Mim Udovitch vs. Ken Jackson Essay - 1484 Words

Jaymin Patel English 099-02 Prof. Sheehan April 17, 2014 Mim Udovitch vs. Ken Jackson It seems like every young girl dreams of becoming a model these days. Every young girl has the desire to get thinner than other girls in order to look like models on T.V, magazines and so on. The New York Times publishes articles for the majority of the audience to read, which is mostly adults. Mim Udovitch’s article, â€Å"A Secret Society of the Starving† talks about two major eating disorders that are anorexia and bulimia within many girls. Udovitch reports stories about three girls that are going through these disorders or have gone through them. The three girls Udovitch includes are Claire, Chaos, and Futurebird. Ken Jackson’s interpretation of†¦show more content†¦The author is not even preventing from people having eating disorders or giving advice or suggestions. Mim Udovitch is just presenting the audience with facts and experiences from people suffering from anorexia or bulimia. The article is just making the problems of high fatal rates of men tal illness from people suffering from bulimia and anorexia obvious to the adults. The group of people that mainly read The New York Times is adults. Ken Jackson believes that The New York Times should be publishing articles about people who want help and methods of helping them. The true meaning behind the article is not being shown because the article is covered with facts and experiences. The author did not stress enough on improving the lives of many individuals suffering from eating disorders. Udovitch should be inspiring people with eating disorders to treat themselves and seek help. The New York Times published â€Å"A Secret Society of the Starving† to inform the readers about what bulimic and anorexic girls want, but this information does not help these girls in anyway. Girls with eating disorders are not seeking for any sort of help. Readers do not really care about this article unless if their child or children have some sort of eating disorder. Udovitch informs, â€Å"A site like Futurebirds, or like the message board of Chaoss, are designed with the best intentions. But as everybody knows, that is what the way into the city of

Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays

The relative role of nature versus nurture in the shaping of living systems is a central issue in many areas of biology. There are two schools of thought. One side would argue that all idiotypic specificities are encoded in the germline genes of the gonads, implying that antigenic experiences over eons of time have allowed the accumulation, by natural selection, of every conceivable antibody specificity. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now The alternative school argues that a collection of useful specificities are germline encoded (e.g., those specific for antigens endemic to the species), the rest arising by a somatic mutation (and selection) process during the life of the individual; the total repertoire is, therefore, generated and shaped during ontogeny. The nature-nurture debate has now shifted to specifying how much of the child traits can be attributed to heredity and how much to environment. An enormous amount of research has been generated by this question. Despite sophisticated research procedure, there is still no definite answer to the nature-nurture question. My stand is more related on the environment and experience’s contribution to a child’s development, as what the role of nurture was discussed and especially apparent in Piaget’s book the Moral Judgment of the Child (1965), where he asserted that many arguments and conflicts with peers are the key in stimulating development of more mature moral thinking (McCormick Pressley, 2006). On biology, I personally think that even if the child gets the best gene composition, his experiences would still stand out. These would teach him lessons in life that he would most likely use in his everyday life. Today, most developmental psychologists do not believe that development is primarily due to either nature (determined by biology) or nurture (determined by experience), Instead, there is clear understanding that development is due to both nature and nurture, both biology and experience. Biology provides a range of possibilities. Which of those possibilities is realized depends greatly on the experiences available in the environment. Consider that may seem a simple example. A child inherits genes providing him or her with a biological predisposition for being intelligent and smart than average. Whether this child achieves this biological potential depends upon environmental factors, such as the nutrition available and exposure to severe illness or disease (Vialle, Lysaght, Verenikina, 2005). References: McCormick, C. B., Pressley, M. (2006). Child and Adolescent Development for Educators. New York and London: Guilford Press. Vialle, W., Lysaght, P., Verenikina, I. (2005). Psychology for Educators. Australia: Thomson Learning Nelson.       How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Essay examples Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays The debate between what shapes who a person will become has been around as long as scientists have been around to contemplate it.   The biologists with their need to find a genetic link for everything use such genetic diseases as Down’s syndrome and Hemophilia to explain how nature develops the human adult.   The psychologists are never quite as absolute as the biologists and they have studies and Theorists such as B. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now F. Skinner to say that a person is only the result of how they are trained.   The reality of what shapes a person into the adult he becomes is actually a very well balanced blend of both. An adult person is made up of physical traits or characteristics, behaviors or habits and personality traits. Scientists and psychologists agree that physical traits and characteristics are almost entirely the result of genetics.   A person gets green eyes and blonde hair from a parent with green eyes and blonde hair.   If both parents are over six feet tall, the child will very likely be tall.   Additionally diseases such as Down’s syndrome, and color blindness are indisputably genetic.   Scientists have discovered specific genetic markers to identify how these traits and illnesses are acquired.   The debate comes in when the other aspects of a person’s make-up is questioned. When the origin of the way people act or behave is considered the debate begins to get very heated.   Most psychologists state that behavior is direct result of what people have learned during childhood.   The classical psychologists Skinner and Pavlov believed that every action a person made was learned.   They did experiments on animals to prove how stimulus affected and thus shaped behavior.   This attempts to dismiss serial killers as  simply having bad childhoods (Powell, 2008). When the histories of many of the worst serial killers are investigated however, some had abusive childhoods and others had very nurturing childhoods.   Some studies done in Russian orphanages showed that much of what people learn comes from nurture. In these studies, a number of children spent months or years with very limited human contact.   The result was a group of children, who could not speak or interact with others.   These studies indicate there is a combination of both nature and nurture in behavior. When personalities come into the picture, the studies of twins who were raised in separate homes become a factor.   One of these studies was that of Elyse Schein and her twin sister, who upon their reunion discovered that over fifty percent of their personalities were the direct results of nature (Richman, 2007). This explains that the makings of a serial killer have to be a combination of genetics and the way a person is raised.   The twins in the study had no knowledge the other existed, but discovered they had a number of commonalities. The result of the years of study and debate comes down to the fact that a person is shaped both by who they are related to and how they are raised.   Neither bad genes nor bad caregivers can be blamed entirely for the end results of how a person turns out as an adult there is no evidence that people are shaped entirely by either, but there is evidence that both play significant roles. Resources: Powell, Kimberly, â€Å"Nature vs. Nurture† (2008) About.com. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: Nature vs. Nurture – How Heredity and Environment Shape Who We Are Richman, Joe. â€Å"Identical Strangers†. (2007) excerpt from book by Elyse Schein. Retrieved January 31, 2008 from: NPR: ‘Identical Strangers’ Explore Nature vs. Nurture How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Essay examples Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays FINAL PAPER: NATURE VS. NURTURE Bradley Duckworth 3/9/12 My thoughts on Nature vs. Nurture are very different from the secular world because the secular world doesn’t understand how a relationship with Jesus Christ can completely change a person. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now I believe my wife is a perfect person for the discussion of nature vs. nurture. I must begin with some history my wife. Erin never knew her biological father. She met her biological father for the first time just last year at the age of 33. As we get to know her biological father it seems the only similarities are a few facial features. My wife is much more a product of her step-dad who raised her in a Christian home. If my wife was not a Christian I suspect she might be more like her biological father, since he is not. So I guess my question in the nature vs. nurture debate would be how much does Christianity play into this? If you were to look at identical twins where one was raised in a Christian home and one in a non-Christian home how different would they be? Would they still have similarities? I think they would have certain similarities, but you simply can’t leave out Christianity in this debate, because Christ can completely transform an individual. If you leave religion out of it and take two people with the same genes and they are raised separately with the same worldview I believe they would have a tremendous amount in common if they were brought together later. I simply think it depends more on the culture, environment and worldview that the person is raised. That being said I guess I would say both if you consider God nature. If not, then I would say nurture because of the way our worldview and culture shapes us. Oops. I guess you simply can’t leave God out of the equation. God is our nature since all man is created in His image and as Christians he is our nurture in the way that he guides and directs our lives. I think the reason that so many people have a hard time answering this is because they try to leave God out of it. According to the text Psychology: â€Å"The nature- nurture issue-the controversy over the relative contributions of biology and experience. The origins of this debate are ancient. Do our human traits develop through experience, or are we born with them? The Greek philosopher Plato (428-348 B. C. assumed that character and intelligence are largely inherited and that certain ideas are inborn. Aristotle (384-322 B. C. ) countered that there is nothing in the mind that does not first come in from the external world through the senses. † (Myers, P. 7) The debate about nature vs. nurture rose again in the 1600’s with John Locke and Rene’ Descartes. Locke was on the nurture side believing everyone had a blank slate, a nd Descartes was on the nature side believing we are simply a product of our descendants. We then jump ahead to Charles Darwin in the mid 1800’s who was on the nature side. He believed everything naturally evolved over time. So what is the answer? I took the following from Geneology. com â€Å"Fast-growing understanding of the human genome has recently made it clear that both sides are partly right. Nature endows us with inborn abilities and traits; nurture takes these genetic tendencies and molds them as we learn and mature. End of story, right? Nope. The â€Å"nature vs. nurture† debate still rages on, as scientist fight over how much of whom we are is shaped by genes and how much by the environment. (Powel, 2012) We simply don’t have the answer except to say it’s the combination on nature and nurture that shape us. The Darwin theory lives on today in our nature vs. nurture debate. When it all comes down to it, in simple terms, we really have only two options. We either leave God (the creator) out of the picture and embrace the evolution theory that everything just naturally happened, or we embrace the truth of God and his Word. The nature vs. nurture debate will never be resolved apart from God. Things do naturally happen but only because God the creator is making things naturally happen. Nurture is part of our free will that God gave us and told us to rule over the earth and to populate the earth. As we populated the earth our cultures and habits, traditions evolved and developed. The result of who we are today does partially come from our ancestors; however apes are not our ancestors. Our ancestors are our grandparents, great grandparents and so on all the way back to Noah, Abraham, and Adam and Eve in the beginning. It’s strange to really think we have similar genes to Adam and Eve but not as strange to think we have the same genes as apes. God created apes and monkeys to remind us what we would be like if we were not humans with a soul, and were apart from Christ. Just as you can’t separate God from creation, neither can you separate nature from nurture it is both, not one or the other. References: 1) Myers, D. G. , 2010. Psychology. New York, NY. Worth Publishers 2) Powell, K. , 2012. Nature Vs. Nurture. , http://genealogy. about. com/cs/geneticgenealogy/a/nature_nurture. htm How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Papers Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays Nature vs. Nurture As far as how an individual personality is biologically determined, no one really knows just in what manner it is accumulated. In an article conducted by John Hockett, he describes the differences as such; â€Å"Nature is a trait which does not change with age, while nurture is an influence, uncorrelated with nature and making for individual differences which change with the length over time or number of years through which it acts†. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now In other words, nature is permanent and nurture causes it to fluctuate (Hockett). Early childhood experiences are often linked with personality changes in people. This goes along with theories that maybe personality is only determined from your own experiences after you’re born. Many people also believe that personality is pre-determined by your biological make-up even before you are born. The truth in the matter is that your personality is made up by a combination of both nature(Biological Genotype) and nurture (your personal life experiences). There are many problems involving the nature vs. nurture debate. Related article: Nature or Nurture: The Case of the Boy Who Became a Girl Answer Key The idea that peoples personality/disition making is strictly biological at birth and cannot be changed throughout their life could be used to argue that people charged with major crimes should not be given the chance to be rehabilitated. This would be because we believe that people cannot change their moral being, even if put through helpful services. For people who believe that nurture (or your environment you are in growing up) is the only factors for personality development would have to argue that you are not born with your personality, that it is created from your own life expirience. This conclusion would make it very hard to show hereditary links between personality and mood disorders in family trees. I personally have heard of studies that show that there is a correlation between the two (nature nurture theories) In present day, most psychiatrists can agree that personality is shown in early development of children and that it can be srastically altered from tramatic childhood neglect fo expiriences. This proves that â€Å"nuture† is almost definitely involved in personality factors. Nature is the phrase that is used to describe any personality traits that are strictly up to your genetics. There are some studies that show biologically set in stone personalities. Some people have a natural dopamine deficiency that causes them to be more thrill seeking in order to get that missing void filled. You can test people average hormonal levels as well in order to determine how they might be influenced by genetic factors. Studies have shown that babies that have stressed out mothers while they are in the womb tend to be born showing more anxiety and stressfulness than those that were born from calmer mothers. Nurture refers to the personality traits that are obtained over a lifetime, or in other word things that are not genetically implanted in DNA. The famous and probably one of the first people to suggest this was the philosopher John Locke who came up with the idea that everyone is born with no knowledge or personality and every experience shapes them. This is called the â€Å"blank slate† theory. The problem with this theory is that it means that humans would have no instinctual knowledge and everything would be up to your own personal experience. Humans have the natural ability to have some things such as breathing and temperature regulation as instinct. To bring nature (genetics) together with nurture (environment) in the study of social development we will have to look at results of many social-development studies. According to Robert Plomin ; three examples are the newest ideas for developmental examinations of personality( Plomin). First, he claims that there are three key areas of social development; attachment, empathy, and social competence. He claims that â€Å"these suggest that genetic factors contribute to individual differences in social development† (Plumin). Second, research on widely used measures of social environment implicates a genetic contribution. Plumin believes that nature does have an effect on personality but his emphasis is on the rise of increasingly advanced technology being used to read genetic variation to determine personality traits. â€Å"It is predicted that behavioral genetic research will be conducted using DNA markers that assess genetic variation among individuals directly rather than resorting to indirect estimates based on twin and adoption methods. This will revolutionize behavioral genetic research and make it more accessible and applicable to developmentalists† (Plumin). As a first step in the direction of behavioral genetics, social developmentalists are encouraged to include siblings in their research. Plumin is a very good example of one of the many people who are still in the debate of Nature vs. nurture as far as personality goes. Works Cited Plomin, R. (1994). Nature, nurture, and social development. Social Development,  3(1), 37-53. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1111/j. 1467-9507. 1994. tb00022. x Symonds, P. M. (1926). Nature vs. nurture. Journal of Educational Psychology,  17(7), 498-500. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1037/h0067291 How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Essay examples Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays Nature vs. Nurture As far as how an individual personality is biologically determined, no one really knows just in what manner it is accumulated. In an article conducted by John Hockett, he describes the differences as such; â€Å"Nature is a trait which does not change with age, while nurture is an influence, uncorrelated with nature and making for individual differences which change with the length over time or number of years through which it acts†. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now In other words, nature is permanent and nurture causes it to fluctuate (Hockett). Early childhood experiences are often linked with personality changes in people. This goes along with theories that maybe personality is only determined from your own experiences after you’re born. Many people also believe that personality is pre-determined by your biological make-up even before you are born. The truth in the matter is that your personality is made up by a combination of both nature(Biological Genotype) and nurture (your personal life experiences). There are many problems involving the nature vs. nurture debate. The idea that peoples personality/disition making is strictly biological at birth and cannot be changed throughout their life could be used to argue that people charged with major crimes should not be given the chance to be rehabilitated. This would be because we believe that people cannot change their moral being, even if put through helpful services. For people who believe that nurture (or your environment you are in growing up) is the only factors for personality development would have to argue that you are not born with your personality, that it is created from your own life expirience. This conclusion would make it very hard to show hereditary links between personality and mood disorders in family trees. I personally have heard of studies that show that there is a correlation between the two (nature nurture theories) In present day, most psychiatrists can agree that personality is shown in early development of children and that it can be srastically altered from tramatic childhood neglect fo expiriences. This proves that â€Å"nuture† is almost definitely involved in personality factors. Nature is the phrase that is used to describe any personality traits that are strictly up to your genetics. There are some studies that show biologically set in stone personalities. Some people have a natural dopamine deficiency that causes them to be more thrill seeking in order to get that missing void filled. You can test people average hormonal levels as well in order to determine how they might be influenced by genetic factors. Studies have shown that babies that have stressed out mothers while they are in the womb tend to be born showing more anxiety and stressfulness than those that were born from calmer mothers. Nurture refers to the personality traits that are obtained over a lifetime, or in other word things that are not genetically implanted in DNA. The famous and probably one of the first people to suggest this was the philosopher John Locke who came up with the idea that everyone is born with no knowledge or personality and every experience shapes them. This is called the â€Å"blank slate† theory. The problem with this theory is that it means that humans would have no instinctual knowledge and everything would be up to your own personal experience. Humans have the natural ability to have some things such as breathing and temperature regulation as instinct. To bring nature (genetics) together with nurture (environment) in the study of social development we will have to look at results of many social-development studies. According to Robert Plomin ; three examples are the newest ideas for developmental examinations of personality( Plomin). First, he claims that there are three key areas of social development; attachment, empathy, and social competence. He claims that â€Å"these suggest that genetic factors contribute to individual differences in social development† (Plumin). Second, research on widely used measures of social environment implicates a genetic contribution. Plumin believes that nature does have an effect on personality but his emphasis is on the rise of increasingly advanced technology being used to read genetic variation to determine personality traits. â€Å"It is predicted that behavioral genetic research will be conducted using DNA markers that assess genetic variation among individuals directly rather than resorting to indirect estimates based on twin and adoption methods. This will revolutionize behavioral genetic research and make it more accessible and applicable to developmentalists† (Plumin). As a first step in the direction of behavioral genetics, social developmentalists are encouraged to include siblings in their research. Plumin is a very good example of one of the many people who are still in the debate of Nature vs. nurture as far as personality goes. Works Cited Plomin, R. (1994). Nature, nurture, and social development. Social Development,  3(1), 37-53. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1111/j. 1467-9507. 1994. tb00022. x Symonds, P. M. (1926). Nature vs. nurture. Journal of Educational Psychology,  17(7), 498-500. doi: http://dx. doi. org/10. 1037/h0067291 How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Papers Nature vs. Nurture Free Essays There is no denying that both nature and nurture both play a part in who a person is. When it comes to genes and environment one of the two has a greater influence on a person. One’s nurture or environment has the most influence on who a person is and will become. We will write a custom essay sample on Nature vs. Nurture or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first reason environment has a greater influence is because education is a result to how someone thinks. The second reason environment has a greater influence on a person is because people around them reflect them as a person.The third reason why environment has a greater influence is because the location of someone affects their views. The first reason why nurture overrules nature in who a person is, is because intelligence is learned. No one has a dumb brain, just like no one has a genius brain. All humans have the same functioning brain, however not all brains receive the same information. The education a person is given does affect the way they think and the level of intelligence they have.Someone who goes to a scholarly private school is going to have a higher intellect level than someone who goes to a less fortunate public school. A person’s education affects their intelligence, beliefs, behaviors, and how they carry themselves as a whole. The second reason why nurture overrules nature in who someone is, is because people around them reflect them as a person. It’s only natural that people observe and learn from other people. These observations help to influence and develop their way of thinking and behaving.One’s social life amongst other experiences with people in their life influence how they act. Friends, family, and other figures rub off on a person, as the saying goes â€Å"you are who you surround yourself with. † The third reason nurture overrules nature in which a person is the location of someone affects their views. The actual environment someone lives in has a big impact towards their outlook on life. If someone is put in an environment in Afghanistan where the United States is constantly attacking, and they grow up to be a terrorist; what is to blame?It wasn’t in their genetics to kill or have hatred; their environments set their brains up to think that way. No matter where someone goes in life, the environment they grew up in will always remain a part of them. A Person’s experiences in their surroundings will affect their personality, reactions, and behaviors towards other individuals. In conclusion, a person’s nurture or environment has the most influence on who they are and will become. The first reason environment has a greater influence is because education is a result to how someone thinks.The second reason environment has a greater influence on a person is because people around them reflect them as a person. The third reason why environment has a greater influence is because the location of someone affects their views. It is not being stated that genetics plays no role in a person’s behavior or personality, but in this essay it is being stated that a person’s experiences override their genetics to help the brain develop and create them as an individual, separate from their parents and relatives. How to cite Nature vs. Nurture, Papers

Pricing Orientation and Pricing Capabilities

Question: Discuss about the Pricing Orientation and Pricing Capabilities. Answer: Introduction: Product development, also sometimes termed as management of new product, is a sequence of steps including conceptualization, blueprint, expansion and marketing of newly formed goods and services (Fuller, 2016). Product developments main objective is to develop, preserve and augment the market share of a company by satisfying the demand of a consumer. Every product that comes out of the manufacturers house does not have that ability or features to attract consumers, so it is essential to identify the target market for a product or service, which is critical in defining the developmental process of a product. Influence of technology on services characteristics: Businesses have made good use of technology in reducing costs, improving the process of communication and reaching to consumers in a better way. Moreover, with help of technology companies make sure that there is no comprise in quality of any product. Technology also helps consumers in comparing two products having similar features. Services cannot be stored but technology has helped in depicting how it can be properly used and distributed among people. Marketing and managing intangible products are difficult as consumers cannot see or experience the hidden value associated with the. For example, the ability of a teacher to teach a student is impossible to evaluate as it also depends on the learning capability of students. Moreover, intangibility of products cannot be stored so that the same can be enjoyed over time. Product differentiation would work only when the premium price that is being charged by the company proves to be enough in casing the costs of focusing on the desired quality (Makadok Ross, 2013). The quality and design of the products should be such that can bring in returns, which needs to be above average. Market Oriented Pricing Decisions Market-based pricing approach can also be stated as competition based stratagem and through this pricing strategy, a company assesses the prices of related products on the market (Liozu Hinterhuber, 2013). It is significant in considering those products that are comparable with the ones being offered. It depends on the product, which has more or less the same features as that of its competitors. Depending on that, the company sets its prices higher or lower than the pricing of the competitor. For example, if a particular product has an extra-added feature over its rivals product, the company could settle on same pricing, thus making it an improved value or could even price it a bit higher for that supplementary feature. Non-Price competition: Non-price competition exists under oligopoly and monopolistic competition, where firms can be enormously competitive (Chie Chen, 2014). Non-price competition involves two phases: one that executes new facet of production and another that markets these transforms to public. Non-price competition exists where there is high quality products, enhanced observation of brands, various products for different demographics and improvement in tactics of sales. Consumers Association of Price with Quality: Organizations believe in positioning of price, which is based on assumption that buyers evaluate quality by price, especially under circumstances where decisions are complex in nature. Consumers at times become uncertainty relating to the quality of a product through which they assume that higher price specifies higher quality level. Prestige Pricing is used when buyers correlate an elevated price with advanced quality. In Prestige pricing, prices are set at a synthetically high point for provision of quality or prestige image. It has lower fixed costs as overall strategies facilitate a store in developing infrastructure and efficiencies in supply chain. Establishing repute for having everyday low prices, customers deduce the products quality. Consumers in need of higher quality products might not have the belief that those stores can deliver quality products. Reference: Chie, B. T., Chen, S. H. (2014).Non-Price Competition in a Modular Economy(No. 1401). ASSRU-Algorithmic Social Science Research Unit. Fuller, G. W. (2016).New food product development: from concept to marketplace. CRC Press. Liozu, S. M., Hinterhuber, A. (2013). Pricing orientation, pricing capabilities, and firm performance.Management Decision,51(3), 594-614. Makadok, R., Ross, D. G. (2013). Taking industry structuring seriously: A strategic perspective on product differentiation.Strategic Management Journal,34(5), 509-532.

The Swanston St. Wall Collapse

The Swanston St. Wall Collapse that happened on March 28 2013 thereby killing three people may have been occasioned by freak winds. The collapse resulted in deaths of Marie Faiwoo, Alexander, and Bridget Jones. On the day that the brick wall collapsed, there were gusts of wind that were witnessed during the afternoon. The wind was moving at 102 km/h.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Swanston St. Wall Collapse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Fairfax Media indicated that the wind was travelling at 83km/hr some minutes to 3pm. Authorities also reported that such wind was capable of breaking tree branches and/or dislodging roofs from houses. It is also speculated that the wall would have collapsed due to negligence by the necessary authorities. The Swanston Square has been neglected for the last 30years. This negligence could have resulted in its weakening and precariousness. The hoarding is highly attribute d to the parachuting effect of the wind and hence the collapse of the wall and fatalities. The advertisement board was almost one metre taller. The brick wall was approximately 2.5 metres. The board was therefore a huge protrusion on its face. When hoarding is done in a way that it becomes higher than the wall of attachment, it becomes hazardous, hence interfering with the safety of the wall. This claim is likely to be the reason behind the collapse of the Swanston St. Wall. The board could have played the role of a sail, hence making the strong wind collapse the wall. The Swanston wall was made of bricks. It was located at Swanston Street in Melbourne, which was a site on which the building development was to happen. This wall was erected in the early 60s and that it was almost the only remaining wall of the time. The wall was also among the structures that had not been demolished to pave a way for new constructions on the site. The site is owned by Grocon Pty Ltd. The Swanston wal l was adjacent to a footpath along the Swanston Street. When the wall collapsed, it did so in a linear way. The wall was about ten linear metres. The collapse went across the path where pedestrians passed, hence causing fatal injuries. Three pedestrians died from debris injuries. Two casualties died at the scene. Various bodies of investigation have since been involved in searching the truth on the Swanston St. Wall. Such bodies include the Coroner, WorkSafe, Victoria Police, and the Melbourne City council. The bodies are looking for facts about the collapse of the wall. Various sides of the story and speculations are being evaluated for facts.Advertising Looking for report on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The police officers had also requested that any individual that could have been present or near the scene during the collapse to come forward to assist them in the ongoing investigations. The investigation s have also found that there were other casualties that could have been injured by the collapsing brick wall although they were immediately rushed for treatment before the police and other security officers arrived on the scene. Such casualties may have the necessary information that the police and other investigative bodies have been looking for since the incidence happened. Any individual with footage or live recording of how the wall collapsed and/or how the initial response activities were carried out has also been requested to assist the investigation bodies. The bodies that could have authorised the hoarding of the advertisement have also been questioned. Investigative bodies are looking for any leads on whether there was negligence on the side of the owner company or any other authorising body. The hoarding of the advertisement board that went almost a metre above the wall must have been authorised by a particular body. Such information will lead to unearthing of the facts ab out the cause of any death. Speculations on the gust that was blowing across the town are also being investigated. Examinations have so far established that it was not very clear how the wind speed of 82 Km/h and 100Km/hr were related to the collapse of the wall since the tall buildings in the town affect the velocity of wind and eventually its measurement. Investigators are also looking for information on whether the advertisement board acted as a sail leading to the collapse of the wall. In addition, investigators are also looking for information concerning the bodies that should take responsibility of the fatalities and injuries. Investigations on the relatives to the three people that died from injuries have been successful. All the three bodies were handed over to the families for burial. Investigative bodies have also announced that people should report on any other structure that may be dangerous to human, animal, and property in their areas of operations. Authorities are the refore looking for other structures across the town that may pose a threat to human life. Deeper analysis of this accident proves that the accident was foreseeable. It is also clear that someone ought to have taken a step to prevent the fatalities that were not called for. In terms of ethical and legal matters, there were some authorities or persons that ought to have taken charge before the collapse of the wall. To begin with, the Swanston St. Wall was located next to a path that many pedestrians used.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on The Swanston St. Wall Collapse specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The street was also next to an international school. It was therefore clear that there were bound to be fatalities if any accident happened along the street. A response mechanism ought to have been easy to access from this street. However, the security and rescue team arrived at the scene late. In fact, it did not eve n witness the initial stages of the collapse. It is for this reason that the security and investigation bodies still call upon those who were injured and rushed to hospitals on their own to come forward and assist in investigations. The government ought to provide a rescue mechanism for citizens across the city. A quick response to the tragedy could have saved the life of any victim who died in the hospital later. It is also the responsibility of the building and construction authorities to investigate and/or approve the building and erecting of various structures in the country. A wall such as this one that collapsed in a broad day light would have been averted. The authorities should have noted that the hoarding of the advertisement board was done wrongly and dangerously. An advertisement board that was erected on the wall in 2011 is highly attributed to the collapse of the wall and death of the three innocent people. If the authorities in charge of construction in Melbourne were hawk eyed and played a close investigative role, they would have noted that the advertisement board was wrongly done. The authorising body would have stopped the erection of the board on an already weak wall hence avert the fatalities. The building and construction authority in Australian should therefore take the legal and ethical responsibility. The body is mandated by law to protect the lives of its citizens and such negligence should be consequential. According to ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ (April 12, 2013, p.11), some of the officers in the building and construction authority may have been consulted by the advertisers before they erected their advert. The regulating officers who gave a green light to the advertisers should also take the legal responsibility. In such a case, due diligence should have demanded the officers to visit the site of the construction to evaluate and/or assess the wall for its ability to withstand the advert board. In the same way, the auth orising officers would have visited the site of construction after the hoarding of the advert to assess its safety.Advertising Looking for report on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is at this point that they would have noted that the advertisement board had protruded by one metre above the height of the wall, hence posing a threat. However, ‘The Age’ (March 29, 2013, p.1) observes that someone must have neglected his or her duties and assumed that all would be well through assumption. The consequences of the assumption and negligence were death of three innocent pedestrians and injuries of many others. The municipal council of Melbourne should also take responsibility for the deaths. It is among the mandate of the municipal authorities to ensure safety of the people. The collapsed wall has been standing within their mandated areas for over 50 years. This wall was also among the oldest constructions in the area. The authorities should have secured the wall, reinforced it, or even elected warning signs on it. However, there were no warnings or instructions. Therefore, people just walked alongside the 10-metre wall that later collapsed. ‘The Age’ (March 29, 2013, p.1) associates this event with the death of three people who were trapped in the debris without a warning. The municipal authorities should also take moral and legal responsibilities. ‘The Age’ (March 30, 2013, p.5) asserts that Grocon Pty Ltd should also take responsibility for the three deaths together with the unknown number of injuries. The owner company must have had the necessary information about the wall. It is the company that holds the documents on how the wall was constructed, its durability, and lifespan. Furthermore, the company knew about the strength of the structure even before allowing for the erection of the advertisement board on it. In fact, the Grocon Pty Ltd Company administrators ought to be arrested and prosecuted for murder through negligence and carelessness. Officers of the company would have advised that the wall be demolished if it did not have enough stability to withstand its weight. In a similar way, officer s and company construction engineers would have advised against the erection of the advertisement board on the already weak wall. This could have saved the innocent lives. The weather forecast body in Australia also has a responsibility since it is mandated with the task of researching, analysing, and predicting weather conditions for the safety of people. The weather forecast department ought to have carried out its researches and analysis of weather to warn people of the impeding danger of the gust. According to ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ (March 29, 2013, p.2), the moment the department recorded the speed of the wind to be between 82Km/hr and 100km/hr, it should have sent alarm messages to citizens through the media and other communication avenues. Considering the Victorian OHS Act of 2004, it is very possible that the ongoing investigations by WorkSafe Victoria will lead to prosecution of some individuals and some organisations. According to the Victorian OHS Act of 2004, Worksafe should always provide a clear advice and direction that can be accessed by all people. WorkSafe should also ensure compliance with OHS Act and its regulations. The current investigations by Worksafe Victorian will be useful in investigating about the collapse of the Swanston St. Wall because the OHS Act of 2004 makes specific the way all duties that are imposed by certain regulations should be done. This will assist WorkSafe implementation since the officers in charge of the investigations will have guidelines to follow in their pursuit of the Swanston St. Wall case. For example, they will follow the guidelines to evaluate who failed to play his or her rightful roles before the collapse of the wall. ‘The Age’ (May 1, 2013, p.2) reveals that it will therefore be possible for officers to pinpoint the actual points on which negligence happened with the procedural method of implementing and carrying out certain duties. For example, the hounding of the advert isement board on the wall was supposed to have followed a certain procedure before being cleared. ‘The Age’ (April 8, 2013, p.10) also sheds light that negligence would not have taken roots and that the wall would not have collapsed if the contractors who erected the board on the wall followed the due process. Consequently, no deaths would have been witnessed. A step-by-step evaluation of the process will indicate whether certain persons overstepped their mandate and/or whether others neglected the due process. Adams (2004, p.376) asserts that the OHS Act of 2004 requires certain activities to be licensed. Such activities include construction of buildings, walls and other structures. The owner company-Pty Ltd will therefore be required to produce the necessary documentation for the erection of the wall. ‘The Age’ (April 8, 2013, p.10) confirms that companies will be required to produce the necessary documentation to show that the engineers who erected the w all were qualified and that they were licensed. Mylett and Stubbs (2006, p.7) assert that the OHS Act of 2004 also requires proper documentation to be done. The proprietor of the wall will therefore be required by law to produce all the necessary documentation to show that the law, rules, and regulations were followed during the construction of the wall. ‘The Age’ (May 1, 2013, p.2) revealed how the Act requires the company to notify the necessary authorities on some of the occurrences. For example, Pty Ltd should have reported that the wall had grown weary and weak due to its age. The company engineers should also have been suspicious of what would have happened in case of a gust. This would especially be circumvented to investigate whether the engineers authorised the hounding of the wall that had protruded above the wall height by almost a whole metre. It is therefore possible that the OHS Act will enable the WorkSafe investigations to prosecute individuals and organ isations for negligence of duties and responsibilities. According to ‘The Age’ (May 24, 2013, p.15), the organisation and the regulation authorities from various departments that should ensure safety of people are also likely to be prosecuted using such laws. This move is likely to bear fruits during the investigations. Some of the lessons learned from this tragic accidents are that it is important to follow due diligence when dealing with any construction process. The tragedy also teaches people that it is also necessary for the state to always be equipped for disaster response. According to ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ (March 29, 2013, p.2), if Victoria was well equipped to respond fast to the tragedy, she would have been able to save her life. However, in the tragedy, security officers and investigative bodies arrived at the scene long after the tragedy had happened. The tragedy also teaches people that it is important to take precaution. ‘The Ageâ €™ (May 11, 2013, p.4) reveals that Groco Pty Ltd should have taken precautions besides reporting about the disaster. The company should have erected warning signs so that pedestrians who walked just next to the wall would take precaution. This would have prevented the deaths of the three people. The company should also have sought the company of a qualified engineer or contractor for the erection of the advertisement board. ‘The Age’ (March 30, 2013, p.5) confirms that there is evidence to show that the advertisement board was not done in accordance with rules and regulations. There was negligence or ignorance on the side of the contractor or engineers who carried out the duties. Accidents like these are not very common in Australia. In fact, according to ‘The Age’ (May 24, 2013, p.15), the government has taken stern procedures to be followed when constructing walls, buildings and other structures to avoid such accidents. However, it seems that there w as clear negligence on the part of the owner and contractors. This negligence is what resulted in the rare deaths of people from collapsed walls or buildings. It is therefore important to reinforce the rules and Acts that govern the construction of structures. For example, the WorkSafe rules should be reinforced and implemented. Mylett and Stubbs (2006, p.7) assert that every other contractor and proprietor should ensure that he or she abides by the Occupational Health and Safety Acts. This will ensure that any uncalled-for accidents are minimised. Conclusion In my opinion, I believe that the OHS regulations should not to be altered in a bid to ensure prevention of accidents that result from collapsed buildings and walls. Adams (2004, p.376) argues that the OHS Act of 2004 is clear, precise, and professional. If walls are well-implemented, there will be few or no accidents resulting from collapsed buildings and walls. However, there is the need to alter the mode of reinforcing the r ules and regulations that guide professional engineering practices and work practices. ‘The Age’ (May 11, 2013, p.4) has put it clear that it is on the implementation and reinforcement of the professional engineering procedures that negligence or corruption comes in. Reinforcement of these procedures should be carried out to ensure that due diligence is followed whenever any construction work is carried out. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ (March 30, 2013, p. 3) asserts that the regulating authorities should also be vigilant in ensuring that all the necessary inspection procedures are undertaken before licensing. This will prevent any unplanned accidents. References Adams, K 2004, ‘Not Quite a Brave New World: Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004’, Deakin Law Review, vol. 10 no. 2, pp.376-392. Mylett, T Stubbs, J 2006, ‘Awareness of OHS Rights and Responsibilities: An Evaluation of a Trade Union Training Campaign’ , Employment Relations Record, vol. 6 no. 1, pp.1-21. ‘The Age’ 2013, Alarm bells sounded over rickety freeway noise walls, 11 May, p. 4. ‘The Age’ 2013, Freak winds may have led to fatal brick wall collapse, 23 May, p.3. ‘The Age’ 2013, Owners could be charged over wall fall as Grocon under fire, 30 March, p. 5. ‘The Age’ 2013, Service for wall victims, 14 May, p.10. ‘The Age’ 2013, The wall†¦ and why it came down, 3 April, p.1. ‘The Age’ 2013, Two killed in city wall collapse, 29 March, p.1. ‘The Age’ 2013, Wall charges mooted, 14 May, p.15. ‘The Age’ 2013, Wall death grief counselling for students, 5 April, p. 6. ‘The Age’ 2013, Workers in safety rally at CUB wall site, 1 May, p. 2. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ 2013, Frantic fight to dig out victims of fatal wall collapse in Melbourne, 29 March, p.2. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ 2013, H undreds farewell victims of tragic wall collapse, 12 April, p.11. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ 2013, Parents mourn ‘kind-hearted’ siblings killed in wall collapse, 1 April, p.6. ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’ 2013, Site under scrutiny as siblings hit by wall identified, 30 March, p. 3. 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Informative Speech Essay example

Informative Speech Essay example Informative Speech Essay example Angel Nolker How to Manage Your Stress We have all had the feeling before, our muscles are tense, our stomach is upset, we can’t sleep or eat; though some of us may eat too much. You may feel sad or depressed and when you try to think of a way to fix your problems you go blank. This is because you are stressed. Most of my facts are from medicinenet.com it’s a website edited, wrote, and reviewed by doctors. Medicinenet.com defines stress as a physical, mental, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension. Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure). I think all of us can relate to stress, especially since we are all college students. We are faced with all different types of stress. Stress is constant in our lives and cannot be avoided; that’s why I would like to inform you of the two types of stress and a few tips on ways that you can help manage your stress. I think that the tips I give you can help with every day stress situations and make life more enjoyable. There are two types of stress: Acute and Chronic. Acute stress is the type of stress that comes immediately with a change of routine. It is an intense type of stress, but it passes quickly. Some of the effects a person may have are chest pain, abdominal discomfort, headaches, difficulty in concentrating, sleeplessness. Chronic stress will occur if there is a constant change of routine for week after week. Chronic stress affects the body for a long period of time. This type of stress happens when a person faces moves or job changes. Some of the effects of Chronic stress are headache, mood swings, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, memory disturbances and in severe cases of heart attacks because of high blood pressure. Now that we know the types of stress I would like to talk about a few reasons for stress that I believe most of us or all us can relate to: First is how stress is involved with being a college student, second is stress in succeeding in life, and last is personal relati onships. The first reason for stress would be being a college student. Being a college student can be very stressful. College can be very demanding; we all have our own lives, some of us work and have to take care of our families, and to add school work such as tests, papers, project, and finals on top of that can be very stressful and time consuming. We all want to succeed in our classes and that can add a lot of stress as well. So many times we put overwhelming pressure on ourselves to do well and get good grades. We don’t want to disappoint our family and friends and especially ourselves. At times this all can be too much. The second type of stress I think we can all relate to is succeeding in life. Whether it is doing well in school, in our career, or a goal we have set for ourselves. We all want to succeed! Who wakes up in the morning and says, today I think I want to fail? I don’t think any of us do. It is deeply rooted in the American dream that anything is possible if only you can dream and seek to make those dreams come true. Dreams are believed to be attainable as long as you work hard enough and are motivated enough to reach that goal. Society does not accept failure too well. So, along with opportunities and possibilities come the pressure to succeed and the pressure to be successful. I think a very motivating quote would be â€Å"I do not fail; I succeed in finding out what does not work†. The third type of stress would be personal relationships. Those could be with our mom and dad, with our children, husband or wife, or our friends. I believe personal relationships are one of the top causes of stress. Family life can be very stressful; Family-related stress can be attributed to various factors such as dealing with a family member's terminal illness, the loss of a loved one, sibling rivalry, divorce, re-marriage, blending families. There are so many issues that can

Argumentive Essay on Age Differences in Relationships

You may have similar interests, backgrounds or have the same  sense of humor, but through it all one question sticks out among many folks out in the world today. Does age have a bearing on whether or not to enter a relationship? Some feel that you will eventually fall in love with someone half your age but the thing is how can you tell? And is that a deciding factor in getting in a relationship? Many are opposed to this as they feel the gap could cause a great deal of issues within the relationship itself. There are many different opinions about whether age factors play a huge role in a relationship. Some people say it does not matter and others say it is everything. Some people are like me, sort of in the middle. Age is just a number, or is it? One might think that if a man has been alive for forty five years, than he should possess be somewhat mature as far being experienced in relationships. Well in some cases, while the forty year-old may be experienced, when it comes to being mature he may not be all the way there. While a person may have experienced a lot of different things in their life, it does not necessarily mean that they have learned from them. It is a sad fact that some people just never grow up. This may be fortunate or unfortunate depending on how you look at it. However, it is a fact of life. If you date this kind of person you are more than likely in for a rocky relationship Maturity is more a matter of personality than age. According to journalist Vidhi Agrawal, the question of age and relationships is really difficult to answer, especially when the Cupid’s arrow strikes and you fall in love with a person who is 10 years your senior or 15 years younger to you. In historic times, it was common for a man of 30 or 40 years to marry a teenage girl. Then came the period where the difference ranged between two and seven years, with the man being older. Back then there was a simple logic was simple:  the man would be the bread winner while the wife would provide babies. (Agrawal, 2012) In my opinion, I feel that age does matter in relationships. While, it’s not the most important factor it does play a key role in whether or not the relationship sustains a lengthy period or it’s just a seasonal fling. There are issues that need to be considered with relationships that have a noticeable difference in age. These issues are not insurmountable, yet they are obstacles that must be considered and dealt with if the relationship is going to be successful and meaningful to both parties. I feel this way because in these days in time relationships are like the wind. Everyday it seems like most couples break up as fast as they fall in love. While numerous married couples who differ in age now ended up married, they also end up having a divorce due to either: financial problems, fights, or cheating spouses so spending a long time growing old together seem impossible in this day and age. Most relationships today only start with physical attraction or infatuation like magnets but we all know that we are people so we will have desires and attractions to the opposite (or same sex). Choosing someone that is right for the age is probably a suitable solution to lessen breaking hearts and emotional distress. Another reason I feel that age matters is because people nowadays create labels. When a young man or woman dates an older man or woman he/she is commonly called â€Å"cougar†, on the other hand, when an old man or woman dates younger ones he/she is commonly called a â€Å"pedophile†. These two labels doesn’t apply to people who dates 1 year to 4 years older or younger, it only applies to people who are really old like five to ten years age gap. Also in some cultures, age gap are still approved when the parents of two persons are close friends and they talk about the future of their children and starting to pre-arrange their son and daughter’s marriage when both parents know that they are at the right age. Marsh, 2010) In addition, we define our goals, experiences and milestones in life by age. For example, by 21, most people will be a graduate, will have worked for five years and then completed a MBA by 28 and started their own company. Marry and settled with kids by 32, work hard for the next 15 years and then begin retirement plannin g. See, this is how the average person generally planned their life. So when an older man marries a woman much younger to him, there can be conflicts over preferences and goals. She will want to be go out more and engage in active pursuits while he will have that, â€Å"been there, done that† feeling/attitude and may not participate eagerly. Similarly, the balance of power and dominance would always be on the side of the older spouse because he/she is more matured, wise and experienced. To them, younger spouses’ need for indulgence may appear histrionics and attention-seeking behavior. The difference in age could also deepen with time after many years with the partner, thus causing problems. At first, they have a lot of common interests but after many years somewhere between 5 and10 years, while one of them is getting old, the other one is still young in body and spirit. Because of this it would be hard to cope with and keep up with one another because they have simply grown apart. This may lead to break ups. Also, an age gap can have an influence on a relationship by the fact it could lead to three main problems which are the sickness and health, different opinions and the child issue. Sometimes the age gap could be very embarrassing. For example, when a couple goes out to do shopping to buy clothes and things for them and their children and suddenly the sales assistant talks to the woman/man and tells him/her is that person your daddy/mommy?. That would be very embarrassing and not acceptable even though the person does not mean what he says because in the first place he does not know that this person is her husband. The embarrassment that comes from such relationships with age difference makes the younger partner thinking about why he is putting him/herself in such situation, while he could be with person who looks exactly like his age without any embarrassments. This makes lots of marriages fail. Therefore, having healthy relationship without age gap will tackle this problem and makes the couples live happily without embarrassments forever. (Twoface, 2009) An example for these kinds of relationships is that of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. The recently divorced couple was married with an age gap of thirteen years (Demi being around forty and Ashton being around twenty-seven). In these age gap relationships, there were real differences in their interest in physical activities that eventually resulted to the divorce. While many feel like I feel on this subject, there are those who differ with me on this issue. While many feel age will play a deciding factor in a potential break-up, on the contrary, you have those who feel age does not matter in a relationship because in most cases they want someone to match their level of maturity, having a strong commitment to each other, and having someone serious to talk in a personal way. You have those who feel they have either outgrown their age range or are just mature for their age (whether it’s due to circumstances or surroundings) so they seek companionship with mates older than they are. You have those who feel as long as both are mature and are making their own choices than age should not really matter. Another factor one will state in the case of age matters is that the younger person would benefit from the older person’s wisdom and experience and the older person feels as if he has been given new life by the ego boost they get from having someone so young finding them attractive. With that the relationships would be based on only having benefits from each other. These kinds of relationships that based on having benefits from each other have never worked before and will never work (Vilbert Lloyd, 2010). In conclusion, age does really matter in a relationship in some degree and that’s based on whether the two individuals can handle their relationship with a sense of responsibility and commitment based on their level of maturity in sharing their personal outlooks and goals from their life experiences. (Realsexfacts, 2006) Age gap relationships will always be frowned upon mainly due to their abnormality. Most people would look at a 50 year old and a 25 year old together and think â€Å"that’s just  not  right†. I would say for the most part age does matter in a relationship. While you do not want the age gap to be too significant due to practical reasons like how long the person might have until they die or at what age they will stop having sex and procreating. Also, lifestyle and cultural differences might emerge if there is a significant age difference. There will in most cases be a lot of protests from friends and family, so opt for something like this only when you are ready to stand against them. This in turn depends upon whether you are sure about what exists between the two of you and its all that you really want in life. This is not to say that there are no exceptions. Those are always out there and I guess you should get to know your partner well and know what you are getting into before taking any chances with your life. Follow your gut. The heart wants what the heart wants in the end. It does not matter how ridiculous it may look to other people. References (2006). Relationships and Age Difference. Realsexfacts. com. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. realsexedfacts. com/relationships-age-difference. html Agrawal, V. (2012). Age Factor in Marriage and Relationships. BollywoodShaddis. com Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://www. bollywoodshaadis. om/article/lifestyle–health/relationships/age-factor-in-marriage-and-relationships Marsh, T. (2009). Does Age Really Matter In Relationships?. Love, Life and Relationships: Terrymarshworld. blogspot. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. terrymarshworld. blogspot. com/2010/03/does-age-really-matter-in-a-relationship. html Twoface. (2009). Does Age Matter. Socyberty. Retrieved 10 Marc h 2013 from: http://socyberty. com/relationships/does-age-matter-age-gap-relationships/ Vilbert, D Lloyd, A (2010). Does A Big Age Difference Doom A Relationship?. Living. MSN. Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://living. msn. com/love-relationships Argumentive Essay on Age Differences in Relationships You may have similar interests, backgrounds or have the same  sense of humor, but through it all one question sticks out among many folks out in the world today. Does age have a bearing on whether or not to enter a relationship? Some feel that you will eventually fall in love with someone half your age but the thing is how can you tell? And is that a deciding factor in getting in a relationship? Many are opposed to this as they feel the gap could cause a great deal of issues within the relationship itself. There are many different opinions about whether age factors play a huge role in a relationship. Some people say it does not matter and others say it is everything. Some people are like me, sort of in the middle. Age is just a number, or is it? One might think that if a man has been alive for forty five years, than he should possess be somewhat mature as far being experienced in relationships. Well in some cases, while the forty year-old may be experienced, when it comes to being mature he may not be all the way there. While a person may have experienced a lot of different things in their life, it does not necessarily mean that they have learned from them. It is a sad fact that some people just never grow up. This may be fortunate or unfortunate depending on how you look at it. However, it is a fact of life. If you date this kind of person you are more than likely in for a rocky relationship Maturity is more a matter of personality than age. According to journalist Vidhi Agrawal, the question of age and relationships is really difficult to answer, especially when the Cupid’s arrow strikes and you fall in love with a person who is 10 years your senior or 15 years younger to you. In historic times, it was common for a man of 30 or 40 years to marry a teenage girl. Then came the period where the difference ranged between two and seven years, with the man being older. Back then there was a simple logic was simple:  the man would be the bread winner while the wife would provide babies. (Agrawal, 2012) In my opinion, I feel that age does matter in relationships. While, it’s not the most important factor it does play a key role in whether or not the relationship sustains a lengthy period or it’s just a seasonal fling. There are issues that need to be considered with relationships that have a noticeable difference in age. These issues are not insurmountable, yet they are obstacles that must be considered and dealt with if the relationship is going to be successful and meaningful to both parties. I feel this way because in these days in time relationships are like the wind. Everyday it seems like most couples break up as fast as they fall in love. While numerous married couples who differ in age now ended up married, they also end up having a divorce due to either: financial problems, fights, or cheating spouses so spending a long time growing old together seem impossible in this day and age. Most relationships today only start with physical attraction or infatuation like magnets but we all know that we are people so we will have desires and attractions to the opposite (or same sex). Choosing someone that is right for the age is probably a suitable solution to lessen breaking hearts and emotional distress. Another reason I feel that age matters is because people nowadays create labels. When a young man or woman dates an older man or woman he/she is commonly called â€Å"cougar†, on the other hand, when an old man or woman dates younger ones he/she is commonly called a â€Å"pedophile†. These two labels doesn’t apply to people who dates 1 year to 4 years older or younger, it only applies to people who are really old like five to ten years age gap. Also in some cultures, age gap are still approved when the parents of two persons are close friends and they talk about the future of their children and starting to pre-arrange their son and daughter’s marriage when both parents know that they are at the right age. Marsh, 2010) In addition, we define our goals, experiences and milestones in life by age. For example, by 21, most people will be a graduate, will have worked for five years and then completed a MBA by 28 and started their own company. Marry and settled with kids by 32, work hard for the next 15 years and then begin retirement plannin g. See, this is how the average person generally planned their life. So when an older man marries a woman much younger to him, there can be conflicts over preferences and goals. She will want to be go out more and engage in active pursuits while he will have that, â€Å"been there, done that† feeling/attitude and may not participate eagerly. Similarly, the balance of power and dominance would always be on the side of the older spouse because he/she is more matured, wise and experienced. To them, younger spouses’ need for indulgence may appear histrionics and attention-seeking behavior. The difference in age could also deepen with time after many years with the partner, thus causing problems. At first, they have a lot of common interests but after many years somewhere between 5 and10 years, while one of them is getting old, the other one is still young in body and spirit. Because of this it would be hard to cope with and keep up with one another because they have simply grown apart. This may lead to break ups. Also, an age gap can have an influence on a relationship by the fact it could lead to three main problems which are the sickness and health, different opinions and the child issue. Sometimes the age gap could be very embarrassing. For example, when a couple goes out to do shopping to buy clothes and things for them and their children and suddenly the sales assistant talks to the woman/man and tells him/her is that person your daddy/mommy?. That would be very embarrassing and not acceptable even though the person does not mean what he says because in the first place he does not know that this person is her husband. The embarrassment that comes from such relationships with age difference makes the younger partner thinking about why he is putting him/herself in such situation, while he could be with person who looks exactly like his age without any embarrassments. This makes lots of marriages fail. Therefore, having healthy relationship without age gap will tackle this problem and makes the couples live happily without embarrassments forever. (Twoface, 2009) An example for these kinds of relationships is that of Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher. The recently divorced couple was married with an age gap of thirteen years (Demi being around forty and Ashton being around twenty-seven). In these age gap relationships, there were real differences in their interest in physical activities that eventually resulted to the divorce. While many feel like I feel on this subject, there are those who differ with me on this issue. While many feel age will play a deciding factor in a potential break-up, on the contrary, you have those who feel age does not matter in a relationship because in most cases they want someone to match their level of maturity, having a strong commitment to each other, and having someone serious to talk in a personal way. You have those who feel they have either outgrown their age range or are just mature for their age (whether it’s due to circumstances or surroundings) so they seek companionship with mates older than they are. You have those who feel as long as both are mature and are making their own choices than age should not really matter. Another factor one will state in the case of age matters is that the younger person would benefit from the older person’s wisdom and experience and the older person feels as if he has been given new life by the ego boost they get from having someone so young finding them attractive. With that the relationships would be based on only having benefits from each other. These kinds of relationships that based on having benefits from each other have never worked before and will never work (Vilbert Lloyd, 2010). In conclusion, age does really matter in a relationship in some degree and that’s based on whether the two individuals can handle their relationship with a sense of responsibility and commitment based on their level of maturity in sharing their personal outlooks and goals from their life experiences. (Realsexfacts, 2006) Age gap relationships will always be frowned upon mainly due to their abnormality. Most people would look at a 50 year old and a 25 year old together and think â€Å"that’s just  not  right†. I would say for the most part age does matter in a relationship. While you do not want the age gap to be too significant due to practical reasons like how long the person might have until they die or at what age they will stop having sex and procreating. Also, lifestyle and cultural differences might emerge if there is a significant age difference. There will in most cases be a lot of protests from friends and family, so opt for something like this only when you are ready to stand against them. This in turn depends upon whether you are sure about what exists between the two of you and its all that you really want in life. This is not to say that there are no exceptions. Those are always out there and I guess you should get to know your partner well and know what you are getting into before taking any chances with your life. Follow your gut. The heart wants what the heart wants in the end. It does not matter how ridiculous it may look to other people. References (2006). Relationships and Age Difference. Realsexfacts. com. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. realsexedfacts. com/relationships-age-difference. html Agrawal, V. (2012). Age Factor in Marriage and Relationships. BollywoodShaddis. com Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://www. bollywoodshaadis. om/article/lifestyle–health/relationships/age-factor-in-marriage-and-relationships Marsh, T. (2009). Does Age Really Matter In Relationships?. Love, Life and Relationships: Terrymarshworld. blogspot. Retrieved 10 March, 2013 from: http://www. terrymarshworld. blogspot. com/2010/03/does-age-really-matter-in-a-relationship. html Twoface. (2009). Does Age Matter. Socyberty. Retrieved 10 Marc h 2013 from: http://socyberty. com/relationships/does-age-matter-age-gap-relationships/ Vilbert, D Lloyd, A (2010). Does A Big Age Difference Doom A Relationship?. Living. MSN. Retrieved 10 March 2013 from: http://living. msn. com/love-relationships

David Mas Masumoto's Wisdom of the Last Farmer Essay

David Mas Masumoto's Wisdom of the Last Farmer - Essay Example When his father was attacked by stroke, Masumoto, had no other option but to go back home and stay with his father, despite the fact that he was a sociology graduate, which could have earned him a different job (Heidmann, 116). Initially, his father used to teach him many lessons about farming and about life. However, after suffering from stroke, his speech is lost and his ability to work with the right hand also affected. The only way out, is for Masumoto to try and teach his father, how he can operate the farm machinery in his present condition. The attachment of the family to farming is more than just as a source of livelihood. It is more about the relationship with the life of the farm, and that of the consumers. Farming is not a mere way of earning a living for Masumoto and his family, but a pathway for supporting life. Therefore, there are more lessons that Masumoto learns from his father throughout his tenure on the farm, other than just farming skills. The first valuable less on that Masumoto learns is that; the growth cycle of the farm plants represents the stages of human life. The moment the seeds are sown on the fields, they emerge as new plants which need to be taken care of, since at that stage, the plants are still tender and the failure to take adequate care of them might mean their failure to grow to full harvest (Masumoto, 29). The same happens with the life of humans. Once a child is born, there is a lot of input applied by the parents to bring the child up, always taking good care of the baby and providing for the baby with all its necessities, since the baby cannot fend on its own. However, as the child grows, he/she turns out to be youthful and independent, capable of doing many things without much assistance, but still remains inexperienced in life (Masumoto, 37). It is at this stage that the young adult requires much lessons regarding life, since at this stage, there are chances that good advice will shape the youth for a better future, a nd the contrary lead to the young adult being a baggage to the society. Thus, as the plants in the farm are taken care of differently during their different stages of growth, human beings need to be treated the same. After the plant matures, it bears fruits that are ready for harvest by the farm owner, who then sells the farm produce to earn a living. Therefore, the usefulness of the farm plant is enjoyed when its fruits are transferred to the consumer. The same happens for the human beings, where the old people have to transfer their wisdom to the young adults, which helps them to shape their future, and make it fruitful even to others. This is exactly what happened with Masumoto, since he learnt a lot of wisdom from his father, which informs his life thereafter (Masumoto, 154). The other invaluable lesson learnt by Masumoto is the value of patience and persistence in life (Masumoto, 54). Whenever the farmers are planting their crops, they have hope that they will obtain bumper har vest from the fields. However, all it takes is patience and persistence, as the farmers sow, till and take care of the crops against all odds, such as pests and diseases. There are seasons when there is sun, and others when it is cold, yet the farmers have to be continuously working on the farm. There are seasons when the harvest will be bumper, and there are other seasons when the farmer barely gets any harvest. Yet in all these seasons, the

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as Essay

A comparison of Francis Bacon and Mary Shelley's views of science as expressed in The Sphinx and Frankenstein, respectively - Essay Example Bacon theorized that science is a means to solving two riddles, one being the nature of things and the other the nature of man. His ideas for a way to solve these riddles are very similar to the widely utilized scientific method, believing that matter can be studied and understood by observation, trial, and error (Bacon). Bacon manifests his vision of science in the mythical Sphinx. The Sphinx is a monster with the head and voice of a young woman, the feet of the griffin, and wings of a bird. The creature and her riddles represent the riddles of science and how searching for the answers can either tear apart a man or cause a break through by answering the riddle and subduing the Sphinx, or quenching the man’s immediate thirst for knowledge. The man who finally defeats the Sphinx, a man with high intelligence and clubbed feet, demonstrates the need for patience and taking things slowly when confronting the riddles of science. If a man showed ignorance in the face of science, if he failed to answer the riddle correctly, the Sphinx would rip him apart. The griffin claws of the Sphinx represent the way that the pursuit of answers can take sharp hold in the human mind, effectively ripping it apart if the answers are not found. In the same vein, the face and voice represent the beauty of science and the wings are indicative of how the answers of science spread and fly quickly to the far reaches of the Earth (Bacon). Her riddles originate from the Muses, where the questions are ambiguous and have no emotional subtext. Once the riddles reach the Sphinx, they contain the unbiased cruelty of the pursuits of science, where the questions themselves do not care regarding the havoc they can wreak on those who dare to try to solve them. Bacon has taken an ancient myth and applied it to the mysteries of the universe. Mary Shelley’s view of science relates to Bacon’s in that she also viewed

Doha City Structure and Population Density Essay Example for Free

Doha City Structure and Population Density Essay The manner in which a city is planned has a direct bearing on the ability of that city to develop especially as far as economic development brought in by local and foreign investors is concerned (Kogan Page 2004). While every city has its own unique planning and structures, all these plans ought to be carefully done to avoid cases of unplanned development. In a similar manner, the way in which a city is planned will affect the social development of the city because population demographics such as density and distributions are largely the result of the plan of the city. This essay explains the structure of Doha City in Qatar; and offers an examination of its population density and distribution. Discussion The city of Doha is among the largest cities in Asia and among the fastest developing. Being the commercial capital of Qatar, Doha is a critical city whose planning is important both now and in the future (Binder 2006). The city has many structures which are set up in line with the city’s planning regulatory bodies, mainly the Urban Planning and Development Authority. Through the efforts of this body, the city has been able to come up with a structure for the entire city which includes designated places for every kind of building. Generally, structures are constructed in designated locations based on their functions. The city has different zones or parks which have different sizes and types of structures. While the locations are rather not specific, each zone has distinct structures that typify it (Taylor Francis Group 2004). The city center, also known as the central business district, is the home to many government offices and most of the city’s tallest buildings are to be found there. There are few privately-owned buildings here as most of these structures house government ministries and key government agencies and corporations (Reader’s Digest 2003). The city center has the city’s most beautiful gardens and there is a good network of roads. The Doha Corniche is a magnificent waterfront which runs the entire distance of the city’s bay (Yasser 2008). Being an industrial city which relies on oil drilling to drive its economy, the city has an industrial park which is located several miles from the central business district. Their buildings are not as tall. Instead, they are factories which are engaged in different processing activities. Oil drilling is a common component of what is done there (Yasser 2008). The residential areas are further out of the city and are essentially apartment buildings. Each of these zones has a network of road infrastructure that enables free movement of people and goods. The city is also divided in districts which make administrative matters quite easy. Because of the structure of the City of Doha, it has been easier to put land to good use and wastage has been minimized. There is has also been planned use of different infrastructural systems (Yasser 2008). This city plans have also greatly minimized inconveniences. For instance, the freeways have reduced traffic congestion and allowed for freer movement of people. Being a city in a country with a fairly low population which is fast growing, the country’s infrastructure is set to meet the needs of a projected larger population. There is a new Doha zone within Doha which is a new residential area that seeks to have more people getting the housing that they like and that are goods for the city (Roaf 2008). Unlike in Old Doha which was built without the current climatic and population issues being considered, the new hosing projects in New Doha are built with climate, beauty, and population density in mind. Being an economically well off city, most of its residents drive around in their private cars. This is in spite of the presence of an extensive bus system and a taxi system operated by a public transport services company. The absence of a Metro system has made transport to be rather difficult but the many modern freeways in the city have literally made the flow of traffic very easy (Editors of Persus Publishing 2002). The city of Doha has the country’s largest population. Actually, the majority of the people of the country – close to 80%, live in and around the city which has a population of about 998,651 people (UN 2004). This effectively means that it is a city that has to deal with a lot of pressure from the public. The city also has a large influx of immigrants particularly those from South Asian countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Philippines (Oxford Business Group 2009). The city also has many expatriates from Western nations like France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. Owing to the many foreign nationals present in the city, the local government has allowed even foreign nationals to own property, including real estate in the country. Owing to this influx of people from other nations into the city, it is projected that the population of the city might pass the 1 million mark in another couple of months (Marshall 2007). The fact that the population is growing such rapidly has made the city to rank among those with the most expensive real estates. Most of these expatriates find their way into the city in search for jobs in the country’s booming oil sector. These add to the high population to make Doha a city with a very high population density (Gonzalez 2008). The majority of the people live near the city’s industrial park. Currently, there has been a massive exodus of people from the old Doha residential park into the newer one which has been specifically set up to cater for the new climatic and population needs. The houses there are built to have a combination of the ambience of the past city and the modernity of the present. The city of Doha has a very large expatriate presence, with the foreign nationals far exceeding the locals. This means that the country relies on foreigners for its labor (Dumper 2007). Conclusion Doha is a modern a modern city which is rather different in its population demographics in that a majority of its residents are foreign nationals expatriates who have come to work in the country’s many industries. Another striking feature about the city is that it accounts for over 80% of the total population of the country. With well planned structures, the city is divided into districts which make administrative work easier. The main challenge has been housing because the so-called Old Doha could not really meet the hosing needs of the many people. With the New Doha, where more people are now moving to, there are more housing units which are designed to cater for the needs of the modern city. The population density is very high due to the influx of new immigrants. The city’s planners are, however, confident of being able to meet the needs of the growing population. Word count: 1,162 References Binder, G 2006. Tall buildings of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Images Publishing Dumper, M 2007. Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: a historical encyclopedia. ABC- CLIO Editors of Persus Publishing 2002. Business: the ultimate resource. Perseus Publishing, 2002 Gonzalez, G 2008. Facing human capital challenges of the 21st century: education and labor market initiatives in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Rand Corporation Kogan Page 2004. Middle East Review. Kogan Page Publishers Marshall, C 2007. World and Its Peoples: The Middle East, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. Marshall Cavendish Oxford Business Group 2009. The Report: Qatar 2009. Oxford Business Group Reader’s Digest 2003. The Oxford Conference: a re-evaluation of education in architecture. WIT Press Roaf, S 2008. The Oxford Conference: a re-evaluation of education in architecture. WIT Press Taylor Francis Group 2004. Europa World Year Book 2, Book 2. Taylor Francis UN 2004. World statistics pocketbook. United Nations Publications Yasser, E 2008. The evolving Arab city: tradition, modernity and urban development. Routledge

Owning and Starting a Business :: Business

For some people, being the boss, and which by boss I mean business owner, would be the greatest thing ever. Most think you get to pick your own hours, make the most money, and make everyone do the things you want done. Of course there is work involved and it takes work to make it but the rewards will be better owning a business that succeeds. The ultimate goal is becoming a millionaire and retiring at the age of forty and just drawing money from business production. However they really don’t understand the work it takes to make it a million dollar company. When these people are finally able to own a business they get a rude awakening. I am in no way trying to offend the typical business owner when I say, owning a business can be a challenging task that can cause many complications in your life and if you’re not careful they can change your life entirely. Over the last eight years I have watched my Aunt and Grandfather start a completely new hospice. My aunt is the main boss of the business, my grandfather just put in money so that she was able to actually start the business. Over those last eight years she has had some of the roughest times in her life. Being a single mother is hard enough, but then to start a business from scratch made it much more difficult to not only raise a family by herself. My aunt has had many problems in the last eight years and her business is now getting to the point of choosing what she does. I see some teenagers saying they want to own a business when they get older, but they only think of the money they can earn, the people they can tell what to do, and the fact that they can work when they want to work and no one can tell them otherwise. My aunt has put in more work to her business in the last eight years than I have done homework assignments in my school career. When one owns a business, they must wo rk constantly because there is always something that needs to be done. Whether there is a problem to sort out, bills to pay, or numbers and accounting paperwork to figure out, there is always something that they must do. I can remember staying the night at her house staying up late and playing video games while right down the hall she was in the office still working on paperwork at one and two in the morning.

Edgar Allan Poe: Narrative Structure in “Ligeia” Essay

Known for his flowing descriptive and gothic style, Edgar Allan Poe does not appear to develop any obvious narrative structure in his work. His short stories are generally identified with the gloomy, desolate, and horrifically shocking sensations they spark within the reader. Particularly in his short story, â€Å"Ligeia,† Poe seems to have done away with any sort of apparent structure within the story. Rather, he portrays it as a mixture of somewhat chronological events combined with the wandering thoughts from the eccentric mind of the narrator. However, narrative structure lies beyond the simple storyline of plot and can be revealed within many other elements of a story. In â€Å"Ligeia,† the elements of theme and repetition play an important role in developing and maintaining its narrative structure. In particular, Poe seems to stress one interestingly repeated quote, as it appears four times throughout the story. â€Å"Man doth not yield him to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will† (1, 1, 4, 7). From the continual emphasis of this quotation, there arises a principle notion of a tension between the predominant themes of life and death. Furthermore, this notion constitutes the backbone of the story from which all other recognizable themes subsequently branch from. The themes of death, guilt, life, and opium – the factor that questions the validity of all – provide recognizable markers to the overriding theme of the tension between life and death within â€Å"Ligeia.† The pervading theme of death fills Poe’s writing and creates an omnipresent atmosphere of dark apprehension. The movement of the text incessantly alludes to the upcoming death of Ligeia. All the familiar characteristics of her person (her wildly effulgent eyes, her interest in the narrator’s studies†¦) gradually fade away in Poe’s description of her illness. â€Å"And  now those eyes shone less and less frequently upon the pages over which I pored. Ligeia grew ill† (5). The death of Ligeia renders her husband completely helpless and continually longing for her. â€Å"Without Ligeia I was but as a child groping benighted† (5). This fruitless despair and misery thus sets the tone of irresolution for the rest of the story. Furthermore, it also adds to the structure of the narrative by substantiating the life and death tension. By juxtaposing this feeling of continual yearning with the shock and irony of the necromancing of Ligeia, the surprise ending of the story is further emphasized. This motif of sickness and death again reappears as the Lady Rowena falls deathly ill. Typical of his depressing style, Poe creates a more terrible and incurable sickness for the second wife. â€Å"Her illnesses were [†¦] of alarming character, and of more alarming recurrence, defying alike the knowledge and the great exertions of her physicians† (9). Continuing to accentuate the horror and angst of death, Poe describes the corpse of Lady Rowena vividly. [†¦] The lips became doubly shriveled and pinched up in the ghastly expression of death; a repulsive clamminess and coldness overspread rapidly the surface of the body; and all the usual rigorous stiffness immediately supervened. (11) This slow anti-climactic death continues to the keep hopes of the narrator and the reader fluctuating, maintaining the feeling of unresolve. The anxiety exhibited within the irresolution of death therefore supports the structural theme of the tension between life and death. A more subtly conveyed theme, guilt, continues this trend of unease. This self-blame originates from the narrator’s subconscious jealousy of Ligeia’s intellectual superiority. She maintains the leadership in their marriage. The narrator obviously adores her and is extremely aware of her intellectual strength over him. Proclaiming that she maintains unquestionable supremacy of knowledge, the narrator unintentionally develops this jealousy. â€Å"[†¦] The [intellectual] acquisitions of Ligeia were gigantic, were astounding† (4). He seems to conceal a slight resentment of her scholarly dominance. This becomes noticeable as he states that he renders himself a child in  comparison to her authority. â€Å"[†¦] I was sufficiently aware of her infinite supremacy to resign myself, with a child-like confidence, to her guidance [†¦]† (4). With a certain bitterness, he later repeats, â€Å"Have I ever found Ligeia at fault?† (4) It can even be implied that after the narrator reaches the limits of her knowledge, he almost wills her death. Being so caught up with learning worlds of information through her guidance, he is incredibly disappointed when he discovers a boundary to this freely give wisdom. From these implied feelings of jealousy and disappointment, he understandably feels incredible guilt and remorse after her death. This could be one of the reasons he obsesses over her death. Because of these circumstances, the resulting unsettled atmosphere of tension reinforces the tension of Ligeia’s death. Challenging the despondency of death, the immeasurable will of life eventually overcomes death, thus breaking the tensions between the two. Ligeia provides the source for this will. Her fight with death portrays her strength of character most effectively. The narrator continually emphasizes her spirit with repetition of words. â€Å"Words are impotent to convey any just idea of the fierceness of resistance with which she wrestled with the Shadow. [†¦] In the intensity of her wild desire for life -for life —but for life [bold mine] – solace and reason were alike the uttermost folly† (5). As Ligeia repeats her famous quote (â€Å"Man doth not yield him to the angels, nor unto death utterly, save only through the weakness of his feeble will† (7)) twice before dying, her resolute determination not to give herself to death proves undeniable. Her repetition of this quote could be thought to signify that she can only die if she resigns herself to be weak and feeble – that she will return to life because her will to live surpasses death itself. It could also be thought of as Ligeia’s last request to her husband – telling him that if his will is strong enough, he can bring her back to life. Whether or not the narrator understands what she says, he acts accordingly. Never does he forget Ligeia or stop thinking of her. Feeling that he needs to fill the void that Ligeia left, he quickly marries the next available woman, Lady Rowena. While comparing Ligeia to his second wife, however, he becomes further embittered and his will for Ligeia to return to life becomes more fanatical. He admits of Rowena, â€Å"I loathed her with a  hatred belonging more to demon than to man. My memory flew back [†¦] to Ligeia, the beloved the august, the beautiful, the entombed† (9). At times, Ligeia’s desire for life combines with his yearning for her and the prophecy almost becomes real. â€Å"Now, then, did my spirit fully and freely burn with more than all the fires of her own. [†¦] as if [†¦] I could restore her to the pathway she had abandoned [†¦] upon the earth† (9). Immediately after this line is mentioned, Lady Rowena becomes ill with a â€Å"sudden illness.† The narrator, perhaps unconsciously, seems to be med dling with the connection between life and death. During Rowena’s many fluctuations between life and death, it becomes obvious that the narrator’s thoughts are controlling the state of his current wife. As he concentrates on attending her and watching her closely, she falls back into death. As he reminisces about Ligeia, however, the corpse becomes alive again. One may suspect that Rowena has died days ago and the glimmer that is Ligeia returns only when the narrator wills it. Ligeia’s final transformation into the living ends the novel with a bang. After all the narrator’s lament and yearning for Ligeia to live again, his reaction is one more of horror than of happiness as he â€Å"shrieked aloud† (13) after his discovery. Perhaps because of his guilty conscience, the narrator responds with fear of her rather than love and he is finally forced to come face to face with his guilt. Consequently, this will to conquer death confronts the tensions between life and death head on and thus shattering them . The final major theme permeating the plot, opium use, questions the validity of the narrator’s accounts such as reviving the dead. Not so subtle hints to the narrator’s opium use fill the narrative. He admits numerous times to having used the drug and that it affects his mind. After suffering the pain and loss of losing his love, the narrator resorts to opium to blur the sharp reality of this anguish. â€Å"I had become a bounden slave in the trammels of opium, and my labors and my orders had taken a coloring from my dreams† (7). Furthermore, when he describes seeing the ghost of Ligeia and the drops of red fluid in the wine, he questions his state of mind several times. â€Å"But I was wild with the excitement of an immoderate does of opium [†¦] I considered [†¦] [the circumstance to] have been but the suggestion of a vivid imagination, rendered morbidly active by the terror of the lady, by  the opium [italics mine], and by the hour† (10). Before his vision of the living Ligeia, there are at least three specific references to the narrator having used opium the page before. Consequently, his account is definitely questionable. In addition, the accounts the mysterious â€Å"noises† and â€Å"visions† of Rowena can also be questioned as it was common to give opium to those suffering from Tuberculosis (which is what was Rowena was hypothesized to have). The narrator’s opium use could be part of the source of tension so prevalent in this story. Because of his constant dream-like state, it is probable he creates tensions that are not there such as believing he can control the state of Ligeia (causing her death, willing her back to life†¦etc.). Of course, it is also possible that Ligeia never did return to life and he had fallen into another opium dream. The numerous opium references diffused throughout â€Å"Ligeia† intensify the narrative structure by adding the element of doubt to the narra tor’s account. These major elements from â€Å"Ligeia,† death, guilt, life, and opium use, directly reinforce the main structural element holding the narrative together, the life vs. death tension. All four complement each other as well – for without one, the other ones would not be complete. Without the pervading theme of death, the will to overcome death would not be as shocking. Without the acknowledgement of the opium usage, the story might be taken literally and simply pinned down as a surreal fantasy. With the knowledge that the story is told through the misty veil of opium, however, the possibility exists that the there exists no supernatural elements at all and only a narrator in a dreamy state-of-mind. Thus, although â€Å"Ligeia† seemingly lacks structure initially, its structure subsists within the interweaving of these four prevailing themes.