It’s a beautiful world…sounded the refrains of a song from Westlife’s “Beautiful World” track. Coming to think about it, life is beautiful and we live on a beautiful and unique planet – provided you see it this way. Tucked away in a calm and serenading environment, in the midst of lush green vegetation and tall palm trees swaying lightly in the gentle morning breeze, the sunrise mixed with the whistling of swallows and chirping of cicadas, the water flowing swiftly in the brook beyond and the beautiful white clouds becoming more vivid against the blue sky, ready to radiate the warmth of the sun, and the start of a wonderful new day; the beauty of our world is vividly reflected.
Courtesy: ThenatureHD.com
Oftentimes, we fail to notice the beauty of the world around us, especially due to the fact that we are always caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Most often, we get swamped and drowned up to our necks in the routines of the rat race – always so concerned about making sure tomorrow is secured, and forgetting about today. And in a lot of instances, the end result is not often as palatable as we hoped it would. Our health sometimes suffer, our families feel abandoned, close relationships become strained, and occasionally, the cords of friendship broken.
Miccom Golf and Hotel Resorts, Ada. Courtesy: Ogheneworoakara.com
Life can be seen as a river that a lot of people jump in without ever really deciding where exactly they want to end up. Often, it is when we get sucked in by the swirling current, hit a rock downstream or a few meters away from a steep fall, that we realize the occasional futility of our efforts. And in times like these, there is usually so little that can be done to change the outcome.
Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. - Edward Abbey (1927-1989)
Have you ever taken time out to sit back, relax and really evaluate your location in the schemes of life – evaluate the decisions you are taking, the steps you are taking, and think about where exactly you want them to take you. Have you ever sat down to listen to that quiet voice deep within, or to search the deep recesses of your soul? When was the last time you laid down on the grassy field, took a walk in the park, or watched the sun set? How many times have you listened to the ubiquitous chirping of crickets or the singing of birds?
Courtesy: Xaxor.com
Want to know why? Taking some time off gets you the inspiration you need and refreshes you creativity. You’ll be able to breathe easier literally observing the freshness of the atmosphere. Even your body responds in a happy way – your blood circulation is boosted, a panacea to heart problems, and better immunity. Also, you get to reconnect and bond better with your family – spouse, kids, and friends. And those memories, you’ll always come to treasure and value for a very long time to come.
Beautiful Sunrise. Courtesy: Webmastergrade.com
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, "This is what it is to be happy.” - Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
It is not enough to keep working and working and working, all year long. Go on a vacation. Notice the greenness of the vegetation. Observe the beauty of flowers. Marvel at the height of mountains, the broad flow of rivers, the vastness of the ocean, the constellations of stars on the night sky. Go on out on an adventure – a safari, mountaineering, bungee jumping, canoe sailing, boat cruise, etc. Or if you choose to, go out to the countryside. Get out of that hole and see the wonders of nature. Just have fun. It is indeed...a beautiful world out there.
If you’ve lived in Africa before, especially around
the middle of the continent, chances are you’ve had malaria before. And it is
obvious you survived it, right? Malaria is an illness endemic to this part of
the world. It is so common we do not see it in the same light as we see
conditions like heart attack or avian influenza. A large percentage of people
do not even bother seeing a doctor anymore as they can easily ‘diagnose’ the
condition and quickly ‘prescribe’ a couple of medicines to do the job. But do
you know that about 219 million cases of malaria are estimated to occur around
the world each year and 660,000 individuals die annually from it, particularly
pregnant women and children less than five years of age? Sometimes, it is hard
to believe that malaria really kills, but it does. There are several evidences
to show for this. The numbers tell their own story, and even the cases we see
around us are worth having sleepless nights over. The irony of the whole matter
is that malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable one.
The main culprit in the transmission of the disease
is the Anopheles mosquito, transmitting any of the four identified Plasmodium parasite species between
infected and non-infected humans. There have been several strategies directed
at reducing the numbers of these biting insects. This is because it is believed
that vector control is the most important way to reduce the spread of malaria
at the community level. However, mosquitoes swarming in their tens and hundreds
are still a relatively common phenomenon in Africa, encouraged by shallow
collections of fresh water in puddles and gutters, or around bushes.
The sixth millennium development goal aims at stopping
and reducing the incidence of malaria globally. So far, much progress has been
made in this regard. Since 2000, malaria mortality has dropped by more than
33%, stemming mainly from stronger prevention and control measures (MDG Report
2012). The efforts of several individuals and organizations need to be
commended in this regard as the myriad of policies and strategies for malaria
control and elimination seem to be yielding fruits. Examples include The Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation, Malaria Foundation International, UAM, etc. And
as a result of these efforts, the use of larvicides, insecticide treated nets,
indoor residual spraying techniques, and efficacious antimalarial agents are
gradually increasing in most African countries and beyond. This points to the
fact that the elimination of malaria is just a matter of time. It would soon
become a thing of the past.
Every year, the 25th day of the fourth
month is set aside to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained
political commitment for malaria prevention and control. World Malaria Day is a
day we need to sit down and re-evaluate our position and our contribution towards
making sure that the elimination of malaria becomes a reality. As much as big
organizations and corporations are contributing their own quota towards
strengthening malaria control efforts, we as individuals need to do our own
part. Asides trying to keep our environments unsuitable for the breeding of
mosquitoes, we may also support foundations aimed at developing and
implementing solutions to the malaria problem either financially or creating
awareness of their efforts.
A lot more still needs to be done. We definitely
still have a long way to go, but by investing in our future, we can, and we
will beat malaria.
Elsie, one of two Stensgard family dogs,
sands on the earthen and sandbag dike surrounding the Stensgard home,
not pictured, which overlooks a flooded outbuilding as the Red River
continues to rise, Wednesday, March 25, 2009 in Fargo, N.D. Due to the
flooding, the Stensgard home can only be reached by boat. (AP
Photo/Carolyn Kaster; Courtesy: Boston.com)
My first contact with anything
related to climate change was in secondary school as far back as a decade ago,
when one of my teachers made me read something about chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
and their effect on the ozone layer. Reading through my chemistry text then
about how CFCs react with ozone (O3), leading to the formation of oxygen (O2)
and Hypochlorite (HOCl), it never made much sense other than just one of the
myriads of chemical equations I was made to memorize then. However, recent
events from as mild as changes in rainfall patterns, droughts and floods to as
severe as melting icecaps, rise in sea levels, and frequent heat waves bring
one’s mind back to reality – our world is changing. The environment is transforming
and becoming unpredictable. The changes threaten development in many parts of
the world.
The issue of climate change is
one of the things that have taken over the world stage today. Over the past
decade, it has been called everything from “the greatest challenge man has ever
faced” to the “greatest hoax ever”. Organizations have been established,
countless meetings have been held, several conferences convened, all in a bid
to halt the change. But despite all of these, it has been predicted that climate
change would continue into the future – the future of our unborn generations –
all because of the way we live our lives.
What
is Climate Change?
Before going too deep into the
intricacies of this issue, it is necessary to clarify some concepts. The term
“climate change” has been used to mean a change in the existing climatic
conditions as a result of human activities. However, the most appropriate use
of the term is a change in the properties of the climatic system occurring over
a long period of time, usually over decades or centuries. Changes which occur
over a short period such as the El Niño effect does not refer to climate
change. In today’s usage of words, climate change has become the same as
“global warming”. Nonetheless, it is important to keep at the back of our minds
that while global warming refers to an increase in surface temperatures,
climate change encompasses global warming and every other thing that an
increase in the emission of greenhouse gases would affect.
What
causes climate change?
As our countries become more
and more industrialized, the rate at which we produce harmful substances
increases, especially the popular greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide, methane and fluorinated gases. The rural dweller that cooks her meals
with firewood, the urban citizen that causes air pollution with the emissions
from his car engine, and the industries that release large amounts of smoke
into the atmosphere all contribute to the release of greenhouse gases. These
gases when released go up and surround the earth like a blanket, trapping large
amounts of energy within the atmosphere, leading to increased temperatures.
This is what is known as the greenhouse effect with serious implications on the
health of man and his surrounding ecosystem.
Effects
of climate change
The truth remains, no one is
spared from the effects of climate change. We have become so used to the stable
climate over the years such that a warming environment will lead to changes in
our weather, water supplies, environment, agriculture, transport and power
systems, and even our health, changes that we would not find palatable at all.
The recent heat waves in the USA, and severe storms and flooding in many other
parts of the world are some of the evidences of what we are dealing with right
now. These events impede sustainable development.
In Nigeria, the massive floods
in Lagos and the East come to mind. There have been more rainfalls this year
than in any time in history of Nigeria. As floods hit the south, desert
encroachment consume arable lands in the North. Water scarcity and drought
worsen in the North and affects adjoining parts of West Africa. Food scarcity
and famine hit East Africa claiming the lives of many women and children. These
are some of the devastating effects of climate change.
One thing about the climate is
that some changes are unavoidable. There is nothing we can do about ocean
variability or orbital variations; neither do we have any power over solar
isolation, plate tectonics or volcanic eruptions with the associated release of
harmful gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere. However, we can
reduce the amount of greenhouse gases which each and every one of us
contributes daily. We can make choices that reduce environmental pollution. We
can also prepare ahead for likely impacts of climate change so as to minimize
their effects on our ecosystem and our health.
Just as physicians would say
that the management of a disease is “multidisciplinary”, the “management” of
climate change is multifaceted. We all have our parts to play in this. Talk a
walk instead of driving your car if need be. Ride a bicycle, if you do not like
to walk. You can start a group in your local community that creates awareness
about climate change. Report any company that does not comply with
environmental laws to appropriate authorities. You can mobilize people to
ensure that government implements international conventions to reduce effects
of climate change.
Every human being on earth at
every point in time deserves and retains the right to live in a clean future.
But in reality, there are two options: to live in a polluted environment with
the resulting vicious cycle of climatic changes, or make the world a clean and
safe place that the generations yet unborn can live in. The choice remains
ours.
Christmas for me has always been a very reserved moment,
usually a quiet celebration possibly because of the way I was brought up. It is
usually devoid of the elaborate celebrations, screaming, eating, drinking,
partying, fireworks, exchange of gifts, and all the likes. Most often, it is
usually a quiet moment, spent together in reflection as a family where we share
a wonderful meal together, with the bond of unity coursing silently through our
veins and at the same time, experiencing the togetherness, friendship, and all
the goodness that the season brings.
This time around, I am spending my Christmas among a new
group of people, my first Christmas away from home. At first, I balked at the
idea of having to be on call on Christmas day, of all days. Knowing at the back
of my mind that I didn’t have much choice, I had to accept the responsibility
of taking care of the health needs of quite a number of people.
The day started like every other day, waking up early to
the sound of Christmas chimes echoing from a faraway church steeple, stepping
out on deserted roads as most people were holed up in their houses or churches,
celebrating Christmas and trying to experience the cheer, the love, the
goodness that the season brings. One after the other, I began to attend to the
needs of these people, most of them helpless, needing a little help here and a
word of comfort there. It was then that it struck me! If I was complaining that
I couldn’t spend my own Christmas with my family, what about these people who
had no choice but to spend theirs on a hospital bed. Was it really their choice?
If they had their way, would they have preferred to spend it the way they did? It
was then that I set out to making the day a wonderful one for them as much as
possible. My grumblings which had by now grown wings and flown away, I
approached each one with radiant smiles, listened to their concerns attentively
and do everything within my power to lighten their burdens, whatever it may be.
By the time I ended my shift, I was on cloud nine.
This is what I think Christmas is; a time to spread some
cheer, a time to show love and affection in the best way possible, a time to
tell that person next to you that he or she is important and valued, a time to
make someone else happy. Looking back, the season itself celebrates the birth
of Jesus Christ, a personality who exhibited great selflessness and paid the
utmost price of all. Ordinarily, I think this should be the whole essence of
Christmas.
Christmas is for most people one of their most nostalgic
moments. We remember our childhood days, the experiences that came with
Christmas time, the sharing of gifts you’ve waited all year long to receive
asides the ones you got on your birthday. I’m sure that for most people, this
is one of the happiest moments of our lives. In the spirit of the season, it
would be most appropriate to share some of the happiness with others. Furthermore,
in all the eating and drinking, and partying, we should all set aside some time
to consider the whole essence of the season and make someone out there happy. As
for me, I’m glad I never got to spend Christmas anywhere else; and I’m sure I’ll
never forget the thrill and fulfillment that came with it.
Have you ever imagined a world where you can look into your child’s eyes and know his/her genetic destiny? Or imagine a world where every facet of your child’s medical history, its strengths, and its vulnerabilities could be uncovered by tapping into a computer. Think about a situation where you can predict the exact number of years you will live or another in which an exact replica of a major organ in your body (maybe your heart or kidneys) can be transplanted if yours fail. No problem of rejection or transplant reactions. Welcome to the world of human genetics.
Today, we know more about how to build a human being than ever before. Since the human genome has been sequenced in June 2000, knowledge about this aspect of what makes us humans keeps increasing daily. The funniest thing about this science is that it revolves just around four alphabets of the gene – A, C, G, and T representing Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine respectively. We are all made up of cells, the basic structural and functional unit of every human being. Deep inside the nucleus of each cell are some tiny fine strands (too small to be seen with the naked eye) interwoven together. These strands are the chromosomes, containing thousands of genes in all. The genes are also made up of the DNA, which carries the information which makes us what we are. Your genetic make-up determines whether you’ll have blue eyes or brown eyes, black hair or red hair, whether you’ll be tall or short.
Evolutionists have postulated that millions of years ago, that the earliest form of life was a single cell. During this period, the single cell multiplied by cloning, creating multiple identical copies of itself over and over again. There was neither diversity nor variation. It was just the same type of cell with the same genetic make-up. After some time, some sexual forms of life started evolving from some of these earlier cells deep in the ocean. It was these sexual forms of life that gave rise to the unique diversity we find today. Now, during fertilisation, a segment of DNA from each parent combines to form a zygote (offspring) which has the full complement of DNA. The offspring takes a little bit of each parent; takes the mother’s blonde hair colour and the father’s blue eye colour. Just a bit here and a bit there. This is what makes us unique and different from every other individual.
It has been established that the genetic information in our DNA is what determines our physical characteristics. How can we then use this information to predict what is going to happen to us in the future. The branch of genetics which deals with this is just in its early stages – the science of prediction. A recent research was conducted on some army recruits at the Army Training Headquarters, Bassingbourn, United Kingdom. About 100 recruits were used for the study. The recruits made almost perfect guinea pigs for the experiment because the effect of the environment on each of them was almost the same. They were all exposed to the same environmental factors – same food, same source of water, same amount of exercise, same number of sleeping hours, same training, etc. After several weeks of conducting the study, it was discovered that the ACE gene, located on chromosome 17 has two forms which determined athletic abilities. One version of the gene seems to be particularly associated with endurance capability and fatigue resistance of muscle while the other version seems to be particularly associated with strength capacity. Which one would you rather have, the strength form or the endurance form? The body muscles depend on oxygen for their metabolic activities. With the endurance form of the gene, the muscles are able to use less oxygen to produce the same energy than the strength form. This means that the muscles can survive longer periods of oxygen deprivation. This fact is more relevant in people having heart attacks. Whether such individuals would survive the attack would depend on which form of the ACE gene they carry. In the long run, our survival depends on this gene.
In another study, the thrill-seeking gene, D4DR, on chromosome 17, was found to differentiate adventurous people from non-adventurous people. With this gene, you can predict whether an individual would become hooked on drugs or go into extreme sports later in the future. The D4DR gene determines the release and effect of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the deeper confines of the brain. When there is an increase in the release of dopamine, we feel excitement. Some people’s bodies are resistant to the actions of dopamine. This is what drives them to extremes in order to derive the same excitement that others derive with simple actions. This is also what makes someone to jump from a plane several miles up in the air (in the name of parachuting) or another to get addicted to hallucinogens, just to create an upsurge in dopamine release.
Can our genetic information predict who would become a criminal in the future? And on the basis of this information be able to nip these criminal intents in the bud. A landmark legal case took place some years ago. A man was driving home after work late one night. Suddenly, he felt the urge to stop in front of a shop. He walked up to the store clerk, demanded for all the proceeds of the day. After he had got this, he shot the clerk in the head. The clerk died. The defendant’s lawyer argued the case in a way that had never been done. He pleaded the court to allow the defendant’s genetic information be brought to the court and used as an evidence. He argued that the defendant had in his gene information that made him a criminal. He believed that deep down in his gene was a factor which made him commit the crime. The judge denied the admissibility of the evidence. At the end of the day, the defendant was sentenced to the death row. This case nevertheless brought about a lot of questions regarding the issue of criminality and genetics.
Studies like that of the ACE gene above have shown how much information can be gleaned from our DNA. But would you rather know that you would die a little bit younger because you possess the strength version of the gene? Or would you want to know as a 10,000km marathon athlete that you have the strength version, when your opponent has the endurance form? The knowledge we have about genetics is much. Today, we know much more than we do years ago. And one thing is certain, in the years to come, we will be able to predict even more about our lives, because this world of prediction has already begun.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by his pseudonym, Mark Twain, is a famous American writer and humorist, whose best work is characterized by broad, often irreverent humor or biting social satire. Twain’s writing is also known for realism of place and language, memorable characters, and condemnation of hypocrisy and oppression (“Mark Twain,” 2009). What does the word ‘satire’ mean? According to the Encarta English Dictionary (2009), ‘satire’ is the use of wit, especially irony, sarcasm, and ridicule, to criticize faults. As you follow along, you will see that Mark Twain, no doubt, had a lot of influence on the modern day society through his satirical writings.
Twain’s work was inspired by the unconventional American West, and the popularity of his work marked the end of the domination of American literature by New England writers. Twain was a master at rendering colloquial speech. He had a very important role in creating and popularizing a distinctive American literature built on American themes and language. His ability to accomplish a change in the literature also had an effect on the American reverence for European and British culture and all other things associated with it. So his satire has greatly influenced the course of history.
In his widely acclaimed masterpiece, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he talks about a teenage boy by the name of Huck Finn whose father is an alcoholic. His father kidnaps him, but he manages to escape and together with a runaway slave, Jim, they sail down the Mississippi on a raft. Instead of turning Jim in, Huck goes against the society and makes a decision to help Jim break free from slavery. Through this adventure, Mark Twain focuses on three traits: racism, alcoholism and mob mentality. You know that Mark Twain has passed some valuable messages across, one of which being similar to a book judged by its cover (Quest4Glory, 2004). His messages have been the basis of most human right activists in our present day. For example, though racism was part of the story, yet the moral of the story remains clear: there is more to people than color, just like there is more to a book than its cover.
Also, Mark Twain, through his book The Gilded Age (1873), described the social, political corruption that has ravaged the American nation. And today, the period of the 1870s is regarded as ‘The Gilded Age’. This is one of the influences of Mark Twain’s satire on modern day society. Again, many writers, generations after his demise regarded Mark Twain as their major inspiration. Examples include Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, etc.
We can therefore assert that modern day society has been greatly influenced by Twain’s satire. You can see that his works have opened the eyes of the American people and that of the world to issues of racism, freedom, morality and self-definition in the society. List of References Mark Twain. Microsoft Encarta 2009 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. Quest4Glory, 2004. Huckleberry - Satirical Plot. Retrieved June 27, 2006, from http://echeat.com
'Now, Clarice,' says Cora at last, 'you turn your lovely head to the right, so that I can see what I look like from the side'. [Mervyn Peake, 1911 – 1968].
We have all had experience with identical twins at one time or the other. Even you reading this article might be an identical twin. But are identical twins really identical? There has been a lot of research (twin studies) on the behaviour of twins, especially identical twins. It has been said that we are a product of nature and nurture, that is, every individual is a product partly of genetic influences and partly because of the environment in which he or she is raised.
According to the online dictionary, Wikipedia, Twins are two offspring resulting from the same pregnancy, usually born in close succession. They can be the same or different sex. Twins can either be monozygotic or dizygotic. Monozygotic twins are also colloquially referred to as identical twins and dizygotic twins as fraternal twins (“Twin,” 2009).
Monozygotic twins are derived when a single egg is fertilized to form a zygote which divides, as a result of mitosis, into two separate but identical embryos. Monozygotic twins are always of the same sex (except in rare cases of chromosomal defects). They also have the same traits and similar physical appearances.
We have always claimed that identical twins are identical right from their physical appearance down to their genome – DNA. A group of researchers from the University of Alabama, Leiden University Medical Centre and VU University, The Netherlands; and Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet, Sweden recently published their findings. They studied 19 different pairs of monozygotic/identical twins. From their observation, they found differences in the CNV (Copy Number Variation) in DNA. CNVs (multiple copies of a single gene or absence of a set of coding letters in the DNA) were discovered only a few years ago.
According to Carl Bruder, PhD, and Jan Dumanski, PhD, of University of Alabama’s Department of Genetics (the study’s lead authors), “the presumption has always been that identical twins are identical down to their DNA,” “…that is mostly true, but our findings suggest that there are small, subtle differences due to CNV. Those differences may point the way to better understanding of genetic diseases when we study so-called discordant monozygotic twins...a pair of twins where one twin has a disorder and the other does not.” They also bring out the fact that while one twin might develop a particular disease, Parkinson’s for example, the other may not.
Apart from these findings, the effect of the environment must not be overlooked. While identical twins form with the same set of genes, human development is not purely genetic. There is the impact of the environment. For instance, while still in the womb, some monozygotic twins share placenta. A twin might get better share of the nutrients than the other. Also, the external world out there has its own influences.
There have been further studies carried out to verify the fact that identical twins are really identical. But the bottom line presently is that identical twins are not actually identical. And sooner or later, we would have to throw away those old biology texts.
List of References Twin. 2009. Wikipedia 2009. Retrieved August 13, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin University Of Alabama (2008, February 20). Identical Twins Not As Identical As Believed. Science Daily. Retrieved August 13, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2008/02/080215121214.htm
A lot of times, the process of writing an essay might be an annoying and frustrating process. But does it have to be? My answer is an emphatic "No". Writing an essay can even be easy and fun. This paper offers a 7-step process of writing essays. These steps include:
1. Research: The first step in the whole writing process is to really understand what you are writing about. It is after this that all other things come in. The topic of the subject is very needful for research. You have to check for information about the subject because you cannot write brightly on something you do not know anything about. There are several places where you can get information. These include the internet, academic databases, and local libraries. The internet is especially a very important resource. There are over 500 billion web pages on the web, each or which can be quickly accessed through search engines such as Google.com, yahoo.com. The academic databases are also important sources of information. These include JSTOR, CQ researcher, Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, Academic Search Premier. You can also check your local libraries for more information about your subject of interest.
2. Analysis: The nest step is to analyze all the information at your disposal. This is because not all information will be necessary at that particular point in time. Although, in most cases, you analyze your information as you research.
3. Brainstorming: This refers to the art of thinking creatively and intensively. After the first two steps above, you would have generated a lot of ideas and concepts. Then you brainstorm over them. At this point, you ask yourself some critical questions about the subject. You examine the biases of the authors of the ideas you have gotten. You explore all the evidence you have and attempt to give a reasonable explanation. You do not have to just copy the ideas you have gotten. You attempt to create a new original idea. This gives your writing an edge.
4. Outlining: Have you ever seen a construction engineer that attempts to build a magnificent structure without having the blueprints? No. Similarly, a good piece of writing must have a set of blueprints or outline. Drawing up an outline gives a picture of what the final picture would be. When creating an outline, your points must be brief and concise, about one line each. Each point must summarize a whole idea. Then, you draw up a suitable arrangement for the outline, that is, how each point would fit in the whole build.
5. Writing: Now comes the writing proper. A classical essay should have three sections: an introduction, a middle part and a conclusion. The major role of the introduction is to capture the reader’s attention and to state your focus – the main topic. The introduction also should not be too long - a lengthy introduction is hardly needed. The middle part is the main body of the essay. It should contain two and above number of paragraphs. Each paragraph should explain a particular idea and in most cases should start with a topic sentence. Each paragraph should proceed in a logical sequence and all the ideas must be connected with transitions. When you write your ending (conclusion), you should restate your focus, summarize your main points, and more importantly should leave a lasting impression on the mind of the reader.
6. Revising: After finishing the first draft, it does not end there. You still need to revise all what you have written. You need to check the following traits: idea, organization, voice, word choice and fluency of the first draft. These traits are the major factors that determine the quality of the essay.
7. Language/Editing: Finally, you go over your work again and check for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, and sentence errors. You can use some tools offered in the Microsoft Word software. These scan your essay for spelling and grammar errors. Also, take note of the writing style. Add all necessary citations according to the writing style chosen.
Once you have gone through all these steps, your essay should be ready for submission or publication. Congratulations!
Memory has been said to be the diary of life we all carry with us. Memory is important to every human and even all living organism. Practically, all of our actions and reactions depend on our memory. Memory allows us to retrieve events and situations from the past and from moments ago. Memory has been defined as processes by which people and other organisms encode, store, and retrieve information (“Memory (psychology)”, 2008). Simply put, memory is the act of storing and recalling information which you have learned or experienced. Most of us use only five percent to ten percent of our memory capabilities. How can we increase this? Some of the simple steps are outlined below: • Conviction and Determination • Create a relaxed environment • Pay attention and concentrate • Associate information with what you already know • Use memory techniques • Develop healthy habits • Practice, practice, practice
The first step is to convince yourself that you do have a good memory and that this would improve. Most people have a misconception that they have a bad memory. There is no such thing as a bad memory. There are can only be trained or untrained memories. Remove the thought that you have a bad memory and decide to improve it. You need to commit yourself to the task and revel in your achievements. As you go on, you test yourself. It would motivate you when you are happy with your success.
The next step is to monitor your learning environment. The place where you want to study should be free and not cluttered with books and the likes. The memory works in an organized way, so your environment also should be organized. The brain cannot do much productive work under stress. Any learning process done under such condition would amount to nothing. It is important to relax the brain so as to accommodate enough facts as possible during the learning process.
Also, concentration is vital to the learning process. You cannot remember something you never learned in the first place. This means if you never encode it into your memory, you would never be able to recall it. It takes about eight seconds of intent focus to process a piece of information through your hippocampus and into the appropriate memory centre (“Improving Your Memory”, 2009). Do one thing at a time. No multitasking. This is why a quiet and relaxed atmosphere is needed for constructive learning.
The brain is made up of billions of cells called neurons. These neurons are like links or pathways for data storage. These neurons are also linked together by trillions of dendrites. The brain tends to store recent information by forming links to previously stored data. It works like a computer by organizing information in such a way that, for instance, science-related information is stored together in one compartment, arts-related information is stored together in another compartment. As you read, try to create associations. Create vivid mental images. Let’s say for example, you are reading about atomic bombs. You can try and link this to the atomic bombs dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the US military, which you must have learned at one time or the other during your high school history lesson. This images formed makes it easier to recall the big picture (the atomic bomb) later on when it is needed.
The use of memory techniques cannot be overemphasized. There are several memory techniques in use by different people. One of the most effective memory techniques is the use of mnemonics. The word mnemonic was derived from the name of the Greek goddess, Mnemosyne, and it has been used as far back as the Greek civilization. An example is the ‘nonsense word’, ROYGBIV. Each letter stands for a color in the light spectrum. You can create your own mnemonics as you read. Mnemonics can be in form of sentences, as in “Every Good Boy Does Fine” which represents the musical notes of E, G, B, D and F; Acronyms, as in ROYGBIV; Rhymes and Alliteration, as in “thirty days hath September, April, June and November”; etc. Mnemonics form links and associations between new information and old information using facts and figures. Other memory techniques include the Number/rhyme technique, Alphabet technique, Mind maps (Memory maps).
Healthy habits are vital to memory improvement. Some of these habits include regular body exercises, stress management, good sleep habits, avoidance of smoking, and good nutrition. These habits aid in the healthy development of the brain. Regular exercise improves the oxygen supply to your brain. Cortisol, which is a stress hormone, when accumulated in large quantities can damage the hippocampus which is vital in the whole memory process. You must have noticed that when you do not sleep at night, you become tired and unable to concentrate the next day. Sleep is necessary for consolidation of memory.
The last step is to practice, practice, and practice. Note the verb. It is very important that you practice. If you do not practice, you forget all the learning techniques and you are back in square one. Practice makes perfection. Your memory is inexhaustible. The only limits are the ones that you allow by your own thinking.
List of References Memory (psychology). Microsoft Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007. Improving Your Memory. (2009). Help Guide 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2009, from http://helpguide.org/life/improving_memory.htm
Franz Kafkas’ A Country Doctor is a nightmarish story full of challenges and frustrations. The story is about a doctor who, because of his dedication to his job and duty to humankind, had to go through a lot of difficulties and make some sacrifices. The doctor went through a lot of challenges and these gave him some feelings of frustration. The doctor can be said to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed because of the losses on his own part – his servant girl, Rosa; his flourishing practice – all because he had to answer the call of a dying man.
The first challenge the doctor faced was that of the unending harsh weather. There was a severe snowstorm standing between him and his destination ten miles away. The icy winter was also a cause of his horse’s death. The doctor’s feelings of frustration were evident when he commented thus, “Naked, abandoned to the frost of this unhappy age, with an earthly carriage and unearthly horses, I drive around by myself, an old man.” The doctor’s response to the cold weather was to wrap himself in a coat of fur, although he had to discard this on his return journey when he had to quickly escape from the house of his patient.
The doctor’s second challenge was that of transportation. After meeting the frost challenge headlong and overcoming it, he could not go anywhere. This was because the cold icy winter had resulted in the death of his horse. Now, there was no other horse for him to use. His carriage was just as useless. His servant girl, Rosa, had to run around the village to see if she could help the doctor borrow a horse, but alas, could get none. He demonstrated his frustration when “distracted and tormented, he kicked his foot against the cracked door of the pigsty which had not been used for years.” However, his problem of transportation was solved when out of the pigsty crawled a team of two powerful horses which the groom hitched up to the doctor’s wagon.
The groom posed another challenge to the doctor. The intention of the groom was to exchange his animals with the doctor’s servant girl. The emergence of the groom with his animals from the pigsty was, to the doctor, a kind of God-sent solution to his problem at that point. When the groom’s intention became known to the doctor, the doctor could not do much. He was indeed helpless. All he could do was to cry out “You brute” in fury. Then the doctor’s attention was shifted from Rosa to the ‘beautiful team of horses’. Unknowingly, he climbed into the carriage happily, but before he could do anything to rescue Rosa, he was bounded out of the scene. His frustration was evident when his thoughts returned to Rosa throughout the remainder of the story.
Another challenge faced by the doctor was that of how to manage his patient’s condition. His inability to immediately discover his patient’s sore fully demonstrated his incompetence as a physician. Upon his arrival at the house of the patient, he was received with open hands and large expectations. The father gave him a glass of rum, the sister helped him to remove his fur coat, the mother enticed him, all in order for him to save their dying son and brother. Yet, he had to disappoint them due to his incompetence.
A nightmare has been defined by Psychology Today as "a dream occurring during....sleep that results in feelings of inescapable terror, fear or extreme anxiety" (Stephens). This story by Franz Kafkas can well be described has a nightmare because it, in its entirety, fulfills the conditions for the definition. The doctor in this story demonstrated feelings of anxiety when he said that he “couldn’t see what to do” about the condition of his patient. In the course of the story, the doctor described himself as being tormented, demonstrating his feelings of terror, fear and anxiety. Also, some pieces of the story are things that cannot happen in real life, except in a dream. Examples are the emergence of big, powerful horses out of the pigsty; horses peering through the open window of the invalid; the family removing the clothes of the doctor, leaving him naked.
One of the themes of this story, as indicated by Kafkas, is opportunism. Opportunism, as defined by Wheeler, refers to taking advantage of a person’s situation for purposes of personal advancement (112). This was exactly what happened between the groom and the doctor. The groom knew that the doctor needed a horse badly. He allowed the doctor to make use of, not only one horse but two horses. He did this so that he could take advantage of the doctor’s situation and have Rosa all to himself. The doctor had no choice but to leave his servant girl in the hands of this malicious groom. In fact, the doctor was totally helpless to rescue Rosa.
The habit of placing blame on other people is another theme which was obvious in this story. The doctor places blame on other people by using confusion tactics in arguments, subtly or overtly changing the subject (Bancroft 67). The doctor knew that he had inadequacies, but instead of living up to them and confronting them squarely, he prefers to push the blame on others. He blamed the absence of a horse for his inability to travel to the patient’s house. He blamed his neighbors for failing to give him a horse, an action probably due to his poor relationship with them. On and on like that, he just continued to put blames on others.
WORKS CITED
Bancroft, Lund. Why Does He Do That?. Berkley Books. 2003.
Stephens, Laura. “Nightmares.” 30 Mar. 2006. Psychology Today 25 May 2009
Wheeler, Edward. Current Literature. Cambridge: HarvardUniversity Press. 1997.
