Research Paper About Facebook

Facebook is the most popular social networking site in several English-speaking countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And it was launched in February 2004 that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Facebook is a popular free social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues.As of July 2010  Facebook has more than 500 million active users. Users may create a personal profile, add other users as friends and exchange messages, including automatic notifications when they update their profile. Additionally, users may join common interest user groups, organized by workplace, school, or college, or other characteristics. The name of the service stems from the  colloquial name for the book  given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to ge t to know each other better.Facebook allows anyone who declares them to be at least 13 years old to become a registered user of the website. Facebook was founded by  Mark Zuckerberg  with his college roommates and fellow computer science students  Eduardo Saverin,  Dustin Moskovitz  and  Chris Hughes. The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to  Harvard  students, but was expanded to other colleges in the  Boston  area, the  Ivy League, and  Stanford University. It gradually added support for students at various other universities before opening to high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. A January 2009  Compete. om  study ranked Facebook as the most used  social network  by worldwide monthly active users, followed byMySpace. [9]  Entertainment Weekly  put it on its end-of-the-decade â€Å"best-of† list, saying, â€Å"How on earth did we stalk our exes, remember our co-workers' birthdays, bug ou r friends, and play a rousing game of Scrabulous before Facebook? â€Å"[10]  Quantcast estimates Facebook has 135. 1 million monthly unique U. S. visitors. [11] C. Significance of Facebook Sometimes it is taking a while to get an understanding of the importance of something that is as much in the hype as Facebook is currently in 2007.With its recent positioning as an application platform Facebook has in our view become a unique challenger to established players in the field of Personal Information Infrastructure like Microsoft and Google. We are going to explain this in a way that hopefully also those can get at least the concept behind it who had so far (maybe even after they done a quick inspection of Facebook and some other â€Å"social networks† themselves) a difficult time in understanding the significance of Facebook contribution to application platforms in general. Applications are the building blocks of everyone’s Personal Information Infrastructure.Every a pplication is one block and provides users with a specific, bundled set of features. Sometimes applications (â€Å"integrated applications†) as we know them are sharing important pieces of personally maintained information like Contacts, sometimes they do not. Facebook application; a user is running to access the Facebook Contacts of this user. More importantly: Whenever the user does something of significance inside any Facebook application the platform itself will inform automatically his Contacts about it; Example: Your friend Paul just uploaded a new photo to his album!Your personal Facebook experience is depending on the number and level of activity of your Facebook Contacts. If there is no one on Facebook you know then the value of Facebook will be little or zero for you; but the more of your Contacts are using Facebook applications actively the more value in terms of â€Å"Getting to know about what they do† You will get out of Facebook (classical case of the â €Å"Network Effect†: the more people using a network the higher is the value for the individual user).These messages that the platform is continuously distributing to the Contacts of a user are one of the core features of the application platform Facebook: With this basic mechanism Facebook is allowing that Facebook users by just using their Facebook applications are staying automatically in contact with their Facebook Contacts. One standard argument against the overall value of Facebook is that staying in such an online and direct way in touch is something that is interesting only for â€Å"the younger generation†. That is maybe true or not. But there is another aspect.If you are for example a senior developer and you are not interested in staying in contact with your Contacts automatically then maybe you are interested in the potential business opportunity: Facebook is not only encouraging developers to create their own applications that will run inside Facebook (on top of the platform). The Facebook platform has also build in a simple but effective mechanism to promote the usage of your newly created application: All Contacts of any new user of your Facebook application will get (in exactly the same way as already described) a notification that these users just started to use your application.This form of directly â€Å"build in application promotion/marketing† for your application can deliver high numbers of users to any application so fast that probably most application providers will be challenged to handle the demand (please see for details this excellent article from Marc Andreessen ). Example : I find it fascinating how important Facebook has become in todays society. Below are 2 examples of how ridiculous it is: A. A friend of mine, and his gf broke up. A month or so later I saw that his FB profile read â€Å"In a relationship† so I called him.He and his gf got back together and it was very important to her that he change his status to that. I thought it was trivial but it was a huuuge deal to her. B. Last night I get a call from a friend who has been having marital problems. he called to tell me he thinks his marraige is over. We go over the whole story and I tell him to wait and see if she calms down. He says he knows it's over because she de-friended him on facebook. Am I the only one who is so surprised at how important FB has become to people in their personal lives? D.Development of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg wrote Facemash, the predecessor to Facebook, on October 28, 2003, while attending Harvard as a sophomore. The site represented a Harvard University version of Hot or Not, and according to The Harvard Crimson, Facemash â€Å"used photos compiled from the online Facebook of nine Houses, placing two next to each other at a time and asking users to choose the ‘hotter' person†. To accomplish this, Zuckerberg hacked into the protected areas of Harvard's computer network, and copied th e houses' private dormitory ID images.Harvard at that time did not have a student directory with photos and basic information, and Facemash attracted 450 visitors and 22,000 photo-views in its first four hours online. That the initial site mirrored people's physical community with their real identities represented the key aspects of what later became Facebook. The site was quickly forwarded to several campus group list-servers, but was shut down a few days later by the Harvard administration. Zuckerberg was charged by the administration with breach of security, violating copyrights, and violating individual privacy, and faced expulsion.Ultimately, however, the charges were dropped. Zuckerberg expanded on this initial project that semester by creating a social study tool ahead of an art history final, by uploading 500 Augustan images to a website, with one image per page along with a comment section. He opened the site up to his classmates, and people started sharing their notes. The following semester, Zuckerberg began writing code for a new website in January 2004. He was inspired, he said, by an editorial in The Harvard Crimson about the Facemash incident.On February 4, 2004, Zuckerberg launched â€Å"The Facebook†, originally located at thefacebook. com. Just six days after the site launched, three Harvard seniors, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, and Divya Narendra, accused Zuckerberg of intentionally misleading them into believing he would help them build a social network called HarvardConnection. com, while he was instead using their ideas to build a competing product. The three complained to the Harvard Crimson, and the newspaper began an investigation. The three later filed a lawsuit against Zuckerberg, subsequently settling.Membership was initially restricted to students of Harvard College, and within the first month, more than half the undergraduate population at Harvard was registered on the service. Eduardo Saverin (business aspects), D ustin Moskovitz (programmer), Andrew McCollum (graphic artist), and Chris Hughes soon joined Zuckerberg to help promote the website. In March 2004, Facebook expanded to Stanford, Columbia, and Yale. This expansion continued when it opened as well to all other Ivy League schools and Boston University, New York University, MIT, and gradually most universities in Canada and the United States. Total active users  (in millions)|Date| Users| Days later| Monthly growth| August 26, 2008| 100| 1,665| 178. 38%| April 8, 2009| 200| 225| 13. 33%| September 15, 2009| 300| 150| 10%| February 5, 2010| 400| 143| 6. 99%| July 21, 2010| 500| 166| 4. 52%| —| 600| 143 (ongoing)| —| Facebook  incorporated  in the summer of 2004, and the entrepreneur  Sean Parker, who had been informally advising Zuckerberg, became the company's president. [  In June 2004, Facebook moved its base of operations to  Palo Alto, California. It received its first investment later that month from  P ayPal  co-founder  Peter Thiel. The company dropped  from its name after purchasing the  domain name  facebook. om in 2005 for $200,000. Facebook launched a high school version in September 2005, which Zuckerberg called the next logical step. At that time, high school networks required an invitation to join. Facebook later expanded membership eligibility to employees of several companies, including  Apple Inc. and  Microsoft. Facebook was then opened on September 26, 2006, to every one of ages 13 and older with a valid  email address. On October 24, 2007, Microsoft announced that it had purchased a 1. 6% share of Facebook for $240 million, giving Facebook a total implied value of around $15 billion.Microsoft's purchase included rights to place international ads on Facebook. In October 2008, Facebook announced that it would set up its international headquarters in Dublin,  Ireland. In September 2009, Facebook said that it had turned cash flow positive for the first time. [  In November 2010, based on Second Market Inc. , an exchange for share of privately held companies, Facebook value was $41 billion (surpassing EBay's slightly), and it became the third-largest US Web Company after Google and Amazon. Traffic to Facebook increased steadily after 2009. More people visited Facebook than Google for the week ending March 13, 2010.Facebook also became the top social network across eight individual markets in Asia—the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Vietnam, while other brands commanded the top positions in certain markets, including Google-owned Orkut in India, Mixi. jp in Japan, CyWorld in South Korea, and Yahoo! ’s Wretch. cc in Taiwan. II. Potential Facebook Addiction A. Social Networking to your Old Friends The best thing about Facebook for those of us, who have been out of school for a long time, is the ability to find old friends.When you find old friends using Facebook you're given the chance to make amends, start over and be best friends again, not to mention find lost love. B. Business Facebook â€Å"Pages† (that’s with a capital â€Å"P†) were created to give businesses their own profile on Facebook. In fact, originally, the code that made up a Facebook â€Å"Page† appeared to be almost exactly the same as that which generated user profile pages. Pages give your business or brand an identity on Facebook. With a Page, those interested and following your brand can become â€Å"fans†, and when they do so, all their friends will see this.You can store photos, videos, information about your company, and custom applications on your Page. All activity on Pages gets posted back to your Mini Feed for all your friends to see. C. Communicating to other Nation Other nations are using this site in communicating. Nowadays, chatting or having social life with other nation is a great issue. Filipinos are one of the examples in maki ng friends with the other. Foreigners are now married with the other Filipina and that because of Facebook. And also, this might be the reason why we have this unity even though we’re not that same. III. Effects of Addiction to FacebookA. Financially We are force to spend our allowance because we are enjoying using Facebook. Like in our phone, just by reloading we can now connect with Facebook. Likewise, when we do not have our computer at home, we tend to visit internet shops. Some people do have their connections at home using the Globe Broadband and paying monthly. B. Health Problems The debate rages on about how these social networking sites affect our health. Many people have made new friends or even met special mates on these social networking sites. Some studies suggest that Facebook or Twitter could actually be harmful to our social health.Instead of meeting people in person, we are spending more time in front of our computer screens checking out the latest info. I re ally do not see how anyone really cares when John goes to the bathroom or eats dinner. Some famous celebrities use facebook too and use it constantly. C. Mentally Professionals worry that these cyber interactions are a detriment to participants in that they discourage traditional human interaction. It is far easier to log onto a website and chat with friends than it is to drive to their homes to see them in person, but physical human interaction is important to one's mental well-being.Also, maintaining contact solely through cyberspace can be damaging in that it is somewhat superficial and not as meaningful as face to face conversation. Lest you forget the nuances of a smile or the meaning behind an embrace, it is best to use Facebook sparingly in maintaining interpersonal relationships. IV. Signs of Facebook Addiction A. Neglecting your Studies Based on the experiences, students find their selves alone and making fun. Simply, they are enjoying Facebook. Instead of studying, they sp end more time in this site.Telling their parents that they have a research to do but the truth is they will just log in and they will share thoughts with their friends. Technology now is part of our life. Even a seven year old girl or boy does have their Facebook now. This is the proof that Facebook has greatly influenced the life of everyone. Students cannot focus in their studies because they have the reason to enjoy surfing the internet. B. Facebook Games vs. Cultural Games Many active users are playing games in Facebook. C. Rebellion V. ConclusionVI. References http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Facebook

Karl Marx’ views Essay

For Karl Marx, poverty is the outcome of the rampant class inequality that the society is suffering today. The working class, whom Karl Marx advocates, is the ones who are actually earning the money for the society (Nafziger & Auvinen, 2003). They are the ones who actually deserve to get much of the gains, rather those who are capitalizing from their labor. Marx stressed that capitalists are the ones bringing disarray in the society because they are actually contributing lesser work as compared to the laborers, yet they are getting most of the gains. In order to correct this, Marx strongly advocated the abolishing of capitalism and replaces it with communism. For him, it could be a way to alleviate poverty in the society today, rather than just letting the capitalists sit around and wait for the harvest of their money’s fruit, rather than giving the laborers the real fruits of their labors. In Marx’ belief, capitalism has been the root of the great class divide, the widening gap between different social strata, where the poor and the rich are distinctively apart from each other. This is because of the fact that a great part of the gains goes to the pockets and the bellies of the capitalists, who are theoretically â€Å"getting even richer,† the fact that they are the ones who have the money. On the other hand, the laborers, the ones who are exerting greater effort as compared to these capitalists, are not getting anywhere the definition of rich at all, hence, they are having the difficulty to cope with the increasing cost of living, thus worsening their status, with them experiencing the â€Å"poor is getting poorer† part. Looking closely at Marx’ ideas, you could see that it could also be about freedom. It is being able to freely produce and receive what is rightfully yours, as for the part of the laborers, for their efforts, their hard work to be reciprocated with enough pay (Kohl & Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Development Centre. , 2003). It is about how the true â€Å"money-earners† – the laborers, be able to control various circumstances that could benefit them, and not the capitalists. They will be able to create a free society where their hard work will be equal to a good life for them and their families. Because of this, the society will be a better place as conceived by Marx. It will be an exploitation-free society, in the same time it will do away with oppression, racism, unemployment, war, from poverty and inequality.

Linguistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Linguistics - Essay Example Basically, ads in the newspapers are very concise and very informative. It is very important to enable people to read information quickly and correctly. Very often in printed media a strategy of noun-phrases ‘squeezing’ is used, for example: Larger- than- life comedienne Joe Brand (Saks, 2010). This strategy kills two birds with one stone: we save words and we also appeal for the readers attention from the very beginning of our story. In the story from a newspaper, it is possible to see the exact structure. There are the following main elements of the article/story in the newspaper: abstract-setting-complicating action-resolution-coda. Abstract of the story combines the headline and the lead sentence. We provided a piece of text from the newspaper in the Appendix I and it is evident that in the first paragraph attention of readers is grasped for sure. The author introduces a special quote, which proves that his further claims underline the importance of the story. Then the author introduces a subhead, which organizes the story. It is also evident that the author prognosticates further development of events and confirms its reliability. This newspaper article presents the authors different claims as he changes directs speech and indirect speech. Moreover, he introduces another subheading in the middle of the article: "Frozen in Time" and in such a way he attracts attention of the readers and reminds them about din osaurs that are the basic objects of the article. Both, the ideas of detective stories and glimpses of paleontology are combined. With this citation: "You take all these bits of evidence and reconstruct the past" the author draws parallels between the science of paleontology and gives some hints on a detective story. Of course, when we talk about language of media the first thing, which comes to our minds, are original headlines. Very often puns or alliteration are used there as attractors

AMERICAN THEATER HISTORY Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

AMERICAN THEATER HISTORY - Assignment Example (1999) further opines that Waiting for Lefty acted as an important tool that announced the primacy of American humanist dramaturgy as well as consolidated social humanistic aesthetic regimes in the American radical theatre. Odets, according to Papa (1999) created a labor hall in the theatre, changing both the audience and the space. The Waiting for Lefty was consistent with the vision of the Group Theater. Conceived in 1931, the Group Theatre vision was to transform the old-fashioned light movement that dominated American theatre in the late 1920’s. In particular, the Group theatre wanted original American play to dramatize the life of their troubled times. Conclusively, Waiting for Lefty shared the vision of the Group Theater of transforming American theater. Unlike previous plays, waiting for Lefty successfully changed American theater by creating a union hall inside the theater hence transforming both the audience as well as the space. Waiting for Lefty has been duped by many scholars as one of the innovative play during its time. For instance, the play succeeded in incorporating the audience into the framework of the play (MacDowell & Radforth, 2006). In addition, it effectively captured the feeling of 1930s and addressed critical issues that were considered important during the Depression such as social alternatives, racism, and space of your own as well as food for the family. MacDowell and Radforth (2006) are of the opinion that Odets brilliantly employs location, time, characterization, symbolism, dialogue and agitprop in presenting the play. Besides, Odets utilizes existing strike in developing the themes of the play and as such, he succeeded in capturing social reality of the time. Some of the themes include struggle for human dignity, corruption of the big businesses as well as the rich and the poor (Papa, 1999). The Waiting for the Lefty employed innovating staging methods, which broke down the curtain between audiences and actors and persuaded

Battles fought by Ancient Greeks and their neighbors Essay

Battles fought by Ancient Greeks and their neighbors - Essay Example The total weight of a hoplite's equipment and armor was 50-60 pounds. Generally, only the wealthy and upper-middle class served as hoplites due to the high costs of the equipment. At first, the spears were about seven feet long, and the formation was about six to seven ranks deep. In combat the phalanx would move towards the enemy in unison, forming a thick wall of spears. When two phalanxes fought, one would attempt to either break the formation of the other or occasionally push the soldiers in the opposing phalanx over. Eventually some more advanced tactics were developed, such as sudden attacks on a certain point in a phalanx. The phalanx was a strong formation that had high shock power and could defend against charging heavy cavalry. However, the formation was also slow, and it needed to be set up before battle. Light infantry was also used often by Greek city-states. Types of light infantry included peltasts, or javelin throwers; archers; and slingers. Peltasts were the most common type of light infantry. They fought with swords and javelins, and they wore only light armor and shields. Archers carried a bow and arrow, and slingers carried a sling that could be used to hurl small stones or lead slugs at an enemy. The equipment carried by the light infantry was cheaper than that carried by the hoplites, and many poorer citizens fought as light infantry. While light infantry could not withstand a charge of heavy infantry if it was trapped, it was more mobile, and could wear down the enemy from afar. Cavalry was also occasionally used by the Ancient Greeks. Originally light cavalry that threw javelins was used, but the Macedonians developed a type of heavy cavalry known as The Companion Cavalry. These cavalrymen carried nine to twelve foot lances and wore heavy armor. Light cavalry was used fo r reconnaissance and harassment, and the companions were used to make a decisive charge that would overrun an enemy force and win the battle. Ancient Greek naval forces used a type of warship called the trireme. This ship was propelled by three rows of oars. The rowers were slaves in many states, and poor citizens in Athens. Triremes carried marines for boarding an enemy ship, archers, a battering ram and some small ballistae and catapults. One common tactic that was used was ramming, which is where a ship would speed up and try to collide with another ship with its battering ram so that a hole would be broken in the other ship. The other major tactics were boarding and a tactic where a ship would brush against another to try to break the oars in the other ship. The first major battles that the Greeks fought against opponents from outside Greece were in the Persian Wars. These wars lasted from 499 BC to 448 BC. The Persians used different tactics than the Greeks. Persian forces were mostly made up of light infantry that used bows, spears, and swords. Persian infantry had only light armor and wicker shields. Persian tactics involved the use of large amounts of archery. Usually, only the front ranks of the Persian infantry would engage in melee combat, while the other ranks showered the enemy with arrows. The Immortals were an elite unit that consisted of only the best warriors. Only Medians, Elamites, or Persians could serve in this unit. The Immortals always kept their strength at 10,000 men, and they served as the

Increasing or restricting Andragogy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Increasing or restricting Andragogy - Essay Example First, there is the problem within the nomenclature itself, problematized by both the terms 'adult' and 'education' that constitute it. Secondly, there is the problem of dissociating the term from within a matrix of related, but at more fundamental level, different terms like 'continuous education' and 'andragogy'. What really adds to our problem in this respect is the fact that we have to approach this problem at a time when an unprecedented complexity within the social formation itself has rendered educational institutes and education, both in definition and practice, complex. Therefore, we have to take into account both the objective semantics of the term as well as try and locate it within a specific twentieth century educational context.The term 'adult education' is a comparatively new one, coined much after it was actually in practice. It is a result of many years of evolutions, and its meaning, even now is far from simple and monolithic. Even as early as in 1927, Hall-Quest co nceded the difficulties in defining the term. One of the biggest problems related to the definition of 'adult education' is, whether it refers to a set of methodologies by which 'adults' can be taught, or is it a holistic term that includes the general endeavor of educating adults in a specific way as well as a detailed study of government adaptation and subsequent implementation of policies that target the adults specifically as the subject of educational instruction. Theorists like Alan Rogers have defined adult education as a process 'whereby anyone over 16 (or whatever) are treated as adults - capable, experienced, responsible and balanced people'. Such a definition has two major problems; first 'adult education' becomes synonymous with 'andragogy' thus affecting the semantic rigor of the term. Secondly, values like capability, experience and responsibility are more often than not terms defined by culture and there is no platform or parameter that is universally agreed upon, whi ch makes the term can lacking in ethnographic rigor. It is therefore, important that we first clear the ethnographic tangle and then go on to arrive at a working definition of the term. Who is an 'adult' It is probably the first major question we have to answer before we get into any further exposition of the term. An adult can be defined in respect to age: affixing a cut-off age as in legal and administrative procedures. However, in all streams of study and human discipline this parameter is the least applied. There are various methods of measuring adulthood, which are not concrete and yet central to an understanding of the phenomena, across the world which can often differ, and at times even oppose one another. Adulthood, in the West, is often associated with the ideas of independence, to have one's own principles and perceptions on life and the ability to live up to it. It is integrally connected to question of self-sufficiency and living on one's own term - which by corollary, means an ability to satisfy one's own desires. In a num ber of Oriental cultures, Japan for example, this itself can be a mark of juvenile world-view and immaturity, because in that culture it is the ability to submerge one's own desires and to sacrifice them is what is counted as a true adult behavior. These dichotomies immediately place any ethnographic approach towards defining the term on slippery and problematic ground. Similarly there is little agreement

Analysis project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analysis project - Essay Example The second source that I picked is â€Å"Decline in Snow Cover Spells Trouble for Many Plants, Animals† and is written by Terry Devitt. This source is a news article that was published on May 7, 2013. Terry Devitt is a research scientist and the Science Research Communications Director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This article details the results gathered from his personal and academic research. This source is credible due to Devitt’s extensive background in both researching the causes and effects of global warming and his contribution to the efforts in understanding and preventing global warming. The third source that I picked is â€Å"We Need Some Symptomatic Relief† and is written by Ken Caldeira. This source is a journal article that was found in the GreenFile database via Academic Search Premier, and was published in the Spring of 2013. Ken Caldeira is an atmospheric scientist with the Carnegie Institution for Science's Department of Global Ecolog y at Stanford University. Caldeira’s background and position as a scientist that focuses on changes in the atmosphere is what gives this source credibility. The fourth source that I picked is â€Å"National Institutes of Health Explore Impact of Climate Change on Human Health† and is written by Christine Jessup and John Balbus. This source is a short article found on the Global Change government website and was published on April 22, 2013. This source is credible as the website where it was found is moderated solely by the United States government’s Global Change Research Program. The information on this website is published based on authenticity, authority of its writers, and its relevance to the website’s purpose. In â€Å"Rain Will Get More Extreme Thanks to Global Warming, Says NASA Study,† Carl Franzen reveals how the steadily increasing temperature of the globe is leading to wetter locations receiving more rain and dryer locations experiencin g lengthier droughts. While most studies have focused on the effects of global warming on specific regions, the study detailed in this article looks at the globe as a whole. Regardless of the location, â€Å"for every single degree Fahrenheit the global average temperature climbs, heavy rainfall will increase in wet areas by 3.9 percent, while dry areas will experience a 2.6 percent increase in time periods without any rainfall† (Franzen par. 3). This increase in rain and periods of drought are believed to be caused by the warming globe enabling the atmosphere to retain more water vapor as moisture, which causes the moisture to be withheld from the dry areas, denying these locations of moisture that would otherwise end their droughts (par. 4). The specific evidence in this source that I find convincing are the details of how much rain is released or withheld from certain locations, depending on its temperature. This information is convincing since the facts were presented by atmospheric scientists directly involved in the study. There is no bias present in this source. In â€Å"Decline in Snow Cover Spells Trouble for Many Plants, Animals,† Terry Devitt discusses how global warming is causing the snow to melt more quickly in the Northern Hemisphere, which is proving to be damaging to the animals and plants that rely on the thick cover of snow to protect them from the chill of winter. â€Å"

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

American Revolution - Essay Example The revolution took place as a result of accumulated grievances which the American people had had enough of. They were also protesting against the various acts that had been established by England and which were to their disadvantage. An example was the Stamp Act of 1765 which imposed that every American was to pay taxes to England in order to offset the costs of running the British Military Organization. There was the currency act of 1764 that prohibited issuance of legal tender money and this threated to destabilize the industrial economy. The quartering act of 1765 also contributed to the revolution as it required colonialists to house troops from Britain and even supply them with their hard earned food. The conflict that occurred between England and the colonies was basically brought about by the colonies disagreements with the rules introduced to them by their British leaders. These rules undermined them further and prevented them from being independent and they were tired and angry about this. They therefore started with revolts in some of the colonies which were ultimately copied and repeated in the rest of the colonies and this in turn led to the revolution which took place over a number of years. They were totally opposed to these policies and they started uniting against the British colonialists as they knew that once unite, they could easily get their independence. The colonies also stopped providing money to the British government. The British government had used up most of its resources and even accumulated debt from the war and they needed money from the colonies to recover which was not forthcoming (Morton 41). They started rioting and mass protests to refuse the new policies England was imparting on them hence giving a hard time to the colonialists. The point of no return was reached in 1763 after the seven year’s war. At this juncture, enough was enough with the oppression and the numerous Acts and

See Attchments, prefer topics on Confucianism or Daoism Essay

See Attchments, prefer topics on Confucianism or Daoism - Essay Example However, it is important to mention that Daoism teachings were incorporated in various ancient and modern learning institutions. The ethical implications from Daoism lessons varied, depending on the nature of the learning institution but the basics behind the teachings were to ensure some sort of actions with regard to naturalness, simplicity and being spontaneous among other elements. One was expected to demonstrate good understanding of compassion, moderation as well humility. The training was meant to produce useful societal members who lived in harmony and respected one another in the society. Militants were also to incorporate such principles with their interactions with the civilians. Daoism was also meant to appreciate every society member and improve self-esteem. Daoism was a basic course or training that each society member should have despite the modern education. Daoism believes in physical exercises as a way of connecting to the Supreme Being. Believers are required to of fer their rituals and engage in physical exercises which eventually lift their souls and connect them with the Supreme Being. Physical trainings would also improve human beings’ health and increase their life span, hence immortality. The religion had a special formula of being immortal. The religious leaders would lead their subjects to exercise sessions; however, one was to undergo some social and psychological teachings before joining the exercise sessions. Daoism valued ethics, harmony and respect among other societal elements in the society. It was believed that other practices and rituals would only yield once one appreciated the essence of harmony in the society. Physical exercises were also meant to reduce the levels of social and psychological stress and depressions. The exercise involved controlled breathing and limb movements in a certain pattern. One would leave the training rooms stress free and motivated. Family members would always gather and go through the exer cise once or twice before the day ends. The exercise would also improve blood or circulatory system among the believers. There is no single report that records the difference brought by exercise among the believers but , it is a super nature concept that good exercise would always improve individual health. Historians believe the religion was founded by Laozi, whose believe was based on some five basic societal facts. Yin and Yang imply the positive and negative nature of human. It is represented by black and white. Black implies the entire negative societal of human aspects while white implies the positive issues in the society. Nature and ethics are another great consideration with the Daoism believers. Ethics is to ensure harmony and good relationships between the believers and the society at large. The religion requires its members to remain humble and respect every mankind. The element of nature applies to the fact that it requires all its members to respect nature, more so the ling organisms. Daoism does not encourage the killing of animals, domestic animals included. Daoism priests taught on the importance of being vegetarian as a way of conserving nature. The members would be taught how to attach their feelings and breathing pattern with those of the wild animals and create harmony. Since its introduction, Daoism has great influence on the ancient and modern Chinese culture. It became more famous after the literature of Laozi as well as Zhuangzi and some of the teachings were published in the famous

Essay about a song Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

About a song - Essay Example The lines â€Å"Winter is over, Summer is near,† (Krall lines 3-4) etched its symbolism into my head as pictures and memories filled in my mind. The lines depicted the change of seasons—for me, it symbolized the amount of change that happened in my life from the age of eight. I decided then and there to pause for a moment and letting out a soft sigh, I let the memories of childhood come back to me. The song didn’t stop and continued to play in the once silent room. More of the lyrics struck me as it continued to play. Diana sang on, saying that â€Å"I wished it would rain, washing away the sadness and tears,† (Krall lines 14-15), whether she meant it literally or not, I interpret it in relation to childhood experiences. The lines could mean that sometimes, being a kid is about being happy and that there are times when a grown up misses the life where there were a lot less responsibilities. I may not be a full fledged grown up but I can relate to the song where there are times I wish I could go back the time when all I would worry about is what game to play with the other kids in the neighborhood; when all I would think about it enjoying a worry-free life. The water from the rain symbolizes the power of the rain to cleanse a certain item—for those who are not kids anymore, it is to forget the worries and responsibilities for a moment and return to a life of innocence even for the quickest time. This time around, the song was nearing its end when another couple of lines caught my attention, â€Å"I stood there in the salt spray air,† (Krall line 19) the salt spray air could symbolize the air by the salty sea—according to a Carl Jung, a psychologist, in dreams, the sea itself symbolized uncertainty and vastness (qtd in Spoinas). It can pertain to life—anyone’s life, in general, where uncertainty is constantly present. Dangers and opportunities can be found in any corner and we are left

Boston Tea Party, Tea Essay Example for Free

Boston Tea Party, Tea Essay Attention Getter: You probably wouldn’t believe me if I told you that a drug that creates the same signaling activity in the brain as cocaine is sold legally on almost every street corner across the nation. This is a fact however, and the drug is caffeine. It is one of the main ingredients in coffee, and is currently the most frequently used recreational drug in the world. Establish Credibility: I personally consider myself a coffee expert, and have been drinking at least one cup of coffee almost every morning for the last three years. Relate to the audience: Now, I know not every one of you drinks coffee but as you  can tell by the multiple Dutch Bros, Starbucks, and other coffee shops around town it is a very big part of our culture today. Preview: Throughout the course of this speech, I will discuss three major points relating to coffee. First, I will give some information on the history of coffee and when it first came into human culture, followed by the positive health benefits and some of the negative health risks associated with coffee. [First of all, I’m going to talk a little bit about the historical side of coffee and how it first got popular in our culture. ] Body I. Main Point: To understand why coffee is such a big part of modern day society, we must first understand where it originated. A. Sub-point: Coffee was first cultivated on the Arabian Peninsula in the 15th century. 1. Supporting details: Not only were the Arab’s the first to cultivate coffee, but they also were the first to trade coffee. 2. By the 16th century, the popularity of coffee was already expanding and Persia, Egypt, Syria and Turkey all had discovered about the amazing beverage. Sub-point: By the 17th century coffee was still gaining notoriety around  the world, however it was still not a household favorite as it as today. 1. Supporting Details: Coffee houses started sprouting up everywhere in the 1700’s, however tea was still the most popular drink around. 2. In 1773 a heavy tax on tea was inflicted by King George, which led to a pretty famous revolt called The Boston Tea Party. 3. Since people couldn’t afford tea after the tax, coffee quickly took over as the most popular morning beverage across the world, and remains the most popular today. Although coffee has been drank for hundreds of years, the majority of its health  benefits have only recently been discovered in the last few decades. ] II. Main Point: The majority of people drink coffee just to get through each day, however it does have many positive benefits to your health. A. Sub-point: Within just the last few years alone there has been research done showing that coffee may protect against type 2 diabetes, liver cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. 1. Supporting details: According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, liver cancer is the ninth leading cause of cancer and coffee has been shown to reduce risk of liver cancer by 40%. 2. Drinking coffee reduces the risk of diabetes as well, which is a common risk factor of liver cancer. B. Sub-point: One of the other medical uses of coffee is in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. 1. Supporting details: The most common neurodegenerative disease and number 1 cause of dementia is Alzheimer’s. 2. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, however it has been shown that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of getting the disease. [You might be thinking coffee is a miracle drink after some of those statistics, however it also has many negative effects on health as well. ] III. Main Point: There are a great deal of health issues that can result from drinking coffee, with some of the most common being addiction, insomnia and increased blood pressure. A. Sub-point: As a college student, one of the last things you will ever want to experience is insomnia, but it is a regular side effect of coffee. 1. Supporting details: By blocking certain receptors in the brain, coffee prevents chemicals that induce sleep from being used. B. Sub-point: Another widely studied effect of coffee, specifically caffeine, is how addictive it is. 1. Supporting details: Caffeine stimulates the central nervous  system and regular use will result in a physical dependence. 2. If a regular coffee drinker doesn’t have their daily cup, they will feel fatigued, irritable, and experience headaches within the first 24 hours. Conclusion 1. Transition Signal: In conclusion, coffee isn’t for everyone but if you do choose to consume it, you at least now know how it affects you. 2. Summary of Main Points: Throughout this speech we looked at how coffee first gained popularity in the human race, some of it’s positive health benefits as well as some of the negatives. 3. Call to Action: Even if you’ve never been a fan of coffee, try drinking a cup  before your next study session and see if you still don’t like it. 4. Memorable end: Although it may be addicting and cause serious potential health problems, there must be something special about coffee considering over half of adults in the U. S. drink it daily. References: 1) Coffee Acts Just like Cocaine, Says Scientist. BeverageDaily. com. Beverage Daily, 02 Sept. 2002. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 2) Goldschein, Eric. 11 Incredible Facts About The Global Coffee Industry. Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 14 Nov. 2011. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 3) Gunnars, Kris. 13 Proven Health Benefits of Coffee Authority Nutrition. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 4) The History Of Coffee. National Coffee Association. NCA, n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. 5) Stromberg, Joseph. This Is How Your Brain Becomes Addicted to Caffeine. Smithsonian. N. p. , 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. 6) Van Dam, Rob. Ask the Expert: Coffee and Health. The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health, n. d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. 7) Weber, Belinda. Coffee Consumption Cuts Liver Cancer Risk. Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 22 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2014. .

The Temper Tantrums Children And Young People Essay

The Temper Tantrums Children And Young People Essay Mothering is the interaction style of mother with her children. A mother should be patient and good listener. She should keep herself cool in negative circumstances. She should her child at every step. She should be responsible for needs and belongings of her child. She should take interest in the activities of her child. It will bring positive changes in her child (Freud, 1946). Fathering is a big responsibility. Father is a role model for his child. Child observes the behavior of his father and imitates it. He has to take the responsibility of his childs every need like food, shelter, clothing and education. He should affection and love towards his child. Little words of appreciation and encouragement can develop the confidence of child (Runkel, 2008). 1. Temper tantrums Temper tantrums are very challenging. If a toddler is becoming tantrum then try to divert his attention. Try to engage him in another activity and give him choices. A daily routine schedule can be established with regular eating, sleeping and play times. It will result a happy and developed behavior. 2. Potty training Children might oppose potty training. But mother should not enforce him potty sitting but she should keep herself calm. Sleep affects potty training session. Mother should take care about his sleep. She should set their timing by limit food and drink 2 hours before bed .She should encourage for a potty trip before sleep. Bullying is violent behavior that can be verbal or physical. Boys show bullying behavior mostly by physical actions like pushing, kicking or hitting. While girls engage in verbal bullying. Parents can help their adolescents deal with the common issue of bullying by following these guidelines: Parent should understand the situation and seriousness of bullying. Parents must recognize initial behavior that led to bullying. Parents should use suitable strategies according to the nature of child. Parent should educate their child about bullying that is not accepted behavior and they must avoid it. Parent should teach their children to cope stress. Physical exercise, spending time in playing or spending time in the company of nature can cope stress (Campbell, 2005). In limited caretaking parents are primary caretaker and grand parents have limited connection with their grand children. Grandparents can not involve in the education of their grandchildren. They can not check their school records. But in involuntary caretaking grand parenting, grand parents are primary care taker. They have full-time custody over them and responsible for their every matter. Grandparents have positive impacts on the life of grandparents. They change their life style and built up positive character of their grandchildren. Grandchildren become aware of dealing with different circumstances of life without parents. They behave as responsible person and become more disciplined. They did not feel alone but being loved and feel satisfied. Grandparents told them past stories and about their traditions and cultural values and they become aware of cultural values. Due to positive attitude towards life, they take interest in studies and show good performance in studies. Due to these positive impacts of grandparents on the life of grandchildren, parent should include them to influence their childs life. National Extension Parent Education Model provides research based information about parenting. It improves parenting skills. It assists parents to care themselves first. By caring themselves, their stress level will decrease which will decrease gap between parent. And close relationship brings confidence in child. It enables the parents to understand the behavior of their children by observation. Parents understand the needs of their children by their behavioral cues. It enables the parents to guide and discipline their children effectively. Consistency in guidance play significant role in the development of child. It makes the parents to nurture their child which brings positive outcomes and increase their level of competence. It practices the parents to motivate their children which provides opportunities to students to learn more and more. And they develop intellectually and become responsive. Poverty refers to economic hardships and meeting the basic needs of life. It impacts both parents and children. It resists parents to become good parents. It increases the stress level of parents which result into bad attitude towards children. It may led to child abuse. It effects physical health of children due to insufficient money. When they do not meet their basic needs, they effects psychologically and show mental and behavioral problems. It lowers down the educational outcomes of children. Education of child is combined responsibility of parents and children. Parents can support their children in the classroom in many ways. They meet the teachers face-to-face on regular basis to about the progress of their child. They should try their level best to attend schools field trips and concerts. It send a message that they take care about the education of their child. There are following two outside resources to support your family: Parents should act as teacher. They should guide their family members. It is their responsibility to provide medical services to their family. Divorce is a somber decision. It breaks down a family bond and effects the children both psychologically and emotionally. Parental loss is major effect. Child feels alienated and become victim of anxiety and depression. He has to face many problems in school. He is teased by his peer group. Moreover, he has to face financial problems sometimes. Parents can encounter act the negativity and support their children in following way: social support by parents can help them to adopt positive attitude towards life. Parents have to make their children to face multiple situations in school and how to cope with them. Take a calendar and set your time schedule for whole day morning to night. Avoid wastage of time from morning to evening. Then follow your time table. It will enhance the lives of their children. Parents should themselves in childs school functions like field trips and concert. As, it send a message that they take care about their children. Overweight consider body weight with respect to body composition or height. Overweight children have chances of sever obesity in adulthood. Overweight leads to serious physiological health problems. It affects mental development of children and cause psychological problems like anxiety. It involves high risk of asthma, cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It leads to musculoskeletal and fatty liver disorder. It causes orthopedic problems and agitation during sleep. Fat accumulation resists insulin production and cause diabetes. Parents can help their children in following ways: They should make their children to adopt healthy life style by changing their eating habits. They should develop their routine with maximum physical activities to burn their calories. It may include sports or just playing. They should let them avoid carbohydrates and junk food. They should let them eat fresh fruits and vegetable instead of packed juices. Physical disable children are very sensitive. It is great task for parent to handle them positively. Parents can help their child in different fields of life in many ways. Parents should adopt positive attitude towards their children. They should take them as burden. It will increase their pain and sufferings. They should try to understand their problems and help them in finding solution of these problems. Like other children, choice making is a great and difficult task for them. Parents should guide and help them in this concern. They should grant them emotional support in classroom activities. They should encourage them. It will bring confidence and positive learning outcomes. They should teach the peer group their disable child to offer their help their help respectfully and may not damage their self-respect socially. They should assess their children to search creative ways to involve physical disable child to different play activities. For example, it is easy for disable child t o play with blocks on a table with his peer group, sitting on his wheel chair. Adopted parents may face many fears and natural insecurities after adopting a child. Adopted child also feels alienation and anxiety due to loss of their biological parents. Some children feel curiosity about their genetic history, which will create confusion and mistrust towards their parents. It will lower their level of self-esteem. Adopted parents can help them in their grievances for their separation from their biological parents. They should tell him about his genetic history and help him to find their identity. It will develop trust on adoptive parents and establish good relationship and raise their level of self-esteem. Some of this information has been taken from Caught in the middle: Protecting the children of high-conflict divorce. Because it manages the custody case of contested child and evaluate parent child relationship and parenting skills effectively. There is variety of child care program due to different school of thought. There are many positive effects of s quality childcare program. High quality childcare programs in childhood lead to academic success in next life. While poor parents child can not compete them in academic performance. By effective strategies, children show positive behavioral change. It also leads to intellectual development a child. You can convince parents that your program is ideal childcare program by informing them about your high objective for intellectual and behavioral development of a child, effective plans to achieve your objectives, and its positive effects. Parents often wish that a parenting manual came with their children. A it suggests that they are member of their childs classroom. An appropriate parenting model which is suitable for every social class, race and ethnic group convey to parents that your classroom is tolerant, supportive and encouraging to all families.

Cannabis Use in Canada: Legislation and the Future

Cannabis Use in Canada: Legislation and the Future Crime refers to behaviors that are a violation of codified law. However, the exact definition of crime is complex and ever-changing, as it depends on social, political and economic factors. For example, what may be considered a crime one day, may be seen as legal the next (Law Commission, 2004). This concept is exemplified by the evolution of laws regarding the possession of cannabis that has occurred throughout the years in Canada. Ever since cannabis and its derivatives have been introduced in Canada years ago, government prohibition of it has been the subject of an ongoing debate of whether it should be legalized or not. Proponents of cannabis use argue that there are numerous medical benefits and that the drug is no more harmful than tobacco or alcohol (CAMH, 2014). Therefore, prohibiting cannabis intrudes on an individuals fundamental freedoms. On the other hand, opponents argue that cannabis is too dangerous; its legalization would increase the chances of the drug falling into the hands of children and that cannabis use often progresses to the use of more dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine (Evans, 2013). This paper analyzes the current approach to possession of cannabis in Canada, paying close attention to relevant laws and legal cases. This paper will further argue that from a variety of approaches to deal with cannabis, legalization is the most useful and effective method. Background Cannabis, primarily derived from the female plant, Cannabis sativa, is believed to have evolved on the steppes of Central Asia. The history of cannabis use goes back as far as 12,000 years, which places the plant among humanitys oldest cultivated crops (CAMH, 2014). The first record of the drugs medicinal use dates to 4000 B.C. where it was used as an anesthetic during surgery. From the 17th to the mid 20th century, standardized cannabis found their way into British and US pharmacopoeias and was widely used in western medicine, often considered a household drug used for treating various kinds of ailment ranging from headaches and toothaches to menstrual cramps (MacQueen, 2013). Cannabis eventually fell out of use in western medicine, and was banned in most countries as part of national and international drug control legislation that was originally designed to control traffic in opiates but was extended to include a broad range of other psychoactive agents. However, in the 1970s, cann abis use rose dramatically and became a part of the youth culture due to its mood and perception altering properties, which made it a recreational drug of choice for many individuals (Blaszczak-Boxe, 2014). Throughout its long history, parts of the cannabis plant have been smoked, chewed, eaten, and even brewed for its effects on the human biochemistry. Marijuana- also called weed, pot, grass, reefer, and a vast number of other slang terms- comes primarily from the flower part of the cannabis plant and is one of the most abused drugs in the world (Evans, 2013). There are hundreds of compounds in marijuana, but the chemical responsible for the drugs psychoactive effects is tetrahydrocannbinol, or THC. Marijuana affects two main parts of the human body, the central nervous system and the cardiovascular system (CAMH, 2014). The central nervous system, which mainly controls thoughts and registers sensations throughout the body, can be impacted through varying doses of marijuana. For example, a low dose of marijuana results in a sense of well being and drowsiness/relaxation (Ponto et al., 2004). As the dose increases, other effects tend to come in, usually altered sense of time and sensory a wareness. At much higher to extreme doses, paranoia, hallucinations, panic attacks and delusions have been reported to occur. The cardiovascular system can be affected by cannabis use through increased heart rate and dilation of eye blood vessels. There can also be difficulties in body movement and coordination as the dosage of cannabis increases (Ponto et al., 2004). As with some other psychoactive drugs, the use of cannabis is not benign. Research has found both benefits and harms associated with cannabis use. Cannabis has therapeutic qualities and many people consume it for its psychoactive effects (Room et al., 2010). A number of the potentially useful effects have been well studied and confirmed scientifically in both experimental animals and human volunteers and patients. One of these is the moderately good analgesic action, principally against chronic musculoskeletal and neuropathic pain (Evans, 2013). Furthermore, only about ten percent of individuals who consume the drug become dependent, a rate that is extremely low in comparison to other illicit and legal drugs. In fact, tobacco, a drug that is considered legal in Canada, has a dependency rate of 32% (Health Canada, 2015). The potential for harm exists, particularly for people who consume it frequently or begin using in adolescence. These harms include impairment of learning, memory, alertness, reaction speed and judgment (Babor et al., 2010). Those who are dependent on cannabis have been documented to face both cardiovascular and respiratory issues such as chronic bronchitis. In addition, research suggests that high levels of cannabis use can be linked to lung and prostate cancer (Room et al., 2010). Despite the negative effects of high levels of cannabis use, it is crucial to acknowledge the fact that most individuals do not become dependent on the drug. Rather, most will experiment with cannabis use only a few times in their life (Room et al., 2010). Canada has one of the highest rates of cannabis use in the world. Despite the existence of serious criminal penalties for possessing, producing, and selling cannabis, the 2013 Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey found that 40% of Canadians have used cannabis in their lifetime and about 10% report having used it in the past year (Health Canada, 2015). Additionally, the survey indicates that Canadian youth aged 15 to 19 are more likely to consume cannabis than adult Canadians. In fact, Canadian adolescents have among the highest rates of cannabis use compared to their peers in other developed countries (UNICEF Office of Research, 2013). According to the 2012 Canadian Community Health survey, 22.4% of youth aged 15 to19 reported past-year use of cannabis and in total, youth use cannabis at a rate 2.5 times higher than adults aged 25 and older (Statistics Canada, 2015). In view of these statistics, it is unsurprising that cannabis is widely available throughout Canada and that a w ell-established cannabis market exists in Canada. Laws surrounding the possession of Cannabis in Canada In Canada, cannabis use became illegal in 1923 after the Act to Prohibit the Improper Use of Opium and other Drugs added cannabis to the list of illicit substances. Cannabis then became an illegal substance under the same category of harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin, despite lack of scientific or criminal correlations to suggest such categorization (CAMH, 2014). An increase in illicit drug use in the 1960s and 1970s was met by greatly increased criminalization and the associated individual and social costs. The strain on the courts, and the rising numbers of otherwise law-abiding youth being sentenced for recreational use of cannabis created pressures for the liberalization of Canadas drug laws. As a result, the Commission of Inquiry in the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in 1972 (commonly referred to as the Le Dain Commission) was formed to address the growing concern about drug use and appropriate responses. The Le Dain Commission concluded that drug prohibition, specifically canna bis use, results in high costs but relatively little benefit. The Le Dain Commission proposed that all criminal penalties associated with cannabis be removed, along with the development of less coercive and costly alternatives to punitive punishments, but was immediately rejected by the government at the time (Broughton, 2014). By the mid-1980s there was growing acknowledgement of the limitations of law enforcement in reducing the demand for drugs as the Canadian police forces were pursuing more cannabis arrests than ever before (Hathaway and Erickson 2003). As a result, in 1987, the Canadian federal government announced a harm reduction model approach to drug use to address substance use with both supply and demand reduction strategies. This model views drug use, particularly cannabis use, as an undeniable fact in society and seeks to reduce the harms caused by it rather than advocating abstinence (Hathaway and Erickson 2003). Despite this model, Canadas approach to cannabis was still largely a model of criminal prohibition. For example, Dian Riley of the Canadian Foundation for Drug Policy argues that this model is an ineffective and inappropriate drug policy that causes more harm than the drug itself (Broughton, 2014, p.4). In fact, since the first three years after the implementation of the program, the proportion of drug offenders in Canadas prison rose from 9 percent to 14 percent (Hathaway and Erickson 2003). The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act In 1997, there was the introduction of a new drug law that was meant to address some of the problems of past law and to adapt some of the positive experiences of other countries around the globe. The new law, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996), is Canadas federal drug control statute and establishes eight Schedules of controlled substances and two Classes of precursors. This act outlines penalties for possession, trafficking and production of the substances established as illegal, including cannabis (MacQueen, 2013). Under this act, cannabis and its derivatives are considered as schedule II drugs and possession of it is illegal (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, 1996). However, due to R. v. Parker (2001), the Supreme Court of Canada declared that section 4 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, which deals with the prohibition against possession of marijuana, was too broad insofar as it failed to create an exception for medical marijuana use. As such, in 2001 Health C anada issued a set of regulations giving individuals access to marijuana for medical purposes. The Medical Marihuana Access Regulations (2001), which went into effect in 2002, outlined two categories of individuals who may legally access marijuana prescribed by their doctor. These two categories mainly deal with individuals suffering from severe pain as a result of medical conditions. Individuals who have a medical condition described in category 1 or who are approved under category 2 can legally obtain medicinal marijuana distributed by the company CannaMed or can grow their own for personal consumption (Broughton, 2014). Thus, it is possible to have legal access to marijuana for medical purposes in Canada while recreational use of marijuana is still a criminal act. Despite the tough penalties in place, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996)has been criticized for criminalizing drug users and its failure to reduce drug availability while at the same time the financial and human costs of criminating cannabis continue to rise. Additionally, analyses of current policy practices demonstrate a failure to achieve the set out goals of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996)in reducing the consumption of cannabis (Broughton, 2014). Instead, criminalization has created further social issues. For example, an increase in arrests under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996) has not led to a decrease in the use of marijuana, with around 60,000 Canadian arrested for simple possession every year. On the contrary, the number of distributors and consumers has only increased in recent years (Room et al., 2010, p.60). The experiences within Canadian courts also demonstrate the inefficiency of the current approach to cannabis. For example, th e case of R. v. Malmo-Levine (2003) deals with the possession of marijuana. Malmo-Levine was charged with possession and trafficking of marijuana. He argued that the criminalization and punishment of possession of marijuana goes against his rights as stated in section 7 in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms declares that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice (Canadian Charter, 1982, s 7). Malmo-Lavine argued that, by attaching a criminal penalty of imprisonment for simple possession of marijuana the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996)deprived him of liberty in a manner that is not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. Malmo-Lavine suggested that it is a principle of fundamental justice that the criminal law can only prohibit activities that cause some sort of harm, and the possession of marijuana does not constitute as harm to others(R. v. Malmo-Levine, 2003). Justice Arbour, in the dissenting opinion, stated that the criminalization of cannabis punishes those who pose little risk to society and limits their Charter rights. Nevertheless, the majority of the Supreme Court of Canada did not agree with Justice Arbours argument and instead ruled that the law against the recreational use of marijuana did not violate the Charter in any of the ways suggested by Malmo-Lavine (R. v. Malmo-Levine, 2003). The cases of Readhead (2008) and Evers (2011), further exemplifies how the approaches outlined in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996) leads to unnecessary arrests and unfair targeting of individuals. In R. v. Readhead (2008), the accused was charged with the possession of marijuana and possession of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of two and one half years. Readhead argued that the sentencing judge erred in his decision and asked for a fairer sentence. The British Columbia Court of Appeal stated that the sentence prescribed by the sentencing judge is within the proper scope of his judgment, but still reduced the sentence to two years less a day. As pointed out by the British Columbia Court of Appeal, Readheads past experience with the law, in which he has three previous charges for trafficking marijuana, did not deter or rehabilitate him in any way( R. v. Readhead, 2008). In R. v. Evers (2011), the accused was charged wi th the offences of unlawfully producing a controlled substance and possessing this substance for the purposes of trafficking. However, despite Everss lack of remorse for producing marijuana and her explicitly stating that she intended to continue her grow operation, the trial judge did not impose any jail time. The trial judge stated that there was no point in imprisoning Evers as doing so would only make her a martyr for the legalization of marijuana (R. v. Evers, 2011). Both of these cases show the ineffectiveness of the current law in deterring individuals from possessing and using cannabis. The prohibition of cannabis and criminalization of its users does not deter people from consuming it. The evidence on this point is clear: tougher penalties do not lead to lower rates of cannabis use (Chandra, 2014). Perhaps it is time that there should be an examination of the actual effects of cannabis on Canadians rather than blindly prohibiting the possession of cannabis. Alternatives to Cannabis Prohibition As discussed above, all available evidence indicates that the criminalization of cannabis use is ineffective, costly, and constitutes poor public policy. Globally, there is growing debate about the efficacy of criminalizing drugs such as cannabis, in particular that the health, social, economic and criminal harms of this approach outweighs any intended benefits (Chandra, 2014). As such, there are three main alternatives to full cannabis prohibition: decriminalization, partial prohibition and legalization. Models of cannabis decriminalization vary greatly, but generally involve removing possession of small amounts of cannabis from the sphere of criminal law. Essentially, prohibition remains, but instead of incarceration the use of cannabis becomes civil violations punishable by fines (Babor et al., 2010). Removing criminal penalties for cannabis possession should result in a reduction in both the number of individuals involved in the criminal justice system and the cost of enforcement , thus reducing the burden to individuals and to the legal system. Moreover, evidence suggests that a decriminalization approach can reduce some of the adverse social impacts of criminalization (CAMH, 2014). An example of a country that follows a decriminalization model is Portugal. Since the implementation of this system, Portugal has seen declines in substance misuse and in drugà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ related harm, a reduced burden on the criminal justice system, and a reduction in the use of illicit drugs by adolescents (Room et al., 2010). While it is not possible to conclusively attribute these trends in Portugal to a shift in decriminalization, these findings present strong support that at the very least, decriminalizing cannabis does not result in major problems. Partial prohibition regimes of cannabis possession are brought about by two distinct approaches, namely either de facto legalization or de jure legalization. Within the model of de facto legislation, cannabis use is formally prohibited by criminal law, yet applicable laws are not enforced and thus not sanctioned by any punitive interventions (Babor et al., 2010). Netherlands famously takes a de facto legalization approach to cannabis. Although the drug is still deemed illegal, personal use of cannabis is tolerated and is made available through dispensaries called coffee shops. Cannabis use or sale outside of the regulated spaces of these coffee shops is followed by police warnings or fines (Babor et al., 2010). In other words, personal cannabis use and supply to the end consumer in the Netherlands is regulated similarly to alcohol or tobacco use in many jurisdictions. One of the major benefits cited for the legally tolerated dispensaries is that it helps consumers from being exposed to illegal markets where there may be availability of harder drugs (Room et al., 2010). Evidence demonstrates that the Netherlands has a lower rate of cannabis use than in the United States which suggests that partial legalization of cannabis will not necessarily lead to an increase in use. Within the model of de jure legalization, personal use quantities are allowed to be carried and consumed by citizens. Punishments of cannabis use are either explicitly written into the drug statute or the scope of the law does not include cannabis possession (Chandra, 2014). These reforms have so far predominantly been aimed at selected places (e.g. the home) or at specific populations (e.g. medical marijuana users) (Babor et al., 2010). An example of a country that follows a de jure model of legalization is Spain. In Spain, possession or use of cannabis is prohibited by the law, yet there is no punishment or enforcement when involving small amounts. In 2002, Cannabis Social Clubs appeared in the country. These are non-commercial organizations of users who get together to cultivate and distribute enough cannabis to meet their personal needs without having to turn to the black market (Alonso, 2011, p. 2). Since, 2002 it is estimated that Cannabis Social Clubs have enabled several thou sand people to stop financing the black market and to know the quality and origin of what they are consuming, whilst creating jobs and tax revenue (Alonso, 2011). A third alternative that has been widely supported is legalization of cannabis with health-focused regulation. Legalization removes the social harms and costs associated with prohibition. In effect, legalization endorses marijuana as socially acceptable. It eliminates criminal penalties, reducing prices, increasing availability, and de-stigmatizing use (Broughton, 2014). Moreover, it is estimated that removing criminal and civil penalties for possession of cannabis would eliminate more than $ 1 billion dollars that is spent annually in Canada to enforce these ineffective laws (Evans, 2013). Advocates of legalization of cannabis point out that cannabis is no more harmful than alcohol or tobacco and should therefore be regulated in a similar fashion. In the same way that alcohol prohibition in Canada was an abject failure which promoted crime and actually loosened the federal governments control over the importation and production of the substance, cannabis can also be seen as leading down the same path (CAMH, 2014). Moreover, advocates in favor of cannabis legalization claim that cannabis use is not an act of criminal nature and thus the federal government does not have the authority to ban it. They further argue that cannabis is neither harmful nor immoral and thus only the province has the power to regulate the use, distribution, and sale of marijuana (CAMH, 2014). This argument would equate marijuana with alcohol, which is also regulated independently by the governments of each province. Like all drugs, cannabis use has negative outcomes (Evans, 2013). However, the evidence shows that this does not justify the prohibition of the drug. For example, legal substances such as alcohol and tobacco can be far more dangerous and addicting than cannabis can ever be capable of, but these substances are still considered legal in Canada. Instead of focusing on the evidence, the mere prohibition of cannabis use only leads to further harm for users. Some opponents of legalization fear that it would send the wrong message about the risks of cannabis. But current rates of cannabis use in Canada already suggest that youth are not getting the right message (MacQueen, 2013). For instance, despite prohibition, 23% of Ontarios high school students and 40% of young adults use cannabis. A 2013 UNICEF study of 29 Wealthy nations found that Canadian youth rank first in cannabis use, but third from last in tobacco use -even though cannabis is illegal while tobacco is legal (MacQueen, 2013). Moreover, an examination of public opinion polls over the last few decades shows a steady increase in the proportion of Canadians who support the legalization of marijuana, rising from only 19 percent in 1977 to 57 percent in 2012 (Grenier, 2013). Lorne Bozinoff of Forum Research Inc says that given these statistics, the public no longer favors devoting time and resources required to restrict marijuana use and possession, instead favoring a legalize and tax strategy (Grenier, 2013, p.4). It is also important to note that legalization alone does not reduce the health risk and harms of cannabis. Instead legalization presents the government with the opportunity to regulate cannabis to mitigate those risks something that cannot be effectively done under decriminalization or prohibition (CAMH, 2014). Legalization under a health-focused model is based on the fundamental principles of harm reduction. Harm reduction is a pragmatic approach to reducing individual and social harms associated with drug use. This approach accepts that certain interventions focused on diminishing the harmfulness of a substance, even if they increase the extent of substance use, may be able to reduce the total adverse consequences on the individual, as well as society (Pates Riley, 2012). In regards to cannabis use, harm reduction approaches acknowledge that there are no known effective solutions for completely eliminating drug-use or drug-related problems in the public. Therefore, the main char acteristic of harm reduction is that it focuses on the reduction of harm as its primary goal, rather than reduction of drug use per se (CAMH, 2014). It is important to note that harm reduction principles are not meant to promote drug use, but instead recognizes the reality of drug use and measures success in terms of quality of life improvements for the individual (Broughton, 2014). For example, legalization of cannabis would attempt to reduce the harmfulness of cannabis use, without necessarily stopping drug use altogether. To reduce harm, legalization of cannabis is a necessary but definitely not a sufficient- condition. It must include effective control on availability and regulation that steers users towards less harmful practices. Conclusion Prohibition of cannabis use has not succeeded in preventing cannabis use or mitigating its harms. On the contrary, it has exacerbated the health harms of cannabis and created costly social ones as well. Legalizing and strictly regulating cannabis allows for more control over the risk factors associated with cannabis-related harm and is a better alternative to the current approach (Broughton, 2014). It is important to realize that the Canada of 1997 when the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (1996) was first established bears almost no resemblance to Canada of today. This explains why since its inception, the Criminal Code has changed many ambiguous laws to legalize and decriminalize certain actions (e.g., prostitution, assisted suicide, etc). Essentially, the laws have needed to evolve in order to better accommodate societal needs and advancing scientific research. Similarly, based on current research showing that criminalizing cannabis has not been an effective policy, perhaps it is time to re-examine our approach to cannabis use and advocated for legalization. References Alonso, M. (2011). Cannabis social clubs in Spain: A normalizing alternative underway. Series on Legislative Reform of Drug Policies, 9. Retrieved March 3, 2017, from http://druglawreform.info/en/publications/legislative-reform-series-/item/1095-cannabis-social-clubs-in-spain Babor, T., J., Caulkins, Edwards, G., Fischer, B., Foxcroft, D., Humphreys, K., . . . Strang, J. (2010). Drug policy and the public good. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Blaszczak-Boxe, A. (2014). Marijuanas History: How One Plant Spread Through the World. Retrieved March 01, 2017, from http://www.livescience.com/48337-marijuana-history-how-cannabis-travelled-world.html Broughton, M. (2014). The Prohibition of Marijuana. Manitoba Policy Perspectives, 1(1). Retrieved March 1, 2017, from https://umanitoba.ca/centres/mipr/media/1._Prohibition_of_Marijuana_Broughton.pdf CAMH. (2014). Cannabis Policy Framework. Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from https://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/influencing_public_policy/Documents/CAMHCannabisPolicyFramework.pdf Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c11 Chandra, F. (2014). The Current Approach to Cannabis Possession in Canada: Issues and Alternatives. Sociology and Anthropology Student Union Undergraduate Journal, 1. Retrieved March 3, 2017, from summit.sfu.ca/system/files/iritems1/15204/SASU-Chandra.pdf Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, SC 1996, c 19. Retrieved from http://canlii.ca/t/l44r Criminal Code, RSC (1985) c C-46 Evans, D. (2013). The Economic Impacts of Marijuana Legalization. The Journal of Global Drug Policy and Practice, 7(4). Retrieved March 4, 2017, from http://www.globaldrugpolicy.org/Issues/Vol%207%20Issue%204/The%20Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Marijuana%20Legalization%20final%20for%20journal.pdf Grenier, E. (2013). Majority of Canadians want to loosen marijuana laws: polls . The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/majority-of-canadians-want-to-loosen-marijuana-laws-polls/article14010389/ Hathaway, A. D., Erickson, P. G. (2003). Drug Reform Principles and Policy Debates: Harm Reduction Prospects for Cannabis in Canada. Journal of Drug Issues, 33(2), 465-495. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002204260303300209 Health Canada. (2015). Canadian Tobacco Alcohol and Drugs (CTADS): 2013 summary. Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canadian-tobacco-alcohol-drugs-survey/2013-summary.html Law Commission. (2004). What is a crime?: defining criminal conduct in contemporary society. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from http://www.ubcpress.ca/books/pdf/chapters/whatisacrime/whatcrime.pdf MacQueen, L. (2013). Why its time to legalize marijuana. Macleans. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/why-its-time-to-legalize-marijuana/ Marihuana Medical Access Regulations, SOR/ 2001-227 (available on http://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2001-227/index.html) Pates, R., Riley, D. (2012). Harm Reduction in Canada: The Many Faces of Regression. Harm Reduction in Substance Use and High-risk Behaviour: International Policy and Practice. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from http://canadianharmreduction.com/sites/default/files/Harm%20Reduction%20in%20Canada.pdf Ponto, L. L., Oleary, D. S., Koeppel, J., Block, R. I., Watkins. (2004). Effect of Acute Marijuana on Cardiovascular Function and Central Nervous System Pharmacokinetics of [15O]Water: Effect in Occasional and Chronic Users. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 44(7), 751-766. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15199080 Room, R., Fischer, B., Hall, W., Lenton, S., Reuter, P. (2010). Cannabis Policy: Moving Beyond Stalemate. Oxford University Press. R. v. Evers, 2011 BCCA 330 (available on CanLII) R. v. Malmo-Levine; R. v. Caine, [2003] 3 SCR 571, 2003 SCC 74 (available on CanLII) R. v. Parker, 2000 CanLII 5762 (ON CA), (available on CanLll) R. v. Readhead, 2008 BCCA 532 (available on CanLII) Statistics Canada. (2015). Prevalence and correlates of marijuana use in Canada, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2017, from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2015004/article/14158-eng.htm UNICEF. (2013). Child Well-being in Rich Countries: A comparative overview. Innocenti Report. Retrieved March 1, 2017, from https://www.unicef-irc.org/publications/pdf/rc11_eng.pdf

America Needs Affirmitive Action :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦granting modest advantages to minorities and women is more than fair, given hundreds of years of discrimination that benefited whites and men.† (Fromkin) Affirmative Action is not only justifiable, but it is necessary in today’s world. Affirmative Action can be seen throughout United States History as a leading fighter for equal opportunity. Affirmative Action can assist in creating a more equal opportunity for people regarding higher education, employment and the work force, and creating a more diverse equal community in all aspects. Affirmative Action, in contrast to many people’s beliefs, does not promote â€Å"reverse discrimination† or create quotas for groups to adhere to. On the contrary, it gives minorities and women the opportunity to have jobs and positions they are already qualified for. Affirmative Action â€Å"calls for minorities and women to have special consideration in employment, education, and contracting decisions†(Fromkin). Although the name â€Å"affirmative action† has only been applied in recent times, there is a history of affirmative action actions taken in the United States. This history is an example for the endless fight for equality among women and all minorities. These actions can be seen in amendments to the constitution, especially the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments. They abolished slavery, granted citizenship to the former slaves, that the right for United States citizens to vote can not be denied or reduced on the account of race or color, and lastly the 19th amendment gave women the right to vote. Furthermore, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title VI, states that the use of literacy or other voter-qualifications cannot be used to keep any minority off the voting lists, reassuring an equal voice in the democracy of the US. I n addition, former President Johnson and Kennedy used executive orders 11246 and 10925 to show government support of affirmative action through the â€Å"equal employment opportunity† and the establishment of the Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity respectively. The downfall in affirmative action history is the passing of Proposition 209 and the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) which ended affirmative action in California. Affirmative Action has played a large role in history, as a fighter for equal opportunity, despite race or gender.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Affirmative Action provides women and minorities equal opportunity in higher education Affirmative Action in higher education allows minorities and women not given the opportunity of a prestige education to go further in life and attend side by side with students given better opportunities.

Colonial Fiction: Mister Johnson Essay -- Essays Papers

Colonial Fiction: Mister Johnson The relationship between Rudbeck and Mister Johnson is extremely revealing with regards to the experience of the European administrators and the co-operation of the Nigerians in the colonial endeavour. Johnson is keenly aware that superiority for natives directly depends upon being on good terms with the coloniser. He consistently emphasises his belief that Rudbeck is his ''good friend'', and how he is ''mos' indispensable to ... His Majesty's service'' (85). It could be argued that this should not be passed off as simple native fantasy, put in for the amusement of the European reader. In many cases, Johnson is ''indispensable'' to the inexperienced Rudbeck, and throughout the novel, Johnson is constantly seen as the innovator in the relationship. In two important and inextricably linked areas, finances and roadbuilding, it is not the colonial government which responds to the needs of Rudbeck, but Johnson. As if to push this European dependence on the native a little further, Cary suggests that Rudbeck relies on Johnson in his personal life as well. For example, while Rudbeck is working on the road, Johnson is left to entertain his wife, Celia, an act of trust that both shocks and impresses the natives. We are told that ''this greatly increases [Johnson's] prestige in Fada, where the Emir does not even trust his chief eunuch with his wives'' (87). Concern over finances is a predominant theme throughout the novel, both for Johnson who constantly seems to be in debt, and Rudbeck who, due to the stringency of the Treasury, never has sufficient money or resources to carry out developments to the extent he would like. The reader is given the impression that, if he could , Rudbeck would be doing much more with Fada. He is a man of action, who longs to get out on the roads, working hard physically. Yet his ambitions are constantly frustrated, and he is left ''suffering'' (57) in his office, itching to get out again. On many levels - financial constraints, inexperience, communication difficult - his hands are tied. Johnson's personal finances never seem to pose the same extent of problems to him as do Rudbeck's. When dealing with finances, Rudbeck's ''many sudden depressions'' (77) often climax, and he simply concedes that everything is ''all damn nonsense, anyhow'' (53). Rudbeck knows only too well that he can expec... ... basics of what he expected from them. However, they are intelligent enough to let Rudbeck do ''most of the work himself'' (55) in the blistering African sun. Cary is hinting that the natives are not as gullible as the coloniser would like to believe. In reality, they are much more subversive. Indeed native subversion and resistance could be seen as one the key themes throughout the novel. In other cases, for example, Cary is not so subtle. He openly portrays Waziri offering Johnson favours and bribes to keep him informed about the contents of Rudbeck's safe, which contains all the papers and information sent from Britain, communications which were essential for indirect rule - a role Johnson carries out without a second thought concerning any moral loyalty to Rudbeck. As Cary sees it, in the colonial project, personalities and individuals are of no concern. In the imperialist longing for supremacy and the natives' response to this, people are used and discarded at will. Cary gives every indication that the problems faced by Rudbeck are universal throughout the colonial project. The plight of the colonial administrator seems doomed to a life of confusion and disillusionment.

Five Questions For Vladimir Lenin Essay -- essays research papers

Five Questions For Vladimir Lenin   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most dedicated leader of the revolution, and future leader of the Bolshevik Party in Russia, was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. He was born in 1870 in Simbirsk, Russia, a small town on the Volga River, to a family of hereditary nobles that were not wealt but quite comfortable. Vladimir Ulyanov, who would later change his name to Lenin, was the third of seven children. His oldest brother, Aleksandr, was hanged in May of 1887 for having joined in a plot to kill Czar Alexander III. The czar signed a warra to have the five student conspirators executed. A year earlier, Vladimir’s father had died. Because of these cicumstances Vladimir experienced extreme grief. He died of a stroke in January of 1924 at his villa outside Moscow. I chose Vladimir Lenin to ite about because I felt that I didn’t truly understand what part he played in the Bolshevik takeover of Russia. In fact, I didn’t even understand what role he played in Russia, though I did know that he was associated with communism in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the University of Kazan, where Lenin majored in law, Lenin was expelled after only three months for taking part in a student protest meeting. He went on to work in a law office in St. Petersburg, where he joined the Social Democratic Party.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In late February 1917 riots broke out in Saint Petersburg. A group of individuals assumed formal governmental powers and declared itself the Provincial Government of Russia on March 1. Lenin took the reins of the Bolshevik Party shortly after the Bolsh ik Revolution which overthrew this Provincial government. Lenin instantly created to pieces of legislation. One of them withdrew Russia from World War I. The other one nationalized personal property. From 1918 to 1921 Russia was torn by a civil war betw n the White armies and the Red Army of the Soviet government. In the summer of 1918 the Soviet government, under Lenin’s leadership, launched the Red Terror, a brutal campaign aimed at eliminating political opponents among the civilian population. The g ernment also introduced a series of economic policies in an effort to put socialist principles into practice and to respond to Russia’s pressing economic needs. However, these policies only weakened economic output.Widespread strikes and uprisings broke ut in c... ...the system?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I realized that once I was gone that the two sides of the party, one led by Trotsky and the other by Stalin, would have nothing in common because the platforms of these two communists were so different. I knew that the communist goals that I had tried uphold would be destroyed. While I was in office I was trying to make Russia prosper under communism. Once I was involved less in communism’s affairs and realized that I was going to die soon, I started thinking of what â€Å"The Party† would be like after died. Suffice to say, it didn’t look good. â€Å". . . . the two outstanding leaders of the present Communist Party can inadvertently lead to a split, and if our Party does not take steps to avert this, the split may come unexpectedly,† (Lenin 1) W O R K S C I T E D Hugley, Ronald. RUSSIA: A Concise History. London, Thames and Hudson Ltd.1972. Lenin, Vladimir. The Testament. Boston, Halshall, Inc. 1997 McNeal, Robert H., The Bolshevik Tradition. Englewood, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Inc. 1975. Sherrow, Victoria. Life during the Russian Revolution. San Diego, Lucent Books, Inc.,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1998.

Examining the Impacts of Regular Bikram Yoga Practice on Health, Stress and Anxiety

EXAMINING THE IMPACTS OF REGULAR BIKRAM YOGA PRACTICE ON HEALTH, STRESS AND ANXIETY By DiAnne Garza Email: dianne. [email  protected] com Final Version Submitted to Dr. Luz Romay in partial fulfillment of the requirements for class Organizational Research and Assessment, ORGD 6330 December 7, 2011 Executive Summary Bikram yoga was developed thirty years ago by Bikram Choudhury, a renowned Hatha Yoga Master. It is a specific yoga practice that is carried out in 105? F at 40% humidity for 90 minutes.Some studies and practitioners have suggested that Bikram yoga practice has positive impacts on physical health as well as decreasing stress and anxiety. There were certain inclusion criteria for participation in this study. Age was not an exclusion and participants ranged in age from 18 to over 60 years of age. This study sought to interview active students of Bikram yoga who have been practicing consistently for at least the last eight weeks, at a minimum of three times per week.Student s meeting the requirements at the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio were invited to complete the survey instrument from November 16 through November 26, 2011. Seventy-five students responded to the survey. The results indicated that there are significant positive results from regularly practicing Bikram yoga. Since Bikram yoga encourages students to hold poses in a â€Å"hot† room it increases heart rate and acts as a cardiovascular exercise without the high impact normally associated with cardio exercises.The results of the survey instrument yielded over 50% of respondents reporting an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. Additionally, stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. Improvements to physical fitness were observed with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balan ce. There was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less.Therefore, Bikram yoga should be considered by the medical community as the first option for improving physical fitness including overall strength, balance, flexibility and decreasing weight. Introduction to the study Background of the Problem The main topic of this research was to determine the effect, if any, of Bikram Yoga on perceived stress and its impact on physical fitness. Bikram Choudhury developed this yoga thirty years. Choudhury was born in Calcutta and he began studying yoga at the age of four.By the time he was 14 he had won the National India Yoga Contest and there he remained undefeated for the next three years (Choudhury, 2007). Choudhury went on to weight lifting and eventually set a world record for weight lifting in the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. As he continued his weight lifting practice he experienced a serious knee injury and was told by doctors he w ould never walk again. This led Choudhury back to his original yoga teacher to once again pursue yoga. Through regular practice he became completely healed and established what is now known as Bikram yoga.Although an exact number of Bikram yoga studio locations could not be identified, studios can be found in Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua, Chile, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Finland, Italy, Austria, France, and Germany as well as all over the United States including Texas with three studios in San Antonio (â€Å"Studio Map View†, 2011). The main purpose of this study was to assess the post perceived stress levels of Bikram yoga students who have been regularly attending for at least eight weeks and at least three times per week.The study also intended to asses the impacts of practice on physical fitness level and general health of these students after regular practice. The topic of this research was to determine if Bikram yoga helps one manage anxiety and stress better and if it actually decreased perceived stress after a session. The Problem People experience stress from various aspects in their lives, at different levels and intensities. This stress contributes to feelings of anxiety as well as overall physical wellbeing.Additionally, many people have injuries, weakened muscles, experiences of shortness of breath during high cardiovascular activities, and many other ailments that prevent them from doing regular exercise. There is a form of yoga called Bikram Yoga that does not require high cardiovascular activity, yet it produces the same effects as if it did. The problem statement was: Does a regular practice of Bikram Yoga decrease stress and anxiety for people with uncomfortable levels of stress and anxiety as well as improve physical fitness? PurposeThe purpose of this research was to examine how people who practice Bikram yoga perceive its impact on decreasing their level of stress and increase physical fitness. It helped determine if regular prac tice of a 90 minute Bikram yoga session at least three times per week experienced in 105? F temperature with 40% humidity was beneficial or detrimental to the body. Initial Research Questions This initial plan included three research questions that represented the main objectives of the study. The three questions were: 1. What changes can one expect to see in their body as a result of regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? . Does regular Bikram yoga practice significantly decrease weight? 3. How has perceived stress level been impacted or changed by regular and consistent Bikram yoga practice? Organizational Access The organization that was used for the study was Bikram Yoga – San Antonio. There are three studios in San Antonio of which the researcher had access to. At the end of each class email addresses were collected for those interested in participating in the survey and that met the requirements. Students received the study via email from SurveyMonkey. com.Schedul e of the Process The high level timeline was: †¢ November 13, 2011Completion of survey †¢ November 16 – 23, 2011Distribution of survey †¢ November 27, 2011Analysis of survey Assumptions There were two main assumptions in the study. First that the Bikram yoga studios in San Antonio would continue classes and the room would remain at 105? F and at 40% humidity. It was also assumed that participants responding to the survey were honest in meeting the requirements. Limitation The scope of the study was limited to students practicing in the San Antonio locations.Additionally, the medical condition and fitness level of those students participating in the study could not be determined in this study. Definitions Asana Defined as a physical posture. A yoga session is composed of various standing, seated, and lying asanas; Bikram yoga is a series of 26 asanas. Bikram Yoga A specific series of yoga asanas assembled by Bikram Choudhury (2007). A Bikram session is comprised of a series of 26 postures including two breathing exercise, requiring 90 minutes to complete, and takes place in a temperature-controlled room (approximately 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 40% humidity).Perceived Stress The degree to which situations in one’s life are appraised as stressful. Psychological stress has been defined as the extent to which persons perceive (appraise) that their demands exceed their ability to cope. Physical Fitness The participants’ level of general fitness (a state of health and well-being), and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Sanskrit The classical language of India and Hinduism. Yoga Literally means ‘to yoke’, to join mind and body.Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that couples physical postures with conscious attention to breathing, and meditative practice. Review of the preliminary research To understand what was already known about the im pacts of Bikram yoga on physical health a literature review was conducted on three current journal articles. The first article was entitled Yoga Effects on Stress and Health and was written by Dr. Tiffany Fields in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Dr. Fields conducted a research effort on the effects of yoga poses on a human being with regard to many factors.Many existing empirically-based research efforts and studies were utilized to reach the conclusions in this research effort. Psychological conditions were examined including anxiety and depression, cardiovascular fitness and physiological levels. This included the effects on heart rate, blood pressure, weight loss and muscle strength. Dr. Fields cited several studies that yielded an enhanced mindfulness and a reduction in job stress. People who attended only two weekly 90 minute yoga sessions experienced a noted decrease in stress, anxiety, fatigue, depression, head and back pain with an increase in well-being.The e ffects of the yoga were found to be immediate, following only one session. At the end of one year of yoga cholesterol was reduced by 23% compared to 4% for those in standard treatment. A decrease in anginal episodes was observed in addition to decreased body weight. Surgeries were less frequently required in the group who practiced yoga. In each and every condition yoga was found to be of some benefit in varying degrees, but always noticeable. The physical effects were also reviewed which consisted of weight loss, balance and flexibility and leg strength.This study suggested that regular yoga practice can have amazing impacts on the human body and can also be considered a part of a prescription plan for various ailments. Regular yoga practice can help alleviate various forms of pain and symptoms of disease as well as feeling ill at ease. A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases was the second article reviewed written by K. Yang found in Evidence Ba sed Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This research effort focused on four major risk factors in the human body that most contribute to chronic diseases and yoga’s impact on affecting those risk factors.Since there are four common medical conditions that lead to chronic disease in the United States the study sought to identify if yoga would help mitigate those conditions. The four risk factors noted are weight, blood glucose level, blood pressure and cholesterol level. The research included a review of thirty-two articles published between 1980 and April 2007 that were related to yoga and the four risk factors. The practice of yoga yielded an overall improvement in every one of the four risk factors. The improvement increased over time; as the yoga practice continued on a consistent basis the risk factors would measurably decrease.Of all of the articles and studies reviewed by Yang they all show that, â€Å"yoga has beneficial effects on body weight, BP, blood glucose level and cholesterol level. † (2007, pg. 489). Yang proposed that because of these benefits yoga intervention programs should be developed as a means to combat the four factors contributing to disease in the United States. Incorporating yoga into one’s lifestyle and as a part of a medical prescription plan can help one live a healthier life for a longer period of time. The treatment of chronic disease should take the benefits of yoga practice into consideration.The final article reviewed was An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-week Bikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness conducted by Zoe Louise Hewett at Boise State University in 2010. Ms. Hewett set out to monitor participants in an eight week Bikram yoga practice to understand the impact of the practice on mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness. The participant’s consisted of fifty one men and women between the ages of 20-54 years. The students had to atte nd three Bikram yoga sessions per week, however they were encouraged to attend five.The results were measured two weeks into the study and again within one week of completion of the program. In the three areas of focus, that is mindfulness, perceived stress and physical fitness, all were improved by regular Bikram yoga attendance. This study revealed that Bikram yoga can improve one’s body in as little as eight weeks with a regular practice of only three times per week. Bikram yoga has been proven to positively affect psychological and physical health. Furthermore, regular Bikram yoga practice can measurably improve one’s physical fitness in the matter of eight weeks with an attendance of three times per week.Method of research The participants were from the Bikram yoga – San Antonio locations. To collect the data email addresses were collected from students after each class to disseminate the instrument via SurveyMonkey. com and the survey was also posted on th e Facebook page of the Bikram Yoga – San Antonio studio. Within one day there were over 60 respondents so the response rate was more than double what was hoped for. Once 75 respondents completed the survey it was closed. The data captured on SurveyMonkey. com with regard to Bikram yoga was transcribed into Microsoft Office Excel version 2003.This application was used to capture all of the survey questions with their respective responses and optional comments as they were entered by the respondents. Furthermore, Microsoft Office Word version 2003 was utilized to analyze the open-ended response to the last question on the survey. This allowed an easy way to highlight key words in each open ended response and classify them into various categories. Survey results The total number of responses was 75 total, 60 female (80%) and 15 male (20%). The age group of respondents ranged from 20 & under to 60 and above.The respondents have been practicing Bikram yoga for varying time frames. |1. Gender |   |Percent |Count | |   |Female |80 |60 | |   |Male |20 |15 | |   |   |  100 |75 | |2.Age Group |   |   |   | |   |20 & under |2. 7 |2 | |   |21 – 29 |22. 7 |17 | |   |30 – 40 |45. |34 | |   |41 – 50 |18. 7 |14 | |   |51 – 60 |6. 7 |5 | |   |60 & above |4 |3 | |   |   |100. 1 |75 | |3.Number of months/years practicing   | |   |1 – 3 months |16 |12 | |   |4 – 9 months |12 |9 | |   |9 – 12 months |12 |9 | |   |1 – 3 years |30. |23 | |   |3 – 5 years |13. 3 |10 | |   |Greater than 5 years |16 |12 | |   | |100 |75 | Figure 1 – Gender, Age & Length of Time Practicing Fifty percent or more respondents reported an answer of â€Å"somewhat better† for all of the questions, indicating that most respondents see a benefit in their practice. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less stressed |58. 7 |44 | |   |Somewhat less stressed |34. 7 |26 | |   |   |93. |70 | |   |   |   |   | |5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Much less instances of anxiety |49. 30% |37 | |   |Somewhat less instances of anxiety |33. 0% |25 | |   |   |82. 60% |62 | |   |   |   |   | |6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Somewhat more physically fit |45. 0% |34 | |   |Much more physically fit |46. 70% |35 | |   |   |92. 00% |69 | |   |   |   |   | |7.Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   | |Much better |Somewhat better | |   |Flexibility |66. 7% (50) |29. 3% (22) | |   |Balance |50. 7% (38) |40. % (30) | |   |   |   |   | |   |   |   |   | |8. Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? | |   |Weight is not more or less since starting |28. 0% |21 | | |Bikram yoga | | | |   |Weight has somewhat decreased |50. 70% |38 | |   |   |78. 70% |59 | |   |   |   |   | |9.Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing |   |   |   | |Bikram yoga? | | | | |   |Eating habits have not changed at all |32. 00% |24 | |   |Eat somewhat less |49. 30% |37 | |   |   |81. 0% |61 | Figure 2 – Improvement Indicators The first theme noted was stress and anxiety decreased with over 80% of respondents reporting somewhat to much less anxious and stressed. [pic] Figure 3 – Stress & Anxiety Level Improvements The second theme noted was an improvement to physical fitness with over 90% reporting improved physical fitness and improvement to flexibility and balance. [pic]Figure 4 – Physical Fitness Improvements The third theme was a decrease in weight with 51% reporting a weight loss and 49% reporting that they ate somewhat less. [pic]Figure 5 – Weight Loss & Eating Improvements The final theme is an overall fe eling of improvement as indicated by responses to the last open-ended question. Participants reported a deep sense of physical and mental calmness after yoga sessions and feeling less stressed overall. A deeper understanding of oneself and awareness of strengths along with feelings of happiness was also reported. The last question in the survey was, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † All seventy-five responses were copied into Word.The responses were analyzed for general tone and themes as recommended by Church & Waclawski (p. 198). The first category, â€Å"healthier† is related to responses indicating a general healthier body while â€Å"major health benefit† is strictly related to responses indicated a major medical improvement. These open ended responses include cures of insomnia, elimination of back pain, spine pain relief that surgery did not cure, complete healing of injuries, sciatic a healing, neck pain removal that a chiropractor could never heal and others that were beyond the simple idea of being healthier. Please refer to the Appendix for a list of all open ended responses). The break down of responses was as follows: [pic] Figure 6 – Open Ended Responses by Category Conclusions and recommendations Results from the literature review and survey responses suggest that using yoga as a solution for medical issues, weight loss and overall feelings of well being and as a medical intervention is worthy of further research. Based on the results presented from the survey the following is a summary of the conclusions reached: 1. Practicing Bikram yoga yields many medical benefits that provide visible improvements. 2.Literature reviews combined with the survey indicate that practicing Bikram yoga can reverse negative medical diagnosis in many areas including physical, mental and alleviate serious conditions such as heart disease risk factors. 3. Bikram yoga can be a non-invasive holistic approach to curing dis-ease. Based on the above, a series of recommendations are offered: 1. A psychological context of the impacts of practicing Bikram yoga should be conducted. Investigate any parallels of slower, regulated breathing combined with increased mindfulness and a gentle physical exercise and focus with a more consistent relaxed state of mind. 2.Conduct a study to see if values change after a year of Bikram practice. Shifts in values may lead to a more relaxed and accepting state of mind. 3. Develop a series of intervention programs using Bikram yoga for specific problems or symptoms. Plan of Action Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years to improve physical and emotional well-being. Empirical research on yoga has been going on for quite some time as revealed by the literature reviews. The literature reviews and the survey results point to yoga being a benefit on many levels to include physiological and physical. Due to these results t he plan of action is: 1. To develop a prescription plan for the San Antonio medical community that includes Bikram yoga practice. Development of protocols should be conducted with medical doctors and practitioners along with Bikram yoga studio owners and advanced practitioners of Bikram yoga. 2. ) Conduct a pilot on a select number of candidates identified from the medical community and execute the prescription plan. Conduct analysis on the pilot to validate prescription plan’s effectiveness. 3. ) Develop various protocols based on results from the pilot for analysis and prescriptions should be developed for those symptoms related to balance and lexibility, stress and anxiety, depression as well as the need for weight loss. The results of this study have practical implications worthy of further research. This study has implications that the benefits of using Bikram yoga as a mind and body based exercise program are evident, and future research is essential for a more in depth medical understanding and appreciation for this form of yoga. References Bikram Yoga and Bikram's amazing story. (n. d. ). http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. com/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www. bikram-yoga-noosa-australia. om/WhatisBikramsBeginnerYoga. htm Choudhury, B. (2007). Bikram Yoga. New York, NY: Harper Collins. Church, Allan H. , & Waclawski, Janine. (1998). Designing and Using Organizational Surveys: A Seven-Step Process. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Studio Map View. (n. d. ). Bikram's Yoga College of India. Retrieved October 29, 2011. Dale, Kathleen. , & Fox, Marilyn L. , (2008). Leadership Style and Organizational Commitment: Mediating Effect of Role Stress. Journal of Management Issues. (pp. 1-18). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_1_20/ai_n29422403 Field, T. 2011). Yoga clinical research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice,  17(1), 8. doi:10. 1016/j. ctcp . 2010. 09. 007 Retrieved from http://www. ctcpjournal. com/article/S1744-3881(10)00079-4/fulltext Fiorito, Jack. Bozeman, Dennis P. , Young, Angela. & Meurs, James A. , (2007). Organizational Commitment, Human Resource Practices, and Organizational Characteristics. Journal of Managerial Issues. (pp. 1-14). Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_hb6703/is_2_19/ai_n29358398/pg_1? tag=content;col1 Hewett, Zoe Louise, â€Å"An Examination of the Effectiveness of an 8-weekBikram Yoga Program on Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Physical Fitness† (2010). Boise State University Theses and Dissertations. Paper 112. http://scholarworks. boisestate. edu/td/112 Park, Yang-Kyu, Lee, Chul-In, Kabist, Rudiger. (2008, July 1). â€Å"Human Needs as Predictors for Organizational Commitment and Job Involvement. † Management Review. (pp. 1-18) Retrieved January 29, 2009 from http://www. allbusiness. com/labor-employment/worker-categories-women-workers/11 729925-1. html Yang, K. (2007). A Review of Yoga Programs for Four Leading Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases.Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 4. doi:10. 1093/ecam/nem154 Retrieved from http://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176145/ Appendix A Survey Questions & Response Options 1. Select your gender. 2. Select your age group. 3. Select number of months/years practicing. 4. Has your stress level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 5. Has your anxiety level changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 6. Has your physical fitness changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 7. Has your flexibility and balance changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? . Has your weight changed since you have been practicing Bikram yoga? 9. Have your eating habits changed as a result of practicing Bikram yoga? 10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? Response Options Gender options: Female and Male Age group options: 1. 20 & under 2. 21 – 29 3. 30 – 40 4. 41 – 50 5. 51 – 60 6. 60 & above Number of months/years practicing options: 1. 1 – 3 months 2. 4 – 9 months 3. 9 – 12 months 4. 1 – 3 years 5. 3 – 5 years 6. Greater than 5 years Stress level changes since practicing Bikram yoga: 1.Much less stressed 2. Somewhat less stressed 3. Neither more or less stressed 4. Somewhat more stressed 5. Much more stressed Changes to anxiety level since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less instances of anxiety 2. Somewhat less instances of anxiety 3. Neither more or less instances of anxiety 4. Somewhat more instances of anxiety 5. Much more instances of anxiety Changes to physical fitness since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Much less physically fit 2. Somewhat less physically fit 3. Neither more or less physically fit 4. Somewhat more physically fit 5. Much more physically fitChanges t o flexibility and balance since practicing Bikram yoga options: The following are options across rows: 1. Flexibility 2. Balance The following are options across columns: 1. Much better 2. Somewhat better 3. Neither better nor worse 4. Somewhat worse 5. Much more worse Changes to weight since practicing Bikram yoga options: 1. Weight has significantly increased 2. Weight has somewhat increased 3. Weight is not more or less since starting Bikram yoga 4. Weight has somewhat decreased 5. Weight has significantly decreased Changes to eating habits as a result of practicing Bikram yoga options: . Eat much more 2. Eat somewhat more 3. Eating habits have not changed at all 4. Eat somewhat less 5. Eat much less The final question, â€Å"What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? † has an open ended form box for a response. Additionally, questions five through nine have an optional 50 character form field for a comment. Responder may only select one in each question. All questions have required responses. Appendix B The Bikram Yoga Sequence & Asana Names [pic] Figure 7 – The Bikram Yoga Sequence Appendix C Photos [pic]Figure 8 – Bikram Choudhury, born on February 10, 1946 Students are in Pose 13: Savasana [pic] Figure 9 – Pose 16: Bhujangasana [pic] Figure 10 – Pose 17: Salabhasana Appendix D Screen shot of Facebook invite for the survey [pic] Appendix E Open-ended responses |10. What is the best or worst thing that has happened to you as a result of your Bikram Yoga practice? | |Category |Response | |Healthier |Worst thing is when I miss a class or am unable to attend for some other reasons/obligations. | |Best thing Well, to be completely honest, Bikram has been the abolute best thing that could've | | |ever happened to me. I was going down a really bad path, and i have to say i feel that Bikram | | |has truly saved me life. Of course, I have to thank my God for that. But anywa y, I hope this | | |helps. Best of luck! | |Healthier |New experience in total body workout, see that there is something better than traditional gym | | |rat, sweat like never before†¦ ll good stuff. | |Mental improvement |Getting out there and trying something new and loving it! It has given me the confidence to try | | |new experiences | |Mental improvement |I learned about how my body responds to stress. I am a medical student and on the weeks where we| | |have testing blocks I found that I am generally unhealthy (lack of sleep, eat little and make | | |poor choices with food, and I allow stress and fear to be main motivators).These are all things| | |I learned about myself through my yoga. My ability to focus and balance declines and I am | | |overall an unhappy person. Life will always bring time of intense stress; however, our bodies | | |deserve our best regardless of the situation. Bikram opened my eyes to this stress habit and I | | |am beginning to make healthier choi ces during moments of heavy stress. | |Mental improvement |Best thing is that I have a new passion in my life.I cannot imagine my life without my | | |practice. | |Happier |Happiness and Peace | |Weight loss |Although I have always been taught the importance of water, I have never embraced and felt the | | |need for it as much as I have since practicing Bikram. I think that is a reason for some | | |weightloss, of course in addition to the torture chamber! | |Healthier |Feeling great overall! |Major health benefit |Hope, that my life was not over because of debilitating pain in spine due to degenerative disk | | |disease, that is now mostly gone. Hope that even after cervical spine surgery, I can stay fit | | |and and continue to practice and improve my practice as long as I live. Joy, appreciation for | | |life and health every day with a consistent practice. | |Mental improvement |Improved attitude. | |Happier |Realize what is really important in life. |Healthier |Fewer injuries running. Toned body. More patient. Realization that pain is temporary and makes | | |me stronger. I can do anything for one minute. | |Healthier |Bikram has become a practice I look forward to all day. I know I can leave my stress at the door| | |and will feel amazing when I leave. Bikram has given me much more energy and is forcing me to | | |hydrate my body. Loving this new way of life. | |Mental improvement |I notice that I am more disciplined. |Major health benefit |I suffer from migraine headaches 3-4 times a week. So long as I practice Bikram Yoga at least 3 | | |times a week I am completely headache free. It helps lower my stress and let my mind release the| | |tension of work. | |Major health benefit |I have been able to successfully get off of both anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication. I| | |was on a slew of medication for about 4 years due to severe panic attacks and depression. |Weight loss |Besides the weight loss, it would have to be that I do focus more on my b reath and focusing on | | |how my body reacts to different situations. | |Happier |I feel so much better and energized after a session and I just have this glow that makes me so | | |much happier after a class! | |Healthier |The best thing is being able to focus on myself for 90 minutes and to push myself to new limits. | | |And, the teachers and students are exceptional.I have learned to love the heat too! | |Major health benefit |it has healed my neck better than any chiropractor has been able | |Happier |Best thing is the way I treat my students thanks to Yoga†¦ they deserve that†¦. :). | |Happier |Better peace of mind. Good Too much time away from family. Worst | |Mental improvement |I feel amazing in the hot room, which has increased my confidence outside the room.The worst | | |thing- I have developed an addiction 🙂 | |Major health benefit |My back is stronger overall, but I seem to frequently be working through some ache, pain, or | | |injury. Could just be my age†¦. | |Healthier |Has vastly improved my life. | |Major health benefit |Since starting 5 yrs ago, I have gone from 5'7†³, 167 lbs to 136 lbs! I no longer have sciatica. | | |Old sports injuries have healed.Flexibility has improved. Overall health has improved. I eat | | |way better than I ever have. I stopped drinking alcohol. I feel great and have more confidence | | |that I did before Bikram. | |Weight loss |best thing is that i have lost 15lbs†¦.. i LOVE my body now | |Mental improvement |Best thing. Met some wonderful people and my daughter and I have a common challenge | |Mental improvement |Best is more ability to clear my mind and just do it. |Mental improvement |I love the me time I get. I love the challenge of facing myself in the mirror for 90 mins. When | | |is the last time you watched your body move for 90 mins? It is empowering, amazing, and allows | | |me to love my body. My only regret is that I didn't find it sooner. | |Healthier |I've practice d yoga for a long time and bikram yoga has changed my yoga practice tremendously | |Healthier |The muscle toning in my legs and arms is very visible. |Mental improvement |Finished the 60 day challenge which was super gratifying. A nice goal to work towards and | | |achieve. | |Major health benefit |I began to practice Bikram yoga to rehabilitate my ankle. After 6 months my ankle was healed. I | | |am intrigued by Bikram yoga, as a biochemistry major you can imagine the amount of research I | | |have done on Bikram yoga. I would like to know what you find. [email  protected] om | |Bad reaction |I got CA MRSA – superbug staph infection! | |Major health benefit |Almost complete elimination of back pain that I have suffered for approximately two decades. | |Healthier |The best thing is that is a great stress reliever and awesome facial moisturizer! | |Mental improvement |Best- friends, connections with the Bikram family. Worst- must carve out time for Bikram, or | | |else†¦. I'm grumpy!!! | |Spiritual improvement |Through yoga, I started to reconnect with my spiritual nature. |Healthier |The best thing is that I feel hopeful that I can be healthier and more comfortable in my body. | |Major health benefit |My runs of A-fib have stopped. | |Healthier |Energy up, stress down! | |Major health benefit |improved range of motion in arthritic joints. better balance and focus. Too many benefits to | | |list! | |Major health benefit |I have insomnia. Meds are the only things that, prior to Bikram, helped me fall asleep.After | | |the 8:15pm Bikram class, I crash and am out for at least 8 hours. | |Mental improvement |Just an overall better outlook and feeling positive about daily occurrences | |Healthier |I feel amazing practicing bikram yoga. My body feels cleansed | |Mental improvement |I have become addicted†¦ but to a good thing. I feel better, am in great shape, and am a much | | |happier and patient person because of Bikram. |Mental improvement |I l ike who I am becoming | |Spiritual improvement |I'm addicted to Bikram Yoga. It has been a Permanant Part of my life. The best thing that has | | |happened to me is, My Meditation has elevated to a deeply spiritual level&I crave this Yoga. I | | |can't miss a class. | |Mental improvement |My self confidence is improving. |Mental improvement |I like to tell people â€Å"I got me back†, bikram Yoga was introduced to me at a time when I pulled | | |myself out of a controlling & very unhealthy relationship. My sense of independence & security | | |was wiped out. As a result I stressed over every little thing because I was made to believe I | | |couldn't do anything without â€Å"him†. Bikram Yoga is a blessing because slowly I've been able to | | |let go of fear, stress, misery & depression.In short†¦ I found my smile! Thanks to BYSA! | |Healthier |The BEST thing that happens from practicing Bikram Yoga is how much more AMAZING you feel and | | |enjoy life even better ! | |Weight loss |Weightloss | |Healthier |It has contributed to improved attention to multiple aspects of fitness with overall gains | | |resulting. | |Healthier |Keeps me in great shape!! |Major health benefit |I got off of blood pressure medication after 3 months of practice. | |Mental improvement |Peace in mind, strength, balance, focus. | |Mental improvement |Best thing that happened is that I learned more self control. | |Weight loss |when I stop, I tend to gain weight and stress. | |Healthier |I flinally found my type of exersice since I stopped dancing ballet at 20 years, I? m 37 now | |Healthier |The best thing is that overall I feel better and stronger. |Mental improvement |I pay a lot more attention to what my body is telling me in all situations. | |Major health benefit |I am able to bend my knee better than in months prior. Also, the yoga has forced me to drink | | |more water throughout the day. | |Mental improvement |my self image and confidence has increased so much. this has spread to other areas of my life | | |and made so many things improve. i'm amazed daily at the positive effects of this yoga. | |Healthier |I am more physically confident. |Major health benefit |Everything changes!!!! My back pain has gone away, it provides me discipline when spending $, it| | |allows me to quiet the mind & sleep better, my joints start yelling at me when I don't go, my | | |core stands straighter, my shoulders are more defined, I am able to open my back & shoulders | | |more than ever before, it took away soreness after I ran a 1/2 marathon last year plus it was | | |the only way I trained for it, it keeps away sickness such as colds†¦ s that enough reasons? It| | |keeps my life happy & balanced. | |Mental improvement |Feel younger | |Mental improvement |I've noticed myself becoming more confident in poses creating better posture. I can feel a major| | |difference in how my posture has strengthened. | |Mental improvement |It makes me feel strong.When I get through a class I feel like I did something good for myself | | |which in turn allows me to be better for others. | |Happier |I feel healthier and happier than ever when I maintain a regular practice! | |Healthier |Im more flexible and I fell awesome. | |Healthier |Best-Not worrying about swimsuit season Worst-I sweat really easily.Even my shins sweat. | |Happier |I found happiness | |Happier |Feel better | |Mental improvement |Feel less stressed |