Profiling 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Profiling 4 - Essay Example Technology which causes victimization includes cyber net, cell phones, ATM machines, electronic data transfer etc. However, in the contemporary world the most intense victimization is seen over the internet. Within the last few years internet identity crime has gained enough recognition throughout the world (Gray, 2010). This is based upon an individual’s personal identity numbers, bank accounts, school information or any other security code which is unique to every person around the globe. Online criminals hack or steal this information and then they use it for causing financial, physical or moral damage to the victim. Victimization is now increasing with a stimulating rate as compared to the past. Moreover, the lack of awareness regarding internet identity crime has also facilitated it to a greater extent (Gray, 2010). People suffering from victimization are usually reluctant to contact law enforcement agencies because of embarrassment or due to the chances of further victimization by the offender. It is significantly easier for any cybercriminal to harass an individual by staying at a distance. This increases the complexity of the situation for law enforcing agencies since they fail to trace the offenders. Online criminals do not only harm individuals rather they possess the ability of destroying large corporations, for instance, by simply causing them financial loss or interrupting the bank transactions (Gray, 2010). Victims of online crime belong to a relatively narrowed group of people who are largely neglected by the judiciary system. Victimology was only recognized in the middle 20th century, before that, criminals were the major focus of the law enforcement agencies. There are primarily three factors which initiates victimization in this era of technological advancement. These include the environmental affects, characteristics of the offender and most importantly the precipitation of the victim. Environment

Whistle Blowing Essay Example for Free

Whistle Blowing Essay The challenger disaster that took place in January 28 has led to the explosion of the shuttle itself and the death of all the crew members including the chosen teacher. A real disaster that occurred due to some wrong decisions and overriding some important information from professional employees within the company is considered a real catastrophe. Applying pressure on senior management team of the company that has developed the rocket in order to change their opinion about launching can be considered to be another catastrophe. All these misjudgment actions from the NASA team and the Morton Thiokol team have lead to the challenger real crisis. Whistle blowing A whistle blower is a person who reveals some wrong actions done by his employer or the company he works for in an investigation or to some authority and in some cases to public and press. This is mainly the case of Boisjoly who reveled during the commission investigation all the information he had regarding the problems that they discovered within the shuttle and the way the NASA reacted towards the problem and the way Morton Thiokol ignored the problem and refused to scrub the launch and went with the launch that caused the explosion of the challenger and the death of the seven crew members. Whistle blowers are heroes in the eyes of some people and they are betrayers in the eyes of other. From here rises the conflict of whistle blowers. Looking at the whole idea of whistle blowing we can easily say that this act has its harms and its benefits. Concerning benefits this would be the end of the any wrongdoing by any employer, management team or employees and this means consequences of wrong acts would be eliminated. As for the weakness or the harm of such practice it would cause terminations for the employee who performed the whistle blowing act, the work environment if he continued would be hard because the employer and the fellow employees will always think of him as the betrayer who took the secrets of the company publicly. Conclusion Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its launch and this means that the problem was massive and it needed to be addressed. People watching the launch and families who lost beloved ones needed to know what really happened and who was responsible for their great loss. Children who were watching their teacher joining the crew needed to know what the reason that this person died was. From all what preceded the truth should have appeared and the company should not treated Boisjoly a whistle blower because he showed the world what really happened and didn’t take into consideration the image of the company in the eyes of people and government. Failing to produce quality products and putting lives on the edge is not something that can be ignored and from here we can easily say that whistle blowers are heroes and not betrayers. Question 1:Do you regard Boisjoly as a disloyal employee or a heroic whistle blower? Why? Boisjoly in my opinion is not a disloyal employee. Although I agree to the saying that secrets of work should not be announced to anybody outside the company but is mainly when there is something regarding progress and success key elements and not wrongdoings that causes problems. In the case of challenger, seven people died from the explosion. The company was aware of the problem and they decided to ignore it and go on with the launch of the challenger. Boisjoly reported the problem and tried to convince the Morton Thiokol to scrub the launch but NASA had their way to convince the management to ignore everything and launch challenger. This led to the crisis. Families of the crew who died on challenger had the right to know what happened and this is what Boisjoly did and this is not betrayal but showing the truth behind a crisis. What he did also will definitely help the company make sure not ignore problems and solve them first in order not to reach this situation again. Question 2: Did Morton Thiokol treat Boisjoly fairly? Why or why not?  Explain We can easily say that the company was not fair in the way they treated Boisjoly after what happened and they have blamed him for the situation the company was facing. The environment they made him work within where he was looked at as a betrayal who took the secrets of the company out to the public and press was hard for him. They did not feel that what they did caused a disaster and they need to take responsibility for their actions. They only felt betrayed by Boisjoly and this is unfair by all means. They have treated him in a way that led to his resignation at the end because the work environment was no longer acceptable for him. Question 3: what if anything, ought Morton Thiokol managers have done differently? Explain Looking at the problem and the disaster that occurred due to some wrongdoing from the management team of Morton Thiokol we can say that they should have considered their engineers report, they should have scrub the launch of the challenger and not accept the pressure that NASA performed on the management team to ignore the report and go on with launching. If they have done so they would have been able to overcome the disaster, solve the problem and launch challenger on latter date. The management team failed to take the right decision.

Effects of MTV Essay -- essays research papers

The negative effects of MTV on our society and culture What do you think about when you hear the word MTV? Carson Daily counting down the top ten on Total Request Live? Bam Margera doing insane stunts on his new show BAM? How about The Wild Boys chasing alligators and poisonous snakes? MTV has revolutionized and affected the whole world through its negative influence on society and culture. MTV has in many ways corrupted our youths and American culture with shows such as Jackass, with their dangerous acts of stupid ness, and Marilyn Manson encouraging suicide and murder. One can say MTV is promoting violence. MTV has grown to be a major component in the music industry and its change from video based programming in the past to the television series focused on today has had some major ef...

Human Knowledge Essay

Anyone writes at one point or another in his lifetime to share his or her experiences, ideas, perceptions, situations, and points of view. Some write everyday in their private diaries to capture their memories. Others write to give way to the expression of their emotions, sometimes, pent up, a fond memory, thoughts, or aspirations, even frustrations. If knowledge is knowing and learning gained through experience then personal essays become one of the rich sources, if not the fountainhead, of knowledge which brings us to the stance of this discourse. The personal and highly subjective approach of the personal essay is not merely entertaining but definitely, it adds much to the stock of human knowledge. There are two bases for the present argument. Firstly, important terms, as they have bearing on the issue, are explained or defined where this discourse attempts to build this position and view on the subjective approach of personal essays as a big contributor to the stock of knowledge. Secondly, Hs’s discussion on the sources of knowledge (Hs n. d. ) not only supplements the understanding of the terms but builds a strong working framework for this argument. On the overall, an understanding of the working definitions of knowledge and personal essays serves as the springboard for the discussion at hand. Subordinated to knowledge and personal essays are the words subjective and entertaining. Knowledge may be understood as defined in several ways but not limited to the following: ‘the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association; acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique; the fact or condition of being aware of something; the range of one’s information or understanding; the fact or condition of having information or of being learned; the sum of what is known; and the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by humankind’ and ‘applies to facts or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience’ (Merriam Webster n. d. ). Moreover, knowledge refers to the ‘state or fact of knowing; familiarity, awareness, or understanding gained through experience or study; the sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered, or learned; learning; and specific information about something (Houghton Mifflin 2000). The accumulation of all possible information in every discipline altogether makes up the â€Å"stock of human knowledge. † On the other hand, the personal essay is one where the writer speaks from his or her own personal perspective about just any thinkable or unthinkable, imaginable or unimaginable (such as fictions) topic – emotions, experiences, places, events, things, animals, etc. A personal essay is very personal to the writer in that it relates to one’s private life rather than anyone else. In this sense, it is to a high extent particular, intimate and maybe found peculiar, but highly subjective. To be subjective is to be biased and one-sided. In the case of a personal essay, the writer has some biases with reference to any particular topic because he or she writes from how he or she views things in the environment. That is what makes personal essays highly subjective and all along carrying that personal touch. These writings become amusing or enjoyable, or contextually, entertaining to the readers on account of an experience where they become vicariously involved. Knowledge (and the accumulation of it) as understood from its given definitions are functions well fulfilled by personal essays. Hs listed and explained the five sources and the ways by which knowledge is gained (Hs n. d. ) – people, books, experience, experimentation and observation, and thinking and pondering. All of these sources heavily point to or at least allude to the voluminous personal essays. First, â€Å"people,† Hs declares â€Å"are the biggest source of knowledge for anybody† because for one reason, many people’s varied experiences can make enough experience in that area from which others may derive lessons from as a consequence of reading them. Since personal essays are highly subjective dwelling on personal anecdotes, it is not surprising that they are saturated with the first person pronoun â€Å"I† in the process of the narration (Cavallari n. d. ). These experiences as expressed through personal essays may affect the lives of others either â€Å"giving inspiration or altering some of your core values and outlook of life† (Oz Essays n. d. ). The things to learn from these numerous people experiences include also their achievements, frustrations, failures, miseries, mistakes, and skills. Furthermore, personal essays make their writer ask themselves â€Å"what experience has taught them about themselves† (Editors for Students n. d. ). And that from the personal stories grows out the points of the experience (Composition Patterns n. d. ). The lessons in life are paramount to the increase of one’s knowledge. Second, reading as much as many books about any topic is another source of knowledge. Take for instance a particular example cited by the author, Hs. The same problem that one may be confronted with must have similarly confronted others. By reading how others dealt with the same problem might just instantly give the solution as used by others. Though not so related but contextually relevant is the old saying that â€Å"there is no frigate like a book† where the reader is able to â€Å"travel† and see the wonders of the world through the eyes of those who undertook the travels and wrote about them. Third, it is true that â€Å"experience is a great teacher† according to Hs because mistakes are corrected and achievements are gained through lessons derived from past experiences not just your own but others’ as well. No matter how rhetoric but it is undeniably true that the best lessons in past experiences tells us that the present must learn from the past to make the present better and plan out for the best future. Fourth, experimentation and observation add to the stock of human knowledge by attempting at finding out, through one’s efforts and those of others through their writings, which attempts succeed that readers might carry on and which attempts fail that they might avoid in their own ventures. Watchfulness and keen observation of others’ approaches to particular situations is a sure way to gain knowledge that can be applied when the situation arises that calls for appropriate actions. What best observations can be had than reading from the personal essays of many people that one cannot possibly physically do all? Fifth, by thinking and pondering on what have been read such as personal essays can lead to a deep understanding of any topic. Take the case of personal essays of uncountable number on â€Å"How To†¦Ã¢â‚¬  like â€Å"How to Become a Millionaire,† How to Study Effectively,† â€Å"How to Win an Election,† How to Deal with Stress,† and many more. They are generally taken from individuals’ own experiences and insights that are shared to the readers. From these personal essays are skills or strategies learned that might as well work for the readers’ own successes. They are not necessarily products of empirical studies worked out from sample populations. Are they not significantly contributing to the stock of human knowledge? The process and later the formation of the habit of writing makes the individual primarily knowledgeable in many ways and secondarily acquiring the appropriate skills in communicative writing. Writing from personal experiences and incidents is actually mirroring one’s self as the lesson emerges from life experiences. Then, they develop the skill to reflect on the intrapersonal and develop the skill to write which is in itself a knowledge earned usable at any point in time especially in the academe. The readers, on the other hand, learn to write and improve, in some cases, hone their skills on the styles of writing based on the personal essays of others. The teaching experience of Andrea Sarvady is an interesting case in point. In an interview with an educator (Sarvady 2007) in a school in Atlanta, Georgia, Sarvady emphasized that requiring and training her 7th and 8th grade students in writing personal essays makes them ‘become better writers †¦ and become better people’. Writing just about anything from fiction to non-fiction, Andrea believes that the two-year personal essay writing program she does with her students is to a certain extent therapeutic but more importantly, she claims ‘it helps a lot of kids look at their own life a little more closely at an age where impulse controls issues are so huge. † The process and the progress to becoming â€Å"better people† is no doubt a consequence of knowledge earned. It is easy to contradict the opinion that personal essays are simply entertaining but does not do much to add to the stock of human knowledge. On the contrary, personal essays have much to offer to the formation of the stock of human knowledge while certainly entertaining at the same time. The argument with focus on science as a discipline, (Crichton n. d. ) carries some truth when he said that the â€Å"personal and subjective approach to essay writing entertains the reader, which adds little in comparison to the attainment of human knowledge. † However, at the same time he was quite negating his position when he said that people’s understanding of the world when â€Å"it grows, expands and then adds to the collective work†¦ once accredited and accepted as plausible, it advances the stockpile of human knowledge through the dispersal of academic essays. † In effect personal essays, although a subjective view of an objective knowledge, cannot be denied that however little, they throw in to the stock of human knowledge. Going further to the argument, human knowledge as based on the five sources of knowledge being the framework for this treatise are largely derived nowhere else but from ‘people’ where many of their ‘experiences’ are captured through their written texts as in ‘books’ narrating their own ‘experiences and observations’ of others that they ‘ponder’ on bringing about a deeper understanding of any subject matter. As a consequence, experiences of people first handedly accumulate to significantly contribute to the stock of human knowledge. Personal essays are written experiences of individuals to share their thoughts, insights, points of view, emotions, skills and abilities, ideas, usually bringing home to a point usually a lesson as a consequence of the experience (Editors for Students n. d. ). People trying out new ways of cooking, through experimentations and observations, are collected into cookery books. Similarly, innovative ways of doing interior home designs are collected into magazines and books on home designing shared by countless others. Landscaping and gardening are available in many books from the ideas of many creative individuals. Skills honing activities in any field of interest are available in books and magazines. Many researches utilize the interview instruments which are generally derived from interviews of real people eliciting from their own experiences. From this wide array of information, generalizations are made into principles, theories, and concepts. The amalgam of experiences and observations found and shared in personal essays accruing make up the colossal stock of human knowledge more than just entertain readers. List of References Cavallari, D. What is a Personal Essay [online] Available from [June 4, 2009] Crichton, A. A Subjective Look on Objective Knowledge[online] Available from [June 2, 2009] Editors for Students â€Å"The Personal Essay – Essay Writing Tip #6† [online] available from [June 3, 2009] Houghton Mifflin Company(2003). The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Languag, 4th ed [online] Available from [June 3, 2009] Hs, S. Sources Of Knowledge – How To Gain Knowledge In Any Field [online] Available from [June 4 2009] Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary [online] Available from [June 3, 2009] Personal Essays in the Classroom (March 28, 2007) [online] Available from [June 4, 2009] Interview Oz Essay Personal Experience Essay[online] Available from [June 2, 2009] Composition Patterns The Personal Essay [online] Available from [June 2, 2009]

Assignment Transport

Homework 1. The graph below shows the changes in blood pressure and velocity of blood flow as the blood travels from the heart to the leg and returns to the heart: [pic] (i) Compare the blood pressure in the artery with that in the vein. Suggest two reasons for the difference. (3 marks) (ii) Explain the importance of the low velocity of blood flow in the capillary. (2 marks) (iii) In the vein of the leg, the blood pressure is very low while the velocity of blood flow is quite high. Describe how such a high velocity of blood flow in the vein is maintained. 2 marks) (iv) Using the same x-axis given above, sketch a graph to show the change in the oxygen content of the blood as it passes through the blood vessels. (3 marks) 2. The photograph below shows the transverse section of a pig’s heart, which has a structure similar to that of the human heart. [pic] i) Which chamber of the heart, A or B, is responsible for sending out blood to all parts of the body except the lungs? Explain your choice. (3 marks) (ii) (1) Name valve X. (1 mark) (2) In a type of heart disorder, valve X cannot close properly.A man suffering from this disorder may faint easily when he performs vigorous exercise. How would you explain this? (4 marks) (iii) Vessel Y is an artery found in the heart wall. Explain why the risk of heart attack would be higher if fatty substances are deposited on the inner wall of vessel Y. (2 marks) 3. The diagram below shows part of the human circulatory system: [pic] (i) Explain why the lymph in vessel X of a person turns from clear to milky after he has eaten some barbecued pork. 3 marks) (ii) Describe how a continuous flow of lymph in vessel Y of the leg is maintained. (2 marks) (iii) For a patient suffering from a disease called elephantiasis, the lymph vessels in his leg are blocked by a kind of parasitic worm. The leg becomes greatly swollen due to the accumulation of tissue fluid. Explain why the tissue fluid accumulates. (2 marks) (iv) Structure Z may become enlarged when a person has a sore throat. Explain why structure Z is enlarged. (2 marks)

Lost Beneath the Sea ( Titanic) Essay Example

Lost Beneath the Sea ( Titanic) Essay Example Lost Beneath the Sea ( Titanic) Essay Lost Beneath the Sea ( Titanic) Essay Lost Beneath the Sea The Titanic vanished beneath the ocean on April 1 5th, 1912. What were the main causes of the Titanic tragedy, and what changes in travel safety occurred because of it? This amazing ship set sail on April 14th, 1912; the ship sank the next day (Anthony, Nicolas 1). There are now multiple rules set up, that were established because of the Titanic tragedy. Things such as; more lifeboats, life vest, iceberg warnings, etc. What would you do if you, your child, and your spouse were prepared to get on a lifeboat, but were then told sorry you cant get on together, or Sorry there are no ore lifeboats. There were not enough lifeboats, so there was no way for all the passengers to survive (Role, 5). There were only 20 lifeboats that fit a maximum of about 53 people, so only about 1,060 passengers could survive. There were approximately 2,211 passengers aboard the Titanic (Role, 3). One positive thing about the Titanic is that they had more than enough life vest. They had a total of 3,500 life vest (Role, 5). Women and children were to get on the lifeboats first, but in this order-1st class, 2nd class, 3rd class, lastly crew members. This is why more 1st class assengers survived than 3rd class and crew members. Through all this, the end result is that rules are now established that all ships are required to follow to protect and insure that all passengers have an equal opportunity to survive. What is the most focused on cause of the Titanic tragedy? Icebergs. What is an iceberg? An iceberg is a piece of fresh water ice broken off of a glacier. The iceberg breaks off of the glacier once it reaches the sea. Also, icebergs float because they are dense. Ships hitting icebergs is not rare thing, it happens often. Approximately 150 hips collide with an iceberg every year. This is mostly likely happening because they cant see the iceberg because only 1/9 sticks out of the water. These accidents are by far not as bad as the Titanic tragedy. Well you may be wondering exactly how the iceberg affected the ship. Well, the Titanic had 5 water tight compartments. This unsinkable ship was built so only 3 compartments could fill with water and it would still be going strong. Sadly the water went into all five, then up on to the next floor and all the way up. The sailor tried to avoid the iceberg, and Just when they thought hey did a little piece underneath the water got them. The iceberg is thought to be the number one reason for the disaster, but at the end of the day its Just one of the several contributors to the disaster. So what are the statistics on the passengers? Thats a commonly asked question; the statistics also help back up everyones hypothesis on the disaster. There was approximately 2211 passengers, 150 deaths, and 707 survivors (Role, 3). They only had 20 lifeboats that fit 53 people a piece. So their was no way everyone could survive, but on top of that, some of the first lifeboats to leave got filled less than half ay (Role, 4) The layout of the Titanic was from top to bottom: 1st class, 2nd class, then 3rd class and crew men. So because 1st class was at the top so they had more survivors. Here are the percentages: 1st class 60%, 2nd class 42%, 3rd class 25%, then lastly crew members 24%. The statistics play a major role in the Titanic disaster. Also, tne statlstlcs nelp support all reason Tor tne Olsaster. There was not Just one thing that caused the disaster, but several. Such as, lifeboat shortage, icebergs, etc. Tragically less then half the passengers survived, and some people helped cause this. Bibliography Nicholas, Anthony. A Fateful Inheritance: The Effect of the Titanic Disaster on Modern Travel. World history, History, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. http:// www. americandailyherald. com/history/world-history/item/a-fateful-inheritance-the- effect-of-the-titanic-disaster-on-modern-travel> Hill, Brian. Database of collisons with icebergs. 22, May, 2001. New York Maritime Register. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. http://researchers. imd. nrc. ca/†hillb/iceb/ice/bergs2 Ole. html Wash, Paul. Cool Antartic . 2001. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. coolantartic. com/ index. html.

Daeth Of A Salesman Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

Daeth Of A Salesman Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays Daeth Of A Salesman Michael Neppl Page 1 June 17 1999 In the play, Death of a Salesman , Arthur Miller depicts a typical dysfunctional family. This is Arthur Miller's best-known and most important problem play. It is a symbolic and in part expressionistic, and it challenges the American values concerning success. Willy Loman is a salesman who after thirty-four years of being on the road, is slowly starting to deteriorate physically as well as mentally. Upon his being fired, Willy tries to understand why he has failed as a salesman, a father, and as a husband. The word dysfunction defined according to The American Heritage Dictionary is abnormal or impaired functioning. This definition paints a perfect picture of the daily goings on in the Loman household. It can be said that the Lomans are a dysfunctional family due to the lack of communication, respect, and values. The basis for a good relationship is constant communication. Communication was something the Lomans did not practice often, and when they did, it usually ended in a shouting match. Willy has extremely poor listening skills, which is the key component in communication. He constatnly talks over people, and always interrupts whoever is speaking. When Willy went to talk to Howard about getting a job in New York, and not traveling anymore was a perfect example of Willy's poor communication skills. Whenever Howard would start to say anything that Willy didn't think was in his favor, Willy would talk over Howard. Page 2 When Howard left Willy alone in the office to greet other people outside, Willy acknowledged this to himself, saying What the hell did I say to him? My God, I was yelling at him! How could I ? ( Miller 1285). This is a perfect example of Willy's lack of communication skills. It's well known that parents' behavior influences their children. So it's no surprise that Biff lacks communication skills also. Everyone in the family has a habit of interrupting one another as evidenced in this exchange between Biff and Linda talking about Willy's car accidents: Biff: What woman? Linda(simultaneously with Biff) ..and this woman.. Linda: What? Biff: Nothing. Go ahead Linda: What did you say? Biff: Nothing. I just said what woman? (Miller 1272). This is a typical conversation in the Loman household; interrupting each other, not listening to each other, and lack of interest in what one another are saying. Their lack of communication is again apparent when Willy is getting ready for bed with Linda, and he's instructing Biff on his conduct in his meeting with Bill Oliver the next day. Linda cuts him off, and Willy responds Will you let me talk?, cutting Linda off in return. Biff then tells Willy not to yell at Linda, which Willy responds to angrily and sarcastically I wasn't talking, was I ? ( Miller 1276). This is a common path conversation takes with any of the Lomans. All this points Page 3 to their lack of communication, which will breed dysfunction in any atmosphere, especially in a family. Problems communicating and a lack of respect are direct influences on each other. Lack of respect for each other is another reason why the Lomans are a dysfunctional family. Willy's lack of respect for his wife is obvious, due to the fact that he cheats on her during his business trips and thinks nothing of it. When he's caught cheating on Linda by Biff, Willy explains it's because he gets lonely, and tells Biff when you grow up, you'll understand about these things. You mustn't overemphasize a thing like this. (Miller 1306). Willy only cared that he was caught, he didn't think there was anything wrong with the cheating itself. Further, more convincing evidence of the lack of respect existing in the family occurred when Willy met Happy and Biff at the restaurant the day of Biff's meeting with Bill Oliver. This was also the day Willy was fired by Howard. Willy strated having one of his dilusional episodes, and went into the bathroom. Biff and Happy got into an argument about Happy's a pparent disregard for Willy, and Biff stormed out of the restaurant. Happy leaves with the two women while Willy is still in the bathroom, in the middle of a flashback. When the woman asks

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress

Biography of Queen Min, Korean Empress Queen Min (October 19, 1851–October 8, 1895), also known as Empress Myeongseong, was an important figure in Koreas Joseon Dynasty. She was married to Gojong, the first ruler of the Korean Empire. Queen Min was highly involved in her husbands government; she was assassinated in 1895 after the Japanese determined that she was a threat to their control of the Korean Peninsula. Fast Facts: Queen Min Known For: As the wife of Gojong, the Emperor of Korea, Queen Min played a major role in Korean affairs.Also Known As: Empress MyeongseongBorn: October 19, 1851 in Yeoju,  Kingdom of JoseonDied: October 8, 1895 in Seoul, Kingdom of JoseonSpouse: Gojong, Emperor of KoreaChildren: Sunjong Early Life On October 19, 1851, Min Chi-rok and an unnamed wife had a baby girl. The childs given name has not been recorded. As members of the noble Yeoheung Min clan, the family was well-connected with Koreas royal family. Although the little girl was an orphan by the age of 8, she went on to become the first wife of the young King Gojong of the Joseon Dynasty. Koreas child-king Gojong actually served as a figurehead for his father and regent, the Taewongun. It was the Taewongun who selected the Min orphan as the future queen, presumably because she did not have the strong family support that could threaten the ascendancy of his own political allies. Marriage The bride was 16 years old and King Gojong was only 15 when they married in March 1866. A slight and slender girl, the bride could not support the weight of the heavy wig she had to wear at the ceremony, so a special attendant helped hold it in place. The girl, small but clever and independent-minded, became Queen Consort of Korea. Typically, queen consorts concerned themselves with setting fashions for the noble women of the realm, hosting tea parties, and gossiping. Queen Min, however, had no interest in these pastimes. Instead, she read widely about history, science, politics, philosophy, and religion, giving herself the kind of education ordinarily reserved for men. Politics and Family Soon, the Taewongun realized that he had chosen his daughter-in-law unwisely. Her serious program of study concerned him, prompting him to quip, She evidently aspires to be a doctor of letters; look out for her. Before long, Queen Min and her father-in-law would be sworn enemies. The Taewongun moved to weaken the queens power at court by giving his son a royal consort, who soon bore King Gojong a son of his own. Queen Min proved unable to have a child until she was 20 years old, five years after the marriage. That child, a son, tragically died three days after he was born. The queen and the shamans (mudang) she called in to consult blamed the Taewongun for the babys death. They claimed that he had poisoned the boy with a ginseng emetic treatment. From that moment on, Queen Min vowed to avenge her childs death. Family Feud Queen Min began by appointing members of the Min clan to a number of high court offices. The queen also enlisted the support of her weak-willed husband, who was legally an adult by this time but still allowed his father to rule the country. She also won over the kings younger brother (whom the Taewongun called the dolt). Most significantly, she had King Gojong appoint a Confucian scholar named Cho Ik-Hyon to the court; the highly influential Cho declared that the king should rule in his own name, even going so far as to declare that the Taewongun was without virtue. In response, the Taewongun sent assassins to kill Cho, who fled into exile. However, Chos words bolstered the 22-year-old kings position sufficiently so that on November 5, 1873, King Gojong announced that henceforth he would rule in his own right. That same afternoon, somebody- likely Queen Min- had the Taewonguns entrance to the palace bricked shut. The following week, a mysterious explosion and fire rocked the queens sleeping chamber, but the queen and her attendants were not hurt. A few days later, an anonymous parcel delivered to the queens cousin exploded, killing him and his mother. Queen Min was certain that the Taewongun was behind this attack, but she could not prove it. Trouble With Japan Within a year of King Gojongs accession to the throne, representatives of Meiji Japan appeared in Seoul to demand that the Koreans pay tribute. Korea had long been a tributary of Qing China (as had Japan, off and on), but considered itself of equal rank with Japan, so the king contemptuously rejected their demand. The Koreans mocked the Japanese emissaries for wearing western-style clothing, saying they were no longer even true Japanese, and then deported them. Japan would not be so lightly put off, however. In 1874, the Japanese returned once more. Although Queen Min urged her husband to reject them again, the king decided to sign a trade treaty with the Meiji Emperors representatives in order to avoid trouble. With this foothold in place, Japan then sailed a gunship called Unyo into the restricted area around the southern island of Ganghwa, prompting the Korean shore defenses to open fire. Using the Unyo incident as a pretext, Japan sent a fleet of six naval vessels into Korean waters. Under the threat of force, Gojong once again folded; Queen Min was unable to prevent his capitulation. The kings representatives signed the Ganghwa Treaty, which was modeled on the Kanagawa Treaty that the United States had imposed on Japan following Commodore Matthew Perrys 1854 arrival in Tokyo Bay. (Meiji Japan was an astonishingly quick study on the subject of imperial domination.) Under the terms of the Ganghwa Treaty, Japan got access to five Korean ports and all Korean waters, special trading status, and extraterritorial rights for Japanese citizens in Korea. This meant that Japanese accused of crimes in Korea could only be tried under Japanese law- they were immune to local laws. The Koreans gained absolutely nothing from this treaty, which signaled the beginning of the end of Korean independence. Despite Queen Mins best efforts, the Japanese would dominate Korea until 1945. Imo Incident In the period after the Ganghwa incident, Queen Min spearheaded a reorganization and modernization of Koreas military. She also reached out to China, Russia, and the other western powers in hopes of playing them off against the Japanese in order to protect Korean sovereignty. Although the other major powers were happy to sign unequal trade treaties with Korea, none would commit to defending the Hermit Kingdom from Japanese expansionism. In 1882, Queen Min faced a rebellion by old-guard military officers who felt threatened by her reforms and by the opening of Korea to foreign powers. Known as the Imo Incident, the uprising temporarily ousted Gojong and Min from the palace, returning the Taewongun to power. Dozens of Queen Mins relatives and supporters were executed, and foreign representatives were expelled from the capital. King Gojongs ambassadors to China appealed for assistance, and 4,500 Chinese troops then marched into Seoul and arrested the Taewongun. They transported him to Beijing to be tried for treason; Queen Min and King Gojong returned to the Gyeongbukgung Palace and reversed all of the Taewonguns orders. Unbeknownst to Queen Min, the Japanese ambassadors in Seoul strong-armed Gojong into signing the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1882. Korea agreed to pay restitution for the Japanese lives and property lost in the Imo Incident, and also to allow Japanese troops into Seoul so they could guard the Japanese Embassy. Alarmed by this new imposition, Queen Min once again reached out to Qin China, granting them trading access to ports still closed to Japan, and requesting that Chinese and German officers head her modernizing army. She also sent a fact-finding mission to the United States, headed by Min Yeong-ik of her Yeoheung Min clan. The mission even dined with American President Chester A. Arthur. Tonghak Rebellion In 1894, Korean peasants and village officials rose up against the Joseon government because of the crushing tax burdens imposed upon them. Like the Boxer Rebellion, which was beginning to brew in Qing China, the Tonghak or Eastern Learning movement in Korea was anti-foreigner. One popular slogan was Drive out the Japanese dwarfs and the Western barbarians. As the rebels took provincial towns and capitals  and marched toward Seoul, Queen Min urged her husband to ask Beijing for aid. China responded on June 6, 1894, by sending in almost 2,500 soldiers to reinforce Seouls defenses. Japan expressed its outrage (real or feigned) at this land-grab by China  and sent 4,500 troops to Incheon, over the protests of Queen Min and King Gojong. Although the Tonghak Rebellion was over within a week, Japan and China did not withdraw their forces. As the two Asian powers troops stared one another down and the Korean royals called for both sides to withdraw, British-sponsored negotiations failed. On July 23, 1894, Japanese troops marched into Seoul and captured King Gojong and Queen Min. On August 1, China and Japan declared war on one another, fighting for control of Korea. Sino-Japanese War Although Qing China deployed 630,000 troops to Korea in the Sino-Japanese War, as opposed to just 240,000 Japanese, the modern Meiji army and navy quickly crushed the Chinese forces. On April 17, 1895, China signed the humiliating Treaty of Shimonoseki, which recognized that Korea was no longer a tributary state of the Qing empire. It also granted the Liaodong Peninsula, Taiwan, and the Penghu Islands to Japan, and agreed to pay a war indemnity of 200 million silver taels to the Meiji government. As many as 100,000 of Koreas peasants had risen up late in 1894 to attack the Japanese as well, but they were slaughtered. Internationally, Korea was no longer a vassal state of the failing Qing; its ancient enemy, Japan, was now fully in charge. Queen Min was devastated. Appeal to Russia Japan quickly wrote a new constitution for Korea  and stocked its parliament with pro-Japanese Koreans. A large number of Japanese troops remained stationed indefinitely in Korea. Desperate for an ally to help unlock Japans stranglehold on her country, Queen Min turned to the other emerging power in the Far East- Russia. She met with Russian emissaries, invited Russian students and engineers to Seoul, and did her best to stoke Russian concerns about the rising Japanese power. Japans agents and officials in Seoul, well aware of Queen Mins appeals to Russia, countered by approaching her old nemesis and father-in-law, the Taewongun. Although he hated the Japanese, the Taewongun detested Queen Min even more  and agreed to help them get rid of her once and for all. Assassination In the fall of 1895, Japanese ambassador to Korea Miura Goro formulated a plan to assassinate Queen Min, a plan that he named Operation Fox Hunt. Early in the morning of October 8, 1895, a group of 50 Japanese and Korean assassins launched their assault on Gyeongbokgung Palace. They seized King Gojong but did not harm him. Then they attacked the queen consorts sleeping quarters, dragging her out along with three or four of her attendants. The assassins questioned the women to make sure that they had Queen Min, then slashed them with swords before stripping and raping them. The Japanese displayed the queens dead body to several other foreigners in the area- including the Russians  so they knew their ally was dead- and then carried her body to the forest outside the palace walls. There, the assassins doused Queen Mins body with kerosene and burned it, scattering her ashes. Legacy In the aftermath of Queen Mins murder, Japan denied involvement while also pushing King Gojong to posthumously strip her of her royal rank. For once, he refused to bow to their pressure. An international outcry about Japans killing of a foreign sovereign forced the Meiji government to stage show-trials, but only minor participants were convicted. Ambassador Miura Goro was acquitted for a lack of evidence. In 1897, Gojong ordered a careful search of the woods where his queens body had been burned, which turned up a single finger bone. He organized an elaborate funeral for this relic of his wife, featuring 5,000 soldiers, thousands of lanterns and scrolls enumerating Queen Mins virtues, and giant wooden horses to transport her in the afterlife. The queen consort also received the posthumous title of Empress Myeongseong. In the following years, Japan would defeat Russia in the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and formally annex the Korean Peninsula in 1910, ending the Joseon dynastys rule. Korea would remain under Japans control until the Japanese defeat in World War II. Sources Bong Lee. The Unfinished War: Korea. New York: Algora Publishing, 2003.Kim Chun-Gil. The History of Korea. ABC-CLIO, 2005Palais, James B. Politics and Policy in Traditional Korea. Harvard University Press, 1975.Seth, Michael J. A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present. Rowman Littlefield, 2010.

Outline for research paper on natural disasters in Thailand

Outline for on natural disasters in Thailand - Research Paper Example Various organizations that aided the injured and the displaced during the disasters have also been mentioned in the book. Natural Disaster Reduction was published in 2007, which talks about the aftermath of various places affect, by natural disasters. The book explains the various region that are considered more vulnerable to fatal disasters like the coastal regions. The South East Asian region where Thailand is located tends to be more conspicuous to natural disasters than other parts of the globe. Disasters like the floods and earthquakes have been more prevalent over the recent years with each disaster affecting everyday activities in the universe. The economy is also affected because most of the activities have to be stopped after floods or fires. Natural disaster deaths in Thailand was published in 2010 with the aim of letting the world know how many people died from various disasters occurring in Thailand. The book describes of various organizations that come for their aid after disasters but there people who are unlucky to survive the disasters. The people left behind to deal with the effects do not have normal lives after the floods or earthquakes and some never heal from the trauma they undergo. Various people in Thailand from different generations have stories to tell about floods and earthquakes, which are the major disasters in the country. They describe how such events change their lives and it takes even years to forget what they go through. Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response 3 explain how floods have claimed many lives around the globe every year. The floods do not only take lives but also those affected with diseases, homeless and affect the growth of various plants. Floods in Thailand and parts of the globe are considered destructive as they affect both rural and urban development. The book explains how floods can be minimized or measures that should be taken to ensure that floods do not leave an alarming population homeless or

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 69

Case Study - Essay Example Today, the Company could be converted into a Public Limited Company where the public is allowed to invest in as a way of raising finances and also creating ownership. The Carrier Engineering Companys strength lied in the fact that it was a unique product penetrating the market. Beverage companies, Medical laboratories, households all use this product to regulate the temperature of their products or goods. Some products can only be used during hot seasons, and that is a major weakness. The product is in high demand during hot seasons thus providing an excellent opportunity. Another opportunity exists with companies that use coolers to manufacture or preserve their products. Fluctuation in weather poses as a major threat especially the cold season. The other threat back then was financial stability and clientele. With the current weather, the product is still much relevant in ensuring a "well-regulated environment"(Carrier, 2015). The cooler is also widely used by companies across the continent to enhance their products life. A cooler is also utilized in the manufacture of most of the products that we have in the market today such as laptops, and refrigerators. It is important to define your product. For Willis and the Carrier Company, a quality product is essential to getting referrals. It is also important to work with other companies that use coolers in the manufacturing process of their products. A good relationship with clients and an efficient customer service will ensure the company has an edge over other firms. A room for clients comment and feedback concerning the product is also important and consideration of the same. Willis carrier would need to make use of the balance sheet and the income statement of his company and that of his subsidiaries. The balance sheet will show him where his company stands at that particular point in time. The

Discussion 9 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion 9 - Coursework Example Indeed most federal and state laws prohibit convicted felons from legally owning firearms. Although such individuals may have rehabilitated and changed, they may be a potential threat to the public. There are many. Some of the advantages of releasing sex offender registries to the public include making the public aware of potential threats and therefore be prepared. It also gives a sense of responsibility to the sex offenders since they know that they are under public scrutiny. Although this might provide some safety measures, it is unjust to properly rehabilitated persons since they have become just like the rest of the public. Additionally, the sex offenders might face discrimination from their past behavior although they might be good persons. Laws requiring sexual offenders register with local law enforcement department are important since they ensure proper follow up of the offenders by the local law enforcement departments to ensure society is safe. On the other hand, the laws have a limitation since they still hold the offenders as suspects although they were properly evaluated and found to be safe to the public (Robinson & Crow,

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeland Security - Essay Example Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF’s contractor, Science Applications International Corporation. The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, shares the blame for the project’s failure. The ‘investigative data warehouse’ was added to combine several of the FBI’s crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau’s requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI’s prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism. Poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems. The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn’t manage case overflow and doesn’t substitute for an effective case management system.It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn’t have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project was funded for US $379.8 million. ... replace the obsolete Automated Case Support (ACS) system. Instead, the FBI's VCF would become the most highly publicized software failure in history. Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF's contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC.) The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, lacking IT management and technical expertise, shares the blame for the project's failure. The 'investigative data warehouse' was added to combine several of the FBI's crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau's requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI's prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn't manage case overflow. and doesn't substitute for an effective case management system. It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn't have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project, later called Trilogy, was funded for

Commercial real estate- Manhattan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Commercial real estate- Manhattan - Coursework Example Downtown experiences the most rapid growth, followed by Midtown, and finally Uptown (Wheatonm et al., 2009). In addition, Manhattan has the largest and broadest set-up of business improvement districts (BIDS) in New York (Rudder Property, 2013). They are actually considered one of the key drivers for economic revitalization in the commercial property development. We cannot objectively describe the economic drives of Manhattan without considering the commercial real estate of the County (Wheatonm et al., 2009). Other factors are equally important, especially the overwhelming workforce industry, but this particular sector economically overshadows them in many aspects. To put it, the commercial real estate in Manhattan is undisputedly the worlds most stylish and costly real estate industry going the present statistics. In fact, it is the home to the world’s most famous bridges, skyscrapers and parks. The One World Trade Centre, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building and the twin towers are all located in Manhattan (Carlyle, 2014). According to Forbes, the real estate worth of Manhattan as at 2013 exceeded three trillion US dollars (Brennah, 2013). In terms of office space, it is listed as the largest office market in the US (Rudder Property, 2013). Currently, Manhattan is the third most densely populated borough in New York County. With over 1,636,268 inhabitants. This is about a fifth of the population of the City, and 9% of the state (State and County QuickFacts, 2015). In land area, it is the smallest of the five boroughs. One of the reasons why most tall buildings are located in the area is because of the bedrock which underlies much of the borough (Moss & Qung, 2012). People have argued that it is perhaps the preferred locations for skyscrapers due to the unique nature of its bedrock from one town to the other (Wheaton et al., 2009 According to the information provided by the real estate firm Douglas Elliman, commercial real

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Homeland Security - Essay Example Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF’s contractor, Science Applications International Corporation. The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, shares the blame for the project’s failure. The ‘investigative data warehouse’ was added to combine several of the FBI’s crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau’s requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI’s prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism. Poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems. The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn’t manage case overflow and doesn’t substitute for an effective case management system.It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn’t have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project was funded for US $379.8 million. ... replace the obsolete Automated Case Support (ACS) system. Instead, the FBI's VCF would become the most highly publicized software failure in history. Seven hundred thousand lines of bug-ridden code that was functionally off target was delivered by VCF's contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC.) The bureau had to scrap the $170 million project. Various government and independent reports show that, the FBI, lacking IT management and technical expertise, shares the blame for the project's failure. The 'investigative data warehouse' was added to combine several of the FBI's crime and evidence databases into one. Detailed interviews with people directly involved with the VCF depicted the picture of of an IT project that fell into the most basic trap of software development, from poor planning to bad communication. Some of the evolving problems also included: the failure of the VCF technology to meet the bureau's requirements the intense pressure to get the product to FBI agents following the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the change in the FBI's prime mission from criminal investigation to preventing terrorism poor management decisions early in the project inadequate oversight for continuing the costly problems The investigative data warehouse, perhaps a useful tool, doesn't manage case overflow. and doesn't substitute for an effective case management system. It is critical to keep in mind that intelligence failures of 9/11 happened because the right people didn't have the right information at the right time. There was also various changes in management, and perhaps too may players in the mix. In September 2000, the FBI IT Upgrade Project, later called Trilogy, was funded for

Minority Supplier Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minority Supplier Development - Essay Example The business being registered should be within the territory of United States. In addition to that the daily operations and management of the business should be conducted by the members of the minority group. A firm that feels it is entitled to be accredited as a Minority Supplier it can apply for certification using online platform. National Minority Suppliers Development Council will engage the help of specialists to determine the authenticity of the information granted to them. In case of application rejection, one can appeal to the board to review their decision. Minority Suppliers details are stored in the affiliate Regional Minority Suppliers Development Council database. Whenever a buyer or other business wants to transact with minority group, they can access their locality from the Regional affiliated offices. Minority businesses in the United States have increased in the last TEN years. It has been argued that since President Obama assumed the office minorities felt that one of them had clinched the power. The number of registered Minority Businesses is two million, an increase of 70 percent comparing to those registered as at year 2005, generating USD 205 billion annually. However, despite the increased number of registered number of minority businesses, challenges still face them. The main one being the competition from well-established companies that are financial and market stable. Minority businesses depend on loan to run their businesses, and this restrains their capability and competitiveness ("The Challenges and Opportunities in Diversity for Small Business.", n.p). Enhancement of business operations for the minority is one thing and level ground in doing business is another aspect. Still fair grounds for doing business for the minorities has not yet been achieved, but NMSDC is w orking towards that. The benefits NMSDC have generated to the minority members is beyond any measurable instrument.

Tourism and Basic Needs Essay Example for Free

Tourism and Basic Needs Essay Poorer countries should consider developing their tourist industry as they are predominantly agricultural, have sharply limited development prospects in the near future and tend to be heavily dependent on official development assistance as almost everything requires money. Tourism is an attractive tool that could solvooe these problems as the developing countries could invest in this industry to reap massive amount of profits which could speed up the development of the country’s economy and allow the basic needs of people to be met. Tourism is considered to be the most tactical approach for economic development, specifically in the poorer countries. When viewed as an export industry of the 3Gs, ‘ Get them in, Get their money and Get them out’, tourism has the greatest tendency to assist developing countries to move away from a dependency on agriculture and also, diversifying its sources of revenue. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s study on tourism and travel, tourism industry creates most jobs in developing countries and their foreign earnings leapt from less than US$50 billion in 1990 to more than US$260 billion in 2007. With such vast amount of revenue, this could jumpstart the local economy and provides quick capital injection. Furthermore, in the case of having inefficient or corrupted government, the tourism industry can also provide one source of direct earning to the poor people. Therefore, poorer countries should place the development of their tourist industry as their main priority because it would address the problem of insufficient funds and to better caters the basic needs of their own people. Basic needs of people often include food, clothing and medicine. Others are clean water and sanitation, adequate levels of nutrition, access to primary health care and basic education. To achieve all these, the government has to invest in the tourist industry such that it would play as a substantial role in job creation. In addition, good planning is also required of the local government. Good planning will allow poorer countries to benefit from high-value added tourism such as eco-tourism, medical tourism, educational tourism, adventure tourism and creative tourism which is a form of cultural tourism. Private tour guides are also an excellent way to get insight of the country and help the locals to earn an income. A recent trend is dark tourism which is a small niche market driven by varied motivations such as mourning, remembrance or macabre curiosity. The main draw of this is mostly due to their historical value rather than their associations with death and suffering. An example will be Cambodia which combines cultural and dark tourism in places like Angkor Wat and Tuol Sleng War musemum. Thus, with such planning and vast diversity of tourism, the locals will definitely benefit from them and would be self-sufficient in meeting their own basic needs. However, the environmental impact of the tourism industry on the locals must be considered. Where there is no benefit to offset the negative impact, developing the tourism industry may be just a raw deal. Hotels, discos, greater air, land, noise pollution and urban congestion would upset the tranquility of the area. Tourism can also lead to the creation of unsightly human structures that do not fit in the local architecture and would lead to the disturbance of the wildlife habitat which accompanies with the loss of biodiversity of plants and animals. Some tourism destinations may become victims of shifting taste. In this context, the excessive building and environment destruction are often associated to the traditional â€Å"sun and beach† tourism which may contribute to a destination’s saturation and its subsequent decline. Such example would be Spain’s Costa Brava. To counter to this problem, the local government of the poorer country needs to practice careful urban planning and introduce new laws and enforcement. Instead of the creation of infrastructure that do not fit into the local community, the government could consider building something that has the local colours as it may have a greater effect in attracting tourists to visit them. By doing so, it would reduce the chances of the traditional â€Å"sun and beach† tourism. In addition, the implementation of laws and enforcement would tackle the local greenery issues as this could reduce the impact on wildlife and plants. Therefore, only with these accompanying solutions, the problem can be reduced to the minimum and would prevent huge financial loss. In all, poorer countries should develop their tourist industry as it would provide them with an alternative source of financial income. This would also assist in the economic development as it brings in the much needed foreign currency which would benefit the locals as their basic needs could then be met.

Homicide Case Study: Homicide Patterns in the UK

Homicide Case Study: Homicide Patterns in the UK murder is when a man of sound memory and of the age of discretion, unlawfully killeth within any country of the realm any reasonable creature in rerum natura under the kings peace, with malice aforethought, either expressed by the party or implied law, so as the party wounded or hurt, etc, die of the wound or hurt, within a year and a day of the same. The aim of this essay is to determine whether the case study is typical of homicides and also to analyse in general and to clarify if it is an example of a particular type of murder and how does it fit into the general pattern of homicides in England and Wales. The author will look at typical cases of homicide and how it fits in with the case study, the general patterns of homicide in England and Wales. And finally we will analyse the biology, psychological and sociology state of Ryan with reference to the case study and the racial motive for the crime. The case study of Ryan is class as a typical homicide and also heavily involves racial violence leading to the homicide of Ryans victim. The criminological literature suggests some key behaviour traits that have been identified as potential contributors to violence and, thus, homicide. Such behaviours include physical aggression which often starts early in life (Ryan line 21 22) and can lead to homicidal violence later in life (Ryan line 40). Drug and alcohol abuse and criminal gang membership where with-in group norms can support violence and criminal activity. The number of homicides recorded by the police in 2011/12 (550) fell by 14 per cent compared with 2010/11. Homicide is at its lowest level since 1983 (when 550 were also recorded). The reducing trend in murder and homicide is reflected in a reduction in attempted murder, which is down 8 % and serious Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) and Actual Bodily Harm also down 8 % across England and Wales. Home Office data concluded that in 2011/12; more than two-thirds of homicide victims were male. The most common method of killing continues to be by sharp instrument. Female victims were more likely to be killed by someone they knew. In most of these cases, female victim were killed by a current or ex-partner while male victims were most likely to be killed by a friend or acquaintance. Victims aged 16 years were most likely to be killed by a parent or step- parent. There is a growing body of evidence about factors that place individuals at risk of criminal offending. The theoretical approaches towards biological, psychological and sociology attempt to explain the relationship between those risk factors and criminal behaviour related to Ryan. There is no consensus on the relative merit of these theories and it may be that the casual mechanisms are more or less significant for different individuals. The study of criminology theory is an opportunity to analyse crime through explanations for the creation of criminals and criminal behaviour. Each theory explains a reason for crime, making logic of the causes for the criminal appeal. Making sense of the dilemmas that impact social structure, behaviour, and change make it easier to understand what needs to be done to prevent the behaviour and actions of the criminal. Classical and biological theories of thought explain crime through two different considerations that are necessary for the rationalization of deviant behaviour. Most homicides are committed by one of the three major types of perpetrators; the victim has a relationship with the perpetrator, lovers, and spouses, children, neighbours, or co-workers. The victim is engaged in the use, purchase, sale, storage, or distribution of illegal drugs. The victim is either an innocent target or is either an innocent target or is engaged in socially marginal activities, such as prostitution, gang behaviour. These with are classed as typical types of homicide. Homicides committed by serial killers, psychotic killers, and perpetrators who do not fit into one of the three major types are atypical homicides. Racist violence in the UK came under sharp public interest following the murder of a Black teenager, Stephen Lawrence, by a gang of racist white youths in 1993 and the subsequent public inquiry that was reported in 1999 (Macpherson 1999). Among the UK police it resulted in the creation of many new practices, training, and requirements to report, record and act on allegations of racist harassment and assault. (Bowling 2002) The targeting of racist violence, along with domestic and homophobic violence is part of a wider social and legal agenda to tackle the hate or bias crimes where the victim is selected on the grounds of their social status. As a result of this, the numbers of recorded racist attacks in England and Wales has risen from 15,000 in 1988 to 25,000 in 1999, and 54,351 in 2003. (Home Office 2002). Mesner (1989) stated that alongside inequality, an aggravating factor would be the mechanism by which inequality was reproduced, so that inequality based on racist exclusion woul d result in high levels of diffuse hostility and a high homicide rate. The elements of criminal behaviour are no means a simple equation. A small percentage of crime is attributed to abnormality or genetics. Criminal activity can be explained in terms of the learning of societal norms were an individual has mistaken or been influenced to develop a way of living that is not compatible with the laws of a given society, therefore a conflict is created that may lead to a criminal confrontation. Another aspect though is that a small percentage of a given societies people will suffer from abnormalities or mental infirmities that are actually the predominant cause of an individuals criminal conduct. This is exasperated by the social phenomena of stereotyping, prejudice and racism that that heavily contribute to social injustice (McKnight et al 1994) ( RYAN line 33). Seen in the light of frustration (Bartol 1999) and escalation (Bartol 1999) theories it can be seen that biological explanations of behaviour are far too limited in that it is next to impossible for a person to change their genetic structures. Normal criminals and abnormal criminals are better accounted for their behaviour by both biological and psychological theory though the more comprehensive theory is psychological as this takes into account biological factors as well as environment, the individual, cognitive processes and social and group processes. To explain these concepts of criminal behaviour theories from biological, learning and social cognition are outlined and evidence is presented that shows why more than just biological determinants of criminal behaviour are important. Lombrosos work is a biological theory, which he believed accounted for why criminals committed crimes. (Bartol 1999) in unison with the contemporary views makes the statement that Lombrusos work did not fully account for criminal behaviour. While the important role of psychosocial factors in the development of criminal behaviour has long been acknowledged, there has been an increasing interest in the neurobiological basis of aggression and crime over the past decade, boosted by methodological advances in genetics (Sterzer et al 2009). Researchers recognised the potential role of biological factors in the etiology of criminal behaviour and analysed whether abnormal fear conditioning predisposes to crime (Gao et al 2010). Fear conditioning is a basic form of learning in which fear is associated with a previously neutral stimulus. In relation to Ryan fear conditioning could of being a big part in his early life and this factor could have played a major part of this individuals biological make-up. In imitational learning, behaviour is observed and imitated and is maintained depending on the extent of re-enforcement that occurs. When aggression is observed it may lead to a swing in the norm of aggression as unacceptable to b eing acceptable. According to (Bandura 1995) behaviour that is learned can also be relearned with more appropriate responses, however (Bartol 1999) argued that cognitive scripts are resistant to change and they are subject to observational learning and reinforcement theory. Therefore, the age at which a given behaviour is learned is dependent on the rewards it brings when it is imitated and the length of time it is maintained before it is the form of criminal confrontation. The problem is that the behaviour that is causing the criminal confrontation will be more resistant to change the longer it went undetected, reinforced and maintained therefore this behaviour will be more resistant to being replaced with a more appropriate behaviour. In theory the better a young person is raised with good models of social normality the less likely the individual is going to adapt antisocial behaviour. Crime is a multifaceted behavioural outcome of complex interactions among multiple biological an d environmental factors and cannot possibly be explained by a single neurobiological factor such as fear conditioning. The degree to which criminal behaviour is controllable and correctable is determined by many connecting factors none of which alone can explain crime. The approaches of psychological learning theories are the subsequent developments are more comprehensive biological theories are far too simple and do not account for all areas of individual and social behaviour. The biological theories emphasise the values on a complicated issue that demands attention to detail and a broad minded approach that is willing to account for human behaviour and how they do or dont commit deviant behaviour in society. One in three men in the UK will have a conviction for a serious offence by the age of 31. (Newburn et al 1994) states that the most significant fact about crime is that it is almost always committed by men (Ryan was 22). There are many social and cultural theories of violent behaviour, stressing social learning (Hearn 1998). Through violence men attempt to affirm a positive self-concept, enhance self- esteem and reclaim personal power (Campbell 1993). Male violence reflects patterns of socialization in which the male role involves greater readiness to use violence as a means of control and assertion of power. The theory of hegemonic masculinity (Connell 1995 Messerschmidts 1997), masculinity is viewed as a crucial part of intersection of different sources and forms of power, stratification, desire and identity. Connell (1995) states that performance and choice rather than passively learnt behaviour. Violent behaviour is chosen while calling upon dominant discourses of masculinity fo r support and legitimation. In Ryans case, Ryan in fact made the informed choice to commit and act upon his own violent behaviour towards his victim (Ryan lines 30-46). In conclusion, Ryan just adds to the Home Office statistics of young male men who commit homicide in todays society, and unfortunately fits into the general pattern of homicides in England and Wales. Ryans actions on that night out will have a drastic effect on Ryan for the rest of this young mans life forever. Ryans act of homicide is labelled as a typical type of homicide. Ryans vicious attack on his victim will probably result in a typical murder charge and Ryan will be looking at a lengthy custodial sentence. It is unlikely Ryan could plead manslaughter due to the fact that Ryans actions on that night out, do not meet any of the criteria for a lesser charge of manslaughter. Ryans actions that night have destroyed so many lifes, his victim, his friend (who will also probably be charged with murder), and Ryans young life. Ryans decision to commit that vicious attack that lead to homicide will also have an effect on all family members of those mentioned.

Gallipoli :: essays research papers

Gallipoli is the tragic tale of two Australian men, Frank Dunne and Archie Hamilton, who both enlisted to join the Gallipoli campaign overseas. The film follows the two men from their time as competitors in a sprint races to Perth for enlistment the light horse. The film itself isn’t so much a ‘war’ film as it is a film dealing with attitudes of Australians through particular individuals towards war in 1915. The story is told through the continued themes within the film such as competitiveness, mateship and sporting spirit. Gallipoli uses creative and experienced cinematography to effectively send a visual message to the viewer without overstating its intent. This filmic device makes the director a successful yet subtle storyteller. This is especially obvious in the scene where Archie and Frank are crossing the dried up lake bed in an effort to reach Perth. The director uses this landscape to highlight Australia’s isolation from the rest of the world and supports it with the two male leads arguing whether or not it is in their best interests to fight for the Mother Country, England. The screenplay itself accomplishes gaining the audience’s interest and attention by using humour to capture the essence of Australian character letting viewers relate and later sympathise with all characters as well as highlighting Australian spirit. Combined with breathtaking visual imagery, this is a remarkable combination. After fives years of organization, Gallipoli had a budget of a $2.6 million and took 4-5 months to film. The locations were mainly found in South Australia (Town of Beltana, Lake Torrens and the coastline near Port Lincoln was transformed into Gallipoli) but also a small town near Cairo. It had been Mel Gibson’s impressive performance in Mad Max that was enough to convince Weir and Lovell into inviting Gibson to an audition for the role of Frank Dunne. Gibson was successful in the audition and got along well with his fellow co-star, Mark Lee, who had been cast as Archie Hamilton. Despite not having been in a feature film before, Weir thought Lee had the right qualities to portray the character of Archie Hamilton on screen. Gallipoli, as part of a national cinema, can be construed as being made to effectively compete with the dominant international cinema especially Hollywood. It is part of the national cinema ideal to create a space nationally and internationally for non-Hollywood film-making activity. As a result, it was the film-maker’s conscious decision to invoke Gallipoli with qualities that are essentially Australian – dark humour, humanist values and quirkiness.

Alternative Medicine Essay 9

Abstract This paper is going to educate the reader about Alternative and Complementary Medicine which is also known as CAM. The paper will define Alternative and Complementary Medicine or CAM and compare it to conventional medicine. The main focus of the paper will be examining the different types of CAM. The types of CAM will be broken into five different groups which are : Whole or Alternative Medical Systems, Mind-Body Medicine, Biologically Based Practices, Manipulative and Body-Based Practices, and Energy Medicine. The reader will read about many mainstream practices such as Chiropractic and Physical therapy as well as many less popular practices such as Color Therapy and Reiki. The paper will also briefly discuss my personal opinion and interest of CAM as well as CAM related to health insurance CAM – Alternative and Complementary Medicine Millions of people in the United States suffer from a chronic illness of some kind. A chronic illness is a long-term condition for which there seems to be no cure such as arthritis, allergies, high blood pressure, digestive problems and back pain. Most of the time people that live with chronic illness use conventional medicine, which is taught to medical students in medical schools throughout the world and is based on science and clinical research and most treatments have scientific evidence of their effectiveness but others use Alternative medicine. Alternative medicine has many different origins and philosophies, comes from many different cultures and involves many different practices. Alternative medicine is used for treatment, preventive health care, health maintenance or to enhance well being. There are several established alternative therapies that have earned respectability because they are effective. Methods such as chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and homeopathy are well researched and their practitioners are well trained and have come to be widely accepted. There are also literally hundreds of other types of alternative treatments that, on the surface seem to be a bit bizarre and are less main stream. The list of what is considered alternative medicine changes often as therapies are proven safe and effective and become adopted into conventional health care. Patients with a terminal illness such as cancer, often turn to alternative medicine after conventional medical treatment has failed them or vice versa. An example of alternative medicine in this case would be using a special diet for cancer treatment instead of or after radiation or chemotherapy. In some cases alternative medicine and conventional medicine can be used together. When this occurs it is called Complementary medicine. An example of this would be when physical therapy is used to rehabilitate a patient after surgery. The use of Complementary Methods and Alternative Medicine is often referred to as CAM and includes a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine (CAM Overview : NCCAM). The chart below show the percentage of adults and children in the U. S who are using some form of CAM (2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) results : NCCAM). [pic] It is unfortunate that at this time that even though there are so many people using different forms of alternative medicine, health insurance coverage is not very good at all. Mainstream forms of alternative medicine such as physical therapy is usually covered to some degree by insurance providers but not usually to the level of conventional medicine. Less popular forms of alternative medicine is usually not covered at all. As these practices become more proven and effective providers should be forced to provide more coverage to their customers. It will be interesting to see how the potential new universal healthcare system will or will not incorporate alternative medicine. This could be one of the key factors that influence politicians and the people on this issue. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is a government agency that monitors scientific research on alternative medicines and keeps the public informed on the results of alternative medicine research studies. The NCCAM divides alternative therapies into five major groups: Whole or Alternative Medical Systems – These type of medical systems are some of the most common and often come from complex treatments based upon theories that often have evolved over centuries and often in eastern countries such as China, Korea and India. Examples of these types of systems include Acupuncture, Homeopathic medicine, and Naturopathic medicine. According to (NCCAM) the term â€Å"acupuncture† describes a family of procedures involving the stimulation of anatomical points on the body using a variety of techniques. The acupuncture technique that has been most often studied scientifically involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation. Acupuncture is regulated by the FDA all practitioners must be licensed and abide by the rules and regulations in regards to the use of needles which are set by the FDA. Acupuncture is pretty safe and there have not been many major incidents reported to the FDA. Most of the time if there is a problem it has to do with the sterilization of needles but there is also the risk of punctured organs http://nccam. nih. gov/health/acupuncture (Acupuncture : NCCAM). Homeopathy or Homeopathic medicine seeks to stimulate the body's ability to heal itself by giving very small doses of highly diluted substances. This technique was developed in Germany more than 200 years ago by Samuel Hahnemenn. Homeopathic practitioners believe that these highly diluted solutions can be powerful medicines and can cure various diseases and illnesses such as the common cold, digestive problems, influenza, hay fever, and earaches. Remedies can be taken as a powder, a pill or a liquid, can be rubbed into the skin or injected. There are usually no side effects although sometimes a patient may feel worse before he feels better (Homeopathy : NCCAM). Naturopathic Medicine focuses on supporting health rather than combating disease. Naturopathic medicine uses the healing power of nature to maintain and restore health (Naturopathy : NCCAM). The use of natural treatments is to get to the root of the problem and what actually created the problem in the first place. Its goal is to create a healthy inner body and outer body. Believers claim naturopathic medicine prevents illness because people are taught healthy diet modifications and lifestyle changes to avoid diseases. Since this system focuses on natural healing there isn’t much risk involved only the risk of the condition getting worst Mind-Body Medicine – The concept of the interconnection between the brain and body has been around for quite a while. Ancient healing practices, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasized important links between the mind and body. Recently people have come to appreciate the powerful effect the mind has over the body. People think that their mind has the power to heal their body and if they have a healthy mind they will have a healthy body. There are many techniques that are being used such as meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance (CAM Overview : NCCAM). The three that are most interesting to me are hypnotherapy, biofeedback, and color therapy. Hypnotherapy is the most widely practiced of these therapies. The patient is put into a hypnosis-induced trance and then treated in a variety of ways to relieve anxiety, pain or stress (Clinical Hypnotherapy : Cleveland Clinic). Relaxation and visualization are stress relieving therapies often used together to treat mental and emotional problems and reduce muscle tension. The goal is to induce a calm mind and body. Visualization uses the patient's imagination and right-brain activity to create positive healing images, which initiate changes in attitudes or behavior. Biofeedback is a technique used especially for stress related conditions such as asthma, migraine headaches, high blood pressure and insomnia (Biofeedback using your mind to improve your health : Mayo Clinic). The patient is hooked up to sensitive machines that monitor small metabolic changes in the body such as heartbeat, temperature, muscle tension as well as brainwaves. The patient is trained to control brainwave activity as well as slow the heartbeat and modify the other functions through breathing and relaxation techniques. Color therapy is based on the belief that diseases, pain, cosmetic problems, personality, â€Å"spiritual attunement†, and intellectual or artistic capabilities are each associated with a specific color. There are several different therapies associated with colors: Color Breathing, Color Imagination, Color Meditation, and Hydrochromopathy. Color Breathing involves the patient imagining himself surrounded by a cloud of a specific color. The color depends on what the patient's problem is. For example yellow is used for stomach, nerves, spleen and pancreas. Blue is used for large intestines, skin, connective tissue and lungs. The patient breathes deeply and imagines the color filling his lungs and flowing throughout his body until it gets to the body part in need of treatment. Color Imagination involves visualizing a specific color in order to cure a disease associated with that color. Color Meditation is a combination of the previous two therapies and parts of Eastern philosophies. It involves visualizing cones of different colors, which point to seven major â€Å"chakras† or psychic centers. Each of these chakras has a color that governs it and meditation and the use of colored light helps to open and reinforce the chakras. Hydrochromopathy is a variation that departs a little from the mind-body connection although it still requires a strong placebo influence. It involves filling a colored glass bottle with distilled water and heating it in sunlight for at least three hours. The resulting â€Å"color charged† water is then used as a treatment for various conditions. A fever is treated by blue charged water, red-charged water is taken to increase energy, green charged water improves overall health etc (Color Therapy : About Holistic Healing). Biologically Based Practices – These use natural substances such as herbs, foods and vitamins and dietary supplements, as well as other â€Å"natural† substances such as shark cartilage, shellfish shells, essential oils, metals, gems and crystals. The chart below shows the most commonly used natural products by adults in 2007 (2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) results : NCCAM)[pic] A dietary supplement is â€Å"a product (other than tobacco) that contains a dietary ingredient intended to supplement the diet†. This may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanical amino acids, enzymes, organ tissues, and metabolites. These supplements can be taken in several forms such as tablets, liquids or powders and are considered foods not drugs. Many people today take supplements of this kind. Vitamins and minerals such as iron are routinely prescribed to pregnant women and the shelves in health food shops are stacked to the ceiling with â€Å"natural products† that give you energy, make you sleep, help you to lose or gain weight, help women get through menopause or ease menstrual symptoms, help men build muscles, and protect you from a whole range of illnesses. Some dietary supplements have been proven to be effective treatments for some conditions and have been adopted by conventional medical practitioners. For example scientists have found that folic acid prevents some birth defects and an eye disease called age-related macular degeneration, is slowed down by vitamins and zinc. The most common therapy of this kind is a daily multi-vitamin and mineral tablet. The human body needs a variety of vitamins and minerals for health and these days some people believe that the food we eat does not provide enough of these vitamins and minerals (Using Supplements Wisely : NCCAM). Herbal remedies have been in existence for centuries and many herbs and plants have a powerful effect on the body. There are some common herbal treatments such as Aloa Vera for burns, Senna taken for constipation, ginger or mint taken for an upset stomach and ginseng taken to improve overall health and stamina. More recently Gingko Biloba has become very popular as an anti-aging supplement because of its antioxidant properties, which reduce free radicals in the body. Black Cohosh, an American Indian remedy has become a popular treatment for menstrual problems. There are also some very unusual and unorthodox herbal remedies. For example Carnivora therapy uses an extract from the Venus Fly Trap plant as a treatment for cancer. A few years ago there was a controversy over the claim that eating apricots kernels would cure cancer. Apricot kernels was claimed, contain vitamin B-17 also known as Laetrile, which when eaten would kill or prevent cancer in most cases. It was also claimed that if you ate seven apricot kernels a day you would never develop cancer. These claims were not backed up by clinical trials. In fact eating apricot kernels can be fatal as when crushed they produce cyanide, a lethal poison. The Food and Drug Administration banned the sale of apricot kernels, which led to many cancer patients traveling to Mexico for treatment. (Using Supplements Wisely : NCCAM) One of the most controversial dietary supplement therapies is the use of shark cartilage as a treatment for small cancerous tumors. Supporters of this remedy say that shark cartilage extract inhibits blood supply to small tumors and stops them from growing and metastasizing, a process called angiogenesis. So far there have been no clinical trials that prove this theory but this is a very popular supplement taken by many cancer sufferers. Cartiladge : Cancer Institute) Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils taken from plants, seeds, roots and flowers. It is not usually the aromas of the oils that have healing properties, but the essence or chemical make-up of the oils. This essence is usually rubbed onto the skin or made into a tea. The most common use of Aromatherapy is Vicks Vapor Rub, a blend of c amphor, menthol and eucalyptus oil, which is rubbed onto the chest as a treatment for a stuffy nose or a cold (Aromatherepy : Cancer Institute). Manipulative and Body-Based Practices This is based on manipulating or moving one or more body parts as in chiropractic treatments, osteopathic manipulation, physical therapy and massage. Chiropractic uses physical manipulation of the body, especially the spinal column, to relieve pain and aid the body's inner healing power. Chiropractic has come to be more accepted into mainstream medicine in recent years as its effectiveness as a treatment for many conditions including back pain, headaches and sciatica has been demonstrated. It is now the second largest primary health care field in the world. Chiropractic doctors believe that problems with alignment in the spinal column can squeeze nerve endings and pathways, a condition they call subluxation. This squeezing of the nerves causes various ailments and conditions. A chiropractic adjustment of the spinal column, where the spine is re-aligned or straightened will release these nerves which will help the body's innate tendency to heal itself. Chiropractic practitioners earn a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from college and have to pass a state licensing board exam (Chiropractic : NCCAM). Osteopathy is a holistic preventive treatment used to restore balance in the musculoskeletal system. Osteopathic therapists believe that all of the body's systems work together and tension or â€Å"mechanical restrictions† anywhere in the musculoskeletal system can adversely affect other systems and organs in the body (Osteopathy : Natural Medicine Suite 101). Some therapists use osteopathic manipulation, a full-body hands-on technique. Some of the illnesses treated by osteopaths are arthritis, allergies, cardiac diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome, high blood pressure, headaches, digestive disorders and bladder problems. Osteopaths earn a college degree, must complete an internship and residency program and pass State Licensing Board exams. They have the ability to prescribe drugs and perform surgery. Physical Therapy is the treatment of disease and trauma by various physical and mechanical therapies including exercise, heat treatment and massage. It is now so mainstream as to be almost no longer considered an alternative form of medicine. A Physical Therapist is trained to help patients with injuries, paralysis, degenerative diseases, dizziness and other diseases that restrict movement or cause chronic pain. Energy Medicine – Many Eastern non-conventional therapies incorporate the concept of energy fields and universal energy into their mind-body treatments, seeing humans as part of an interconnected, universal energy field. These therapies are sub divided into two types Biofield and Bioelectromagnetic (CAM Overview : NCCAM). Biofield Therapies affect â€Å"energy fields that surround and penetrate the human body† by placing the hands on the body or in or through these fields. Examples include Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, Polarity Therapy and Shiatsu. Reiki is an ancient form of energy healing from Tibet. Reiki therapists place their hands on the chakras as well as major organs and glands to â€Å"channel healing energies†. It is used to treat emotional and mental distress as well as to fine tune â€Å"spiritual focus and clarity†. It is believed that if the patient's spirit is healed the body will heal also. (Reiki : NCCAM) Reiki Masters transfer energy that is universal rather than personal. Reiki practitioners are trained by Reiki Masters, which involves a series of initiations to â€Å"activate the practitioner's healing power†. Therapeutic Touch is a similar treatment based on the ancient art of the laying on of hands. The therapists do not actually touch the patient but hold their hands several inches from the body. The therapist has the ability to identify energy imbalances in the invisible energy fields that surround the human body. Therapists clear the defective energy field and replace it with their own personal energy (What is Theraputic Touch : Theraputic Touch). It is used to help the healing of wounds, promote relaxation, relieve pain and â€Å"ease the dying process†. Shiatsu is a Japanese therapy that developed from traditional Chinese medicine and involves the belief that energy in the body (Chi) flows through channels called meridians, which correspond to various organs in the body (Shiatsu : Holistic Online). Health is governed by five elements: water, fire, earth, wood and metal. The practitioner uses thumbs, hands, forearms, knees and feet to apply pressure to the body, which stimulates the flow of energy and restores balance. Polarity Therapy involves using a light touch that focuses on the spine to balance the body's energy flow. It is based on the theory that everything in nature including the human body is influenced by a â€Å"polarity between positive and negative energy charges† (What is Polarity Therapy : APTA). These energy charges must be in balance in order to prevent illness and pain. Polarity Therapists also use diet and nutrition, polarity yoga and psychological counseling, positive thinking and self-awareness. It is a blend of Western therapies such as chiropractic and osteopathy with eastern therapies that use chakras and the five elements associated with them. Bioelectromagnetic based therapies involves the use of magnets and â€Å"electromagnetic fields, pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating current or direct current fields†. Magnetic Therapy is an ancient therapeutic technique based on the use of magnets on the acupuncture points of the body in order to help the body recuperate, relieve stress and ease pain. The theory is that magnetic fields produced by magnets can penetrate the human body and influence individual cells. The magnetic force stimulates nerves to create a blood flow to swollen and injured areas. Magnets used in this way are also supposed to affect the iron in red blood cells or create an alkaline reaction in the body. There are many magnetic products available that can be taped to the skin, worn in your shoes, as a belt, as jewelry or slept on. Many athletes such as golfers, footballers and tennis players wear magnetic devices to relieve sports related injuries or aches. Magnet therapy is used to treat arthritis, insomnia, headaches and back aches. Sometimes a magnet is incorporated into a copper bracelet, a popular alternative treatment for arthritis sufferers (Use Of Magnets : NCCAM). Those are just a few of the alternative medicines and therapies available today. Many of them are rooted in ancient philosophies and practices. Most of them sound logical and plausible and give hope to people seeking treatment for incurable diseases. Some of them are reputable and accepted forms of treatment, but many are considered quackery. A large percentage of American people use alternative therapies and medicines and the number is growing. Any one of these alternative therapies, no matter how strange they sound, may or may not work for you or me. My general thoughts on Alternative Medicine are that I am one of those people who feels like that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A lot of Alternative therapies definitely seem too good to be true. Unfortunately for me, I suffer from arthritis and if my arthritis continues to get worse then I have decided to try some form of alternative medicine because I am tired of the pain and will try anything. It will be interesting to see what type of coverage I will get from my health provider. Fortunately for me I was able to find out some valuable information at the NCCAM website (Paying for CAM : NCCAM). I was able to find out that some forms of CAM are more commonly covered than others and I also learned the importance of asking questions and what questions to ask to CAM and health providers. Hopefully when all is said and done with I will be miraculously healed and a true believer of Alternative Medicine. Bibliography 2007 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) results : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. ih. gov/news/camstats/2007/camsurvey_fs1. htm Acupuncture : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/acupuncture/ Aromatherepy : Cancer Institute. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from National Cancer Institute: http://www. cancer. gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/aromatherapy/patient Biofeed back using your mind to improve your health : Mayo Clinic. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 29, 2009, from Mayo Clinic: http://www. mayoclinic. com/health/biofeedback/SA00083 CAM Overview : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/whatiscam/overview. htm Cartiladge : Cancer Institute. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 27, 2009, from National Cancer Institute: http://www. cancer. gov/cancer_information/doc. aspx? viewid=4AABA6FA-8A2E-4BF7-941F-7DC416B41233 Chiropractic : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/chiropractic/ Clinical Hypnotherapy : Cleveland Clinic. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from Cleveland Clinic: http://my. clevelandclinic. org/services/clinical_hypnotherapy/hic_clinical_hypnotherapy. aspx Color Therapy : About Holistic Healing. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 27, 2009, from About : Holistic Healing: http://healing. about. com/cs/colortherapy/a/aa_colortherapy. htm Homeopathy : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/homeopathy/ Naturopathy : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 24, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/naturopathy/ Osteopathy : Natural Medicine Suite 101. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from Natural Medicine Suite 101: http://naturalmedicine. suite101. com/article. cfm/osteopathy Paying for CAM : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 28, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/financial/ Reiki : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. ih. gov/health/reiki/ Shiatsu : Holistic Online. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 25, 2009, from Holistic Online: http://www. holisticonline. com/Shiatsu/hol_shiatsu_home. htm Use Of Magnets : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved 11 28, 2009, from The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/magnet/magnetsforpain. htm Using Supplements Wisely : NCCAM. (n. d. ). Retrieved from T he National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: http://nccam. nih. gov/health/supplements/wiseuse. htm