Monday, September 30, 2019

New Forest Coastline

The New Forest coastline is situated between the Dorset border and the Southampton Water on the south-west coast of Britain. It is split into three main areas and is managed mainly by the New Forest District Council but also other councils. The three areas are, Christchurch Bay, Western Solent, and Southampton Water. There is a big issue that affects this coastline. The cliffs on the coast are slowly being eroded, and the low-lying areas need to be protected from coastal flooding. Natural landscapes and wildlife habitats need to be protected for people who want to work and visit the areas. This problem attracts a lot of interest from all the councils who try and decide what system and form of protection should be used. Physical Features & Human Land-use The coastline is lined with many landforms and the land surrounding the area is used by humans for various activities. Christchurch Bay between Highcliffe and Hurst Spit has very narrow shingle beaches on its coastline and is backed by cliffs that are up to 30m in height. These cliffs are mainly made of sand and clay and are subject to erosion and in some places the cliffs have retreated up to 60m over 25 years. Even built up areas are exposed to coastal flooding and occasionally experience mudflows and landslips. Hurst Spit itself is vulnerable to the erosion of the sea after having been breached over several years. The area is used mainly for settlement and many villages have been built up along the coast all of which are in danger of flooding and/or collapsing. The Western Solent between Hurst Spit and Calshot is slightly different to Christchurch Bay. This area is full of coastal marshes with a lot of wildlife and animal habitats. This area is low-lying and therefore there is a major risk of flooding, especially when there are high tides and heavy rain. There are also two river estuaries from the Lymington River and the Beaulieu River. This area is used for boat-building and repair but also for recreational sailing. Southampton Water is situated between the towns of Calshot and Redbridge. There are coast marshes and intertidal areas with a great nature and wildlife value. The area is at risk from water pollution caused by domestic sewage and industrial waste. This former river estuary has been now developed and is used for major industry including oil refining and there is also a power station. The rest of the area is used for housing. Why we Need a Coastal Management System There is a big need for a coastal management system. Human activity has influenced the area because the scenery and recreational activities and potential attract many visitors and holiday-makers. Many other people emigrate there because it provides an attractive environment to live, work and retire. The coastline brings in more money for the locals in the form of â€Å"foreigners† and therefore without the coastline many people would have no source of income. However, human activity provides a certain amount of pressure which threatens to change the coastline and its natural ecological balance. Apart from human factors physical factors hat take place also influence the coastline's shape. Waves, Currents, groundwater, movements and weathering have a considerable impact on the shape of the coastline and human activity – this must be to be taken into account when deciding management proposals for the coast. Action taken by the Local Authority The local authority has done a lot of work involving the coastline and now must set up a management scheme to stop many risks. Over various years many protection methods have been used. Concrete sea-walls were built to protect the cliffs; however it has been proven that actually absorb the wave energy instead of reflecting it. They are also an eye-sore. Groynes have also been introduced in the system and they stop the movement of material along beaches as well as widening them. Low-lying areas have been protected by dykes and flood walls, however some people have suggested that coastal flooding should take place as a natural event even if property is at risk. There have also been attempts to protect wildlife areas and bird sanctuaries. Their Objectives The New Forest District Council have many objectives and some are more important than others, including: 1. The coast need to be protected because many properties are lined on the cliff edges and there is a big risk of them collapsing. 2. Areas of value need to be protected as they attract tourists and bring in more money for the locals and the council so they can easily afford to protect the rest of the coastline. 3. The landscape is important as it also brings in more tourists with its natural beauty of which should be protected. 4. Pollution needs to be prevented so any sort of protection doesn't become eroded by acid rain and also to improve the quality of life and the water that goes into the towns. 5. The coasts' economy needs to be recognised so it can be maintained and the social functions of the coast can take place. 6. Cooperation is important between everyone from the local councils to the industry owners. 7. Public awareness needs to be improved to let people know where they stand and what danger they are in. 8. Historical aspects needs to protected because they are an important part of history, this is not very important. 9. Developing criteria for the development of the coast is important for future vents and emergencies. 10. The least important is recreational activities as these can be done in many other places. Alternative Suggestions There are any other ways in which the coastline can be protected. On the coast many things can be used for protection. A recurved sea wall can reflect the waves and push them back out to the sea. Rip-rap are large boulders used on the coast to absorb the wave energy and disperses it. Gabions are used to absorb some of the wave energy and stop erosion as do wooden revetments. To decide what to use we would use cost-benefit analysis which would allow us to make best use of our money.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Gamification

70 percent of global organizations will have incorporated gamification into at least one element of their training program by 2014 according to research firm Gartner. Gamification, put simply, is the use of game theory in platforms of interaction with employees, customers and the wider community. The advent of game technology allows training providers to integrate the positive reinforcements of gaming into the learning environment.While some may roll their eyes and make some assertion that big business is kowtowing to the younger crowd or that gamification is a passing fad, others embracing it and creating loyalty among customers and higher engagement among training participants. A common discussion among training specialists is the cost-effectiveness of training as some studies show that participants retain a mere 10% of content. Indeed, the prospect of sitting all day listening to someone talk about a topic that you have little interest in would test anyone’s tenacity for un divided attention.So while some readers would have already disengaged with this article (because they have little interest in the topic, maybe gamification would have been a better way to engage the nay-sayers to gamification) let us look further at why gamification works: Games give us real time feedback, if a participant gets something wrong they are corrected immediately. It does not wait for the participant to get back to the workplace, wait for the scenario to arise and fail with real-world clients or profits at stake. Games involve problem solving, which sparks our creativity.Games provide us with fun and enjoyment, which increases the motivation to continue playing and maintain our attention. Games involve goals which provide us with the motivation to complete the tasks. Games are based on storylines, storylines create affiliation and emotional attachment. Gamification could effectively destroy the need for those dreaded performance appraisals be it yearly or quarterly. As th e human resource professional in the organisation we are viewed as the uncool ogre come performance appraisal time. The line managers hate them, the employees fear them and we get sick of reminding everyone to do them.Gamification take the performance appraising away from line managers through developing a standardised inventory of correct answers, the employees are given goals promoting competition between departments, which increases social interaction between employees. The gamification pulls employees in rather than us as HR practitioners and leaders having to push the process onto them. It is amazing what a gold star can actually do. Positions that have KPI’s can now be set up as a game to beat your highest score, beat your co-worker with relevant rewards tied to it.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Presentation on an entrepreneur - John P Morgan Speech or

On an entrepreneur - John P Morgan - Speech or Presentation Example He was schooled in both Switzerland and Germany. He excelled in mathematics. When he was sixteen he joined a branch of the bank in London and brought it to greater success. As time went on he continued to meet with unending business and financing success. He financed the United States railroad, which would change the country forever. He established U.S. Steel and General Electric, not to mention numbers of other lucrative ventures. He was an avid art collector and philanthropist. In fact, he once gave $550,000 a month to the U.S. to pay its Civil War Military, he also, helped, decades later in avoiding a serious economic crash in 1907 (Crovitz 1). On more than one occasion he used his money and influence to make things happen that the government just did not or could not. They resented him for his interference, making them look bad, and believed his actions were no more than a display of power (Bowen). Towards the latter part of his life Morgan gained a great deal of stock in the RMS Titanic. In fact he was expected to join its maiden voyage; there was even a customized quarters designed just for him. The room even included the specially designed holders for his cigars in the bathtub. However, Morgan changed his mind and did not board the Titanic. Had he boarded that ship he might have only lived another few days (Daugherty 4). Today when you hear the name J.P. Morgan most people assume you re referring to the banking institution not the man. But the man behind the name was a quite the person. History will remark him as one of the greatest, wealthiest, and most influential men of his time, like his peers Andrew Carnegie, Jay Gould, and John D, Rockefeller (O'Kelley 1011). These men lived in a time when they had the freedom to throw their money, influence, and power as they saw fit. Although J.P. Morgan made a clear effort to give of his wealth and expertise, in the modern world today we would fear anyone having the genuine power and control that these men had t hen. However, if they had not lived and taken it upon themselves to build the United States as they did, regardless of the reasons, it might not be the country we have today. We owe a great deal to all of the visionaries that came before us. Name: Date: Audience take away: A greater understanding go f the life and times of Gilded Age tycoon J.P. Morgan. Title: One of the Greatest Tycoons of the Gilded Age 3 Key ideas: 1. Biographical history of JP Morgan’s early childhood and young adulthood. 2. Discuss his accomplishments in business 3. Reiteration of accomplishments and legacy. 3 Key questions: 1. Did J.P. Morgan’s childhood influence him in adulthood? Answer: Yes he was born and bred to be a banker. He was born into affluence and worked very hard throughout his life to make certain he stayed that way. 2. Why was J.P. Morgan so disliked within political circles? Answer: He was disliked in political circles because he often used his money and influence to step in when the government was struggling; which gave him great advantage, but, also, made the government look bad (Bowen). 3. What was his part in the 1907 economic scare? Answer: He, essentially, saved the U.S. economy by providing funds and resources to maintain the government and avoid a serious depression. (Bowen) 3 Stories: Story 1 In 1907 J.P. Morgan took it upon himself to find a solution to the credit crisis, a crisis not unlike the one we began in 2008. Morgan’

Friday, September 27, 2019

Employee Rights to Privacy at the Workplace Essay

Employee Rights to Privacy at the Workplace - Essay Example The issues of privacy at workplace started off with the use of telephones at the workplace for communication. Mainly meant to achieve the purpose of having employees interact with each other as well as with the outside counterparts, after much debate it was deemed acceptable for employees to use the office phones for personal use, as long as it did not affect workplace efficiency (Gant 127). Body Faster communication, efficient paper-less correspondence, and least costly for the employers, the internet was made a regular feature of the work environment within no time. Internet was not limited to e-mail correspondence too. Organizational Researchers would go online to gather information about competitors, maintain an online presence, and interact with the customers for feedback and suggestions. It has become imperative in today’s day and age to maintain an online presence, thus the initial e-mail correspondence limitation was replaced with round-the-clock internet connectivity at workplace. This gave birth to a new management issue; Ensuring that the employees do not engage in useless surfing while at work (Smith 40). Social networking has gotten almost everyone hooked onto remaining connected with close ones at all times. It is indeed a complex situation to be in as far as managing such a workforce is concerned. Employee monitoring and surveillance goes as far as fixation of cameras behind every desk and installing devices that determine the rate of wiggling on a chair, and whether it breaches the basic employee privacy protection rights, is another debate altogether (Ciocchetti 2). Since our topic is narrowed down to two major technological facilities at workplace, the telephone and the internet, clarifying the two mediums of communications and the purpose they are meant to achieve, needs to discussed first. The Telephone, like mentioned earlier, is a basis of fast and cost effective vocal communication from and within the workplace. A lot of thought we nt into allowing personal calls to be made and it was declared acceptable after sometime. However, cameras installed at workplaces are likely to bring into light any employee who is idling on the phone excessively. The employers are expected to trust the employees not to indulge in inappropriate activities on the phone and, thus, they generally refrain from overhearing or recording calls. This practice is not applicable to every organization due to the difference in nature of work for each. Where small advertising firms can have their employees talking about campaign designs, the central bank of any country can have its employees disclosing important information of policy changes that were discussed in a meeting. The latter will try to hamper such leak of confidential information by making it known to their employees that all phone calls are strictly screened and monitored. The internet, however, is a completely different ballgame. Transfer of information can be discreet and quicker , employees could indulge in cyber stalking which could lead to any form of harassment and a downfall in productivity, using of resources for activities that may bring a bad name to the organization like illegal downloading, embezzlement etc., the possibilities are endless. In a world where every organization goes head to head with each other on the maximum utilization of available resources, the focus has shifted from overall performance to hourly productivity. This means that organizations require their employees to refrain from activities that bring down their productivity level by wasting time (Kesan 289). On the other hand, it is

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Business Plane PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business Plane - PowerPoint Presentation Example The objective of the business is to increase the level of profitability by providing food at an affordable rate for every individual in SE London. This is possible by striving hard and becoming well known in the food market. The proposed business intends to target the young audience and the low income people who have the willingness to buy fruits. Moreover, a proper development in the field of logistics might help the business to gain a market presence and be competitive. To increase the sales, the various marketing strategies such as coupons and discounts will be provided to enhance financial gains in the upcoming future. Furthermore the financial requirement for the proposed business is estimated to be  £2 million in order to set up and execute its business operations. The estimated funds can be initiated from the private investors as well as High St. Banks in order to execute the finances and the supply chain in a proper manner for long-term sustainability of the business. The b usiness is primarily initiated to reduce the waste and earn profit by managing the fruits properly in the supply chain and marketing. Thus, the proposed business is useful to reduce the waste and increase the profit through the ugly fruits and vegetables sale by using low pricing strategy (The State of Queensland, 2013). The State of Queensland, 2013. Organizational Structure. Corporate Profile. [Online] Available at: http://www.qraa.qld.gov.au/about-qraa/corporate-profile/organisational-structure [Accessed January 16,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Financial statement analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Financial statement analysis - Essay Example Supplies is a public company which is engaged in the business of manufacturing and supplying of different electrical components. This study is about the financial ratio analysis of the company for the years 2011 and 2012 The ratio analysis has been performed with the help of the financial information present in the company’s financial statements. Different types of ratios have been calculated and divided into three categories, namely, liquidity ratios, activity ratios and profitability ratios. The liquidity ratios calculated for the company indicate that the company was able to generate more ash revenues in the year 2012 as compared to 2011, and this resulted in improvement in its liquidity position in the year 2012. As regards its activity ratios, the company management was able to manage its receivables more efficiently in 2012 but was not able to manage its inventories that efficiently in the year 2012. Next, regarding its profitability ratios, the company managed to genera te more profit in 2012 and thereby improved its profitability position significantly. However, industry ratios were not used for comparison in this study, which is one of the limitations of this analysis. A4M1 Supplies is engaged in the business of manufacturing and supplying different types of electrical components in the market. This study analyses the financial statements of A4M1 Supplies Company for the years 2011 and 2012. The performance and efficiency of an organization can be evaluated through proper analysis of its financial statements ... It includes calculations of various ratios, which helps in the measurement of the financial performance of a company (Siddiqui, 2006, p.623). Various financial ratios of the A4M1 Supplies have been calculated and interpreted in this study. The ratios have been divided into three categories to indicate the liquidity, activity and profitability position of the company in 2011 and 2012. Analysis of the Liquidity Position of the Company The liquidity position of a company can be better understood trough the use of the liquidity ratios, which have been explained in details in this section. The company's ability to fulfill its current existing liabilities is measured through its liquidity ratios. These liquidity ratios are important for a company like A4M1 Supplies because if the company fails to meet such obligations, it might result in the bankruptcy of the company (Gallagher & Andrew, 2007, p. 94). The liquidity ratios computed for A4M1 Supplies include its current ratio, quick ratio or acid test ratio and cash ratio (Appendix - 1). i. Current Ratio This is one of the commonly used liquidity ratios of a business organization. It helps measure the ability of a company of meeting its existing short-term liabilities (Megginson, & Smart, 2008, p. 49). It is calculated as the ratio of the current assets owned by the firm to its existing current liabilities. The current ratio calculated for the company indicates that it has improved in 2012 as compared to 2011. It means that the company managed to improve its liquidity position in the year 2012 and 178% of the current liabilities of the company are available as liquid assets in the form of current assets of the company. ii. Quick Ratio Quick

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Do Divestitures Have PositiveWealth Effects Literature review

Do Divestitures Have PositiveWealth Effects - Literature review Example Therefore, it can be said that a concept of divestiture is the opposite of an investment. The concept of divestiture is very much different from the concept of personal finance. Under the concept of personal finance, the investors sell out their business shares so as to meet their personal objectives. The major scope of a divestiture is that it allows the concentration of business resources in the market, and this process makes the business more profitable. This literature review tends to evaluate the positive wealth effects of divestitures. Motives behind divestitures Evidently, divestiture processes have been gradually increasing since 1990s. According to Kiymaz (2006), the gradually increasing divestiture can be clearly attributed to widespread corporate restructuring activities. The Author points out that the volume of divestitures has increased since 2,057 in 1993 to 3,134 in 1998. Kiymaz also argues that divestitures are the outcomes of a firm’s interest to create and pr eserve its shareholder wealth and it does not always symbolize the failure of a firm. A divestiture effectively refreshes a business organization and it assists the firm to enter the next phase of growth. The ultimate objective of every business firm is its further expansion and thereby increased profitability. A running business may have thorough knowledge regarding its key areas of strengths and weaknesses. Hence, an organization normally intends to restructure its strategies and concepts in order to address its weaker business areas and thereby focus more on potential growth sectors. In the opinion of Kiymaz (2006), spin offs and sell offs are the two effective techniques for a successful divestiture. Under the spin off methods, a company distributes all the common stocks to its existing shareholders with intent to create a separate publicly traded company. The author asserts that the divested asset is sold to another firm according to the concept of sell off. A spin off does not release its assets out of the company boundaries; instead, it retains within the hands of its shareholders. In contrast, a sell off constitutes complete remolding of the organizational structure and it includes an absolute disposal of some of its assets. However, retirement of succession planning is one of the major elements that influence a firm to adopt the techniques of divestitures. Rationalizing the number of shareholders is another motive behind divestiture strategies. Obviously, every shareholder of a firm would not be able to raise additional funds in times of contingencies. Moreover, every firm likes to retain potential shareholders because only they can contribute to the expansion of the company. The concept of divestiture enables the company to explore its potential shareholders. Colak and Whited (n.d.) claim that conglomerate invest efficiency play a vital role in determining the degree of growth of conglomerates. The authors add that a divestiture can effectively add t o the improvement of conglomerate investment efficiency. Therefore, dismantling conglomerates becomes a strong motive behind a divestiture. Similarly, a firm may have earned number of business entities by the way of acquisitions. It is often seen that the acquisition strategies adopted by firms become incorrect and thereby such firms are compelled to discard their acquisitions. Under such

Monday, September 23, 2019

Whatever the artical is talking about something over Article

Whatever the artical is talking about something over - Article Example However, Leovy notes that this approach by the police has not yielded positive results in terms of reduction of homicides among the African American community. The article by Leovy has a relationship to economic theory. I find this relationship in the manner in which the proliferation of homicide, which is a crime under the constitution, is prevalent among the African American communities in America, despite the existence of laws and a criminal justice system to deter and deal with such crimes. The economic theory of crime is rooted in the cost benefit relationship. Under this theory, people commit crime rationally when they perceive that doing so will reap more benefits than risks. I find this element in Leovy’s article. The criminals committing murders in the African American community do not perceive greater risks in doing so. They commit the murders because they know that the risk of being brought to justice is low compared to the perceived benefits. For example, if an individual has some grudge with another because of an illegal drug deal, I think he will have more economic reason to eliminate the enemy by murdering him. This w ill be more beneficial in the sense that the individual will have no competition. Yet, the chances of being arrested, taken to court, and sentenced is slim. Therefore, I believe that Leovy’s argument is based on economic theory. However, I believe that if the criminal justice system, particularly the police, responded effectively to murder crimes by arresting the suspects and taking them through the due course of the law, the crime levels would reduce. After all, no individual would want to spend his or her entire life in prison for murder. This will mean that the risk or cost of committing murder will be higher than the perceived crime. In addressing crime from an economic theory perspective, the criminal justice system ought to

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Americans today do not realize that hybrid cars are not cost efficient to buy. This is caused by many factors, many having to do with price of production and gas prices. The cost of production for many hybrid cars is too high causing the car to be to expensive for consumers to buy. They end up paying so much more for a car that promises to save them money. These cars turn end up not fulfilling that promise and leaving people short on cash. It is true that a hybrid car will save money at the pump, but not enough to cover the cost of buying and maintaining the car itself. Gas prices are another reason why these cars arent worth it. The prices of gas today are around 3 dollars which is nearing a record high. Even with prices this high, people will not save enough money with less gas consumption to cover the extra costs of owning such a high maintenance and highly complex car. The math works out that spending more on a hybrid car over a similar small car will end up costing the owner more money. The only way to make the car cost efficient would be to own it for an abnormally long period of time, which most people do not do. Many people are not willing to pay this extra money on a car that is supposed to be good for the environment, but some people do. Hybrid cars are better for the environment because they produce less greenhouse gasses. These are the emissions that specifically hurt the layers of the atmosphere and are among other emissions that are bad for our earth. Hybrid cars burn less fuel and they burn it cleaner, so they produce less exhaust that can potentially cause smog in cities like Chicago, or that can hurt the atmospheric layers such as the ozone layer that so many people talk about being in danger. To some people, the extra cost of owning one of these vehicles is worth helping the environment, but to most it is not. People want fast cars that are fun to drive and that get decent gas mileage. Or a mom might want a van that can haul a lot of people and weight and still get decent gas mileage. A dad would want a truck that can pull a heavy load and do the heavy duty work and wouldnt care about gas mileage. All of these are reasons why people dont want a small, meek, gas sipping hybrid. The first thing that makes most people shy away from buying a hybrid car is the price tag. They see that extra five or six thousand dollars and they say, NO! People want a durable car that gets good gas mileage and has room for a family and that is safe. All of these features can be purchased on a regular car that costs much less than a hybrid. The perfect example for this is the Honda Civic. This car comes in many trim levels, one for each type of consumer, minus the person looking for the truck. The Civic Sedan, a four door car with room for five people, starts at 15k and is the perfect car for a small family. This car gets 30mpg city and 40mpg highway which is very good by todays standards. The Civic Hybrid, the same size as the Civic Sedan, costs 22k, thats 7 thousand more, and gets an increase of only 19mpg city and 11mpg highway. This means that they would not save enough money on gas to cover the 7k increase in price in under 10 years. Since the car gets better gas mileage, one would go to the pump less, but not enough to save that much money. The third is the Civic Si, this is the sporty version of the Civic that only comes with a manual transmission and is very quick. This car costs 21k, one thousand less than the hybrid. It is much faster is only has two doors. This car gets 23mpg city and 32mpg highway, not much worse than the Civic Sedan or hybrid, and is much faster and more fun. Why would a student pay one thousand dollars more for a car that is slower and more boring when the mileage increase isnt that much, they wouldnt. People want fun cars that get the job done and the Civic does that with great gas mileage and a low price, without having to be a hybrid car. Another example of this concept is the Toyota Camry. This is the best selling family sized sedan in the United States. This car comes in many trim levels but the ones we will look at are the base Camry and the base Camry Hybrid. For 2007 this car got a gorgeous remodel as well as a new engine in the base Camry and they added the Hybrid model. The base Toyota Camry costs 18k and has many features needed for a small family to fit in the car along with a lot of luggage. Do not be confused though, this car can be seen driving down the road pimped out with 20 (thats really big) rims and banging sound systems by college guys. It can also be seen with pick stickers and fuzzy dice in the window being driven by a couple college girls on the way to the beach. This is a very pretty, versatile car. The base Camry gets 24mpg city and 34 mpg highway. This is very good for a full sized car and will get the owner a long distance before having to refill the tank. The Camry Hybrid costs a pretty penny, but some say its worth it. This car gets 16mpg more city and 4mpg more highway than the base Camry. The huge gain in city mileage is due to the way Toyota makes their hybrid cars. They have the ability to switch fully from electric to gas power whereas the Honda Hybrid drive train can only go from minimal usage of each, but never fully switches. Toyotas is called Hybrid Synergy Drive and uses the electric engine most when accelerating and charges the batter when braking. The braking actually charges the battery more than the gas engine, so the car is able to shine when driving around the city because of the constant starting and stopping, the car uses almost fully the electric engine. This is why the Toyota Camry Hybrid gets such good gas mileage in the city. Lets face it though, a car that big wont be found driving around the city, most people will be office executives taking long drives from offices to home or to customers and they will not benefit as much. The Camry Hybrid only gains 4mpg over the base Camry on the highway so many people do not agree with spending eight thousand dollars more for the hybrid. This is definitely not cost efficient for the owner. People will like the 18k price of the base Camry because it comes with so many standard options and is ready to fulfill any soccer moms fantasy. When talking about Hybrid cars, there is one that stands above the rest in durability, functionality, style, price, and ability to save gas. That car is the Toyota Prius. This car could be the only argument one could make against this paper. It costs 22k and it does not come with a non hybrid counterpart. This car does cost more than say, a Corolla, but it has more room than a Corolla, and slightly less room than a Camry. It is in a class of its own and its only close competitor is the Honda Insight. The Prius is able to get 60mpg city and 51mpg highway. This is the best mpg rating of any production car and it actually is selling. You can see a Toyota Prius on just about any trip that you take and it does have unique styling that always turns heads. Although it costs more, the mpg rating of this car are almost double that of the nearest non hybrid competitor making it almost worth the extra price tag. However, the cost of maintaining such a highly complex car is greater than that of the base Civic or Corolla and will end up costing more. The Honda Insight, the other close competitor, costs 21k and gets 60mpg city and 66mpg highway. Those numbers were only the estimated numbers and consumers found them to be too high and actually got less mileage than that. Also, Honda doesnt make this car anymore so a customer would only be able to buy it used. These cars all shown, people will not save money on buying a hybrid car. The gas prices right now are not high enough to allow people to save money at the pump if they own a hybrid car. They will get better gas mileage and they will go to the pump less but they are only saving a small amount of money each year. If somebody spends 30 dollars every two weeks on gas in a regular car, that would cost them about 780 dollars a year. A hybrid car could probably go an extra week without needing gas so that would cost them 520 dollars a year on gas. They would be saving a mere 260 dollars a year on gas. If the hybrid car costs 7k more, then they would need to have the car for about 26 years to cover the extra cost of the car. No way would somebody own a car for that long this day and age. That is only covering the cost of the actually sticker price and not the extra costs of owning the vehicle, like fixing it and stuff, which would have to be done since the car would need to get fixed in the 26 year period. Many websites do a calculation of the cars which would be the lowest true cost to own. One website listed the Prius and the Camry Hybrid under their list of cars costing around 25k that would be the lowest true cost to own. This is excluding how long one would own the car for and how high the gas prices are. Also they did not list any hybrid under the coupes which are lowest cost to own and they dont say customer reviews on how fun these cars are to drive. The fact is that most people do no see it necessary to buy a car that costs so much more when they could get a car for less money that will cost them less money in the long run. People also want fun cars that will cost the same, but be much more fun to drive, even though they arent amazing at gas mileage, they still succeed in getting decent gas mileage, so people buy them. Also the hybrid drive train is not good for hauling heavy loads that is why there arent many pickup truck hybrids out there if any. Hybrid cars may cost more causing people to shy away from buying them, but they are better for the environment. People dont realize that driving a car can be the largest form of pollution. We drive by a paper mill and see all the smoke coming out of the stacks and say to ourselves how bad that must be for the air. Meanwhile we are sitting in a car, that when grouped up with many cars, is much worse than the thing we are complaining about. Pollution from cars causes smog, which deteriorates the ozone layers closest to us. This can cause for major extremes of hot and cold in the seasons. The atmosphere helps moderate the temperatures on earth by holding in heat during the winter and shielding out heat during the summer. Big cities have problems with smog which is a constant haze in the air caused by so many cars in one place emitting gasses bad for the environment. Cars also have toxins in their exhaust that can cause acid rain or global warming, and even cause cancer in some people. The water supply on earth is never growing or shrinking, the water we have is all that we get. When there is acid rain, that water has to go somewhere and may sometimes end up in drinking water or people who have wells might take showers in it. This is how it can cause cancer in as many as 1,500 people a year. There are many bad gasses that come from motor vehicles, but the three main ones are hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Hydrocarbons react with nitrogen. The best times for this to happen are in the summer when there is lots of sunlight and really high temperatures. This reaction causes something called ground level ozone. This is a type of gas that is supposed to be in the atmosphere but is in our breathing air. This can cause many things such as eye irritation, wheezing, and even permanent lung damage. Nitrogen Oxides also cause the formation of ground level ozone and are major factors in causing acid rain and water pollution. Finally, carbon monoxide, which is an odorless and invisible gas, causes a slowing of oxygen in the bloodstream which can impair ones senses and cause permanent mental damage. Cars are responsible for around 90 percent of the carbon monoxide in the air in most urban areas. All of these gasses can be reduced by driving a hybrid car, but the best way to reduce them is public transportation. Studies show that a person who uses mass transit, such as buses or subways, for a year, instead of driving to work, can keep about 9. 1 lbs of hydrocarbons, 62. 5 lbs or carbon monoxides, and 4. 9 lbs of nitrogen oxides from being put into the air (Emissions). Other ways of reducing pollution from cars in the air are things such as driving at steady speeds, buying newer cars that have fewer bad emissions, keeping your car in good running condition, or even not topping off at the pump. People can help the environment by buying a hybrid car, but that isnt the best way. Using public transportation or even riding a bike if possible, would do a lot more good, and save somebody a lot of money. By using public transportation and by carpooling, people can save an estimated three thousand dollars a year (Emissions). Other numbers show that idling and stop and go traffic alone use 753 millions of gallons of gasoline per year (Emissions). People dont realize how much better it would be to just use public transportation. Instead, we want to go on our own schedules and have the freedom to go where we want when we want, and that costs money and causes pollution. The cost of a hybrid car over a regular car is too much. People will not buy a hybrid car when they can get a vehicle with very good gas mileage for much less money. They can get all the bells and whistles of a hybrid but spend around seven thousand less. Teenagers dont want a slow gas sipping car, they want a fast car with a loud exhaust. They cant get this from a hybrid car so they wouldnt spend the money to buy a slow hybrid when they could have a fast sports car. A dad needs his truck to haul stuff around and hybrid cars dont offer that. The mom needs the van to have a safe car for her family that can fit them and their luggage. The cost of gas prices right now is not nearly high enough to benefit the consumer who owns a hybrid car. There is some small benefit, about 300 dollars a year, but that would take 20 years to equal just the increased price of owning a hybrid, not to mention the added costs of the upkeep of such a complex car. People want the lowest price with the best package, and hybrid cars dont offer that. While they do offer benefits to the environment, people dont realize how important the environment is and they wont spend the extra money for benefits they wont see in their lifetime. Overall the hybrid car is not worth buying because the cost is just too great. Not only is it not worth it, but people are not buying them enough to make a difference to the environment anyways, further diminishing their value. Hybrid cars are not worth buying right now and will not be for many years to come.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Reggae Music and Its Influences Essay Example for Free

Reggae Music and Its Influences Essay One of the world’s iconic figures, Reggae musician Bob Marley(1945-1981) stated that, â€Å"People want to listen to a message, word from Jah(God). This could be passed through me or anybody, I am not a leader, messenger. The word of the songs, not the person, is what attracts people.† Reggae music is gifted to people in Jamaica as their own unique identity. Jamaican musicians are well-known for expressing their Rastafarian beliefs through the music, Reggae. Rastafarian reflects ideologies, attitudes, actions of the people for the better society (Spiker,1998). At this point, they became social commentators, prophets, and messengers who heal the wounds of people affected by social and political injustices (Aimers, 2004).This essay illustrates that reggae music has been successful spreading Rastafarian beliefs in politics, social injustices and cultures. Firstly, Jamaican musicians play essential roles to give the political messages to people based on their Rastafarian beliefs. The political messages shared through the Reggae music are those of peace, love, and brotherhood of mankind for forming a unity to fight for the liberty of people in Jamaica. Musicians gave the message by setting several goals based on general popular interest of the population against any oppression and encouraged people to speak-up. For instance, Bob Marley(1945-1981); the predominant singer strived to bring the awareness for not only in the hearts of Jamaicans, but also in those of Africans and the rest of the world (Abram Ingrid, 2009). One of his popular songs, â€Å"Get up, and Stand up for your rights† not only defended his religious beliefs but also pointed at political oppression and natural rights of people (Lockard, n.d). Following lyrics is from the song by Bob Marley (1973): We sick an’ tired of-a-your ism-skism-game Dying ‘n’ goin’ to heaven in-a Jesus’ name, Lord. We know when we understand: Almighty god is a living man. You can fool some people sometimes, But you can fool all the people all the time. So now we see the light (What you gonna do?) We gonna stand up for our rights! (Bob Marley Lyrics) Thus, one can conclude that reggae and its musicians are influential as a medium for spreading political messages to enlighten the darkness of people’s mind and brain.   Secondly, People all around the world heard the voice of Rastafarian beliefs against social injustices through the reggae music and by its talented musicians. Their songs’ lyrics were mightier than swords to reveal such issues as racism, colonialism, slavery, and exploitation on colored people in Africa. Rastafarians are attached to the ideas of equality, tolerance, justice, and non-violence. In addition, it is a theology of submissiveness and every Rasta has a right to freedom of expression (Abram Ingrid, 2009). Particularly, slavery had affected most of Africans’ lives badly for being taken away from one own society and family which could have damaged them physically and psychologically by segregations and hard labors (Novick, n.d). For example, Reggae musician, Peter Tosh(1944-1987)’s famous song â€Å"Mama Africa†(1983)indicated the life of an African slave missing home: Mama Africa How are you doing Mama, Mama Africa Long time me no see you Mama They took me away from you Mama Long before I was born They took me away from you Mama Long before I came on in(Peter Tosh Lyrics) Hence, the reggae music and its musicians had not only led people in Jamaica for Rastafarian beliefs and for fighting against the social injustices but also Africans as a whole for the better survival. Lastly, the Rastafari influence also had contributed to the cultural significance of reggae music and culture of people; it was a symbol for both identity and pride among the Jamaicans. It has also created an understanding of lifestyle and culture in Jamaica for the rest of the world (Aimers, 2004). The reggae music and Rastafarian complemented one another to occupy people’s state of mind to think of it as a part of the Jamaican lifestyle, needless to mention that it has become a tradition and culture for them. In spite of all the difficulties and hardships which came upon people in Jamaica, they had been recognized internationally for their predominant reggae music all over the world. The culture of reggae along with Rastafarian symbols was being introduced to many countries. Reggae musicians’ hair-styles, clothing and accessories which mirror the Rastafari are being imitated by some devoted fans. For example, Thailand’s Khao-San road is full of Rastafarian symbols and its trendy musician, Bob Marley printed-items from head to toe. Therefore, Reggae music and its Rastafarian symbols have enormously impacted on cultures of many different countries, originated from Jamaica. In conclusion, there are many studies which has discussed about the importance of reggae music spreading Rastafarian beliefs and symbols throughout the world. Reggae music has been positively influential to the society by means of political, social, and cultural impacts. In addition, it has not only brought the liberty to people in Jamaica but also mother Africa. Therefore, it is remarkable peak in history that peaceful and non-violent music won over the aggressive wars, fights, and any kind of violence. In fact, peaceful as well as meaningful song lyrics are mightier than sharp and shining swords. References; Aimers, J. (2004). â€Å"The Cultural Significance of Reggae.† ATH175 People of the world. Retrieved from; http://www.units.muohio.edu/ath175/student/petersle/culture.html Abram, V. Ingrid, H. (October, 2009). â€Å"The Rastafarian Movement.† The Observatory for Religious Phenomena (World Religion Watch). Retrieved from http://www.worldreligionwatch.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=281Itemid=65 Lockard, Craig A. (June, 2010). â€Å"Bob Marley, Victor Jara, Fela Kuti, and Political Popular Music.†University of Illinois. Retrieved from; http://worldhistoryconnected.press.illinois.edu/7.2/lockard.html Novixk, S. (n.d). â€Å"The Effects of Slavery on Reggae Music.† The Dread Library. Retrieved from; http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/novick.html Spiker, C. (April 1998). â€Å"Reggae As Social Change:The Spread of Rastafarianism.† The Dread Library. Retrieved from; http://debate.uvm.edu/dreadlibrary/spiker.html

Friday, September 20, 2019

Factors that hinder development of sustainable tourism

Factors that hinder development of sustainable tourism 3.2 Analyze factors that may prevent/hinder sustainable tourism development. Factors that hinder or boom tourism, as there are different destinations so there are as many different types of travelers and as well different individual experiences. Travelling should be affordable however, cost is the primary factor that can affect the industry both local and international travelers. Cost do not limited to the ticket alone but the general price travelers will meet in the country of choice. Crime and violence within the society are significant barriers to the achievement of sustainable development, as it affects not only social well being but also economic development. Jamaicas high incidence of crime has resulted in loss of investments, in addition to direct effects on sectors such as tourism from which the country obtains most of its foreign exchange earnings. Although the overall number of crimes reported decreased marginally in 2001 compared with previous years, there were increases in major crimes in the island. Of growing concern has been the fact that most recent incidents of violence have been interpersonal in nature and this makes it harder to control. Another factor is safety. This is a primary concern of travelers of all types. Safety becomes particularly important when traveling abroad and to under develop countries. Widespread political unrest can cause even the most adventurous tourist to avoid visiting unstable countries. Outbreak of communicable diseases can also hinder tourism industries, especially because returning to home countries can be difficult during outbreaks. For instance, swine flu and H1N1 stopped many people from traveling abroad. Domestically, the crime rate of tourist areas, specifically traffic safety and incidents of petty theft, negatively affect the tourism industry. For theme parks, the safety record can also be a negative factor. Though every traveler arrives at their destination with an expectation of different types of amenities, the lack of certain amenities could deter even the most adventurous traveler. For instance, easily attained transportation is a major concern for both the budget and the luxury traveler. If public transportation is difficult to understand, unreliable or dangerous, budget tourists traveling abroad may be deterred from visiting your country. The same thing goes with private transportation for luxury travelers. Other amenities that affect tourism include clean water, affordable food and housing, easy visa processes and access to reliable medical care. The changes in global climatic conditions will result in increased temperatures, rainfall and sea level rise and more frequent hurricanes, droughts, and so forth. Weather plays an important role in the tourism industry. As most travelers to West Africa seek warm or mild temperatures with little rain while on vacation, areas that are prone to wet or cold weather do not thrive in the tourism economy. Climate change will impact not only on biodiversity and natural resources but on social development. The impact of sea level rise on the tourism industry could be profound if it results in increased beach erosion. The island’s two major international al airports are at sea level. Weather plays an important role in the tourism industry. As most travelers seek warm or mild temperatures with little rain while on vacation, areas that are prone to wet or cold weather do not thrive in the tourism economy. Rainy and cold seasons see decreased amounts of visitors throughout the Caribbean an d Central and South America. Similarly, incidences of extreme weather and national disasters prevent many travelers from visiting certain areas, as safety becomes a primary concern during these times. Jamaica is vulnerable to several natural hazards e.g. hurricane, tropical storms, flooding and landslides due to its geographical location. Flooding and landslides are the most recurring hazards. Priority actions must be geared toward disaster mitigation and rehabilitation, and reconstruction in light of the October to November 2001 flood damage in the parishes of Portland and St. Mary. The magnitude of the damage in these two parishes has highlighted the need for proper land use planning and zoning regulations and enforcement. These entire factors can prevent sustainable tourism in Jamaica as well as other countries. 3.3 Analyze different stages in planning for sustainability Bringing sustainability into action not only requires a solid communication and coordination framework, but it also requires the ability to balance dynamic tensions between environmental, economic and social dimensions (Gunn, 2002). The challenge lies in developing approaches that integrate and address these issues throughout public policy and planning processes (Gunn, 2002).With a wide variety of stakeholders, it will be ever more imperative for planners and decision-makers to balance these diverse challenges and needs and translate these elements into effective policy decisions. Population growth, increased automobile dependency, energy usage and supply, air quality, education access, affordable housing, water scarcity are just a short list of the numerous issues that need to be addressed through leadership and stewardship (Gunn, 2002). By developing sustainably-conscious planning processes we can begin to mitigate the impact of current issues and challenges and place ourselves in a better position to be proactive towards new challenges in the future. To truly embody sustainability practices and ensure thoughtful implementation there needs to be an understanding of what needs to be done at each stage of the planning process (Gunn, 2002). Due to the complexity of sustainability, different processes and applications will have different effects on other areas or stages within the process. It is important to understand not only what needs to be done at each stage, but also understand how these processes and applications affect and relate to knowledge accumulation, vision, action and evaluation. Generally, the planning process is comprised of the following stages: Stages in the planning of tourism process: 1.Define the goals and objectivesbasically, objectives for tourism should be a sub-set of the overall objectives (either implicit or document) for the nation, its economy, people and the social structure within an area. There are, however, no hard or set rules as to what the objectives should be (Gunn, 2002). In general, however, tourism objectives should deal with growth leading to increased standard of living, employment levels, and opportunities for intellectual growth, enhancement of the investment potential in an area or country. Cumulatively, tourism objective should describe the set of conditions under which a favorable decision should be made (Gunn, 2002).If the data indicate that reasonable objectives for tourism development can be met, this will generally lead to a decision to proceed with a conceptual planning study. As a first step towards preparation of conceptual plan for tourism development, a market study begins with a determination of the type of tourism business wh ich exists and can be expected. 2.Identify the tourism systemand carry out a survey- this stages deals with which clients you expect to have, what you need to do(Gunn, 2002).. Carry out the survey on social and cultural patterns such as the carrying capacity and settlement patterns, on the cultural and heritage attraction within the area, wildlife, vegetation, coastal and marinas and also carry out an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the location to find out the negative and positive impact of the area (Gunn, 2002). 3.Evaluate alternatives of the analysis– in this stage the information collected from the survey is analyze (Gunn, 2002). 4.Select and implement–this is the stage where the information collected from the survey is analyze and the put policies and plan in place to help develop the process (Gunn, 2002). 5. Provide recommendations- recommendation should be made to improve progress 6.Monitor and evaluate Monitoring the progress periodically is very crucial to get the best results. Preparation of a plan document is not an end in itself (Gunn, 2002). The task of the planner does not end when a plan for three years, five years of seven years has been prepared. A system of constant revision and monitoring of the plan progress should be a part of the exercise of the planning (Gunn, 2002). Successful tourism planning and development means, serving both tourists and local residents, tourism should serve the community first and the tourist second, tourism development must be compatible with other activities in the area and be supported by the local population, the tourism plan should be closely coordinated with other local and regional planning efforts, if not an integral part of them (Gunn, 2002).

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Some Cat Saved Your Grandma :: essays research papers fc

Some Cat Saved Your Grandma Animal rights activists are constantly preaching about how doctors and scientists should give up testing on their cute furry little creatures because it not only causes the animal pain but also the activists’ pain. They just can’t stand seeing Fido and Fluffy in such nauseating conditions and being injected several times until their body gives out, and they can’t stand the sight or even hearing about the poor little Siamese kitten who’s eyes are bloodshot with tests for makeup samples. These activists also believe that alternative methods of testing products are more productive than animal testing, and that the scientists who conduct the tests on the animals are vicious and care nothing towards animals. They are also known to believe that animal testing makes no contribution to society and that clean water and good sanitation, not vaccines and antibiotics, are the solutions to the world’s problems (O’Donell).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides being utterly unreasonable with their myths of animal cruelty, animal rights activists are being perfectly hypocritical. If anyone has been hindered by a stroke, any head or spinal cord injuries, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, or any type of surgery they have been helps by the results of animal testing. Without the help of animal testing Polio would still kill and cripple thousands of adults and children, doctors would not have chemotherapy to save children suffering from lymphocytic leukemia, 7,500 newborns would develop cerebral palsy, and smallpox would still be here to kill more than the two million it has already killed (Americans for Medical Progress Educational Foundation. â€Å"Without†).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Picture a tall apartment building burning down in furious flames. You are the only person left alive in the still burning building, and you hear two cries for help. One is a pleading meow for safety of tiny pure black kitten, but the other is a desperate and loud scream calling, ‘Help! Help!† You can see that this cry comes from a small, skinny boy, no older than six, and he is shaking uncontrollably due to his server cerebral palsy condition. You are running out of time and can only save the life of either the kitten or the boy. Which would you choose?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It’s only natural to choose the boy over the kitten. Imagine telling this little boy’s mother and father about your striking decision and then telling them, â€Å"but the kitten was so small and cute! I couldn’t just leave it there! Sorry about your boy.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Fredrick Douglass Essay -- essays research papers fc

The purpose behind Fredrick Douglass’s Narrative was to appeal to the other abolitionists who he wanted to convince that slave owners were wrong for their treatment of other human beings. His goal was to appeal to the middle-class people of that time and persuade them to get on board with the abolitionist movement. Douglass had a great writing style that was descriptive as well as convincing. He stayed away from the horrific details of the time, which helped him grasp the attention of the women who in turn would convince their husbands to help by donating money and eventually ending slavery. He used his words effectively in convincing the readers that the slave owners were inhuman and showed how they had no feelings for other human beings. Although Douglass appealed to the middle-class people, he upset other Northerners at the same time, mainly the slave traders, because he was destroying their business. Through personal anecdotes, Douglass draws an accurate picture of slave l ife. Simultaneously, he chooses these events for how they will affect the Northern audience’s opinion of southern slaveholders (Quarles ii). Douglass uses family relationships, starting with his own birth, to gain the compassion of his target audience. He never knew the identity of his father, but it was â€Å"whispered† (Douglass 2) that it was his master. Douglass mentions this to demonstrate how the â€Å"master in [many] cases, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father† (2). This was so...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Occupational Therapy Philosophy

* ————————————————- Occupational Therapy: Integrating Art and Science * ————————————————- * ————————————————- What is occupational therapy? How does one define the profession and validate its worth in the medical field? Since its conception as an established health care profession, occupational therapy’s philosophy has been defined, redefined, and refined.In their writings esteemed Occupational Therapists Mary Reilly and Susan Peloquin offer their own critical and revisionary ideas of occupational therapy’s worth, the basic need it fulfills, and its service to the healthcare profession. Both women ask their peers to refine what is uniquely inherent about occupational therapy and by doing so validate the profession’s contribution in serving the needs of man (Reilly, 1963; Peloquin,2002). * ————————————————-In her 1962 Eleanor Clarke Slagle address entitled, â€Å"Occupational Therapy Can Be One Of The Great Ideas of 20th Century Medicine† Mary Reilly (1962) challenges her fellow colleagues to critically define Occupational Therapy’s value within the medical field. She initiates this critique by first asking the provocative question, â€Å"Is Occupational Therapy a sufficiently vital and unique service for medicine to support and society to reward† (Reilly,1962, p. 3)?Reilly suggests it is precisely these critical questions and line of discourse that we as practitioners need to be embracing to maintain our unique and vital contribution to the healthcare realm. * ——â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Drawing inspiration from Occupational therapy’s earliest visions Suzanne M. Peloquin also seeks to engage her audience by asking to consider and reflect upon a different but equally important component that makes occupational therapy unique and vital to the health of man.Quoting Ora Ruggles,an early contributor to the field of occupational therapy, Peloquin writes, â€Å"It is not enough to give a patient something to do with his hands. You must reach for the heart as well as the hands. It’s the heart that really does the healing† (Peloquin,2002). Through the use of visual imagery and storytelling Peloquin calls our attention to the profession’s earliest founders and their visionary beliefs. Peloquin eloquently reminds us of the healing power of the heart and the vital aspect of caring that is inherent and necessary in our profession. —â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- Furthermore, Peloquin maintains that when we undertake an integrative approach employing both â€Å"competency and caring† in healing we solidify our value as a profession (Peloquin 2012). She demonstrates this when she writes, â€Å"Three constructs deeply rooted in our profession’s culture and integral to its central character are well-presented in the early vision: integration, occupation, and caring†(Peloquin,1962,p. 525).In contrast, Reilly engages her audience by putting forth a mandate that charges the practitioners of occupational therapy to validate the profession by inviting and seeking critical appraisal. â€Å" When a professional organization as a whole accepts criticism as the dominating mode of thought, then indeed, theorizing flourishes and the intellectual atmosphere of their gatherings, is characterized by sweeping controversie s. In this atmosphere of controversy, progress becomes somewhat assured† (Reilly, 1962, p. 3). * ————————————————-In addition to engaging in critical debate Reilly believes that in order to establish credibility and worth, Occupational Therapy must strive to identify and define â€Å"the vital need of man which we serve and the manner in which we serve it†(Reilly p. 3). In this academic and investigative tone, Reilly delivers her lecture in a clear and orderly fashion. Her writing is concise and articulate as she methodically introduces an hypothesis in which postulates â€Å"That man, through the use of his hands, as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health† (Reilly,1962,p. ). She formulates this theory and tests it by drawing upon a multi-discipline approach to research (Reilly, 1962). She charges her colleagues w ith the mandate to define man’s basic need for occupation in a scientific researchable manner and atmosphere. It is not enough to draw upon multiple disciplines such as the social sciences, biology, and neurophysiology, Reilly suggests we must also observe the anthropological , social, and biological study of occupation through â€Å"phylogenetic and ontogenetic† lenses Reilly,1962,p. 10) . Through this study of occupation and the therapeutic meaning of work Reilly defines a unique aspect of occupational therapy: â€Å"the profound understanding of the nature of work† (Reilly,1962,p. 9). Her thesis in this thought provoking address, her take home message, is so powerful that Peloquin describes Reilly’s hypothesis of human occupation as â€Å"one of the profession's best visionary statements†(Peloquin,1962,p. 518). * ————————————————-In co ntrast to Mary Reilly’s urging to attain a scientific understanding of man’s basic need for occupation, Peloquin’s reminiscent recalling of early visions of occupational therapy’s goals and unique attributes highlights the profession philosophy of meaningful and purposeful work in a client-centered modality of care. Incorporating the art of caring in our treatment paired with the extensive wealth of knowledge gleaned across multiple disciplines enables us as practitioners to guide the patient toward the occupation of living or as Peloquin puts it â€Å"allow us to see individuals occupying their lives† and â€Å"living well† (Peloquin,2002,p. 24). * ————————————————- Reilly also strongly embraces an integrated approach and outlines the importance of maintaining a individual or client-centered approach when assigning treatment. Her abhorrence of formulaic activity groups prescribed as therapy used in psychiatric settings in the 1960’s is detailed best when she writes, â€Å"activity programs so designed, tend to depersonalize,institutionalize and, in general, debase human nature† (Reilly,1962,p. 12). * ————————————————-In their vastly different writings, different in style, in delivery and different in focus, these women have a common concern, passion, and desire for the preservation of occupational therapy. Mary Reilly aims to mark the profession as vital by focusing our attention to the distinctive quality that occupational therapy holds: the unique speciality of defining the value ofâ€Å"work† to man. (Reilly, 1962). It is this concept and the critical engagement from which great ideas such as this stems, are necessary in ensuring a professional organization’s existenc e in these dynamic and emanding times. Suzanne Peloquin also believes that occupational therapy’s attributes are unique and standout from others in the healthcare field. The uniqueness that Peloquin refers to and asks her readers to preserve and incorporate in our practice is the founding member’s early vision of caring and empathy. She writes, â€Å"To see hearts engaged is to see personal actualization, an occupational link with identity, a making of meaning.The depiction transcends more limited visions of activity or productivity and allow us to see individuals occupying their lives†(Peloquin,1962,p524). * ————————————————- In an attempt to integrate Peloquin’s vision and Reilly’s hypothesis I refer to Peloquin’s remark, â€Å"Occupational therapy is not about balancing at some midpoint between two dimensions of practice, with either heart or hands getting about half of a practitioner's attention; it is about reaching for both† (Peloquin,1962,p. 522).Reilly collaborates this sentiment writing, â€Å"And more than all this, it implies that man, through the use of his hands, can creatively deploy his thinking, feelings and purpose to make himself at home in the world and to make the world his home† (Reilly,1962,p. 2). It is precisely this distinctive blending of visionary statements and scientific exploration that lends occupational its unique * ————————————————- vitality and credibility. Leaders in the field such as Peloquin, and Reilly inspire, shape and preserve the richness and dignity of the important dynamic nature of our field.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Exploring Adolescent Use of Performance-Enhancing Substances

Exploring Adolescent Use of Anabolic Steroids Since the introduction of anabolic steroids, the main objective of using them has been widely abused. The use of these substances has steadily increased throughout the years. As popularity of anabolic steroids escalated, so has its demand. With the inception of anabolic steroids in the world of professional sports, the acceptance of doping amongst athletes was positive. During the 1970s, there were no repercussions for taking anabolic steroids, and so athletes, especially football players and weight-lifters, were trying to get that physical advantage over their competitors.Many professional baseball and football players of this most recent generation have used anabolic steroids. In football there was the great Lawrence Taylor, Bill Romanowski, and Shawne Merriman. In baseball, a steroid scandal involved the great Barry Bonds, and numerous baseball prodigies who juiced up such as Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, a nd Manny Ramirez. Not only have baseball and football players used anabolic steroids, but other types of athletes, such as power-lifters, as well. In track and field, Tim Montgomery was cited for doping.In recent years, female track and field athletes such as Marion Jones were busted for using anabolic steroids. With the accessibility of anabolic steroids increasing at an alarming rate, a person has to wonder what kind of effect anabolic steroids could have on adolescents? If doping really is becoming accepted amongst professional athletes, what kind of influence will it have on the adolescents? This research analysis essay will be exploring the physical and mental risks and consequences for adolescents using anabolic steroids as well as their motivation for doping.Steroids were originally developed to administer to hypogonadism in the 1930s (Volkow 1). Through experimenting, scientists discovered that the use of anabolic steroids could generate muscle growth. This discovery led to the abuse of anabolic steroids in the sporting world. Technological experimentation and advances over time enabled researchers to identify many types of anabolic steroids. In researching the effects of anabolic steroids, scientists also detected many side effects from using anabolic steroids, although much is still unknown regarding their long-term side ffects (Kusserow 9). There are two ways of taking anabolic steroids, one way is to take them orally or by injection. In taking anabolic steroids with these two methods, an adolescent can severely damage the endocrine system, musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, the hepatic system, and the skin (Volkow 5). A major health defect of taking anabolic steroids is that it affects the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a gland system that is responsible for the discharge of hormones that assist in regulating certain bodily processes, such as metabolism, growth, and development.One of the important factors that the endocrine sys tem controls is the mood of a person. The human body already secretes certain hormones into the body to keep bodily processes functioning the way they were supposed to. By taking anabolic steroids, an adolescent is disrupting the natural production of hormones (Volkow 4). The endocrine system only secretes a certain amount of hormones a day to prevent imbalance. If the endocrine system secretes too many hormones into the human body, there will be a hormonal imbalance which could lead to disease or abnormal development.Taking anabolic steroids can cause reversible changes, which include sperm count deduction, infertility of sperm, and testicle shrinkage (Volkow 4). In males, irreversible changes may occur by taking anabolic steroids such as feminization and male-pattern baldness (Volkow 4). Although anabolic steroids may physically enhance a person’s appearance, the damage caused by anabolic steroids is something many adolescents are overlooking. The human body normally releas es testosterone and other hormones that causes growth, and stops the release of hormones as well.However, taking anabolic steroids as an adolescent results in the synthetic release of hormones. This leads to a surplus of sex hormone levels that can prematurely signal the bones to stop growing (Volkow 4). Anabolic steroid use may cause more frequent tendon injuries due to â€Å"skeletal muscle adaptations taking place rather rapidly in comparison to connective tissue† (Hoffman 186). Also, anabolic steroid use causes severe acne based on research done by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (Hoffman 184). Not only can steroids stunt your growth as an adolescent, it can cause severe damage to the circulatory and hepatic systems.The circulatory system is responsible for the circulation of blood throughout the body. Other responsibilities include the removal of bodily wastes and the transference of nutrients to the cells. By taking anabolic steroids, an adolescent is increas ing the risk of sustaining a heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease (Volkow 4; Hoffman 184-185). According to Kusserow, physicians conducting a study/research involving former steroid users noticed â€Å"links, without consensus on degree, to cardiovascular disease† and anabolic steroids (Kusserow 12).The clotting of blood in the blood vessels keeps blood from flowing to the heart, which may cause heart damage. An adolescent can experience a stroke from having a blood flow disruption to the brain. Anabolic steroids elevate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which is the main factor in having a disruption to the body’s blood flow (Hoffman 185). The hepatic system is the liver. The liver’s main responsibility is detoxifying the human body. At this point in time, living without a liver is impossible.So, if the liver were to have a blood flow disruption, the liver would fail, resulting in potential deat h. Using anabolic steroids may â€Å"increase risk of liver tumors and liver damage† (Hoffman 184). Internal bleeding may occur from the rupture of a liver tumor (Volkow 5). Two of the most alarming consequences of taking anabolic steroids are the change in behavior/mood and how it affects a person’s mental status. Anabolic steroid use causes violent, aggressive behavior and irritability; approximately 60% of anabolic steroid users experience this change in behavior (Hoffman 187).Tony Mandarich, once proclaimed to be the â€Å"greatest offensive lineman prospect ever,â€Å" said that his steroid use caused his aggression to skyrocket on and off the field. â€Å"The Incredible Bulk† punched an Ohio State player for no reason before the football game even started and told him he â€Å"was going to die today† (Kozak). Anabolic steroid use also affected his thinking. Mandarich’s past steroid use caused him to say things that he would never say were h e not on steroids. â€Å"Some of the stuff I said, when I look back now, is just embarrassing,† says Tony Mandarich (Kozak).Although elevated aggressiveness may be beneficial for athletes, that is not the case with your ordinary citizen. With these behavioral changes, an anabolic steroid user is much more likely to fight with other people. This is especially dangerous due to the fact that the steroid user is most likely bigger in size and strength than their opponent. A person may experience a psychotic episode where the steroid user will be in a blind rage, thus disabling their ability to control their emotions. In this event, an adolescent on anabolic steroids could injure many of his peers at school, possibly even kill them.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), â€Å"a recent study suggests that the mood and behavioral effects seen during anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse may result from secondary hormonal changes† (Volkow 4). This is especially true with Heidi Krieger. In females, masculinity may occur both physically and mentally with long-term use of anabolic steroids (Volkow 4). With Heidi Krieger, now known as Andreas Krieger, her long-term anabolic steroid use caused her to become masculine. Not only was she physically changing, the anabolic steroids caused her to believe that she was a man.In an interview with former European women’s shot put champion, she was asked about her past anabolic steroid use and how it caused her to physically and mentally change genders. She said, â€Å"I felt much more attracted to women and just felt like a man. But I knew I was not lesbian† (Cnn. com). One of the many questions researchers ask is â€Å"why†? Many wonder what are the motivational factors in a person’s choice to use anabolic steroids. One of the main factors to this question would be appearance (Kusserow 6). Throughout magazines are pictures displaying a person with rock-hard abs and bulging bi ceps.On television, an adolescent may see a commercial of a man who is extremely big and strong. 57% of adolescents participating in a survey pointed to magazines and 7% pointed to entertainment as sources of influence (Kusserow 8). Nowadays, society’s perception of the prototypical male is being big and strong. Due to pop culture, male adolescents have this newfound belief that they must improve their appearance to match the appearance of the prototypical male (Kusserow 6). Also, in today’s society peer approval is a must amongst most high school adolescents.Teenagers see their friends getting â€Å"jacked† by using anabolic steroids so they try and imitate those actions since it looks easy. With the correct training regimen, adolescents may accomplish their goals in getting big with great success. According to Richard P. Kusserow, 89% of anabolic steroid users reported that they were satisfied with the results they were hoping for when they first started using anabolic steroids (Kusserow 7). Due to the successful use of anabolic steroids, 97% of users â€Å"agree that the physical effects encouraged them to continue using steroids (Kusserow 7).For example, Tony Mandarich was influenced by his brother to use anabolic steroids so that he could increase size, strength, and athletic performance. His anabolic steroid use allowed him to be able to bench press 225 pounds an incredible 39 times while being able to maintain a 4. 69 40-yard dash. That is a godly feat for a man that is 6 foot 6 and 315 pounds. When asked about his past anabolic steroid use, Mandarich said,†You're not supposed to be as strong as I am. You're not supposed to be as fast as I am. You're not supposed to be as good as I am† (Kozak).Apparently, without anabolic steroid use, Tony Mandarich would never have become the college football player that he was. Another motive adolescents have for using anabolic steroids is the pursuit for the improvement of athletic p erformance (Adolescent Steroid Abuse). Through the use of anabolic steroids, an adolescent can increase muscle mass, strength, and training capacity (Kusserow 7). According to Kusserow, many adolescents first use anabolic steroids at the age of 16 and that 85% of the users started by age 17 (Kusserow 5).Much of this thought process has to do with famous role model athletes. â€Å"Users believe that many high-level athletes have used steroids, and 42 percent say this influenced them to start using† (Kusserow 8). An adolescent varsity football player trying to obtain a football scholarship from a prestigious NCAA Division I football powerhouse may see an NFL football player that they admire, and look up to, using anabolic steroids. The adolescent could potentially try and imitate the NFL player’s actions due to this belief.With football scholarships from prestigious Division I football colleges being limited and competition amongst football players across the United Stat es being extensive, adolescents will do all that they can to achieve their goal. Additionally, adolescents may view the benefits in using anabolic steroids as more positive than negative. If using anabolic steroids can help these adolescents get to a great school such as the University of Southern California or the University of Texas, the side effects of using anabolic steroids could be something they are willing to risk.Another motive that could cause an adolescent in using anabolic steroids in improving athletic performance is the pressure they receive from adults, including their own parents (Kusserow 8). 55% of adolescent anabolic steroid users claim that their parents know about their use of anabolic steroids and that the parents do not care (Kusserow 7). â€Å"People may give a certain amount of slack to football players because there's this unspoken sense that in order to play the game well, you need an edge,† says Todd Boyd (Klosterman).If an adolescent can play well enough in sports to generate interest from college scouts, there is a good chance that the adolescent can get an athletic scholarship to help support their parents financially. Nowadays, college tuition is skyrocketing. It costs approximately $22,000 annually to attend the University of New Hampshire for an in-state student, and roughly $12,000 extra if you are out of state. With the recent economic downturn, many families do not have many financial options. Financial aid can only get you so far and the ability to take out a loan has become increasingly hard in this economy.Assuming an 18 year old adolescent is out of state and going to be attending the University of New Hampshire for four years, the adolescent would be saving $136,000 if he were able to get a full-boat scholarship. This is not even taking into account the annual increase in tuition that occurs after every school year and money for miscellaneous things. Although an adolescent’s parents may not be telling the m directly to use anabolic steroids, the parents could be indirectly encouraging them to â€Å"juice upâ€Å" by placing tons of pressure on their kids.Adults, whether it is the parents or the coaches, place immense pressure on their kids to compete and win, while conveying mixed messages of what are acceptable ways to achieve that goal (Kusserow 7). Adolescents may interpret those messages as, â€Å"It’s okay to use steroids as long as you succeed and do not get caught† or, â€Å"Do what must be done to achieve your goal†. If this is the universal belief amongst adolescents across the United States, how long will it be before adolescents begin to interpret other topics, such as violence or drug dealing, in the same manner. Works Cited Adolescent Steroid Abuse. † Adolescent Steroid Abuse. Case Western Reserve University. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Hoffman, Jay R. , and Nicholas A. Ratamess. â€Å"Medical Issues Associated with Anabolic Steroid Use: Are They E xaggerated? † Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 01 June 2006. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. Klosterman, Chuck. â€Å"Why We Look the Other Way. † ESPN. com. ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 Mar. 2007. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Kozak, Kory. â€Å"Steroids Fueled Spectacular Rise and Fall. † ESPN. com. ESPN Internet Ventures, 17 Apr. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Pleitgen, Frederik. Athlete Says Sports Steroids Changed Him from Woman to man. † CNN. com. Cable News Network, 11 Aug. 2008. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . United States of America. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Adolescent Steroid Use. Richard P. Kusserow. Department of Health and Human Services, 1991. Print. United States of America. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Health. Anabolic Steroid Abuse. Nora D. Volkow. National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2001. National Institute of Drug Abuse Research Report Series. Exploring Adolescent Use of Performance-Enhancing Substances Exploring Adolescent Use of Anabolic Steroids Since the introduction of anabolic steroids, the main objective of using them has been widely abused. The use of these substances has steadily increased throughout the years. As popularity of anabolic steroids escalated, so has its demand. With the inception of anabolic steroids in the world of professional sports, the acceptance of doping amongst athletes was positive. During the 1970s, there were no repercussions for taking anabolic steroids, and so athletes, especially football players and weight-lifters, were trying to get that physical advantage over their competitors.Many professional baseball and football players of this most recent generation have used anabolic steroids. In football there was the great Lawrence Taylor, Bill Romanowski, and Shawne Merriman. In baseball, a steroid scandal involved the great Barry Bonds, and numerous baseball prodigies who juiced up such as Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, a nd Manny Ramirez. Not only have baseball and football players used anabolic steroids, but other types of athletes, such as power-lifters, as well. In track and field, Tim Montgomery was cited for doping.In recent years, female track and field athletes such as Marion Jones were busted for using anabolic steroids. With the accessibility of anabolic steroids increasing at an alarming rate, a person has to wonder what kind of effect anabolic steroids could have on adolescents? If doping really is becoming accepted amongst professional athletes, what kind of influence will it have on the adolescents? This research analysis essay will be exploring the physical and mental risks and consequences for adolescents using anabolic steroids as well as their motivation for doping.Steroids were originally developed to administer to hypogonadism in the 1930s (Volkow 1). Through experimenting, scientists discovered that the use of anabolic steroids could generate muscle growth. This discovery led to the abuse of anabolic steroids in the sporting world. Technological experimentation and advances over time enabled researchers to identify many types of anabolic steroids. In researching the effects of anabolic steroids, scientists also detected many side effects from using anabolic steroids, although much is still unknown regarding their long-term side ffects (Kusserow 9). There are two ways of taking anabolic steroids, one way is to take them orally or by injection. In taking anabolic steroids with these two methods, an adolescent can severely damage the endocrine system, musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, the hepatic system, and the skin (Volkow 5). A major health defect of taking anabolic steroids is that it affects the endocrine system. The endocrine system is a gland system that is responsible for the discharge of hormones that assist in regulating certain bodily processes, such as metabolism, growth, and development.One of the important factors that the endocrine sys tem controls is the mood of a person. The human body already secretes certain hormones into the body to keep bodily processes functioning the way they were supposed to. By taking anabolic steroids, an adolescent is disrupting the natural production of hormones (Volkow 4). The endocrine system only secretes a certain amount of hormones a day to prevent imbalance. If the endocrine system secretes too many hormones into the human body, there will be a hormonal imbalance which could lead to disease or abnormal development.Taking anabolic steroids can cause reversible changes, which include sperm count deduction, infertility of sperm, and testicle shrinkage (Volkow 4). In males, irreversible changes may occur by taking anabolic steroids such as feminization and male-pattern baldness (Volkow 4). Although anabolic steroids may physically enhance a person’s appearance, the damage caused by anabolic steroids is something many adolescents are overlooking. The human body normally releas es testosterone and other hormones that causes growth, and stops the release of hormones as well.However, taking anabolic steroids as an adolescent results in the synthetic release of hormones. This leads to a surplus of sex hormone levels that can prematurely signal the bones to stop growing (Volkow 4). Anabolic steroid use may cause more frequent tendon injuries due to â€Å"skeletal muscle adaptations taking place rather rapidly in comparison to connective tissue† (Hoffman 186). Also, anabolic steroid use causes severe acne based on research done by the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (Hoffman 184). Not only can steroids stunt your growth as an adolescent, it can cause severe damage to the circulatory and hepatic systems.The circulatory system is responsible for the circulation of blood throughout the body. Other responsibilities include the removal of bodily wastes and the transference of nutrients to the cells. By taking anabolic steroids, an adolescent is increas ing the risk of sustaining a heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease (Volkow 4; Hoffman 184-185). According to Kusserow, physicians conducting a study/research involving former steroid users noticed â€Å"links, without consensus on degree, to cardiovascular disease† and anabolic steroids (Kusserow 12).The clotting of blood in the blood vessels keeps blood from flowing to the heart, which may cause heart damage. An adolescent can experience a stroke from having a blood flow disruption to the brain. Anabolic steroids elevate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and decrease high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, which is the main factor in having a disruption to the body’s blood flow (Hoffman 185). The hepatic system is the liver. The liver’s main responsibility is detoxifying the human body. At this point in time, living without a liver is impossible.So, if the liver were to have a blood flow disruption, the liver would fail, resulting in potential deat h. Using anabolic steroids may â€Å"increase risk of liver tumors and liver damage† (Hoffman 184). Internal bleeding may occur from the rupture of a liver tumor (Volkow 5). Two of the most alarming consequences of taking anabolic steroids are the change in behavior/mood and how it affects a person’s mental status. Anabolic steroid use causes violent, aggressive behavior and irritability; approximately 60% of anabolic steroid users experience this change in behavior (Hoffman 187).Tony Mandarich, once proclaimed to be the â€Å"greatest offensive lineman prospect ever,â€Å" said that his steroid use caused his aggression to skyrocket on and off the field. â€Å"The Incredible Bulk† punched an Ohio State player for no reason before the football game even started and told him he â€Å"was going to die today† (Kozak). Anabolic steroid use also affected his thinking. Mandarich’s past steroid use caused him to say things that he would never say were h e not on steroids. â€Å"Some of the stuff I said, when I look back now, is just embarrassing,† says Tony Mandarich (Kozak).Although elevated aggressiveness may be beneficial for athletes, that is not the case with your ordinary citizen. With these behavioral changes, an anabolic steroid user is much more likely to fight with other people. This is especially dangerous due to the fact that the steroid user is most likely bigger in size and strength than their opponent. A person may experience a psychotic episode where the steroid user will be in a blind rage, thus disabling their ability to control their emotions. In this event, an adolescent on anabolic steroids could injure many of his peers at school, possibly even kill them.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), â€Å"a recent study suggests that the mood and behavioral effects seen during anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse may result from secondary hormonal changes† (Volkow 4). This is especially true with Heidi Krieger. In females, masculinity may occur both physically and mentally with long-term use of anabolic steroids (Volkow 4). With Heidi Krieger, now known as Andreas Krieger, her long-term anabolic steroid use caused her to become masculine. Not only was she physically changing, the anabolic steroids caused her to believe that she was a man.In an interview with former European women’s shot put champion, she was asked about her past anabolic steroid use and how it caused her to physically and mentally change genders. She said, â€Å"I felt much more attracted to women and just felt like a man. But I knew I was not lesbian† (Cnn. com). One of the many questions researchers ask is â€Å"why†? Many wonder what are the motivational factors in a person’s choice to use anabolic steroids. One of the main factors to this question would be appearance (Kusserow 6). Throughout magazines are pictures displaying a person with rock-hard abs and bulging bi ceps.On television, an adolescent may see a commercial of a man who is extremely big and strong. 57% of adolescents participating in a survey pointed to magazines and 7% pointed to entertainment as sources of influence (Kusserow 8). Nowadays, society’s perception of the prototypical male is being big and strong. Due to pop culture, male adolescents have this newfound belief that they must improve their appearance to match the appearance of the prototypical male (Kusserow 6). Also, in today’s society peer approval is a must amongst most high school adolescents.Teenagers see their friends getting â€Å"jacked† by using anabolic steroids so they try and imitate those actions since it looks easy. With the correct training regimen, adolescents may accomplish their goals in getting big with great success. According to Richard P. Kusserow, 89% of anabolic steroid users reported that they were satisfied with the results they were hoping for when they first started using anabolic steroids (Kusserow 7). Due to the successful use of anabolic steroids, 97% of users â€Å"agree that the physical effects encouraged them to continue using steroids (Kusserow 7).For example, Tony Mandarich was influenced by his brother to use anabolic steroids so that he could increase size, strength, and athletic performance. His anabolic steroid use allowed him to be able to bench press 225 pounds an incredible 39 times while being able to maintain a 4. 69 40-yard dash. That is a godly feat for a man that is 6 foot 6 and 315 pounds. When asked about his past anabolic steroid use, Mandarich said,†You're not supposed to be as strong as I am. You're not supposed to be as fast as I am. You're not supposed to be as good as I am† (Kozak).Apparently, without anabolic steroid use, Tony Mandarich would never have become the college football player that he was. Another motive adolescents have for using anabolic steroids is the pursuit for the improvement of athletic p erformance (Adolescent Steroid Abuse). Through the use of anabolic steroids, an adolescent can increase muscle mass, strength, and training capacity (Kusserow 7). According to Kusserow, many adolescents first use anabolic steroids at the age of 16 and that 85% of the users started by age 17 (Kusserow 5).Much of this thought process has to do with famous role model athletes. â€Å"Users believe that many high-level athletes have used steroids, and 42 percent say this influenced them to start using† (Kusserow 8). An adolescent varsity football player trying to obtain a football scholarship from a prestigious NCAA Division I football powerhouse may see an NFL football player that they admire, and look up to, using anabolic steroids. The adolescent could potentially try and imitate the NFL player’s actions due to this belief.With football scholarships from prestigious Division I football colleges being limited and competition amongst football players across the United Stat es being extensive, adolescents will do all that they can to achieve their goal. Additionally, adolescents may view the benefits in using anabolic steroids as more positive than negative. If using anabolic steroids can help these adolescents get to a great school such as the University of Southern California or the University of Texas, the side effects of using anabolic steroids could be something they are willing to risk.Another motive that could cause an adolescent in using anabolic steroids in improving athletic performance is the pressure they receive from adults, including their own parents (Kusserow 8). 55% of adolescent anabolic steroid users claim that their parents know about their use of anabolic steroids and that the parents do not care (Kusserow 7). â€Å"People may give a certain amount of slack to football players because there's this unspoken sense that in order to play the game well, you need an edge,† says Todd Boyd (Klosterman).If an adolescent can play well enough in sports to generate interest from college scouts, there is a good chance that the adolescent can get an athletic scholarship to help support their parents financially. Nowadays, college tuition is skyrocketing. It costs approximately $22,000 annually to attend the University of New Hampshire for an in-state student, and roughly $12,000 extra if you are out of state. With the recent economic downturn, many families do not have many financial options. Financial aid can only get you so far and the ability to take out a loan has become increasingly hard in this economy.Assuming an 18 year old adolescent is out of state and going to be attending the University of New Hampshire for four years, the adolescent would be saving $136,000 if he were able to get a full-boat scholarship. This is not even taking into account the annual increase in tuition that occurs after every school year and money for miscellaneous things. Although an adolescent’s parents may not be telling the m directly to use anabolic steroids, the parents could be indirectly encouraging them to â€Å"juice upâ€Å" by placing tons of pressure on their kids.Adults, whether it is the parents or the coaches, place immense pressure on their kids to compete and win, while conveying mixed messages of what are acceptable ways to achieve that goal (Kusserow 7). Adolescents may interpret those messages as, â€Å"It’s okay to use steroids as long as you succeed and do not get caught† or, â€Å"Do what must be done to achieve your goal†. If this is the universal belief amongst adolescents across the United States, how long will it be before adolescents begin to interpret other topics, such as violence or drug dealing, in the same manner. Works Cited Adolescent Steroid Abuse. † Adolescent Steroid Abuse. Case Western Reserve University. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Hoffman, Jay R. , and Nicholas A. Ratamess. â€Å"Medical Issues Associated with Anabolic Steroid Use: Are They E xaggerated? † Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 01 June 2006. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. Klosterman, Chuck. â€Å"Why We Look the Other Way. † ESPN. com. ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 Mar. 2007. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Kozak, Kory. â€Å"Steroids Fueled Spectacular Rise and Fall. † ESPN. com. ESPN Internet Ventures, 17 Apr. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . Pleitgen, Frederik. Athlete Says Sports Steroids Changed Him from Woman to man. † CNN. com. Cable News Network, 11 Aug. 2008. Web. 17 Oct. 2009. . United States of America. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office of Inspector General. Adolescent Steroid Use. Richard P. Kusserow. Department of Health and Human Services, 1991. Print. United States of America. U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute of Health. Anabolic Steroid Abuse. Nora D. Volkow. National Institute of Drug Abuse, 2001. National Institute of Drug Abuse Research Report Series.