Insects vs Animals Essay Example

Insects vs Animals Essay Why do we not care about exterminating a whole society of insects, but we start riots and revolts over the killing of animals like elephants, dolphins, whales, rhinos, and other nearly extinct animals? We have reasons to kill these animals just like the insects, the slaughter of these animals temporarily benefits us, but what people do think about is what will happen if we eliminate every single insect of a certain species. Rachel Carson is an incredibly brave individual for writing Silent Spring.She had no doctorate in the field of environmental science, yet she still did her research and spoke her mind about the fact of the matter, and that matter being the killing of mass amounts of insects using pesticides. DDT was the main pesticide she was incredibly angry about because of the hidden or unknown effects it had on the environment. If there was one chapter that sticks out more than the others it would be the last one, The Other Road, which mainly focuses on the work Dr.Knipling wa s experimenting with. In this chapter Carson writes about the different way we could eliminate the insects without harming our environment with the dangerous DDT compound. Ways like sterilizing the males so they cannot get the females pregnant, extracting pheromone from the female and spreading it over a large area it try and mask the real pheromone emitted by the female and the male can then not find her. All are great ideas but how do we know they will be safer than DDT.We do not, just like we had no idea that DDT was going to have a extreme effect on the environment, there is no way to be able to account for every little reaction that the new drug we are spreading will not devastate our ecosystem. I think that it is a well known fact that people overall do not like insects for many sorts of reasons. They annoy us, they land on us, they bump into us, they drink our blood, the carry diseases, they land on our food, and off hand I can only think of one possible benefit to one partic ular insect: the bee, and only for spreading pollen from flower to flower.So overall we want to get rid of these insects as soon as possible because they do not contribute to anything productive in any population. It is very difficult to compare something that is seen as a pest and useless, meaning an insect, to something as that is seen as being beautiful and majestic, meaning wild animals. Why do people see insects as an annoying nuisance? In the early twentieth century we have just come out of the American agricultural revolution, and we were exponentially increasing the amount farmlands and with it crops.Insects then took advantage of what that had available to them, like the massive amount of food we are farming to feed our growing population. Farmers were getting very upset at the amount of crops wasted by insect infestation. The single most important reason as to why there will never be an uprising for killing to many insects is simply because no one cares for them. There is another reason though, one that scientists think about more than the general public. The sheer number of insects within a given area is bound to exceed our expectations.So many in fact it is nearly impossible to exterminate all of them. Due to the great amount of insects it is impossible to try and poison them because I can guaranty you that a couple of the billion will be immune to it. And if a couple of them are then they can repopulate and the new population will be immune to the previous poison we tried to use. We could kill the most amount of population by using two or more types of poisons which should eliminate this problem, but this problem will almost always occur due to the sheer size of the community of insects.Comparatively when people try to kill dolphins or whales we will react drastically different than someone plotting to exterminate a hoard of termites or insects that eat crops. It seems slightly strange to explain why, but because dolphins and whales are short in n umber and if we kill them off we will have killed yet another species of animal that will never be seen on planet earth ever again. We also have no clue as to what effect it can have to the ecosystem after they are gone.When we talk about attempting to clear an area of insects we should not mean to kill the whole population, but when we hunt nearly extinct animals we might possibly rid the whole population on accident. Like I said before, we have a reason for killing whales, dolphins, elephants, and rhinos, for their blubber, meat, and ivory. We get a personal gain from killing these animals, and to some it seems like it is unjust. We are killing innocent beings only for a small insignificant part of their bodies.Insects on the other hand are pests, people do not see any benefit in having them so why do we need them? To sum up the point that I am trying to make, insects so not have a substantial value to us, or at least we cannot see it. But animals, especially animals on the verge of being extinct, do have a value to us. Whether is be because we won’t see them again, or because we like to use the various parts of them for our benefit. So we do not care about the pests we call insects, and we do not care if we kill large numbers of them for our own benefit.

Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Example

Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Example Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Taboo of Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage Essay Homosexuality and same sex marriage is one of the serious issue in our society. This essay summarize whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is still considered as a taboo or not. Taboo is any human behaviour that is normal for him/her but may not be for other. Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter other opposing our behaviour. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Hence homosexuality and same sex marriage is hotly debated between individuals that, should it be considered as a taboo or not?People tolerance to the behaviour like homosexuality and same sex marriage depends upon their on their present norm, values and belief system. Degree of tolerance depends upon various factors like cultural background, religion, sex, historical period and location. Media is one of the prominent factors that make people aware about any social issue. Moreover media covers any social report as their prime report. Hence there are various opinions toward media coverage upon this issue. This essay tries to summarize how media act upon this social issue and what kind of role does it play to create awareness in public.International communication has significant role to create bridge between various nations hence it is obvious that the communication between two or different nation will eventually bring sharing of social issues and make changes to it according to the demand of situation. To show the impact of international communication upon the social issue of a nation, this essay uses Australia as a case study. Essay mainly focuses on how the international communication creates a gradual improvement in the attitude of people and whole nation towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.This essay also address how cultural elements impact laws and opinion, hence it identifies what type of cultural influence may change attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. INTRODUCTION Dr. Hutton Webster defined â€Å"Taboo are prohibitions which, when violated, produce automatically in the offender a state of ritual disability – taboo sickness- only relieve, when relief is possible, by a ceremony of purification†(Wallis, 1943). Any human act is not itself considered as a taboo until other society marked it as a taboo.Hence, we could recognise taboo only at the time when we encounter anything which we could think as a normal but it might not be normal for other. Every society differs in its point of view regarding any sort of Taboo-defying behaviour. Their degree of tolerance relies on their present norm, values and belief system. Those beliefs which were considered as a Taboo may be Taboo at past but not at present. Here, the same belief and norms of society is dealt whether homosexuality and same sex marriage is considered as a taboo or not.This is a vague opinion whether to consider homosexuality and same sex marriage as a taboo or not because it depends on how indi vidual tolerate it. Those who believe that homosexuality and same sex marriage as a right to freedom and every individual has a right to choose their partner to live their life may consider it is not a taboo. But other group may think that it could bring a bad impact to society and even to human race. Some argue that, there will be very frightening consequence of homosexuality and same sex marriage if proper rules and regulation is not made on time, it may affect human race and continuity to subsequent generation.In different society still homosexuality and same sex marriage is a concern which still raises several eyebrows. Regardless of yearly homosexual parades and the judiciary’s move to make homo sexual legal, the utterance still induce powerful comeback from the society. Social scientists are enormously fascinated by the emerging issue of homosexuality and same sex marriage (Ben-Ari, 2001; Herek, 2004; Jefferson, 2010; Lee, 2011; David A. Moskowitz, 2010). According to t he 3 studies of Haslam and Levy (2006), all of the reports are related with crucial importance in attitude about homosexuality.According to them, the 3 things are the belief that homosexuality is biologically based, indisputable, and permanent near the beginning life. It is the faith that is cross-culturally as well as traditionally common; and the faith that it holds a judicious, cautious behavior pattern with defining appearance. Similarly they indicate the faint but influential function of essentialist faith in presuming common attitudes to homosexuals but also the possible defensive function of these beliefs. (Haslam amp; Levy, 2006).In another study done by (Hewitt amp; Moore, 2002), those who believe that homosexuality is a genetically or biologically caused shows little or no negative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. But those who believe that it is not genetically acquired rather it is a habit developed in later of life as they choose it, may develop neg ative attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. During the post World War II there was various civil right movements, along with other movement homosexuality also came into existence and gain a momentum(Hekma, Oosterhuis, amp; Steakley, 1995).In one of the study done by (Herek, 2004; Raja amp; Stokes, 1998), they found that attitude towards homosexuality and same sax marriage depends upon the gender also. They found that heterosexual female were more flexible and sympathetic towards lesbian and gay rather than heterosexual male. Hence the degree of homophobia not only relates to social norm and values but also to gender attitude which confirms at which degree they treat homosexuality and same sex marriage. Similarly, Lannutti and Lachlan also came to the same conclusion that heterosexual man and women differ in their attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Lannutti amp; Lachlan, 2007). This hypothesis was further extended by (D. A. Moskowitz, Rieger, amp; R oloff, 2010), and found that homophobia and gender are inter related i. e. gender may have a reasonable effects with the attitude towards homophobia. They presented a graph in which they correlate the relationship of homophobia and gender. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Different cultures have different norm and values which will verify whether homosexuality is appropriate or not. Since 1970s, various countries were tolerant towards homosexuality.Many people in Africa and Middle East were still denying to accept homosexuality and considered it as a taboo which was found by the The Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is getting more acceptable in Western Europe, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and United states. Similarly, though the acceptance could be a less majority many Latin American countries now accept homosexuality. Figure 2: Percentage of responder s that answered accepts towards homosexuality (Source: Pew Research Centers 2007 Global Attitudes Survey)CONTRIBUTION OF MEDIA TO ATTITUDE TOWARD HOMOSEXUAITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE Media has a prominent affect on any social issue. Media covers any social issues as their prime reports. In the same manner homosexuality and same sex marriage issue is covered by various media. How the society attitude is changing on the timely basis is covered by media. Bryati and Zillmann, 2009 present a view that though there are lots of debate going on how mass media effects public learning ability, scholars argue that mass media has prominent effect to particular issue, and attitude formation and change.There are various media awareness program in different nation and they give their view regarding the modern media like Television program and Movies whether these source of media are actually providing useful tips to the viewer or not. In the same sense, media awareness program frequently object that modern TV and Movies are providing positive feedback to sanitize the homosexuality and same sex marriage and try to hide or cover its filthy part. Nevertheless homosexuality and same sex marriage have created a great movement and achieve an enormous momentum in recent years in both media portrayal and participation in media production.The issue of homosexuality are tremendously dominant in all areas of media, covering production to consumption. Moreover, media is considered as useful tools in highlighting social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage that they are invested in the political spot light. For example fight over gay marriage in California (Sean Sullivan, March 27 2013) regarding Supreme Court’s consideration of same-sex marriage in high-profile cases. Likewise, Media is always trying to show the gradual change in attitude of an individual towards homosexuality and same sex marriage.There are several homosexual people as a high-ranking media personality l ike Ellen Degeneres (host of one of daytime television largely admired program as well as reviewer on American Idol), Elton John (Grammy and Academy Award winning singer-songwriter), Jann Wenner (owner and publisher of Rolling Stone), David Geffen (billionaire co-founder of DreamWorks SKG), Rich Ross (studio chair of Disney). There are various popular shows in Television related to homosexuality like â€Å"Modern Family† and â€Å"The Office†.These shows are trying to give viewers a positive feedback regarding homosexual lifestyles and exhibit a growth of homosexuals in present culture. Not only TV shows but also various movies are pushing homosexuality as a desire of people is innate and we should show positive attitude towards homosexuals. The film â€Å"MILK† by Sean Penn won the Oscar of 2009 for his portrayal of gay right activist Harvey Milk. Similarly in the movie Phiadelphia which was an American drama movie of 1993 related to homosexuality and homophobi a won the various awards.This movie actually show how we treat homosexuals people in our society and try to push people out of this dilemma and make believe that homosexual people should be ranked in the same position as others. Though various research are conducted on sexual socialization, till we have little knowledge that how adolescence gain knowledge of about homosexuality. As well as how ethnicity and sex manipulate their awareness regarding homosexuality. In one of the research conducted by (Calzo amp; Ward, 2009) , they try to see the sights how parental, peer and media communication they frequently encounter about homosexuality.Their results showed that media addressed the topic homosexuality more frequently. IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION IN HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE – AUSTRALIA International communication plays a vital role in changing attitude towards any social issues. Each nation see how other nation go with any social issue and try to be a part of the nation or they can give their opposite view regarding any social issue. Homosexuality and same sex marriage is a prominent social issue which every nation is facing at this time. There is gradual development in the acceptance of homosexuality.There are changing views and attitude towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Countries like Norway, Argentina, Canada, Portugal, Urugay, Iceland, Netherland, Sweden, South Africa, Belgium, Spain and Denmark legally recognise same sex marriage nationwide. In USA only a minority people believes that being a gay or lesbian is sinful now - a change that a Southern Baptist-allied research group associated to President Barack Obamas changed opinion of gay marriage(Bob Smietana,2013). Culture is shifting from anti gay to acceptance of same sex marriage in USA.Though homosexuality has been illegal in most countries for many centuries, we can see the gradual acceptance of it and various nations began to implement legislative reforms which allow for certain consensual homosexual acts. In case of Australia, the majority jurisdictions have responded to this inclination and have legally recognized homosexual acts between consenting adults in some cases. In 1972 South Australia became the first Australian jurisdiction to decriminalize some homosexual acts. (Bull, M. , Pinto, Susan, Wilson ;amp; Paul, 1991). Further reforms were made and still continued in the area of homosexuality.The impacts of international communication are clear upon Australian law reform regarding homosexuality. Since the Australia was first settled by British in 1788, the law governing sexual behavior came from England. Every Australian States were inherited by the British anti-homosexual laws i. e. Act of 1898. In 1960s, Don Dunstan, Attorney-General in South Australia made an attempt to present the draft to decriminalize homosexual behavior but during the last hour he decided not to present the draft due to the lack of public support (Graham Carb ery, 1993).Australian criminal law stopped treating heterosexual and homosexual conduct differently in 2003. The main element in fetching the first 2 restructurings of South Australian’s anti homosexuality laws was the death of gay academic Dr George Duncan on 10th May 1972. It alerted public attention by this event which was extensive aggravation of homosexuals in Adelaide by police. If we start from 1700s, the first recorded death penalty for Sodomy was seen as guilt around 1828-63. Till 1969, it was a crime for men to engage in homosexual act in every state in Australia.In 1972 the first political activist, Gay liberation was initiated at the Sydney University. Homosexuality law reforms were passed in 1976 in Australia. Likewise in 1978 huge rally was conducted by homosexual commemorating the 9th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. New South Wales became the first state to pass the bill not to do partiality against homosexuals. Similarly, In 1984 Australian Medical Associa tions agree to remove the homosexuality from its list of illness or any mental disorder.Australian Capital Teritory (ACT) passes the Domestic Relationships Act; it was the initial authority which provides same sex relationships similar lawful status as heterosexual relation (gaytraveller. com. au). Till now Australia bans recognition of same sex marriage at federal level. All of the above mentioned histories regarding homosexuality and gradual development and acceptance of homosexuality at public and authority level are due to the influence of mass communication both at public and federal level.International communication creates a bridge between raising issue at different level and how other Nation responded to these issues. There are a long history on how Australian treated homosexuality and now how they are reforming their attitude and behavior regarding homosexuality. International communication has significantly raised the concern about homosexuality and made the government com pelled to make reforms in the laws which was on public interest. Despite the various countries had already accepted same sex marriage, Australia has not given full support same sex marriage.Still Prime Minister Gillard opposes the same sex marriage. Australian increment support for Gay marriage and international acceptance may bring changes towards the attitude of same sex marriage. It is obvious that changes should happen because the public support on gay marriage is outstanding and sooner or later it may happen. After the US President Barack Obama publicly endorsing same sex marriage in national television, there was a hope that Gillard may change her views regarding same sex marriage but it seems that Prime Minister Julia Gillard will continue to oppose gay marriage.There is not only national pressure from public or any social organization to accept homosexuality and same sex marriage. There are various international organizations which prepare certain criteria up to which level any nation can act upon any social issues. Though it is not compulsory to be under the rules of international organization, but still every nation has to be a part of international organization and follow its certain criteria. There was a claim by UN Human Right Commission that Tasmanian Legislation did partiality to homosexuals and hence it violated International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Due to this Federal Government passes legislation, that gives public right to sexual privacy, which ultimately supersedes Tasmanian’s anti-gay laws (NSW Council for Civil Liberties). This is how international communication can create a situation to bind with certain condition and change attitude towards the social issues like homosexuality and same sex marriage. CULTURAL IMPACT ON HOMOSEXUALITY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE There are various cultural element that may impact laws and public opinion that may influence attitudes towards homosexuality. Religion may play a significant role towards any social issues like homosexuality.Each and every person abides by their own religion and follows the code and conduct of that religion. Religion is an organized collection of belief system which when violated may be quite serious problem to any people social status. Homosexuality is still considered as a taboo in many societies, this may create a threat to homosexuals to show their inclination to homosexual behavior. For example in an Islamic Nation like Iran still homosexuality is considered as serious crime and their law orders the punishment of homosexuals acts by the death penalty(Gorton, 2002).People of western cultures are more likely to accept homosexuality than other cultures. Hence those cultures which have already accepted homosexuality may have affect on other culture to change their opinion towards homosexuality. Different religions have varying views in regard to homosexuality. Jewish, Christian, Sikh and Muslim cultures have generally recognized homosexual a ctivities as wicked. However, Hinduism and Buddhism generally view homosexuality primarily from the viewpoint of its karmic effects, with different conclusions.While having a sight upon Australian religious affect upon homosexuality, it has still captured public negative attitude towards homosexuality though there is now large majority of people accepting homo sexuality and same sex marriage. Recently PM of Australia assured that religious groups they will have the freedom under a new rights bill to discriminate against homosexuals and others they deem sinners, according to the head of the Australian Christian Lobby (Jonathan Swan, Jan 16 2013).The Australian Christian Lobby and Catholic Australian Family Association, still get up against homosexuality and same sex marriage. However The Progressive Jewish community in Australia largely supports LGBT rights. In Australia religion plays a vital role that controls the activity of homosexuality. It is obvious that those who believe reli gion as their sole source of civilization do not want to go against their religion and the views against religious institution and people. Hence still there are majority of people who believe homosexuality as wrong task.Not only religion but social control also influence heavily on public opinion towards homosexuality and same sex marriage. Internal social control like socialization and internalization of norms, values and beliefs play a significant role. External social controls like social media and media campaigns, moreover Politics, government rules, large organizations, embarrassment and stigma etc. also have a prominent affect on it. Australian Labor Party has come under a great deal of attack from LGBT for not fully supporting same-sex marriage (Luke Gaham 26 Sep 2012).This makes sense how political interference can create a situation to react to any social issues. As I had already discussed earlier about media, various campaigns and media shows about their affect on social i ssues, homosexuality, it is always trying to give public either its opinion regarding homosexuality or present public opinion of homosexuality and same sex marriage. In both case media campaign plays a vital role to control pubic attitude towards homosexuality. Social media like facebook, blog are increasingly showing increment in the popularity of homosexual and gay marriage.Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, which is one of the facebook page. This page is created to make public aware about LGBTIQ rights and to give people a clue how they can participate to establish a change in public negative attitude towards homosexuality. This page was created on May 2009, and now it is the most significant and powerful LGBTIQ right related facebook pages in Australia (gay marriage rights in Australia, www. facebook. com). There are various blogs about homosexual campaign where various fans provided their views regarding homosexuality.Similar ly different websites are on internet which periodically updated current affairs about homosexuality and how people are changing their views towards homosexuality. More over as discussed earlier there are different TV shows and movies which try to show the homosexuality as a normal practice and should be adopted by public. Educational institutes are also giving their proper attention in Australia to make homosexuality as a choice of public and hence should not be treated differently. CONCLUSIONIn the overall, Homosexuality is one of the major social issue which is hotly debated in various nation. Attitude towards homosexuality greatly varies between the different culture, historical periods and location. Media has a prominent effect on homosexuality and same sex marriage. It covers the issued related to homosexuality and make public aware about the pros and cons of homosexuality. This will eventually help public to understand homosexuality in depth and choose whether to accept it or not. On the whole media is always seemed to provide a better understanding of homosexuality.In Australia this issue is still debated. Though majority of public are accepting homosexuality as a normal behaviour still federal government has not given full right as hetero sexual couple have. Same sex marriage is not legally permitted in Australia. Australia as developed nation full of elite people is still lagging behind to solve this issue which may due to political and religious matter. But seeing the public acceptance of homosexuality we can predict that sooner or later this nation may allow same sex marriage.Last but not the least I have some of my opinion why homosexuality is so hotly debated issue and why this may be considered as a taboo in various parts of world. I think it might be an issue like homosexual cannot produce any children and as well as they are not being part of the way things are done. The way we perform marriage, our family, tribal devotion etc. were significan tly valued in prehistoric culture. So how any couple who cannot bear children can fit in this culture. Moreover, homosexuality is thought to be performed for only sexual pleasure and public believe it to be an immoral act.So in overall homosexuals were taken as the one who have not any contribution to society. Homosexuality won’t be taboo itself if people do not believe it as a sinful behaviour. People must believe that every human being should have a same right as other; no one is allowed to discriminate any one on the basis of sexual behaviour. Its sound so horrible that even people are sentenced death penalty after they are found to be homosexual which is itself a crime and even a great taboo for me. No one has right to take any one life on the basis of their sexual nature.If we believe that religion has a power to penalise any homosexual, I completely disagree that view because if god has created this world and people, it’s a wish of god to make any one homosexual or heterosexual.REFERENCES Ben-Ari, AT. (2001). Homosexuality and heterosexism: views from academics in the helping professions. British Journal of Social Work, 31(1), 119-131. Bob Smietana, January 11 2013, USA TODAY, Survey: Big drop in those who say being gays a sin, accessed on 16 April 2013 usatoday. com/story/news/2013/01/10/poll-minority-says-being-gays-a-sin/1825461/M. (2009). Contributions of parents, peers, and media to attitudes toward homosexuality: investigating sex and ethnic differences. J Homosex, 56(8), 1101-1116. Gay marriage rights in Australia, 3rd June 2011, Media Release: Gay Marriage Rights in Australia (GMRA) reaches a historic 100,000 fans, www. facebook. com, accessed on 17th April 2013 https://www. facebook. com/notes/gay-marriage-rights-in-australia/media-release-gay-marriage-rights-in-australia-gmra-reaches-a-historic-100000-fa/10150212436128560  Gorton, Don. (2002).Gay Rights in the Clash of Civilizations. (Essay). The Gay amp; lesbian review worldwi de, 9(1), 16. Graham Carbery, 1993, Towards homosexual equality in Australian criminal law: A brief history, Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives Inc, accessed on 16 April 2013    alga. org. au/files/towardsequality2ed. pdf

The Popular Childrens Books, The Spide Chronicles

The Popular Children's Books, The Spide Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles is a popular children’s book series written by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. The fantasy stories revolve around the three Grace children and their frightening experiences with fairies when they move into an old Victorian home. The Spiderwick Chronicles Series According to a letter from co-author Holly Black that appears at the beginning of each of The Spiderwick Chronicles series, it all started when she and Tony DiTerlizzi were at a bookstore book signing and were given a letter that had been left for them. The letter was from the Grace children, and it mentioned a book that â€Å"tells people how to identify faeries and how to protect themselves.† The letter went on to say, â€Å"We just want people to know about this. The stuff that has happened to us could happen to anyone.† A few days later, according to Black, she and DiTerlizzi met the Grace children, and the story the children told them became The Spiderwick Chronicles. After their parents’ divorce, the Grace children and their mother move into the ramshackle Victorian home previously occupied by their great-aunt Lucinda. The three children, thirteen-year-old Mallory and her nine-year-old twin brothers, Jared and Simon, are still adjusting to their parents’ divorce and are not happy with their new home. While Mallory has her fencing to keep her occupied and Simon his menagerie of animals to care for, Jared is angry and at loose ends. Almost immediately, odd things begin to happen, beginning with strange sounds in the walls, and leading to the discovery of the small unexpected and unfriendly other occupants of the house and area. Written in the third person, the books emphasize Jared’s point of view. It’s poor Jared who tends to get blamed for all of the unpleasant things that happen, thanks to the faeries. He finds a secret room and an amazing book Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, a book about identifying and protecting yourself from faeries. While the first book is quite mild and provides a basic introduction to the human characters and the threat from the fantastical creatures, the action and suspense is ratcheted up in the remaining books. The Grace children come in conflict with goblins, a shape-shifting ogre, dwarves, elves and other frightening characters. The series ends with the kidnapping of Mrs. Grace and her children’s desperate, and ultimately successful, attempt to rescue her. The Appeal of The Spiderwick Chronicles The short length of these children’s novels - about 100 pages - the uncomplicated, yet suspenseful and scary  fantasy stories, the engaging main characters, the attractive design of the small hardbound books and the full-page pen and ink illustrations in every chapter make the books particularly appealing to younger children who are independent readers or who enjoy having an adult read to them. The Books of The Spiderwick Chronicles The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field GuideThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing StoneThe Spiderwick Chronicles: Lucindas SecretThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Ironwood TreeThe Spiderwick Chronicles: The Wrath of Mulgarath Other Spiderwick books include: Arthur Spiderwicks Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around YouThe Notebook for Fantastical Observations   The Creators of The Spiderwick Chronicles Tony DiTerlizzi is a best-selling author and an award-winning illustrator. His books include Jimmy Zangwows Out-of-This-World Moon-Pie Adventure and Ted. Mary Howitt’s The Spider and the Fly was awarded a Caldecott Honor because of the quality of DiTerlizzi’s illustrations. Tony DiTerlizzi is both the co-author and the illustrator of The Spiderwick Chronicles. He has illustrated work by such well-known fantasy authors as J.R.R. Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey. His pen and ink drawings in The Spiderwick Chronicles give life to the characters and help to set the mood of adventure and suspense. Holly Black is also a best-selling author. She specializes in contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children. Her first book, Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale, a fantasy novel for young adults was published in 2002. Although they have known one another for a number of years, The Spiderwick Chronicles series and related books represent the first collaboration between Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.

Dance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Dance - Essay Example According to Clive Barnes () called them the group the Israeli children of the American Dance. By having different directors at different times, the choreography kept changing time and again. This made some critics conclude that the dance group is probably popular due to their strengths but not their artistic frontiers. However, this changed from the year 1990 when Ohad Naharin was made the artistic director. He had started his dance career with the group and therefore was not a stagger to the group. He choreographed for the group and it was not long before he had a name for himself. With time this group won the hearts of many especially in North America where the group has taking several trips for the past eighteen years. Most of the dancers in this group are between the ages of eighteen to twenty four. The group has also managed to win several awards in America and is well known as an acclaimed dance troupe internationally. In conclusion, this dance group ensures that they deliver their work to satisfactory. They have extraordinary dancers who showcase their extraordinary skills to satisfactory. This is group is a true testament of the fact that hard work

The Deprieved Woman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Deprieved Woman - Research Paper Example In Afghanistan, unequal employment and education opportunity In 2001, the country was ranked 135 out of 145 in the United Nation Development gender inequality index. In 2008, it was estimated that only 8% of the countries labour force is accounted for by women, despite the fact that they are the major contributor of rural economy (Lough et al., 2). The root cause of this inequality has been attributed to the fact that women are married early and are subordinate to men and they have no claim on partnel inheritance. In Saudi Arabia, Women can’t drive In some countries women mobility is limited, and Saudi Arabia is one of these countries. All forms of independent means of transport are restricted In China & India, Infanticide of Baby Girls. In India and China historically, because of the dowry and one child policy respectively has made a male baby preferred to female child. This has lead to sex selective abortion and infanticide, in 2001 India had 927 female births for every a thousand male birth. In the U.S., gender pay gap In the U.S women make 82% of what their male counterpart earn, despite the recent gains made in education. This is according to the recent study released. These wage gaps persist at all level of education. According to (Forbes magazine, 1), women in the U.S. still earn 77% of what the men earn. U.S is just one of the many countries with this disparity. In Lesotho, restricted land ownership In some of the countries women are not allowed to own land, for in Lesotho a woman cannot have independent to property or land without co-signing with the husband. This limited rights subject women to stay in abusive relationship so as to protect their property. Sexual abuse Women around the world continue to suff er sexual abuse, this occurs in schools, work places and even at homes. In his book, â€Å"A&P†, John Updike describes how girls who walked into â€Å"A&P† attracted the attention of every man who was passing by. The male employees who were working at that particular had a lot of sexual interest. Sammy looks at each of the girls in turn, noticing the details of their hairstyles and their bodies. This indicates his interest is clearly sexual and at one point he appraises Queenie’s breasts. In his book, â€Å"Hills like white elephant†, Ernest Hemingway describes the problems a woman undergoes. The writer talks of the sacrificing nature of the girl for her man. It shows how a man for his own selfish gains, asks the girl to go through abortion, so as that she can pursue a good life and how a girl is willing to sacrifice or give up her source of happiness for the sake of the man. This clearly shows the injustices women undergo. Health care issues for women in prison Over the last few years, the number of prisoners has increased by around 600% in the U.S alone and about 10 million Americans are incarnated each year (Rich et al., 81). Most of the increase has been attributed to lack of education, poverty and the unwillingness of the U.S government to treat addiction and mental illness (Rich et al., 20). Therefore it seems incarceration has become the default response of most of the social injustices. A report by United Nations on drug and crime (UNDOC) released in 2009 shows that many prison policies normally ignore the crucial needs for women and their health (UNDOC,v). The report also show that the number

Evaluating Reading Informally Essay Example for Free

Evaluating Reading Informally Essay Informal approaches to the evaluation of literacy have developed in response to the demands for greater accountability and the influence of national, standardized testing. The strength of informal approaches to evaluation is that it provides immediate feedback to both the student and the teacher. The teacher can use a set of assessment tools to measure student learning while the student can receive specific guidance on what to do to improve her/his reading skills. This essay will explore four informal approaches to reading assessment: teacher observation, teacher-student conferences, workbooks and worksheets and reading portfolios. The first approach, teacher observation, is multi-faceted. It builds on the daily interaction between teacher and students. The purpose of the observation is diagnosis. Teachers â€Å"place students in appropriate materials; assess readiness for a given task; determine reading interest, assess attitudes; and make decisions about decoding, comprehension, and study skills (Pikulski and Shanahan, 1982, p. 2). Although McKenna and Stahl (2003) would agree with Pikulski and Shanahan (1982) about the importance of teacher observation, they would disagree about the purpose. McKenna and Stahl (2003) refer to the process of diagnosis as â€Å"The Deficit Model† (p. 2) and what emerges from such a model is terms like â€Å"remediation† and â€Å"remedial reader† (p. 2). Instead McKenna and Stahl (2003) prefer â€Å"A Cognitive Model† (p. 8) where the teacher observes the capacity of students for â€Å"automatic word recognition† (p. 10), â€Å"language comprehension† (p. 15), and â€Å"strategic knowledge† (p. 19). Taking â€Å"automatic word recognition† as one example of how teachers apply their observation skills, teachers examine students’ abilities to predict or judge the appropriateness of a word in a given context, the fluency with which students read aloud passages in class, how quickly and accurately students recognize the most common words in the English language, whether students can use their language skills to decode new, unfamiliar words, and whether students understand the sounds associated with letters and words, not just the contexts. The second informal assessment technique, teacher-student conference, provides an opportunity for the teacher to assess student perceptions of their own progress. Rather than using the conference like a teacher-parent conference where the parents receive updates on the child’s progress, the teacher-student conference provides an opportunity for teachers to understand a student’s reading interests, attitudes towards reading, and the meaning-making strategies a student uses in the process of reading various kinds of materials (Pikulski and Shanahan, 1982, p. 3). Caldwell (2002) identifies three purposes of reading assessment: identify good reader behaviors, determine student reading level, and document student progress (p. 5). Some of what Caldwell (2002) identifies as good reading behaviors can be gauged during teacher-student conferences, especially in how each individual student makes meaning from any given text. Some of Caldwell’s (2002) reader behaviors are to â€Å"connect what they know with the information in the text, determine what is important in the text, recognize the structure of the text, and summarize and reorganize ideas in the text† (p. 8). Standardized tests do not allow students to use their personal backgrounds in interpretive reading, nor does it allow for exploring more than one important idea (the main idea) in a text. By using teacher-student conferences in a way that all students can express themselves, teachers create a space for increased learning. This idea touches on what McKenna and Stahl (2003) call â€Å"The Contextual Approach,† one distinct from a learning style model (p. 3). The third informal reading assessment, workbooks and worksheets, enable teachers to focus on individual students and their needs in practicing a specific skill (Pikulski and Shanahan, 1982, p. 8). The numerous workbooks on the market and worksheets on the internet make this approach a relative quick and time-saving way to assess student learning. None of the informal instructional methods should be used alone and this particular assessment method highlights the danger of approaching one method as a singular way to help students improve their reading skills. Reading instructors want students to not only improve their facility with recognizing and constructing words, sentences, and paragraphs, we also want students to make inferences, ask questions about the implications of a particular way of thinking, and synthesize multiple sources of information on an issue (Caldwell, 2002, p. 8). The ability to perform these latter tasks is consistent with what McKenna and Stahl (2003) describe as strategic reading knowledge (p. 19). Finally, the fourth assessment technique, reading portfolios, enable students to develop an informed perspective about their own reading and writing. Documenting student progress is one of the three reasons for assessing reading (Caldwell, 2002, p. 11). The benefit of this approach as an informal technique is that is shows the student the specific kind of improvement made in any given area. Unlike standardized tests, which compare students to a national norm or a cutoff score (Caldwell, 2002, p. 12-13), records of student progress assess a student’s learning in the area of reading over time. It also provides feedback to the instructor about teaching strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, reading portfolios â€Å"help the student keep track of books read, favorite stories, scores on workbooks/worksheets, or progress in various learning centers† (Pikulski and Shanahan, 1982, p. 8). In summarizing the value of informal reading assessments, Caldwell (2002) states it very succinctly when she says, â€Å"informal instruments are authentic than formal measures. They are similar to the actual task of reading. Reading a passage and retelling its contents are more authentic than reading a short paragraph and answering multiple-choice questions by filling in little bubbles on a scan sheet† (p. 13). The word â€Å"authentic† refers to an assessment’s ability to measure reading. Caldwell (2002) describes the value of informal assessment tools in their ability to mimic the reading process. Informal assessment techniques return control of the learning process to the teachers and students who interact on a daily basis within a classroom. In many ways, they are more important than formal reading assessments because they provide qualitative feedback. References Caldwell, J. S. (2002). Reading assessment: A primer for teachers and tutors. New York: The Guilford Press. Johns, J. L. (1982).The dimensions and uses of informal reading assessment. In J. J. Pikulski and T. Shanahan (Eds. ), Approaches to the informal evaluation of reading. (pp. 1-11). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. McKenna, M. C. , and Stahl, S. A. (2003). Assessment for reading instruction. New York: The Guilford Press. Tierney, R. J. (1991). Portfolio assessment in the reading-writing classroom. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers. 9 November 2008. http://library. gcu. edu. Yancey, K. B. (1989). Reflection in the writing classroom. Logan, UT: Utah University Press. 9 November 2008. http://library. gcu. edu.

The Evolution of Ichthyosaurs- Large Aquatic Reptiles Essay -- Anthrop

The Evolution of Ichthyosaurs- Large Aquatic Reptiles In the early 1800’s, a new discovery that left paleontologists in awe was the fossil finding of the immeasurable amount of species of reptiles, Ichthyosaurs. Greek for â€Å"fish lizards†, these fossils were found all over the world. Because these large aquatic reptiles migrated just as whales do today, paleontologists have had the amazing advantage of collecting fascinating bone fragments throughout the past 177 years. Ichthyosaurs swam the ocean life from about 245 million until about 90 million years ago- approximately the same time dinosaurs ruled the land. The earliest Ichthyosaur fossil findings were in parts of Canada, China, Japan, and possibly Thailand. Countless fossils came from coatings of limestone produced out of the ocean-floor ooze that was predominantly superior at preserving very well facts of the creatures it digested (Perkins 2). Andrea Fildani and Michael Shultz, graduate students in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, uncovered the bones of an Ichthyosaur near the southernmost tip of Chilean Patagonia. These rock layers were initially deposited at the floor of an ocean more than 100 million years ago. In their findings of the Chilean boulder, they were fortunate enough to find 17 vertebrae along with neural arches that encircle the spinal cord as well as some ribs. Paleontologists firmly agreed with Fildani’s notion that the bones had been 8 to 9 feet long and had existed around 140 million years ago (Mason 1). As time progressed, Ichthyosaurs transitioned their body like features from a lizard-shaped body plan to a fish-shaped one through the early and middle Triassic periods. In 1927, the first bone fragments were foun... ...tyles in Jurassic ichthyosaurs†. Journal of Vertebrae Paleontology 21 (No. 1): 61-73. Mason, Betsy. â€Å"Ichthyosaur find may challenge notions about prehistoric migrations†. Stanford Report.com 7 February 2003. 20 March 2004. < http://news service.stanford.edu/news/2003/february12/ichthyosaur-25.html> Motani, Ryosuke. â€Å"Rulers of the Jurassic Seas†. ScientificAmerican.com 19 December 2000. 22 March 2004. Perkins, Sid. â€Å"Sea Dragons†. Science News Online 162 (No. 8): 1-11. 24 Aug. 2002. Pickrell, John. â€Å"Ichthyosaur’s Turtle Supper Causes Extinction Debate†. National Geographic News.com 5 August 2003. 22 March 2004.

Investing Stocks and Bonds Essay

Investing in Stocks and Bonds Stocks and Bonds are different in many ways. A stock is a portion or share of the ownership of a corporation. A share will give the owner of the stock the company’s profits or loses over time. The good thing about stocks is they can be sold at almost any time as long as there is someone willing to buy. A bond, on the other hand, is a fixed interest financial asset issued by governments, companies, banks, and other large entities. Bonds also are called funds. Bonds pay the owner a fixed amount a specific date, or on specified dates depending on the type of bond. If the bond is a discount bond, then there is one pay date at the end. If the bond is a coupon bond, then it pays a fixed amount over a specific time. The time could be by month, or by year. My team was assigned the task of investing 120,000 dollars over ten years. We were to invest 80% of 120,000 dollars in stocks and 20% in bonds. We invested in six different stocks and two bonds. Also, we split the money. Therefore, we each invested 6,000 dollars per year in three stocks and one bond. The first stock I decided to invest in was Nike Inc. Nike Inc. is a strongly advertised and a well-distributed company (Nike). Nike Inc. is known well across the world (Nike). When it comes to shoes, clothes, or sports apparel, everyone has at least one item of Nike. In most cases, people own multiple things of Nike equipment. Nike Inc. spends great amounts of time and money on their products (Nike). Also, Nike Inc. is extremely popular among sports. That is relevant because I am an athlete, and own many Nike products. Almost every pair of shoes I own is Nike, besides dress shoes. This all proceeded to tell me, as an investor, to get involved in a part of the company. I took 2,000 dollars of the 6,000 dollars and invested in Nike Inc. Every year for ten years I bought 2,000 dollars worth of shares. The number of shares each year ranged from 24 shares to 42 shares of Nike Inc. stock. In April of 2007, there was a stock split for Nike Inc. The shares split 2:1. So the number of shares I owned up to that point doubled. I owned roughly 197 shares before the 2:1 split. After the split I accumulated about 395 shares. The total number of shares at the end of ten years was approximately 527 shares. My shares sold for $89. 34 each. The total earned from Nike Inc. was $47,130. 76. Another stock is Buckle Inc. This is another company in the clothing industry; however, Buckle Inc. urprised me with how well they did. Buckle Inc. is a popular clothing store for young adults (Buckle). They have jeans, dress shirts, shoes, and other clothing (Buckle). Their products can get expensive, but they are made well (Buckle). Many young adults shop at Buckle Inc. for the variety of trendy options they offer (Buckle). This is relevant beca use I am a young adult, and have shopped at Buckle before. I also know many friends and family who has shopped in Buckle as well. If someone asks around looking for a nice pair of jeans the answer is, â€Å"Have you tried Buckle? They have a nice selection. Like in Nike Inc. , I took 2,000 dollars to invest in this fine company. In 2001 when I started, the shares were quite low in price. The first year I owned over 100 shares. Unlike Nike Inc. , there was more than one split for Buckle Inc. There were two stock splits within the ten years. One split came in January of 2007, and another split came in October of 2008. Both of the stock splits were 3:2 splits. Prior to the first split I owned around 460 shares. After the split I owned about 690 shares. Before the second split I had approximately 786 shares. Following the second split I owned around 1,180 shares. The total number of shares in the end was about 1362 shares. Each sold for $44. 21 coming to a total of $60,238. 45. The last stock I invested in was in the outrageous oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry can be a risky investment; therefore, I was not guaranteed to come out on top or, in another words, succeed. If success were the outcome, the profit would be fairly significant. I tried Chevron Corporation because they seemed reliable compared to other oil and gas companies (Chevron). Chevron Corporation has been known to strive beyond expectations, and care for the safety of the workforce and environment (Chevron). Chevron products are recognized for their quality, performance, and technology around the world (Chevron). I decided to be on the safe side and only invest 1,000 dollars in Chevron Corporation because of the risk factor that comes into play with the oil and gas industry. Chevron Corporation actually did well after all. The share prices were high to start with. Chevron Corporation had one stock split within the ten years. In September of 2004, the 2:1 split helped my number of shares go from about 48 shares to around 97 shares total. In the end I owned a total of approximately 180 shares. These shares sold for a big $105. 38 each. This nearly doubled the 10,000 dollars. The total after the ten years in Chevron Corporation was $18,982. 67. The one mutual fund I invested in was with PIMCO. This global investment authority offers many different bonds such as: absolute return bonds, asset allocations, convertibles, municipal bonds, core bonds, etc. (PIMCO). The bond I chose was a core bond. This bond was the PIMCO Total Return Fund. This particular fund focuses on a solid core fixed-income (PIMCO). The fund will typically invest in a diversified portfolio of securities (PIMCO). One thing I noticed when researching PIMCO Total Return Fund was that the worst one year return for this bond was 0. 28% (PIMCO). This made PIMCO a reliable source in my eyes. I selected to invest 1,000 dollars with PIMCO because it is a popular, reliable investment company. The shares for this fund had a low price. Each share was $10. 65 in July of 2001. This investment consisted of many more shares at a much lower price. I owned roughly 90 more shares every year. The total number of shares after ten years was about 1030 shares. Each share sold for $11. 12. This gave me a total of $11,456. 71 in returns. After investing 60,000 dollars over ten years in three stocks and one bond, I accumulated a total of $137,808. 59. Buckle Inc. was my best investment earning $60,238. 45 over ten years. Surprisingly Buckle Inc. was able to triple its profit over the total ten years I invested. Nike Inc. over doubled in the ten years. Nike Inc. did quite well throughout the ten years. Chevron was the least earning stock; however, this investment earned almost double the 10,000 dollars initially spent on the stock. The PIMCO Total Return Fund was what Dr. Duke considers a low risk/low reward investment. The PIMCO Total Return Fund was conservative. The total at the end of ten years in the PIMCO Fund was $11,456. 71. This fund earned a small amount over 14% profit. This was actual a very respectable profit for a mutual fund. Overall the total return from all the investments was a tremendous profit. Going from 60,000 dollars to 137,000 dollars was remarkable. Not everyone succeeds in the market; however, this is a great illustration of how well someone can do in the world of investment when it comes to stocks and bonds. Works Cited â€Å"Buckle Inc. † Buckle. com: Men’s and Women’s On-Trend Fashion Clothing & Designer Jeans

Fresh Water Essay

1. Introduction Fresh water is an indispensable resource for human livelihood, agricultural irrigation and economic development (Brooks, 2007). However, due to the rapid population growth and the limited reserves, increasing regions have faced serious scarcity of fresh water (Williamson, 2010). Saudi Arabia is one of the driest countries in the world (CIA, 2011). According to World Bank (2011), the world average fresh water consumption is nearly 7000m ³/year/person, while the water resource per capita in Saudi Arabia is less than 1200m ³/year/person. In order to satisfy the demand for water, Saudi Arabia currently supplies fresh water via deep drilling of fossil groundwater (UNESCO, 2009). Nevertheless, society increasingly recognises that those water resources are non-renewable and are liable to be reduced by the overexploited boreholes and wells. Thus Saudi Arabia needs to find alternative and sustainable methods to solve these issues. Since there is abundant sea water around Saudi Arabia, large-scale desalination could be the ideal solution to water scarcity. However, the expensive cost and the detrimental influence on the environment might limit the scale and sustainability of this method. Due to the cheap cost and the minor environmental damage, wastewater reuse is regarded as another potential solution. However, it seems to have a low social acceptance. Therefore, this report will compare the feasibility of desalination and water reuse in terms of cost, social acceptance and environmental impacts, thereby exploring the most suitable method to deal with the scarcity of water in Saudi Arabia. 2. Background Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea (CIA, 2011). It is famous for the abundant reserves of oil and gas. However, the fresh water resources in Saudi Arabia are very limited. According to World Bank (2011), there is no one river and lake with perennial water throughout this country. Furthermore, due to the influence of the subtropical climate, the annual precipitation is only about 100 mm and the climate is hot and dry (ibid.). Additionally, rapid population growth has caused higher increase of demand for water (Abderrahman, 2000). Shortages of water have constrained the development of agriculture and economy (Williamson, 2010). Since the underground water is estimated to be able to supply for 320 years, the underground water is still the principal source of water at present (UNESCO, 2009: 100). However, with the increasing awareness of defects of this method, the focus of the future development of water provision has shifted to other sustainable water technologies. In order to deal with fresh water shortages, desalination has received enormous investments. According to Abu-Arabi (2007), in 2004 the number of desalination industries reached 30 and they can supply 1.1 billion cubic metres of fresh water per year. Wastewater reuse is regarded as another future means of water provision. According to Bashitialshaaer et al (2009), in 2009 there were 33 wastewater treatment plants with a capacity of 748 billion cubic metres per year. 3. Requirements Cost should be the principal consideration of water provision because an expensive cost might limit the scale of application of methods. This also includes the cost of energy consumption. Social acceptance plays a significant role in the development of water supply technologies. If the water cannot be accepted by society, it will lead to very little consumption. Environment has a profound influence on human beings. In order to prevent water supply technology undermining the environment, its impacts on the environment should be considered. 4. Presentation of options 4.1 Desalination Desalination is â€Å"a specific treatment process to take minerals from saline water to purify for drinking water and irrigation† (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). Sometimes this process is used to take salinity and other pollutants from wastewater. The general method of desalination is reverse osmosis or multi-stage flash distillation (Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, 2008). 4.2 Water Reuse Water reuse means treating wastewater to a specific quality, and then using treated or reclaimed water from one application for another application (McKenzie, 2005; Asano, 2006). The resources for wastewater reuse are various; according to Asano (2006), they could be domestic wastewater, industrial sewage, municipal sewage or agricultural wastewater. 5. Comparison of Options 5.1 Cost Although the cost of desalination has decreased dramatically in the past three decades, it is still expensive to use in large scale. Alghariani (2003) points out that the expenditure of desalination consists of initial investment for equipment, running costs (including staff and maintenance), as well as chemicals or specialised parts. At present, according to the Third World Water Assessment Report (UNESCO, 2009: 155), the average cost of desalination is between $0.60/m ³ and $0.80/m ³. Moreover, Owens and Brunsdale (2000, cited in Alghariani, 2003: 5) claim that the cost of desalination in Florida can even be less than $0.55/m ³, which is one-tenth of the cost price in 1979. However, as Wright (2009) points out, this cost is still higher than other water supply technologies. Apart from expenditure, desalination is generally considered a high-cost process due to the enormous energy consumption (Abu-Arabi, 2007). Nevertheless, this does not seem to be a problem for Saudi Arabia. According to the CIA (2010), the proven oil and gas reserves in Saudi Arabia are respectively the first and fifth in the world. As Abu-Arabi (2007) points out, in Saudi Arabia the annual solar energy received by each square kilometre of land is equivalent to 1.5 million barrels of crude oil. Abundant energy may lead to a low price. Nevertheless, oil is non-renewable and oil reserves are estimated to last less than one century (World Energy Council, 2010), so the consumption of energy should be taken into account as a considerable cost. Moreover, the treatment of the waste gas generated by desalination also increases the cost (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). The cost of water reuse is influenced by various factors such as treatment level, intended reuse options, location of treatment, wastewater collection and transportation. According to Qadir et al (2009), the average cost of recycling water is approximately $1.79 per cubic metre. However, compared to desalination, wastewater reuse has the advantage of cost. Fryer (2010) demonstrates that the relative marginal cost of seawater desalination is higher than water recycling, and amounts to up to $2000 per acre-foot. The water recycling represented a general fluctuation pattern between approximately $300 and $1000 per acre-foot (Fryer, 2010). Even so, water recycling appears cheaper than desalination. 5.2 Social acceptance While both options can generate safe water, desalination seems to have higher social acceptance. Sloane (2009) investigated the acceptance of desalination and water reuse at Nourieh Palms. As shown in Table 2, in all areas but particularly drinking water, the approval rate for desalination is higher than water reuse. This reflects that more people trust the quality of water which is generated by desalination. Source: Sloane (2009: 128) For most uses, reclaimed water tends to have lower social acceptance than desalination. There are various reasons why people do not trust reclaimed water. First, most people do not understand the difference between treated and untreated water (McKenzie, 2005). Secondly, they are often concerned about the type of wastewater, treatment levels and the availability of information (Qadir, 2009). There are particular concerns with the wastewater produced by the petroleum industry, brought to the surface when drilling oil. This kind of wastewater is difficult to treat due to the high content of oil (Asatekin and Mayes, 2009). Therefore, though reclaimed water undergoes a very thorough treatment process which makes it entirely safe to drink, the public are reluctant to drink treated sewage. However, it is not impossible that people will accept drinking such treated sewage. For example, Singapore has successfully used reclaimed water, a product named NEWater, to supply drinking water (Tortajada, 2006). This reflects that treated wastewater could become widely accepted through public education. 5.3 Influence on environment There are some environmental disadvantages of desalination. Since Saudi Arabia is rich in oil and gas, clean energy such as solar energy tends to be used less than fossil energy (Al-Sahlawi, 1999). The overuse of fossil energy may cause serious environmental pollution. For instance, oil might generate large quantities of carbon dioxide, which is the main factor leading to global warming (Al-Aza, 2005). Furthermore, the gas emissions from oil could undermine the ozone layer and cause acid rain (ibid.). In addition to environmental pollution caused by fossil energy, brine discharge is another serious problem. After desalination, the brines generally have a higher concentration of salt, nearly twice that of natural seawater (Tsiourtis, 2002). The brines are generally discharged back to the same place where the seawater comes from. This might lead to increased concentration of salt in the sea, which is a potential threat to aquatics. In contrast with the desalination, wastewater reuse is regarded as an eco-friendly way to supply fresh water. Recycling water can maximise the use of rainfall and other current water resources so that the limited underground water resources can be conserved (Miller, 2005). In the meantime, decreased energy consumption could reduce the pollution caused by the use of fossil energy (Ghermandi et al, 2007). Therefore, recycled water is a sustainable and eco-friendly method to supply good quality fresh water. 6. Conclusion From the information given above, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) Both desalination and wastewater reuse are feasible water supply technologies. 2) The cost of desalination has decreased dramatically, but is still far more than water reuse. Desalination requires more capital and energy. 3) Reclaimed water has low public acceptance, especially for drinking water. 4) Desalination could undermine the environment, while water reuse is eco-friendly. 7. Recommendation Considering the cost and the impact on the environment, wastewater reuse is recommended to be used as the main water supply technology. Although the public acceptance of recycled water is lower than desalination, the example of Singapore has proven that reclaimed water could be accepted in daily life. Desalination is a costly water supply technology. Furthermore, it needs a vast amount of energy. Even if Saudi Arabia has abundant oil and gas reserves, as these resources are non-renewable, desalination is not suitable for sustainable water supply. Additionally, it has detrimental influences upon the environment. Therefore, Saudi Arabia should improve the ratio of wastewater reuse in the whole fresh water supply system. 8. References Abderrahman, W. (2000). Urban Water Management in Developing Arid Countries. Water Resources Development 16 (1) pp7-20. Abu-Arabi, M. (2007). Status and Prospects for Solar Desalination in the Mena Region. In Rizzuti, L., Ettouney, H., and Cipollina, A. (eds.) Solar Desalination for the 21st Century: A Review of Modern Technologies and Researches on Desalination Coupled to Renewable Energies (pp163-178). Dordrecht: Springer. Al-Aza, M. (2005). Oil Pollution and Its Environmental Impact in the Arabian Gulf Region. Boston: Elsevier. Alghariani, S. (2003). Water Transfer Versus Desalination in North Africa: Sustainability and Cost Comparison. London: School of Oriental and African Studies. Al-Sahlawi, M. (1999). Seawater Desalination in Saudi Arabia: Economic Review and Demand Projections. Desalination (123) pp143-147. Asano, T. (2006). Water Reuse: Issues, Technologies and Applications. New York: McGraw Hill. Asatekin, A. And Mayes, A. (2009). Oil Industry Wastewater Treatment with Fouling Resistant Membranes Containing Amphiphilic Comb Copolymers. Evrion. Sci. Technol. 43 (12) pp. 4487-4492. Bashitialshaaer, R., Persson, K., and Larsson, M. (2009). Estimated Future Production of Desalinated Seawater in the MENA Countries and Consequences for the Recipients. Dubai: IDA World Congress. Brooks, D. (2007). Fresh Water in the Middle East and North Africa. In Lipchin, C., Pallant, E., Saranga, D. And Amster, A. (eds.) Water Resources Management and Security in the Middle East (pp. 33-64). Dordrecht: Springer. CIA (2011). Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sa.html Fryer J. (2010). An Investigation of the Marginal Cost of Seawater Desalination in California. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://r4rd.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Cost_of_Seawater_Desalination__Final_3-18-09.pdf Ghermandi, A., Bixio, D. And Thoeye, C. (2007). The Role of Free Water Constructed Wetlands As Polishing Step in Municipal Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse. Science of the Total Environment. 380 (1-3) pp. 247-258. Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club (2008). Desalination: Is It Worth the Salt?. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://texas.sierraclub.org/press/Desalination.pdf McKenzie, C. (2005). Wastewater Reuse Conserves Water and Protects Waterways. On Tap Winter 44 (4) pp46-51. Miller, G. (2005). Integrated Concepts in Water Reuse: Managing Global Water Needs. Desalination 187 (1-3) pp. 65-75. Tsiourtis, N. (2002). Desalination and the Environment. Desalination. 141 (3) pp. 223-236. UNESCO (2009). The United Nations World Water Development Report, 3: Water in a Changing World. Paris and London: Earthscan. Qadir, M., Bahri, A., Sato, T., and Al-Karadsheh, E. (2009). Wastewater Production, Treatment and Irrigation in the Middle East and North Africa. Biomedical and Life Science 24 (1-2) pp37-51. Sloane, T. (2009). Water Provision: A Comparative Analysis. London: Sage. Tortajada, C. (2006). Water Management in Singapore. International Journal of Water Resources Development (22) pp. 227-240. Williamson, F. (2010). Water Management: Traditional and Alternative Approaches. International Resource Management. 15(2) pp. 227-231. World Bank (2011). Saudi Arabia. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://data.worldbank.org/country/saudi-arabia World Energy Council (2010). Issues. Retrieved 5 April 2011 from http://worldenergy.org/Issues Wright, G. (2009). The Economic Feasibility of Desalination for Water Supply to Arid Regions. Global Water Issues 13 (2) pp202-206.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Free Online Research Papers Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are one of the largest health problems in the United States, as well as throughout the world. There are fifteen million newly diagnosed cases each year in the United States alone, and approximately 25% are acquired by teenagers . According to national statistics one out of four Americans will contract a STD by the age of twenty-four, and at least another quarter of the population will become infected at some point in their lifetime. Approximately sixty-five million Americans have an incurable STD (not including HIV), yet the United States has the highest rate of curable diseases in the developed world. It is estimated that approximately 8.4 billion dollars are spent towards the treatment of STDs each year. There are many different types of STDs: Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, genital warts, hepatitis B, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are some of the better known diseases. Th e following paragraphs will elaborate on and differentiate between the above mentioned diseases. Chlamydia Chlamydia is caused by bacteria known as Chlamydia trachomatis. This is the most common bacterial STD. This bacterium has been found to infect the eyes, causing conjunctivitis, particularly in newborns that contract it from their mother, the throat, usually in people who perform fellatio on an infected male, and both genital and rectal areas of the body after sexual intercourse or anal sex with an infected partner. In men this disease can lead to problems such as inflammation of the urethra, urethritis of the epididymis, epididymitis of the prostate, prostatitis, and proctitis, Chlamydia can also lead to Reiters syndrome, which is continuous urethritis, arthritis, conjunctivitis, and skin rashes even after the treatment of the disease. In women it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) affecting fertility, urethritis, inflammation of the cervix, cervicitis of the Bartholins gland, bartholinitis of the fallopian tubes, salpingitis of the liver, and perihepatitis, also known as Fitz-Hugh Curtis syndrome, as well as causing reactive arthritis. (www.nlm.nih.gov) Most people, fifty percent of males and seventy five percent of females, do not experience any symptoms. Symptoms for men include discharge from the penis, burning with urination, an itchy or irritated urethra, and redness at the tip of the penis. Symptoms for women include genital discharge, burning with urination, pelvic pain, and/or bleeding between periods or after intercourse. No test for Chlamydia is one hundred percent accurate. Culturing for the bacteria is the oldest method of detection, which now is preferred to detect the disease in the throat or rectum. Testing for proteins and genetic material associated with Chlamydia has also been developed. The most accurate (ninety percent) is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or the ligase chain reaction (LCR) which test directly for the genetic material of Chlamydia through either swabs or urine. Once detected, antibiotics are used to treat the disease. Although there may be long term affects Chlamydia itself is completely curable. Popular medicines include doxycycline, offlozcin, erythromycin, and azithromycin. Medicines must be taken for their full course. Follow up testing is also important to make sure that the disease has been effectively treated or that one has not been re-infected. Condoms are usually very successful at preventing the contraction of Chlamydia. (Marr, 1998) Gonorrhea Gonorrhea is also caused by bacteria known as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Close to one million people are infected each year in the United States. Unfortunately, women are much more susceptible to contract the disease if sexually active with an infected partner. Men have a twenty to thirty percent chance of contraction when sexually involved with an infected partner, while women have a sixty to eighty percent chance. (www.nlm.nih.gov). Gonorrhea has many of the same effects as Chlamydia, including urethritis, epididymitis, and prostatitis in men, while causing urethritis, cervicitis, salpingitis, perihepatitis, and PID in women. Other similarities include infections of the throat, eyes and the rectum. Gonorrhea can also lead to joint infections, infections of the brain and spinal cord lining (meningitis), infections of the heart valves (endocarditis), and skin sores. People infected with Gonorrhea also become more susceptible to contracting other sexually transmitted diseases. Most people do experience symptoms of gonorrhea, however about ten percent of men and twenty to forty percent of women do not. Symptoms can include all of those associated with Chlamydia as well as vaginal swelling in women, and frequent urination in men. Culturing is the most prevalent method in testing for gonorrhea. The bacteria can also be identified under a microscope. LCRs and PCRs may also be used. All methods involve swabbing of possible infected areas. Antibiotics are used to treat this disease. Depending on the severity of the infections different methods of administration can be used. A single injection of ceftriaxone, or oral medications such as ofloxacin, cefixime, and ciprofloxacin are all used in treating gonorrhea. Condoms again are the best method of prevention. Follow up testing is also important. (Marr, 1998) Syphilis Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Fifty thousand new cases of syphilis occur in the United States annually. One out of one thousand children are born with syphilis contracted from the mother. Syphilis can be contracted by contact of any mucus membranes. There are three stages of symptoms. The first stage occurs after about three weeks and consists of a painless open sore, known as a chancre, at the site of primary infection and painless swelling of the lymph nodes. The second stage may consist of all or some of the following, a red painless rash over the entire body, swelling of the lymph nodes, fever, sore throat, joint pain, headaches, hair loss, and wart like lesions in the genital area. The tertiary or late stage of syphilis includes the destruction of the body systems and organs, including the brain which is known as neurosyphilis; It is this stage which is life threatening. There are two ways to detect syphilis. The bacteria can be found under a microscope after swabbing an infected area, or a blood test to check for an immune system reaction to the disease. Often there are false positives in blood tests, so multiple tests are necessary. Penicillin is the most common form of treatment for syphilis, and it must be injected in order to become fully successful. Early stages may be cured with one injection, the later may involve more over several weeks. Neurosyphilis requires intravenous penicillin for up to two weeks. Those who are allergic to penicillin may be treated with doxycycline or tetracycline. Again follow up testing is used to measure the success of treatment. (Marr, 1998) Herpes Herpes is a viral infection. The virus is known as herpes simplex virus or simply â€Å"HSV†. There are two types: HSV-1 and HSV-2. HSV-1 usually causes cold sores around the mouth. HSV-2 generally causes open sores in the genital area. However, both viruses can cause sores on any mucus membrane including the anal area, eyes and broken skin, which means that genital herpes can be caused by either virus. Seventy million Americans have oral herpes, less than one third show symptoms. About forty five million Americans have genital herpes caused by the type two virus, with about half a million new cases being reported annually in the United States. Herpes can be especially dangerous because there are often no symptoms present. Infected individuals will often engage in sexual activities and unknowingly spread the disease on to their partners. Forty percent of those with genital herpes are symptom free after initial infection; those who do develop symptoms do so within two to twenty days. Twenty percent will remain symptom free their entire lifetime. Seventy percent of those with oral herpes will never notice symptoms. Herpes can also lead to meningitis, and encephalitis, or inflation of brain tissues. An outbreak is the term for the visible and painful sores which occur. Some experience a prodrome, or itching or tingling, prior to an outbreak. It is also possible for the virus to come to the surface without an outbreak, which is referred to as asymptomatic or subclinical shedding of the virus. Even without symptoms this shedding must occur in those infected. Men are more likely to show symptoms than women. The first outbreak is usually the most severe. The longer this first outbreak of type two lasts the more outbreaks can be expected in a year. Those with type one usually have one outbreak a year. Generally, outbreaks last ten to fourteen days, but can last up to six weeks. Herpes can be detected by culturing, or skin/blood tests including PCRs. The Tzanck skin test checks an infected piece of skin under a microscope for characteristics of herpes. It cannot distinguish type one from type two. This test has a fifty percent false negative, and therefore must be combined with additional testing when results are negative. Western blot assays and immunodot assays can be used to distinguish type one from type two although neither can say where in the body the infection lies. Though there is no cure for herpes, there are however medicines which help to treat and prevent outbreaks. Suppressants include acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famiciclovir. All these are also used in treating outbreaks, as well as penciclovir cream for cold sores. (Marr, 1998) HPV Genital warts are caused by the virus known as human papillomavirus (HPV). This is possibly the most common STD in the United States, with an estimated forty to seventy percent of sexually active people having HPV. There are over seventy types of HPV with some strains being responsible for several types of warts. Each strain tends to affect a specific area of the body. There are about twelve that affect the genital area, strains six and eleven tend to cause visible genital warts, while strains sixteen and eighteen can lead to cervical or skin cancer. Symptoms of genital warts do not always occur, yet once they do it is usually about ninety days after infection; although they sometimes take years to appear. Some will never experience symptoms in their lifetime. Though genital warts are painless they often produce itchy and fleshy bumps which can occur anywhere from the lower abdomen to the upper thighs. Urethral warts most likely will not have symptoms, but they include urethral bleeding or discharge, and/or a change in urine flow. Symptoms may clear up on their own, about twenty percent of the time, or after treatment but there is always the chance of re-occurrence. (www.cdc.gov) Genital warts can be detected visually. There is no blood test for warts as of today, although PCR can detect the virus but is not known to be definitive. A colposcopy can detect warts that are not easily visible. A colposcope is a machine used to magnify viewing of the cervix, where internal warts may reside. Since there is no cure for HPV, treatment is only used in order to stop visible symptoms. It does not prevent the spread of the disease. Cryotheropy is the act of using liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill the skin tissue of the wart. This can be used on external and cervical warts, though not on vaginal warts due to the fragile nature of the tissue. Since several treatments may be necessary the process can be painful, and redness or blistering will likely occur. Topical treatments include podophyllin or trichloracetic acid (TCA). These solutions are applied directly to warts not located on mucosal skin, as this can cause detrimental side affects if absorbed through mucosal skin, and can be combined with other treatments. Repeated use may also be necessary. Another less intense and less painful topical treatment is imiquimod. It is a cream applied to warts several times a week, for up to sixteen weeks. It has been shown to stimulate the bodys own natural immune ability. Surgery uses a scalpel to cut off warts after local anesthesia. Electro surgery uses an electrified blade or wire to perform this same task. Laser surgery requires general anesthesia and uses a laser on affected tissue to remove it. Today several vaccines are also being tested which may prevent the contraction of this disease as well as help to prevent symptoms in those infected. (Marr, 1998) Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is caused by a virus. This infection causes damage to and inflammation of the liver. Three hundred thousand new cases occur in the United States annually. Of those infected, about five thousand die of it annually. Ten percent of people in the United States blood test show evidence of this disease. Most of those infected show few or no symptoms of hepatitis B, only about one third of those infected do. Older people and those in poor health are more likely to show symptoms, which include nausea, yellowing of the skin, or jaundice, headaches, a rash which may itch, diarrhea, and/or a change of color in excrements. These usually occur within four months of initial infection, and symptoms last one to two months. This can escalate to fulminant hepatitis, which is severe liver damage, possibly causing death. In one percent of cases it progresses to liver failure, of which seventy five percent die. Problems with the skin, kidneys, and blood cells may also result. Ninety five percent of people will recover and develop immunity to the infection. The other five percent becomes carriers. There are two types of carriers, one third having chronic active hepatitis, and two thirds having chronic persistent hepatitis. The former is more severe and more contagious. Those who develop this can also develop cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver, as well as liver cancer. Those with the latter usually have very mild or no symptoms at all. Even carriers may eventually become free of this disease. There is a specific blood test for hepatitis B, which can test for either immune responses to the virus or for the virus itself. This test can distinguish between those vaccinated, those who have recovered, and those whom are carriers. The stage of this infection can be determined through a liver biopsy. Though treatment is not always necessary it is recommended as the best course of action along with adequate rest. For those who develop chronic hepatitis, alpha-interferon and steroids administered intravenously help to counter the infection. Oral medicines such as lamivudine and famciclovir are currently being tested. After liver failure a transplant is necessary, even then it may still become re-infected. This disease can be prevented with a vaccine. (Marr, 1998) HIV/AIDS HIV and AIDS are caused by a virus. Over thirty million people, globally, have this virus. Sixteen thousand new cases occur daily. One million infected are within the United States. There are no definitive symptoms for HIV, although some, thirty to seventy percent do develop flu like symptoms two to six weeks after infection. Another possible symptom is the swelling of the lymph nodes. Tell-tale symptoms only become prevalent once the disease manifests into AIDS, which takes on average ten years. This virus attacks CD4 cells, which are a part of the immune system. Healthy people have about five hundred CD4 cells. Those with AIDS are defined by having less than two hundred. The less CD4 cells the more susceptible one is to infection. At different counts different infections can occur. Between two hundred and five hundred, one is more susceptible to diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, shingles, yeast infections, cervical cancer, anemia, Kaposis sarcoma, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and others. Between one and two hundred, one is more susceptible to AIDS dementia, and wasting syndrome, or inability to maintain a healthy body weight. Between fifty and one hundred, one can develop cytomegalovirus retinitis, also known as inflammation of the retina, toxoplasmosis, and/or criptococcosis. Less then fifty often results in Mycobacterium avium complex infection, cryptosporidiosis, progressive multifocal leukencephalopathy, and/or primary central nervous system lymphoma. It is these seco ndary infections and the bodys inability to detect and fight them which eventually lead to death. Blood tests and cultures can detect the presence of the virus. Blood tests are the most accurate, which detect the viral proteins, genetic material, or antibodies associated with HIV. Cultures are usually not used except in research settings. There is no cure for HIV or AIDS, thus treatment consists of delaying the progress of this disease. The CD4 count must be carefully monitored and each stage of damage requires different treatments. The two classes of medicines aimed at treating HIV both help stop the virus from replicating, but in different ways. Ziovudine, didanosine, zalcitabine, stavudine, and lamivudine are known as antiretroviral and make up one group. Saquinivir, indinavir, and retonivir make up the other and are known as protease inhibitors. Combinations of these drugs are considered the best treatment. The secondary infections must also be treated as they occur. New medications and further research continue to expand treatments. (Marr, 1998) It is apparent that sexually transmitted diseases are a major problem in our society. They pose a threat to any sexual relationship including marriage. Since many have no symptoms partners often infect each other and may not know it. In a marriage the sudden occurrence of symptoms or the detection of an STD can cause suspicion of an affair leading to great stress on the relationship. The financial expenses associated with treatment can also stress a relationship. Both partners getting tested for STDs before and after entering any sexual relationship should be of utmost importance. Early detection is very important in minimizing the damage to one’s health. Education on the ways of contracting STDs, as well as on how to practice safer sex is important to prevention. Marr, Lisa. (1998). Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Physician Tells You What You Need to Know. Baltimore, MA: The John Hopkins University Press. National Institute of Health, National Library of Medicine Gonorrhea Retrieved October 25, 2008, from nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/gonorrhea.html National Institute of Health, National Library of Medicine Chlamydia Retrieved October 26, 2008, from nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/chlamydiainfections.html Genital HPV Infection CDC Fact Sheet Retrieved November 3, 2008, from cdc.gov/STD/HPV/STDFact-HPV.htm Research Papers on Sexually Transmitted DiseasesGenetic EngineeringThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesGene One the Transition from Private to PublicA Marketing Analysis of the Fast-Food Restaurant19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This NiceStandardized TestingThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug Use

The Purposes of Per

The Purposes of Per The Purposes of â€Å"Per† The Purposes of â€Å"Per† By Mark Nichol Per (from a Latin word meaning â€Å"by,† â€Å"by means of,† or â€Å"through†) is widely employed in English, but it or a phrase in which it appears isn’t necessarily the best option. Here’s a guide to using (or not using) per. In popular usage, per is appropriate in relation to figures (â€Å"65 miles per hour,† â€Å"24 points per game,† â€Å"three items per person,† and so on). It can also, alone or preceded by as, mean â€Å"according to,† as in â€Å"Per your instructions, I deposited the check† and â€Å"She complied as per the usual procedure.† Per is also an adverb synonymous with apiece; though its use in this form may seem like dialect in which the final word of the sentence is dropped (â€Å"I’ll let you have them for five dollars per†), it’s standard usage. In its most common function, however, it is sometimes easily replaced by a, as in â€Å"The position pays $75,000 a year† rather than â€Å"per year† or â€Å"I exercise three times a week† rather than â€Å"per week.† Per as part of a set phrase taken directly from Latin is usually pedantic in popular usage; see the list below for recommendations about the use of such phrases: Per annum: This is an unnecessary substitution for the perfectly useful phrases â€Å"a year,† â€Å"each year,† or even â€Å"per year.† Per capita: This direct borrowing of the Latin phrase meaning â€Å"by the head† is commonly employed in financial and demographic contexts, but â€Å"per person† is better in general. Per centum: The Latin precursor of the semiabbreviation percent more clearly signals the original meaning (â€Å"for each hundred†) but is obsolete. Per contra: This phrase, meaning â€Å"in contrast to,† is best reserved for legal contexts and only technical ones, at that. Per diem: The translations for this phrase are â€Å"by the day† or â€Å"for the day,† and except in reference to a daily stipend, there’s no reason not to use daily (especially as an adjective). Per mill: In this phrase, mill is from the Latin term mille, meaning â€Å"a thousand,† so the term is akin to percent but spelled as two words. It’s appropriate only in technical usage, however. Per se: Outside of legal usage, this term sometimes misspelled â€Å"per say† by those who mistakenly assume that it refers to the act of speaking means â€Å"in itself,† as in â€Å"I don’t object to the idea per se.† (Note that, unlike as is the case when the English form is used â€Å"I don’t object to the idea, in itself† no punctuation frames the term.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a SentenceHow to Pronounce Mobile8 Great Podcasts for Writers and Book Authors

Studying chemical engineering in the united states Essay

Studying chemical engineering in the united states - Essay Example It is clear that most of the renowned institutions in the world are located in the US including Stanford, Harvard, Yale and John Hopkins University. Sadly, Kuwaiti universities do not enjoy a similar stature. I hope to study in the US because the society has persistently changed because employers are not accepting graduates from any learning institution. A degree from a university can be insignificant especially if it is not recognizable by universal employers and major institutions. Consequently, I saw it essential to choose US since its degrees are recognizable in the world because of their quality. Unlike the colleges in Kuwaiti, the accreditation of US colleges is dependent on the experience of their lecturers, educational structures and appraisal from major corporations. Leading corporations recruit excellent students from reputable organizations to become employees in their institutions. The organizations are confident the recruits present the best talent in the market. The universities in the US are attractive based on their diverse education system; thus, my desire to study in the country. The universities scout for tutors and professors from various backgrounds who are experts. Additionally, the students originate from different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to share similar classrooms and living environments. I believe the diverse perspectives and knowledge of the students and professors add value to the quality of education. Consequently, I am likely to understand diverse viewpoints of the material presented during class when the students and tutors originate from diverse backgrounds. I believe a diverse educational setting presents unique opportunities to the students and tutors. Globalization enhances an individual’s capacity to interact with persons from different cultural settings. The experiences in the American universities will broaden my social and cross cultural