Research on Best Buy Co. Essay -- Best Buy Business Management Electro

Research on Best Buy Co. The roots of Best Buy Co., Inc. can be traced back to St. Paul, Minnesota. This is where founder Richard Schulze opened the doors of his Sound of Music store in 1966. Understanding a demand for consumer audio components and systems in the St. Paul area, Schulze managed to provide a combination of great prices and excellent service, thus building a strong customer base, which quickly prompted an expansion into home appliances and video products. The eighties prompted change as well as the opening of Best Buy’s first superstore. During 1983, a new corporate name was approved and the Sound of Music Company became known as Best Buy Co., Inc. With mounting consumer support Best Buy continued its road to expansion by opening an additional five stores. In 1985, the newly named company was being publicly traded under the symbol BBY. The late eighties brought forth additional change for the continuously growing company. Best Buy adopted a new concept in retail merchandising with the opening of massive superstores. The new concept shifted the placing of all inventory on the sales floor and hiring a specialized staff of non-commissioned service representatives (FAQ). Such adaptations have fueled the company into progression and continued to promote the company’s corporate vision of â€Å"Making life fun and easy†(Fact Sheet). Philanthropy plays a huge part in the success of Best Buy Co., Inc. During 1994, The Best Buy Children's Foundation was founded (FAQ). The foundation offers support to communities by way of contributions to several organizations found nationwide. This support strengthens communities by integrating interactive technology into everyday experiences. All of the programs funded by the Best Buy Children’s Foundation are easily accessible to students. These programs also provide social services and disaster relief support in connection with non-profit organizations like the Red Cross and United Way. They also offer and support community volunteerism. Best Buy Children's Foundation also has a scholarship, which offers scholarships to students who have exceptional academic achievement and outstanding community service. Annually more than $2 million in scholarships are granted to over 1,300 students. The scholarships are evenly disbursed in each U.S. Congressional District and the Distr ict of Columbia. Three students who will be ... ...ips to residences and businesses. They are most widely recognized by their clip on ties-- truly carrying around the persona of a Geek. But don’t be fooled by appearances, their knowledge on computers is in no ways lacking in abundance. With the passion for the latest and greatest technological knowledge, and the charisma and devotion towards the youth, Best Buy is sure to continue on the high road to success. Best Buy will be changing and advancing to accommodate the ever-changing field of technology. They are truly a testament to upholding and exceeding their vision statement of â€Å"meeting the customer at the intersection of technology and life† (FAQ). Works Cited Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"Fact Sheet Fourth Quarter- Fiscal 2005 (ended Feb 6, 2005)† 6, 200 ) http://www.bbycommunications.com/newscenter/FY05_Fact_Sheet_Q4.pdf Best Buy â„ ¢ â€Å"FAQ† 6 www.bestbuy.com Star Telegram â€Å"BEST BUY GEEKS TO RUN AMOK† 4/28/05 www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/11511402.htm WCCO  © 2005 The Associated Press â€Å"Best Buy Expansion Plans Include China† 4/27/05 http://wcco.com/localnews/local_story_117101956.html Yahoo Finance- â€Å"Quotes & Info- Best Buy Co Inc (BBY)† http://finance.yahoo.com/a/ct?s=BBY&annual

The Iliad of Homer Essay -- essays research papers

The Iliad is the quintessential epic. It is full with gods, goddesses, heroes, war, honor, glory, and the like. However, for just short while near the very conclusion Homer avoids all of those epic qualities. The banquet scene in Book XXIV is the most touching, the most â€Å"human† scene in the entire poem . In the midst of the dreadful gulf of war and anger there occurs an intimate moment between two men who ironically have much in common below the surface. Priam, old and fragile, makes his way to the camp of the enemy’s greatest warrior late at night. He bears what little treasures have not been exhausted by the ten-year conflict and plans to plead for the rightful return of his son’s body. This is his final heroic endeavor. And perhaps, because he has just lost someone so dear to him, he is willing to take the risk despite his fear. What is interesting is that when he does arrive at the camp of Achilles, his fear suddenly subsides and â€Å"the old man makes straight for the dwelling where Achilles beloved of Zeus was sitting.† A decisive moment has arrived for both men. When Priam enters, Achilles knows that he must accept his own death with open arms while Priam is forced to sit at the knees of Achilles and kiss the hands that have killed his beloved Hektor. Homer seems to stop the action for a moment to let us feel the intensity of this extraordinary encounter. Priam urges Achilles to think of his own father and then pity Priam in his outrageous position, a king "who must put my lips to the hands of the man who has killed my children." Achilles immediately accepts Priam’s appeal and the two weep for their sons, fathers, and friends. This sharing of common grief becomes a bridge back to human sympathy. In an amazing speech Achilles soothes Priam's sorrow by painting a picture of their common misfortune and the inevitable limits of mortality. He reminds Priam that â€Å"there is not anything to be gained from grief for his son.† â€Å"You will never bring him back,† he says, â€Å"sooner you must go through yet another sorrow.† Though Achilles has matured dramatically since the beginning of the Iliad the complexities of his character don't disappear instantly. Priam asks not to be seated so he can more quickly attend to the return of Hektor. Suddenly Achilles' anger flashes out. Though his insight and human compassion have developed greatly he is still obstinate an... ...an lot he portrays is grim, his actions show a human decency that somehow softens our sense of what it means to be human NOTE: Observe how the plot structure of the Iliad completes itself. In the first book, a father (Chryses) comes to Agamemnon to plead for the return of his child but is refused. In the last book, a father (Priam) also pleads to Achilles for the return of a child; this time pity is shown. Though this symmetry is surely there, Homer is an artist who permits complexities and contradictions. As you begin to sum up your feelings about the Iliad, test all the threads. The question is not simply is Achilles right or wrong, or are the Trojans or Argives the real heroes. Homer values both cultures. He sees meaning in the heroic code but he also sees its shortcomings. In that same way, he pictures the horrible sufferings of a world at war and yet shows us the human dignity that can shine through. In the beginning Apollo says that mortals maneuver through Destiny with "the heart of endurance." That is where the Iliad begins and ends. It is ironic that Achilles is young and strong and in his prime while Priam is way past his and yet Achilles is nearer to death.

The Yellow Wallpaper

In the story the Yellow Wall Paper, the narrator is making a statement which is saying that if you are locked up in a house or â€Å"prison† you are not being allowed to be put to your full potential with society. She is using the narrator's point of view to show how mental issues start to occur when you are confined to one place and have no actual view of the outside world. That statement also includes the effects of your mind when you can only think to yourself and imagine. The main character's mind starts to go insane when thinking too much into things. Throughout the story the main character looks into every little detail of the room and analyzes it. This is the effect of having too much time on her hands and not having anything better to do. The story is about a woman who's husband sent her away to this house to get mentally better and starts to see this wallpaper. She has very strict rules such as not being able to read or write so she starts looking at this wallpaper. While she's looking at this wallpaper she starts to interpret it in many different ways throughout the story. She's irked by the bright yellow outline that is has, which then turns into her seeing heads being hanged. As the story goes on her views of the room get even worse and it doesn't help that her husband John is treating her like a little girl. Her husband has a wrong view of what is going on in her head. She gets annoyed by the fact that she can't even talk to him about the situation she's in. The story goes on to her doing many irrational behaviors in the room and her anxiety gets worse and worse while getting fed up with everything little thing she notices in the room and about the wallpaper. She is also also a Mother that isn't aloud to be near her baby which adds to her anxiety. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows a first person point of view with the narrator about how she is feeling â€Å"So I take phosphate or phosphites- whichever it is , and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to â€Å"work† until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good†(p490). She is able to capture how the narrator is really feeling. The narrator is a housewife that doesn't have a real job. She wants more out of life; she really wants to be able to read and write so that she can put her thoughts to good use and vent. When her husband took her books away from her, she started to read the wallpaper because she likes to read and analyze and is very good at it by the way she describes the room and the wallpaper. She also didn't put up a fight when she was sent away. She develops a mental illness by being a housewife and not being able to go out. When she is put in this psychiatry room, she starts to get worse. She thinks she's getting better later on in the story because her husband tells her that she can have her life back if she gets better. The narrator is disgusted with the room she's in but tries to make the best of it. She really enjoys and desires human interaction. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows the narrator's loneliness â€Å"When I get really well, John says we will ask Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit; but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillowcase as to let me have those stimulating people about now†(p. 491). This really shows how she's looking forward to seeing her family to be able to talk about her work. John is her husband who's making all the decisions and holding her back like a child. He doesn't show her much attention because he is always with other patients and often comes to visit her at night. At one point in the story he carried her from one room to another like a baby. That doesn't do her any good because she knows that she's a grown up person and is capable of doing more. By him treating her like a baby makes her feel like a baby, and then continues to more mental issues. John should've treated her like an adult so that she would act more like an adult. Charlotte made him into a controlling character â€Å"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction†(p490). This shows how he's controlling the way she does things yet still loves her. She needs more freedom which he doesn't want to give her. He thinks that by putting her in that room she will learn a lesson like a little child and teach herself how to get better. What she really needs is to be able to go out and enjoy what society has to offer her. The room she's in shows what it's like to be deprived by society; the room is like her own little society. She's trying to make the best of it by looking into every little detail of it from the bed to the wallpaper. She wasn't allowed to go out of her house or do anything because John wanted her to be a housewife which is why she started having all of these mental issues. She had to fulfill the duties that John wanted her to do which got boring to a certain point. She is a people's person. Every time that the nurses would come in she always talked to them as if she really knew them. Charlotte Perkins Gilman captures the narrator's thoughts â€Å"I don't like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! â€Å"(p490). She really doesn't like anything about the room she's in. When she looks out her window she sees a lovely country like village full of people which she wishes she could go out and have fun there. Being trapped in a house is the worst thing that is happening to her. She tries to make the best of the situation she's in by thinking into every little thing that annoys her. The room is a symbol of a door that is closed to society. The wallpaper is the main symbol in this story. The narrator starts to see heads that have been hanged which is obvious signs that she is starting to become delusional or insane. The color starts to change from yellow to brown after days of just staring at it. She then starts to see bars on the wallpaper which is representing herself. She feels like she's in a jail cell locked up and is not allowed to have fun or do anything except what John wants her to do. Throughout the story she feels as that it's better for her to be in this room of misery with her baby, so that the baby doesn't have to stare at it all day. She doesn't want her baby â€Å"living in a room full of worlds† which almost signifies the day dreaming that goes on in there. After awhile she starts to look at the positive side of being locked up in that room. The wallpaper whether it was yellow or not, was the main controlling mechanism of the character's mood for story. Her mood no matter day or night was based on the wallpaper she was looking at. The narrator actually asked John during the beginning of her stay to take down the wallpaper since it was causing more nervous trouble, but he didn't. He thought that she was letting it get to her and wanted her to deal with it which is funny because she ended up writing an entire short story about it. The narrator could also be feeling a sense of yellow on the inside. In our world we look as yellow as happy but maybe not as fully. Colors like orange or green are a lot happier. At one point she has a view of a garden which is where she could be picking up some yellow. She even thought there was a yellow smell. The wallpaper effects her so much she feels as if it's getting into her hair. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows a very good depiction to help create a mental picture of what is going on in the room: â€Å"The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight(p. 490)†. She shows great use of vocabulary with words such as repellent and revolting along with imagery which catches her reader's eyes. The title is an example of how the narrator can show her intellectual ability and desire of how she feels like she's in prison. The narrator's ability to interpret the wallpaper and every little detail in the room is unique even though it is a psychiatry case. Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses the narrator's point of view to really capture how she feels towards the wallpaper which in her mind is disgusting and not her type. Almost every paragraph is about something bad pertaining to the wallpaper. Her intellectual ability is to see and analyze things which may be why she gets along with so many people. Charlotte Perkins Gilman gives a great view saying â€Å"He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story making, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies, and that I ought to use my will and good sense to check the tendency†(p. 91). She clearly has a wild imagination that John is trying to cut down. She might be more of a hands on person. Therefore, the wallpaper brings a very different type of analytical approach. Her husband locked her up in this house so she wasn't being put to her full potential. Instead she started looking at the small things in her house while John just wanted her to si t at home and it turned into a mental illness. Towards the end of the story the narrator really started to go crazy walking around the room. She couldn't stand the fact that her bed was nailed to the floor. She ripped off all the wallpaper when nobody was around. She threw the key out of the room so that nobody can come in or out until John arrives. She even found a rope incase Jennie got in she was going to tie her which is a little crazy. The narrator realizes that if she jumps out the window that people will think she's crazy more than she already is. She's a frustrated psychiatric patient just trying to feel better. She's been in there for about a couple weeks. The wallpaper messes with her head a lot. She can't wait to leave the place she's in. She has everything planned out even taking a boat back to town. Her husband comes back for what she thinks is her last day in the psychiatric room. She rips down all of the wallpaper which showed a lot of courage since her nervousness wasn't letting her do anything til she's satisfied. She then takes the key locks the door and throws it out the window so that when John comes in he looks at her and faints. She does nothing but step over him. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows what is really going on â€Å"I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder†(p500). I think she just about had enough with staying in that room and may have even been feeling better since she worked up the courage to do all that and even walk over her own husband. Charlotte Perkins Gilman used a very easy to read type of style which was helpful in figuring out the plot and building a mental image of what was going on. † I have found out another funny thing, but I shan't tell it this time! I mean to try it, little by little. â€Å"(p498). She has a very broad use of vocabulary but not hard enough to need a dictionary to figure things out. It's interesting that she breaks the story into different parts or chapters. The narrator's character changed in each part, mostly because of the other characters or the wallpaper. Her writing style is also modern compared to other stories in this book. This type of writing style is nice. She uses a character with a mental disorientation and captures what is really going through her mind. Her writing flows just like any other short story but even better. She doesn't make it hard to figure the details out. She is very straight forward with the way she words her sentences. I'm wondering if the author wrote this short story to show another person, or if the author herself was the main character in the story. This seem like it could be a realistic story. In this century there are many mentally ill people ranging from anxiety issues to disorders. This could be a true story. The sentences are short and clear but not at all long enough to get lost in them. The story was literally written as the main character was seeing things. It was even broken up from the start of her being in the psychiatric ward included with a two week break from writing for when John kept visiting her in the beginning. Every thought and movement was written down. The Yellow Wallpaper In the story the Yellow Wall Paper, the narrator is making a statement which is saying that if you are locked up in a house or â€Å"prison† you are not being allowed to be put to your full potential with society. She is using the narrator's point of view to show how mental issues start to occur when you are confined to one place and have no actual view of the outside world. That statement also includes the effects of your mind when you can only think to yourself and imagine. The main character's mind starts to go insane when thinking too much into things. Throughout the story the main character looks into every little detail of the room and analyzes it. This is the effect of having too much time on her hands and not having anything better to do. The story is about a woman who's husband sent her away to this house to get mentally better and starts to see this wallpaper. She has very strict rules such as not being able to read or write so she starts looking at this wallpaper. While she's looking at this wallpaper she starts to interpret it in many different ways throughout the story. She's irked by the bright yellow outline that is has, which then turns into her seeing heads being hanged. As the story goes on her views of the room get even worse and it doesn't help that her husband John is treating her like a little girl. Her husband has a wrong view of what is going on in her head. She gets annoyed by the fact that she can't even talk to him about the situation she's in. The story goes on to her doing many irrational behaviors in the room and her anxiety gets worse and worse while getting fed up with everything little thing she notices in the room and about the wallpaper. She is also also a Mother that isn't aloud to be near her baby which adds to her anxiety. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows a first person point of view with the narrator about how she is feeling â€Å"So I take phosphate or phosphites- whichever it is , and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to â€Å"work† until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good†(p490). She is able to capture how the narrator is really feeling. The narrator is a housewife that doesn't have a real job. She wants more out of life; she really wants to be able to read and write so that she can put her thoughts to good use and vent. When her husband took her books away from her, she started to read the wallpaper because she likes to read and analyze and is very good at it by the way she describes the room and the wallpaper. She also didn't put up a fight when she was sent away. She develops a mental illness by being a housewife and not being able to go out. When she is put in this psychiatry room, she starts to get worse. She thinks she's getting better later on in the story because her husband tells her that she can have her life back if she gets better. The narrator is disgusted with the room she's in but tries to make the best of it. She really enjoys and desires human interaction. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows the narrator's loneliness â€Å"When I get really well, John says we will ask Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit; but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillowcase as to let me have those stimulating people about now†(p. 491). This really shows how she's looking forward to seeing her family to be able to talk about her work. John is her husband who's making all the decisions and holding her back like a child. He doesn't show her much attention because he is always with other patients and often comes to visit her at night. At one point in the story he carried her from one room to another like a baby. That doesn't do her any good because she knows that she's a grown up person and is capable of doing more. By him treating her like a baby makes her feel like a baby, and then continues to more mental issues. John should've treated her like an adult so that she would act more like an adult. Charlotte made him into a controlling character â€Å"He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction†(p490). This shows how he's controlling the way she does things yet still loves her. She needs more freedom which he doesn't want to give her. He thinks that by putting her in that room she will learn a lesson like a little child and teach herself how to get better. What she really needs is to be able to go out and enjoy what society has to offer her. The room she's in shows what it's like to be deprived by society; the room is like her own little society. She's trying to make the best of it by looking into every little detail of it from the bed to the wallpaper. She wasn't allowed to go out of her house or do anything because John wanted her to be a housewife which is why she started having all of these mental issues. She had to fulfill the duties that John wanted her to do which got boring to a certain point. She is a people's person. Every time that the nurses would come in she always talked to them as if she really knew them. Charlotte Perkins Gilman captures the narrator's thoughts â€Å"I don't like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! â€Å"(p490). She really doesn't like anything about the room she's in. When she looks out her window she sees a lovely country like village full of people which she wishes she could go out and have fun there. Being trapped in a house is the worst thing that is happening to her. She tries to make the best of the situation she's in by thinking into every little thing that annoys her. The room is a symbol of a door that is closed to society. The wallpaper is the main symbol in this story. The narrator starts to see heads that have been hanged which is obvious signs that she is starting to become delusional or insane. The color starts to change from yellow to brown after days of just staring at it. She then starts to see bars on the wallpaper which is representing herself. She feels like she's in a jail cell locked up and is not allowed to have fun or do anything except what John wants her to do. Throughout the story she feels as that it's better for her to be in this room of misery with her baby, so that the baby doesn't have to stare at it all day. She doesn't want her baby â€Å"living in a room full of worlds† which almost signifies the day dreaming that goes on in there. After awhile she starts to look at the positive side of being locked up in that room. The wallpaper whether it was yellow or not, was the main controlling mechanism of the character's mood for story. Her mood no matter day or night was based on the wallpaper she was looking at. The narrator actually asked John during the beginning of her stay to take down the wallpaper since it was causing more nervous trouble, but he didn't. He thought that she was letting it get to her and wanted her to deal with it which is funny because she ended up writing an entire short story about it. The narrator could also be feeling a sense of yellow on the inside. In our world we look as yellow as happy but maybe not as fully. Colors like orange or green are a lot happier. At one point she has a view of a garden which is where she could be picking up some yellow. She even thought there was a yellow smell. The wallpaper effects her so much she feels as if it's getting into her hair. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows a very good depiction to help create a mental picture of what is going on in the room: â€Å"The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight(p. 490)†. She shows great use of vocabulary with words such as repellent and revolting along with imagery which catches her reader's eyes. The title is an example of how the narrator can show her intellectual ability and desire of how she feels like she's in prison. The narrator's ability to interpret the wallpaper and every little detail in the room is unique even though it is a psychiatry case. Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses the narrator's point of view to really capture how she feels towards the wallpaper which in her mind is disgusting and not her type. Almost every paragraph is about something bad pertaining to the wallpaper. Her intellectual ability is to see and analyze things which may be why she gets along with so many people. Charlotte Perkins Gilman gives a great view saying â€Å"He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story making, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies, and that I ought to use my will and good sense to check the tendency†(p. 91). She clearly has a wild imagination that John is trying to cut down. She might be more of a hands on person. Therefore, the wallpaper brings a very different type of analytical approach. Her husband locked her up in this house so she wasn't being put to her full potential. Instead she started looking at the small things in her house while John just wanted her to si t at home and it turned into a mental illness. Towards the end of the story the narrator really started to go crazy walking around the room. She couldn't stand the fact that her bed was nailed to the floor. She ripped off all the wallpaper when nobody was around. She threw the key out of the room so that nobody can come in or out until John arrives. She even found a rope incase Jennie got in she was going to tie her which is a little crazy. The narrator realizes that if she jumps out the window that people will think she's crazy more than she already is. She's a frustrated psychiatric patient just trying to feel better. She's been in there for about a couple weeks. The wallpaper messes with her head a lot. She can't wait to leave the place she's in. She has everything planned out even taking a boat back to town. Her husband comes back for what she thinks is her last day in the psychiatric room. She rips down all of the wallpaper which showed a lot of courage since her nervousness wasn't letting her do anything til she's satisfied. She then takes the key locks the door and throws it out the window so that when John comes in he looks at her and faints. She does nothing but step over him. Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows what is really going on â€Å"I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder†(p500). I think she just about had enough with staying in that room and may have even been feeling better since she worked up the courage to do all that and even walk over her own husband. Charlotte Perkins Gilman used a very easy to read type of style which was helpful in figuring out the plot and building a mental image of what was going on. † I have found out another funny thing, but I shan't tell it this time! I mean to try it, little by little. â€Å"(p498). She has a very broad use of vocabulary but not hard enough to need a dictionary to figure things out. It's interesting that she breaks the story into different parts or chapters. The narrator's character changed in each part, mostly because of the other characters or the wallpaper. Her writing style is also modern compared to other stories in this book. This type of writing style is nice. She uses a character with a mental disorientation and captures what is really going through her mind. Her writing flows just like any other short story but even better. She doesn't make it hard to figure the details out. She is very straight forward with the way she words her sentences. I'm wondering if the author wrote this short story to show another person, or if the author herself was the main character in the story. This seem like it could be a realistic story. In this century there are many mentally ill people ranging from anxiety issues to disorders. This could be a true story. The sentences are short and clear but not at all long enough to get lost in them. The story was literally written as the main character was seeing things. It was even broken up from the start of her being in the psychiatric ward included with a two week break from writing for when John kept visiting her in the beginning. Every thought and movement was written down.

Prescription Drug Abuse Essay

Prescription drug abuse has had a strong hold on American society for decades and it does not appear to be diminishing. While some drugs have decreased in popularity over the years others have increased. For instance, there has been a surge in the popularity of Ecstasy and other â€Å"Club† drugs and an increase in marijuana use over the past few years. While society has taken steps in the right direction by supporting treatment programs for addicts and drug abuse prevention programs much more must be done to lower the current trend of substance abuse in our culture. For now, we will be arguing upon the abuse of prescription drugs. What Are Prescription Drugs? Prescription drugs are medications regulated by the U.S. government. These medications are helpful in treating a variety of health conditions and are only available when prescribed by a doctor or other healthcare professional. The government restricts these medications because they may be harmful if they are not taken properly or if they are combined with other medications (Firshein, 2005). Doctors and other healthcare professionals are highly trained and experienced at selecting the best medication to use for a certain condition. The type of medication and the dosage prescribed is carefully determined. It’s very important that the doctor’s directions are followed exactly to help treat the condition for which it was prescribed and to make sure the medication doesn’t cause unwanted effects (Kalb, 2001). Two recent events of deaths occurred due drug abuse. Tabloid star Anna Nicole Smith’s son Daniel died of a drug overdose, an inquest jury in the Bahamas ruled on March 31st 2008 (Reuters). Australian actor Heath Ledger’s death was an accident caused by the abuse of prescription medications, the New York City medical examiner’s office said on February 6th 2008 (Reuters). Taking prescription drugs in a way that hasn’t been recommended by a doctor can be more dangerous than people think. In fact, it’s drug abuse. Moreover, it’s just as illegal as taking street drugs. But some people experiment with prescription drugs because they think they will help them have more fun, lose weight, fit in, and even study more effectively. Prescription drugs can be easier to get than street drugs: Family members or friends could have a prescription. But prescription drugs are also sometimes sold on the street like other illegal drugs. A 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health showed that among all youths aged 12 to 17, 6% had tried prescription drugs for recreational use. Most patients take medicine responsibly, but approximately 9 million Americans used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in 1999, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Non-medical purposes include misusing prescription drugs for recreation and for psychic effects–to get high, to have fun, to get a lift, or to calm down. Experts stress that prescription drug abuse isn’t about bad drugs or even bad people. It involves a complex web of factors, including the power of addiction, misperceptions about drug abuse, and the difficulty both patients and doctors have discussing the topic. Why? Some people think that prescription drugs are safer and less addictive than street drugs. After all, these are drugs that moms, dads, and even kid brothers and sisters use. But prescription drugs are only safe for the individuals who actually have prescriptions for them. That’s because a doctor has examined these people and prescribed the right dose of medication for a specific medical condition. The doctor has also told them exactly how they should take the medicine, including things to avoid while taking the drug — such as drinking alcohol, smoking, or taking other medications. They also are aware of potentially dangerous side effects and can monitor patients closely for these. Other people try prescription drugs because they think they’re not doing anything illegal because these drugs are prescribed by doctors. But taking drugs without a prescription — or sharing a prescription drug with friends — is actually breaking the law. Some people mistakenly think that prescription drugs are more powerful because you need a prescription for them. But it’s possible to abuse or become addicted to over-the-counter (OTC) medications, too. For example, dextromethorphan (DXM) is found in some OTC cough medicines. When someone takes the number of teaspoons or tablets that are recommended, everything is fine. But high doses can cause problems with the senses (especially vision and hearing) and can lead to confusion, stomach pain, numbness, and even hallucinations. A Look In The Past According to the 1999 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, in 1998, an estimated 1.6 million Americans used prescription pain relievers non-medically for the first time. This represents a significant increase since the 1980s, when there were generally fewer than 500,000 first-time users per year. From 1990 to 1998, the number of new users of pain relievers increased by 181 percent; the number of individuals who initiated tranquilizer use increased by 132 percent; the number of new sedative users increased by 90 percent; and the number of people initiating stimulant use increased by 165 percent. In total, in 1999, an estimated 4 million people – almost 2 percent of the population aged 12 and older – were using certain prescription drugs non-medically: pain relievers (2.6 million users), sedatives and tranquilizers (1.3 million users), and stimulants (0.9 million users) (oas.samhsa.gov). More Recently†¦ Data from the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicate that 4.0 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 reported non-medical use of prescription medications in the past month. Rates of abuse were highest among the 18-25 age group (6.0 percent). Among the youngest group surveyed, ages 12-13, a higher percentage reported using psychotherapeutics (1.8 percent) than marijuana (1.0 percent) The National Institute on Drug Abuse Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders found that the non-medical use of opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives/barbiturates, and amphetamines was unchanged between 2003 and 2004. Specifically, the survey found that 5.0 percent of 12th graders reported using OxyContin without a prescription in the past year, and 9.3 percent reported using Vicodin, making Vicodin one of the most commonly abused licit drugs in this population. Past year, non-medical use of tranquilizers (e.g., Valium, Xanax) in 2004 was 2.5 percent for 8th graders, 5.1 percent for 10th graders, and 7.3 percent for 12th graders. Also within the past year, 6.5 percent of 12th graders used sedatives/ barbiturates (e.g., Amytal, Nembutal) non-medically, and 10.0 percent used amphetamines (e.g., Ritalin, Benzedrine) (oas.samhsa.gov). Which Drugs Are Abused? The most commonly used prescription drugs fall into three classes: Opioids Examples: oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and meperidine (Demerol) Medical uses: Opioids are used to treat pain or relieve coughs or diarrhea. How they work: Opioids attach to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord), preventing the brain from receiving pain messages. Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants Examples: pentobarbital sodium (Nembutal), diazepam (Valium), and alprazolam (Xanax) Medical uses: CNS depressants are used to treat anxiety, tension, panic attacks, and sleep disorders. How they work: CNS depressants slow down brain activity by increasing the activity of a neurotransmitter called GABA. The result is a drowsy or calming effect. Stimulants Examples:  methylphenidate (Ritalin) and amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall) Medical uses: Stimulants can be used to treat narcolepsy and  ADHD. How they work: Stimulants increase brain activity, resulting in greater alertness, attention, and energy (Vranken, 2007). What Are the Dangers of Abusing Medications? Whether they’re using street drugs or medications, drug abusers often have trouble at school, at home, with friends, or with the law. The likelihood that someone will commit a crime, be a victim of a crime,  or have an accident is higher when that person is abusing drugs — no matter whether  those drugs are  medications or street drugs. Like all drug abuse, using prescription drugs for the wrong reasons has serious risks for a person’s health. This risk is higher when prescription drugs like opioids are taken with other substances like alcohol, antihistamines, and CNS depressants. CNS depressants have risks, too. Abruptly stopping or reducing them too quickly can lead to seizures. Taking CNS depressants with other medications, such as prescription painkillers, some over-the-counter cold and allergy medications, or alcohol can slow a person’s heartbeat and breathing — and even kill. Abusing stimulants (like some ADHD drugs) may cause heart failure or seizures. These risks are increased when stimulants are mixed with other medicines — even OTC ones like certain cold medicines. Taking too much of a stimulant can lead a person to develop a dangerously high body temperature or an irregular heartbeat. Taking several high doses over a short period of time may make a drug abuser aggressive or paranoid. Although stimulant abuse might not lead to physical dependence and withdrawal, the feelings these drugs give people can cause them to use the drugs more and more often so they become a habit that’s hard to break. The dangers of prescription drug abuse can be made even worse if people take drugs in a way they aren’t supposed to. Ritalin may seem harmless because it’s prescribed even for little kids with ADHD. But when a person snorts or injects Ritalin, it can be serious. And because there can be  many variations of the same medication, the dose of medication and how long it stays in the body can vary. The person who doesn’t have a prescription might not really know which one he or she has. Probably the most common result of prescription drug abuse is addiction. People who abuse medications can become addicted just as easily as if they were taking street drugs. The reason many drugs have to be prescribed by a doctor is because some of them are quite addictive. That’s one of the reasons  most doctors won’t usually renew a prescription unless they see the patient — they want to examine the patient to make sure he or she isn’t getting addicted. (Vranken, 2007) Extent of Use Data from the National Drug Intelligence Center’s 2006 National Drug Threat Survey (NDTS) reveal that 78.8% of state and local law enforcement agencies reported either high or moderate availability of illegally diverted pharmaceuticals (National Drug Intelligence Center, 2006). According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 49.8 million Americans aged 12 or older reported non-medical use of any psychotherapeutic at some point in their lifetimes, representing 20.3% of the population aged 12 or older. Nearly 7 million Americans aged 12 or older reported current (past month) use of psychotherapeutic drugs for non-medical purposes, representing 2.8% of the population. In this report, psychotherapeutics include any prescription-type pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative but do not include over-the-counter drugs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2007) Percent of U.S. Household Population 12 and Older Reporting Past Month Non-Medical Use of Psychotherapeutics, 2006, by Age    12-17 18-25 26 or older 12 or older Non-medical use of psychother.   Ã‚  Ã‚  3.3%   Ã‚  Ã‚  6.4%   Ã‚  Ã‚  2.2%   Ã‚  Ã‚  2.8%   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pain relievers 2.7 4.9 1.5 2.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OxyContin 0.1 0.4 0.1 0.1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tranquilizers 0.5 2.0 0.5 0.7   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stimulants 0.6 1.3 0.3 0.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sedatives 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Additional data from the 2006 NSDUH show that 2.2 million people, aged 12 or older, initiated nonmedical use of prescription pain relievers within the past year. Each year, the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study asks drug use and related questions of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders nationwide. MTF provides usage estimates for alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs, and substances that are only legally available by prescription. The study includes data for the non-medical use of amphetamines, stimulants including Ritalin, and sedatives (barbiturates) including: methaqualone, tranquilizers, the narcotic pain relievers Vicodin and OxyContin, as well as GHB, Ketamine, and Rohypnol, which is not legal for prescription in the United States. Survey respondents were asked to exclude from their responses any use of prescription drugs that occurred under medical supervision (National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2007). MTF data for 2007 show that lifetime prevalence rates for amphetamine use without a doctor’s orders were 6.5% for 8th graders, 11.1% for 10th graders, and 11.4% for 12th graders. Percent of Students Reporting Lifetime Non-Medical Use of Psychotherapeutics, 2007, by Grade Drug 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade Amphetamines   Ã‚  6.5%   11.1%   Ã‚  Ã‚  11.4% Sedatives n/a n/a 9.3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Methaqualone n/a n/a 1.0 Tranquilizers 3.9 7.4 9.5 Approximately 9.6% of 12th graders surveyed in 2007 reported annual (past year) use of Vicodin without a doctor’s orders. Percent of Students Reporting Annual Non-Medical Use of Prescriptions, 2007, by Grade Drug 8th Grade 10th Grade 12th Grade OxyContin   Ã‚  Ã‚  1.8%   Ã‚  Ã‚  3.9%   Ã‚  Ã‚  5.2% Vicodin 2.7 7.2 9.6 Amphetamines 4.2 8.0 7.5   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ritalin 2.1 2.8 3.8 Sedatives n/a n/a 6.2 Methaqualone n/a n/a 0.5 Tranquilizers 2.4 5.3 6.2 According to data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 21.3% of State prisoners and 16.9% of Federal prisoners surveyed in 2004 indicated that they abused depressants at some point in their lives. For this report, depressants were defined to include barbiturates, tranquilizers and Quaalude (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2006) Tips for Taking Prescription Medication What if a doctor prescribed a medication for you and you’re worried about becoming addicted? If you’re taking the medicine the way your doctor told you to, you can relax: Doctors know how much medication to prescribe so that it’s just enough for you. In the correct amount, the drug will relieve your symptoms without making you addicted. If a doctor prescribes a pain medication, stimulant, or CNS depressant, follow the directions exactly. Here are some other ways to protect yourself Keep all doctors’ appointments. Your doctor will want you to visit often so he or she can monitor how well the medication is working for you and adjust the dose or change the medication as needed. Some medications must be stopped or changed after a while so that the person doesn’t become addicted. Make a note of the effects the drug has on your body and emotions, especially in the first few days as your body gets used to it. Tell your doctor about these. Keep any information your pharmacist gives you about any drugs or activities you should steer clear of while taking your prescription. Reread it often to remind yourself of what you should avoid. If the information is too long or complicated, ask a parent or your pharmacist to give you the highlights. Don’t increase or decrease the dose of your medication without checking with your doctor’s office first — no matter how you’re feeling. Finally, never use someone else’s prescription, and don’t allow a friend to use yours. Not only are you putting your friend at risk, but you could suffer, too: Pharmacists won’t refill a prescription if a medication has been used up before it should be. And if you’re found giving medication to someone else, it’s considered a crime and you could find yourself in court (Vranken, 2007).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, abusing prescription drugs can affect your relationship with your family. It can create problems at school and with your future education. You may end up losing some longtime friendships or be forced to give up some of your favorite activities. Moreover, you could get into some serious problems with the law. Listed above are so many reasons not to abuse what can be of good use. As Albus Dumbledore said in book one of Harry Potter, â€Å"use it well†. Bibliography David Friedman. Drugs, Violence and Economics. Retrieved on May 2 2008, from http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/drugs_and_violence/Drugs_and_violence.html Kalb, Claudia. (2001). Playing With Painkillers. Newsweek. 45-47 Firshein, Moyers. (2005). â€Å"Our Current Policy† PBS Home. PBS. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2007). Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings (Office of Applied Studies, NSDUH Series H-32, DHHS Publication No. SMA 07-4293). Rockville, MD. Retrieved on May 2 2008, from http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh/2k6nsduh/2k6Results.cfm Michele Van Vranken, MD, November 2007. Retrieved on May 2 2008 from The Nemours Foundation. http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&article_set=39861&cat_id=20140& â€Å"Prescription Drug Use and Abuse† by Michelle Meadows. Retrieved on May 2, 2008 from http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html. U.S. Food and Drug Administration National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2007, October 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings, 2007 National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, 2007 Monitoring the Future Drug Data Tables, December 2007 Bureau of Justice Statistics, Drug Use and Dependence, State and Federal Prisoners, 2004, 2004, October 2006

Journal of Food Safety

As we know, Johor was affected by the worst flood in 100 years in December 2006 and that disaster comes again in January 2007. According to historical of the natural disasters such as flood, food in affected areas may become contaminated and consequently be at risk for outbreaks of food-borne diseases, including diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. Poor sanitation, including lack of safe water and toilet facilities and lack of suitable conditions to prepare food have led to mass outbreaks of food-borne diseases. The Minister of Malaysia Health were worried about cases, the improper sanitary facilities and contaminated water supply during flood at housing areas or at relief centers would result in contaminated food, as a prevention step, Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO) has assign to made monitoring of food hygiene vital. The objective of this monitoring is to describe food hygiene surveillance activities carried out in flood relief centers and flood affected areas and the result that were carried out was determined. The food hygiene surveillance activities were carried out by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO) in the districts and. Among the surveillance activities carried out are inspection of food preparation areas in relief centers, inspection of food premises in flood affected areas and food sampling. Premise inspections were carried out using a specific inspection format. For food samples inspections, the food samples that were emphasis included ready to eat and raw foods. For ready to eat foods holding samples were also taken. Samples taken were sent to Public Health Laboratory, Johor Bahru for microbiological analysis. Anti typhoid vaccination for food handlers were also carried out. Apart from that, observations made by the health teams were also taken into account. A total of 3,159 food preparation areas in relief centers were inspected. During the same period, a total of 2,317 food premises in flood affected areas were inspected as soon these premises started operating after the floods. Among the processes that had given highlighting during inspection were holding and serving of food where temperatures control and holding time were vital for food safety. Along with the areas given emphasis during the inspection were kitchens, stores, food packaging areas, food transportation vehicles and serving areas. Cooking utensils, water sources, hand washing facilities, garbage disposal area, pest control and suitability of building structures for preparation of food were also given a big attention during the inspections. .Base on the inspection that have done by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO), the inspections showed that 69 food preparation areas in relief centers and 181 food premises in flood affected areas had unsatisfactory hygiene. Not only food premises areas are considering in those inspections, apart from that, the hygiene and practices of all food handlers were also monitored. Insanitary food preparation areas in relief centers and food premises were given health education and warnings to maintain hygiene by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO). A total of 1,566 holding samples were taken and 425 samples were sent to the laboratory for analysis. Base on the result, they have gathered out that 46 of the samples analyzed were found to be positive for pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, staphylococcus aureus and salmonella. The health personnel from the Johor Health Department in various districts carried out an excellent job in ensuring food safety during the floods. There were no outbreaks of food poisoning. However analysis of food samples taken during the floods did show the presence of pathogenic organisms but probably their numbers were not high enough to cause any food poisoning. When the flood has affected some areas, the contamination from microorganism into food were easily contaminated, that contamination can always occur at all points of the food chain, for instants inadequate washing, handling and cooking of food just before consumption is still a prime cause of food-borne diseases. Many infectious diseases are preventable by observing simple hygienic rules during food preparation whether in family settings or in large food catering facilities. According to the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), there are five keys for safer food in disaster situation such as keeping clean, separating raw and cooked food, cooking thoroughly, keeping food at safe temperatures and lastly using safe water and raw materials. As a rational, the education to all individuals have to concern more to avoid the unwanted condition occurs, for instant when a disaster such as flood occurs, the public would already understand and be prepared to apply their knowledge in hygiene and food safety. As an example, the hand washing method which involves seven steps needs to be imbibed into all individuals through health education campaigns so that it becomes a common practice amongst all individuals. As a very good solution the promotion and enforcement of food hygiene requirements should be carried out continuously to ensure that every individual understands the need for hygiene and food safety during disaster situation such as flood.

Nuclear Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Nuclear Power - Essay Example In addition, nuclear power provides steady electricity that significantly helps in the reduction of frequent power outages usually experienced in areas with no nuclear energy. The alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectricity, geothermal, wave, and tidal power lacks the capacity to deliver reliable and cheap power the world needs (McLeish, 2007). Hence, the world and humanity can no longer overlook nuclear power due to its potential to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Besides, accidents that are associated with nuclear energy are relatively low compared to those resulting from fossil fuels and other energy sources. In addition, nuclear power is more consistent and dependable compared to several alternative sources of energy. It is obviously difficult to use water or wind power consistently because quite often there is no enough water or wind (McLeish, 2007). Solar panels can also be too expensive. Lastly, nuclear energy is arguably the alternative of fossil fuel. Continuous use of fossil fuels could result in more global warming and more deaths, particularly when they are eventually used up. In summary, nuclear power is the best energy option for the world because it is safe, consistent, reliable, and reduces carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Hence, it should be a way to go as the next source of energy or an alternative of fossil

Midterm Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Midterm Questions - Essay Example The potential improvement of the US-China relations in the future would be achieved using the neoliberal approach of international relations theory. The specific approach is based on the idea that international relations can be promoted through international institutions (Van de Haar 2009). These institutions would set as a priority the achievement of peace between the states involved in the relevant plan (Van de Haar 2009). Still, allowing these institutions to develop critical initiatives is not always easy. In the case of US-China relations the above view would be explained as follows: China is a country based on a centralized political system, meaning that the government has a non-controllable power to define the terms related to the country’s social, political and economic life. In this context, it would be rather difficult for the country’s government to agree to the use of an international institution for improving its relations with US. For the Chinese governmen t providing its consent to such plan could be possibly interpreted as a partial resignation from its rights. This perspective could prevent the Chinese government to agree to the use of the neoliberalism approach for resolving its relations with US. ... for improving states’ relations in the context of the international community: the WTO (World Trade Organization) is an example. The above organization is quite expanded globally and has critical experience in managing such issues. WTO could suggest schemes of cooperation between the two countries, in addition to existing ones, so that the US-China relations are improved. For example, a scheme of lower taxation in imported goods or a scheme for the exchange of knowledge on new products. US and China are already members of this organization for promoting their trade interests. This means that the two countries would not have to set their powers as critical players of global politics and economy. It should be noted that the use of such plan by US for improving its relation with China would be aligned with another approach, the commercial liberalism, a view that it is presented below. (b) The measure suggested above, i.e. the use of an international institution, for preventing co nflict can be characterized as quite effective. This view is verified using another approach, the commercial liberalism. In fact, this approach could be combined with the one mentioned above, i.e. the neoliberalism, for securing that the conflict between US and China will be prevented. The commercial liberalism is based on the idea that freedom in commerce can secure peace (Ralston 2013). This means that the delete of any trade restrictions between US and China could lead to long-term peace between the two countries. In practice, this approach could be considered as non-applicable, taking into consideration the strong competition that already characterizes