English Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English Questions - Essay Example We see almost the exact opposite situation in â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.† Mitty, the main character, is trying to escape his life, of which his wife is a very disappointing part. He does not even seem to recognize her when she audibly interrupts his airplane daydream. The reader begins to see why Mitty might want to forget his marriage when his interactions with his wife are presented in more detail. She is a bossy woman, who doesn’t seem to understand him at all – or even care about him very much. She commands him to get overshoes, even though he insists he doesn’t need them. And later, when he says he has been thinking, she thinks that he must be sick. It is as if, to Mitty’s wife, he has no life - and no thoughts - apart from her. Two people who are too wrapped up in their own thoughts to care much about the other person are married to each other in Raymond Carver’s â€Å"Cathedral.† The reader begins to wonder how, or why, the main character and his wife ever got together. He is jealous of her friendship with the blind man – so much so that his wife is afraid he will ruin her friend’s visit. She even questions the narrator’s love for her. It seems that she is emotionally more intimate with the blind man than she is her own husband, and this could explain her husband’s jealousy. In this partnership, we do not see one marriage partner trying to dominate the other. Instead, we see two hopeless people living in the same house. They might be married to each other just because they feel like no one else would want to marry them. Or perhaps they feel that it is their civic duty to get married. This same thinking is the reason Ivan Ilych marries his wife in Tolstoy’s story. Ilych is obsessed with doing the right thing, and getting married is one those things that he thinks is right because society tells him it is. Soon, though, Ilych finds out that marriage is not as pleasant as he originally thought it was going to be, so he decides

Current Events Journal 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Events Journal 3 - Essay Example The Federal government has also contemplated this issue. Many Republican congressmen would go as far as to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. An article by Steve LeBlanc that appeared recently in the Boston Globe examined this issue. An important concept of the Constitution provides that those of a minority opinion cannot have their rights as Americans taken away by those that subscribe to the current majority opinion. Thus, a vote should not determine whether or not gays should be able to marry. Opponents to gay marriage argue that democracy is based on the will of the people thus the decision should be in the hands of the voters. They also say that a judge should not be able to abolish centuries of tradition with no consideration of majority opinion. Being gay is a choice and therefore their civil rights are not being violated and they are not experiencing discrimination. By contrast, a person of minority heritage, women and the disabled do not have a choice. A letter was issued to Massachusetts lawmakers from 165 prominent business and civic leaders asking that legislators frame the gay marriage issue as a civil rights concern when debating the question of amending the State’s Constitution. The letter read, in part, â€Å"†¦we should not write discrimination into the Constitution and oppose efforts to amend the Constitution that would take away rights, including the right of gay and lesbian citizens to marry.† Another letter, released by the four Catholic bishops in the state supported a gay marriage ban amendment. â€Å"The debate over the meaning of marriage should not be limited to government officials since the magnitude of the issue calls for the full participation of the public. Neither the judiciary nor the legislature should substitute itself for the sovereignty of the people, especially on such a foundational matter as the meaning of marriage.† The

Love Cycle Essay Example for Free

Love Cycle Essay The rain starts pouring that particular early evening. Other students run towards buildings for shelter, but I do not notice the cold. How I feel is more overpowering than the disgust I would have felt for me getting soaked at any other time. My feet automatically stop right next to the bench where I have first seen her. That was what, more than a year ago, and I have not seen her for six months now. My beautiful, sweet Angie. Nothing could have prepared me for that one, fateful night when I passed by the same spot on my way home and, against the darkness of the park, I noticed a girl with her head bowed, her arms propped against the bench, and her hair covering her face. It was raining then, too, and that forlorn figure got me worried in spite of myself. So I had approached where she sat, and carefully asked, â€Å"Uhm, miss? † She did not look up. Maybe she was a stone sculpture, until I heard a hiccup. â€Å"Miss, are you OK? It’s raining and, uh, it’s kind of dark here. † The girl slowly sat upright until she was looking at me directly. I swear I heard angels singing when she trained those eyes on me. But they were sad, tear-stained eyes. I could not help thinking what possibly made such beautiful girl cry. Yes, she was beautiful even with the dark stains in her cheeks. Despite the situation, the guy in me just could not stop checking her out. She looked tall and slender. Her hair was long, almost reaching her elbow. She had these thin eyebrows, the kind I usually looked at in women. They made her eyes look bigger and God, didn’t she have the longest eyelashes. What guy wouldn’t fall for a woman who looks like her? My scrutiny halted when she muttered, almost inaudibly, â€Å"I’m OK. † Her voice sounded sweet to my ears. I have never been a picky person, except when it comes to women. I can eat anything, anyone can be my friend, but I can never just pick out one woman from the crowd and pursue her ‘til she say that sweet ‘Yes. ’ I guess maybe that’s the reason why I fell hopelessly in love with Angie. She just appeared into my life without warning, and she never sent any signal to my direction that she likes me, too. A week after that incident, I was forced to do some researching at the main library. By any choice, I would have chosen to play hoops with the guys, but my grade was on the line. Little did I know that I’d see her for the second time, in the library. The funny thing was we were obviously looking for the same thing because we reached for an old book at the same time. When we looked at each other, I found out it was her. She must have recognized me because she tentatively smiled. â€Å"Uh, go ahead,† I said, ever the gentleman. She took the book and said, â€Å"I guess there’s only this copy here. By the way, I’m Angie. You were that guy. † It made me smile because she did remember. â€Å"Yeah! I’m Skip. † When she looked puzzled, I added, â€Å"Actually it’s Steven, but I’m usually called Skip. † It was a year ago now, but I can still remember the way she smiled when we studied that book, or the way her face lit up whenever she talked. Eventually we became friends as we found out we had the same teacher but a different schedule on a subject. That friendship entitled me to see her everyday and talk with her. As days and months passed, I became more attached to Angie. Sometimes I would decline my mates’ invitation for one basketball game just so I could accompany Angie to wherever she wanted to go. I found out that I immensely enjoyed her company because we have so many things in common. We both grew up in a broken family; she lived with her father, while I grew up with my mother. The comfort we found in each other after talking about a similar experience drew us ever closer. It dawned on me one day that I have fallen in love with Angie. Every time she’s away, it creates a hollow feeling that only she can fill. Even my friends noticed the change in me. I was too afraid to let her know. The last time I pursued a girl, she turned me down even before I could ask her. I felt that it might happen the second time around with Angie. That would surely crush my heart, or any chances of her and me ending up together. More days passed. I got the shock of my life when one night, while I was at the apartment studying with my friends, she came barging into the room wearing the biggest, most beautiful smile. I was imagining her telling me, â€Å"Skip, I just found out that I could not live without you! † Instead, she told me and everyone else, â€Å"Skip! My goodness, you wouldn’t believe this! Will finally asked me! † I frowned upon hearing that name. I only met Will once or twice, and it didn’t dawn on me that he was pursuing my Angie, too. I didn’t even know if the two dated. After Angie told me about him, I felt like the world was crushing me. Would she have worn the same, big, beautiful smile if I asked her? Probably not. I died when she next announced, â€Å"Skip, he asked me. How could I not say yes? We dated a few times but we always see each other during Math II and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I no longer heard the rest of it because I stood up and, without saying anything, locked myself in my room. I didn’t hear her knocking, nor her voice pleading me to come out and tell her what’s wrong. The erratic beating of my barely functioning heart was too loud for me to hear anything. What Angie said, it was like a dagger. After all this time, I’ve been building my courage to finally tell her how I feel. But she beat me to it, with a very cruel message. Anger, regret, and resentment rolled up until I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to shout, to hurt myself. But how could I rewind the time, back to the days when I was on the verge of professing to her? I never felt so bad in my life, not even the way I feel about my last unfortunate episode with a girl can compare. I have loved Angie, so much in fact that I can give up anything. I nurtured this feeling until it blossomed into full-blown love that is far from what any man can comprehend. I wanted her back. I wanted back my Angie. It was so unfair. I know I haven’t indicated that I feel something special for her, but how could she not notice? It was like telling me, in my face, that she doesn’t think I’m good enough for her. It was too much that I found myself crying into the night like I never did before. The tears just wouldn’t stop even if I reminded myself it was not a macho thing. But who cares? The woman I’ve secretly loved for so long, just fluttered away. I found out it was hard. Since that night I avoided her, ignored her calls, her messages. I was hurting so much that I didn’t want to see her. Eventually the calls and messages stopped. I barely saw her in the months that followed. If I did, she was in the company of that guy who could have been me had I dared to tell her. I tried to move on because I can see that she’s happy. I was just unsure if it would be a great idea right now to be friends with her again. So the days and months that followed, I immersed myself into studying, hanging out with my friends and signing up for other activities to help me forget. I knew there was no other way but to forget, and forget I did. So in that early evening, I sit where she sat more than one year ago. The rain was accommodating, falling endlessly and washing the tears from my eyes. I was not crying because of regret, but because of the fact that I really did move on after all. I prop my hands over the edge of the cold bench and watch as droplets of rain create ripples in the puddle of water on my feet. Suddenly, rain stops falling in the puddle but it does not stop entirely. A pair of shoes appeared just next to the bench, and I noticed that a shadow stretches over the lawn in front of me. A female voice carefully asked, â€Å"Excuse me. Are you alright? † Yeah, it’s time for me to let go. Time can heal all wounds, and rain can wash away tears. I couldn’t help smiling at the turn of two similar events: one more than a year ago, and the other, right now. With a smile I looked up into the worried face of a girl holding an umbrella towards me and I said, â€Å"Yes, I’m OK. †

Empowering Patients With Chronic Illnesses Diabetes Sufferer Nursing Essay

Empowering Patients With Chronic Illnesses Diabetes Sufferer Nursing Essay For this assignment I have chosen to use the diabetes case study. I will abide by NMC code of conduct at all times and remain professional in my approach. Empowerment is a multidimensional construct applicable to individuals, organizations, and neighbourhoods (Rappaport, 1987). It is viewed as a construct rather than a concept because it is not directly observable (Jacox, 1974).The case study indicates that Patrick lacks both self control and will power in his management of his diabetes. Individuals with long-term conditions are challenged by often persistent and disruptive health problems that have cognitive, social and emotional repercussions (Larsen Lubkin, 2009). Established methods of treating people with long-term conditions are based on the assumption that prescriptive instruction by expert health professionals will guide the users behaviour, thereby effectively managing their condition. However, frequent non-adherence to health care advice (Zimmerer et al, 2009) and failure to achieve behaviour change through education programmes alone (Gibson et al, 2001) indicate that this approach is often unsuccessful. Self-management prog rammes typically incorporate development of action plans and training in the skills required to implement such action (Lorig Holman, 2004). Collaboration between the professional and the person with the long-term condition is required to ensure that advice is not only provided but personalised in accordance with the individuals needs and preferences (Bodenheimer et al, 2002). In April 2009 the Department of Health released a guide on Self Management. It detailed the Four Pillar approach,firstly Information, a more informed patient can make better decisions about his or her treatment, secondly skills and training, providing the patient with the skills necessary to take care of their condition better, thirdly tools and devices aiming to equip the person with the means to control their condition, and finally the all important support networks, giving the person a sense of involvement in their care and the ability to communicate any fears around their disease. Whilst on my community placement I was introduced to an initiative that is used within a local PCT in Birmingham. It is called the Diabetes Manual (Burden Burden, Heart of Birmingham PCT). It is a booklet/log book which is given to every newly diagnosed diabetic. It aims to educate and inform patients on their diabetes and how best to control it. It details some/most of the complications/side effects that come with having a long time condition such as diabetes. Its main aim is to educate patients through simplified terms and pictures. The integrated log book is used by patients to write down how they manage their diabetes on a day to day basis. One key area of this booklet is the action planning page. The book also incorporates target/goal setting for Patrick. On initial interview with Patrick we would aim to introduce him to the booklet and discuss with him, firstly the benefit of using this book, allowing him to self manage his condition and to better understand the implications o f a long term condition such as Diabetes. It is important to ensure that Patrick is literate as this plan will not succeed if this is not so. Goal-setting for the first few weeks would be to aim to maintain blood sugars at a mutually agreed safe level. It would be unreasonable to expect too much of Patrick within the first few weeks and although it is important for his health that goals are reached we would aim to gradually introduce more aims as Patrick got used to effectively self managing his condition. This integrated logbook and information guide addresses at least two of the four pillars of Self Management (DoH 2009). Information contained in the book will allow Patrick to read and digest at his own leisure, bombarding a patient with information during an interview can often cause them to disregard and switch off from the information giver. It also acts as a tool or device by which Patrick can write down his day to day life in the knowledge that it may be the key to controlling his blood sugar levels if he keeps an accurate food diary. This initiative relies heavily of the theory of Self Efficacy as detailed by Bandura (1977). He stated that people can be characterised primarily on the basis of their beliefs in their ability to control their lives, because those beliefs powerfully determine the effort they make to adapt to their surroundings. Self-efficacy theory predicts that the more an individual feels capable of predicting and controlling threatening events, the less vulnerable he or she will be to anxiety or stress disorders in response to traumatic experiences . Therefore if Patrick believes he holds the key to controlling his diabetes, he will endeavour to put plans into action to reduce his blood sugar levels, come to terms with his condition and prevent further complications associated with his Diabetes. The self-management approach views the individual as an active agent in treatment. The purpose of self-management is to nurture skills such as behavioural management techniques and to support informed decision making and problem solving, thereby equipping the individual with the necessary expertise to manage their condition. This person-centred approach focuses on personalisation of treatment and facilitation of independence, allowing Patrick to continue day to day routine as normal without any forbearance on his life. It has been described as a patient-centred approach based on respect and compassion and has an emphasis on collaboration with patients (including collaborative goal-setting), self-management skills and psychosocial issues. Nurses would play a pivotal role in providing advice, guidance, education and support to Patrick . Self-management is important as it not only benefits the patient, but also provides wider opportunities for community and specialist nurses to use and develop their clinical and interpersonal skills. It was highlighted in the case study that Patrick has started to develop Retinopathy. Diabetic Retinopathy is a vascular condition in which the retinal capillaries tend to degenerate after a number of years. The condition is characterised by ocular haemorrhages, lipid exudate and the growth of new blood vessels and connective tissue. This has resulted in poor eyesight which could prove problematic if not dealt with soon to prevent blindness. Patrick currently works as a bus driver so his eyesight is very important to him to be able to continue to work and provide financially for his family. Diabetes-related complications can have a major affect on the individual and family members, and are costly to the patient. There are a number of eye conditions specifically associated with diabetes. These include temporary disturbances in lens shape, related to hyperglycaemia and often seen at diagnosis, and cataracts, including the rare sugar cataract only seen in people with diabetes. However, DR is likely to affect most people with diabetes as the duration of their condition increases (Williams and Pickup 1999). DR is one of the long-term micro vascular complications of diabetes mellitus and is the leading cause of blindness in the working population of the UK (BDA 1995). Ninety per cent of people with type 1 diabetes have some degree of DR within 20 years of diagnosis and it has been suggested that it is present at diagnosis in 40 per cent of those with type 2 diabetes (Cummings 2002). A survey has found that blindness was the most well known complication of diabetes (Diabetes UK 2000). However the future for Patrick does not have to as bleak as it sounds. The National Service Framework for Diabetes (DoH 2001) recommends early and regular screening for all diabetics. Developing a plan of action/care for Patrick should begin with a thorough nursing assessment which is essential to ensure that a correct diagnosis regarding diabetic Retinopathy is made. Patrick may complain initially of the signs of vitreous haemorrhage such as floaters, which look like small, black insects, or a lacy curtain across the field of vision. Macular involvement may be revealed by the patients description of a general deterioration in fine and colour vision that is not improved by wearing a range of spectacles. The main aim of screening for diabetic Retinopathy is to identify patients with sight-threatening Retinopathy who may require preventive treatment. Screening and treatment for diabetic Retinopathy will not eliminate all cases of sight loss, but can be important in minimising the number of patients with sight loss as a result of this condition. The aim of a retinal screening programme is to ensure that a yearly examination of all patients in a given area is performe d (Walker and Rodgers 2002). This assessment should be done prior to a direct and rapid referral to an Ophthalmologist to screen and evaluate the degree of Retinopathy. As a preventive strategy, health education should include the best available research evidence to assist patients to make decisions about lifestyle changes and gain control over their condition (Watkinson and Chetram 2005). Micro vascular complications may be prevented or onset delayed with good medical treatment (Kanski 2007). The nurse should involve Patrick and with permission the family to identify areas such as diet and alcohol consumption that can be modified to provide better and tighter glycaemic control. Levels of blood glucose are set at preferably below HbA1c 6.5-7.5% according to the individuals target (NICE 2005). Patricks is 9.9% which puts him in the danger zone for developing complications and increasing his risk of irreversible damage. The target is based on the risk of macro vascular and micro vascular complications. Individuals with type 2 diabetes need to have an ongoing structured evaluation every two to six months, to assess the risk factor. A reduction in the prevalence of diabetic Retinopathy is associated with tighter blood glucose control (Younis et al 2002). By involving the whole family in this change in lifestyle will prove to Patrick he is not on his own and offer him support. Using the initiative I discussed early in this assignment the log book/information guide offers helpful advice for diet and lifestyle change. Setting Patrick some SMART goals/challenges will allow him to maintain his control of his own body and increase compliance. The target is to reduce his HbA1c to within the acceptable target range discussed above. A significant lifestyle change is needed but must be done with concordance with Patrick and his family. It is noted that Patrick is overweight with a BMI of 29.5. This can increase his risk of hypertension, which itself is a factor in Retinopathy as it increases the pressure within the eye. Effective blood pressure management is as significant as blood glucose control in reducing the risk of progression of diabetic Retinopathy in those with type 2 diabetes (UK Prospective Diabetes Study Group 2004). Good blood pre ssure control is considered to be at or below 140/80mmHg (NICE 2005). Adherence to prescribed anti hypertensive treatment is vital as diabetic patients with hypertension have a poor visual prognosis (NICE 2005). A consultation with Patricks GP should be arranged to ascertain if there is any hypertension and if found it has been shown that ACE inhibitors prove very effective in the reduction of high blood pressure in Diabetics.(NICE 2005).There are new schemes devised by the Department of Health to reduce the use of medication in weight loss and to increase exercise in the population. Free weigh loss classes are offered to patients who meet the criteria. Patrick would benefit from these schemes. Medication management and strict concordance with the regime is incredibly important to ensure Patrick maintains a level of the drugs in his body. If it is adhered to it may be that he will not have to take insulin. By providing ongoing psychological support to Patrick and to his family the nurse can help the patient to maintain his or her self-esteem and improve self-management of the condition. Visual impairment in patients with diabetes is often compounded by the loss of self-management skills, which may have psychosocial implications (Hall and Waterman 1997). Reactions to visual loss can also lead to psychological distress such as depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety (Hall and Waterman 1997). It is therefore the nurses duty to discuss these issues with the patient and relatives and provide appropriate support (Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2004). Organisations such as Diabetes UK and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) can also provide ongoing help and support. Regular screening and repeat follow ups should ensure Patricks Retinopathy does not continue to worsen. Nearly two decades ago Fielding and Llewellyn (1987) pointed out that effective nurse-patient communication was central to the quality of care that patients received, stating rather poignantly that: Communication is both one of the most demanding and difficult aspects of a nurses job, and one which is frequently avoided or done badly although central to the quality of patient care.Encouraging people to change their attitude towards a health issue is an important part of any health education programme, but peoples values can be particularly resistant to change. Even when clients are persuaded to change their attitude (for example towards diet, smoking, safer sex) it is often frustrating for nurses to realise that this may not lead to a change in their behaviour. An understanding of the complex relationship between a persons knowledge, attitude and behaviour can assist health professionals in realising why clients may continue to behave in a certain way, despite health advice to the co ntrary. Persuasive communication theory offers specific techniques that can be used successfully within health promotion. It is important for the nurse to listen to Patricks concerns and endeavour to offer counsel or help. I have attempted to prove in this assignment that communication with Patrick and his family is of the utmost importance to ensure concordance and thus improve his control of his condition. By educating both parties it shows Patrick that he is not alone and he can gain support from his family and other networks accessible to him such as local support groups. It has been mentioned in the case study that Patrick drives a bus and as a result of his poor control of his Diabetes, he has been falling asleep at the wheel. This provides the nurse with a significant ethical dilemma. Bound by the NMC professional code of conduct means nurses are restricted to what information they can release. A disconcerting feature of ethics can be its association with apparently complex theories such as utilitarianism (the moral value of an action is determined by its overall benefit) and de-ontologyy (concerned with adhering to moral rules or moral duty rather than with the consequences of actions) (Beauchamp and Childress 2001). These established theories are important components of ethics and can help to guide decisions. The general principles of Ethics are that of Avoiding Harm and moral obligations and duties. As a nurse we have a moral obligation to notify the DVLA as it is in the public best interest to prevent harm coming to others if Patrick falls asleep at the wheel, thus avoiding harm to others. In this assignment I have endeavoured to show that the key to controlling Patricks Diabetes is through effective communication, self-efficacy/self management and family involvement. By encouraging Patrick to look at his life and analyse his lifestyle he is on the road to effective self management. Change is only possible if Patricks attitude towards his condition alters. By offering him the option of utilising the logbook he can challenge his attitudes with the main aims/challenges of keeping further complications at bay, maintaining tighter glycaemic control and thus lowering his HbA1c.

The True Gentlemen of Great Expectations Essay -- Great Expectations

The True Gentlemen of Great Expectations In Victorian society, a gentleman was brought up from birth, molded and manipulated to act, dress, talk, and live as true gentility. Upon reaching adulthood, these gentlemen were expected to conduct themselves as society dictated. What happens, however, when a man of lower social stature wishes to become a gentleman, and suddenly finds himself in a position to do so? He now has the financial standing, but lacks the social etiquette that a "true" gentleman possesses. Whom can he turn to for a role model and guidance? This is exactly the situation Pip is faced with in the novel Great Expectations. When he first arrives in London, aspiring to be a gentleman, Matthew Pocket, Wemmick, and Herbert Pocket provide the best examples of true gentlemen.    Matthew Pocket displays the qualities of a gentleman as a hardworking tutor and a patient husband. Although he does not posses a great deal of wealth, Mr. Pocket houses well-to-do pupils, such as Startop and Drummle, and conducts himself in a gentlemanly manner. His passion for learning and knowledge is fervent, but his perseverance in Pip's education is even greater. Pip comments that, "...he was always so zealous and honorable in fulfilling his compact with me that he made me zealous and honorable in fulfilling my compact with him."(196). Although Pip learned to be hardworking in the forge, Matthew Pocket teaches him to work for the sake of others. Matthew's married life is quite a different story. His wife is so eccentric, adleheadded, and uneducated that he constantly lifts himself up by his hair. His patience with his wife, day in and day out, is extraordinary. For example, Mrs. Pocket doesn't greet Pip with ... ...n loyal.    In order to be able to live as a gentleman, Pip learns from the examples set by Matthew Pocket, Wemmick, and Herbert Pocket. Each contributes his own qualities to shed a different light on how a gentleman conducts himself. All contribute to help Pip become what he is at the end of the book, a true gentleman at last.    Works Cited and Consulted:    Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. Ed. Edgar Rosenberg. New York: Norton, 1999.    French, A.L   " Imprisonment: The Case of Great Expectations." Discussions of Charles Dickens, 82-92.   William R. Clark, ed.   Boston: D.C. Heath & Co., 1961.    Russell, Frazier.   " 'When I Was A Child'- An Introduction to Great Expectations."   Yahoo Homepage, 1. Penguin Reading Guides, 7 Nov. 2000.     <www.penguinputnam.com/academic/classics/rguides/dickens/frame.html>.   

Steroids, Illegal or Not, a Quick Fix for Some Athletes :: essays research papers fc

Issues of cheating or winning at any cost, are becoming more and more common among athletes of all ages and levels of ability. The use of steroids is one of the biggest issues in the current debate weather or not it is fair for drug-free athletes to have to compete with athletes that break the law and take illegal steroids. Allowing those with an unfair advantage to compete can pressure drug-free athletes to use anabolic steroids to remain competitive. In fact, some legal analysts have viewed this issue as a reason for an Anabolic Steroid Control Act, but does the Anabolic Steroid Control Act work? Whether providing criminal penalties for illegal steroid use is the proper and most effective way of dealing with the "steroid problem" has been debated for quite some time, but the Control Act has been found to deter trafficking, protects young people, and preserves fair competition in sports. The following exert is from an editorial by M.G. Di Pasquale concerning drugs and sports. â€Å"Contrary to what most people believe (the media's irresponsible sensationalism has resulted in the widely held mistaken view that the use by athletes of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs is a problem on par with heroin and cocaine abuse), the use of drugs, such as anabolic steroids, by athletes is a problem, not because of the addictive and dangerous side-effects of these compounds, but because these drugs offer an unfair advantage to the athletes who don’t use them.† Anabolic steroids were developed in Europe around 1930 to treat undernourished and healing patients after surgery. Anabolic steroids are a drug containing hormones which can be used to increase strength and promote muscle growth. Competitive weightlifters began using these steroids around the 1950s as a way to increase their athletic performance and gain an upper hand on the rest of their competitors. After its initial use in bodybuilding the drug spread like wildfire thought the rest of the sports world, ranging from sports in high school to professional athletes in the Olympic Games. The use of anabolic steroids has been on the rise in the last ten years. It has been estimated that at least 1 in 15 male, high school sports athletes have used steroids, which means more than a half-million high school athletes have used steroids. On the web site, www.steroidabuse.org, an article states â€Å"There has been recent evidence suggesting that steroid abuse among adolescents is on the rise.

Hardware and software report Essay

This logo is attractive as it advertises its name in its logo and so it is a useful selling point, this is unlike other logos such as the Apple logo where there is no text. Secondly logo uses two colours and therefore it looks clean and professional and unlike other logos such as the old Fanta logo (which is cluttered and not colour coordinated). Thirdly this logo is a definite improvement for previous BA logos, such as the one released on the Queen’s Birthday in 1991. However the logo hasn’t been updated for just over fifteen years, certainly there have been modifications and improvements, and however BA hasn’t changed it completely. A report done by The Economist shows this could be why BA’s sales have been dropping gradually over the past decade. This logo represents the British based airline; Monarch. This logo uses two complementary colours, which are purple and yellow. The crown image is very clever because it matches the name of airline. The colours are used to great effect on the crown, the middle part of the crown is filled in with a golden yellow, and the two sides match the purple font. The crown is in a bold shape of an â€Å"M† so that people will notice that it belongs to Monarch Airways. It is extremely simple but also very clever and unique Ryan Air is an Irish Airline company who specialise in cheap flights. This logo is simple and quite plain and dull. The writing is big and bold so that people can read it from a long distance and so that it stands out and it has a short slogan underneath persuading potential customers to fly with them. It also has a small image of a golden harp but it’s not on the subject of flying, planes, or holidays. The Ryan Air logo is far too plain and doesn’t use the beautiful two colours to effect. 2. 2 My Logos 2. 3 My Final Logo Mr Jones chose this logo, because he believed this logo represents the ethos and nature of the company. This is one of the only logos to have the slogan of the company underneath. He believed that this was an essential marketing point, which reflects the company. After research of existing logos (both travel and non-travel) and their colour scheme, I chose brow, yellow, and black. He chose the computer designed logos because they look more professional and pleasing to the eye. Another factor that was imperative to my chosen design is the survey I carried out (see Appendix C for completed survey). 2. 4 Task Evaluation How did you choose what features to include in your logo? I looked at three different logos and evaluated the good and the bad things about each logo, and then created each of my own logos and trying to include all of the good features that I had spotted, to make it as effective as possible. I also created a survey on what customers wanted to see in a logo which has given me more of an insight into customer’s needs. What hardware and software did you use? To create these particular logos I used: Hardware Dell Dimension DM 051 Software Microsoft Publisher 2007 Microsoft Word 2007 Corel Graphics Designer Internet Explorer 7 (www. logomaker. com) Suggest an alternative way for completing the task and what other hardware or software could you have used? For this task I could have used different programs or I could have edited my drawn designs on the computer Software Microsoft PowerPoint 2003/7 Adobe Photoshop CS2 Hardware Apple Mac (OS 3. 0 Beta) How well did this task work? Overall I think I did quite well on this task, as I managed to use different programs and explore the different features of them, also I looked at the differences in the features between Microsoft Word 2003 and Microsoft 2007, I feel this has benefited me greatly. My logos look professional and smart, and I am pleased and the end result, however I feel I could’ve put a slogan on all of the logos, not just one.