Beautiful Mind Essay Example for Free

Beautiful Mind Essay Based on what I have watched from the movie of â€Å"A Beautiful Mind†, which is a biography based on the true life story of a math prodigy, John Forbes Nash Jr., is an incomparable math genius student from Princeton University who definitely amazed the minds of people he meets. For me, he is an extraordinary person having a broad and an odd imagination as well. Unfortunately, he suffers from a mental illness called schizophrenia which he doesn’t even know himself. His friends find him weird or likely a nerd, but still they try to make friends with him. Nash tried to communicate and interact with them but in the end, it’s like there’s something that bothers him, some kind of paranoia that leads him to stay away and find himself alone and unconsciously creating things that aren’t really there (hallucination) and believing things that aren’t really true (delusion). Like for example, an imaginary friend which is known to be Charles (his room mate) and Charles’ niece. It’s odd but I strongly believe that all the things kept from his subconscious mind releases through Charles and other delusions his mind creates. I believe more than anything else, this movie focuses on perceptions of life. Perception of what is reality and what is imaginary, not only his perception but also people’s perception of him, and of the situation. Yet he was a brilliant man, although at times to people he seemed a bit unorthodox he was eventually accepted. Ironically enough I believe that it was his problems of not liking people, but wanting to be accepted and acknowledge that aided his mental state, however by the time he had become accepted his imaginary world was out of control. As years passes without knowing that he has such mental illness, Nash have invented some kind of Mathematical formula (equilibrium) which become popular and it startled me. He graduated and become a professor in Mathematics and romantically involved with his hard working student named Alicia and they even got married. But his illness turned out to be worse than I thought; his delusions become rigorous and more uncontrollable by his mind. He even believed that he’s been hired to work to the government to break codes. His other delusional product named Parcher, keeps on haunting him to work and to work which have caused him so much stress that made the symptoms worse. He keeps on believing that there’s a conspiracy, a mission by the government that will lead him to honor, but all of these are only in his mind. Nash continued his medication and deal with his delusional state. And it made me wonder, because according to my belief, â€Å"real mentally abnormal person doesn’t even know that he/she is not normal†. But in Nash’s case, how come he realized that he’s suffering from this illness and he can even stay away from his delusions? I don’t know but all I know are risks that may happen if you pay no attention to this illness. Without medication and therapy, they are unable to function in the real world. If they fall victim to severe hallucinations and delusions, they can be a danger to themselves and those around them. Schizophrenia usually develops gradually, although onset can be sudden. These were the symptoms that Nash have: Confusion, Inability to make decisions, Hallucinations, doesn’t eat regularly and lack of sleep, Delusions, Nervousness, Indifference to the opinions of others, A tendency to argue A conviction that he is better than others, or that people are out to get him. Fortunately, he was able to cop with his Paranoia and lived a simple life, he even got the Nobel Prize he ever wanted because of his genuine mind.

Drinking And Smoking In Students

Drinking And Smoking In Students This chapter reviews the literature in relation to drinking and smoking behaviour. It also looks at the concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco within student life. For the purpose of this study the author had two research objectives, which were, to explore the reasons students consume alcohol and smoke tobacco and to investigate the relationship between both. Numerous studies have shown an association between cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. The National Institute of Health (2010) found that even small amounts of alcohol boost the pleasurable effects of nicotine, inducing people to smoke more when drinking alcoholic beverages. Medical profession have highlighted that the alcohol dose dependent effect increases the urge to smoke. Data from epidemiological studies have shown that people who drink alcohol are more likely to smoke and the heavier the drinking pattern, the heavier the smoking. (King, 2005) (Page number) Findings from Kings study (2005) indicate that smoking urge is higher after consuming four alcohol drinks in comparison to the lower urges after consuming two alcohol drinks, and increases were not observed after consuming a placebo beverage In other words, The greater the alcohol consumption, the greater the urge to smoke (Page Number) Research has indicated that links to alcohol addiction may be heredity. Findings from the Granada study believe that heredity may be responsible for almost 50% of the likelihood that a person will become addicted to alcohol. Alcoholism and Drug Addiction group whom carried out the study at the University of Granada revealed that the lack of beta-endorphins, which is hereditary, marks a genetic weakness to alcoholism. The studies findings indicate that an individuals brain with low beta-endorphin levels becomes accustomed to the presence of an external surplus, diminishing its own supply and triggering dependence on the external source -in this case, alcohol. Beta-endorphin is a kind of morphine released by the brain in response to several situations, such as pain. In this way, beta-endorphins can be considered an endogenous pain reliever to numb or dull pains. According to Josà © Rico Irles (Year and page number) head of research at the university, although alcohol consumption does not affect all people in the same way, differences in beta-endorphin levels make some subjects more vulnerable to alcohol. Therefore, they are more likely to become alcohol dependent. 1.2 Alcohol Behaviour According to Alcohol Action Ireland (2010), over one in four accident and emergency cases have alcoholà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœrelated injuries. Alcohol is also a factor in one in four traumatic brain injuries. Research carried out by Alcohol Action Ireland found that alcohol related deaths increased between 1995 and 2004. Ethanol (found in beer, wine and spirits) is the most commonly used alcohol consumed by humans. (International Centre for Alcohol Policies) According to Gossop two thirds of the US population drink alcohol. The average American spends more than 5% of their annual budget on alcohol, consuming 2.6 gallons of spirits, 2.2 gallons of wine, and 26.6 gallons of beer every year. Almost half of the UKs population over the age of 16 drink alcohol. (Gossop, 2007). An Irish survey carried out by CLAN indicates high-risk alcohol use is prevalent among college students, to the extent that profound binge drinking is seen as the norm of college life. The results from this survey demonstrate that this drinking culture is promoted in college, often with heavy drinkers being praised as die-hard revellers instead of being critiqued. The CLAN goes on to state that Irish third-level students spend more money a month on alcohol than they do on food and it clarifies speculation that regular binge drinking can wreck havoc on academic performance, as well as on social relationships. Controversially although Ireland has the highest rate of non-drinkers in Europe, (20%, in comparison to Germanys 5%) it also has one of the highest rates of alcohol consumption, at present topping the poll for binge-drinking statistics. (Alcohol-statistics-in-europe.com) According to Hope, Dring and Dring (2003) there were both positive and negative reasons as to why students drink. Positive reasons such as sociability relaxation and enjoyment occupy the dominant number of reasons people drink. One in four students reported having a drink with there meals, of which more females than males reported such a practice. However one in ten students used alcohol to forget worries and one in twenty used alcohol when they were anxious or depressed. More males than females said they drank just to be polite. Hope et al (2003) 1.3 Tobacco Behaviour The World Health Organisation (2010) states that tobacco is one of the greatest causes of preventable and premature deaths in human history and that it kills up to half of its users. The annual death toll of more than five million could rise to more than eight million by 2030 unless urgent action is taken to control the tobacco epidemic. According to the WHO, smoking is estimated to be the cause of approximately 7000 deaths in Ireland each year, chiefly by illness such as lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and emphysema. Smoking can also cause gum disease, bad breath, poor skin and yellow teeth. (WHO, 2010) According to Chick Cantwell, (2001) evidence suggests that smoking is mainly initiated originally by teenagers. The onset is usually the result of one or many of the following factors; curiosity, assertion of independence, rebelliousness, stress, and perhaps more than any other factor by peer pressure (Chick Cantwell, 2001). The CLAN surveys research findings show that everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, but there seems to be many harmful effects to which many smokers all around the world are still oblivious. For example; a survey in china found that only 68 percent of current smokers in China believe that smoking leads to lung cancer and only 36 percent believe that smoking causes coronary heart disease (Hope, et al. 2003). Another survey carried out in Britain showed that a shocking 99% of woman surveyed were unaware of the direct link between smoking and cervical cancer. (Gossop, 2007) 1.4 Alcohol and tobacco go hand in hand Mckee, Hinson, Rounsaville, Petrelli (2004) state that although research has shown that many young people dabble with substances such as alcohol and tobacco from as young as 13, substance use in relation to tobacco and alcohol has been reported to peak in early adulthood. The college years appear to be a time of increased risk for smoking initiation and movement into regular patterns of use. College smokers are more likely to be non-daily smokers, also known as party smokers. Alcohol and tobacco are known to be strongly related behaviours and the association between both substances seems to get stronger with the heavier use of either substances. Recent studies have found that smoking urges increase rapidly following heavy drinking, even among light smokers (King Epstein, 2005) Nichter, Nicthter, Carkoglu and Lloyd-Richardson (2010) suggests that virtually every college event and social occasion revolves around drinking and there is a significant distinction between party time and normal time, According to Nichter, et al (2010) (page number) parties were viewed as places to kick back, relax and chill and where everyday rules for behaviour didnt apply. The majority of party smokers believed that smoking while drinking was not really smoking and was therefore socially acceptable. This research highlights the commonality of smoking cigarettes as a behaviour that goes along with drinking. They found that some party smokers described drinking and smoking as going together like peanut butter and jelly or like milk and cookies. Nitcher explains at college parties and particularly in your freshman years, focus is on creating an image, getting noticed and also trying to fit in and be cool. For college males, smoking while having a drink helped a guy look really manly and gave off a bad boy image. Among females there is a powerful focus on being liked and a need to engage in similar behaviours to ones friends (Nichter et al., 2010). There are numerous functions of smoking and drinking described by Nitcher et al. (2010). One of which is Social Facilitation. A key reason for having a cigarette with a drink at parties is because smoking is usually done outside. Having a cigarette provides a reason to go outdoors with an individual or a group, therefore, the co-consumption of alcohol and tobacco aids social interaction. Alcohol diminishes ones level of willpower giving an individual the confidence to do things they would not normally do. The best crack at parties is usually outdoors so when individuals go outside to socialise with peers, instead of doing nothing, they are faced with the opportunity to join in with the rest of the crowd. Nichter et al. (2010) observed that when males were drinking with females it was sometimes difficult to maintain a conversation, but smoking a cigarette with a female, who was also smoking, seemed to smoothen out the conversation. One male interviewee noted: Its just easier to talk when Ive been drinking and smoking. A cigarette honestly just gives you a buzz and boosts your self confidence. It also gives you a minute to get your thoughts straight. Several party smokers described how the urge to smoke just comes when drinking. Nitcher et al. (2010) found that for novice smokers, after a couple of drinks, smoking cigarettes became physically easier to do. They tended to suffer less from throat irritation and coughed less. Drinking and smoking together also washed away the cigarettes bad taste. This research also found that another useful function of the concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco is the physical sensations experienced. Alcohol and smoking together create a buzz that is unattainable when either substance is taken separately. However, having a cigarette, while drinking, can also help an individual feel calmer, relaxed and more sober. Research has shown that despite the amount of social smoking party smokers might be involved in most party smokers did not want to become regular or real smokers. In fact, they believed that they were at little risk of dependency upon alcohol and tobacco. As one woman in a focus group commented People like me and my friends dont get addicted to either substance (Nichter et al., 2010) Given this naÃÆ' ¯ve belief among students, that they were not at risk for transitioning from social smoking to more regular patterns of use, it seems critical to educate students about the possibility of addiction, even if smoking at low levels. 1.5 Conclusion The above research indicates that there is a correlation between student drinking and smoking and it would appear that alcohol consumption can often lead to students use of tobacco. This is a prevalent health concern which the proposed research aims to explore. Research availability concerning levels and concurrent use of alcohol and tobacco is limited in an Irish context. The proposed research aims to highlight this relationship and

Introduction to Databases Essay -- essays research papers

Introduction to Databases What is a database? A database is a collection of data structured and organized in a disciplined fashion so that it is possible to access information of interest as quickly as possible. (Newton, 193) In residential sales at TDS Metrocom, the database that is used almost exclusively is Microsoft Access. We use access to track incoming e-mails, keep track of individual and team performance statistics, inbound call volume, and we use Access to provision a customers order for Internet service to coincide with the provisioning of their phone service. In using Access to track all incoming e-mail from customers to us we have two databases, in the first database I enter the date the e-mail came in, the hour the e-mail(s) came in from a drop down menu and enter the number of e-mail(s) that came in during that hour. This database is used every three months to track e-mail volume by day of week and by hour. With this data, I am able to see e-mail volume by hour. What this allows me to do is monitor system problems with either our website and/or our corporate firewall. As an example, I was seeing â€Å"dead time† in the company e-mail box, meaning that during a certain time of day we received no e-mail, as TDS receives e-mail at every hour of the day I knew something was wrong. The IT department said that no e-mail was being sent to us. With the data that I had stored in this database, I was able to convince the IT department to look into the matter. It was discover... Introduction to Databases Essay -- essays research papers Introduction to Databases What is a database? A database is a collection of data structured and organized in a disciplined fashion so that it is possible to access information of interest as quickly as possible. (Newton, 193) In residential sales at TDS Metrocom, the database that is used almost exclusively is Microsoft Access. We use access to track incoming e-mails, keep track of individual and team performance statistics, inbound call volume, and we use Access to provision a customers order for Internet service to coincide with the provisioning of their phone service. In using Access to track all incoming e-mail from customers to us we have two databases, in the first database I enter the date the e-mail came in, the hour the e-mail(s) came in from a drop down menu and enter the number of e-mail(s) that came in during that hour. This database is used every three months to track e-mail volume by day of week and by hour. With this data, I am able to see e-mail volume by hour. What this allows me to do is monitor system problems with either our website and/or our corporate firewall. As an example, I was seeing â€Å"dead time† in the company e-mail box, meaning that during a certain time of day we received no e-mail, as TDS receives e-mail at every hour of the day I knew something was wrong. The IT department said that no e-mail was being sent to us. With the data that I had stored in this database, I was able to convince the IT department to look into the matter. It was discover...

Weak Enforcement of the Bankruptcy Laws :: Expository Exemplification Essays

Weak Enforcement of the Bankruptcy Laws   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an article in The Business Journal Mukherjee tells of "A health club executive in Texas persuaded a bankruptcy judge that his Rolex watch was off-limits to the creditors because the watch was a part of his look and personality. Stripping it would make him feel naked" (69).   They even let him keep it.   This is the kind of thing that need to be dealt with.   It just sends an image that the government and the courts want people to get away with bankruptcy fraud.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bankruptcy is no new thing.   There are some people who need it just to survive and there are others who take advantage of the way it works.   When they do that, they are looking for a way that they can keep all their money but get rid of their debts.   People think of many ways to take advantage of bankruptcy.   Sometimes the FBI can't find all of the fraud and then the tax payers suffer.   The people commiting the frauds are also making bankruptcy look bad.   While in reality, it is one of the best ways for people to get back on their feet.   More states need to focus on investigating their bankruptcy frauds and then prosecuting them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John R. Roberts, a bankruptcy attorney, states that "bankruptcy is nothing more than a fresh financial start.   It is designed to help those who are in debt beyond a reasonable means to pay" (online).   This is only if the person in debt didn't get there through anything dishonest.   People get in debt for a number of things like losing their job, accidents, and business failure.   When that happens people have different options of bankruptcy or different sections of the banckruptcy ammendment to choose from.   The most common is Chapter Seven.   This section allows you to sell some of your assets to clear as much of the debt as possible.   In most cases, it also permits you to keep your property.   Chapter 13 is for those who are temporarily in debt.   It helps to set up payments that are reasonable for the debtor.   (online)   Bankruptcy is a way for a person to regain their life.   After getting so far in debt some people ha ve no way out.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In an article published in Newsweek, "The Sorry Side of Sears", McCormick tells about a recent case involving Sears.   Sears was using a credit card and issuing it out to anyone that would use it.

Analysis of the Closet Scene in Hamlet the Movie Essay -- essays rese

Hamlet is often seen as one of the most well known examples of an Oedipus Complex presented in literature. The reasons for this is probably because of the plot that resolves around the revenge that Hamlet has against his step-father Claudius and because of the relationship that Hamlet has with his mother that is loaded with sexual energy. Hamlet's love for his mother is especially exemplified by the Mel Gibson's interpretation of the infamous closet scene. Traditionally a Queen's closet was not worth emphasizing a bedroom, but it is likely that most of the readers would presume that the closet scene takes place in Gertrude?s bedroom because of the obsession that Hamlet has about Gertrude?s bed. When Hamlet responds to his mother?s summons and comes to her closet, he invades a very private place where customarily a woman would only entertain her husband or a lover. For an adult son to do this, intimations of erotic possibilities are almost inevitable because the son crosses the line into the enclosure of his mother?s privacy to encounter her as a sexualized subject. The room that Olivier created for Gertrude contained a lot of scenery to convey a subliminal message. The tall doors look phallic-shaped and the bed is the center of attention most of the time. The bed is also much more lit than the rest of the room that emphasizes the importance of it. The way Gertrude kisses Hamlet in the Olivier, can be signifiers of the sexuality that is going in between her and Hamlet. The kisses are not what the everyday person interprets as platonic and it is almost as if Hamlet and Gertrude are drawn closer and closer because of the passion between them, in order that their faces are only inches apart. The last kiss between Gertrude and ... ...e other movies. She takes every opportunity to kiss Hamlet fully on the mouth, sometimes even lingering on the lips. It is almost as if Hamlet?s Oedipal cravings is a given in this movie. At one time Hamlet is even thrusting his lions against Gertrude that suggest a signifier of sexual intercourse. When the ghost appears it is as if it is just in time to stop Hamlet and Gertrude from having full-fledged intercourse. Gertrude does not seem to mind this at all in the way she caresses Hamlet unquestionably more representative of the display of affection one associates with a lover than a mother. The conclusion is that the Oedipus Complex definitely plays an integral role in the most of the movies made about Hamlet. Two of the three films I discussed are clearly paradigmatic, as each has in some way further contributed to the idea of Hamlet?s aberrant sexual feelings.

How to Solve a Problem Essay

After reading up on the â€Å"Art of Thinking† e-book, chapter 5 explains the 4 stages of the critical thinking process. The first stage of critical thinking is to search for challenges. It explains that not all challenges are obvious and on how you should make it a habit to look out for challenges that comes your way. The second stage of critical thinking is expressing the problem or issue. The e-book explains in more detail the difference between a problem and an issue. The third stage of critical thinking is to investigate the problem or issue. Last but not least, the fourth stage of critical thinking is producing ideas. I think that this is also the critical stage of what makes a critical thinker. When I was in the Navy during my first year, I noticed that it was very difficult to advance in the occupational specialty that I was in compared to the other military occupation. One of the things that I’ve noticed was that the reason why the advancement was difficult was because there were too many people who were in the field rating. The air department field rating was a difficult and dangerous job to be in; especially if you didn’t know what you were doing. There was long 18 hour work days that I had to do whenever there were out to sea deployments to the Persian Gulf. I also had to worry about equipment malfunction and the risk of falling over board from the flight deck. I was very dissatisfied with working with the air department division, so I decided to take the exam for a different rate when I was up for advancement. I was curious to find out what other military occupations were out there for me with less danger on the field and better advancement opportunity. Fortunately for me, the advancement exam that I took was 100% advancement and 18 hours less than what I had to work compared to the air department. Based from my reading of chapter 7, the problem for me was working long hours in a hazardous environment. I asked myself, how can I get out of a hazardous work environment such as working on the flight deck? How can I advance myself to a rate that has less competition? There were also some issues for me that I had to address. One of the questions I had to ask myself regarding the issue was if I should notify my supervisor that I plan on taking the advancement exam for another rate? Is he going to single me out and make me work harder in the division? In order to resolve my problem, I decided to take the advancement exam that focused on operating the radar systems and it was 100% advancement. The working hours were 6 hours on and 18 hours off rotations at the work center. The work environment was also less hazardous and more relaxed compared to the air department. For my issues to get resolved, I decided not to tell any of my supervisors that I plan to leave the division by taking the exam for another rate. I figured that if I don’t tell them what I plan to doing, then they will not single me out or make me work harder compared to the other people in the division. I believe that it was the best decision that I made during my time in the military. Before I decided to take the advancement exam, I noticed that one of my co-workers had also taken the same exam before me. According to chapter 8 of the â€Å"Art of Thinking,† I investigated the problems and issues that relate to working with the operations department compared to working in the air department. I took an eyewitness testimony from my former co-worker who used to work for the air department division, but later switch to the operations department division after taking the advancement exam. He provided the information to me regarding the pros and cons of working with the operations department. The con part of working with operations was that you were working around a lot of high ranking officers and always had to practice for certain drills, but the pro side to it was good advancement and less work hours compared to working with the air department. In conclusion, I think that one of the best ways for me to solve this problem was to avoid going into the air department in the first place. I should have weighed out my options in regards to finding out what other good department divisions that I could benefit from by working with them for the 4 years that I was with the Navy. I noticed that some fields such as working as an electrician has its benefits. I could have been able to transfer all of my work experience into the civilian side and done a similar job like that with more salary pay. I also now understood that the person who recruited me into the Navy had a quote to me in order for him to keep his job as a recruiter, but I should have done a better job in regards to thinking things out more critically in regards to how I was going to benefit from joining the Navy besides getting the educational benefits after successfully completing my contract of serving my country.

Generals die in bed Essay

â€Å"We light cigarettes against orders and cup our hands around them to hide the glow. We sit thinking. Fry stands motionless with his steel helmet shoved down almost over his eyes. He leans against the parapet motionless. There is a quiet dignity about his posture. I remember what we were told at the base about falling asleep on sentry duty. I nudge his leg. He grunts.† Generals Die in Bed is a anti-war novella written by a Canadian author. Based on a true story, this novella showcases the reality of being in the trenches of WW I. The passage I have selected above shows how defiant one can be in a time of stress and emotional trauma as well as how authority can set seemingly unfair rules. This passage can easily display themes of rebellious and defiance towards authority as it also creates a mood of anxiety and gloom through a first person perspective. Defiance is a bold resistance to authority and in this case the defiance of the soldiers is a perfect example of being rebellious to higher authority. While the soldiers work and live in the trenches they have a cloud hanging over them of not knowing what is to come. This is often an intimidating feeling and when one is intimidated they will find ways to assert their own importance which is often through rebellious acts. Intimidation often goes hand in hand with fear and in this novella and passage fear is a present theme. A theme is a unifying or dominant idea and clearly portrayed in this novella a few obvious themes may include defiance, rebellion, fear of the unknown and fear of death. This passage more so focuses on the theme of defiance; as they claimed â€Å"We light cigarettes against orders..†. There is a higher authority that has set rules for the soldiers. This idea of the 2 soldiers disobeying the rules is a very easily targeted example of rebellion or a rebellious act. As well as the soldier spoke of not falling asleep on sentry duty and when he noticed the second soldier Fry falling victim he was quick to make sure he was awake and alert. To me this showed a fear of consequence which would follow up of breaking a rule. A mood and feeling of anxiety comes from an overwhelming responsibility to over see the well being of your troops as they rest. This explains the importance of staying awake on sentry duty. This feeling and notion of death could potentially be around the corner will leave one full of stress and anxiety. The gloominess comes from being surrounded by death and sadness amoungst your fellow troops and the enemy. Its an experience that most people will never understand first hand but to those who volunteer or are voluntold it can often lead to mild or major trauma. The passage I have chosen above displays the true horrors of being in war but can only be recognized by those who looker for the deeper meaning of the passage. The words written by the author capture the essence of how war truly changes a man; defiance, disobedience, new and overpowering fears as well as emotional changes. For those who can realize and understand the