Is the Unites States Political System a Legitimate Essays

Is the Unites States Political System a Legitimate Essays Is the Unites States Political System a Legitimate Democracy? In any system which claims to be democratic, a question of its legitimacy remains. A truly democratic political system has certain characteristics which prove its legitimacy with their existence. One essential characteristic of a legitimate democracy is that it allows people to freely make choices without government intervention. Another necessary characteristic which legitimates government is that every vote must count equally: one vote for every person. For this equality to occur, all people must be subject to the same laws, have equal civil rights, and be allowed to freely express their ideas. Minority rights are also crucial in a legitimate democracy. No matter how unpopular their views, all people should enjoy the freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Public policy should be made publicly, not secretly, and regularly scheduled elections should be held. Since "legitimacy" may be defined as "the feeling or opinion the people have that government is based upon morally defensible principles and that they should therefore obey it," then there must necessarily be a connection between what the people want and what the government is doing if legitimacy is to occur. The U.S. government may be considered legitimate in some aspects, and illegitimate in others. Because voting is class-biased, it may not be classified as a completely legitimate process. Although in theory the American system calls for one vote per person, the low rate of turnout results in the upper and middle classes ultimately choosing candidates for the entire nation. Class is determined by income and education, and differing levels of these two factors can help explain why class bias occurs. For example, because educated people tend to understand politics more, they are more likely to vote. People with high income and education also have more resources, and poor people tend to have low political efficacy (feelings of low self-worth). Turnout, therefore, is low and, since the early 1960s, has been declining overall. The "winner-take-all" system in elections may be criticized for being undemocratic because the proportion of people agreeing with a particular candidate on a certain issue may not be adequately represented under this system. For example, "a candidate who gets 40 percent of the vote, as long as he gets more votes than any other candidate, can be electedeven though sixty percent of the voters voted against him"(Lind, 314). Political parties in America are weak due to the anti-party, anti-organization, and anti-politics cultural prejudices of the Classical Liberals. Because in the U.S. there is no national discipline to force citizens into identifying with a political party, partisan identification tends to be an informal psychological commitment to a party. This informality allows people to be apathetic if they wish, willingly giving up their input into the political process. Though this apathy is the result of greater freedom in America than in other countries, it ultimately decreases citizens incentive to express their opinions about issues, therefore making democracy less legitimate. Private interests distort public policy making because, when making decisions, politicians must take account of campaign contributors. An "interest" may be defined as "any involvement in anything that affects the economic, social, or emotional well-being of a person." When interests become organized into groups, then politicians may become biased due to their influences. "Special interests buy favors from congressmen and presidents through political action committees (PACs), devices by which groups like corporations, professional associations, trade unions, investment banking groupscan pool their money and give up to $10,000 per election to each House and Senate candidate"(Lind, 157). Consequently, those people who do not become organized into interest groups are likely to be underrepresented financially. This leads to further inequality and, therefore, greater illegitimacy in the democratic system. The method in which we elect the President is fairly legitimate. The electoral college consists of representatives who we elect, who then elect the President. Because this fills the requirement of regularly scheduled elections, it is a legitimate process. The President is extremely powerful in foreign policy making; so powerful that scholars now speak of the "Imperial Presidency," implying that the President runs foreign policy as an emperor. The President is the chief diplomat, negotiator of treaties, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. There has been a steady growth of the Presidents power since World War II. This abundance of foreign Presidential power may cause one to believe that our democratic system is not legitimate. However, Presidential power in domestic affairs is limited. Therefore, though the President is very powerful in certain areas, the term "Imperial Presidency" is not applicable in all areas. The election process of Congress is

On the book LADY CHATTERLEYS LOVER Research Paper

On the book LADY CHATTERLEYS LOVER - Research Paper Example At first, the term fidelity does not appear to be consistent with the main plot in Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The title itself implies infidelity. The main plot centers around an adulterous wife, Connie Chatterley whose husband is rendered impotent as a result of an injury sustained in the war. Lady Chatterley, an aristocrat then takes up an affair with Mellors, the gamekeeper (Lawrence 2009). The question of fidelity arises in a way that challenges normative values existing at the time. While Lady Chatterley is unfaithful to her husband and breaks ranks with her own class, she is faithful to her lover (Niven 1979, 184). Although Mellors is complicit in Lady Chatterley’s adultery and is married himself, he himself is entirely faithful to Lady Chatterley. According to Gabriel and Smithson (1990), â€Å"Mellors seeks the approval of one woman only† (69). The lovers’ fidelity to each other however, calls for infidelity to their respective spou ses. However, from Lawrence’s perspective, he was not concerned with what might be characterized as â€Å"photographic fidelity†(Wuchina 2009, 172). In other words, Lawrence was more concerned with feelings that commanded fidelity rather than a sense of detached duty. This message is communicated through Mellors who, reflecting on his intimate encounters with Lady Chatterley, observed that: The connection between them was growing closer. He could see the day when it would clinch up, and they would have to make a life together (Lawrence 2009, 142). Wuchina (2009) points out that Mellors has â€Å"no second thoughts, or guilt† (174). This is because, â€Å"in its essentials, the relationship, the mutual attraction, is essentially legitimate† (Wuchina 2009, 174). The legitimacy is founded on the fact that Lady Chatterley was in a loveless marriage and was making a particularly difficult sacrifice. In fact, Mellors observes of Lady Chatterley: She was nicer t han she knew, and oh, so much too nice for the tough lot she was in contact with!..But he would protect her with his heart for a little while. For a little while, before the insentient iron world and the Mammon of mechanized greed did them both in, her as well as him (Lawrence 2009, 136). Mellors was obviously referring to the fact that Lady Chatterley was quite young. She was only 23 years old and was trapped in an unusual situation, one that she was too young and perhaps too naive to cope with. Lady Chatterley was for the most part confined to the companionship of her wounded husband and his circle of friends with whom she was essentially bored. As Daum (2008) observes, this is a situation that the young Lady Chatterley had to endure each day and it could not have been easy to cope with (3). Yet in this youthful innocence, the moral code of the times commanded fidelity from Lady Chatterley. Lawrence (2009) immediately draws attention to the fallacy of the moral code of the times. The novel opens with the caution â€Å"ours is essentially a tragic age† (5). Lady Chatterley was trapped in a time where, the First World War and its consequences were still fresh. She was therefore tethered to a marriage in which she could not find happiness and had yet to learn the meaning of life. As the plot moves along, a poignant issue necessarily arises. Is it fair to expect the young Lady Chatterley in the circumstances in which she finds herself to be faithful to her marriage

Instrumentation in Human Bioscience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Instrumentation in Human Bioscience - Essay Example A discussion of the methods reveals that all have their advantages as well as their disadvantages. The Skinfold Caliper is the most widely used method to determine the amount of body fat. It uses a set of mechanical calipers to measure skinfold thickness at key points on the body. The measurements are then referenced to a chart, which infers the percent of body fat. Though the tools are simple, inexpensive, and relatively non-invasive, the procedure requires a high degree of training to obtain reliable results. The typical accuracy of a correctly administered Skinfold measurement is plus or minus 3 percent (Doyle 1998). This is a marked increase over the universal Body Mass Index (BMI), which compares height to weight and results in an accuracy of 5 to 6 percent. (FitnessGram 2003). A more recent addition to the available methods is the use of the Bioelectrical Impedance Analyser (BIA). This instrument operates on the principle that fat retains less water than muscle. The increased percentage of water in muscle makes it a better electrical conductor and by measuring a body's resistance to current flow, we can measure the body's fat content. This non-invasive technique is well suited for a wide range of subjects including elderly and disabled. The measurement is fast, easy to use, and is able to be used with a minimum of training due to a direct electronic readout. The cost is comparable to the Skinfold calipers and the accuracy obtained is similar to the Skinfold method. However, to attain this accuracy care must be taken to void the subject of alcohol, urine and other liquids for up to 48 hours prior to administering the test (Doyle 1998). These variables all have the potential to impact the accuracy negatively. A more recent method to measure body fat is Dual Energy X-ray Absorpitometry (DEXA). DEXA is a low-level x-ray that measures not only muscle and fat, but also uses bone mineral content as a factor in body composition (Doyle 1998). The technique uses a safe level of x-ray radiation, is non-invasive, and the subject requires no preparation. Though DEXA is costly and requires a high degree of training, it's accuracy exceeds both the Skinfold and BIA methods (Doyle 1998). In measuring the potential for good or diseased health one must also consider and analyse the expired air of the subject. Through measurement of the CO2 and O2 components of expired air, calculations can indicate a healthy metabolic function or detect areas of concern with respect to the subject's overall fitness and health (Jacobs, Mintz, and Nash 1999). The method of assessment most commonly used is known as Indirect Calorimetry (Measuring Energy Expenditure). The method involves the collection of expired air over a given time period and the subsequent analysis of the CO2 and O2 components. The method has some variations in the collection apparatus as well as the means used to analyse the gases. The Douglas Bag is a direct method used to collect expired air. It is considered to be clumsy, due to it's 200-litre bag size, and interferes with the subject's activity while under test. Air is sampled for approximately 10 minutes and then the gas is measured in a dry gas analyser (Messer, Pelto, and Pelto 1989). A less bulky apparatus used to collect expired air is the K.M Respirometer. Smaller and more portable than the Douglas bag, it has gained popularity and is a more widely used method. The technique of

The Plight of the Mentally Ill Homeless in the US Essay Example for Free

The Plight of the Mentally Ill Homeless in the US Essay Introduction The issue of homelessness in the US has been of serious concern since the 1980s when the problem first became apparent. Budget deficits, brought about by massive diversions to military spending, forced a cutback on most social services. Today, approximately 7% of the population has been homeless at least once in their lives. Estimates place the number of people who experience homelessness each year at 3 million, more than half of which are families with children. (Donohoe, 2004) Of that number, roughly 25% have serious and chronic mental problems. (Mental Illness and Homelessness, 2006) The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical and social context to homelessness in the US, with particular focus on the mentally ill. Current statistics and demographics for the mentally-ill homeless will also be presented followed by an analysis of programs currently being undertaken with regards to this sector of the population. The Numbers The homeless population can be divided into three types based on how long and often they are homeless. About 80% are temporarily homeless, those who experience a single, short period (about two weeks) of homelessness that is not repeated. The episodically homeless (approximately 10% of the homeless population) are also short-term spells of homelessness but may be repeated at unpredictable intervals over a period of time. The chronically homeless, 10% of the population, request the use of homeless assistance facilities and services over a protracted period at frequent intervals. (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003) Overall, 39% have reported mental illness of which 25% are considered seriously ill. Among the last group, 50% are mentally ill or with substance abuse problems. This translates to approximately 150,000 chronically homeless, mentally ill people at any given time, and the mentally ill homeless have the most difficulty in relinquishing assistance programs. Of this population, 23% are veterans. (National Mental Health Information Center, 2003) Characteristics of the homeless mentally ill The mentally ill are often have been institutionalized at some point in their lives, and may have been involuntarily committed or have received treatment unsuitable for their condition. Since they are not completely functional because of their disability and poor hygiene, they tend to be prone to physical ailments, such as respiratory disease, HIV, and tuberculosis, that remain untreated until an advanced stage, if not death. They are usually members of a community that have become alienated from friends and family because of their disability and institutionalization, losing whatever support system they may have had. Many have been charged with misdemeanors, and their life expectancy is approximately 45 years. (National Mental Health Information Center 2003) Causes of homelessness among the mentally ill The 1960s saw an initiative to reduce the number of mental hospitals in the US because of reports that patients were receiving indifferent treatment, and to transfer the institutionalized to community-based treatment centers. However, practically all states where unable to provide adequate facilities for the accommodation of the released patients. Many were reduced to becoming homeless. (Peirce, 2001) In the 1980s, budget constraints forced even more premature releases from managed care of people suffering from schizophrenia or manic depression, overburdening an already bogged-down system. In a study of 187 released patients from Metropolitan State Hospital in Massachusetts, 27% had been homeless for more than 6 months, 66% of whom having no access to proper medication. There are more untreated mental cases in the population than the 90,000 receiving treatment in hospitals. In Berkeley, California, as many as 500 mentally ill people wander the city on any given night. (Homelessness: Tragic Side Effect of Non-Treatment, 2003) Federal assistance programs are often inadequate to provide housing for this disabled population, and rising housing costs make it difficult even for mentally stable people to obtain suitable housing. Mentally ill people are less likely to obtain steady employment and, though having no need for long-term institutionalization, are in need of regular access to treatment and rehabilitation services in order to function independently. The paucity of community-based health centers and suitable housing facilities increases the risk of homelessness for the mentally ill. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006) Homelessness is mostly associated in urban areas (Armour, 2003), 71% in cities, 21% in the suburbs and 9% in rural (National Mental Health Information Center, 2003). It is therefore mainly for city officials to address the problem of homelessness, especially the mentally ill who are most vulnerable to chronic homelessness and most in need of city social services. However, the response of most cities is to make it a crime to be homeless, and many of the mentally ill homeless are incarcerated in conditions that will only worsen their condition. In the Twin Towers jail in Los Angeles, commonly referred to as the biggest jail in the world, 2,000 of the inmates are mentally ill, some imprisoned for many years for minor transgressions. Police authorities often have no other place to put them but in jail. (Campbell, 2003) Homeless people with mental disorders are not only more likely to die from poor physical health as a consequence of their disability, they are more likely to be raped, die from accidents and exposure to the elements, and murdered. There is a tendency for the general population to shun the homeless because of fear and intolerance for perceived laziness, and the mentally ill homeless are regarded as dangerous and unpredictable. Many treat the mentally ill homeless as sub-humans. (Homelessness: Tragic Side Effect of Non-Treatment, 2003) Initiatives Undertaken for the Mentally Ill Homeless The U. S. Department of Veteran Affairs has provided one of the largest percentages of public health care in the US, accommodating more than 8% of inpatient psychiatric care. Since 23% of the homeless mentally-ill population is veterans, the provision of such targeted psychiatric services to an at-risk population is a positive factor in the fight against the increase of the homeless mentally-ill. (Gamache, Rosenbeck and Tessler, 2000) However, for the other sectors of the homeless population, the Veterans Affairs program does not apply. In efforts to provide a more comprehensive blueprint for address the issue of the homeless mentally ill, several studies have been undertaken. A two-year University of Pennsylvania study published in the Housing Policy Debate of 5,000 homeless with serious mental problems in New York stated that it cost the same amount in public dollars to provide supportive housing, health services and employment assistance to the mentally ill as to provide social services to homeless people for the same period. (Franzen, 2001) The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiated the federal Continuum Care Program to combat homelessness, the core of which is called the Continuum of Care Initiative, which began a study of 4,000 homeless people in 1996 aimed at identifying factors that pertain to homelessness in the US. The HUD released the report entitled â€Å"The Forgotten Americans Homelessness: Programs and the People They Serve† in 2000. It was reported that 39% of the subjects were mentally ill. The report identified the primary goal of the homeless (find employment) and how much of the population reacted favorably (76% who lived as families and 60% who lived alone ended homelessness) to access to housing, health care and other needed services. The report outlined strategies that resulted in a US$45 million additional funding for homeless programs in 2000 and helped finance housing, employment and other self-sufficiency programs for 300,000 homeless people. (Tyler, 2002). In 2003, the U. S.Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) followed up on the HUD initiative and submitted a report that showed that health care costs of a homeless medically-ill person was US$ 11,000 more a year than that of the same person after being provided with suitable housing. The Needs of a Chronically Homeless Person Cross Many Service System Boundaries Source: U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2003). Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://aspe. hhs.gov/hsp/homelessness/strategies03/ch. htm#ch2 In response to these studies, the following services were identified as necessary for ending homelessness among medically ill people: information and referral; outreach and engagement; mental health and counseling services; inpatient services; income management and support; residential treatment services; discharge planning; life skills services; education and skills training; and employment services. With a time frame of 10 years, the HHS outlined three goals of the initiative: 1. Provide easier access for at-risk populations to treatment and support services by simplifying document requirements, increasing outreach programs and extending the period of eligibility for benefits. Strategies to assist service providers in carrying out the objectives of the assistance programs, such as inter-agency collaboration for data sharing, in-service training for mainstream service providers as well as a marriage of homeless-specific and mainstream service providers working in tandem to provide services for eligible patients are also suggested. 2. Promote efficiency and flexibility in allocating funds that address chronic homelessness by encouraging cooperation between concerned departments in the federal, state and local levels in terms of programs and service delivery. Incentives are to be formulated to encourage such collaboration, especially when it comes to mainstream and homeless-specific funding sources. The need for a coordinating body was pinpointed. 3. Reduce the number of the homeless population by identifying populations at risk (i. e.veterans, deinstitutionalized mental patients) and providing programs that would ensure the ability to acquire decent housing such as employment assistance and regular health monitoring. (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2003) The response at the city level, where the issue of the homeless is most pressing, has been mixed. Some cities still handle homelessness using punitive measures. In Sarasota, Florida, a person can be arrested for having no other place to live. Business leaders in Lawrence, Kansas, pressured city hall to curtail social services and pass ordinances targeted at the homeless. The anti-panhandling law in Atlanta, Georgia was imposed on a Hurricane Katrina evacuee after he was caught selling wares in an upper-class mall. Supportive housing was also banned within the city limits. In Little Rock, Arkansas, homeless people are not allowed on buses even if they have tickets, simply because they are homeless. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006) Other cities are more constructive. The Ft. Lauderdale police department and The Taskforce for Ending Homelessness, Inc.have teamed up to form the Homeless Outreach Team to provide social services and place the homeless in shelters in Broward County, Florida, cutting down the arrest record of the homeless by 2,400 annually in the 5 years of the program’s operation. The Homeless Outreach Psychiatric Evaluation Team in Pasadena, California is a partnership of the Pasadena Police Department and the Los Angeles Department of Health to provide mental health services to the homeless population. A tri-city cooperation in Ohio fund programs that provide social services at during off-hours to people ineligible for state assistance. The Homeless Court Program formed in 1989 in San Diego, California assists the homeless in resolving misdemeanor charges that prevent their access to benefits such as housing and employment. In Washington, D. C. , business owners solved the problem of the homeless wandering the street during the day when shelters are closed by establishing a day center that can accommodate 260 people where they can get a meal, shower and do laundry. (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2006) Proposed Plan for Community-Based Assessment Program. The following is a generic plan and timetable for a community-based program composed of volunteers in collaboration with local police authorities based on needs assessment criteria designed to assess the level of intervention required for a population of 5,000 residents. Recruitment and orientation of potential members through flyers and announcements at the community or city hall 1 month Data gathering on the homeless population based on arrest records and field research 3 months Tracking down identified homeless people and conducting interviews to identify perceived needs 6 months. Analysis of interviews by trained professionals for recommendations on the services needed for the target population 1 month Submission of results and recommendations of the study to the concerned city and community departments to acquire funding and other assistance 1 month The above plan will address the needs of a specific population with particular demographic and social factors that will determine the type and scale of social services, health management, housing and employment assistance that would most effectively eliminate the homeless mentally ill population. The smallness of the target population will make it more manageable, especially for volunteer organizations, and easier to acquire and manage funding for whatever needs that are identified. Conclusions Studies have shown what police authorities and social organizations have been pointing out for some time: the costs of incarcerating and treating mentally ill homeless people would be greatly reduced if they receive regular treatment and medication and provided with the ability to take themselves off the streets. (Campbell, 2003) This would mean more funds for more people receiving community-based health and housing privileges. The proposed plan for needs assessment is only the initial stage for providing for the homeless mentally ill at the community level for small populations. Many studies deal with the needs of a large population that may not be applicable in the micro-level, especially if the community in question has particular cultural and social issues unique to that community. It may also serve as a model to identify other subgroups of the homeless such as those substance abuse problems. It must be brought to the next level, actual service and support delivery. Many of the initiatives in all levels of public social service access are headed in the right direction, mostly as a result of recommendations from comprehensive studies of the issue. Inter-agency collaborations are providing good models for all communities to follow, but they are a handful compared to the magnitude of the problem at hand. More cooperation is needed to make effective use of funds, mainstream and homeless-specific service providers, law enforcement agencies and volunteer organizations. Moreover, the homeless mentally ill are still victims of public ridicule and loathing. People of the community must acknowledge that the most effective way to assist the homeless mentally off the streets and into productive lives is by providing social services, mental health access, employment assistance and supportive housing at the community level. In the long run, the most cost-effective way getting rid of them is to make them productive, functioning citizens. References Armour, S. (2003) Homelessness grows as more live check-to-check. USA Today.Retrieved February 2, 2007 from http://www. usatoday. com/money/economy/2003-08-11-homeless_x. htm Campbell, D. (2003) 300,000 Mentally Ill in US Prisons. Common Dreams. org. Retrieved February 2, 2007 from http://www. commondreams. org/headlines03/0303-09. htm Donohoe, M. (2004) Homelessness in the United States. Medscape Ob/Gyn Women’s Health. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/481800 Franzen, H. (2001) Housing Mentally Ill Homeless People Makes Economic Sense. Scientific American Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www.sciam. com/article. cfm? articleID=000EF22A-AA04-1C5E-B882809EC588ED9F Gamache, G, Rosenbeck, R. and Tessler, R. (2000) Factors Predicting Choice of Provider Among Homeless Veterans With Mental Illness Psychiatric Services. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www. psychservices. psychiatryonline. org/cgi/content/full/51/8/1024 Homelessness: Tragic Side Effect of Non-Treatment (2003) Treatment Advocacy Center. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www. psychlaws. org/generalResources/fact11. htm Maleque, S. and Brennan, V. (n. d. ) Homeless Mentally Ill. Factline: Tracking Health in Undeserved Communities. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www. meharry. org/Fl/Mental_Health/Homeless_Mentally_Ill. html#mh%20disab National Coalition for the Homeless (2006) Mental Illness and Homelessness. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www. nationalhomeless. org/publications/facts/Mental_Illness. pdf National Coalition for the Homeless (2006) Report accuses US cities of criminalizing the homeless. City Mayors Society. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www. citymayors. com/society/homeless_usa2. html. National Mental Health Information Center (2003) Homelessness Provision of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Retrieved February 2, 2007 from http://mentalhealth. samhsa. gov/publications/allpubs/homelessness/ Peirce, N. (2001) Help for the Mentally Ill Homeless: Rectifying a 30 Year Old Problem. Stateline. org. Retrieved February 2, 2007 from http://www. stateline. org/live/ViewPage. action? siteNodeId=136languageId=1contentId=14273 Tyler, R. (2002) Homeless in America. NewsHour Extra. Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www. pbs. org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec02/homeless.html U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2003) Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action Chapter 2. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://aspe. hhs. gov/hsp/homelessness/strategies03/ch. htm#ch2 U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2003) Ending Chronic Homelessness: Strategies for Action Chapter 5. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://aspe. hhs. gov/hsp/homelessness/strategies03/ch. htm#ch5 U. S. Departmentof Veterans Affairs (2006) Overview of Homelessness. Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www1. va. gov/homeless/page. cfm? pg=1.

The Detrimental Effects of Soda :: Coke Pepsi

What is your favorite soda? Coke? Do you know what is in soda? Cutting down on soda can be the geginning of a healthy lifestyle. Studies show that soda, though it tastes good, has many negative effects that outweigh the positive effects. Soda, especially diet, is detrimental to the health of your body. My cousin’s teacher did an experiment with coke. She put a tooth in coke and left it for at least a week. The next time they checked the tooth had disintegrated. The coke had eaten away at the tooth. If this can happen to a tooth imagine what it does to your body. How healthful are these drinks, which provide a lot of sugars, calories and caffeine but no significant nutritional value? And what happens if you drink a lot of them at a very young age? Soda is a sweetened, carbonated, acidic, often caffeinated drink. Forty-five gallons of soda is consumed per person/per year by the average American. Even adults are just as vulnerable to tooth decay, from drinking excessive amounts of soda, even though they have good enamel and well calcified teeth. In America soda manufacturers are the biggest users of sugar. At least ten teaspoons are in each, 12 ounce, can which provides you with the maximum recommended intake of sugar a day. Sugar creates insulin which tells the body to store all carbohydrates as fat. Sugar in soda can cause heightened cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and premature aging. (Mercola) Sugar isn’t the only thing in soda that is bad for teeth, but the acids included in many soft drinks eat away enamel and make teeth more vulnerable. The pH, measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution, of regular and diet sodas ranges from 2.47-3.35, the lower the pH the more acidic it is. The pH in our mouth is normally about 6.2 to 7, slightly more acidic than water. A pH of 5.2 to 5.5 or below can dissolve the hard enamel of our teeth. Phosphoric acid is in all soda and interferes with the use of calcium which can lead to osteoporosis. Phosphoric acid also neutralizes hydrochloric acid and so digestion cannot properly take place. Aspartame is another ingredient in sodas, particularly Diet Soda. Aspartame is a carcinogen and becomes wood alcohol also known as methanol. In large amounts Aspartame can make someone who drinks diet soda, constantly, feel depressed, fatigued, dehydrated, and/or hungry.

Bankruptcy in the United States Essay

The paradox set up between the words â€Å"pleasure† and â€Å"burn† shows something unusual about the characterization of the speaker—that maybe he is a paradox himself and is at odds with what is thought of as normal. Who the speaker is has not been revealed yet, so the reader is allowed to form opinions about his character before meeting the fireman. Further into the book, Montag no longer finds a pleasure, and he runs from his job as a fireman. Finally, the feeling of fire as a pleasure returns when he realizes fire can be used for warmth and comfort rather than for destruction. Diction used (burn, eaten, blackened, changed) creates a fearful mood and an ominous tone from the beginning. Chapter 1 Mood â€Å"His lips quivered and the spectacles were dimmed with mist—â€Å"’we may stay here till we die†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ with that word the heat seemed to increase till it became a threatening weight and the lagoon attacked them with a blinding effulgence â€Å" This mood conducts an emotion time to where the boys just came to their senses that they might not make it out of there. Nobody knows they are there so they realized that they have to fight to make their way out. Later on they realized that the have to find or at least try to find others that may still be on the island. A foreshadow of this might be â€Å"we may stay here till we die† because since they are all children from 6-12 they may not make it out of the island Imagery â€Å"The silence was so complete that they could hear the unevenness of piggy’s breathing. The sun slanted in and lay golden over half the platform. The breeze that on the lagoon had chased their tails like kittens wee finding their way across the platform and into the forest. —â€Å"‘So we may be here a long time†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This quote shows that after finding more people they all came to realization that would be there a long time because nobody knows where they are. The boys went silent as they realized what was actually happening. This quote emphasized the awkward silence as they all processed through their heads that they all may not either make it or go home. This symbolized imagery because I could really picture the surroundings and feel how quiet it must have been. Theme â€Å"I agree with ralph. We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all we’re not savages. We’re English and English are the best at everything. So we’ve got to do the right things† This is in first person This part of the chapter identifies that start of them striving to do the right things. They weren’t working together so now they are forming themselves into groups, etc. to hold themselves together. The mood of this is determination because to me it seems that these boys are finally finding out to feel what its like to be on your own so they have to stick together in order to live. Civilization vs Savagery Chapter 3 Tone â€Å"Everyone’s keeps running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished? † This passage is showing how they went to fun to serious. Because there are a lot of younger kids in the group it is harder for everyone to concentrate for long amount of times. Causing things to fall apart and now people are getting mad and stressed. This creates a tone of seriousness even though the boys/chiefs are only 12 Chapter 3 Mood â€Å"They looked at each other, baffled, in love and hate. All the warm slat water of the bathing pool and the shouting and splashing and laughing were only just sufficient to bring them together again† This passage shows that all it takes is a little fun to realize that everything is okay. The pass few pages were full of everyone just stressing out and fighting and once they began to let loose and have fun ralph and jack realized that it was okay it brought them together again. The mood is relieved and a feeling of happiness â€Å"There was a ship. Out there, You said you’d keep the fire going and you let it out! † The boys are eager to go home but with the choir out hunting the fire had gone out and the ship had passed them because their signal (fire) burned out. Ralph then became violent and angry and yelled at jack creating a mood of intimidation and anger. HE then released all the stress that had been built up and took it out on the gang.

The Vision Of A Vision - 973 Words

Setting a vision is incredibly important. Because the people impacted by the change are aware of exactly what the goals are and what is expected of them. If it is a compelling vision and people buy into it then it is much easier to make the change happen but if people don’t agree it makes the process much harder. Also some people don’t want to change how they do things and want to continue doing things exactly how they were in the past (this is a problem). The way that the vision was created is by providing both high level vision statements (long term goals) as well as much more tactical and strategic guidelines for what to do in the short run. The vision is then provided to the team very often and consistently through both emails and town halls from senior management as well as from projects and day to do workload from the directors which ties the work to the long term vision. It is important that people understand how what they are doing is connected to the larger goa ls. It is also important to acknowledge and reinforce that change takes time and that there is a long term view on success. The strategies used to achieve the vision included: Providing team training on new tools and technologies to make sure that everyone no matter where they came from before had the same foundation to be able to do the job going forward. The vision was repeated and made clear constantly and consistently so that everyone knew what the goals were and what they were working towards.Show MoreRelatedVisions Of Nature : Visions Essay924 Words   |  4 PagesVisions of Nature Reflection Visions of Nature Reflection When the Visions of Nature project was first explained in the beginning of the course I was immediately worried about how I would be able to create something that represented the natural world in an artistic way. Personally, I am not the most skilled in the world of art through visual and esthetically pleasing mediums. 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