A Brief History of the Selfie

A Brief History of the Selfie Selfie is the slang term for self portrait, a photograph you take of yourself, usually taken using a mirror or with a camera held at arms length. The act of taking and sharing selfies has become widely popular due to digital cameras, the internet, the ubiquity of social media platforms like Facebook and, of course, because of peoples endless fascination with their own image. The word selfie was even chosen as the Word of the Year in 2013 by the Oxford English Dictionary, which has the following entry for the word: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website. History of the Self Portrait So who took the first selfie? In discussing the invention of the first selfie, we have to first pay homage to the film camera and the early history of photography as photography self portraits were taking place long before the invention of Facebook and smartphones. One example is American photographer Robert Cornelius, who took a self portrait daguerreotype (first practical process of photography) of himself in 1839. The image is also considered one of the earliest photographs of a person. In 1914, 13-year-old Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna took a self portrait using a Kodak Brownie box camera (invented in in 1900) and sent the photograph to a friend with the following note, I took this picture of myself looking at the mirror. It was very hard as my hands were trembling. Nikolaevna appears to have been the first teenager to take a selfie. So Who Invented the Selfie?   Australia has laid claim to inventing the modern day selfie. In September 2001, a group of Australians created a website and uploaded the first digital self portraits onto the internet. On 13 September 2002, the first recorded published use of the term selfie to describe a self portrait photograph occurred on the Australian internet forum (ABC Online). The anonymous poster wrote the following along with posting a selfie of himself: Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped over and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie. A Hollywood cameraman named Lester Wisbrod claims he is first person to take celebrity selfies, (a self-taken photo of himself and a celebrity) and has been doing so since 1981. Medical authorities have begun to associate the taking of too many selfies as a potentially unhealthy sign of mental health issues. Take the case of 19-year-old Danny Bowman, who attempted suicide after failing to take what he considered the perfect selfie. Bowman was spending most of his waking hours taking hundreds of selfies everyday, losing weight and dropping out of school in the process. Becoming obsessed with taking selfies is often a sign of body dysmorphic disorder, an anxiety disorder about personal appearance. Danny Bowman was diagnosed with this condition.

Firewood Species Burning Properties and Comparisons

Firewood Species Burning Properties and Comparisons Get Best Results by Seasoning Dense Wood Species You will get the best results and more heat per wood volume when burning the highest density (heaviest) wood you can find. Dense firewood will produce the highest recoverable BTUs, but all wood must be seasoned for best results. Seasoning lowers the moisture content so less energy is used to drive off water (which limits heat efficiency). Many of these heavy woods have excellent burning properties during the three stages wood goes through when burned. The final coaling stage is very important for sustaining heat over time. All of the best, and usually hardest and heaviest, wood species have excellent coaling properties as they continue burning after the initial moisture and all gasses are driven off. Use Denser Wood to Increase Heat Production Trees considered to be deciduous (lose their leaves in winter) and, more specifically, hardwoods tend to be a more dense wood and will burn hotter and longer than trees considered to be evergreen or softwood (there are some exceptions). Firewood will also burn hotter if seasoned under a shelter to reduce the moisture that drives off heating as wood burns. Wood heat value is measured in BTUs or British Thermal Units. The higher the BTU value, the more heat you get per unit of wood. Heating value is based on density, weight, BTUs, and coaling  ability. Next, well discuss the best and worst tree species to use for firewood ranked by their total ability to establish and retain heat: Five Best Firewood Tree Species Hickory: 25 to 28 million BTUs/cord - density 37 to 58 lbs./cu.ft.Oak: 24 to 28 million BTUs/cord - density 37 to 58 lbs./cu.ft.Black Locust: 27 million BTUs/cord - density 43 lbs./cu.ft.Beech: 24 to 27 million BTUs/cord - density 32 to 56 lbs./cu.ft.White Ash: 24 million BTUs/cord - density 43 lbs./cu.ft. Five Worst Firewood Tree Species White Pine: 15 million BTUs/cord - density 22 to 31 lbs./cu.ft.Cottonwood/Willow: 16 million BTUs/cord - density 24 to 37 lbs./cu.ft.Basswood: 14 million BTUs/cord - density 20 to 37 lbs./cu.ft.Aspen: 15 million BTUs/cord - density 26 lbs./cu.ft.Yellow Poplar: 18 mm million BTUs/cord - density 22 to 31 lbs./cu.ft.

Three of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior Essay

Three of the psychological factors that influence consumer behavior are perception - Essay Example Finetti notes that online advertising and new media channels "is becoming a larger part of the marketing mix" due to the increasing number of online users who utilize internet-enabled technologies to transact with companies. Second, marketers have to give due consideration to changing consumer preferences towards ethical and socially responsible consumption. The same author observes, for instance, that "more and more companies are going green." Apparently, this is in response to the growing public pressure on corporate actors to contribute to efforts at mitigating the social and environmental problems that business activities and the culture of consumption creates. Lastly, marketers have to take note of the lifestyle and economic changes wherein consumers live in a more fast-paced, time-constrained environment since this inevitably affect the way that consumers evaluate and associate themselves with products and companies.

Discuss the conflicts and tensions between the expectations of Essay

Discuss the conflicts and tensions between the expectations of society, the aims of business and the roles of government as exemplified by the pharmaceutical in - Essay Example There are several areas upon which impact of these conflicting interest are greatly observable. In our case scenario, we take the pharmaceutical industry as our case model. However, our discussions will only be limited on the interrelations between outside factors namely government regulations and the expectations of society vis-Ã  -vis the internal management systems and responses of the company, especially in terms of labour and production. We will deal mostly on the aspects of labour and how it is affected by the business cycles and trends. Hence, we will focus more on the management aspects and less on the activities and developments of the pharmaceutical industries. Economic cycles can be viewed in terms of predictable long-term1 pattern of changes in the national income of a given country. Based on established patterns, we have a traditional business cycles which involves four stages namely expansion2, prosperity3, contraction4 and recession5. This is a cycle whereby at the end of the recession period, the expansion stage kicks-up again. During these economic stages, we can observe chain reactions in the different aspects of the business sector. Common characteristics in these cycle of events in the impact it has on the labour in terms of changing employments, the productivity where there may be more of less production depending on the cycle and the rise and fall of interest rates depending on the cycle involved.6 To illustrate this scenario, let us look back into our economic history. In the 1970s up to the 1980s, a steady rise of unemployment rates in Europe can be observed. This steady rise was then attributed to mostly to the demand and supply of labour force where it was perceived that supplied skills and expertise of labour did not match with the demand. Not only was there a mismatch in the supply and demand of labour, there was also a perceived discrepancy between wages

Othello protagonist Essay Example for Free

Othello protagonist Essay The protagonist of the play, Othello is a man trapped by his own weaknesses rather than a victim of circumstance. Even though the situations that Othello finds himself in are not ideal and contribute to his downfall, it is his own fatal flaws that end up destroying him. In act 3 scene 3 Iago starts to plant a seed of doubt in Othello’s mind about his wife Desdemona and her infidelity. Iago proceeds to ask Othello, â€Å"Did Michael Cassio, when you wooed my lady, know of you love? † This question immediately causes Othello to become suspicious. Iago then follows with a series of rhetorical questions that enrage Othello as well increase the doubt that is building up in his mind. By the end of this scene we see one of Othello’s weaknesses present itself, jealousy. This particular flaw becomes one of the major contributions to Othello’s downfall. By the end of the play jealousy has clouded his judgment and taken over his perspective on everything. At first Othello insists that he needs proof of the alleged affair but quickly changes his mind. â€Å"Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage. Act 4 scene 1, Iago informs Othello that Desdemona and Cassio have slept together and he has seen that she has given Cassio the handkerchief Othello gave her when they first fell in love. All this news that Iago keeps telling him sends Othello off into a rant, â€Å"Is’t possible? Confess? Handkerchief? O devil! † After this his falls into a trance. This is the moment when all Othello’s insecurities, fears and aversions as well as the obvious lack of judgment that a leader is assumed to have combine to create this kind of epileptic fit. In this scene stage directions are used to help the reader understand what is going on for a dramatic effect. Two of Othello’s flaws that cause this downfall are passion and gullibility. These feelings enabled Iago fill his head with lies that caused him to get so worked up that he lost control. In act 5 scene 1 Iago had convinced Othello that he would kill Cassio and that Othello had to kill Desdemona. Othello begins this scene with a soliloquy, reflecting and attempting to justify his decision to kill her. Othello refers to Desdemona as light. â€Å"Put out the light and then put out he light†. So sweet we ne’er so fatal. † Othello describes how she was so sweet but her actions caused so much pain. Before he kills her, Othello makes sure she has prayed or confessed so that she will go to heaven. â€Å"I will not kill thy unprepared spirit. † Othello’s blind faith in Iago is the flaw that leads all his other weaknesses to rise to the surfac e and in the end the inevitable happens. Othello, once a great man, falls. Desdemona speak for one last time in the play. â€Å"A guiltless death I die. † This quote enforces the reality of what has just taken place. This innocent woman was a victim because of another man’s weakness. In this play it is clear what jealousy and misguided trust can do to a person. These weaknesses, along with others, are the reason for Othello’s downfall. Each flaw produced another weakness or doubt. The fact that Othello was manipulated to be part of Iago’s plan for revenge only accelerated the speed of his demise. The fatal mix of passion, jealousy, insecurity as well as how easily he could be manipulated caused Othello to be a man snared by his own weaknesses.

Nigerias Rigid Expectations of Men :: essays research papers fc

In September 1997, in Oslo, Norway, a meeting was organized in co-operation with the Norwegian National Commission for UNESCO where international observer B. Mustakim said, â€Å"Highlighting masculinity may be seen as a way of excusing violent men, since their behavior is attributed to a masculinity which many believe to be "natural" and unchangeable.† Georg Tillner, author of Men and Masculinities, responded, â€Å"Power is the one aspect all variants of masculinity have in common, not necessarily as the real possession of power, but rather as a "demand for dominance" or an "entitlement to power". Masculinity is an identity† (Mustakim). Throughout Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe, masculinity takes an impressive role in molding the clan’s male-dominated society, and plays a vital part in influencing characters’ decisions. In the novel, Achebe reveals the definition of what it means to be a man in Nigerian society ; he should be masculine and protect his family and friends in that he is willing to fight, earn his good reputation, and preserve and expand the honor of his family. In Nigerian society, a man was responsible for the protection of his family and friends in that he was willing to fight. No character in Things Fall Apart demonstrated this ideal better than that of Okonkwo. This was apparent in the very beginning of the novel when it is brought to the reader’s attention that Okonkwo had, at such a young age, already taken two titles and demonstrated undivided skill in two inter-tribal wars. At the closing stages of the novel, Okonkwo yet again attempted to protect his clansmen when five court messengers arrive at one of the clan’s meetings. Without any hesitation, Okonkwo pulled out his machete and killed the head messenger. Okonkwo’s father, Unoka, however, did not fit the same mold of masculinity as that of his high-achieved son. While Unoka and his neighbor, Okoye, were sharing a kola nut (a symbol of life and vitality) one day, they talked about several things including that of the impending war with the village of Mbaino. U noka did not condone war, but not because he believed that it was barbaric. He was simply a coward and could not stand the sight of blood. Thomas Alva Edison, a great inventor, businessman, and true Renaissance man, once said, â€Å"The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do† (Woopidoo!). Okonkwo became an important and successful asset to his clan by achieving things in which his father refused to partake.

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay

This development was heralded as an avenue to usher in democratic stability and good governance. However, contrary to widespread expectations, the post-military regime became an avenue for the explosion of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, since the emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than one hundred ethnically and religiously instigated conflicts have occurred in Nigeria which resulted in loss of lives and unquantifiable material and psychological damage. Drawing from documentary research and findings, this paper probes the persistent spate of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and its harmful implications on democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It investigates the history, causes and manifestations of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and maintains that unbridled lust for power, corruption, religious intolerance and the failure of the government to deliver democratic dividends, have resulted in these conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in the country. In the light of all these then, can democracy thrive in an atmosphere of crises? Can Nigeria come out of ethno-religious conflicts? If so, what steps can the government take to rein in the menace of these crises? Finally, the paper provides submissions for curbing this social epidemic, which has become a permanent feature of the Nigerian social polity. Keywords: Nigeria, Ethno-religious, Crises, Democracy, Development Introduction Democracy could be said to be a seed: when you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully. Thus, one of the dividends of democracy, which Nigerians have reaped in abundance since the transfer of power from the military to the civilians on May 29, 1999, is the rising wave of ethno-religious conflicts with devastating and untold consequences on lives and property (Jega, 2007: 116). Nigeria is a very populous nation in Africa with diverse cultural heritage. In fact, the country has a population of over 140 million and over 400 ethnic groups belonging to different religious sects as well (Salawu, 2010: 345). Since the attainment of independence, Nigeria has remained a multi-ethnic nation, which has been grappling with the problem of ethnicity on the one hand and that of ethno-religious conflicts on the other hand. At the inception of independence, for administrative expediency the various ethnic factions were fused and merged together by the colonialists. Then, the colonial masters left and things started falling apart, the center no longer held. No ethnic group desired to see the other. Little wonder then that the former Secretary of State at the British Colonial Office (1952-1959), Sir Peter Smitters regretted the action taken by the British to merge diverse ethnic groups into one in Nigeria. According to Ali (2004) cited in Adebayo (2010: 214), he was reported to have lamented that it was extremely dangerous to force diverse radical and social entities into single rigid political structure. However, that statement was medicine after death; the deed had been done. Indeed, a conglomerate of almost four hundred ethnic groups, each having its distinct history, language, culture and political systems before the colonial rule, all preserved in mitigated forms with the British system of governance super-imposed and named Nigeria really had future implications for unity. The colonial administration, for administrative convenience, compressed and merged the various ethnic groups in their respective regions, making Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba the major ethnic groups and reinforced the three political/administrative divisions – the north, the east, and the west, under appropriate constitutional arrangement. At independence and post independence era, the status-quo of the colonial era was retained under that infantile freedom, with every group retaining its tradition, language, and culture while sharing the common central institutions in a federal arrangement (Adebayo, 2010: 214). As a result, these major ethnic groups, because of their opportunistic positions were seen as consistently dominating the political and economic scene before and after the attainment of independence in 1960 and this led to agitations for state creation by the other â€Å"minor† ethnic groups who saw themselves as the marginalized groups. However, the more states were created, the more the complaints of marginalization and inequality by the new minorities against the new majorities in each state (Abdullahi and Saka, 2007). Consequently, the proliferation of ethno-religious and political turbulence in the country is therefore necessitated on the one hand by cultural, communal and religious differences and on the other hand by fear of domination nursed by the minority groups. As if what constitutes the federalism is not satisfied, there have been agitations for reversing back to the old regional autonomy of the different groups for the purpose of determining the pace of their development and control of their respective resources. These pernicious phenomena of ethnicity and religious intolerance led to the incessant surge of ethno-religious conflicts, which gave birth to the many ethnic militias today like the O’dua People’s Congress (OPC) put in place by the Yoruba in the south-western part of the country to fight for the protection and defence of Yoruba in Nigeria; the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), fighting for the cessation of the Igbo ethnic tribe in Nigeria; the Bakassi Boys; the Egbesu Boys; the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the Igbo Peoples’ congress (IPC); the Arewa People’ Congress (APC) and the Ohaneze Ndigbo among others. This might probably be the feeling of Elaigwu (2005: 12) when he writes †¦the violent protests in the Niger-Delta over perceived injustice in resource distribution; the Itsekiri-Ijaw violence in the Delta; the resumption of the Ife-Modakeke communal violence; the menace of Odu’a Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and the accompanying violence in Lagos and Shagamu areas; the formation of the Arewa Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Igbo Peoples’ Congress (IPC); the MASSOB feeble attempt to resuscitate Biafra; the Sharia crisis and the demands for a confederation; the South-South demand for the control of its resources; and all the recent interethnic/religious conflicts in various states across the country are all part of the bubbles of the Nigerian federation. They are based on the historical structures of mutual fears and suspicions among Nigerian groups in a competitive process. They reflect dissatisfaction of Nigerian groups with the state of the federation. With the emergence of all these ethnic militias and the deep divide between the various ethnic groups, religious intolerance became more violent and bloody with more devastating results using the ethnic militias as the executing platforms of ethno-religious agenda. Federalism thought to be an approach to national unity, resulted to anarchy in the country. A number of steps were taken to at least mend the disunity and disarray prevalent then and promote unity among the various ethnic groups. These included the establishment of federal institutions in some states of the federation, promotion of national cultural and sporting activities, and, more significantly, the National Youth Service Programme (NYSC), just to mention a few (Adebayo, 2010). Although these steps yielded pockets of successes in achieving national unity, the â€Å"unholy† marriage of convenience of the ethnic groups still begs for irrevocable divorce. While the ethnic rivalry held sway, religious pluralism, which culminated in many crises, shook the country to its very roots. The pernicious effect of this trend is not entirely surprising given the fact that religion is so sensitive to Nigerians that many are not only ready to defend it at all costs, but are ready to die for it. Hence, religious pluralism which resulted in religious intolerance was fused with ethnic rivalry, producing the recurrent spate of ethno-religious crises. And because of the violent nature of ethno-religious conflicts, which often take the form of riots, sabotage, assassinations, lynching and maiming, kidnappings, armed struggles, guerilla warfare and secession in Nigeria, they undoubtedly pose dangerous threats to democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Yes, as Jega (2007: 116) truthfully stated, the genetically engineered seeds of democracy planted by our colonial masters and further successive military regimes have grown to mature crops for harvest. Instead of democracy yielding peace, stability and security to lives and property, it seems to have yielded a return, full circle spate of ethno-religious conflicts and violent eruptions. Thus, the discussion of ethno-religious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal recurrence of these conflicts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to probe the history, manifestations and implications of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria since the dawn of democratic dispensation. Causes of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria According to Awolowo (1990: 35), the notion of Nigeria as â€Å"a mere geographic expression† was engendered by the forceful packaging by colonial authoritarian fiat of unwilling communities of diverse origin and culture under the same polity. Consequently, relations and political behavior of the peoples are characterized by mutual suspicion and invidious hatred since they are strange bed-fellows, who were only coerced into the nation-state via amalgamation. Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony. Like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence, but rather for the administrative convenience of the British (Shively, 1997: 39). Over 400 different languages and dialects are spoken within its borders, and there is also an important religious split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south is predominantly Christian, making her not only at ethno-religious crossroads but also at linguistic crossroads. As diverse as these ethnic groups are, they are also not accommodative of each other’s religion and professions of faith. This state of intolerance has added up to fuel the spate of crises in Nigeria. It should be noted that religion has always been the platform for frontal expressions of ethnic aggressions and conflict. Hence, ethnocentric politics, sectional solidarity and primordial interests became prominent features in the nation’s political practice. Sectional and individual virtues and interest rather than collective virtues and national unity are advanced and exalted. Thus, communal orientation precluded any attachment to the state and the syndrome of the ‘son of the soil’ took preference over merit and competence in the choice of policies and leaders. Although as Obasanjo and Mabogunje (1992: 4) aptly observed, colonialism provided scaffolding of holding the different communities together, not much change was achieved in altering communal mentality and predilection. Nonetheless, the persistent military incursion into government and politics did much harm for the body polity as national issues was mostly tribalized and primordial virtues extolled. These regimes had primordial outlook and sub-national mentality under which the northern part of the country was favoured brazenly, on one hand, and the southern part was deliberately dealt with in terms of appointments, contracts, location of government establishments, political oppression and repression as well as provision of social services and infrastructures. As a result, ethnic sectarianism has left a trail of destructive violence and even threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2001). Indeed, after long years of authoritarian rule, when the military clique and their civilian collaborators privatized the Nigerian state (Ukiwo, 2003), politicians in the emergent Fourth Republic were all too anxious to claim control of the state and its oil wealth as well. This thus led to an unbridled competition for political relevance and spheres of interests among politicians, especially in the context of the division of the country into geopolitical zones, states and local governments and the fact that distribution of benefits among the political class depended on the ability of each member of the ruling class to deliver his constituency. This lust for power has led to the neglect of the needs of the masses and the demand for peaceful co-existence. Instead, the rulers continue to enrich their pockets through corrupt dirty means and seek for elongation of tenures for selfish gains. In the circumstance, ethnicity, religion and other sectarian identities are exploited, resulting in avoidable violent conflicts among component units of the country. The persistence of mass poverty and increasing income inequality, largely as a result of the transformation of the fortunes of politicians and their allies from jobless neighbors to emergency billionaires in less than two years after capturing power, have deepened popular alienation. It has also called into question the legitimacy since 1999. Consequently, some of the easiest things to do in contemporary Nigeria are to mobilize an assassin, vigilante, ethnic-cum-religious militia, rioter, crowd or rented pro-government demonstrator. The result could only be imagined. The power lust of the political cliche is one of the perceived causes of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. Another reason responsible for ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is the wrong interpretation by those who claim authority to the understanding of the holy books. If not so, one wonders why people act contrary to the teaching of the holy books (whether the Quran or the Bible) in matters pertaining to peaceful co-existence, unity and sanctity of life, and property. As it is a serious disease for someone who does not have a full grasp of the interpretation of any of the holy books to claim authority to knowledge, many of the so called ‘religious leaders’ use their shallow knowledge to put up interpretations to suit their selfish ends banking on the ignorance of their followers. Lamenting on the wide gap between the teaching and practice of religion among its adherents, Adebayo (2003) cited in Adebayo (2010: 219) identified some factors responsible for using religion as instrument of polarization, among which is leadership tussle, which also culminated in the proliferation of many denominations in the country. Also, sectarian jingoism, as well as excessive patriotism to one’s religious sect, which consequently transformed to fanaticism, is another major factor contributing to this social menace. Salawu (2010) also noted that the failure of the Nigerian leaders to establish good governments, forge national integration and promote what can be called real economic progress, through deliberate and articulated policies, has led to mass poverty and unemployment. This has resulted into communal, ethnic, religious and class conflicts that have now characterized the Nigerian nation. Poverty and unemployment have therefore served as nursery bed for many ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria because the country now has a reservoir of poor people who warmongers as mercenary fighters. What this means theoretically is that poverty and unemployment increase the number of people who are prepared to kill or be killed for a given course at token benefit. This explains why all ethno-religious crises that ever occurred in Nigeria have a large turnout of people (including the under-aged) as fighters. Lastly and very importantly, and not the least, the ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria also have some historical antecedent (Salawu, 2010). This is because many governmental actions during the colonial rule and after independence encouraged, to a large extent, the sowing of the seeds of ethno-religious conflicts that are found to be rampant in the Nigerian nation today. Over the years, many events in Nigeria have led to the politicization of mistrust, intolerance, violence and acrimonious relations between the mainly Moslem north and the Christian south of Nigeria. To this extent, there has been an unfortunate insertion of ethno-religious discrimination and incompatibility in the structures of the Nigerian State since the colonial period. The political events of the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup further entrenched ethno-religious configuration in Nigeria. This is because the killings and counter-killing that followed the coups which took ethnic and religious colorations as the Muslim dominated tribes in the north were set against the Christian-dominated tribes of the southern region.

Interdependence Report – Cambodia (Kampuchea)

Cambodia is a small Southeast Asian country that borders on the Gulf of Thailand and is situated between Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. It has a population of 12 and a half million people, and has just come through a time of great hardship that has lasted since 1975. The people responsible for this country's turbulent past are the Khmer Rouge forces that invaded Phnom Penh in the 70's. Over 1 million people died during their rule, through enforced hardship and execution. This country has seen war, human massacres, and dictatorship. Economically, Cambodia is a country discovering itself in tourism terms, with a 34% increase in tourism for the 2000-2001 period. Cambodia has a wealth of history and culture predating the Khmer Rouge tyranny and many travelers see it as an unadulterated, tourist-free experience. Cambodia's industries are in garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products (although some of these are illegal operations), rubber, cement, gem mining (another generally illegal industry), and textiles. The unemployment rate is 2.8%. 80% of all employed people are working in the agriculture sector, which consists of rice, rubber, corn and other vegetables. Exports in 2000 were $942 million and these consisted of timber, garments, rubber, rice, and fish. The majority of these exports went to neighbouring countries, and 10% went to the USA. Cambodia's population of 12,491,501 and has a growth rate of 2.25% per annum. This rate takes into account, the following things: It's birth rate per 1000 head of population – 33.16, and the deaths per 1000 head of population – 10.65. The migratory rate of 0 people per 1000 is also worth mentioning. The infant mortality rate is 65.41 per thousand live births. Life expectancy in Cambodia is 56.82 years, compared with Australia's approximate 75 years, this is very low. Literacy rates for the total population are 35% (This takes into account persons over 15 years who can read and write). For all the population, women's literacy rate drops to 22%, while men are on 42%. All the above statistics explicitly take into consideration, death linked to or as a result of AIDS, this lowers life expectancy, higher infant mortality rate and higher death rates. Lower population, growth rates and changes in population distribution by age and sex are also affected. Deaths per year as a result of AIDS are 14,000 and the prevalence rate is 4.04%. SECTION B Agriculture- 11% of Cambodia's total land usage is in permanent pastures. This clearly illustrates that farming animals in Cambodia is not a huge industry. Officially, there are 0% permanent crop pastures, but it is estimated that this figure has risen to 4% over the last two years. 5% of all land used is for narcotics/drug manufacturing, with Cambodia being a huge international producer of heroin, opium, amphetamines and cannabis. After massive political upheaval, which brought an end to the Khmer Rouge regime in the mid-1990's, Cambodia finally looked started to restore some semblance of normality to the country's economy. The primary industries were one of the first areas the new government decided to develop, unfortunately with political infighting and civil violence all plans for industry development were put on hold. It was only after 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years that the government implemented strategies to make agriculture a more prominent and lucrative industry. They launched a plan to reduce rural poverty to 31% by 2005, but still retain an economic growth rate of 6 to 7 percent a year. This plan hopefully will reconstruct rural infrastructures by drawing up public investment plans, setting up rural development banks and small-scale financial institutions. Local authorities and councils also needed to be perfected and this happened in communal elections in February of this year, in this way, a lot of the corrupt government officials were voted out of office. Much of the international aid that comes to Cambodia is put into the improvement of rural services such as roads, power supply, education and healthcare. The current types of agriculture that exist in Cambodia today are rice (growth and milling), rubber, corn, and miscellaneous vegetables. Livestock and poultry also make up a portion of the industry, there are also fisheries and forestry. Statistics are organised as: Crops 18%, livestock and poultry 7%, Fisheries 16%, forestry and logging 4% (All these statistics are from the 2000 GDP and are approximate to the nearest full number). As a result of the government's development process, technology in agriculture had risen dramatically over the past 2 years. Tractors, diggers, ploughs and other large machinery are fast becoming commonplace on farms, and there are often share policies initiated between farmers to gain finance on equipment and pay it off together while both using it. Biotechnology is a very small area, and genetic research is virtually nonexistent, but as a result of government funding, and initiatives between industry and local government, new farming methods of irrigation and fertilisation are being developed. Land tenure in Cambodia is a process being reviewed currently. A lot of the land is owned by local government and the state (almost 45%) but a policy put in place to encourage foreign investors, has spun off and created a profitable and legitimate loophole for local farmers. The government allows rent of land for up to 90 years at a very low price, and seeds, fertilizers, mechanised agriculture equipment and other farm-related things are all exempt from taxes or have low duties. Farmers who export more than 80% of their produce are also exempt from all duties. Industry- In Cambodia industrial expansion, has been quite important and could well be called a ‘corner-stone' of their economic performance. It is a country relatively rich in natural resources, resources that have more or less remained untapped because decades of war and non-industry related development (infact the term ‘anti-industry' is fitting) have inhibited it. The government now regards areas of industry such as garments and textiles as ‘two major pillars in the national economy'. Development of these industries creates 50,000 jobs a year for the rural labour force alone, and helps gain foreign exchange for the national treasury. Garment enterprises now employ 150,000 workers nationwide but this figure is disputed, as many factories and manufacturing plants do not officially exist for tax-evasion purposes, so the figure is in all actuality higher. Huge openings in the markets of the American, Canada and European Union have provided Cambodia with major export partners, and given them quality standards for their products to reach. Mineral and gem mining is a big business, with police and the government coming down hard on the estimated 50% of illegal operations currently operating along the border of Thailand in the North Batdambang and South Eastern Siem Reap regions. This mining is usually strip mining, which means they take the top layer of soil, trees, rocks, natural vegetation and habitats and mine for whatever particular mineral they are looking for. This is a huge disturbance (Infact it destroys it) to any environment, and in when a company does this environmental legislation states that all soil and rocks must be replaced, and trees replanted, so that some the environment and can regrow and resemble something of it's previous appearance and function. Illegal companies do not do this reparation work and turn unique and biologically diverse area into a desolate crater, full of mining pollution and waste. The minerals being mined for are gemstones, iron ore, manganese, and phosphates. Mining provides employment to something like 230,000 people, and also helps to develop rural industries like retail and food processing, because of the masses of people that have to be situated at the mines. There are processing plants at some of the mines but a good majority of all mined material is sent to processing plants in Thailand and PDR Laos. Timber and forestry is perhaps the most lucrative and at the same time destructive industry. As with the mining, a good proportion of the logging that occurs is illegal and the government is slowly eradicating all of these operations, this eradication began in 1999. With forests and woodlands making up 66% of all land use, it is hardly surprising that this area of industry has become huge. The government is now putting in place rules and regulations to try and curve the amount of trees being cut down and processed every day, in the hope of retaining large amounts of it's rainforests and natural wildlife habitats. Logging companies that had concessions to forests have recently agreed reluctantly to reduce their productions from an already reduced 50% capacity to 25% while violations are addressed. All the above industries need major reform and right now have huge pollution and waste outputs, that flow straight into the sea. Fisheries are a vital industry in Cambodia, providing the principal source of protein for the population and providing significant employment. Fishing activities are divided into large-scale operations involving exclusive concessions on fishing areas in the Tonle Sap (a large inland lake) and floodplains, licensed medium-scale activities, or small-scale family fishing. A rapid increase in medium and small-scale fishing and mismanagement of fishing areas in recent years is leading to overexploitation of some species but others are still plentiful. An estimated 67,000 people are employed in the fisheries industry, this takes into account: fisher people, deck-hands, and all boat related staff, processing staff at processing and packaging plants and executives and business people. Before the pollution from other industries gets to the sea, it goes through mangroves that line the coast. As a result of massive pollution being put through the mangroves, they are all slowly dying. The mangroves are a nursery for fish, that eventually will not exist, and so neither will the fish, thus destroying a very important industry. Other Emerging Industries- In recent years the services sector and tourism were hit hard by the political disturbances of 1997 and 1998, but over the past 5 years consumer confidence has returned and made headway for new spheres of development. In 1999 tourist arrivals to the country rose by 41%, and then by another 34% in the year 2000. Tourism is a major industry, generating $63 million in 1999. The government in conjunction with airlines has created direct flights to Siem Reap from destinations such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and there are plans for flights from Singapore, all this has contributed greatly to tourism in regional areas of Cambodia and has huge marketability as multi-country package tours become very popular to westerners. The service sector, accounting for 36% of total GDP in 2000, seems ‘poised to enter a sustained period of expansion after several years of stagnation' according to economic analysts from the ADB organisation. United Nations involvement, and becoming a member of the WHO, has certainly affected the public's attitudes towards restaurants and hotels. The aforementioned organisations set up protocols and regulations for the government to implement, and trained inspectors and officials to make sure proprietors and companies abide by them. This has seen a 49% growth in services and more consumers than ever. Cambodia's main export partners are as follows: Vietnam 18%, Thailand 15%, US 10%, Singapore 8% and China 5%. It's import partners are much the same with the addition of Japan. The trade balance is reasonable with imports at $1.3 billion and exports at $942 million. 11% of Cambodia's total land usage is in permanent pastures. Officially, there are 0% permanent crop pastures, but it is estimated that this figure has risen to 4% over the last two years. 5% of all land used is for narcotics/drug manufacturing, with Cambodia being a huge international producer of heroin, opium, amphetamines and cannabis. There is large-scale political involvement in stopping this drug-trade, but a lot of local officials previous to the elections, were involved in taking bribes and in some extreme circumstances were actually growing and selling drugs themselves. Section C Economic development for any country is a long and hard journey that has problems with trade, neighbouring countries, religious aspects etc. Possibly the most important thing to consider, as a spin-off of development is the impact it has on the environment. This impact on the environment can be things like forestry, mining, pollution, species of animals becoming endangered, and declination of bio-diversity etc. Cambodia has a lot of these problems and they are being addressed, but it is the illegal (and legal) logging that carries the title for most urgent industry to fix, as it is destroying the forests and killing animals. This is saying the least about what the implications of this destruction may be. Slowly the government is naming national parks and declaring them forbidden to forestry companies. What is happening when companies chop trees down is that they are destroying habitats of wildlife, preventing things from ever growing again because of their wastes, and as a result reducing the total bio-diversity of the country. In these rain forests and woodlands, many endangered animals that are extinct in Thailand, Vietnam and PDR Laos, live and coexist. Species such as Asiatic elephants, tigers, lepoards, Asiatic rhino's, gibbons and crocodiles are all slowly losing their homes as the number of suitable habitats grows less and less. When deforestation occurs upstream, massive damage as a result of floods occurs downstream. This flooding affects everything, from agriculture (farms being underwater and losing crops, livestock, equipment), to towns and villages being underwater. Funnily enough, the inverse of this situation is that fisheries and their production improve greatly with the more severe floods. Most of the environmental consequences have been discussed in previous sections, so in summing up, Cambodia is a country of rich history and huge potential tourism, it's social ideals still have a fair way to improve, but in Cambodia you can see a country that against all odds has come out of political oppression and started to find it's identity and become a developed country.

Things Fall Apart Essays - African Writers Series, Free Essays

Things Fall Apart Essays - African Writers Series, Free Essays Things Fall Apart In the book Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe is trying to give an explanation of what it is like to live in an African society. The story is about a man named Okonkwo who is a member of the Ibo tribe. Achebe is telling the story of Okonkwo from his childhood till his death. Before I read this book I did not have a very good idea of how people lived in Africa, and the ideas of I did have about life in traditional African societies turned out to be untrue. Achebe did a very good job of illustrating a traditional African society, and by reading this book I now have a much better idea of what life is like in a non-western society. I think that this was Achebe's goal in writing this book, to educate people about some of the struggles people have and life in traditional African societies. The title Things Fall Apart is a good choice for a title of this book. The main character, Okonkwo, did not like the way his father lived. He thought that a man should be strong and do typical male tasks. But Okonkwo's father, Unoka, did not fit mold according to Okonkwo. Okonkwo was ashamed of his father, and told himself that he would make a better life for himself and his family. Okonkwo was able to do this, he became very successful in the Ibo tribe and had gained a very high standing in the tribe. It was his goal to become an elder in the tribe, and it looked like he was going to achieve that goal. Okonkwo was banished form the tribe for seven years for killing a boy, and was forced to live with his mother's tribe for the seven years. Okonkwo lost all of his titles and his standing in the Ibo tribe. After the seven years had passed, Okonkwo went back to the Ibo tribe and had to start his live over. Over the seven years that Okonkwo was away, the Ibo tribe changed a lot. Most of these changes were do to the missionaries which had come to Africa to try to convert people to Christianity. Okonkwo could not accept these changes, and in a rage of anger he killed a clansman. This was the worst crime a man could commit. After Okonkwo did this he realized that there was no hope for redeeming himself and no way that he could become an elder. So he hung himself because he could not live with the fact that he would never regain his standing in the tribe. He would have most likely been killed for committing this crime anyway. Basically Okonkwo's life fell apart on him, hence I feel that the title Things Fall Apart is very fitting for this book. I thought that Achebe did a good job at writing this book. After getting into the book I found it very easy to read and follow. It took a while to get use to the names of the people in the book, and the Ibo words and phrases. I thought that the purpose of this book was not directly stated, but it was implied. The purpose was to show people what it is like growing up in a traditional African Society, and Achebe did a good job a showing that. The book is chronologically organized, starting with Okonkwo as a child and ending with his death. I feel that the audience level for this book would be high school and above. I think that there are a lot of implied messages and ideas that mature readers will pick out easier than younger readers. I feel that the book is not biased, and I feel represents the African people as well as the white missionaries fairly. So overall I feel that the book was very well written and found it enjoyable to read. I found it ironic that both Okonkwo and his father, Unoka, ended up the same way. Both ended up being put in the evil forest after their death. Unoka ended up in the evil forest because he did from a strange disease, while Okonkwo ended up in the evil forest because he had killed a clansman. I found this ironic because it seemed the Okonkwo tried to everything different from his father. Okonkwo did not agree with the way Unoka lived, and he told himself that he was not going to live that way.

What Should You Do If You Go to a Bad High School

What Should You Do If You Go to a Bad High School SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The quality of education at different high schools can vary widely, sometimesto the detriment of students. If you go to a school that doesn’t offer the programs and level of instruction that you would like, you might feel frustrated and worried about getting into college. In this article, I’ll give you some of the characteristics of a â€Å"bad† high school and tell you what steps you can take to improve your educational experience and college applications despite these disadvantages. What Defines a â€Å"Bad† High School? There are a few traits that are common amonghigh schools that don't prepare students adequately for college.Your school might not necessarily be â€Å"bad† just because it has one of these characteristics, but if it has all of them, the advice in this article is for you. Low-Quality Teaching The quality of teaching at a high school can make a big difference in how much students learn in their classes and how interested they are in the subjects.If the teachers aren’t engaged, the students definitely won’t be.A hallmark of low-quality teaching is when the teacher structures everything so that he or she has to do as little work as possible.For example, instead of more challenging short answer tests, the teacher might give you all multiple-choice tests because they’re faster to grade.Students know low-quality teaching when they see it - it usually means easier, duller classes that lack substance. Very Few Advanced Classes Low-quality high schools often don't offer many advanced classes to students.This ties into issues with teaching as well; advanced classes are more difficult to teach and require expertise that the teachers at the school might not have.A â€Å"bad† high school may not offer any AP or IB classes, or it may offer only one or two.A lack of high-level classes can prevent advanced students from challenging themselves in high school and reaching their full potential.It can also be a setback when it comes to applying for college. Limited Choices for Classes Overall In general, â€Å"bad† high schools don’t give students many choices for classes.These schools may offer fewer classes because they’re underfunded and don’t have the resources for additional teachers and course materials.A lack of choice can mean that students are unable to explore their areas of interest in a way that would be possible at another high school.They might be forced onto a certain course track that doesn’t fit their needs or miss out on a subject that they would love. In extreme cases, students could even end up unprepared for college because their high school didn't offer the prerequisites they needed to succeed in introductory college classes. It would be cool to take the AP Environmental Science class in high school if you're passionate about nature conservation, but your school might not give you that option or offer other classes you're interested in. What Are Your Options If Your School Is Bad? If your high school offers poor quality instruction, you may have to go above and beyond to get the kind of education you need to be prepared for college. But don't despair: you do have options. Option 1: Talk to a Teacher or Academic Advisor If you go to a bad high school, you will probably benefit from extra help beyond the instruction you’re getting in your classes.You can discuss your options with a teacher or guidance counselor to see what you can do to improve your chances of being accepted to a good college.They might have advice based on what other high-achieving students have done in the past to make up for the lack of opportunities. Solutions might include devising your own independent study class or doing extra projects in your existing classes to demonstrate your academic abilities.This is the least disruptive option you have, and it should be the first step you take before you decide to pursue more drastic measures like taking classes elsewhere or transferring schools. Option 2: Take Classes at a Nearby Community College Many high schools will allow you to do â€Å"dual enrollment.† This means that you’re simultaneously enrolled in classes at your high school and a nearby college.If the advanced classes you’re looking for are not offered at your high school, this can be a great way to gain access to the learning experiences you want. Keep in mind; however, that there are some drawbacks to taking community college classes in high school. You may have to pay for them on your own if your high school doesn't offer financial assistance, and you'll need to find reliable transportation to and from campus. Balancing classes at two different schools can be tough, especially if you're heavily involved in extracurricular activities. Speak to a guidance counselor to find out more about how your high school handles dual enrollment and what your options are. Option 3: Transfer to a Different High School in the Area The final option you have is transferring high schools. This is a more realistic option if you're a freshman or sophomore, although technically you can transfer in any year of high school. It's best to transfer as an underclassman because you'll have more time to take advantage of better resources at the new school and adjust to a different environment. It can be tough socially and academically to transfer, so this should be a last resort if you feel like your school isn’t cutting it.Transferring high schools will require some planning on your part, but it’s usually not too difficult to apply for a transfer.You can apply at the beginning of each school year (in September or October) for a transfer that will take place the following year.Again, check with your guidance counselor to see what your school’s policies are for transferring. The new high school will have to download all data from your brain before you can begin attending classes. This procedure is relatively painless. Will Your School’s Quality Impact Your Chances of Getting Into College? If you go to a high school that could be considered â€Å"bad,† you might be worried about the effect this will have on the college application process.Admissions offices collect a lot of data about high schools around the country that they use to inform their decisions.If your high school only offered two AP classes and you took both of them, you wouldn’t be compared directly to a student at another high school who took five AP classes out of the 15 that were offered. Colleges understand that every high school is different and that some provide better opportunities than others.They do their best not to fault students for attending high schools with fewer opportunities by considering whether a student made the most of the situation at hand.Colleges will be mainly concerned with two things if you go to a bad high school: Did you challenge yourself as much as possible within the constraints of the curriculum at the school while earning high grades? Did you seek out additional opportunities outside of your high school to enrich your learning experience? If you do both of those things, you will still stand a strong chance against high-achieving students who were fortunate enough to attend better high schools. What Are Some Other Ways to Strengthen Your Application If You Go to a Bad High School? If you’re still worried about how you’ll fare in the application process, there are a couple of measures you can take to make sure you’re presenting yourself to colleges in the best way possible: Build Up Strong Extracurricular and Leadership Credentials Even if your school doesn’t have the best academics, you still might be able to participate in extracurricular activities that will bolster your application.If you have an interest that you feel isn’t represented bythe current extracurricular offerings at your school, you can even create a new club.This signals to colleges that you’re willing to take initiative and are passionate about something. You can also get involved in extracurricular activities that are not connected to your school, whether that includes a church group, volunteer organization, community theater company, or a different organization. If you’re into sports, you can try to become a team captain so that you’re in a leadership role.Leadership is important to colleges because it shows that you are capable of being in a position of authority with extra responsibilities. This indicates independence, maturity, and the potential to make big changes in the world. The point of extracurricular activities is to show that you have interests outside of academics and will bring something unique to a college campus.You should use your extracurricularsto showcase who you are and demonstrate your potential. Get Great Letters of Recommendation Another way to build up your application is to stay on top of your letters of recommendation. Make sure you ask your teachers with plenty of time to spare (ideally let them know during the spring of yourjunior yearand then confirm with them early in your senior year). Be strategic about which teachers you ask for letters. It's best to ask teachers who can testify to your strengths as a student and your ability to go above and beyond in your coursework. If you consulted a teacher on how to improve your academic record for college applications, you might ask that teacher for a recommendation so that he or she can provide anecdotes that point to your determination. Write an Awesome Personal Statement The personal statement is an opportunity for you to tell colleges something about yourself that they might not learn from the rest of your application.It’s another place where you can show what makes you special as an applicant apart from your academic credentials.A great personal statement can make you stand out in the application process as someone who has a strong voice and will contribute something valuable to the college community.See our guide for how to write a great college essay. Seek Out Academic Awards Outside of the academic boundaries of your high school, there are other awards that you can win to bolster your application.If you take the PSAT and manage to get a very high score, you may qualify for a National Merit Scholarship.You can also check out this list of the best scholarships for high school seniors (many of them are available to lower high school grades as well).A scholarship can be an impressive addition to your credentials. Do some exploring and see if there are any particular scholarships or awards that appeal strongly to you and your interests.For example, if you’re a particularly strong math student, you might consider trying to qualify for the International Math Olympiad.If you take some of these steps to improve your application, colleges will be impressed with your drive and will be more likely to accept you. I won first place in a golden cup forging contest! Conclusion â€Å"Bad† high schools are typically characterized by poor teaching, a lack of advanced classes, and fewer class options overall.If you go to a â€Å"bad† high school, you should discuss your concerns with your guidance counselor or an academic advisor.You might decide to take classes at a nearby community college or even transfer to a different high school in the area that has better academics. Colleges will know the limitations of your high school when reviewing your application, so you shouldn’t worry too much about being penalized as long as you’ve challenged yourself as much as possible within the constraints of your environment. To improve your application further, you can focus onextracurricular and leadership activities, a great personal statement, and outside scholarships and awards.The quality of your high school shouldn’t dictate where you go to college as long as you continue to pursue your interests and be proactive about challenging yourself academically. What's Next? Are you planning on applying to competitive colleges? Find out what a rigorous high school course load looks like so you can impress them with your application! You should also read this article to get more information on honors societies and classes and how they can affect your potential in the college application process. For a quick overview of the steps you'll need to take in high school to apply to college, take a look at this infographic. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Gender Difference In Exercise Addiction And the Possible Roles of Lab Report

Gender Difference In Exercise Addiction And the Possible Roles of Eating Behaviour, Anxiety And Reason for Execise In Undergraduate Students - Lab Report Example This paper stresses that existing studies do not clearly differentiate between primary exercise dependence and problem exercise addiction as an associated feature, so predictions for exercise addiction may be possible. In case of female students who exercise, if there were no associated comorbid psychologic disorders, the personality profile and psychological morbidities do not differ from healthy controls. This study will recruit free living adult volunteers as participants and they do not have any bond with the investigator. Further this study does not involve any medical treatments, restrictions or biological sample collection. Therefore participants will not carry any serious risk. Participants are briefed about the survey and their written consent is taken just before they are given the questionnaires. They will be asked to give a personal code for confidential reasons. Their personal data will be handled confidentially throughout the survey and the final outcome of the research is explained. The participants will be told of the deadline for which the data collected will be used and they will also be made aware of the fact that they are free to withdraw their data at any time for any reason. They will be given a debriefing form which will also contain information on support services or websites they can go to for help if they have been in anyway affected by this or need more inform ation. The form will also have the researcher and supervisors contact details if needed.