Apostille Translation

REPUBLIC OF PANAMA ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OF PANAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE The National Civil Registry CERTIFIES Volume number that ****000**** Registration of births PANAMA Province in ***0000**** Item number is registered the birth: *****John Doe*****, No. Insc / Schedule: 0-000-000 Male, born on April ten thousand eight, in the Township of Calidonia, district PANAMA, PANAMA Province. Son of John Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Jane Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Issued in the Province PANAMA, May twenty nine of two thousand eleven. Seal/Stampl: Republic of Panama, Electoral Tribunal of Panama Republic of Panama Electoral Tribunal The National Civil Registry certifies that the foregoing signature corresponding to Ivan Noel Guerra B. , Deputy National Civil Registry of Panama, on the date of this document is authentic. Panama, thirty (30) May two thousand and eleven (2011). Illegible signature Brigido Poveda Samaniego National Secretary of the Civil Registry   Apostille (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961) 1. In Panama, 2. It was signed by BRIGIDO POVEDA S. 3. Who acts as the National Civil Registry: NATIONAL SECRETARY 4. And it is coated seal / stamp: ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL Certified 5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6. On: 30/05/2011 7. By: Department of Authentication and Legalization 8. Under number: 9. Seal / Stamp: 10. Signature of Officer Dorinda del Carmen Cortizo de Zanetti, Deputy Head of authentication, Ministry of Foreign Affairs REPUBLIC OF PANAMA ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL OF PANAMA BIRTH CERTIFICATE The National Civil Registry CERTIFIES Volume number that ****000**** Registration of births PANAMA Province in ***0000**** Item number is registered the birth: *****Jane Doe*****, No. Insc / Schedule: 0-000-000 Female, blood type O+, born on September twenty of two thousand and eleven, in the Township of San Francisco, district PANAMA, PANAMA Province. Son of John Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Jane Doe Senior, ID 0-000-000 Issued in the Province PANAMA, May twenty nine of two thousand eleven. Seal/Stamp: Republic of Panama, Electoral Tribunal of Panama Republic of Panama Electoral Tribunal The National Civil Registry certifies that the foregoing signature corresponding to Ivan Noel Guerra B. , Deputy National Civil Registry of Panama, on the date of this document is authentic. Panama, thirty (30) May two thousand and eleven (2011). Illegible signature Brigido Poveda Samaniego National Secretary of the Civil Registry ************************************************************************************************* Apostille (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961) 1. In Panama, 2. It was signed by Brig POVEDA S. 3. Who acts as the National Civil Registry SECRETARY 4. And it is coated seal / stamp: ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL Certified 5. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs 6. On 30/05/2011 7. By: Department of Authentication and Legalization 8. Under number: 9. Seal / Stamp:

Does America Want an Unmotivated Society Essay

I. Introduction Marijuana is the name given in the United States to the drug produced from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The use of cannabis derivatives under such names as hashish, charas, bhang, and ganja is widespread throughout the world. The most active ingredient of the plant derivative is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The potency of this chemical is indicated by the fact that the average street sample of marijuana contains less than .5% THC. Some samples are considerably higher in THC content; thus, effects from the drug vary according to its quality, meaning its THC content. The flowering parts of the plant contain the greatest amounts of THC (Goode 567). These are usually dried and smoked, but they may be made into a drink somewhat like tea or blended into various cooking recipes. Somehow, marijuana has been used for some medications but it is not a valid ground to legalize it because it has negative effects to human bodies. Moreover, marijuana is still illegal in most places. Under federal law a person can be sentenced to up to one year in jail or a $5000 fine, or both, for simple possession of marijuana. Every year about 400,000 people are arrested for possession; about 80 percent are under age 26. Marijuana is being used as legal medical therapy for several conditions. Careful studies have shown that it is effective in treating severe nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. Older patients seem to respond less than younger patients do and complain more about side effects, including feeling â€Å"stoned.† The purpose of this present study is to scrutinize whether marijuana should be legalized or not. It will also tackle how marijuana will greatly affect the individuals that our country needs most, like the workforce or the man- power. II. Background Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both as a medicine and for its intoxicating effects. In the form of tablets, marijuana is frequently prescribed to relieve the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy. Its non-medical use, however, is illegal in the United States and most other countries. The penalties for possessing or using marijuana are, in many states, as severe as those imposed for the possession or use of much more potent drugs. Many argue that marijuana is no more harmful than cigarettes and liquor and should be legalized. Most marijuana used in United States is smoked—either as cigarettes or in pipes. Its effects vary with its strength, and to a great extent with the state of mind of the user (Earleywine 149). Typically, a sense of well being is experienced. In large countries, marijuana is considered as hallucinogen—a drug that produces hallucinations. Although marijuana does not produce a physical dependence in the user, there is evidence that it can produce psychological dependence. Research indicates that marijuana has serious effects on the body. It can impair memory, speech, and learning. It exposes the lungs to high levels of tar and to over 150 other chemicals. Many of these can irritate the lining of the lungs, causing inflammation and bronchitis in some cases. Marijuana decreases the production of male and female sex hormones and may cause infertility n some individuals. Pregnant women should refrain from smoking marijuana since it can cross the placenta and affect the fetus (Earleywine 150). Some authorities believe that the heavy use of marijuana may harm the body’s immune system by impairing the development of monocytes, cells that stimulate antibody production and kill foreign cells. Although no direct cause-and-effect link between found, a person who consistently uses marijuana may be likely to abuse other, stronger drugs. The use of marijuana can be dangerous to a person taking part in any activity in which quick reflexes and clear thinking are necessary (Goode 575). III. Discussion A. Effects of Marijuana Many perceptual and emotional effects follow marijuana smoking. Sensory experience may become more intense; smells are richer, textures feel more sensuous, objects are seen as more beautiful, sounds are more brilliant, and ideas flow more freely, although they may be disjointed. The person may experience an emotional high in which he or she feels joyful, tranquil, and happy. The effects of marijuana, however, are like those of other drugs; they very much depend on the person and the setting. Taken in a pleasant, relaxed social situation, marijuana can be quite unpleasant (Earleywine 123). Also, people who are naturally paranoid, suspicious, or aggressive may become more so under the influence of marijuana; the calm, better-adjusted users are more apt to experience a euphoric high. Moreover, most people use marijuana for the altered states it produces. These states are a little easier to control than those produced by other hallucinogenic drugs, unless the dosage is very high. At low to moderate dosages, hallucinations are not present. Instead, the person typically reports of calmness, increased sensory awareness, changes in space and time, and increased appetite, often with a craving for sweets. At higher dosages, the person may experience thought disturbances, rapid emotional changes, a loss of attention, and a sense of panic. Marijuana has been one of the most researched drugs in the history of pharmacology, and there is still considerable disagreement about its short-term and long-term effects (Belenko 34). It was made an illicit drug in the United States, and many states have established harsh penalties for those convicted of possession of even small amounts. In the recent years, there has been a move toward decriminalization of marijuana. Although this policy would not legalize the drug, it would establish more appropriate punishments, for example, fines instead of imprisonment for possession of small amounts for personal use (Belenko 66). The growing consensus of research on marijuana would suggest that it is not a safe drug. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any drug taken frequently by choice is advisable. Many researchers have concluded that smoking marijuana is no more dangerous, and perhaps even less so, than smoking cigarettes or using alcohol. The issue, though, is frequency of use. The literature on chronic users of marijuana—that is, people who use it a lot and over a long period of time—suggests rather strongly that there are serious deficits in some cognitive abilities such as memory. In addition, heavier users experience some undesirable personality changes, problems with sleep, deficits in psychomotor abilities such as driving, and changes in motivational levels that produce apathy and a lack of striving for achievement. Finally, there are a number of factors that influence the effect of a particular drug (Earleywine 145). There are factors associated with the drug, including its purity and the method of its purity and the method of its administration. Subject variables that are important include body weight, metabolic rate, whether or not the person has eaten, general state of health, and previous experience with the drug. In trying to predict how any one person will react to a drug, these factors, and many others, must be taken into account. But there is another important variable that plays a major role in drug reactions, and too often its effects are overlooked ( Baron 119).   That variable is the user’s expectation of the drug’s effect. Research has shown that the experience many drug users will have is not just a result of the physiological and biochemical changes produced by the drug, but also depends on how they think they are supposed to respond, or how they see others around them responding. These factors must also be considered when evaluating the reasons for altered states of consciousness through drug use. a.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Respiratory effects: Because marijuana smoke is deeply inhaled, retained in the lungs, and contains many of the same harmful ingredients as tobacco smoke, users show signs of impaired lung functioning when compared to nonusers. Like tobacco smoke, marijuana smoke contains carcinogenic agents, but since many pot smokers also tobacco, it has been hard to isolate marijuana’s impact on lung cancer. At this point, the evidence is merely suggestive (Earleywine 156). b.)  Ã‚     Immune system: Animal studies have suggested that marijuana can dampen the body’s resistance to disease, but no studies have been done to confirm or refute this danger in human beings (Earleywine 156). c.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mental effects: While there is no evidence that marijuana causes the brain to shrink, it can lead to a motivational syndrome, which researchers define as a mental dulling, emotional blunting, and loss of drive and goal-directedness (Earleywine 156). IV. Why should it be legalized? Marijuana is being used as legal medical therapy for several conditions. Careful studies have shown that it is effective in treating severe nausea in cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy. Older patients seem to respond less well than younger patients and complain more about side-effects, including feeling â€Å"stoned.† Researchers are continuing studies of marijuana’s possible usefulness in reducing pressure within the eye in glaucoma and in treating muscle spasticity (Goode 575). Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, both as a medicine and for its intoxicating effects. In the form of tablets, marijuana is frequently prescribed to relieve the nausea and vomiting that often accompany chemotherapy. Its non-medical use, however, is illegal in the United States and most other countries. The penalties for possessing or using marijuana are, in many states, as severe as those imposed for the possession or use of much more potent drugs. Many argue that marijuana is no more harmful than cigarettes and liquor and should be legalized ( Julien 489) V. Conclusion Marijuana serves as a hindrance for people to achieve high and be successful. Due to its ill effects it stops them from being an achiever and it causes them to be ill motivated. They will see things in a different outlook because of the side effects of marijuana. Yes, Marijuana could help medically but let us consider how greatly it will exploit the individual’s body. At low moderate doses, marijuana acts somewhat like alcohol and some tranquilizers, and like alcohol, the drug takes effects within minutes. Unlike alcohol, marijuana at low doses does not dull sensation but may cause slight alterations in perception, so that it is unsafe to drive a car for as long as 4 to 6 hours after a single joint. After the thorough studies, I therefore conclude that marijuana should not be legalized because it has more negative effects than positive. If our nation legalized the use of marijuana, many people including young and old suffer the above mentioned negative effects. On the other hand, the use of marijuana should be case to case basis and should only be used for medications. Generally, Marijuana does not do any good to the people. It only destroys them and eventually it will be bombarded to our economy because they are the one’s working, the citizen of a country and if the usage of Marijuana will be legalized it will just give a detrimental effec t to a country’s economy.

Google in china Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Google in china - Case Study Example In return, the users have viewed its advertisement messages and images. As Google aims at making information useful and acceptable via its search engine, the online community has been useful to the company in promoting its performance and competitiveness within the global market. The company’s mission has also allowed it to participate in circumventing censorship of information by governments. The success of implementing the marketing strategy within Google is determined by its effectiveness in promoting access to information by societies, especially in countries, such as China, where the government is determined to suppress access (Jones, 2011). It is however notable that Google’s China operations are not aligned to its mission. In its endeavor to make information useful and acceptable within China, the company has been limited by the censorship of the government. Regardless of the dilemma surrounding the company’s values, principles and mission, the company entered the Chinese market. The company’s entry into China was motivated by the irresistible and large Chinese market, which would promote its advertising revenue. After Google’s online services in China were restored, the company officials claimed that it had not changed anything in its service offering (Jones, 2011). Users were hopeful that the company was able to maintain its mission for enhanced access to useful and acceptable information via its search engine. Nevertheless, the company’s users in China realized that they could not access some information. This revealed that the company’s searches were being censored even more by the government. For instance, sites on political information would not be accessed. These illustrations reveal that Google’s Chinese operations were not congruent with its mission. This is due to the fact that the information that was acceptable and useful to the Chinese people was still

The household in the economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

The household in the economy - Essay Example We will also look at the evidence and the various theoretical and methodological issues related to household economy. In the pre-industrial era, the household was a unit of production as compared to a modern household which is a unit of consumption in (Kertzer, 1991). According to Kertzer, â€Å"In a household-as-labour-unit model, the composition of the household is a product of the labour demands of the economic operation, whether it be a farm or a protoindustrial home workshop.† In the pre-industrial times the agricultural land formed the main source of income. This was true even in the case of landless labourers. As such, the economy of the household and indeed its structure also revolved around the land. In countries, like France, where impartible inheritance was a custom, the households tended to be complex family systems. When France banned impartible inheritance in nineteenth century, it led to a progressive decline of the complex family households. Similarly, different inheritance systems in different parts of Europe led to formation of different household systems throughout Europe. In these types of land based agricultural households, the women did not have much say in decision making. Household labour was almost entirely borne by the women while men concentrated on farming. With the advent of the industrial era, things began to change even in predominantly agricultural areas. The farmers whose lands were located closer to the urban areas could no longer be considered â€Å"as â€Å"peasants†, but as market oriented entrepreneurs. Before 1770s, textiles were mainly produced within the household. But with industrialization, these labour intensive jobs moved out of the household and into the factories. On the other hand, the farmers who were producing milk were directly supplying it to the towns like Lancashire and Manchester. This led to the prosperity of farming households. Most of these successful farms were very small (upto 5 acres), and yet profitable

Purchase profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Purchase profile - Essay Example Initially, the internal emotional appeal of buying a nice sporty car was on his list. Especially when his friends talk about how this brand performed and how handsome a particular brand looks. But as he spent more time pondering, the emotional appeal loses its weight and his focus is now turned to logical appeals. He begun browsing the internet for the specification of the cars, its performance, fuel consumption, etch related to cost. The recent increase in gasoline pump prices also made him think about his options seriously. During the process of logical consideration, external influences played in. He realized that it is not practical to have a sports car and concluded he needs a larger car that could fit the whole family for car pooling, outing etch. This is the Household Life Cycle factor at play where consumer’s choices reflect what particular life stage the consumer is. In the case of my father, he is a family man and that segment usually prefers big cars, houses etch. His motivation of buying a new car was practical. It will save him the inconvenience and cost of going to the repair shop which became more frequent. He also realized that he incurs opportunity cost every time he sends the car for repair. Culture and values also came into factor in deciding to buy a new car. Private vehicles are a necessity and public commuting is not in vogue in America. It could be attributed to impracticality also because there a lot of areas in the US which are not accessible by public transport. Emotional appeals in advertisements may hold sway in my dad’s decision making process but ultimately, it will be the logical appeal that will prevail because of his stage in the household life cycle where he is a family man, who needs a larger car that performs well and does not cost that much to purchase and maintain. Finally, the strongest influence in my dad’s decision making process of what particular car and brand to

Islamist Extremism by Jemaah Islamiah in South Asia Research Paper

Islamist Extremism by Jemaah Islamiah in South Asia - Research Paper Example The main external influence on the psyche and perception of the South East Asian people has been from the events that have happened in the Middle East. The complex geo-politics of the Middle East and the interference of the United States in the region, had led to the South East Asians’ perceiving that that Islam is repressed and threatened. Similarly, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the massacre of Muslims in Yugoslavia, and the radical Hinduism in the neighbouring state of India, further added to the insecurity. In addition, there has been a more direct and potent influence of Saudi Arabia that provides donations and funding for setting up schools, madarsas (schools where only Quran and scriptures are taught) and for distributing religious books (Liow, 2004). This massive influx of Wahhabi Sunni ideology from the Middle East, led to the people adopting more conservative Islamic outlook towards both personal and political life. It also prepared the ground for easy acceptan ce of radical form of Islam in the region. The political environment of most of the Muslim dominated states like Indonesia and Malaysia has been of evolutionary democracy, where the government is guided by a mix of traditional Islamic and modern rules and regulations. The region does not allow radical Islam as a political ideology and hence, there is a section of the population that displays discontentment due to their political exclusion. This discontentment was further fuelled by the economic crisis of the 1990s. that led to widespread financial despair, unemployment and left the governments weak and unable to support the population (Sebastian, 2003). The economic crisis consolidated the belief that Western ideologies were exploitative and detrimental and that Muslims need to organize and do business

Revenues in sports industry Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Revenues in sports industry - Term Paper Example Consulting company A.T. Kearney states that the sports industry in global scale is prospering, and today the industry is worth about 500-600 USD bn. (which includes sports events like simple games, national competitions, Olympiads etc., infrastructure and constructions, sports products and goods) (Collignon, Sultan, and Santander). Dynamics of sports industry revenues in global scale shows the overall growth of revenues for the past 9 years (table 1): expected revenue in 2014 is 36% more than it was in 2006 ("Changing the game. Outlook for the global sports market to 2015"). The constituents of Revenues are Gate revenues, Media rights, Sponsorships, and Merchandising ("Changing the game. Outlook for the global sports market to 2015") (table 2). According to the structure of revenues, the biggest portion of the total revenues belonged to Gate revenues (34% in 2006). The situation changed in 2014, when Sponsorship took the leading position (31%, which is 1% more than Gate revenues that year). The change of the structure shows that the representatives of other industries use sports industry to win new markets, gain new customers, increase their own rating among competitors and increase profits.Jonathan Jensen and Anne Hsu prove this with their research, which says that "net income at these firms (sponsors) grew faster than at S&P 500 firms in general (7.8% to 6.5% per year)" and "the top 16 (companies), which spent on average $160m a year on sponsorship, saw net income grow by 22.1% annually".

Single parent families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Single parent families - Essay Example Usually, pregnancy outside of wedlock means the mother of the child will be raising children alone. While social mores have changed concerning out of wedlock children and divorce, the fact that these negatively impact children cannot be denied. Growing up in a single parent household holds many disadvantages and few advantages. The greatest of these disadvantages is the amount of stress experienced by the children and parents in this family. The stresses experienced in a single parent family have a negative impact on the health, educational success and career opportunities for all members of the family. A recent study suggests that high level of stress for mothers may affect the quality of care they can provide for their children (Bronnemann, 2005). The biggest stress reported by single mothers in this study was the constant need for choosing between earning a living and providing quality childcare. Single mothers are the sole providers for the family. Their occupation often requires them to work when called upon. Single mothers must take care of the children in all ways. They report that often, they need to give up caring for a child so they can keep the job that supports the family. Mothers report that they sometimes need to delay doctor’s visits for themselves or their children when the work schedule must take precedence. This sometimes results in longer illnesses and more missed school and work. Another duty that single parents often feel they cannot fulfill is assisting their children with their education. Single parents often find that their children come home to an empty house or are sent to some sort o f after school care provided by friends or family. These situations are not ideal for getting homework done or being available to help with school assignments. Single parents report that they have a difficult time communicating with teachers when they have concerns because they are working through the school day. Students living in single parent fa milies are often expected to do their work without the guidance of a parent at home. Single mothers report that they often return from work to the many domestic duties such as cooking, cleaning and shopping that would normally be shared with a spouse. They recognize that education is important, but so is providing the necessities of life. When forced to choose, many single mothers find they must work on providing food instead of providing help with schoolwork. This inability to do both limits the educational progress of some children in single parent homes. The same is true for single parents. Educational opportunities are limited due to the inability to attend classes and provide adequate childcare. This creates a stressful situation for the parent. They often find that they are stuck in their current position because the necessary education to move up cannot be obtained. Single parent homes make obtaining education difficult for children and parents. A final result of the stresses single parent families experience is the career possibilities of the children. Children growing-up in single parent families are more likely to live in poverty and suffer from all of the disadvantage that poverty brings. This includes long-term problems such as unemployablility of the attainment of low-level employment that does not provide enough income to escape poverty. Children growing up in the stresses of a single parent home have fewer career opportunities

Honduras Essay Example for Free

Honduras Essay The Republic of Honduras is located in the north-central part of Central America, and has two coastlines, one being the Pacific, and the other being the Caribbean. Honduras is the second largest county in Central America. Honduras is almost as big as Tennessee, and contains many mountains, river valleys, narrow coastal plains, and fertile plateaus. Nicaragua is located to the east of Honduras, while Guatemala is to the west, and El Salvador is to the south. Honduras follows a Democratic constitutional republic government. Honduras was territory of the Mayan civilization during the first millennium. In 1821, Honduras declared its independence from Spain, to for m a federation of Central American states with four other nations. One year later, Honduras left the federation. Politics got Honduras riled up in the early 1900s, causing U. S. Marines to hop in and calm the ascending situation. We all know how important football is to other countries. El Salvador invaded Honduras after the deportation of thousands of Salvadorans. In 1969, this was called â€Å"the football war† because it started in a soccer game, and around five thousand people lost their lives in this war. Thankfully, the Organization of American States forced El Salvador to drop out, ending the war. For Culture, some of Honduras’ national holidays include there day of independence on the 15th of September, and Children’s Day on the 10th of September. Children’s Day is celebrated in homes, schools, and churches, and on that day, children receive presents and parties, closely relation to our Christmas. For Honduras Independence Day, it starts early in the morning with festivities and marching bands wearing unique colors and accessories. Ironically, Fiesta Catracha is celebrated on the same day. During the Fiesta Catracha, food is served throughout the day, including beans, tamales, baledas, cassava with chicharron, and tortillas. When Christmas Eve comes around, the people of Honduras reunite with their respected families and close friends, to have dinner, and hand out presents at midnight. Sometimes, fireworks are set off at midnight. Finally, birthdays consist of the famous Pinata, which is filled with candy and surprises for the children. The Coat of Arms for Honduras is a equilateral triangle, with a volcano at the base, between three castles, with a rainbow and sun over it.

Eli Whitney Essay Example for Free

Eli Whitney Essay Eli Whitney (1765-1825) was a mechanical wizard. While travelling in the south, he became acquainted with the problem of removing the seeds from cotton. Enormous numbers of slaves were employed pulling the seeds out by hand. Eli Whitney spent a whole two weeks on this challenge and invented the cotton gin. He patented the invention and went on to capitalize on his invention by opening a factory to make cotton gins. It ended in bankruptcy. The failure of Eli Whitney to make his fortune on the cotton gin was due primarily to the very simplicity of the design of the machine. Once the initial shipments of Whitneys cotton gin arrived on the cotton plantations of the South, entrepreneurial individuals pried off the top and peered inside. What they saw was eminently copiableand copy they did. The Patent Office in Washington wasnt eager to send agents into the South to enforce Eli Whitneys patent rights, and he couldnt obtain legal redress in the court system, so he eventually walked away from his invention. Business students, in common with all students, are told not to copy. Copying is dishonourable and deserving of dismissal. They graduate and enter a world in which copying is endemic. A new idea is not the property of its originator because everyone copies in all areas of business. If a firm discovers a more efficient way of doing something, it will be copied. If a firm discovers a more effective way of marketing a product, it will be copied. If a firm discovers a more efficacious way of financing its expansion, it will be copied. Copying is critical in understanding the nature of the business cycle. Copying contributes to the ups and downs of the business cycle by directing larger investments into new areas than would occur if copying were not so endemic. The building of a greater number of factories than is necessary is a consequence of copying that helps to keep the good times good. (Randall Bartlett, 1998). On the other side of the coin, copying can cause businesses to dedicate too much productive capacity to new products. When all the investments are completed and the combined productive capacity of a thousand and one copyists is brought to bear on the market, all the copyists have for their efforts are huge unsold inventories and excessive productive capacity. Then they copy one another again by collectively slashing production to try to keep inventories in line with sales. This type of copying helps to turn good times into bad. One might expect that patent protection should limit copying. However, if what is being copied is a strategy for marketing or making financial deals, there is no patent infringement because an idea cannot be patented. Even copyrights on computer software have been difficult to enforce because a program can be essentially copied by rewriting it with minor editorial changes, such as calling something X that was called Y in the original program. Patents on products and processes are enforceable within a given nation, but they are more difficult to enforce in the international arena. Thus, a firm can spend millions to develop a new product and find itself in the position of not being able to recoup its research and development expenditures because copies are being imported from foreign copiers that do not have to price the goods on the basis of recouping the initial RD expense. The globalization of manufacturing facilities and free trade has proved to be a boon for copyists. The simplicity of the cotton gin, the ease of copying it, and Whitneys sad return on his investment in his invention are of interest in understanding the role of copying in the business cycle. But the real point of this discussion is Eli Whitney on the comeback trail. Whitney obtained a government contract to make ten thousand muskets. The contract presumed that he would make the muskets in the way that all muskets, and everything else, were made. In the cottage industry of the day, a musket was assembled by an individual who made a barrel, a stock, a flintlock, a trigger, and the other mechanical parts. As each part was made, it was filed to fit the rest of the components making up the musket. The result of this mode of production was that each particular part of a musket was unique. A flintlock made for a musket could not be removed and interchanged with the flintlock of another musket and be expected to work. The parts were not interchangeable without further filing because they were not uniform in design and would not fit together properly. Each musket was, in effect, tailor made to its own set of specifications. (David Burner, Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Virginia Bernhard, 1991). To fill his contract with the government, Eli Whitney built a factory near New Haven, Connecticut, in 1798, that was unique in several respects. Water-powered machines were designed to replace human effort as much as possible. The machines were dedicated to the manufacture of the individual component parts of a specified design, rather than each part being individually handmade. In other words, Eli Whitney was substituting machine labour for manual labour, thereby increasing the productivity of labour. In Whitneys factory, the parts produced were of sufficiently close tolerances to be interchangeable. Quality control was introduced to ensure that the flintlock of one musket would be interchangeable with the flintlock of another with no additional filing. Eli Whitneys uniformity system had at its core the idea of manufacturing ten thousand barrels, ten thousand stocks, ten thousand flintlocks, ten thousand trigger mechanisms, ten thousand whatever, all of sufficiently close tolerances to be interchangeable without additional filing. The parts were manufactured first, and the completed musket was assembled later. Whitneys uniformity system was the forerunner of todays assembly line. Eli Whitney gave to modern society the most productive means of manufacture known to mankind. There are those who can point to the fact that he did not originate the idea, that it had antecedents in Europe. That is true and bears about as much weight as the fact that Christopher Columbus was not the first European to discover America. Leif Ericsson may, or may not, have been first. Even if Ericsson was first, what does that do to take away from Columbus achievement? It was the discovery of America by Columbus that counts. The nations of North and South America owe their existence to Columbus explorations, not to Ericssons. The same holds true for Whitneys uniformity system. More than any other individual, he popularized the idea of Adam Smiths specialization of labour. Eli Whitney vastly increased the productivity of his specialized labour force by replacing tools with machines and by introducing quality control measures to ensure that the interchangeable parts were indeed interchangeable. His water-powered factory in New Haven was the progenitor of many such plants in the northern states. Daniel A. Wren, Ronald G. Greenwood, 1999). Eli Whitney affected the course of the development of the United States in two quite unintentional ways. The removal of the cotton seeds by the cotton gin rather than by a slaves fingers had a dramatic impact on the profitability of growing cotton in the South. One might conclude that the price of slaves would fall with the invention of the cotton gin because the labour required to remove the seeds from the cotton was nearly eliminated. Was there no other impact that might have turned out to be true? But the cotton gin made cotton growing much more profitable because the slaves could dedicate more of their time to planting and harvesting the cotton rather than to removing its seeds. Nothing did more to spread the growing of cotton in the South than did the cotton gin. As new areas of the South were brought under cultivation, there was a greater demand for slaves. The price of slaves increased, and the institution of slavery, which was actually waning at the time of the invention of the cotton gin, was given new life. The South embarked on a path of agriculture based on slave labour. In the North, just the opposite occurred. Whitneys factory in New Haven was a cause of the Norths embarking on a path of industrialization, based, as some would assert, on wage-slave labour. As in the South, Eli Whitney himself had no pretensions of embarking on anything. He invented the cotton gin and tried to make a buck from his invention. When that failed, he devised the uniformity system to make a buck out of a government contract. Nevertheless, the social repercussions of his contributions to technology had a significant impact on the history of the nation. (John G. Blair, 1988).

Fitness Industry and Social Media Dangers

Fitness Industry and Social Media Dangers Could The Fitness Industry Be More Harmful Then Helpful? Introduction Health can be defined as â€Å"the state of being free from illness and injury†. However looking further into the word â€Å"health† gives you synonyms such as â€Å"well-being; fitness; good condition; good shape†. These words generate concepts regarding the relationship of the fitness industry to the sense of well being and good health. Since the First World War the focus on physical fitness has been a primary focus of the Health status and conversation around health issues in Canada and the United States. In Canada Health Canada and The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and The Food and Drug Administration in the United States, are responsible for the nutritional labels on the food we consume. These labels along with the appropriate food guidelines of nutritional intake are supposed to be the gold standard for an individual to maintain a level of healthy eating one aspect of a healthy lifestyle. With a healthy diet, exercise, and adequate sleep, should in theory, enable a very healthy and long life. But what if the foods, the substances being consumed, aren’t exactly what they said they were? Or what if something marketed with one health goal, losing weight, actually destroyed and damaged your kidneys in the process? In the Health Consumables Market the issue is whether Canada and the United States’ fitness industry’s have become counterproductive to the maintenance of health. One major issue are the regulations and guidelines for nutritional information on products that are directly correlated with the fitness industry, such as protein, Branch-Chain-Amino-Acids, creatine and fat loss products are too relaxed and often go untested[1]. An even greater detriment to the fitness industry is that the people who promote these various fitness supplements on their social media platforms create unrealistic body images and thus further health issues. Body issues and eating disorders further fuel the unregulated supplement industry creating a cyclical beast that may promote health in some but in turn does the opposite in others. What is needed to tame this beast are tighter regulations and standards for supplement products and a system to control the promotion of these â€Å"Instagram stars† and their products. Could the fitness industry ever become an industry worth believing in? CURRENT SUPPLEMENT REGULATIONS Currently supplements and health products are governed by Health Canada. The Food and Drug Regulations operate on a â€Å"test if needed† basis rather than on a mandatory food-testing basis. The Food and Drug Regulations have a voluntary submission requirement. The company submits their nutritional label and product information to Health Canada and they ensure it follows the nutritional guidelines of what is allowed in products[2]. If a product makes a claim of either nutrition content or disease risk reduction then the product itself will be submitted for testing to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)[3]. Once submitted to the CFIA they will determine whether the claim of a nutrient value is present in the product so that the label is reporting the correct health contents. Disease reduction is also monitored and measured by CFIA to see if the product claims are accurate i.e. â€Å"Cheerios reduces heart disease†[4]. When determining the safety and the health claims of each product there are a number of critical issues: Industry is responsible for ensuring that nutrition labelling and claims are compliant with the  Food and Drug Regulations  and that label values accurately reflect the nutrient content of the product.A suitable compliance test for the accuracy of declared nutrient values must take into consideration the inherent variability of nutrients in foods and the variability of the laboratory method using appropriate statistical analysis.The  CFIA  compliance action will take into consideration not only laboratory results, but also the health risk to the public, economic loss to consumers, past compliance history of the product and the companys quality control over the manufacturing and labelling processes.[5] Interestingly CFIA and health Canada exempt some foods from this rigorous process and the requirement of having to submit their product for health claims review. Exceptions include meal replacements, nutritional supplements, mineral nutrients and/or amino acids. The United States reviews are conducted by a sub-section of the Food and Drug Administration entitled Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). CFSAN operates very similarly to the Canadian equivalent, CFIA, in that the majority of testing is done on a random not mandatory basis.   The manufacturers are asked to submit the product test results as outlined in the â€Å"Manufacturers Responsibility† criteria: â€Å"FDAs continuing policy since the 1970s assigns the manufacturer the responsibility for assuring the validity of a product labels stated nutrient values. Accordingly, the source of the data used to calculate nutrition label values is the prerogative of the manufacturer, but FDAs policy recommends that the nutrient values for labeling be based on product composition, as determined by laboratory analysis of each nutrient. FDA continues to recommend the use of the Official Methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists International (AOAC), with non-AOAC Official Methods used only in the absence of appropriate AOAC validated methods. For each product that is included in a nutrition-labeling database submitted to FDA, the agency requests that the developer include a table identifying proposed analytical methods that were used in the analysis of each nutrient, with accompanying information containing validation of the method used by the onsite or commercial laboratory for the matrix of interest.†[6] However the FDA’s regulations allow for a choice by each manufacturer to use the non-AOAC Official Methods that gives them the ability to â€Å"prepare† their numbers. The manufacturer must also comply with Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which breaks down consumables into different classes of nutrients according to the FDA[7]. There are three different classes of nutrients: Class I: are those added in fortified or fabricated foods, these nutrients are vitamins, minerals, protein, dietary fibre, or potassium[8]. Class I nutrients  must be present at 100% or more of the value declared on the label; in other words, the nutrient content identified by the laboratory analysis must be at least equal to the label value[9]. Class II: are vitamins, minerals, protein, total carbohydrate, dietary fibre, other carbohydrate, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat, or potassium that occur naturally in a food product[10]Class II nutrientsmust be present at 80% or more of the value declared on the label[11]. Class III: nutrients include calories, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium[12]. However, for products such as fruit drinks; juices; and confectioneries; that have sugar content of 90 percent or more of total carbohydrate. To prevent labeling anomalies due in part to rounding, FDA treats total carbohydrate as a Class III nutrient instead of a Class II nutrient[13]. For foods with label declarations of Class III nutrients, the ratio between the amount obtained by laboratory analysis and the amount declared on the product label in the Nutrition Facts panel  must be 120% or less. The label is considered to be out of compliance if the nutrient content of a composite of the product is greater than 20% above the value declared on the label[14]. For example, if a laboratory analysis found 8 g of total fat/serving in a product that stated that it contained 6 g of total fat/serving, the ratio between the laboratory value and the label value would be (8 / 6) x 100 = 133%, and the product label would be considered to be out of compliance. Like the CFIA the FDA have dietary supplements under a different category legislated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act 1994(DSHEA)[15]. These supplements are required to follow these rules outlined below: â€Å"Federal law requires that every dietary supplement be labeled as such, either with the term dietary supplement or with a term that substitutes a description of the products dietary ingredient(s) for the word dietary (e.g., herbal supplement or calcium supplement). Federal law does not require dietary supplements to be proven safe to FDAs satisfaction before they are marketed. For most claims made in the labeling of dietary supplements, the law does not require the manufacturer or seller to prove to FDAs satisfaction that the claim is accurate or truthful before it appears on the product. In general, FDAs role with a dietary supplement product begins after the product enters the marketplace. That is usually the agencys first opportunity to take action against a product that presents a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury, or that is otherwise adulterated or misbranded. Dietary supplement firms must report to FDA any serious adverse events that are reported to them by consumers or health care professionals. Dietary supplement manufacturers do not have to get the agencys approval before producing or selling these products. It is not legal to market a dietary supplement product as a treatment or cure for a specific disease, or to alleviate the symptoms of a disease. There are limitations to FDA oversight of claims in dietary supplement labeling. For example, FDA reviews substantiation for claims as resources permit†[16]. The regulations from the DSHEA actually allow companies to manipulate and alter their product and nutritional labels to secure granting and limit investigation by the FDA or CFSAN. It also creates a system where CFSAN and the FDA are required to go out of their way to find new-to- market products in order to start an investigation process if needed. The FDA states it is committed to working with all interested parties in order to achieve reliable nutrition labeling as economically as possible[17]. The agency acknowledges that following all of the recommendations/guidelines in their manual could pose economic hardships. Therefore, in certain instances, FDA may accept a proposal to â€Å"develop a database† over several years to help defer costs[18]. By deferring the testing even longer this can only add to the problem at hand. Although limited in the previously mentioned areas of inspection, the Canadian and United States systems have a number of successful and positive parameters. Health Canada and the Food and Drug Administration both have independent testing bodies. The CFIA and CFSAN both have good, unbiased structures for testing and the type of tests they use are considered industry gold standards. They also have correctly identified the differences in regular â€Å"grocery store† food and what would be considered food from the â€Å"supplement† or â€Å"fitness† industry. The Fitness Industry The fitness industry is an ever-changing entity that has continued to evolve over the past several decades. Following the First World War, especially in Canada, physical fitness started to become an area of focus of government. In the 1950’s in North America the fitness focus was on rhythmic exercises, jumping jacks, calisthenics and the â€Å"Five Basic Exercises† (stretching, sit-ups, back extensions, push-ups, running in place) the first type of circuit training[19]. The hula-hoop was the main trend in fitness selling over 100 million units in the United States. The 1960’s brought us massage belts and diet trends. The massage belts were supposed to massage away fat in unwanted areas, and eating â€Å"healthier† meant drinking diet soda and artificial sugar[20]. The 70’s brought into the fitness industry jazzercise and bodybuilding. Both of these trends would last longer than the decade due to the enigmatic figure behind it, Arnold Schwarzenegger one of the most decorated bodybuilders of all-time[21]. The addition to the 80’s fitness culture was Jane Fonda and her aerobics videos[22]. The 1990’s fitness trends included: Taebo; boot camps; and extremely popular -celebrity workout videos [23]. The boot camp and fitness video trends have definitely stood the test of time as they still are still widely used by fitness participants worldwide. The 21st century heralded in a new attitude of â€Å"Staying fit† including: Pilates, kickboxing and weightlifting exercises for women[24]. The focus switched to heart rate to determine the effectiveness of a workout [25]. The trends of the fitness industry today focus on: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT); the use of social media; and the â€Å"super-hero body†. HIIT programs consist of workouts under the brand of Cross Fit, which is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing fitness trends. It emphasizes strength components interspersed with sprints and long bouts of cardiovascular fitness. Along with intense training like HIIT the industry has started to incorporate and profit from the use of social media. There are YouTube fitness bloggers and now most recently â€Å"Instagram Stars†. Both use social media and have become one of the primary sources of income for todays fitness personality. Blockbuster movies have created the â€Å"ideal† body image modelled after the â€Å" incredibly- in-shape† superheroes such as Superman, Thor, Wonder Woman and Captain America. The presence of social media in the fitness industry although a new phenomena in the last decade, has really exploded in the last 5 years. The creation of highly viewed YouTube content used to reap monetary rewards for the creators, which is why fitness professionals created content on this platform. Now however, it has evolved into something much more. As the fitness industry grows instead of a part-time hobby it has become a lucrative occupation. A individual involved in this industry can include: competing in their respective fields (bodybuilding, weightlifting, Cross Fit, etc.); personal training; online coaching; selling workout plans, nutrition; in person training; sponsors (which can be promoted through their respective social media platforms); and personal business endeavours (clothing lines, supplement brands, operating own gym). All of these add revenue to the individual and are often cyclically attached, so one generates customers for the other. Like with anything the more that see you and your accomplishments the more profitable you can become which is why a person’s social media platforms have become so important in building one’s brand. As mentioned these fitness personalities usually have supplement sponsors as most of these athletes are in the top one percent of all people in terms of body aesthetics and performance. When you are in the top one percent of athletes the nutrition and supplementation you take can give you the slight advantage you need to be just that much better than your opponent creating the dependence on these sponsors by all athletes in this industry. However, as is the case in this primarily unregulated industry they are â€Å"playing† with their health and careers. It is hard to believe that an individual who cares so much about their body would put so little research into what they are taking and more importantly what they are promoting. Fitness Industry Supplements The most often-used supplement for any athlete is protein powder. Having a protein powder supplement allows an individual to increase their protein intake while not upping the rest of the macros (protein, fats, and carbohydrates) in their daily consumption. However, in a recent 2010 study done, by Consumer Reports not-for-profit magazine run by U.S. Consumer Union, of the top 15 brands in the industry[26] found at least one product from each brand tested contained detectable amounts of toxic substances.   The toxic substances included cadmium, arsenic, lead and/or mercury. The three most toxic brands contained heavy metal poisoning over the safe allowable amount[27]. These named companies fought back against the report by taking their product line to NSF a non-profit International non-governmental organization, which conducted their own tests. These products passed NSF’s American National Standard for Nutrition/Dietary Supplements testing but Consumer Reports counters that t here is significant variation between samples in a product line and one passed test doesn’t mean every product is safe. The major concern is that prolonged exposure to heavy metal toxicity can cause body toxicity, which can result in further medical issues down the road[28]. The National Science Foundation is an independent subsidiary of the World Health Organization reports there are still many issues with these testing processes. NSF International has legitimate testing which some companies submitted to for independent testing, but they only scored adequately which is also concerning. T Consumer Reports states that the testing of one product doesn’t mean that all the others would be adequate. The alarming truth of these results of high metal toxicity is consumers dont seem to care continuing to buy the products. Statistics show that in 2012 the supplement industry had revenue of roughly $32 billion US and the industry is trending to grow to about $60 billion US by 2021[29]. According to a registered United Kingdom dietician Maeve Hanan there are some benefits to the consumption of protein supplements. Such benefits include helping athletes hit increased protein requirement goals, it is also highly convenient, and it can often be cost efficient as most athletes get their protein supplements through sponsors[30]. However according to Hanan there are far more cons than pros to consuming this form of protein. She includes: an investigation done by UK Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agencies where eighty four tested brands contained dangerous ingredients including steroids, stimulants and hormones that can cause kidney failures, seizures and heart problems[31]. There is also evidence that the prolonged use of protein can cause osteoporosis and several gastrointestinal diseases[32]. As well, Hanan found that the supplement may not actually contain the level of protein advertised, a product said to be containing seventy percent protein in fact had only seven percent[33]. It appears that the issues Maeve Hanan unearthed in protein supplements could be addressed with better testing by the regulating governments. Protein supplements are not the only supplements that fitness professionals take to build muscle. BCAA’s or Branch Chain Amino Acids have also become a go-to for many of the top one-percenters in the industry. These BCAA’s while promoted as a key fitness component for a healthier life, like protein supplements there are negative side effects that arent publicly acknowledged by the athletes and the companies promoting these products. In a study by Luigi et al. it was shown that decreased BCAA consumption improved metabolic health[34]. While improving the metabolic health of the test subjects it also showed to decrease Body Mass Index (BMI) and decrease fat mass of an individual, a goal of the â€Å"fitness personality† low body fat percentage[35]. Although the BCAA’s in this study was dietary BCAA’s found in food, it still applies here. Companies in this industry promote products like BCAA without doing the research needed to prove their effectiveness., The consumer continues to purchase due to the aesthetically appealing people promoting the product are seen as â€Å"believable†. Beautiful people are trustworthier, right? The product that could potentially be the biggest sham and the most harmful to health, are weight loss products. One of the biggest brands in the weight loss industry is Hydroxycut. In 2008 there was a study of Hydroxycut by the World Journal of Gastroenterology analyzing its toxicity. They performed a case study with two confirmed users of Hydroxycut and the symptoms they showed when admitted to hospital. They compiled the results from the two current cases and from the previous literature written about the product and found that there was a correlation between prolonged use of Hydroxycut and heptatoxicity[36]. Both of these test subjects and previous cases exhibited that the prolonged use of this product eventually lead to hepatitis and other liver health issues. The absence of testing of the product that falls under the supplementation guidelines led to negative health implications. Although governments have guidelines, they allow products to avoid testing until after they are on market, which is often too late. Social Media and The Fitness Industry One of the leading researchers in Health Law and particularly this area of Fitness and Social Media is Professor Timothy Caulfield. Professor Caulfield has written numerous books on this subject including The Cure For Everything: Untangling The Twisted Messages About Health Fitness and Happiness and Is Gwenyth Paltrow Wrong About Everything. Both of these books discuss the popular health trends, whether they are diet or fitness trends, and how celebrities promote these. Some of the trends consumers have been following even though there is no scientific evidence of their efficacy. These include:   Juice Cleanses, Colon Cleanses and Gluten Free diets. While juicing has no negative side effects it has also been shown to do no good as it is not a more effective way to get the nutrition from fruits and vegetables and does not flush toxins from the body[37]. Now a trend like colon cleanses while they may make you feel lighter they can actually be quite harmful to the body by causing naus ea vomiting and even infection[38]. Going gluten free is a trend that has really taken off but again no scientific proof that eliminating gluten has any health benefits, while actually some studies have shown that going gluten free can actually lead to weight gain[39]. So why would consumers buy into these fads if there is no scientific proof behind them? The answer is simple because celebrities promote them, and the consumers have no reason not to believe them. Celebrity endorsement might just be the biggest negative in the fitness industry. If there are fitness icons or personalities who promote an untested product it causes the same issue as the diet trend promotions. However in the case of health products promoted by these fitness personalities it is much more harmful due to the elevated heavy metal present in the products. The promotion of these unregulated products is also tied into the celebrity’s unrealistic bodies. Many people forget that these people have full-time jobs devoted to looking amazing. These celebrities are seen as the definition of being healthy and attractive so if one doesnt look like them can create serious body image issues. Instagram is quickly becoming the most popular form of social media. This app has been noted to sharing over 40 billion photos since its creation with about 80 million a day[40]. The purpose of the app is to curate and edit photos and posts with how we want the public to â€Å"view† that particular user. This creates a potentially dangerous atmosphere to those who may be susceptible to an eating disorder. Users need to be educated that users of Instagram may utilize filters, angles and lighting to look as desirable as possible distorting the real image[41]. This not only creates a false reality for the followers of that user but for that user themselves[42]. According to Crystal who is a Masters Level Registered Dietician and a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor there are certain things to monitor when using Instagram in order to protect against negative self-image, eating disorder, or body issues: What Kind of accounts are you following?Are you preoccupied with food and or/fitness on Instagram in a way that is obsessive or unhealthy?Do you find yourself following certain diet trends or dieting recommendations because of someone or something you found on Instagram?[43]   Instagram personalities not only promote or influence diet trends they also endorse unregulated supplement products, which can add to unhealthy choices. In response Instagram has been tagged with â€Å"creating its own eating disorder†.   According to University College London states that Instagram is the leading cause of Orthorexia Nervosa[44]. Orthorexia Nervosa is an illness focused on an obsession with eating healthy. Symptoms can include: eating excessive fruits and vegetables; cutting out certain food groups; and excessively exercising[45]. While this may seem like just healthy lifestyle choices this illness is related to the severity of the dietary restrictions, leading to malnutrition and social isolation[46]. The reasons given for the Instagram connection is the people followed expose the follower to a extreme health pictures, and social media personalities are seen as authority’s on health and appearance[47]. The Supplementation of the Regulations There are clear issues today that stem from the growth of the fitness industry, but there doesn’t have to be. In the United States and Canada there exists already a structure to properly test all of the supplements that go to market, before the product is released. It is clear that the methods of testing and the standards for this industry are sound, but just not fully implemented. However there should be a complete ban on products leading to heavy metal poisoning.   The amount of testing for each product would increase significantly industry standard of 10 there will need to be an increase of jobs to accommodate for the amount on tests for each product and the amount of lead case workers. Government may consider a number of issues when considering implementing changes: the creation of government jobs versus the lost jobs from supplement companies who can’t comply with new proposed industry standards; the inevitable burden of unhealthy citizens versus a healthier coun try with healthier citizens. Companies like BioTrust seem to be one of the industry standards for the production of healthy products. Tim Skwiat and Shawn Wells directors at BioTrust endorse: Right way: the right people who are formulators (use the right ingredients that work the best rather than look good)Cost of ingredient and the product will be higher because they do studies on the ingredients (healthy human studies, in peer reviewed journals)Take the stuff that we know works and make a product from that.Ingredients are natural (no soy product)Ingredient testing (they never stop testing and letting the product out of their hands)[48] While changing the regulations and possibly the growth of a company like BioTrust will help change the supplementation industry for the better, there doesn’t seem to be a simple fix for the social media issue. There has been extensive research on the relationship to food restrictions at a young age and developing an eating disorder or becoming overweight later in life. According to a study done by Eisenberg & Neumark-Sztanier a survey of adolescents in grades 7–12, 30% of girls and 25% of boys reported teasing by peers about their weight. Such teasing has been found to persist in the home as well  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  29% of girls and 16% of boys reported having been teased by a family member about their weight[49]. Neumark-Sztainer also co-wrote a paper on the effect of this teasing on the children which increases their chances of 1.5 to develop a form of an eating disorder[50]. These trends however are not limited to children being teased it also stems into the perceived norms from social culture or mainstream media. According to a study by Abramovitz & Birch children learn (unhealthy) mainstream attitudes towards food and weight at a very young age, this study looked at five-year-old gi rls and a significant proportion of girls associated a diet with food restriction, weight-loss and thinness[51]. There needs to be more education from the governments around food and healthy ways for kids to eat, which is simply without rigid structure. The rigidity adds to the desire to get attractive or stay thin with extra presence from mainstream culture or social media (Instagram) which encourages the excessive use of supplementation which ends up often making the individual even more unhealthy. This has become a very cyclical and overwhelming problem which needs to be addressed by the governing bodies. If the new structure can’t be implemented then simple education could go a very long way. There needs to be a priority of everyone in the â€Å"industry† to instead of coercing people to get fit, get them healthy instead. Bibliography Abramovitz, B. A. & Birch, L. L. (2000). Five-year-old girls’ ideas about dieting are predicted by their mothers’ dieting. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100 (10),    1157-1163. Canadian Food Inspection Agency, â€Å"Nutrition Labelling Compliance Test† (9 September 2014), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (website), online: . Danielle Isbell, â€Å"Fitness Trends of the Last Six Decades† (4 June 2015), Spry Living (blog), online: . David Lariviere, â€Å"Nutritional Supplements Flexing Muscles As Growth Industry† (18 April 2013), Forbes (blog), online: . Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, 21 USC s 7 (1994). Eisenberg, M. E. & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2003). Associations of Weight-Based Teasing and Emotional Well-Being Amond Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 157(6), 733-738. Food and Drugs, 21 CFR tit 21s s 170.3 (2012). â€Å"How Instagram can encourage eating behaviour disorders†, (3 March 2017), Eating disorder hope(Blog), online: . Ian Kenney, â€Å"Protein Powder Toxicity† (3 October 2017), Livestrong (blog), online:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Lauren Pelley, â€Å"Timothy Caulfield debunks celebrity health trends, from gluten-free diets to colon cleanses†, (8 January 2015), The Star (Newspaper), online:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Lily Dara, Jennifer Hewett & Joseph Lim, â€Å"Hydroxycut Hepatoxicity: A Case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements† (2008) 14:45 World J of Gastroenterology 6999. Luigi et al. â€Å"Decreased consumption of branch chain amino acids improves metabolic health.† (2016) 16:2 HHS Public Access 520, online: . Maeve Hanan, â€Å"Protien Supplements: Weighing up the Pros and Cons†, (18 October 2015), Dietically Speaking (Blog), online: . Neumark-Sztainer, D. R., Wall, M. M., Haines, J. I., Story, M. T., Sherwood, N. E., van den Berg, P. A. (2007). Shared Risk and Protective Factors for Overweight and Disordered Eating in Adolesecents. American Jounral of Preventative Medicine, 33(5), 359-369. Office of Dietary Supplements, â€Å"Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance† (4 October 2017), National Institutes of Health (websites), online:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   . Skwiat, Tim Wells, Shawn. â€Å"The Truth About Supplements† (2018) Biotrust Radio (ITunes Podcast). Vanessa Chalmers, â€Å"Is Instagram making you sick? Study explains why photos of breakfast bowls and #fitness inspiration can drive you to an eating disorder.†, (19 May 2017), Daily Mail(Newspaper), online: . [1] Office of Dietary Supplements, â€Å"Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance† (4 October 2017), National Institutes of Health (websites), online: . [2] Supra note 1. [3] Canadian Food Inspection Agency, â€Å"Nutrition Labelling Compliance Test† (9 September 2014), Canadian Food Inspection Agency (website), online: . [4] Supra note 3. [5] Supra note 3. [6] Supra note 3. [7] Food and Drugs, 21 CFR tit 21s s 170.3 (2012). [8] Supra note 7. [9] Supra note 7. [10] Supra note 7. [11] Supra note 7. [12] Supra note 7. [13] Supra note 7. [14] Supra note 7. [15] Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, 21 USC s 7 (1994). [16] Supra note 15. [17] Supra note 15. [18] Supra note 15 [19] Danielle Isbell, â€Å"Fitness Trends of the Last Six Decades† (4 June 2015), Spry Living (blog), online: . [20] Supra note 19. [21] Supra note 17. [22] Supra note 17. [23] Supra note 17. [24] Supra note 17. [25] Supra note 17. [26] Ian Kenney, â€Å"Protein Powder Toxicity† (3 October 2017), Livestrong (blog), online: . [27] Supra note 24. [28] Supra note 24. [29] David Lariviere, â€Å"Nutritional Supplements Flexing Muscles As Growth Industry† (18 April 2013), Forbes (blog),   online: . [30] Maeve Hanan, â€Å"Protien Supplements: Weighing up the Pros and Cons†, (18 October 2015), Dietically Speaking (Blog), online: . [31] Supra note 28. [32] Supra note 28. [33] Supra note 28. [34] Luigi et al. â€Å"Decreased consumption of branch chain amino acids improves metabolic health.† (2016) 16:2 HHS Public Access 520, online: . [35] Supra note 32. [36] Lily Dara, Jennifer Hewett & Joseph Lim, â€Å"Hydroxycut Hepatoxicity: A Case series and review of liver toxicity from herbal weight loss supplements† (2008) 14:45 World J of Gastroenterology 6999. [37]Lauren Pelley, â€Å"Timothy Caulfield debunks celebrity health trends, from gluten-free diets to colon cleanses†, (8 January 2015), The Star (Newspaper), online: . [38] Supra note 35. [39] Supra note 35. [40] â€Å"How Instagram can encourage eating behaviour disorders†, (3 March 2017), Eating disorder hope(Blog), online: . [41] Supra note 38. [42] Supra note 38. [43] Supra note 38. [44] Vanessa Chalmers, â€Å"Is Instagram making you sick? Study explains why photos of breakfast bowls and #fitness inspiration can drive you to an eating disorder.†, (19 May 2017), Daily Mail(Newspaper), online: . [45] Supra note 42. [46] Supra note 42. [47] Supra note 42. [48] Skwiat, Tim Wells, Shawn. â€Å"The Truth About Supplements† (2018) Biotrust Radio (ITunes Podcast). [49] Eisenberg, M. E. & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2003). Associations of Weight-Based Teasing and Emotional Well-Being Amond Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 157(6), 733-738. [50] Neumark-Sztainer, D. R., Wall, M. M., Haines, J. I., Story, M. T., Sherwood, N. E., van den Berg, P. A. (2007). Shared Risk and Protective Factors for Overweight and Disordered Eating in Adolesecents. American Jounral of Preventative Medicine, 33(5), 359-369. [51] Abramovitz, B. A. & Birch, L. L. (2000). Five-year-old girls’ ideas about dieting are predicted by their mothers’ dieting. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 100 (10), 1157-1163.

Subdivisions of Corneal Ulcers and Treatment :: Eyes Cornea Vision Health Medical Essays

Subdivisions of Corneal Ulcers and Treatment The eye is one of the vital organs in a human being. As seen on figure 1, the eye is composed of many different parts and function. The cornea is a clear covering over the colored iris and the pupil of the eye. The function of cornea is to help focus light on the retina and protect the iris, lens, etc. so that the eye can see. The cornea is best to compare with a standard contact lens. Although, the function of a cornea is to protect from harmful microorganisms, it is also vulnerable to those same unicellular organisms. One of the major diseases affecting the cornea is a corneal ulcer. A corneal ulcer is an â€Å"non-penetrating erosion, or open sore in the outer layer of the cornea, the transparent area at the front of the eyeball† (Medlineplus). Corneal Ulcer has many different names, depending on the microorganism that causes the ulcer. Some of the major diseases include Bacterial Keratitis, Fungal Keratitis, Acanthamoeba Keratitis, and Herpes Simplex Keratitis. Bacteria, fungi, amoebae, and viruses are the prime cause for these diseases. These microorganisms settle in the cornea, grow, and feed on the cornea. This process causes a corneal ulceration. Contact lenses are the leading way these microorganisms enter the cornea (discussed later). There contains multiple symptoms in order to identify corneal ulceration. Some of these symptoms include the following: eye redness, tearing increases, vision impairs, eye burning, itching, and photophobia (sensitive to light) start to develop (Medlineplus).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Many different methods of detecting corneal ulcer are present at the doctor’s office. Visual acuity test, Slit-lamp test, and Shirmers (tear) test are some of the tests that a doctor conducts during eye examination. Visual acuity test allows the doctor to measure a person’s vision by reading the eye chart (figure 6). A Slit-lamp is a specialized magnifying microscope in which a doctor could examine the cornea, iris, and retina. Its use is to look in the interior of the eye with the built-in laser and a camera (figure 7). Shirmers test determines whether or not there is enough tears to keep the eye moist. Another methods of detecting for corneal ulcer are Keratometry (measurement of the cornea) and scraping of the ulcer for analysis (Medlineplus).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many different ways to treat corneal ulcer. Many times, corneal ulcer is treated in the doctor’s office using eye drops.

Uniform Knowledge Attributions Essay -- Philosophy

There is a philosophical tradition going back at least to Gilbert Ryle’s 1948 The Concept of Mind of distinguishing â€Å"knowledge how†from â€Å"knowledge that†, in which the latter is taken to be a kind of propositional attitude, while the former is taken to be a kind of ability or capacity. Paradigm examples are, respectively: Sally knows how to ride a bike. (1) Sally knows that she owns a bike. (2) More recently, this distinction has come under renewed scrutiny, notably with [Stanley and Williamson, 2001] arguing that there really is no such distinction, and that â€Å"knowledge how†is really a species of propositional knowledge, though the proposition is known under a different â€Å"mode of presentation† than the types of knowledge typically expressed by â€Å"knowledge that†attributions. Their suggestion is that all knowledge claims are syntactically and semantically uniform, so that philosophical argumentation would be needed to support Ryle’s distinction. In addition, they show that Ryle’s argument was flawed, and provide an account that deals with many other philosophical worries, while giving prima facie evidence that, contrary to what one might expect, (1) is not actually talking about an ability. They argue first that Ryle’s argument in favor of a distinction was incorrect. Then they suggest that linguistic evidence recommends a uniform analysis for all uses of the word â€Å"know†. Finally, they consider various philosophical arguments that might motivate a departure from the linguistic structure, and find them wanting. Thus, they suggest that we should stick with the uniformity of knowledge ascriptions that is suggested by the linguistic data. I will argue that the linguistic data are not as clear-cut as they suggest. ... ...y and Williamson allege for (1). (Interestingly, I haven’t been able to come up with any such counterexamples with â€Å"how†, â€Å"whether†, or â€Å"why†, just with â€Å"who†, â€Å"when†, and possibly â€Å"where†.) This different structure can then give rise to a different sort of meaning. Thus, although some attributions of â€Å"knowledge wh- to†are similar in kind to attributions of â€Å"knowledge that†, I suggest that the linguistic evidence does not immediately imply that all of them are. References [Lahiri, 1991] Lahiri, U. (1991). Embedded Interrogatives and the Predicates that Embed Them. PhD thesis, MIT. [No ¨e, 2005] No ¨e, A. (2005). Against intellectualism. Analysis, 65:278–290. [Schaffer, ] Schaffer, J. Knowing the answer. Unpublished manuscript. [Stanley and Williamson, 2001] Stanley, J. and Williamson, T. (2001). Knowing how. Journal of Philosophy, 98(8):411–444.

Comparison between the Great Gatsby and Macbeth Essay

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most intense plays and one his most complex psychological studies. It is also a play about which there is a great deal of historical background, which I think you’ll find interesting because it reveals Shakespeare’s creative process. The play was written in 1605–1606. It’s one of the plays where the date is pretty firmly established by internal references to external events, and most scholars have agreed on the date. Shakespeare was at the height of creative powers, and his theatrical company, the King’s Men, was the official royal acting company. He had the large Globe Theater, a large public playhouse on the south bank of the Thames. He would soon open the Blackfriars Theater, a small private theater within the city itself where the plays were performed indoors, and he and his men performed often at the court for the king and his family. The Blackfriars Theater would be exempt from the law prohibiting theaters within the City of London by being a private club. It could accommodate only a couple of hundred people, opposed to the Globe audiences of a couple of thousand, and therefore Shakespeare charged a higher price for entry. That in turn meant that the audience was wealthier and more sophisticated than the average attendee at the Globe was. Because the plays were performed indoors by artificial light, they could be done at any time or weather. Because it was a smaller theater, the acting style used could be more subtle and understated than the broad, overly dramatic acting used in the Globe before audiences of several thousand. As far as we know Shakespeare’s company continue to perform all the plays in both theaters; it’s just that the productions would have differed in the way they were performed. Once you know something of the complex historical background, a very curious fact emerges about this bloody, violent drama: the story of this psychotic killer and his fiendlike wife was actually written as a tribute to Shakespeare’s royal patron, King James I of England, who was also king of Scotland. What an unusual way to thank the king for his patronage! Of all of his plays, this is a powerful suspense thriller. We may know who the killer is, but we are fascinated to see if Macbeth gets away with it and to see how he convinces himself to commit the multiple homicides. The historical background is necessary to help you understand why Shakespeare wrote the play the way he did. Without the background there are many passages and references which make no sense to a modern audience. This background also reveals the fascinating way Shakespeare used and twisted history to make a better play and to address the political agenda of King James. It also shows some of the things going on at that time in English society and politics. Macbeth is an openly political play. Macbeth is considered a history play, based on the events in the life of a real historical figure, but it is even more a powerful tragedy. Shakespeare played fast and loose with historical fact in all his history plays, but none more so than this play. When Shakespeare wrote a play like Richard III, he was writing about events that had taken place about 100 years before, so most people in his English audience had a general sense of what that time was like. In the case of Macbeth, he was writing about a time over 500 years in the past in a country about which most of his English audience was totally unfamiliar. Shakespeare and his audience did not consider history to be a science, in which the goal was accuracy; rather history was an art, related to storytelling. The purpose of history was to make a moral point about the present society. You looked to the past to find or create parallels with the present age that would help you explain how people should behave right now. Therefore history was often manipulated, changed or simply created to support some political agenda. Every king at this time used history as a tool in his arsenal to help hang on to power. They would hire professional historians to rewrite the past to support their claim to power in the present. Similarly, religious figures would use history as a weapon to attack their opponents. In many accounts written at this time by Protestant advocates, history is seen as the rise of many proto-Protestants, people who lived hundreds of years before Martin Luther, the first official Protestant. These earlier figures are shown to be forerunners who simply didn’t realize they were Protestants. The historical sources that Shakespeare used were as much mythologies as they  are reality. Actually there was very little known about the historical Macbeth, so if the historians hadn’t made things up they wouldn’t have had much to say about him. Shakespeare’s principal source, Holinshed’s Chronicles of Scottish History, was a loose collection of gossip, tales and fantasies, so the material he was using was already seriously flawed from a historical perspective. Shakespeare then used this flawed material selectively, not telling the whole story, but only bits and pieces that made for a good drama. He altered historical records to heighten dramatic effect, as we’ll see in the dramatic account of Macbeth’s first murder. Shakespeare also changed history to simplify complexities and, quite frankly, to kiss up to King James. Shakespeare took a story supposedly set in the 11th Century, around the year 1050, and filled it with many references to events taking place in 1605 in England, in particular to one of the most dramatic events in English history, the Gunpowder Plot, which had happened just the year before. No wonder the play bears little resemblance to the historical reality. The historical Macbeth had become king in the year 1040 when he killed the previous king, Duncan, in battle. To put this in a historical context, this is hardly the Middle Ages; it’s still the Dark Ages, as historians have termed the various stages of European history. It is 26 years before the Norman invasion of England, which is generally considered to be the beginning of the medieval period in Britain. In 1040 Macbeth became king and ruled for 17 years until he was overthrown and killed by Duncan’s son, who became King Malcolm III. Malcolm is famous primarily because he married an English princess named Margaret who was later made a saint. According to the Scottish historian Archibald Duncan, little is known about Macbeth and his lovely wife Grunnich, except that they were pious and endowed a religious house at St. Andrew’s (which is probably the caddy shack on the fourth green of that famous golf course — joke). The couple went on a religious pilgrimage to Rome where, the chroniclers said, â€Å"they sowed money like seed.† (Many of us when we go on vacation do the same thing.) That’s all we know for certain about the real Macbeth. Now the fact that Macbeth killed the previous king was not a big deal. Of  the eight Scottish kings who ruled during this time, seven had died unnatural deaths, including several who burned to death until suspicious circumstances. It was highly unusual for a Scottish king to die of natural causes in bed. This violent record was largely the result of how Scottish kings came to power. There was no fixed process of succession from one king to the next. In effect, when an old king died every male who was related to the royal family, no matter how distant the relationship, had an equal chance for the throne. It was a kind of royal free-for-all with the last man standing getting to be the king until he was done in by the next ambitious claimant. Macbeth is overthrown in 1057, still nine years before the Norman French invasion of England under William the Conqueror. Two hundred years pass by. The Norman kings are on the throne of England. A succession of English kings and queens has tried to extend their power north into Scotland, as generations of Scots have raided English settlements to the south. The warfare between these two historic enemies is almost constant. In the mid-1200’s the English king Edward, also known as Longshanks and the Scots Killer, has invaded Scotland determined to subjugate it once and for all. He pushes north and reaches the holy place of Scone where the Scottish kings were crowned. Here he seizes the holy relic called the Stone of Scone and takes it back to London where he places it under his throne at Westminster Abbey, where it remained for seven centuries, despite the efforts of Scottish nationalists to steal it back. (Prime Minister Tony Blair finally returned the stone to Scotland after his election — a smart political move.) The film Braveheart gives you a highly dramatic sense of the conflict at this time between the Scots and the English. The Scots fight back unsuccessfully because they are not united in their efforts. Finally one man arises who is able to weld the Scottish people into a single nation, Robert the Bruce, and he is able to lead to a Scottish victory. The English have to acknowledge the right of the Scottish State to exist. King Edward is bitterly disappointed and when he dies, he leaves instructions that if England ever mounts a new invasion of Scotland, his bones are to be carried at the head of the army. So you see how bitter the hatred is between the two nations. Under Robert the Bruce the Scots succeed in driving the English out, but in 1329 he dies and his daughter ascends the throne. She had married a guy who was like the business manager or steward of the royal estates. Not surprisingly the guy’s name was â€Å"Steward† or as it came to be spelled, â€Å"Stuart.† And so the Scottish throne passed on to this obscure family that had never been more than civil servants. Now every royal family worried about two things: succession, or who would inherit the throne. Henry VIII had gone through five wives trying to sire a male heir to the throne and broken with the Catholic Church over the issue. The second worry was to try and keep the crown within the family against attacks on their legitimacy. So kings were always seeking ways to bolster their claim on the throne in the perception of the people. The family of Elizabeth, the Tudors, had had on-going problems in both these areas. The first Tudor, Henry VII, lost his oldest s on soon after the boy had been married to Catherine of Aragon. So as not to have to return her substantial dowry to the King of Spain, Henry VII simply married the young widow to his next son, Henry VIII, setting in motion all the turmoil of that king’s five wives. Henry’s son Edward died while still in his teens, and his daughter, who reigned as â€Å"Bloody Mary Tudor,† was unable to produce an heir. The next Tudor monarch, Elizabeth I, declined to try to have a child by refusing to marry. Her decision caused all kinds of political problems as she approached death in 1603, until she declared on her deathbed that her distant cousin, James VI of Scotland, would rule after her. The Stuart kings, by contrast, had been very prolific. By the time Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, there had been eight generations of Stuart kings on the throne of Scotland. They were the longest-surviving royal family in all of Europe. They boasted that they would remain on the throne until Doomsday. However, the Stuarts continued to worry about the public perception of their legitimacy. After all the original Stuart king had had little claim to the throne. So it was that in the early 1500’s one of the Stuart kings hired a professional historian and ordered him to create an older, more respectable connection to the throne for the Stuarts. This historian made up an ancient ancestor of the Stuarts, Banquo, who lived clear back in the time of old King Macbeth. This Banquo, a thane or nobleman, was told by goddesses of Scottish destiny that his descendents would eventually become kings of Scotland. These goddesses were  given special powers to look into the future of the Scottish nation. So the Stuarts had a mystical claim on the throne for several hundred years before they actually were crowned. This Banquo was a completely fictional character that the historian/PR guy simply made up. Not surprisingly this character and the prediction of his descendant’s rise to power figure prominently in the play. Queen Elizabeth’s grandfather, Henry VII, had used history in just the same manipulative manner. After he defeated and killed the rightful king, Richard III, in 1485, he hired a number of â€Å"professional† historians to do a hatchet job on poor old Richard. They â€Å"proved† that he was not the legitimate king and was in fact a monster who deserved to die so the Tudors could take power. In the mid-1500’s Scotland was ruled by Mary, Queen of Scots, a distant cousin of Elizabeth I. Mary has come down in history as a kind of romantic figure, but in reality she was not nearly as sympathetic. She was a Catholic trying to rule a land that was fiercely Presbyterian, and she was not very adept at the politics of power. Plus she had the unfortunate habit of blowing up the castles where her estranged husband was staying. She was finally driven out of Scotland and fled to England where she was given asylum by Elizabeth. Rather than being content and grateful for her cousin’s kindness, she began almost immediately plotting with malcontents to overthrow Elizabeth. She let it be known that if the Catholic minority in England was able to get rid of the queen, she would graciously accept the crown. Elizabeth tried to ignore the threats and then tried to confine Mary in an isolated country home where she could cause less trouble. But Mary persisted in her plots. Finally Elizabeth is forced to stop Mary’s intrigues by having her beheaded Now when Mary fled from Scotland she left her infant son, James, and he was crowned James VI and ruled throughout his childhood. Poor James was manipulated and used by the powerful men who had custody of the young king. He learned to be very slippery and deceitful in order to survive to adulthood. In one of the great ironies of history, when Elizabeth faces  death she bequeaths the English throne to the son of her mortal enemy, Mary, Queen of Scots. James was finally able to escape from Edinburgh and the clutches of the Presbyterian elders and go to the sinful city of London, the Las Vegas of that age. In 1603 James is crowned James I of England and becomes a dual monarch. A few months later he names Shakespeare’s company the King’s Men, the royal dramatic company. The company has royal protection from local authorities and they make a great of money performing all the plays Shakespeare had written for the court. It’s no wonder that Shakespeare felt compelled to write a tribute to his royal patron, Macbeth. As I said earlier, it’s an odd play to be a tribute to a Scottish king, but then Shakespeare made a career out of doing the unusual. Now as Shakespeare pays tribute to James, he also wants to support James’ political agenda. England and Scotland had been historic enemies, but now they were governed by the same monarch, and he wanted to unite them into a single kingdom. In several plays written before 1603 Shakespeare used the Scots as convenient ethnic targets. (We see this Scots-bashing in Merchant of Venice and Henry V.) After 1603 it became politically incorrect to take potshots at the Scots. Although James and the other Stuarts wanted a United Kingdom, it would take over 100 years for England and Scotland to merge into a single political entity. To advance the king’s agenda, Shakespeare wrote the play in a certain way. He created and emphasized commonality between the two kingdoms. He was also careful not to show Banquo, the king’s mythical ancestor, in a bad light. Rather than being actively involved in overthrowing King Duncan, Banquo just stands around and waits for Fate to fulfill the prophecy of his family’s future greatness. (In Holinshed’s account Banquo had been an active participant in Duncan’s overthrow and death.) Having set up the story of the Stuart family’s rise to power, Shakespeare shift gears and makes the homicidal maniac Macbeth the protagonist of the play. The other political event which shaped the composition of the play was the criminal conspiracy to assassinate James, his family and most of the Protestant leadership of England in the Gunpowder Plot. This took place in early November of 1605, when a group of Catholic extremists planned to blow  up the Houses of Parliament on the occasion of a speech by the king to Parliament. There had been a long history of hostility between the Catholics and Protestants in England through the 1500’s, especially during the time of Elizabeth. Catholics considered her an illegitimate ruler and a bastard because she was the child of King Henry VIII’s second wife, after the illegal divorce. The film Elizabeth, with Cate Blanchett, gives you a good sense of the conflict in this time with the Catholic side being represented by the Pope and Queen Mary. By contrast with Catholic intransigence, Elizabeth is shown to be much more humane and tolerant. She had seen too much bloodshed over religious differences. She did not much mind what people’s private beliefs were as long as they avoided public display of religious heresies. So under Elizabeth it was not illegal to be a Catholic, unlike Mary Tudor’s persecution of Protestant dissenters; it was just illegal to perform a Catholic mass in public. Understandably Catholics chafed under the restrictions of Elizabeth’s rule and believed that a strong Catholic monarch could bring England forcibly back to the Catholic faith. When Elizabeth died in 1603 many Catholics hoped their persecution would end with James. After all, his own mother had been a Catholic. However, that belief ignored the fact that James had been raised as a Presbyterian, not a Catholic. Also he found Elizabeth’s principle of allowing private faith a good compromise. And so the more militant Catholics plotted to fill the basement of Parliament with gunpowder and at the critical moment blow i t up. Now this plot was the 17th Century equivalent of 9/11 or the harebrained scheme of Timothy McVey to blow up the federal building in Oklahoma City. The plot was discovered at the last minute. According to the official account released at the time the king himself, with the help of God, covered the plan. He was shown some intercepted messages which referred to â€Å"strike a blow† for the cause and realized that â€Å"blow† could mean an explosion and ordered the building searched. The effect of the discovery on England was electric, traumatic. In a flash the country realized how close they had come to disaster. As the conspirators were arrested, tortured, confessed and were executed more details came out. English society was changed in ways that are still visible today. For example to this day on November 5, the day the plot was discovered, called Guy Fawkes Day, children throughout  Britain collect money in the neighborhood to buy fireworks to set off and burn a wooden effigy called â€Å"the Old Guy† in honor of Guy Fawkes, one of the principal conspirators. The revelation of the plot did not ease the pl ight of Catholics, who were forbidden the vote or the ability to serve in Parliament. One of the other conspirators turned out to be a secret Jesuit priest named Henry Garnett. Although it was illegal to perform the mass, the Jesuits recruited young courageous English Catholics, trained them in France and smuggled them back into England to perform as priests. Garnett was the confessor of several of the other conspirators and he was detained in the initial investigation. The authorities suspected he was a priest and they asked him under oath if he knew anything about the plot. He denied any knowledge. Subsequent suspects were arrested and they revealed that Garnett had known about the plan and had advised the conspirators on what to do. He was arrested again, questioned and this time he admitted that he did know about the plot. When confronted with his earlier perjury under oath, Garnett explained that as a Jesuit he was not required to tell the authorities what they wanted to know. In defense of his own faith he had not lied under oath; he had simply equivocated. That simply meant he had not told the whole truth and had played fast and loose with the terminology, a lot like a former president testifying under a threat of impeachment. This aspect of the scandal was in some respects the most shocking for the public because he seemed to cast the Jesuits as sneaky, lying shock troops of the Pope who would commit any sin to further their own cause. And so the concept of â€Å"equivocation† became infamous, a kind of shorthand reference to the evil behind the plot. It was so shocking that the legal oath Englishmen took when they testified in court was changed at that time to include the provision that the oath was taken â€Å"without equivocation† to cover any future Garnetts. That provision continued in the English legal system down to the twentieth century. Both the celebration of Guy Fawkes Day and the legal oath demonstrate how traumatic the Gunpowd er Plot was on English society. A lot of popular works were written at this time which refer to the details of the plot, including at least three plays called Gunpowder dramas. One was called The Whore of Babylon all about the Pope leading a black mass to call  forth Satan to engineer the assassination of Queen Elizabeth. The second play was called The Devil’s Charter which traces the efforts of the evils Catholics to engineer the assassination of an English ruler. The third play was Macbeth, according to noted author Garry Wills. In the plays the Jesuits are linked to witchcraft. This was not the first attempt on King James’ life; he had survived three earlier assassination attempts. (One reason James may have been able to uncover the plot so quickly is that he had had lots of experience,) The would-be assassins were subsequently tried as witches. In another related case a plot was uncovered to kill James’ bride, a princess of Denmark. A group of accused witches from a town called Forres, mentioned in the play, had disapproved of James marrying a foreigner, and so the charmed the winds and caused a major storm on the North Sea to try and sink the ship bringing the Danish bride to Scotland. As in the other cases the plotters were arrested, tortured, confessed and were executed. As a result of his experiences and his own interest in the occult, James fancied himself an expert and had written a book called Daemonology, all about Scottish witches. In the first two Gunpowder plays listed above it is a male witch that is behind the plots to kill the English monarch. What Shakespeare does in his play is to take the â€Å"goddesses of Scottish destiny† that he had read about in Holinshed and change them into very unusual witches, in keeping with the interest of the principal person for whom he was writing the play, King James.