you. A few universities require or suggest a few Subject Tests. Peruse our manual for choosing what number of you should take. Do you have to take the Math 2 SAT Subject Test?Find outwhen you should take it so as to get your most ideal score. Need some additional assistance preparing for your Subject Tests? We have the business' driving SAT Subject Test prep programs (for all non-language Subject Tests). Worked by Harvard graduates and SAT Subject Test full or 99th %ile scorers, the program learns your qualities and shortcomings through cutting edge measurements, at that point tweaks your prep program to you with the goal that you get the best prep conceivable. Become familiar with our Subject Test items underneath:

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Cleantech A Complete Guide

Cleantech A Complete Guide © Shutterstock.com | WDG PhotoIf you’ve heard a lot about cleantech and were wondering what all the fuss is about and how you can leverage it to your benefit, read on. This article takes you through everything you need to know about this green technology: 1) what is clean technology?, 2) some key cleantech categories, 3) building blocks for a successful cleantech startup, 4) a picture of cleantech entrepreneurship in 2014, 5) about the Cleantech Open, 6) cleantech case studies.WHAT IS CLEAN TECHNOLOGY?There is no single definition for clean technology or cleantech. According to Clean Edge, a research firm for cleantech, the term refers to a varied range of products, processes and services that tap renewable energy sources and materials, reduce or do away with wastes and emissions and considerably decrease the utilization of natural resources. Investopedia says the usage is intended to describe an investment philosophy of those investors who hope to gain from environmentally friend ly companies. Cleantech companies look to increase productivity and performance by diminishing the damaging consequences on the environment.Frequently, the term is credited to Clint Wilder and Ron Pernick, authors of a book titled “The Clean Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity” in which they identify a number of key drivers of the technology:the capital put into research and development by huge corporationsthe present cost of conventional technologya cutthroat global marketplacean increasing population of middle-class Chinese which is compelling the Chinese government to invest greatly in alternative energy sourcesa shift in consumer attitude that has made environmental concerns mainstreamInterest in clean technology is increasingInterest in cleantech increased from the 1990s onwards due to two trends:#1: A fall in the comparative price of these technologies and a rising comprehension of the connection between industrial design utilized in the 19th century and that utilized in the early 20th century such as chemical manufacturing, the internal combustion engine and fossil fuel power plants.#2: An up-and-coming comprehension of the human-engendered effect on earth systems springing from their utilization China is considered to be a cleantech leader. In 2013, global investments in cleantech fell but that isn’t really bad news. The truth is the bigger picture is positive and renewable energy is on a sturdy growth path with tools emerging to take the sector even further.SOME KEY CLEANTECH CATEGORIESEnergy generation © Wikimedia commons | DCTI, EuPD Research, KPMGThis category incorporates innovations that utilize, accelerate and enable the utilization of renewable energy resources in addition to energy production from alternative sources such as sewage, materials and heat. It comprises technologies such as low-emission power sources (example: solar, biofuels) and technologies that utilize waste streams to directly produce energy such as energy from landfills or manure. Some examples of such technologies are solar panel coatings, wave energy capture, tidal energy and geothermal heating and cooling technology for homes and businesses.Energy efficiencyThis category incorporates technologies that facilitate saving energy at home and in industrial processes. Saving energy positively affects energy expenditures and also decreases greenhouse gas emissions. Some examples of such technologies are enterprise energy management, energy analytics, pure manufacture techniques, industrial process improvements , waste heat recovery, LED lighting, and smart plugs.Energy distribution and storageIt incorporates technologies which facilitate electricity delivery and provide commercial, residential and industrial customers with more control over how and when their energy is delivered and utilized. Some of the areas it covers are: enhancements in all kinds of energy storage and methods for increasing or controlling the efficiency of energy transmission or storage. Some examples of such technologies are: nickel-metal hydride improvements, advanced metering and home automation network, flywheels, electrical engineering and controls for distribution of power, compressed air energy storage technology, and power storage for renewable, intermittent, resources.TransportationUnder this category comes innovative technology that not only enhances the ways and means of mobility, but also decreases the environmental consequence of mobility markets. Start-ups concentrating on motorbikes, electrical vehicles , aviation, logistics and trains and fleets should select this category. It covers applications in transportation and mobile technology that reduce air pollution, involve developing biofuels for transportation, reduce vehicle travel (not restricted to automobiles), reduce air pollution or improve fuel efficiency. Examples of such technologies are: fleet management software and hardware systems, logistics management, cold-ironing systems, fuel cell vehicles, drivetrain conversion systems, combustion designs, and biodiesel applications.Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)Under this category come companies whose key businesses are developed around software design improvements, computing hardware, or the application of web, IT, social or mobile applications to decrease environmental impacts and resource consumption. This grouping has many possible overlaps with other groupings. Fortunately, a distinction can be made. If the business value incorporates technology specificall y aimed at the market complemented by applications or data, they fit in the vertical (such as transportation). Examples of such technologies are: carpooling solutions, cloud based applications and services, modeling software, exploiting location and GPS information, mashups, energy reduction software, and mobile and web applications to raise environmental awareness.Agriculture, water, and wasteApplications in this category center on improving conservation, resource availability and pollution control. Agriculture covers novel farming technologies that decrease the need for resources required to produce food, ensure sustainable food security and improve supply chain. Examples are: sustainable animal and plant nutrient products, food processing, soil technology, indoor cultivation systems, production of sustainable fertilizers and production of micro-irrigation and smart drip solutions.Water has to do with novel technological solutions that look into drinking water distribution, treatm ent or usage. Some examples are: on-site water monitoring, reverse osmosis, cooling solutions, recycling of microbial water treatment, rainwater harvesting, storm-water, and flood control.Waste centers on cradle-to-cradle approaches to reduction, recycling and reuse technologies in addition to original business models and approaches to materials utilization. Some examples are: CHP (combined heat and power), waste cleanup and remediation and reprocessing technologies.Chemicals and Advanced MaterialsThis relatively new technology category covers technology that reduces or does away with the generation or utilization of hazardous substances in chemical products or materials. The category includes pharmaceuticals, novel detergents, household products, surface and finishing materials, fabric, cosmetics, packaging materials and lubricants. Examples of such technologies are: production of algae based chemical products (usable for consumer products such as luggage, furniture and carpets) an d plant forestry-feedstocks; manufacture of new biodegradable material, technology for developing chemicals and fuels from natural gas, novel flame retardant polymers, manufacture of natural rubber latex for medical products and manufacture of polymers from recycled pollutants.BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CLEANTECH STARTUPTechnology: Though new technologies are associated with a very high risk of failure, the few technologies that do succeed would transform the world. Hence, cleantech technology, money and time are key.Markets and Feedstocks: In general, with respect to bio-based products, it shouldn’t be difficult to get a market. The challenge is to develop these products in an economical manner.Social License: Society is currently calling for enhanced environmental performance. In future, accomplished oilsands companies would have to strive for environmental and economic excellence. On the other hand, Enerkem’s social license is solid.Government Support: Government suppor t is associated with some different areas: research grants, premium product pricing, loan guarantees, direct investment and feedstock support for newly introduced technologies such as Enerkem. With respect to more mature companies such as NOVA, support is more generic with streamlined regulatory requirements or competitive tax rates. In the 1970s when NOVA was starting up, it had strong support from the Alberta government, chiefly because it was not difficult for NOVA to acquire investment dollars from the usual public sources.Financing: One of the biggest problems that cleantech start-ups face is financing, owing to the risk involved. Startups of this kind with new technology must depend on unconventional sources such as angel investors, venture capital, direct government investment and strategic investors. As soon as you’re commercialized and are demonstrating profits or at least have a track record that would take you to profitability, you can access things such as banks and pu blic equity markets. Exceptions are few and very rare. A start-up that utilizes proven technology also turns to these sources but with prospects of private equity utilization.Investment decision: One of the concepts of most importance is getting a competitive advantage. Thousands will make an effort, but only a few would succeed. For example, NOVA began a new industry utilizing “proven technology” and so, there was only a very low risk of failure. Enerkem is utilizing garbage and converting it into a needed commodity.Creating a Movement, Expanding Clean Tech: Matthew Woods at TEDxSanLuisObispo A PICTURE OF CLEANTECH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN 2014Some features/trends of cleantech entrepreneurship as of June, 2014 are discussed below:Cleantech markets are boomingElectric vehicles are setting monthly records in terms of sales. In May, the sales were ten times higher than they were three years back.Solar (particularly community-scale and rooftop) is still booming, but the booming will con tinue only as long as costs continue to be pushed down. For the first time, over one-third of all rooftop solar installations in the first quarter took place devoid of any state-provided incentives.LED lighting installations are progressing at a 435 percent CAGR.Startups are being neglected by venture investorsFactors such as the renunciation of growth-stage VCs and the shortage of early-stage VCs are causing many of the top startups to be invested in by foreign-based investors, corporate and other non-traditional investors such as family offices. At the same time, there is some reason for positivity with the early signs that LPs (Limited Partners) are beginning to put some funds back into the sector and mainstream VCs are absolutely willing to invest in adjoining areas.Corporates are quickly getting involvedGoogle is entering home energy automation and supposedly preparing for distributed energy management.Big ‘cleantech giants’ such as Tesla, SolarCity, and First Solar are mak ing acquisitions, opening up fresh markets and partnering.Industrial automation giants recognize that energy automation is an essential aspect of what their customers expect.Politicians in D.C continue to be difficult, but there’s progress at the state-levelIn Washington DC, they’re still blocking moderate, bipartisan and smallish energy bills.Time after time, polls have revealed that voters in all states want extra access to clean, distributed energy and energy efficiency. So, practical leaders at the state-level across parties are finding out ways to encourage this access, some in a subdued manner compared to others. Though the trend is not unanimous, it seems to be clear at the state level.Startups are healthier and smarter than everMany startups that managed to stay afloat through tough times are now set for growth. Startups that started after the lean times with intelligent business models or which were better positioned owing to lower capital burn are performing quite well .There’s currently a widespread adoption of business model innovation entrepreneurship. An example is downstream startups using cost declines upstream to their advantage.ABOUT THE CLEANTECH OPENThe Cleantech Open is a not-for-profit establishment that manages the world’s biggest accelerator for cleantech startups. The organization’s aim is to find, foster and fund entrepreneurs with great ideas that tackle current environmental, energy and economic challenges. The process is powered by a network of over 2000 volunteers. These are some of the organization’s programs and events:Global Ideas CompetitionAccelerator and Business CompetitionGlobal Forum and ExpoNational Conference and Expo CLEANTECH CASE STUDIESSefaira cloud based software to choose most energy efficient building designs © SefairaBuildings account for approximately 40 percent of international energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Though a large quantity of energy-efficient fittings and new design concepts are currently available, the dilemma for architects is frequently how to select among these various available choices. This is the inspiration for a cloud-based software program called Sefaira that makes it possible for architects to study different building designs and select the best ones to enhance energy performance.As architects weigh up the various pertinent design options, the software helps steer them in the right direction. The UK based design company estimates that high-performance building designs could reduce energy utilization by 50 percent or more when contrasted with conventional design techniques.Doe Run â€" energy efficiency © Doe RunDoe Run Co. proved that sustainability is also about huge savings. In 2013, the St. Louis based natural resources company put $600,000 into the Herculaneum High School, an element of the Dunklin R-V School District in Jefferson County, Missouri, thereby preparing the pathway for considerable improvements to the inefficient campus. Assisted by MicroGrid Energy which carried out the energy audit encompassing HVAC, heating, building envelopes, plug loads and covered lighting, the final project incorporated various energy conservation measures meant to save the school roughly $2 million over the course of the project’s life.When the project was completed in 2014, the financials and upgrades were checked by Noesis Energy, verifying the savings at approximately $44,000 a year.Attero â€" recycling of e-waste © AtteroAttero, an Indian recycling company has a straightforward mantra: “We believe its not waste, until its wasted. As per recent estimates, a half million tonnes of e-waste is thrown out each year in India but close to 95 percent continues to be recycled in the informal sector. However, the process is inefficient and damaging not just to the environment but also to the people involved who are chiefly women and children laboring with no protective gear.Seeing an opportunity to convert the environmental calamity into a business plan, Attero came into being. Attero’s CEO and co-founder says the company is India’s leading waste recycler, tackling about 500 tons of e-waste every month.The company’s success can be attributed to its widespread collection system, its novel four-stage recycling technology that recovers valuable metals without tainting the local environment and its relatively lower cost.Liquid Robotics â€" Wave Glider © Liquid RoboticsLiquid Robotics developed an emission-free robot for sea survey applications for commercial and government customers, considering the expense and danger associated with manned ocean exploration. The unmanned robotic vehicle (called the Wave Glider) is suitable for observing, measuring and monitoring the world’s oceans. According to the chief executive at the California-headquartered ocean data service providing company, the robot doesn’t get bored, doesn’t slip on the deck and injure itself, doesn’t get sea-sick and doesn’t run out of fuel.The company’s technology developed out of endeavors to catch the songs of migrating humpback whales. The Wave Glider is completely silent and has no emissions and no carbon footprint.In spite of the mixed condition of the industry and associated risks, cleantech entrepreneurship is exciting, and it looks like the green technology is here to stay.

Friday, May 22, 2020

Nontsikelelo Albertina Sisulu, South African Activist

Albertina Sisulu (October 21, 1918–June 2, 2011) was a prominent leader in the African National Congress and the anti-Apartheid movement in South Africa. The wife of the well-known activist Walter Sisulu, she provided much-needed leadership during the years when most of the ANCs high command was either in prison or in exile. Fast Facts: Albertina Sisulu Known For: South African anti-apartheid activistAlso Known As: Ma Sisulu, Nontsikelelo Thethiwe, Mother of the NationBorn: October 21, 1918 in Camama,  Cape Province, South AfricaParents: Bonilizwe and Monikazi ThethiweDied: June 2, 2011 in Linden, Johannesburg, South AfricaEducation:  Johannesburgs Non-European Hospital, Mariazell CollegeAwards and Honors:  Honorary doctoral degree from the University of JohannesburgSpouse: Walter SisuluChildren: Max, Mlungisi, Zwelakhe, Lindiwe, NonkululekoNotable Quote: Women are the people who are going to relieve us from all this oppression and depression. The rent  boycott  that is happening in  Soweto  now is alive because of the women. It is the women who are on the street committees educating the people to stand up and protect each other. Early Life Nontsikelelo Thethiwe was born in the village of Camama, Transkei, South Africa, on October 21, 1918, to Bonilizwe and Monica Thethiwe. Her father Bonilizwe arranged for the family to live in nearby Xolobe while he was working in the mines; he died when she was 11. She was given the European name of Albertina when she started at the local mission school. At home, she was known by the pet name Ntsiki. As the eldest daughter, Albertina was often required to look after her siblings. This resulted in her being held back for a couple of years at primary school, and initially cost her a scholarship for high school. After intervention by a local Catholic mission, she was eventually given a four-year scholarship to Mariazell College in the Eastern Cape (she had to work during the holidays to support herself since the scholarship only covered term time). Albertina converted to Catholicism while at college and decided that rather than get married, she would help support her family by getting a job. She was advised to pursue nursing (rather than her first choice of being a nun). In 1939 she was accepted as a trainee nurse at Johannesburg General, a non-European hospital, and began work there in January 1940. Life as a trainee nurse was difficult. Albertina was required to buy her own uniform out of a small wage and spent most of her time in the nurses hostel. She experienced the ingrained racism of the white-minority led country through the treatment of senior black nurses by more junior white nurses. She was also refused permission to return to Xolobe when her mother died in 1941. Meeting Walter Sisulu Two of Albertinas friends at the hospital were Barbie Sisulu and Evelyn Mase (Nelson Mandelas first wife-to-be). It was through them that she became acquainted with Walter Sisulu (Barbies brother) and began a career in politics. Walter took her to the inaugural conference of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League (formed by Walter, Nelson Mandela, and Oliver Tambo), at which Albertina was the only female delegate. It was only after 1943 that the ANC formally accepted women as members. In 1944, Albertina Thethiwe qualified as a nurse and, on July 15, she married Walter Sisulu in Cofimvaba, Transkei (her uncle had refused them permission to get married in Johannesburg). They held a second ceremony on their return to Johannesburg at the Bantu Mens Social Club, with Nelson Mandela as best man and his wife Evelyn as a bridesmaid. The newlyweds moved into 7372, Orlando Soweto, a house that belonged to Walter Sisulus family. The following year, Albertina gave birth to their first son, Max Vuysile. Starting a Life in Politics Prior to 1945, Walter was a trade union official but he was fired for organizing a strike. In 1945, Walter gave up his attempts to develop an estate agency to devote his time to the ANC. It was left to Albertina to support the family on her earnings as a nurse. In 1948, the ANC Womens League was formed and Albertina Sisulu joined immediately. The following year, she worked hard to support Walters election as the first full-time ANC secretary-general. The Defiance Campaign in 1952 was a defining moment for the anti-Apartheid struggle, with the ANC working in collaboration with the South African Indian Congress and the South African Communist Party. Walter Sisulu was one of 20 people arrested under the Suppression of Communism Act. He was sentenced to nine months of hard labor and suspended for two years for his part in the campaign. The ANC Womens League also evolved during the defiance campaign, and on April 17, 1954, several women leaders founded the non-racial Federation of South African Women (FEDSAW). FEDSAW was to fight for liberation, as well as on issues of gender inequality within South Africa. In 1954, Albertina Sisulu obtained her midwife qualification and began working for Johannesburgs City Health Department. Unlike their white counterparts, black midwives had to travel on public transport and carry all their equipment in a suitcase. Boycotting Bantu Education Albertina, through the ANC Womens League and FEDSAW, was involved in the boycott of Bantu Education. The Sisulus withdrew their children from the local government-run school in 1955 and Albertina opened her home as an alternative school. The Apartheid government soon cracked down on such practice and, rather than return their children to the Bantu education system, the Sisulus sent them to a private school in Swaziland run by Seventh Day Adventists. On August 9, 1956, Albertina was involved in the womens anti-pass protest, helping the 20,000 prospective demonstrators avoid police stops. During the march, the women sang a freedom song: Wathint abafazi, Strijdom! In 1958, Albertina was jailed for taking part in a protest against the Sophiatown removals. She was one of around 2,000 protestors who spent three weeks in detention. Albertina was represented in court by Nelson Mandela; all of the protesters were eventually acquitted. Targeted by the Apartheid Regime Following the  Sharpeville Massacre  in 1960, Walter Sisulu,  Nelson  Mandela, and  several others formed  Umkonto we Sizwe  (MK, the Spear of the Nation), the military wing of the ANC. Over the next two years, Walter Sisulu was arrested six times (though only convicted once) and Albertina Sisulu was targeted by the Apartheid government for her membership of the ANC Womens League and FEDSAW. Walter Sisulu Is Arrested and Imprisoned In April 1963 Walter, who had been released on bail pending a  six-year  prison sentence, decided to go underground and join up with the MK. Unable to discover the whereabouts of her husband, the SA authorities arrested Albertina. She was the first woman in South Africa to be detained under the  General Law Amendment Act No. 37 of 1963. She was initially placed in solitary confinement for two months, and then under dusk-till-dawn house arrest and banned for the first time. During her time in solitary, Lilliesleaf Farm (Rivonia) was raided and Walter Sisulu was arrested. Walter was sentenced to life imprisonment for planning acts of sabotage and sent to Robben Island on June 12, 1964 (he was released in 1989). The Aftermath  of the Soweto Student Uprising In 1974, the banning order against Albertina Sisulu was renewed. The requirement for partial house arrest was removed, but Albertina still needed to apply for special permits to leave Orlando, the township in which she lived. In June 1976 Nkuli, Albertinas youngest child and  second daughter, was caught in the periphery of the  Soweto student uprising. Two days before, Albertinas eldest daughter Lindiwe had been taken into custody and held at  a detention  center at John  Voster  square (where  Steve Biko  would die the following year). Lindiwe was involved with the  Black Peoples Convention  and  Black Consciousness Movement  (BCM). The BCM had a more militant attitude toward South African whites than the ANC. Lindiwe was detained for almost a year, after which she left for Mozambique and Swaziland.​ In 1979, Albertinas banning order was again renewed, though this time for only two years. The Sisulu family continued to be targeted by the authorities. In 1980 Nkuli, who was by then studying at Fort Hare  University, was detained and beaten by the police. She returned to Johannesburg to live with Albertina rather continue her studies. At the end of the year, Albertinas son  Zwelakhe was placed under a banning order that effectively curtailed his career as a journalist because he was prohibited from any involvement in the media. Zwelakhe was president of the Writers Association of South Africa at that time. Since Zwelakhe and his wife lived in the same house as Albertina, their respective  bans  had the curious result that they were not allowed to be in the same room as each other or talk to each other about politics. When Albertinas banning order ended in 1981, it was not renewed. She had been banned for a total of 18 years, the longest  anyone  had been banned in South Africa at that point. Being released from the ban meant that she could now pursue her work with FEDSAW, speak at meetings, and even be quoted in newspapers. Opposing the Tricameral Parliament In the early  1980s,  Albertina campaigned against the introduction of the Tricameral Parliament, which gave limited rights to Indians and Coloureds. Albertina, who was once again under a banning order, was unable to attend a critical conference at which the Reverend Alan Boesak proposed a united front against the Apartheid government plans. She indicated her support through FEDSAW and the Womens League. In 1983, she was elected president of FEDSAW. Mother of the Nation In August 1983, she was arrested and charged under the  Suppression of Communism Act  for allegedly furthering the aims of the ANC. Eight months earlier she had, with others, attended the funeral of Rose Mbele and draped an ANC flag over the coffin. It was also alleged that she delivered a pro-ANC tribute to the FEDSAW and ANC Womens League stalwart at the funeral. Albertina was elected, in absentia, president of the United Democratic Front (UDF) and for the first time she was referred to in print as the Mother of the Nation. The UDF was an umbrella group of hundreds of organizations opposed to Apartheid, which united both black and white  activists  and provided a legal front for the ANC and other banned groups. Albertina was detained in Diepkloof prison until her trial in October 1983, during which she was defended by George Bizos. In February 1984, she was sentenced to four years, two years suspended. At the last minute, she was given the right to appeal and was released on bail. The appeal was finally granted in 1987 and the case was dismissed. Arrested for Treason In 1985,  PW Botha  imposed  a state  of emergency. Black youths were rioting in the townships, and the Apartheid government responded by flattening Crossroads township, near Cape Town. Albertina was arrested again, and she and 15 other leaders of the UDF were charged with treason and instigating revolution. Albertina was eventually released on bail, but the conditions of the bail meant she could no longer participate in FEDWAS, UDF, and ANC Womens League events. The treason trial began in October but collapsed when a key witness admitted he could have been mistaken. Charges were dropped against most of the accused, including Albertina, in December. In February 1988, the UDF was banned under further State of Emergency restrictions. Leading an Overseas Delegation In 1989 Albertina was asked as the patroness of the principal black opposition group in  South Africa (the wording of the official invitation) to meet with U.S. president George W Bush, former president Jimmy Carter, and UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Both countries had resisted economic action against South Africa. She was given a special dispensation to leave the country and provided with a passport. Albertina gave many interviews while overseas, detailing the severe conditions for blacks within South Africa and commenting on what she saw as the Wests responsibilities in maintaining sanctions against the Apartheid regime. Parliament and Retirement Walter Sisulu was released from prison in October 1989. The ANC was un-banned the following year, and the Sisulus worked hard to re-establish its position in South African politics. Walter was elected deputy president of the ANC and Albertina was elected deputy president of the ANC Womens League. Death Both Albertina and Walter became members of parliament under the new transitional government in 1994. They retired from parliament and politics in 1999. Walter died after a long period of illness in May 2003. Albertina Sisulu died peacefully on June 2, 2011, at her home in Linden, Johannesburg. Legacy Albertina Sisulu was a major figure in the anti-apartheid movement and a symbol of hope for thousands of South Africans. Sisulu holds a special place in the hearts of South Africans, in part because of the persecution she experienced and in part because of her unflinching dedication to the cause of a liberated nation. Sources Albertina Sisulus Legacy. Southafrica.co.za.â€Å"Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu.†Ã‚  South African History Online, 25 Oct. 2018.Shepherd, Melinda C. â€Å"Albertina Sisulu.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 17 Oct. 2018.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

The New Angle On Funny Evaluation Essay Topics Just Released

The New Angle On Funny Evaluation Essay Topics Just Released At any time you catch yourself feeling captivated by a person's essay or article, take a better look at it. As you start trying to find psychology essay topic ideas, the very first thing that you should think about is the guidelines for your essay given by your instructor. Due to the previous angle, a lot of people get into a great deal of difficulties writing essays on funny argumentative essay topics. Some folks may believe that the excellent content could possibly be written on any topic and the paper success is dependent just on the mastery of the writer. Writing a proposal essay isn't as difficult as it might sound, it is irrelevant the way your professor or teacher describes it. The more research you can do in order to secure better at your upcoming profession, the better. Psychology is a rather broad and diverse area of study, and you will find a selection of lists of potential topics for psychology essay papers online. Researching and deciding on an intriguing topic is the major point of writing an essay. There are a lot of tips that you can follow to compose your fun evaluation essay topics. When it is challenging for you to work out an evaluation essay topic, we've prepared a great collection of valid suggestions for your evaluation papers. The search for an excellent topic for your psychology essay can be quite frustrating should you not understand where to get started. Developing a criterion for the evaluation essay topic in addition to the effective judgment from the face of the author is the fundamental requirement of an evaluation essay. To the contrary, a suitable evaluation essay will probably avoid any biased viewpoints. To the contrary, it may also be quite interesting to work on only when you have good topic in your hands since it's thought of as the backbone of an evaluative essay. Also the evidences offered in the essay should be wholly accurate. The One Thing to Do for Funny Evaluation Essay Topics One of the most important hiccups in choosing funny argumentative essay topics is that comedy is a rather touchy field, and various folks have various opinions of what comedy is about. When you are requested to opt for a great topic for your argument, start with something you're familiarized with. Men and women find some shows as funny, till they understand that the comedy may be dependent upon a severe issue. The challenge with writing an anecdote is in fact creating an intriguing story. Without creativity, the reader may not need to continue reading. Why you must land an outstanding job on account of your video gaming abilities. Why gaming is the sole thing you're expert at. Finding the most suitable arguments can help you prove your point and win. The previous movie you have observed. Free range parenting because you can see, there are a terrific number of useful, informative and intriguing topics to write about and evaluate. Argumentative writings is a particular kind of a paper. You should be careful to clearly cite quality, or the shortage of, with respect to the particular topic you're writing about. If you are going to compose a superior evaluation paper then you have to divide your subject into easy categories. Therefore, the topic ought to be debatable! The topics must have two sides and they need to be quite intriguing. Picking an emotional topic is also a great idea. Parents will need to monitor their kids' online activities more closely as a way to help reduce Internet dangers, such as cyberbullying and internet predators. An ethics paper demands a lot of time for preparation. While evaluation essays are easy to write, as you're simply required to evaluate a product, service, entity, event or something different, there's a single leading trap to be on the lookout for creating your piece overly opinionated. What's funny to you might not be funny to your readers. Obviously you don't wish to over-use both of them, the exact same with any writing tool.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Indigo Spell Chapter Nineteen Free Essays

string(27) " improve my opinion of it\." SOMEHOW, I STILL LOST. If Adrian were capable of on-the-fly calculations, I’d swear he was using his powers to affect the way the dice rolled. Most likely, he either had some innate and inexplicable Monopoly skills I just couldn’t understand – or he was very, very lucky. We will write a custom essay sample on The Indigo Spell Chapter Nineteen or any similar topic only for you Order Now But through it all, I had fun, and losing to him was a lot better than having Veronica haunt me in my sleep. He continued the dream visits for the next few days, and although I never felt completely safe from her, I at least didn’t have her occupying the forefront of my mind at all times. That honor was saved for my weekend trip to St. Louis, which came around more quickly than I expected. Once I was on the plane, the reality of what I was about to attempt hit me. This was it, the point of no return. In the safety of Palm Springs, I’d been able to maintain a somewhat cool and collected attitude. St. Louis had seemed far away back then. Now the tasks ahead of me seemed daunting and kind of crazy. And dangerous. There was no part of this that wouldn’t get me into serious trouble. Lying to Stanton. Breaking into top secret servers. Even charming information out of Ian could have repercussions. And really who was I to think I would have any ability to lure secrets from him? I wasn’t like Rose or Julia. They had men fawning all over them. But me? I was socially awkward and pretty inept when it came to romance. Maybe Ian liked me, but that didn’t mean I’d have some magical power over him. Of course, if that part of the plan with him failed, then I’d be free of my other tasks. Every single part of this was overwhelming, and as I stared out the plane’s window, watching St. Louis grow closer and closer, my feelings of dread grew. My palms were too sweaty to hold a book, and when I refused food, it was because of the queasiness in my stomach, not some obsession with calories. I’d gone back and forth on whether to get a hotel room or stay at the facility itself, which provided guest housing for visiting Alchemists like me. In the end, I opted for the former. The less time I spent under the watchful eyes of my masters, the better. It also meant I didn’t have to worry about my outfit attracting attention. I hadn’t exactly followed all of Adrian’s suggestions, but the dress I’d purchased for this trip was a bit racier than my normal business casual wardrobe. Okay, a lot racier. It would have been completely out of place among the modest and neutral-colored attire Alchemists usually wore. But when Ian met me in the hotel’s lobby for dinner, I knew I’d made the right choice. â€Å"Wow,† he said, eyes widening. â€Å"You look amazing.† Apparently, his Alchemists sensibilities weren’t offended by my outfit. It was a form-fitting minidress that went about to my mid-thigh, with an open back and a disconcertingly low V-neck that gave me cleavage I hadn’t even known was possible. Any demureness the dress’s long sleeves might have offered was undone by the fabric combination: a beige underdress covered in black and maroon lace. It gave the illusion that I was wearing lace with nothing underneath. The saleswoman had assured me that every part of the dress was supposed to fit that snugly (for once in my life, I’d actually suggested a larger size) and that I needed at least four-inch black heels to make it all work. With the help of a lot of hairpins, I’d even managed to pull my hair up into a bun, which wasn’t easy with my layered haircut. I felt conspicuous walking through the lobby, but no one gave me any shocked looks. The few I did get were admiring ones. The hotel was pretty posh, and I was just one of a number of women dressed in holiday cocktail dresses. Nothing scandalous or out of the ordinary. You can do this, Sydney. And wearing a revealing dress wasn’t nearly as difficult as breaking into a server, right? Right? I smiled as I approached Ian and gave him a quick hug, which was weird both because it was with Ian and because I felt naked in the dress. This femme fatale thing was harder than I’d thought it’d be. â€Å"I’m glad I got to see you again,† I said. â€Å"I know what an inconvenience this must be, with no notice.† Ian shook his head so adamantly that I almost expected to hear rattling. â€Å"N-no. No trouble at all.† Satisfied he’d gotten a look, I slipped on my coat, a mid-length black trench, and gestured toward the exit. â€Å"Time to brave the elements?† He hurried ahead of me to open the door. A scattering of snowflakes drifted down, resting on my coat and hair. My breath made a frosty cloud in the air, and I had a momentary flashback to traipsing across that field with Adrian. Little had I known that search for Marcus would lead to me running errands for him in a tight dress. Ian had parked in the hotel’s front circle drive. He drove a Toyota Corolla, which was made even more boring by the fact that he’d chosen it in white. A little air freshener shaped like a tree hung from the rearview mirror, but rather than the usual pine scent, a small label declared it to be â€Å"New Car Scent.† Mostly it smelled like plastic. I put on a brave face. Marcus really owed me one. â€Å"I made us a reservation at this really great seafood place,† he told me. â€Å"It’s close to the facility, so we can head on over to the service right away.† â€Å"Sounds great,† I said. I never ate seafood in any landlocked state. The restaurant was called Fresh Cache, which didn’t improve my opinion of it. You read "The Indigo Spell Chapter Nineteen" in category "Essay examples" Still, I had to give it credit for attempts at a romantic atmosphere. Most of the lighting came from candles, and a pianist in the corner played covers of easy-listening songs. More well-dressed people filled the tables, laughing and chatting over wine and shrimp cocktails. The host showed us to a corner table, covered with burgundy linen and decorated with a scattering of green orchids. I’d never seen any up close and was actually quite taken with how exotic and sensual they were. If only I was here with anyone but Ian. I was hesitant to take my coat off. It made me feel exposed, and I had to remind myself of the consequences of Alchemists and Warriors working together. As soon as the dress was unleashed again, I had the satisfaction of seeing Ian melt once more. I remembered Adrian’s advice about confidence and put on a smug smile, hoping I gave the impression that I was doing Ian a great favor by allowing him to be in my presence. And, to my complete and utter amazement, it seemed to work. I even allowed myself to indulge in a dangerous thought: maybe it wasn’t the dress wielding such power here. Maybe it was me. Opening the menu, I began skimming for a beef or poultry option. â€Å"What do you recommend?† â€Å"The mahi mahi is great here,† he said. â€Å"So is the swordfish.† The waiter stopped by, and I ordered a chicken Caesar salad. I figured they couldn’t really mess up the anchovies in the dressing. We were left alone to wait, with nothing to do now but move on to small talk. Ian picked up the ball. â€Å"I suppose you still can’t tell me much about where you’re at, huh?† â€Å"Afraid not. You know how it is.† I buttered a sourdough roll with what I was pretty sure was exactly half a tablespoon. I didn’t want to go too crazy, but I could allow myself a little indulgence since I ordered a salad. â€Å"I can tell you I’m in the field. I just can’t say much else.† Ian’s attention shifted off my neckline as he stared into the candle’s flame. â€Å"I miss that, you know. Being in the field.† â€Å"You used to be, right? What happened?† I hadn’t thought much about it lately, but when Ian had accompanied Stanton and me to the Moroi court, he had been pulled from his post to make the trip. He’d been assigned somewhere in the south, Florida or Georgia, I thought. â€Å"Those Moroi holding us prisoner is what happened.† He shifted his gaze back to me, and I was startled at the fierceness I saw. â€Å"I didn’t handle it very well.† â€Å"Well, none of us did.† He shook his head. â€Å"No, no. I really didn’t handle it well. I kind of freaked out. They sent me to anger management training afterward.† I nearly dropped the roll. I had in no way expected that. If someone had asked me to name the top ten people who needed anger management, Ian wouldn’t have even made the bottom of the list. My father, however, would have been near the top. â€Å"How – how long were you there?† I stammered. â€Å"Two weeks, and then I was good to go.† Admittedly, I didn’t know the extent of the rage that had landed him in anger management, but I found it interesting that two weeks was good enough to deem him ready to work again. Meanwhile, Keith’s scheme to use Moroi to make money had earned him at least two months in re-education – maybe more, since I hadn’t heard any updates in a while. â€Å"But they wouldn’t let me work in the field,† Ian added. â€Å"Figure I shouldn’t be around Moroi for a while. So that’s why I’m stuck here.† â€Å"In the archives.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Doesn’t sound so bad,† I told him. I wasn’t entirely lying. â€Å"Lots of books.† â€Å"Don’t fool yourself, Sydney.† He began tearing a pumpernickel roll into pieces. â€Å"I’m a glorified librarian.† Maybe so, but that wasn’t my concern. What was my concern was Wade telling me that the archives were on a secure level, one floor up from the surveillance room that held security footage. He’d drawn me a map of each floor, making sure I memorized the layout and the best ways to get in and out. â€Å"I’d still love to see them,† I said. â€Å"I mean, the history they contain is amazing.† Again, not entirely a lie. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes drop to my plunging neckline again. This wasn’t that difficult! Really, I didn’t know why I hadn’t been using my â€Å"womanly charms† a long time ago. Actually, I never really knew I had any, until now. â€Å"Could you get me in for a tour? Of the archives specifically. You seem like the kind of guy who could get access to . . . a lot of places.† Ian choked on his roll. After a bout of coughing, he glanced up at my face, then my cleavage (again), and then back to my face. â€Å"I’d, um, love to, but it’s not really open to the public – I mean, even the Alchemist public. Only those with special scholar access are allowed in. We could look at the general access parts of the building, though.† â€Å"Oh. I see.† I looked down at my plate, pouting slightly, but didn’t say anything else. As the waiter arrived with our food, I hoped my silence was making him reconsider what he could be missing out on. Eventually, Ian couldn’t take it anymore. He cleared his throat, maybe because there was still bread stuck in it. â€Å"Well, I might be able to . . . you see, the problem is just getting you down to the secure levels. Once you’re through that checkpoint, it’s not hard to get you into the archives – especially if I’m working.† â€Å"But you can’t do anything about the main checkpoint?† I coaxed, as if all real men should be able to do that. â€Å"No, I mean . . . maybe. I’ve got a friend who works there. I don’t know if he’s got a shift tomorrow, but he still might be able to help. He owes me some money, so I can use this as a trade. I hope.† â€Å"Oh, Ian.† I flashed him a smile that I hoped rivaled one of Marcus’s. â€Å"That’s amazing.† I remembered what Adrian had said. â€Å"I’d be so, so grateful if you could pull it off.† My reaction clearly delighted Ian, and I wondered if Adrian had been right about how â€Å"so, so grateful† was translated. â€Å"I’ll call him tonight after the service,† Ian said. He looked determined now. â€Å"Hopefully we can make it happen before your flight tomorrow.† I rewarded him by hanging on his every word for the rest of dinner, as though I’d never heard anything quite so fascinating. All the while, my heart raced with the knowledge that I was now one step closer to fulfilling Marcus’s task, one step closer to potentially proving a connection to a bunch of gun-toting zealots and the organization I’d served my whole life. The salad was tiny, so I agreed to see the dessert menu after dinner. Ian suggested we share, but that was a little too intimate for me, not to mention unhygienic. So, I ate an entire lemon tart by myself, confident in the knowledge that I was still a long ways from the five-pound mark. When Adrian had told me I’d look healthier if I gained a little weight, he’d added that it would improve my bra size. I couldn’t even imagine what that would do for this dress. The Alchemist center in St. Louis was contained inside a giant, industrial building that went undercover as a manufacturing plant. Moroi facilities – the court and their schools – usually posed as universities. How ironic that â€Å"creatures of the night† would live among beautifully landscaped gardens while â€Å"servants of the light† like us skulked in ugly buildings with no windows. Inside, however, everything was pristine, bright, and well-organized. A receptionist checked us in when we arrived at the main desk and buzzed us through, along with many others who arrived for the service. There were golden lilies everywhere. For many, this was a fun-filled family event, and lots of children trailed their Alchemist parents. It made me feel strange as I watched them, these kids who had been born into our profession. I wondered how they’d feel ten years from now. Would they be excited to step up to the plate? Or would they start questioning? The center had three floors aboveground and five underneath. People off the street could hardly just come wandering in, but we still took precautions by keeping the more benign offices on the main floor. As we all walked down the corridor to the auditorium, we passed Payroll, Travel, and Maintenance. All the offices had clear windows looking into them from the hall, maintaining the Alchemist ideal that we had nothing to hide. The secure offices belowground weren’t quite so open, however. I’d been in this facility once before for a training seminar, and it had actually taken place in the auditorium we entered for the service. Despite the spiritual theme of tonight’s event, the room bore little resemblance to a church. Someone had gone to the effort of decorating the walls with red-bowed evergreen garlands and setting pots of poinsettias on the stage. The room had a state-of-the-art audio-visual system, including a giant screen that gave a larger-than-life look at whatever was happening onstage. The auditorium’s seating was so efficient that even those in the farthest corners had a pretty clear view, so I think the screen was just for emphasis. Ian and I found two seats near the middle of the auditorium. â€Å"Aren’t you going to take off your coat?† he asked hopefully. No way was I going to unleash the dress in this den of taupe and high collars. Besides, if I kept the coat on, it would just give him something to keep looking forward to. Adrian would be proud of my ability to manipulate the opposite sex . . . and I couldn’t help but wonder just how well Adrian would be able to stand up to this dress. Clearly, I was getting overly confident with this new power. â€Å"I’m cold,† I said, pulling the coat tighter. It was kind of ridiculous since the lights from the stage and high number of bodies had already made the room stifling, but I figured since it was so cold outside, I could get away with it. For someone who always seems to be so cold, you sure can warm up pretty fast. â€Å"Sydney? Is that you?† I froze, not from the shock of hearing my name, but from the voice that had said it. I’d know that voice anywhere. Slowly, I turned away from Ian and looked up into my father’s face. He was standing in the aisle, wearing a heavy wool suit, with melted snowflakes in his graying dark blond hair. â€Å"Hi, Dad,† I said. Then I saw who was standing beside him. â€Å"Zoe?† It was all I could do not to jump up and hug her. I hadn’t seen or spoken to my younger sister since that night I’d been pulled out of bed and sent on my Palm Springs mission. That was the mission she believed I’d stolen from her, no matter my protests. It was the mission that had driven her away from me. I eyed her now, trying to assess where we stood. She didn’t wear the blatant hatred she had at our last meeting, which was a good sign. Unfortunately, she didn’t look all that warm and friendly either. She was cautious, studying me carefully – almost warily. She did not, I noticed, have a golden lily on her cheek yet. â€Å"I’m surprised to see you here,† said my father. His parting words to me had been â€Å"Don’t embarrass me,† so I wasn’t really astonished by his low expectations. â€Å"It’s the holidays,† I said. Forcing a smile now was far more difficult than it had been with Ian. â€Å"It’s important to be here with the group. Do you know Ian Jansen?† Ian, wide-eyed, jumped up and shook my father’s hand. Clearly, he hadn’t expected a parental meeting so soon. â€Å"It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.† My father nodded gravely and looked back and forth between the two of us. Whatever surprise he’d had at seeing me here had just been trumped by me being here with a date. Glancing at Ian, I tried to guess how he’d appear to someone like my dad. Clean cut, respectful, an Alchemist. The fact that Ian tended to bore me was irrelevant. I doubted my father had ever thought much about me dating, but if so, he probably hadn’t thought I’d get a catch like this. â€Å"Would you like to join us, sir?† asked Ian. I had to give him credit; he’d overcome his initial shock and was now in proper suitor mode. â€Å"It would be an honor.† At first, I thought Ian was just laying it on thick. Then I realized meeting my father might actually very well be an honor. Jared Sage wasn’t a rock star, but he did have a reputation among the Alchemists that, by their standards, was outstanding. My father seemed to like the flattery and agreed. He took a seat beside Ian. â€Å"Sit by your sister,† he told Zoe, nodding in my direction. Zoe obeyed and stared straight ahead. She was nervous too, I realized. Looking her over, I felt an ache from how much I’d missed her. We’d inherited the same brown eyes from our father, but she’d gotten Mom’s brown hair, which made me a little jealous. Zoe also looked a lot more put together than the last time I’d seen her. She wore a pretty dark brown cashmere dress and didn’t have a single hair out of place. Something about her appearance bothered me, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first. It soon hit me. She looked older. She looked like a young lady, like my peer. I supposed it was silly of me to feel sad, since she was fifteen, but I kind of wished she could stay a little kid forever. â€Å"Zoe.† I kept my voice low, not that I needed to worry about the men overhearing. My dad was interrogating Ian. â€Å"I’ve been wanting to talk to you for so long.† She nodded. â€Å"I know. Mom tells me each time you call.† But there was no apology for dodging my calls. â€Å"I’m sorry about the way we left things. I never meant to hurt you or one-up you. I thought I was doing you a favor, saving you from getting involved.† Her mouth tightened, and something hard flashed in her eyes. â€Å"I don’t mind being involved. I want to be involved, you know. And it would’ve been great! Being in the field at fifteen. I could have a stellar career. Dad would be so proud.† I chose my next words very carefully so that she wouldn’t take offense. â€Å"Yeah, but another year with Dad will really be, um, stellar. He’s got so much experience – and you want to get as much as you can, believe me. Even if you have to wait for an assignment at sixteen, you’ll still be ahead of the rest of us.† Each word out of my mouth made me feel sick, but Zoe seemed to buy it. I wasn’t bothered by her wanting to be part of the cause – but it killed me that she was clearly doing it to impress our dad. â€Å"I suppose. And I am learning a lot. I wish I could at least get some field experience – even if it’s not my own post. It’s all theory with Dad. I’ve never even seen a Moroi.† â€Å"I’m sure he’ll fix that.† I didn’t like encouraging this, but at least she was speaking to me. The lights dimmed, ending our conversation. Organ music filled the room, and the scent of frankincense drifted around us. Incense and resin were common components in magic, and my mind was instantly starting to make associations from the spell books I’d painstakingly copied. Frankincense is used to heal burns. It can also be used when casting divining or purifying spells – I immediately stopped that train of thought. Even if I was keeping it to myself, thinking about magic in the middle of an Alchemist church service was pretty sacrilegious. I shifted uncomfortably, wondering what all these people would think if they knew the truth about me: that I practiced magic and had kissed a vampire. . . . Alchemist priests were called hierophants. They performed blessings and offered moral advice, when needed. In day-to-day affairs, they wore suits, but for this occasion, the lead hierophant wore robes that reminded me uncomfortably of the robes some of the Warriors had donned. It was yet another reminder of our shared history – and maybe our shared future. Marcus had been right. This was a mystery I had to solve, regardless of where I stood on breaking the tattoo. I’d attended services like this off and on throughout my life and knew the Latin prayers by heart. I chanted along with the rest of the congregation and listened avidly as the hierophant reaffirmed our goals, his voice echoing through the sound system. Even though the Alchemists’ religion had loose connections to Christianity there was very little mention of God or Jesus or even Christmas. Most of his sermon was about how we had to help protect humanity from the temptation of following Strigoi who offered unholy immortality. That warning, at least, wasn’t exaggerated. I’d heard stories and even seen for myself what happened when humans decided to serve Strigoi. Those Strigoi promised to turn their servants as a reward. Those humans helped Strigoi spread their evil and became monsters themselves, no turning needed. Keeping those dark vampires hidden was for the good of weak humans who couldn’t protect themselves. I paid especially close attention when the hierophant mentioned the Moroi offhandedly in his sermon, as a means to an end in defeating the Strigoi. He didn’t exactly inspire warm and fuzzy feelings about them, but at least he wasn’t calling for Moroi and dhampir destruction either. I agreed with a good part of the message, but it no longer filled me with the fire it once had. And when the hierophant started droning on and on about duty, obedience, and what was â€Å"natural,† I really began feeling disconnected. I almost wished there was more talk of the divine, like you’d find at a normal church service. With everything going on in my life, I wouldn’t have minded a connection to a higher power. Sometimes, when I listened to the hierophant, I wondered if everything he was saying had just been made up by a bunch of people sitting around in the Middle Ages. No holy mandate required. I felt like a traitor when the service ended. Maybe Adrian’s joke had been right: I didn’t even need Marcus to break my tattoo and connection to the group. Glancing at my companions – and even the other Alchemists in the room – it was clear I was alone. All of them looked captivated by the sermon, devoted to the cause. I was again eerily reminded of the Warriors and their fanatical devotion. No, no, whatever else the Alchemists are guilty of, we have nothing to do with that kind of unhinged behavior. And yet . . . it was more complicated than that, I realized. The Alchemists didn’t shoot first and ask questions later or make our members battle each other. We were civilized and logical, but we did have a tendency to just do what we were told. That was the similarity, one that could be dangerous. Zoe and my father walked out with Ian and me. â€Å"Isn’t it amazing?† she asked. â€Å"Hearing that . . . well, it just makes me so glad Dad decided to raise another Alchemist in the family. It’s good to boost our numbers.† Had that truly been his motivation? Or was it because he didn’t trust me after I’d helped Rose? It was infuriating that the only conversation I could have with Zoe centered around Alchemist rhetoric, but I’d take it over the silence of the last few months. In my heart, I longed to talk the way we used to. I wanted it back. Even though she’d warmed up a little, that old familiarity that had once existed between us was gone. â€Å"I wish we had more time,† I told her once our groups were ready to part in the parking lot. â€Å"There’s so much I want to talk to you about.† She smiled, and there was a genuineness in it that warmed me. Maybe the distance between us wasn’t irreparable. â€Å"Me too. I’m sorry about . . . well, the way things were. I hope we get some time together soon. I . . . I’ve missed you.† That nearly broke me down, as did her hug. â€Å"We’ll be together soon, I promise.† Ian – whom my father now seemed to regard as a future son-in-law – drove me back to my hotel and couldn’t stop gushing about how awesome it had been to meet Jared Sage. As for me, I could still feel where Zoe had hugged me. Ian promised he’d get in touch with me in the morning about a tour of the archives. Then, weirdly, he closed his eyes and leaned forward. It took me a moment to realize that he expected a good-night kiss. Seriously? That was how he went about it? Had he ever even kissed anyone before? Even Brayden had displayed a little more passion. And, of course, neither guy measured up to Adrian. When I did nothing, Ian finally opened his eyes. I gave him another hug – with the coat on – and told him how happy I was that he’d met my dad. That seemed to satisfy him. Adrian made his nightly check-in with me once I was asleep later on. Naturally, he wanted to know about my dress. He also kept trying to find out how exactly I’d won Ian over and seemed amused at the few details I decided to give him. But mostly I couldn’t stop talking about Zoe. Adrian soon gave up on the other topics and simply listened to me gush. â€Å"She spoke to me, Adrian!† I paced around the reception hall, clasping my hands in excitement. â€Å"And she wasn’t mad. By the end, she was happy to see me. Do you know what that’s like? I mean, I know you don’t have any brothers or sisters, but to have someone you haven’t seen in a while welcome you back?† â€Å"I don’t know what it’s like,† he said quietly. â€Å"But I can imagine.† I was too caught up in my own joy at the time, but later, I wondered if he was talking about his incarcerated mother. â€Å"It’s nice to see you so happy,† he added. â€Å"Not that you’ve been miserable lately, but you’ve had a lot to worry about.† I couldn’t help but laugh at that and came to a halt. â€Å"Are you saying evil witches and espionage are stressful?† â€Å"Nah.† He walked over to me. â€Å"All in a day’s work for us. But I’m going to make my way to bed now. You seem like you can get by without me tonight.† He’d visited me every night since Veronica’s dream. Most of the trips were short now, but I still knew it was a lot of effort and spirit for him. â€Å"Thank you. I feel like I can’t say that to you enough.† â€Å"You don’t have to say it at all, Sage. Good luck tomorrow.† Right. Stealing top secret info from a highly secure facility. â€Å"Thanks,† I said again. A little of my mood dimmed, but not all of it. â€Å"No matter what happens, though, patching things up with Zoe makes me feel like this mission is already a success.† â€Å"That’s because you haven’t been caught.† He cupped my face in his hands and leaned close. â€Å"See that you aren’t. I don’t want to have to dream visit you in prison . . . or wherever it is bad Alchemists go.† â€Å"Hey, at least I’d have you for company, right?† He gave me a rueful headshake, and the dream vanished around me. How to cite The Indigo Spell Chapter Nineteen, Essay examples

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

The Arguments For And Against The Uses Of Recombinant DNA Technology Essay Example

The Arguments For And Against The Uses Of Recombinant DNA Technology Paper Advances in genetics and molecular biology in the 1970s initiated the development and progress of recombinant DNA technology. Today, genetic engineering plays a very important role, not only in scientific research, but also in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The objectives of recombinant DNA technology include identifying genes, isolating genes, modifying genes, and re-expressing genes in other hosts or organisms. These steps permit scientists and clinicians to identify new genes and the proteins they encode, to correct endogenous genetic defects, and to manufacture large quantities of specific gene products such as hormones, vaccines, and other biological agents of medical interest. The latest field of medicine to benefit from the advantages of recombinant DNA technology is reproductive endocrinology. Genetic engineering produces proteins that offer advantages over proteins isolated from other biological sources. We will write a custom essay sample on The Arguments For And Against The Uses Of Recombinant DNA Technology specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Arguments For And Against The Uses Of Recombinant DNA Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Arguments For And Against The Uses Of Recombinant DNA Technology specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These advantages may include: * High purity this means that the bad genes will be filtered out so that the genes are efficient to do what they are required to do * High specific activity This means that the recombinant DNA can be used to accurately specify in certain areas and the genes, which carry out certain tasks, can specify in certain areas. * Steady Supply once the recombinant DNA is formed the genes can constantly reproduce causing a constant supply of the gene, which is required to do the task required. * Batch to batch consistency With recombinant DNA the same gene can be produced over and over again meaning that the same gene can be constantly produced and will be identical to the gene before. Recombinant DNA technology is not only an important tool in scientific research, but has also resulted in enormous progress in the diagnosis and treatment of certain diseases and genetic disorders in many areas of medicine. Genetic engineering has permitted: Identification of mutations People may have been tested for the presence of mutated proteins that may be involved in the progression of such things as breast cancer. Diagnosis of affected and carrier states of hereditary diseases Types of tests can be carried out to find if people are carriers of the cystic fibrosis gene, the Huntingtons disease gene and many other health threatening genes. Mapping of human genes on chromosomes Scientists can look at which part of the chromosomes produces certain mutations and diseases. Transferring genes form one organism to another People who suffer from many diseases such as cancer may now benefit from the ways in which gene therapy has progressed over several years by research going on to explore ways of recombinant DNA technology. Isolation and alteration of genes Once genes are altered, the protein will become more functional and of more use. Isolation of large quantities of pure protein The amount of recombinant products has grown dramatically over the last few years, with the use of insulin. Growth hormone and several others which can be used to produce high purity, and batch-to-batch consistency proteins. Many people all over the world suffer from a lack of sugar in their body. Bovine and porcine insulin was used which was very similar to human insulin but then it was realised that many people produced anti bodies against this insulin which neutralised its actions. Another factor was that people had to constantly inject them selves for the rest of their lives with this insulin to keep them alive. Then came research in to inserting the insulin gene into a suitable vector in the human. This would cause the E. coli bacteria cell, to produce an insulin which is chemically identical to its naturally produced counterpart. This is an example of how recombinant DNA can be used to help people who have medical problems. With this system the human is producing a protein inside of them which will provide them constantly with insulin meaning that they dont need to constantly take injections. This way is not only saving the person with this defect time but will also make them physically and mentally more confident as they will know that every thing they do that the insulin will still be being produced inside their body to keep the level of sugar inside them at a suitable level. It means that a person suffering form this defect can play sport and do what everyone else does without worrying that they may need to take and injection soon as their sugar level could be low. There are many worries of people with low sugar levels, as they always have to be keeping track of when their next injection must be taken and when they need to eat to keep their sugar level up. Another example of when recombinant DNA is used is with the Growth hormone. Many people have this problem either hypo secretion of the growth hormone, which produces stunted growth in childhood, hyper secretion which leads to gigantism in childhood or hyper secretion in of the growth hormone leads to acromegaly in adults. It was found that using recombinant DNA technology these problems could be overcome with humans. Although being a great method of helping with theses problems people started wanting to use this technique on their children just because they wanted taller or shorted kids. I these cases the children had no problems at all but the parents were not happy with the height of their children at the moment. This brings in a new aspect to look at to do with recombinant DNA technology. Although what I have written about above sounds really great because due to this new method many problems can be solved, many people may misuse this recombinant DNA. Where would be the limit be to say who can get this treatment and who cant. Who will say if a person can get the treatment or not. Although the recombinant DNA seems the solution to many of our problems, the consequences have to be looked at first and for people to say why should some people be allowed to change and others not and in time to come when more is discovered who will have control over what happens. People will have the power to change that they are in a genetic sense and nobody will be able to stop them. People will no longer be what they were supposed to be but just a genetically modified human being. Where could a limit be drawn to say only certain things can be done using recombinant DNA and can only be used by certain people. Although it is a wonderful solution to a lot of disease it is also a way of changing the human gene and as time goes on the main question will always be when do we stop. Maybe one day everybody will be a genetically modifies human being and their will no longer exist the human being as we know it today. At the end of the day someone must decide if this process is going to carry on and if the answer is yes how far until the line is drawn.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Miranda Rights essays

Miranda Rights essays You have the right to remain silent, anything that you say may be used against you in a court of law, you have the right to talk to a lawyer and have him/her present with you while you are being questioned, if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to represent you before These words have become a commonplace in law enforcement across the United States. Miranda warnings, by their formal name, have been subject to much controversy since they were first birthed in the 1960's. So powerful are these words, many criminals are set free if they are not spoken. Courts have long recognized that a persons confession, if not Miranda was not issued, is not admissible in court. I feel that Miranda warnings are not necessary in the criminal justice Miranda warning are currently used when a suspect to a crime is interrogated or questioned. The underlining theme in Miranda is to prevent police officers from obtaining involuntary or coerced confessions to a crime. In a recent U.S. supreme court case, Dickerson v. United States (2000) regarding Miranda, Justice Scalia dissents - an Act of Congress will not be enforced by the courts if what it prescribes violates the Constitution of the United States. That was the basis on which Miranda was decided. One will search today's opinion in vain, however, for a statement (surely simple enough to make) that what 18 U. S. C. 3501 prescribesthe use at trial of a voluntary confession, even when a Miranda warning or its equivalent has failed to be givenviolates the Constitution. The reason the statement does not appear is not only (and perhaps not so much) that it would be absurd, inasmuch as 3501 excludes from trial precisely what the Constitution excludes from trial, viz., compelled confessions; but also that Justices whose votes are needed to compose today's majority are on record as ...

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Second Grade Science Fair Projects

Second Grade Science Fair Projects Second-graders tend to be very curious. Applying that natural inquisitiveness to a science fair project can yield great results. Look for a natural phenomenon that interests the student and have him or her ask questions about it. Expect to help a second-grade student plan the project, and offer guidance with a report or poster. While its always nice to apply the scientific method, its usually OK for second-graders to make models or perform demonstrations that illustrate scientific concepts. Here are some ideas appropriate for second-graders: Food These are experiments with things we eat: What factors affect the rate at which foods spoil? You can test heat, light, and humidity.Identify the characteristics that distinguish a fruit from a vegetable. Next, use these characteristics to group different produce items.Test eggs for freshness using the float test. Does it always work?Do all types of bread grow the same types of mold?What is the best liquid for dissolving a gummy bear? Try water, vinegar, oil, and other common ingredients. Can you explain the results?Do raw eggs and hard-boiled eggs spin the same length of time and number of times?A mint makes your mouth feel cool. Use a thermometer to see if it actually changes the temperature. Environment These experiments focus on processes in the world around us: Put a pair of old socks over your shoes and go for a walk in a field or a park. Remove the seeds that attach to the socks and try to figure out how they attach to animals and what the plants they come from might have in common.Why doesnt the ocean freeze? Compare the effects of motion, temperature, and wind on freshwater compared with salt water.Collect insects. What types of insects live in your environment? Can you identify them?Do cut flowers last longer if you put them in warm water or cold water? You can test how effectively flowers are drinking water by adding food coloring to it and using white flowers, such as carnations. Do flowers drink warm water faster, slower, or at the same rate as cold water?Can you tell from todays clouds what tomorrows weather will be?Collect a few ants. What foods most attract ants? Least attract them? Household These experiments are about how things work around the house: Do clothes take the same length of time to dry if you add a dryer sheet or fabric softener to the load?Do frozen candles burn at the same rate as candles that were stored at room temperature?Are waterproof mascaras really waterproof? Put some mascara on a sheet of paper and rinse it with water. What happens? Do eight-hour lipsticks really keep their color that long?What type of liquid will rust a nail the quickest? You could try water, orange juice, milk, vinegar, peroxide, and other common household liquids. Miscellaneous Here are experiments in various categories: Do all students take the same size steps (have the same stride)? Measure feet and strides and see if there seems to be a connection.Do most students have the same favorite color?Take a group of objects and categorize them. Explain how the categories were selected.Do all students in the class have the same size hands and feet as each other? Trace outlines of hands and feet and compare them. Do taller students have larger hands and feet or does height not seem to matter?

Sunday, February 16, 2020

Legal tools available at the local level to exploit terrorist Essay

Legal tools available at the local level to exploit terrorist activities - Essay Example All member states are collaboratively called for regionalized comprehensive and integrated regional implementation of counter-terrorism strategies (UN, 2012). As an implication, member states are expected to adopt the counter terrorism plan in for Central Asia and the development of institutional and technical capacities at their respective national territories (UN, 2012). This program includes capability-building to address the need for comprehensive analysis of needs for operational and administrative needs of institutions at the local level to help attain target goals. Margolis (2001) cited that one of the resources that can be exploited by terrorist organization is the media. He cited how Bin Laden optimized media for interviews to sow dissention and to articulate his causes against Iraq. Although his sentiments were not aired in American media but he leveraged by discussing his political position to Muslim-dominated communities to gain sympathy and to pour his political tirade against the United States and its allies. He was the first to laud and express satisfaction when the twin towers of New York fell into ruin.Moreover, Emerson (2011) have cited that terror groups have already produced its own publication to strategically attune itself in this information age and information technology advancement. Emerson (2011) also pointed that those who are info-technology savvy could launch hacking attacks to websites of their perceived enemies.With the advent of online social networking.... This program include capability-building to address the need for comprehensive analysis of needs for operational and administrative needs of institutions at the local level to help attain target goals. Margolis (2001) cited that one of the resources that can be exploited by terrorist organization is the media. He cited how Bin Laden optimized media for interviews to sow dissention and to articulate his causes against Iraq. Although his sentiments were not aired in American media but he leveraged by discussing his political position to Muslim-dominated communities to gain sympathy and to pour his political tirade against United States and its allies. He was the first to laud and express satisfaction when the twin towers of New York fell into ruin. Moreover, Emerson (2011) have cited that terror groups have already produced its own publication to strategically attune itself in this information age and information technology advancement. Emerson (2011) also pointed that those who are in fo-technology savvy could launch hacking attacks to websites of their perceived enemies. With the advent of online social networking, borderless communication and transnational access becomes possible. Department of Homeland Security (2010) pointed that in their study, terror groups can exploit alternative online media to spread propaganda, network operational guidelines, communicate with partners using online tools and chat rooms, and develop web-based database of information to sustain its ideological positions. DHS (2010) recorded that jihadist and mujahideen are increasingly utilizing facebook for propaganda, operational information, which include the distribution of menu about how to make improvised explosive device

Sunday, February 2, 2020

UK TV drama analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UK TV drama analysis - Essay Example t people would however like to change the cards that they were dealt, or at least sit down and have an eraser and be able to edit their lives and lead that which they feel to be the best; a life without struggle, pain or hardships. It is for this reason that the aim of this paper shall be to study the TV drama Misfits, and take a look at the way in which the characters react to life and the way in which they may be related pot real life experiences. Furthermore, the paper shall focus on the first two episodes of the series for a more in depth and precise look into everything. The plot of the story follows the lives of 5 teens that are caught for taking part in offences that have warranted them community service to the cut. These are Kelly Bailey, Curtis Donovan, Alisha Daniels, Simon Bellamy and Nathan Young. They are caught in a supernatural thunder storm that results in them gaining some supernatural abilities. The series was meant to follow the lives of the characters and mimic their characters in their behaviors so as to develop their powers. These powers are mean to focus on what the characters want from their lives but they are not able to get due to the decisions that they have made. However, not everything ends as they had wished. They are faced with decisions that are seen to follow them for the rest of their lives. These characters are drawn from the way in which teenagers and people in the world would love to be given another chance so as to ensure that the view that society has of them is different from what they are inside in terms of their character. Taking Kelly Bailey, played by Lauren Socha, is a character that is judged and feared buy society for having a body that is said to be manly and brute. She wishes that people stop looking at her through the scope of her physique but rather through the view that she is someone else that is different; she is not her skin or her body. In the storm, she gains the power of being able to talk and communicate

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Causes and Impact of Health Inequalities

Causes and Impact of Health Inequalities Background In todays world, the advancements in medical technology and its expansion have improved the overall health of the population. However, inequalities persist within health care and not all people have equal access to it. Why do these disparities still exist in the present day? Understanding why these inequalities exist despite modern advancements has a significant importance in reducing health care inequalities. Aim Understanding health care inequalities and its challenges are the aim of this assignment. It seeks to explain and understand the mechanisms underlying the associations that can be found between the socio-economic statuses of population groups and their quality of health. It also explores life course pathways which mould and influence a persons chances of having a healthy life along with advantages and disadvantages that can affect health from an early age into adulthood. In addition, other factors such as gender, mental illness and disability and ethnicity will also be discussed since they also have a major contribution to inequalities in health. The assignment will focus on research led in the United Kingdom (UK). The United Kingdoms long tradition of research on health inequalities The UK is a high-income society, where greater prosperity and better overall health have been successfully attained without narrowing health inequalities, it can therefore be taken as an example for other societies that manifest similar trends in inequalities (Graham, 2009). Health Inequalities Health inequalities are differences between people or groups due to social, geographical, biological or other factors. These differences have a huge impact, because they result in people who are worst off experiencing poorer health and shorter lives (NICE, 2012). Affordable health care During the 19th century, inequality in health was mostly due to factors such as overcrowding, insufficient availability to local treatment facilities and poor sanitation (Morning 2015). Nowadays, in our industrialized society, these disadvantages have essentially disappeared. Modern hospitals and treatment centres are now commonly accessible across the UK. But not everyone can afford treatment. A study led in 2004 has shown that wealth is correlated with longevity, which demonstrates a strong link between the socio-economic status and mortality. For example, Figure 1 exhibits a pattern of health across income groups in England in 2004. As seen below, the proportion of men and women who deem their health as not good increases from around 15 percent in the richest fifth of English households to around 40 percent in the poorest fifth of households. This significant rise is not only manifested in the majority white population but also in other ethnicities in the UK (Graham, 2009). Figure 1: Proportion of women and men aged 16 and over assessing their health as not good by income quintile based on equivalized household income, England 2003. (Graham, 2009) This can be explained by considering the advantages that people in the higher socio-economic groups have. These advantages can lead to more knowledge about their health and the care available through improved education, or better continuity of care without issues of complying with treatment regiments such as expensive medication. For example, a man with higher income and education levels will have improved health insurance, increased information about the availability of treatments and will more frequently visit the doctor. This can translate into receiving more screenings such as screenings for colorectal cancer and diabetes. Differences between social classes and how they affect health       Landmark studies such as the Black report have shown that not only do social class inequalities still exist, they are also widening over time (DHHS,1980). Social class inequalities have been observed in all ages for all the major diseases. To try and describe social class inequalities in health, various models have been introduced into the UK such as the behavioural/cultural model, the materialist model, the psycho-social model and the life-course model (Steinbach,2009; Bartley and Blane, 2008; Bartley, 2004; DHHS, 1980). These models differentiate the characteristics affecting health that can be observed in different social classes over the whole period of their lives. For example, by describing the differences in behaviour that distinct social classes have, i.e. the behavioural model. Such as their dietary choices between healthy and unhealthy food, their prevalence to being in contact with drugs, alcohol and tobacco or the inclination to pursuing active leisure time such as hobbies in addition to their approach to healthy life choices such as immunisation, contraception and antenatal services (Steinbach 2009; Bartley, 2004; DHHS, 1980). Another model is the materialist model which describes the differences between social classes to the exposure to health hazards. This encompasses hazards such as air pollution, mold, cold, infestations and respiratory hazards that can arise from bad housing for example. The Black report (DHHS,1980) claims that this model is the most decisive factor leading to health inequalities. But many experts outline that since, in the UK, somewhat disadvantaged people receive various kinds of state aids, therefore it can be argued that housing and other materialistic issues are insufficient to account for major inequalities in health outcomes (Steinbach, 2009; Barley, 2004, DHHS, 1980). The psycho-social model on the other hand describes the principle that what people feel can determine changes in the physiology of the body. For example, a stressful social environment produces an emotional response which alters the state of the body through biological changes and can lead to serious conditions such as heart diseases (ODonnell, 2008). Areas affected can be the social interaction that an individual has every day, the work environment and the balance between home and work paired with their efforts and rewards. It has been shown that people with better relationships with their family and friends and who engage in social activities have better prospects to a healthier lifestyle than those who are rather isolated (Campbell, 2010). The last model focuses on patterns of social, psychological and biological advantages and disadvantages that can occur during the lifetime of a person. Factors that can influence a persons life can arise as early as in-utero and in early childhood. These disadvantages can ultimately accumulate and worsen through childhood and adulthood (Steinbach, 2009; Bartley, 2004). For example, individuals who have experienced differences in autonomy or, on the other hand, shame and doubt in childhood will react differently throughout their adult life (Graham, 2009). These models are represented by landmark studies in social class inequalities in health in the UK such as the Black Report (DHHS, 1980), the Whitehall study of British civil servants (spans over 10 years starting in 1967) and the Acheson report (Acheson, 1988). How gender affects health inequalities Many studies and researches have proven that, in industrialized countries such as the UK, women live longer than men but present more prevalence to ill health (Scambler, 2008). Although men have a greater chance of mortality due to injury and suicide in earlier stages of adulthood coupled with common single causes of death in adulthood such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, more women than men go through stages of disabilities, notably in older ages. Mental disabilities have mostly been commonly correlated to anxiety and depressive disorders (Steinbach, 2009; Bartley, 2004; Acheson, 1998). The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2008 suggested that gender differences in health are a result of both biological factors and social factors such as employment, risk taking behaviour, smoking and alcohol (Campbell, 2010). How ethnicity affects health inequalities Unfortunately, the information on death certificates in the UK do not display ethnicity, and mortality data uses country of birth as a defining factor, therefore ethnical minorities born in the UK cannot be determined. But regular documented studies on ethnical inequalities in mortality (Kelly, 2008) have explained that factors such as, migration processes, defined socio-economic disadvantages and genetic and biological differences between ethnic populations account for differences in mortality. Inequalities in the accessibility to health care The access to health care is a supply concern which describes the quality and quantity of services provided to a person and are defined by the health care system itself. In the UK, the health care system is the National Health Service (NHS), a system that was founded on the principle of fairness, meaning people should get the care they need, not the care they can afford (Steinbach, 2009; Cookson, 2016). The inverse care law, first described by Julian Tudor Hart in 1971, states: The availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely with the need for it in the population served (Hart, 1971). Equality of access to health care can be achieved by communities by meeting certain requirements. Factors such as the distance travelled, the transport facilities and communication used, the hospital waiting times, the patient information and knowledge about available treatment and its effectiveness and the costs of all these are considered to contribute to a health care system which is equal to all (Steinbach, 2009; Cookson, 2016). Availability is a determining factor of inequalities in accessibility in health care. Some health care services have been shown to treat population groups differently, denying services to some people and preferring others for a certain treatment. For example, clinicians might have a bias in treating different patients based on individual characteristics even though they have identical needs. The equality in the costs of health care can also be disrupted by imposing costs which differ between people. Or even the information given to different populations can impact the patients outcome. For example, health care organisations who neglect or fail to ensure that everyone is equally conscious to the services available (Goddard and Smith, 2001). The NHS and current health inequality challenges The NHS regularly comes top of international league tables of fairness in health care but it is not perfectly fair. There are inequalities in the volume, quality and outcomes of NHS care received by rich and poor people. These inequalities could get worse as financial austerities start to bite more severely into NHS budgets and may contribute to wider health inequalities in society. These inequalities raise serious concerns about social justice and unfulfilled potential for disadvantaged people to live longer and healthier lives. A research project lead by Richard Cookson in 2012 focused on monitoring fairness of the NHS to make sure inequalities dont get worse and if possible get better. In 2012, the NHS still didnt monitor how inequalities were changing. And NHS decision makers knew that inequalities existed, but they had no way of telling if inequalities were getting better or worse or what influence their decisions were having on inequalities. By monitoring the fairness of the NH S, the results will make sure that everyone, rich or poor, can receive the care they need to live a long and healthy life (Cookson, 2016). Recently, research projects have provided methods of comparing the performance of local NHS areas in tackling inequalities in health care. Alongside similar indicators for wider determinants of health, such as the regularly updated marmot indicators (UCL, 2015). Which review the key areas that need to be improved to make a significant impact on health care inequalities such as strengthening the role and impact of ill health prevention. The methods will assess how well the NHS is tackling inequalities across a broad range of issues (Buck, 2016). An outcome from the Health Equity Indicators for the English NHS: Longitudinal whole-population study at small area level research project showed a great improvement in patient health care by monitoring key stages of the patient pathway (See Figure 2) (Cookson, 2016). Figure 2: Monitoring health care access, quality and outcomes at key stages of the pathway (Cookson, 2016). For example, Figure 3 shows that GP supply increased in all social groups, and the largest increases were in the most deprived areas. As seen below, the pro-rich inequality gradient was eliminated by 2011/2012 (Asaira, 2016). Figure 3: Equity of primary care supply, Patients per full time equivalent GP, excluding registrars and retainers, adjusted for age, sex and health deprivation (Asaira, 2016). Conclusion Health care inequalities most commonly arise from socio-economic conditions and are shaped by political, social and economic forces that can create or destroy a persons health and wellbeing. These problems are now seen as health problems that must be addressed to ensure everyone has an equal chance of a healthy life. Factors such as the costs of healthcare, social class, gender, ethnicity and accessibility to health care all contribute to the quality of life. 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