Get the Facts About Marijuana and THC

Get the Facts About Marijuana and THC Marijuana is one of the names given to the Cannabis sativa plant when it is used as a drug. The active ingredient in marijuana is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. What does marijuana look like? The appearance of marijuana depends on how it will be used, but it often resembles tobacco. Higher quality marijuana is made using only the flowering buds of the plant, while other marijuana may include leaves, stems, and seeds. Marijuana may be green, brown, or grayish in color. How is marijuana used? Marijuana may be smoked as a cigarette, in a pipe, in a blunt, or using a vaporizer. It may be consumed as a tea or in food. Why do people use marijuana? Marijuana is used because of its primary active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), produces a relaxed state and may heighten the senses. What are the effects of marijuana use? The effects of smoking marijuana  are felt as soon as the THC enters the bloodstream and last from 1-3 hours. Absorption of THC is slower if marijuana is ingested, typically producing effects 30 minutes to an hour after exposure and lasting up to 4 hours. Marijuana increases the heart rate, relaxes and enlarges bronchial passages, and dilates the blood vessels in the eyes, which may cause them to appear bloodshot. THC causes dopamine release, which produces euphoria. Colors and sounds may seem more intense, time may appear to pass more slowly, and pleasant sensations may be experienced. Dry mouth is common, as are intense thirst and hunger. After the euphoria passes, a user may feel sleepy or depressed. Some users experience anxiety or panic. What are the risks associated with marijuana use? Smoking marijuana results in many of the same risks associated with smoking tobacco, including coughing, increased susceptibility to lung infections, airway obstruction, and probably an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Other methods of taking marijuana are not associated with respiratory damage. Even low doses of marijuana impair concentration and coordination. Long-term heavy marijuana use may impair short-term memory long after the drug has been metabolized. Street Names for Marijuana Grass Pot Weed Bud Mary Jane Dope Indo Hydro 420 Acapulco Gold BC Bud Buddha Cheeba Chronic Ganja Green Goddess Herb Homegrown KGB (Killer Green Bud) Kindbud Locoweed Shake Sinsemilla Skunk Wacky Tabacky

The Role of the Mother Tongue in Second Language Learning Essay

The Role of the Mother Tongue in Second Language Learning - Essay Example The impact of the first language on the second language can bring problems especially in intercultural communication where the speakers use a lingua franca such as English or another language, hence causing misunderstandings and problems in communication. This research argues that contemporary linguistic theory demonstrates that primary language interference necessitates that second language instructor increasingly explore bilingual instructional strategies for teaching second language acquisition. The second language is any language that a person learns in addition to his/her first language. The term can also be used to refer to learning a third, fourth and subsequent languages. Second language acquisition is, therefore, the process by which people or learners study that language. The majority of linguists agree that errors made by second language learners originate from the speech of their first language. This occurs as a result of the influence of language transfer from the first language. The errors are mostly lexical or phonological. Still, the traditional approach to second language instruction has rigidly kept first and second languages rigidly separate. While instruction methods may be appropriate to keep a separate area for each language, linguistic theory demonstrates that bilingual instruction strategies are necessary. Rather than language learning existing in a vacuum, the learners’ mother tongue influences the way the second language vocabulary is learned and recalled for use. Learners at their disposal compensate their lack of knowledge by constructing difficult lexical items that are characterized by errors emanating from their first language. How the mother tongue helps or hinders learning is dependent on language distance, that is, the learners’ knowledge of the second language. Of course, there are also external aspects to language acquisition. Breen (135) and Prabhu (158) note that language is a social phenomenon. Most people seek to learn a language  to dialogue with the target language speakers and participate in their institutions.

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reflection - Essay Example This has transformed into a language of the future and a valuable asset. Growing up, a child of Chinese background is expected to gain mastery of basic mathematical skills. This starts from the initiative of their parents and is strengthened as he goes to school. In multiplication, 45 easy to memorize phrases are taught to children (Rao, Chi, & Cheng, 2009). The Chinese have a highly developed language that extends to mathematics which makes it easier for children to gain knowledge of the subject. Unlike in other countries where children first have to learn English symbols and translate math concepts before they are able to comprehend arithmetic problems, they have their own counterpart to basic mathematical language that a child easily adapts it starting at their home. This subject, considered to be a problem area by many students, is something simple to the Chinese. This may actually also translate to why they are considered good businessmen. China has a longstanding history and cu lture that has allowed for the cultivation of its language into many forms in different regional variations. The structure of the Chinese language is very different than from that of English. The most obvious of these differences is the writing style between the two languages.

Comic Book Anti-Heroes Essay Example for Free

Comic Book Anti-Heroes Essay The frequently talked about, critically celebrated – and to some extent excessively hyped – comic book miniseries Watchmen is most often described as a revisionist take on superhero conventions and narratives, and with good reason. Now retroactively referred to as a graphic novel, Watchmen sees writer-artist team Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons deal with costumed adventurers or ‘superheroes’ and attempt to place them within a ‘realist’ context. Moore and Gibbons do not appear to denigrate superheroes so much as purge them of the conceits that have become necessary for comic book readers to be able to suspend their disbelief. Watchmen takes place in an alternate reality of 1985, where Cold War tensions are at their highest and multiple term extensions have allowed Richard Nixon to remain President of the United States. Furthermore, the United States has a long and troubled relationship with costumed adventurers dating back to the late 1930s. While the sensational nature of costumed adventurers acquire much admiration in the initial decades of their appearance, public sentiment turns strongly against them and by 1977, the government passes the Keane Act, which outlaws vigilante heroism. As a result, the protagonists of Watchmen are divided evenly among those costumed adventurers who have retired and those who have not. In the former category lies the perpetually bored ornithologist named Dan Dreiberg, formerly the gadget reliant ‘Nite Owl’, Laurie Juspeczyk, a moderate feminist with assertion issues who was formerly the martial arts oriented ‘Silk Spectre’ and Adrian Veidt, a genius-level intellect and self-perfected athlete once known as ‘Ozymandias’ and now channels his talents towards a billion dollar business empire and renowned philanthropy. Those adventurers who have continued to operate despite the Keane Act provide the most fertile area for ethical and moral analysis, especially in the context of the historical background that Moore and Gibbons have constructed. These include Edward Blake, a brutally gung-ho ‘superpatriot’ known as ‘The Comedian’, Jon Osterman, a former physicist turned emotionally detached god-like being code-named by the U. S. government as ‘Doctor Manhattan’ and Walter Kovacs, an uncompromising moral absolutist and the only one who operates without government sanction as the cruel vigilante called ‘Rorschach’. Rorschach, The Comedian and Doctor Manhattan effectively function as anti-heroes in the sense that although their adventuring careers have persisted beyond the Keane Act, they are far removed from the heroic intentions that have been the traditional feature of costumed adventurers in comic book literature. Furthermore, the morality and ethics which governs their activities is shaded with far darker tones than the unwavering idealism of a Superman or the commitment to vigilance that characterizes a Batman. However, their anti-heroism character is owed in large part to the ways that they evoke the characteristics of traditional superhero archetypes. This is not an entirely unfounded observation. It is no secret that the characters of Watchmen originate with characters from a relatively obscure comic publishing company known as Charlton Comics. Pustz (146-147) and Jensen (47) both recount that the genesis of Watchmen was in a request made by Dick Giordano, then executive editor of DC Comics, that Moore apply his talents to characters that DC had just acquired from Charlton. Moore was selected primarily because of the revisionist skills he had displayed in books such as Swamp Thing and Marvelman. In the former, Moore turned a formulaic horror series into a melancholy drama with an environmentalist streak while in the latter, he toyed with what was a British Captain Marvel knock-off and subverted into an existentialist look at relationship between superhero and alter ego. Because Watchmen presented superheroes as sexually frustrated, politically emasculated and psychologically unstable, it would have presented problems for the commercial longevity of the Charlton characters, making them unusable for future stories. As a result, Moore was instructed to re-write his story with original characters, and the Charlton characters were ultimately re-introduced by DC Comics through different means. This meant that the specific histories of the Charlton characters no longer imposed any limitations on the story that Moore and collaborator Gibbons had chosen to tell. Pustz (147) observes that this was for the better: fewer readers would have the prior knowledge necessary to appreciating the Charlton characters than those who would appreciate original characters. However, for these original characters to resonate properly with audiences on a similar level as established characters it became necessary for Moore and Gibbons to develop them beyond what could be communicated in a finite number of comic book panels, even when allowing for flashbacks and copious amounts of background detail. To do so, Moore and Gibbons made use of various fictional documents such as a report on the political implications of Doctor Manhattan’s super-powered existence and the autobiography of Hollis Mason, the first Nite Owl and predecessor to Dan Dreiberg. The characters of Watchmen, as already suggested above, ended up being evocative of superhero archetypes. As Pustz notes: â€Å"Dr. Manhattan [†¦] echoes every omnipotent superhero from Superman to Miracleman to the Spectre. The Comedian refers [†¦] to patriotic heroes such as Captain America and superspies such as Marvel’s Nick Fury. Rorschach is [†¦] every other obsessed vigilante from Batman to the Punisher. † (Pustz 147) By converging the evocation of superhero archetypes with a dysfunctional alternate history, Moore and Gibbons impose profound effects on the psychology of Watchmen’s protagonists. Simply put, Watchmen’s protagonists really are anti-heroes in multiple senses of the word. This is because what Moore and Gibbons have done is make it impossible for their characters to sustain a heroic purity over the course of their careers, especially in the face of history. Many of the longest-running comic book series are those that feature superheroes, and require a moderate suspension of disbelief that allows them to persist in a constant state of present tense. Therefore, in addition to a diminished aging rate (if any at all), the psychological and political development of the characters is limited in order to allow them to sustain continued adventuring careers. Thus, while the Spider-Man of the 1960s hangs out with his pals at soda parlors and the Captain America of the 21st century faces personal uncertainty in the face of international anti-American sentiment, neither never fully achieve any personal disillusionment or psychological resolution that would end their stories. By contrast, the costumed heroes in the Watchmen world do not and cannot possess the static personalities that have allowed the likes of Captain America or Batman to function continuously in their own comic books, despite the changes in cultural and political zeitgeist. Even if their personalities weren’t so troubled and their motivations so void of nobility, the forces of history would still have gradually eroded the initial foundations of their adventuring careers, which they do. As such, the relationship between crime fighting and society changes radically in the decades between 1938, when costumed heroes make their first appearance, and the year 1985, which is when the primary events take place. Klock notes that ahistorical conditions are necessary to support the superhero narrative, opining that â€Å"superheroes only make sense in world where masked opponents support their fantasy, and masked opponents only exist to fight superheroes,† but because history and personality carry greater weight in Watchmen than they traditionally do in other superhero narratives. As a result, Watchmen’s protagonists encompass varying levels of cynicism, neuroticism and societal alienation. They become anti-heroes simply because it is impossible to for their heroism to remain pure at all. It is from this angle that Moore and Gibbons proceed to interrogate the effect of history on the individual viewpoints of costumed adventurers and superheroes, as well as their effects upon history itself. In addition to the geopolitical implications of Doctor Manhattan’s nigh omnipotence, Moore and Gibbons examine how personal humanity is profoundly altered by nigh omniscient awareness of history, whilst the Comedian is the expression of how historical tumult and a life of violence has corrupting effects on the patriotic character, rendering an almost irredeemable cynicism. In the case of Rorschach, who is Watchmen’s most (dis)reputable anti-hero, he experiences constant exposure to the endurance of social and cultural malaise which serves to only harden his moral and ethical absolutism. The result is an unwavering dedication to the pursuit of justice, one which would ordinarily and unquestionably admirable in traditional superheroes, but not in one who ultimately comes across as a fascist. Jackie Earle Haley, the actor who is to portray Rorschach in a feature film adaptation of Watchmen, notes that Rorschach’s personality centers around his contention with the oft-declared complexity of the world that is maintained as the excuse for its ills and woes: â€Å"Rorschach’s complexity is [†¦] an attacking complexity. He tries to simplify the world in black and white. [†¦] Rorschach thinks that you’re not what you say you mean, you’re what you do. You are your behavior [†¦] That sort of forced me to look at my own behavior, to ask myself, ‘Who’s my behavior victimizing today? ’ [†¦] We justify our behavior with complexity. Not for Rorschach. † (Adler 2008) Thus, it is not Rorschach’s relentless commitment to the pursuit of justice that gives him his anti-heroic character, as it is a quality he shares with Batman. Although portrayals of Batman have varied over the decades in both print and film, his ideals are not closely linked with his view of society, giving him a sense of ambivalence towards society’s collective responsibilities to its own welfare. Rorschach on the other hand, views the world with utter contempt, with little faith in its ability to redeem itself. His moral absolutism originates from humanity’s consistent inability to live up to the nobility it ascribes to itself. His development as a vigilante stems from humanity’s failure and inaction. In the case of a woman who had been raped, tortured and killed outside her own apartment building, he remembers that: â€Å"Nobody did anything. Nobody called cops. Some of them even watched. Do you understand? I knew what people were then, behind all the evasions, all the self-deception. Ashamed for humanity I went home. I took the remains of her unwanted dress and made a face that I could bear to look at in the mirror. † Traditional superheroes do not view the world with this much contempt, but Rorschach does. His contempt for humanity is most strongly articulated when he declares, â€Å"This rudderless world is not shaped by vague metaphysical forces. It is not God who kills the children. Not fate who butchers them or destiny that feeds them to the dogs. It’s us. † While Rorschach articulates the most complex relationship between an individual’s ideals and his perception of society, Doctor Manhattan expresses how ambivalence towards the value of human affairs leads to a sense of detachment that reduces an individual’s moral compass down to dehumanized utilitarianism. This is not to suggest that Manhattan’s nigh-omnipotence makes him morally apathetic. Rather, it alters his ethical code in such a fashion that the welfare of a numerical majority takes precedence, regardless of the cost. This is made most evident when he teleports an angry mob, which is a peaceful means of negating conflict, but it also leads to two shock-induced heart attacks. Manhattan maintains that this is statistically preferable to the larger number of casualties that would have been caused by mob violence. Towards the end of Watchmen, Manhattan becomes even more indifferent towards the redemption of humanity, opining that despite the attempts of individuals such as Ozymandias to bring about a peaceful new world order, â€Å"nothing ever ends. † While Rorschach’s desire is to impose his will and â€Å"scrawl [his] own design on this morally blank world,† and Manhattan dismisses the notion that human problems can ever be resolved, The Comedian simply doesn’t care. As a nihilist, the Comedian shares Rorschach’s belief that there is no moral or ethical principle which guides the universe. Despite the fact that he fought for the U. S. during the Vietnam War, he concludes that its outcome matters only to Americans and holds no meaning to the average Vietnamese. The Comedian is so utterly devoid of delusions about the moral value of geopolitical affairs, and his participation stems primarily from his loyalty to Uncle Sam rather than from any sense of idealism. His credo is that existence is one big joke, and he’s one of the few who is in on the gag. These three – Rorschach, Doctor Manhattan, The Comedian – are antiheroes not because they are devoid of any heroism, but rather because they express how a purity of ideals will always be shaped by the forces which history exerts upon them. They do not operate from a corrupt morality let alone from villainy: several moments reveal deeply obscured or twisted nobility within them all. Instead, they are anti-heroic because the gritty realities of society and the debilitating effects of continued crime fighting take hold upon them in ways that are denied to their conventional counterparts. Works Cited Pustz, Matthew J. Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1999. Klock, Geoff. â€Å"Who Watches the Watchmen? † SF Crowsnest, April 2003. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from: http://www. sfcrowsnest. com/sfnews2/03_april/news0403_6. shtml Adler, Shawn. â€Å"Is Rorschach ‘Watchmen’s’ Most Heroic Character? Jackie Earle Haley Thinks So. † MTV Splash Page, 21 August 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2008 from: http://splashpage. mtv. com/2008/08/21/is-rorschach-watchmens-most-heroic-character-jackie-earle-haley-thinks-so/

Anzaldúa’s Genre Borderlands Essay -- Gloria Anzaldua

Anzaldà ºa’s Genre Borderlands Gloria Anzaldà ºa writes of a Utopic frame of mind, the borderlands created in and lived in by the new mestiza. She describes the preexisting natures of the Anglos, Mexicanos, and Chicanos as seen around the southwest U.S. / Mexican border, indicative of the nations at large. She also probes the borders of language, sexuality, psychology and spirituality. Anzaldà ºa presents this information in various identifiable ways including the autobiography, historical/informative essay, and poetry. What is unique to Anzaldà ºa is her ability to weave a ‘perfect’ kind of compromised state of mind that melds together the preexisting cultures while simultaneously formulating a fusion of genres that stretches previously constructed borders, proving both problematic and a step in the right extremely ideal direction. Geography is the start of the novel and of the division of culture. There is hatred and derision linked heavily to the divide. This she tells primarily in historical formats, which she then intersperses with poetry. This makes the historical/ political pers...

Drama Performance Evaluation

In our most recent performance we created a play called â€Å"The Streets† In this my characters friend dies as he is shot by my brother. I have to show sadness towards his death during the slow motion reaction scene whilst also being shocked. When the scene comes to life I have to use body language and facial expression to show that at the same time. I am upset that my brother has shot my friend and that he took his to dislike towards him that far. Whilst being panicked and anxious, because I don’t know how to deal with the grief. I am searching for help, with my desperate pleas, but nobody is around to help me, as they are all in the same situation as my character. Everybody is dealing with same emotions. I think the piece was effective as the music throughout would have set the mood and atmosphere as the music is quite calming and relaxing, which contrasts with the harshness of the death. Also the â€Å"gangs† reaction is contrasted when they refuse to help him, and then later regret this decision. The sorrow begins to set in, the community will never be the same, as every single persons character is connected in some way to Tom. Whether that’s his friend, family or just someone who knew his family. We are all deeply affected by what has happened. During this performance we touch on the themes of domestic abuse, lies, relationships and drugs. The mood of the play stays the same throughout. As I was a gang member I had to change how I walked, the way I talked and my overall attitude and reactions to things to make it believable. I walked with a lisp, spoke in slang and reacted as if I thought that I was better than everyone else and that I could beat the all if it came to a fight. These are all the ways that I changed my character from my personality to get a higher mark. Of course costume was another factor to help me get in character. Overall I think that as a whole class we did very well, people remembered their cues and lines. Everyone knew what the next scene was. People used facial expressions to convey how they were feeling to the audience. And body language was used to make characters believable. Although of course there were some bad points, people lost focus and came out of character, people mimed actions and they were looking at the teacher whenever she didn’t get the lighting or music cues right. People also talked in between scenes. I would grade myself at a merit, as although it was effective towards the end, I lost my focus and it wasn’t clear as to who I was. As I became my comfortable with the audience being there then I began to become myself more and more towards the end of the performance which would obviously pull my grade down from a distinction.

Why The Mia / Pow Topic Was So Dangerous After The End Of...

The reason why the MIA/POW topic was so dangerous after the end of the war was the idea and hope to many Americans that the soldiers who were shot down over North Vietnam and labeled as missing during the war may be in a prison camp somewhere in the country (Herring, 370). While soldiers who were shot down or remains were not accounted for were automatically labeled as Missing in Action, this gave hopes to the soldier’s families that they could be alive causing the issue to become controversial and emotionally charged. Though the POWs were released in 1973, the government helped to heighten this troublesome issue after the war by making comments like â€Å"the total accounting is not possible,† by the House Select Committee or Reagan who said, â€Å"the return of all POWs is the nation’s highest priority† (Appy. 244). With These suggestions by the government spurred this controversial topic on by the American public. While Vietnam’s government advoc ated that they had released all prisoners, Regan continued to suggest there could still be many MIAs that were still alive. While this initiated the public’s efforts for the government to take action, many felt that if Vietnam was covering the POW issue up, that this would bring a negative view towards the country (Rosenthal, The Myth of the Lost POWs). While many believed that a large number of prisoners remained in Vietnam, the media, pop culture and Hollywood Movies only helped to foster this belief (Appy, 245). Popular movies such asShow MoreRelatedAutobilography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic116934 Words   |  468 Pagesconcerned. I thought he was all right at that time, certainly not a Mourinho or Capello, but an ok guy. This was way before we started our war. It was the fall of 2009 and I was living my childhood dream. I was playing in the best team in the world and had been welcomed by 70 000 people at the Camp Nou. I was walking on clouds. Well maybe not entirely, there were some bullshit in the papers. I was the bad boy and all that. I was difficult dealing with. But still, I was here. Helena and the kids