Airbrushing Should Be Banned

Good morning/afternoon class. The topic that we have chosen for our debate is â€Å"That airbrushing should be banned. † We as the affirmative team believe that this statement is true. The points that I will be talking about today is that manipulating images can lead to self-esteem issues, the different types of disorders that photo shopping could lead to and the extensive cost of airbrushing images. To start off, the deceptive imagery of airbrushing can lead to major self-confidence issues. Even though younger girls are exposed to many different types of media and images, the younger generations are not usually able to tell the difference between normal photographs and air-brushed images. †¢This means that over time, young women are increasingly seeing and comparing themselves with images which are neither realistic nor authentic. †¢This can lead to severe self-esteem issues. Images that are altered and manipulated to give an impossibly thin look add to everyoneâ₠¬â„¢s insecurities about their bodies.This is exactly the reason why airbrushing should be banned. Secondly, these diminishing advertisements can sometimes lead to eating disorders. †¢Some people are particularly vulnerable to this pressure to be perfect and risk developing an eating disorder such as anorexia or being bulimic. †¢This is precisely why we're calling for the media to get real and show us bodies in all their gorgeous, natural glory. While it's true that most of us are aware that the majority of women in adverts have been airbrushed to within an inch of their life, sadly, the same can't be said for younger girls, who, from a very early age are constantly being bombarded with digitally altered images without realising just how much they've been manipulated. Do we really want our precious children to change who they are so that they can fit in with society’s perception of perfection?This highlights why any form of enhancing an advertisement should be banne d. Finally, I will address the extensive cost of airbrushing images that companies and we face. †¢Airbrushing images will not only damage young girls self-esteem but it would also take an astonishing amount of money out of the company’s budget. †¢Due to airbrushing, it will not only cost the business money, but also us to go under the knife to achieve these manipulative images from the pressure to be perfect.Are we really going to go to these extreme lengths to look like someone we’re not? This illustrates precisely why photo shopping needs to be expelled. AGAINST OUR ARGUMENTS †¢it’s a clever way for products to be sold, and to attract the target audience they are aiming at. †¢models are usually hired for the purpose to sell the product and being â€Å"Photo shopped† is probably some part of their contract. †¢retouching and photo editing is supposed to make the look of the model attractive, so it is able to sell the product. the models face will usually have to be the image of perfection and beauty to interest a reader to pick up a magazine, thinking that the content will be related to the cover image of beauty. REBUTTALS Would you buy a product from an advert where the model is looking flawless, and has great skin due to airbrushing techniques? Or where it shows the true beauty of someone, and that there should be no reason to change, and to just accept how they look? Should an image that is airbrushed be societies perception of perfection?

Bread Givers and The Bluest Eye Families in Crisis: An Analysis

Both novels The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and Bread Givers by Anzia Yezierska are about families from the early twentieth century who face enormous problems of living in a patriarchal home that is obviously not working. Both books focus on the daughters of the families and the hardships that they must endure. The Bluest Eye, and Bread Givers are about characters who do not belong to mainstream America in a time period before tolerance and civil rights. Pecola Bleedlove is the protagonist of The Bluest Eye.She is an eleven year old African American girl who believes that she is extremely ugly and she believes that the ultimate beauty of a person would be to have blue eyes. She measures beauty by white American standards of her day which is just after the Great Depression and she struggles with her race not only with whites, but with other lighter African Americans. The line between colored and nigger was not always clear; subtle and telltale signs threatened to erode it, and the wat ch had to be constant. (Morrison, 87) Sara Smolinski is the protagonist of Bread Givers.She is the youngest daughter in a Jewish family who have immigrated to the United States from Poland in the 1910’s and 20’s. The Smolinski family live in New York City while the Breedloves live in a small town in Ohio. However, the setting makes little difference when it comes to the problems that each family faces. They are both looked down upon because of their race and their socioeconomic positions in society because both families live in poverty. The early part of the twentieth century in the United States was a patriarchal society and all classes lived by those rules. The father controlled the family especially the wives and daughters.While sons were strictly guided by their fathers as well, they did gain freedom at the legal age of maturity and they would hen become the leaders of their own families. Daughters were totally ruled by their fathers and wives knew that they were n ot to question their husband. They would not gain the freedom that a son knew that he would someday obtain. The young woman went straight from her father’s rule to that of her husband. In both novels, the male head of the household, Cholly Breedlove, and Reb Smolinski do not make any money, but depend on the females for their living.In the true patriarchal society, the male head of the house did have responsibilities, and the most important one was to provide for his family. In both these homes the men want to totally control the women, but they are not the providers. Instead they do nothing by take from the women. Cholly is an alcoholic and an abuser, while Reb has devoted his life to studying the Jewish religion and the Torah. This would not have been a bad thing for him to do except that he does not use this to make a living.In the true patriarchal family, the father is also to provide guidance and security to his family so that he is worthy of their respect and loyalty. C holly Breedlove totally perverts his duty as the head of his household. He has done nothing for his wife’s self esteem. She is convinced that she is ugly, and that her deformed foot has made her a cast off of society. Instead of reassuring her that he is attracted to her and that he appreciates the work she does and the money that she brings to the family, he berates her, has adulterous relationships on her, and he constantly battles her.The worse perverse action that he takes is when he rapes his preteen daughter, Pecola. If a father is to have control of his daughters in a patriarchal society, then society expects his to lover her, protect her and guide her. Cholly Breedlove breaks all the rules of society by taking away the innocence of his child, and violating rather than protecting her. He impregnates her so which means that he will rob her of her respectable place in society. Even though today’s society understands that the child is the victim, it was not that wa y in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s.Pecola is impregnated by her father and the baby dies. Certain seeds it will not nurture, certain fruit it will not bear and when the land kills of its own volition, we acquiesce and say the victim had no right to live. (Morrison, 206) She then goes insane and therefore, he has completely ruined her life. . [Pecola beat] the air, a winged but grounded bird, intent on the blue void it could not reach – could not even see – but which filled the valleys of the mind. (Morrison, 204) Reb Smolinski also takes from his wife, Shena.She is in awe of her husband’s intellect and devotion to his religion. She works very hard to support him and make him comfortable even though they live in extreme poverty. Unlike Cholly, Reb does not physically abuse his wife. Reb’s daughter fare for worse than their mother does when it comes to his treatment of them. While he does not violate the girl’s virtue, he is still cr uel to them psychologically. He has each girl work very hard outside of the home even though he does not do this himself.He convinces each girl that it is a father’s duty to take their wages and to use it toward the providential care of the family. Like the Old Testament men, Reb rules every aspect of his daughter’s lives. He truly believes that It says in the Torah: What’s a woman without a man? Less than nothing—a blotted out existence. No life on earth and no hope in heaven. (Yezierska, 205) He too, like Cholly, does not do this for the ultimate benefit of the girls, but for his own selfish reasons. This is evident when we first see Bessie bring home a young man that she has an interest.The young man is a good man, is not living in poverty, and seems to love Bessie enough to want to take good care of her. He is also willing to take no dowry, something that was unheard of in that culture, just so that he could spend the rest of his life with her. Instea d of being overjoyed that his daughter would have a wonderful life full of love ahead of her, he ruins the relationship between them. Bessie resigns herself to her father when she tells her lover I know I’m a fool. But I cannot help it. I haven’t the courage to live for myself. My own life is knocked out of me.No wonder Father called me the burden bearer. (Yezierska, 50) He does the same thing to his other daughters except for Sarah and instead, arranges poor marriages for them and their lives are completely ruined. Sarah stands up to her father and runs away. She becomes a teacher, and continues to live a life of poverty until she has finished her schooling, and begins to make a good living for herself. Her father has disowned her for no other reason except that she has not obeyed him completely and has made life better for herself. This has taken away his power over her.Because of the underhanded workings of his second wife, apparently he could not control her as he did the Shena, Sarah becomes close to the principal at the school where she works. After they have established a relationship, Sarah and Hugo, the principal revert back to the mindset of the patriarchal society in which they had both been reared, and the book ends with the assumption that Reb will move in with them and they will take care of him the way that he should have taken care of Sarah when she was a child and a young woman. I felt the shadow still there, over me.It wasn’t just my father, but the generations who made my father whose weight was still upon me. (Yezierska, 297) Both of the novels Bread Givers and The Bluest Eye concentrate on the negatives of the patriarchal society. Society has now moved far away from that mind set, however remnants of it can still be seen. They both portray the powerlessness of women, even though one, Sarah, rises above it and takes charge of her own life. Works Cited Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. 1970. London: Chatto and Windus, Ltd. 1979. Yezierska, Anzia. Bread Givers. 1925. Ne

Spondylolysis Spondylolisthesis In Athletes Health And Social Care Essay

Spondylolysis is the loss of the structural unity of the vertebral pars interarticularis, whereas spondylolisthesis is associated with a bilateral spondylolysis and describes a comparative anterior interlingual rendition of one vertebral section relation to the following caudal section ( Herman et al. , 2003 ) . This essay will reexamine literature associating to the diagnosing and direction of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis in jocks. To farther understand the diagnosing and direction of these conditions, the prevalence and cause of oncoming will be covered alongside the clinical presentation and imagination, and conservative and surgical direction.PrevalenceThe largest CT survey of the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis in the grownup population was conducted by Brooks et Al. ( 2010 ) . The 2555 topics, holding been referred for a CT scan including the lumbar spinal column, were indiscriminately selected. The inclusion standard was topics aged over 20 old ages and the ground fo r referral non being low back hurting. The consequences highlighted 8 % of instances of lumbar spondylolysis. There was a ratio of 1.5:1 male to female and no important differences between the ages. The survey, although big, was non ideal. The CT scans were originally taken for different grounds for referral and hence assorted axial piece thicknesses were used and some with and without contrast agents. They were besides interpreted by three different radiographers for this survey. Therefore the survey, although randomised, was non standardised. Rossi and Dragoni ( 2001 ) conducted a big retrospective survey including both genders between ages 15 and 27, referred with back hurting impacting their athletics, to find the incidence of the pars defects, utilizing skiagraphy, in diagnostic elite jocks. Plain radiogram showed that 13.9 % had spondylolysis, with a male to female ratio of 4.5:1, and 81 % of lesions were at L5. These figures are higher than consequences by Micheli and Wood ( 1995 ) , where 100 topics aged 21 old ages and over and 100 topics aged 12 to 18 old ages, who presented with low back hurting, were retrospectively indiscriminately selected. They found 5 % of the grownup population, over 21 old ages, had spondylolysis. This figure along with the consequences from the Rossi and Dragoni ( 2001 ) survey are both much lower than the age group in the Micheli and Wood ( 1995 ) survey where 47 % were diagnosed with spondylolysis. The size of the survey was acceptable but it was a retrospective survey utilizing differe nt imagination, including field radiogram, bone scanning, MRI and individual photon emanation computed imaging ( SPECT ) to diagnos spondylolysis, so was non standardised. Gregg et Al. ( 2009 ) conducted a retrospective survey to place variables including age, gender, injured periodm athletics engagement, oncoming of symptoms and the individual leg hyperextension trial, associated with active spondylolysis. 82 patients who were referred for SPECT with low back hurting were included, 31 % of them had active spondylolysis. The consequences showed that age and gender have a important association with spondylolysis, bespeaking that a male who is less than 20 old ages of age is 3.5 times more likely to hold a positive bone scan. There was no item in the survey as to who assessed the individual leg hyperextension trial or interpreted the SPECT so is non known if the assessors were blinded. The variables were non specific and lacked item, like degree of sport engagement doing it hard to separate between school physical and elect sports. This could be why the survey found no relation between spondylolysis and athletics. The writers suggest that male childs are more susceptible to pars defects as, during adolescence, they have a reduced degree of lumbar spinal column bone mineral denseness in the cortical bone, which is the chief constituent of the pars interarticularis. Besides there were more males take parting in higher speed athleticss with torsional burden, like cricket, than females ( 70-40 % ) . Rossi and Dragoni ( 2001 ) found that the athleticss with the highest figure of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis were plunging ( 40 % ) , wrestling, weight lifting, path and field, sailing, gymnastic exercises and football ( 16 % ) . These surveies demonstrate that the highest prevalence of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis are in adolescent jocks, particularly male.Clinical PresentationActivity related back hurting has been related to diagnostic spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis in jocks ( Rossi and Dragoni, 2001 ) . El Rassi et Al. ( 2005 ) reported that 40 % of the 57 pediatric association football participants with spondylolysis remembered maximal speed kicking to be a trigger of the back hurting. In jocks low back hurting is the chief symptom, but may radiate into the leg. This can be straight associated with the spondylolysis where an extraosseous hematoma and hydrops occur at the site of the early break, which can compact the traversing nervus root and cause radiculopathy ( Sairyo et al. , 2009 ) . Patients with advanced spondylolisthesis may show with an antalgic pace with a vertically orientated sacrum and perchance a seeable step-off at the lumbosacral junction ( Herman et al. , 2003 ) . Hyperextension of the lumbar spinal column may do hurting ( Hu et al. , 2008 ) . The diagnostic one legged hyperextension trial was studied by Masci et Al. ( 2006 ) . Masci et Al. ( 2006 ) suggested the trial is non sensitive due to the subjective nature and besides because the motion can set emphasis on constructions other than the pars interarticularis, such as the aspect articulations and posterior phonograph record. It is hence priceless in clinical pattern.ImaginationImaging is indispensable to do a true diagnosing of a spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis ( Rossi and Dragoni, 2001 ) and to find the phase of the lesion, from active and acute to chronic and inactive, to be able to urge suited direction ( Brooks et al. , 2010 ) . The survey antecedently mentioned by Rossi and Dragoni ( 2001 ) concluded with a recommendation to execute radiological scrutinies in diagnostic jocks considered high hazard of spondylolysis. This was a surprising decision as although the survey confirmed a high incidence of spondylolysis, they had stated earlier in the paper that the value would most likely addition with add-on of different imaging modes and this survey had no comparing group to be able to do this recommendation. In the big survey mentioned antecedently by Brooks et Al. ( 2010 ) utilizing computed imaging ( CT ) imagination in the grownup population, it was hard to find whether CT scans are the best imagination for spondylolysis due to a deficiency of a comparative group to find whether all defects present were really diagnosed. Gregory et Al. ( 2004 ) assessed the value of uniting SPECT, which assesses metabolic activity of the bone, with rearward gauntry computerised imaging ( rg-CT ) , supplying morphological information, to look into spondylolysis. Patients who presented with low back hurting related to activity and hurting on lumbar extension were investigated by planar bone scintigraphy and SPECT. Reverse gauntry CT scans were so performed in all those with a positive SPECT. One of the writers viewed the images which may do some prejudice, and reported the rg-CT without blinding to the consequence of the SPECT. There were countries of increased scintigraphic activity on SPECT in 67.8 % and spondylolysis was confirmed on rg-CT in 44.9 % . They concluded that SPECT should be the first line probe for spondylolysis. Reverse gauntry CT identified chronic lesions which did non hold scintigraphic activity, but the writers suggest that magnetic resonance imagination ( MRI ) would be a better follow up probe as it has more possible to name pathologies other than spondylolysis. MRI, SPECT and CT consequences of 72 persons of a average age of 16 old ages, with extension back hurting were studied by Campbell et Al. ( 2005 ) . Each patient was screened with CT, SPECT and MRI on the same twenty-four hours. The writers assessed each image mode, but were blinded to the consequences of the other image modes. Pars defects were detected in 23 patients with a sum of 40 defects. When comparing combined CT and SPECT with MRI, the latter right graded 29 of the 40 defects. MRI was able to observe acute complete defects and chronic established defects, but limited in naming stress reaction and uncomplete defects. They conclude that MRI can be used as the first line scrutiny for striplings with back hurting and CT to be used in patients with acute defects or stress reaction, even though it failed to place a figure of patients diagnosed with stress reaction. Conflicting decisions recommend SPECT and CT for naming spondylolysis, where MRI detected 80 % of the lesions found on SPECT, with CT holding the same consequence ( Masci et al. , 2006 ) . From these surveies, either SPECT or MRI is suggested to be the first line of imagination for spondylolysis and spondylolysthesis, with a possible follow up with CT for acute defects or stress reaction. SPECT is highly sensitive for early diagnosing of acute spondylolysis, but non good for chronic lesions. CT is non really good at separating between active and inactive lesions, but utile to observe spondylolytic defects, nevertheless has high radiation. MRI has no ionising radiation and can separate between stress reaction, active and inactive spondylolysis ( Campbell et al. , 2005 ) . Therefore subjective information about the continuance of the status may be utile to make up one's mind which mode would be suited as it is indispensable that early phase emphasis breaks are indentified fleetly so as to pull off to optimize the long term result Masci et al. , 2006 ) .Conservative ManagementThe purpose of direction is to accomplish a bony or hempen brotherhood of the pars interarticular is to assist extinguish motion across the pars defect ( Debnath et al. , 2009 ) . A survey by Iwamoto et Al. ( 2004 ) reviewed 104 athletic topics with low back hurting and diagnosed spondylolysis. The topics were managed with discontinuance of the exacerbating athleticss and application of an antilordotic brace. Individual preparation was initiated harmonizing to each sporting activity, but developing type was non indicated. They reported on the 40 topics that had to halt athletics due to trouble and reported that 35 ( 87.5 % ) returned to their original athletics in an norm of 5.4 months ( and every bit early as 1 month ) and could go on activities despite non brotherhood of the pars defect. It does non advert the other 64 topics who were ab initio included in the survey and it was non clear how the topics were followed up. Similar direction is reported in the article by Sairyo et Al. ( 2009 ) , mentioned antecedently. After halting athletics and utilizing a brace symptoms had disappeared and MRI consequences after 3-6 months showed normal signal strength in all seven topics who had spondylolytic radiculopathy. El Rassi et Al. ( 2005 ) conducted a retrospective survey of 57 kids, average age of 13 old ages, with spondylolysis, diagnosed with radiogram and, if questionable pars defect, SPECT. The inclusion was extended association football engagement, radiographic grounds and two twelvemonth follow up. The imagination were evaluated by the same writer which could take to bias. The intervention was an antilordotic thoracolumbosacral brace worn full clip for three months and surcease of athleticss activities for at least three months. When the patient became symptomless a rehabilitation programme was initiated, including abdominal strengthening, hamstring stretching and pelvic joust exercisings. There was an issue with conformity, likely due to the age of the topics. Out of the 57 topics, 33 had first-class consequences and returned to their original degree of athletics and 20 had good consequences ( minimum hurting with vigorous athletics ) . All 27 patients in the compliant group had first-c lass consequences. Patients who stopped athletics had the best consequences. Radiographic healing was shown in 18 of the 57 but there was no statistical difference between those who stopped athletics and those who continued. Of the 32 who stopped athletics, all returned to the same degree of drama. Of the 25 topics who did non halt athletics, 18 returned to play, but merely 2 at the same degree. A good randomised controlled prospective clinical test by O & A ; acirc ; ˆâ„ ¢Sullivan et Al. ( 1997 ) studied specific bracing exercisings in patients with spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis. This is one of the few surveies in this country to hold a control group and a blinded research worker. Those recruited had low back hurting for longer than three months and spondylolysis or spondylolysthesis, diagnosed with radiogram or CT. Measurements of hurting, map, lumbar spinal column and hip scope of motion and abdominal enlisting forms were taken. Patients had to finish a conformity signifier. The specific exercising group had a standardised protocol following specific guidelines on deep abdominal and multifidus preparation. They progressed to functional keeping places and walking. The control group was non specific at all. They were educated by changing practicians with general exercising, such as swimming, walking, gym work and supervised exercising programmes, but no informa tion about the exercisings advised was given. Some patients in the control group besides received massage, heat and ultrasound intervention. Following 10 hebdomads of intercession, they had postal follow up at 3, 6 and 30 months. The consequences showed a lessening in hurting strength and hurting form tonss and decrease in functional disablement degrees in the specific exercising group. The control group had no important difference. The 30 month follow up found the decrease in hurting was maintained. This survey is utile with instances of spondylolysis and spondylolysthesis one time the symptoms have been there for three months. It would be interesting to compare the specific exercising group with brace in the acute conditions. The retrospective survey by Seitsalo ( 1990 ) compared conservative and surgical direction of spondylolisthesis. The operative group included 77 patients who had undergone merger, utilizing posterior or posterolateral attack, followed by the usage of a girdle for four months. The conservative group had remainder, limitation of activities and bracing exercisings for the spinal and abdominal musculuss. At follow up, 25 % of the conservative group and 13 % of the operative group had occasional mild hurting. Sport was enjoyed by 43 % of the conservative group and 57 % of the operative group, although it does non stipulate what the degree of athletics was. From these surveies, the recommendation for conservative direction would be specific bracing exercisings and surcease of athletics until symptom free. The biggest job with this direction in this patient group is conformity.Surgical ManagementSurgical intervention is normally reserved for jocks with diagnostic spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis who have failed conservative intervention of at least six months or for skeletally immature patients with a faux pas of 50 % or more ( Radcliff et al. , 2009 ) . A survey including 22 immature jocks, average age 20 old ages, was conducted to measure the result and return to feature after surgical fix of spondylolysis ( Debnath et al. , 2003 ) . Bucks merger uses a prison guard to mend the pars defect and was used in 19 of the patients. The follow up used spinal stabilization exercisings started at six hebdomads and a cardiovascular programme at 12 hebdomads. The Scott technique involves puting a wire around the transverse procedure bilaterally and was used in 3 patients. A lumbosacral girdle was worn following this process and an exercising programme commenced at 12 hebdomads. It does non province why each method was used although subsequently in the survey it mentions that the two groups were dissimilar in the degree of the defect. The result demonstrated 94 % of the Bucks fix group returned to active athletics ( professional football, cricket, professional golf and hockey ) within seven months of surgery and none of the Scott technique grou p were able to return to feature. Meaningful decisions were unable to be made though due to the little sample size and the two groups being excessively dissimilar in the degree of the defect. Nozawa et Al. ( 2003 ) assessed the result of 20 jocks treated surgically with segmental wire arrested development, which was similar to the Scott technique. At a average period of 3.5 old ages follow up, cadaverous merger was achieved in all instances and all of the patients returned to feature, but at varying degrees. Diagnostic spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, which surveies demonstrate are more prevailing in the kid and stripling, can be a traumatic diagnosing for an jock ( Brooks et al. , 2010 ) . It is indispensable that the status is diagnosed fleetly with a thorough scrutiny, and referral for SPECT, CT or MRI is indispensable. Conservative direction is ever the first line of intervention, affecting surcease of athletics and specific stabilising exercisings. If the jock does non react to this intervention after six months, surgical direction should be undertaken ( Radcliff et al. , 2009 ) . In both cases it is likely that the jock would be able to return to feature albeit at varying degrees but it is still possible that they can go on at the same degree they participated in anterior to the status. A batch of the surveies were retrospective, non randomised and had no control. Better prospective, randomised, controlled surveies need to be undertaken. Future research would be utile in countr ies of bar and result. Prospective surveies affecting immature athletic groups with bing specific stabilization programmes would be valuable to see if these conditions could be avoided.

Continuing Academic Success Essay

It is a big step for someone who has been out of school for so long, to have the courage to begin the journey of higher education. Personally, it took me several years of contemplating if going back to school was the right move for me. I postponed it until I realized this was the only way I could provide my family with the life I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve came to realize that even though this will be a very challenging 4 years of my life, I will persevere as long as I keep my eyes on the price and stay motivated. There are many components to ensure success in my educational and career endeavors; such as, personal responsibility, use of the resources provided by the University, and have self-awareness. I’m sure to succeed as long as I apply myself and take advantage of the resources that are designed to assist in my academic life, subsequently into my professional life. It takes personal responsibility to succeed in any aspect of your life but it’s especia lly so in your educational path. It is up to you, to abide by the school rules and to complete the course work with integrity. You have to hold yourself accountable for your actions and thrive to be a better person. This is especially true in the online school environment as there’s no set time for class, it is up to the student to make time for class work as well as setting up study time. Time-management is an essential tool which will help make a student’s school experience a productive one because you will have time to digest the information being provided to you instead of rushing to get the work done just for the sake of getting it done. Making a schedule and abiding to it is your personal choice and if you want to succeed, you will have to master the skill of time-management and ask for your support systems help when needed. To succeed in school you need to have academic integrity. Academic integrity has a big influence in your academic success  as plagiarism has drastic consequences and can result in expulsion. Academic integrity shows your knowledge of the topic at hand, which is the goal in higher education. To understand some complex topics you might need more time and you need to schedule study time accordingly. Having strong personal responsibility is part of your everyday life as a student and it’s vital to academic success. Setting goals is a good way to stay motivated and work for a specific result within a certain amount of time. Having goals will help you map out the path you will be taking and the steps on how to get there. For effective goal setting, think of the things and/or experiences you want to have by a specific year or age. â€Å"Goal setting requires assessment and problem-solving skills as well as application and organization.† (Rader, 2005). As stated by Rader, goal-setting requires a lot of different skills and it is important to master them to achieve success in life. What has held me from returning was the college-level writing and the huge amount of research I will have to do. By the time I earn my Bachelor’s Degree, I want to be comfortable with the writing process and have confidence in my researching skills. This is one of the reasons I went bac k to school, for ones and for all get rid of the anxiety and fear of writing college-level papers. Setting goals in all aspects of your life will assist in keeping you accountable of your own actions. For example, once I’ve earned my degree I want to work for a hotel, in a large hotel chain, where I could be a part of the management team, preferably in the customer relations, customer service, or event planning departments. Another key tool for academic success is self-awareness. Periodically is it beneficial to do some self-exploration and get in touch with your basic ethical values. In essence every decision we make is made from a set of ethics we follow. A set of strong ethics is valuable in both your personal and professional life. I live by a set codes that keep me honest, fair and accountable of my own actions. Having a strong set of ethics prepares you with the tools you need to be a critical thinker and make proper decisions. Being aware of how you learn best is important as you want to use your time effectively and use platforms in which you know you will retain the information better. It is important to be able to reflect on our life and find ways of fixing what i s not working effective. Learning is not just academic but also personal. Critical thinking is one of the main objectives in higher education. A critical thinker analyzes all  options and makes an argument based on facts. To be a critical thinker you have to be able to look at different points of view openly and explore them as possibilities. You also have to able to think logically and analyze the information and find evidence to back it up. When all information is collected and analyzed, a critical thinker could create an argument with confidence. To become a better critical thinker I will work on mastering Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy of learning which states that for maximize learning we need to master this 6 levels of thinking: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. When I’m studying and going through course work I will keep this 3 levels in mind and will practice each level. The goal is to think all the way to level 6 which is creating an idea from the information learned. Mastering critical thinking will make the writing process easier and less chaotic. â€Å"The writing process is how you show your understanding of the course information and form your own opinion and are able to find supporting research for your ideas†(Kellogg, 2007). Personally the writing process is very intimidating and has stopped me for reaching my full potentials. Doing research here will give me a piece of mind that the information found here is factual and correct. Research papers will be a bit easier. Writing is the preferred communication by educational institution and the professional world. It is important when writing to be aware of grammar mistakes and also plagiarism. Being able to write a cohesive paper or extended text will take you further and is necessary for your academic success. University of Phoenix wants their students to success and has made available amazing resources to ensure that students are well equipped with the tools that will help them move forward towards their goals. The University Library will be the most useful tool for when doing research. Doing research here will give me a piece of mind that the information found is factual and correct. Research papers will be a bit easier to write. The Center of Writing Exc ellence has everything you need to be able to perfect your writing skills which will make the writing process simpler. The Life Resource Center is helpful when you have personal issues you need to work on from time-management to career and life coaching.When I need to focus on my future after school I could rely on the Phoenix Career Service where I could research job markets and also set up a career plan. Taking advantage of these all the resources the University has  to offer will ensure I don’t feel alone in this journey. It takes your full commitment to achieve continuing academic success. It’s a challenging adventure but a well worth one. The benefits of being able to become a life learner will open up your mind and it will provide a sense of drive. We are in charge of our own future and it important to try to achieve excellence. No one is responsible for my well-being but I, and I will do everything possible to succeed. References Lasley, T. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. In T. Hunt, J. Carper, T. Lasley, & C. Raisch (Eds.), Encyclopedia of educational reform and dissent. (pp. 107-110). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412957403.n5 Rader, L. A. (2005). Goal Setting for Students and Teachers: Six steps to success. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196863407?accuntid=458 References Kellogg, R. T., & Raulerson, Bascom A., I.,II. (2007). Improving the writing skills of college students. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review (Pre-2011), 14(2), 237-42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204931203?accountid=458 Lasley, T. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. In T. Hunt, J. Carper, T. Lasley, & C. Raisch (Eds.), Encyclopedia of educational reform and dissent. (pp. 107-110). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/10.4135/9781412957403.n5 Rader, L. A. (2005). Goal Setting for Students and Teachers: Six steps to success. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/196863407?accuntid=458

Chinese landscape painting between pre-20th century and modern time Essay

Chinese landscape painting between pre-20th century and modern time - Essay Example The essay "Chinese landscape painting between pre-20th century and modern time" analyzes Chinese landscape painting. However, similarity exists in the painting displayed in the 20th century and the 21st century. The similarity in the Chinese painting is based on the focus of the artists which largely was on the landscape and the nature environment. The focus of the Chinese artist or painters was not only to capture the issues displayed by the landscape, but to also capture the essence of the energy. Chinese art was based in the teaching of the Ying-Yeng which is viewed as the source of energy. Even in the landscape paintings the focus was on the essence of energy. The successful western artistic movements cannot be replicated in the Chinese art because the Chinese art and painting were not based on movement or similarity but based on the view of the individual artists. Therefore, when focusing on the Chinese landscape painting, it is vital to understand the similarities and differenc es of the modern and the 20th century landscape paintings in terms of material and the focus of the painting. In Maoism china, the focus was on oil based painting which is different from the traditional ink based painting. Oil based painting was a feature associated with the western world especially the Europe countries with the focus being on the view of the artist. The Chinese art did not follow the feminism approach are era experienced in the western art but focused on the conservatism presented by the Chinese culture.

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax Essay - 2

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, the income tax rate is about 22%/. This is the rate that majority of the citizens will pay. It is worth nothing that this is termed as the marginal tax rate and will only be paid on incomes the respective tax threshold. In the United Kingdom, the threshold for tax is 5575 pounds for 07-80. Therefore, if a person earns 6225 pounds, the tax payer will be required to pay at22% which is equivalent to 1000 pounds of earning. Therefore, if a person is paid 6225 pounds, he is required to pay 100 pounds as tax. It is noted that 10% of income tax rate for income between 5226 and 7455 pounds. This was removed during the budget of 2007 as the main cut fundamental rate from 24 per cent to 22 per cent. The history of income tax first appeared in 1799. It was introduced by William Pitt: he was the younger to pay the Napoleonic wars that were initially 2d in the incomes pound over 60 pounds. Recently, in the mid of 1980s, the fundamental rate reached an income rate of 33 per cent. The United Kingdom has a marginal tax rate system. Meaning that the income tax is charged on income that is above certain levels. Therefore, it means that if a person earns 200000 pounds, the tax payer is required to pay half of the whole 200000 pounds. A tax payer is expected to pay half on the income earned above 150000 after including the personal allowance. The income tax rate in 2009 and 2010 is as shown below: The labour government of the previous regime increased the income tax rate from 40 per cent to 50 percent in the year 2010. The current UK government reduced that amount to 45 per cent starting April last year. The discussion formed the main focus in the pioneering election. Any person that receives a taxable income like pensions, interest on savings, and salaries in United Kingdom is subjected to income tax. After a personal allowance worth 9440 pounds that was due to increase to 10000 pounds from the effect of the tax rate. Currently, a

Should Homosexuals be allowed to marry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Should Homosexuals be allowed to marry - Essay Example military, leadership development among military personnel among other responsibilities (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2010). The staffs at this facility comprise of official government civil servants. Their skills are acquired through training at some of their subordinate facilities. This paper will review some articles that describe the staff elements of the organization, and the skills among the organization’s members. Articles about the organization, ever since its inception in the year 1973, have been written with the aim of finding out about its competence. The writing of these articles was meant to try and find out if the nature of the organization was out to profit the folks of the United States. So far, there have not been many complaints about the organization (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, 2010). It is accountable for the hiring of thousands of people who want to serve their country in a number of ways. Romagnoli, P. D. (2006). Increasing effect iveness in Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). School of Advanced Military studies, Kansas. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a450914.pdf In this article, Romagnoli questions the effectiveness of the TADOC. The author questions the nature of the organization since he is certain that it does not have proper lines of command. The author believes that these process lines are not firmly rooted into the organization, thus; its effective nature cannot clearly be defined. He admits that the staff structure is not like any seen in any other organization. However, the criticism on the lack of horizontal and vertical communication/integration channels is rising. This makes the organization less effective than normal. To remedy this situation, the author recommends the setting of clear lines of command and control in order to satisfy the desired requirements. Meeting such requirements needs one to understand the structure of the organization. The specialization of ever y staff member is one way to identify who is eligible for what position, and how they can fit comfortably. Clearly defining the staff functions will increase the organization’s performance. Through some of the recommendations put forth, the author states that, the organization is better placed to be more effective. U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. (2010). TRADOC information pamphlet: Red teaming. TRADOC Public Affairs Office: Fort Monroe, VA. The article printed by the organization was a way for them to introduce a new method of staffing. It reassured the public that it was not a means of getting rid of the existing staff members; rather it was a way for them to make them stronger. The new concept was to make the staff become aware of the existing challenges. The red teams would act as a catalyst for the age of critical thinking on tackling these challenges. The red teams would support decision making in some of the operational formations. This seems like a new way in which the organization is seeking to overcome some of the problems that may exist in it. The formation of these teams would create a podium for people to voice some of their fears, issues, and recommendations to the organization’s management. With proper training, these teams can be of value as their input will be immensely appreciated in the organization. The challenge they create will be instrumental in identifying the vulnerabilities,