Marijuana and its effects on mental health

Marijuana and its effects on mental health Marijuana is a drug used commonly in the world among teenagers. The countries most affected are New Zealand, United States of America, Australia and several countries in Western Europe. It is estimated that around162 million people all over the world use marijuana and this represents 3.9 percent of the population worldwide (Sundram, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana and its effects on mental health specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is believed that the consumption of this drug is associated with several negative impacts on human health. Therefore, this paper seeks to analyze the epidemiological research study findings that will show the relationship between marijuana and its effects on mental health. Marijuana is a drug that is smoked like a cigarette. Studies show that the drug has adverse effects on the brain of the users. It has an active herbal component that is referred to as tetrahydrocannabina l that is known for its negative effects on cannabinoid receptors (Murray Bevins 2010). Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal greatly affects the CB receptors. To understand the altering role of cannabis, it is necessary to understand that CB receptors are divided into CB1 and CB2. CB1 plays a variety of regulatory roles in the body and is found in many parts of the brain. On the other hand, CB2 receptors play the role of regulating the immune system. CB! Activates G-proteins then reduce the production of Calcium ions while increasing Potassium ion distribution. These processes lead to â€Å"†¦depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition† (Murray and Bevins, 2010, p. 266). This process generally leads to impeding of transmission from the presynaptic terminal.† Endogenous cannabinoid becomes more at the post synaptic stage causing further postsynaptic excitation. The effect of marijuana on the CB1 receptors have has great impacts on the daily activities of an individual . The synaptic processes are great factors in learning and the process of memorization. In precision, use of marijuana affects an individual’s memory and learning process through the impact of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal component that affects the CB1 receptors. This happens through the inhibition of endocannabinoid signaling which is a prerequisite for the learning process that takes place in the cerebrum. Furthermore, the same endocannabinoid signaling is a prerequisite for the processes of memorization that take place in the amygdale (Murray, Morrison, Henquet Forti, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Other studies have also pointed out that early stages of marijuana use leads to reduced blood flow to the brain. This is referred to as cerebral blood flow. However, the effect is not similar with experienced marijuana users of whom the study pointed out increa se in cerebral blood flow. As compared to placebo, the use of marijuana generally increased cerebral blood flow in the globe especially in the frontal lobe and the right hemisphere. Another study pointed out increased metabolism in the cerebral after induction of marijuana (OLeary, Block, Koeppel, Flaum, Schultz, Andreasen,Ponto, Watkins,Hurtig Hichwa,2002). Short-term memory is another victim of increased use of cannabis. According to Iversen (2003), several studies have been carried out and proved that short term memory is greatly impaired by increased use of cannabis. It has been proved that most users of marijuana faired poorly in tests that included attention. On other studies carried out on animals, it was clearly founded that THC which is the most active component of marijuana, synthetic cannabinoids and anandamide affect an individual’s short term memory. This was very evident also in tasks that involved spatial learning. He further shows that cannabinoids affect to a great extend the hippocampus. The effects of the use of marijuana can be comparable to those exhibited by the removal of this important part of the brain (Richardson, 2010). Cannabinoids impair with the ability of this part to process the sensory information through disrupting of the hippocampal circuits. There are other effects of marijuana on the brain that have not been scientifically proved. For instance, medical research on deceases associated with brains show that there is an increase in chances of having several of these deceases in individuals who smoke marijuana. For instance, Sundram (2006) argues that the use of marijuana can be associated with most of the common mental health problems. Among them are strong links between use of cannabis and depression. In addition, cannabis was also linked to anxiety, bipolar disorder, manic and hypomanic symptoms, psychosis et cetera.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marijuana and its effects on mental health s pecifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In his conclusion, it is clear that there is a complex relationship between the use cannabis and these mental diseases. However, it calls for further research because so far no clear causes have been identified. Even so, use of cannabis has been scientifically tested and proved to have exacerbate the symptoms of most of the mental diseases. Murray et al (2007) bring out another negative effect of marijuana on the brain. In their argument, they purport that use of marijuana negatively implicates on higher brain functions. This can be attributed to the effects of THC on the neocortex. Neocortex is affected by marijuana given the high concentration of CB1 in it. The effect of THC on pre and post synaptic processes is explained earlier in the paper. As a result of these, marijuana users tend to experience time moving faster than the normal speed at which the rest of the people experience. If asked t estimate the t ime spent during a period, they tend to over-estimate time. On the other side, if asked to give cue after an estimated period of time, they tend to give the cue after a shorter duration that outlined. Laaris, Good Lupica (2010) argue that marijuana has great effects on the hypothalamus. The endocannabinoid anandamide had been proved to be a great stimulant of food intake in animals. The study concluded that the hypothalamus contained the endocannabinoids which play an integral role in regulation of food intake. This points out that impairment of the CB1 receptors in the hypothalamus might have effects on the control of food intake. Use of marijuana (which is actually the injection of THC) inhibits the production of leptin and hence increases the appetite of the individual. This means that use of marijuana impairs with an individual’s ability to control food intake. In conclusion, research has clearly pointed out that use of marijuana has drastic effects on the functioning of the brain. The CB1 receptors which are very common in the brain when impaired can have negative effects on high level functioning of the brain, short term memory, food intake regulation, increase in cerebral blood flow and exacerbation of symptoms of mental health complications. All these effects of marijuana are caused by the Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal, and other active chemical elements found in marijuana that alter the functioning of the CB1 elements in the brain. Although the use of marijuana has been associated with some few positive effects, the negative ones simply outweigh them.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is therefore important that an individual understands the effects that the drug has on their brain and how this impacts their day to day lives before making the decision of using marijuana. Reference List Iversen, L. (2003). Cannabis and the brain. Brain, 126, 1252-1270. Laaris, N., Good, C., Lupica, C. (201O).Tetrahydrocannabinol is a full at CB1 Receptors on GABA neuron axon terminals in the hippocampus.  Neuropharmacology, 59, 121-127. Murray, J., Bevins, R., (2010). Cannabinoid conditioned reward and aversion: Behavioral and neural process. ACS Chemical neuroscience, 1, 265 -278. Murray, R., Morrison, P., Henquet, C., Forti, M. (2007). Cannabis, and mind the Society: the hash realities.Science and society, 8, 885. OLeary, D., Block, R., Koeppel, J., Faum, M., Schultz, S., Andreasen, A., Ponto, L.,Watkins, G., Hurtig, G., Hichwa, R. (2002). Effects of smoking marijuana on perfusion and cognition. Neuropsychopharmacology, 26(6), 802-816. Richardson, T. (2010). Cannabis us e and mental health: A review of recent epidemiological research. International journal of pharmacology, 6(6), 796-807 Sundram, S., (2006).Cannabis and neurodevelopment: implications for psychiatric disorders. Human psychopharmacology, 21, 245.

Quotes From Leo Tolstoys Classic Anna Karenina

Quotes From Leo Tolstoy's Classic 'Anna Karenina' Anna Karenina  has long been considered one of the greatest works in  world literature. First published in 1877, the Russian classic was inspired by a tragic incident that author Leo Tolstoy witnessed. The lengthy novel spans a wide breadth  of subject matter, including love, infidelity, and death. Get better acquainted with its themes with the following quotes, or revisit Anna Karenina if youve read the novel already but havent done so recently. This expansive novel is divided into several different books. Excerpts From Book  1 Book 1, Chapter 1 Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. Book 1, Chapter 9 The place where [Kitty] stood seemed to him a holy shrine, unapproachable, and there was one moment when he was almost retreating, so overwhelmed was he with terror. He had to make an effort to master himself, and to remind himself that people of all sorts were moving about her, and that he too might come there to skate. He walked down, for a long while avoiding looking at her as at the sun, but seeing her, as one does the sun, without looking. Book 1, Chapter 12 The French fashion - of the parents arranging their childrens future - was not accepted; it was condemned. The English fashion of the complete independence of girls was also not accepted, and not possible in Russian society. The Russian fashion of matchmaking by the officer of intermediate persons was for some reason considered disgraceful; it was ridiculed by everyone, and by the princess herself. But how girls were to be married, and how parents were to marry them, no one knew. Book 1, Chapter 15 I see a man who has serious intentions, thats Levin; and I see a peacock, like this featherhead, whos only amusing himself. Book 1, Chapter 18 And as soon as her brother had reached her, [Anna] flung her left arm around his neck and drew him rapidly to her, and kissed him warmly, with a gesture that struck Vronsky by its decision and its grace. Vronsky gazed, never taking his eyes from her, and smiled, he could not have said why. But recollecting that his mother was waiting for him, he went back again into the carriage. Book 1, Chapter 28 Ive been the cause of that ball being a torture to her instead of a pleasure. But truly, truly its not my fault, or only my fault a little bit, she said, daintily drawling the words a little bit. Passages From Book 2 Book 2, Chapter 4 The highest Petersburg society is essentially one: in it everyone knows everyone else, everyone even visits everyone else. Book 2, Chapter 7 Steps were heard at the door, and Princess Betsy, knowing it was Madame Karenina, glanced at Vronsky. He was looking toward the door, and his face wore a strange new expression. Joyfully, intently, and at the same time timidly, he gazed at the approaching figure, and slowly he rose to his feet. Book 2, Chapter 8 Alexey Alexandorivich had seen nothing striking or improper in the fact that his wife was sitting with Vronsky at a separate table, in eager conversation with him about something. But he noticed that to the rest of the party this appeared to be something striking and improper. He made up his mind that he must speak of it to his wife.   Book 2, Chapter 21 She flew over the ditch as though not noticing it. She flew over it like a bird; but at the same instant Vronsky, to his horror, felt that he had failed to keep up with the mares pace, that he had, he did not know how, made a fearful, unpardonable mistake, in recovering his seat in the saddle. All at once his position had shifted and he knew something awful had happened. Book 2, Chapter 25 He vividly recalled all the constantly recurring instances of inevitable necessity for lying and deceit, which were so against his natural bent. He recalled particularly vividly the shame he had more than once detected in her at this necessity for lying and deceit. And he experienced the strange feeling that had sometimes come upon him since his secret love for Anna. This was a feeling of loathing for something - whether for Aleksey Alexandrovich, or for himself, or for the whole world, he could not have said. But he always drove away this strange feeling. Now, too, he shook it off and continued the thread of his thoughts. Highlights From Book 3 Book 3, Chapter 1 To Konstantin, the peasant was simply the chief partner in their common labor. Book 3, Chapter 5 The longer Levin mowed, the oftener he felt the moments of unconsciousness in which it seemed that the scythe was mowing by itself, a body full of life and consciousness of its own, and as though by magic, without thinking of it, the work turned out regular and precise by itself. These were the most blissful moments.   Book 3, Chapter 12 He could not be mistaken. There were no other eyes like those in the world. There was only one creature in the world who could concentrate for him all the brightness and meaning of life. It was she. It was Kitty. Book 3, Chapter 23 I want you not to meet that man here, and to conduct yourself so that neither the world nor the servants can reproach you...not to see him. Thats not much, I think. And in return you will enjoy all the privileges of a faithful wife without fulfilling her duties. Thats all I have to say to you. Now its time for me to go. Im not dining at home. He got up and moved toward the door. Book 3, Chapter 32 Levin said what he had genuinely been thinking of late. He saw nothing but death or the advance toward death in everything. But his cherished scheme only engrossed him all the more. Life had to be got through somehow till death did come. Darkness had fallen, upon everything for him; but just because of this darkness he felt that the one guiding clue in the darkness was his work, and he clutched it and clung to it with all his strength. Quotes From Books 4 and 5 Book 4, Chapter 1 The Kareninas, husband and wife, continued living in the same house, met every day, but were complete strangers to one another. Aleksey Aleksandrovich made it a rule to see his wife every day, so that the servants might have no grounds for suppositions, but avoided dining at home. Vronsky was never at Aleksey Aleksandrovichs house, but Anna saw him away from home, and her husband was aware of it. Book 4, Chapter 13 Levin got up and escorted Kitty to the door. In their conversation everything had been said; it had been said that she loved him and that she would tell her father and mother that he would come tomorrow morning. Book 4, Chapter 23 Oh, why didnt I die? It would have been better! Book 5, Chapter 1 What doubt can you have of the Creator when you behold His creation? the priest went on in the rapid customary jargon. Who has decked the heavenly firmament with its stars? Who has clothed the earth in its beauty? How could it be without the Creator? he said, looking inquiringly at Levin. Book 5, Chapter 18 Levin could not look calmly at his brother; he could not himself be natural and calm in his presence. When he went in to the sick man, his eyes and his attention were unconsciously dimmed, and he did not see and did not distinguish the details of his brothers condition. He smelled the awful odor, saw the dirt, disorder, and miserable condition, and heard the groans, and felt that nothing could be done to help. It never entered his head to analyze the details of the sick mans situation. Book 5, Chapter 18 But Kitty thought, and felt, and acted quite differently. On seeing the sick man, she pitied him. And pity in her womanly heart did not arouse at all that feeling of horror and loathing that it aroused in her husband, but a desire to act, to find out the details of his condition, and to remedy them. Book 5, Chapter 20 In spite of death, he felt the need for life and love. He felt that love saved him from despair, and that this love, under the threat of despair, had become still stronger and purer. The one mystery of death, still unsolved, had scarcely passed before his eyes, when another mystery had arisen, as insoluble, calling to love and to life. The doctor confirmed his suspicion about Kitty. Her indisposition was pregnancy. Book 5, Chapter 33 Hideous! As long as I live I shall never forget it. She said it was a disgrace to sit beside me. Selections From Book 6 Book 6, Chapter 16 And they attack Anna. What for? Am I any better? I have, anyway, a husband I love - not as I would like to love him, still I do love him, while Anna never loved hers. How is she to blame? She wants to live. God has put that in our hearts. Very likely I should have done the same. Book 6, Chapter 18 The one thing, darling, is that I am so glad to have you! said Anna, kissing her again. You havent told me yet how and what you think about me, and I keep wanting to know. But Im glad you will see me as I am. Above all, I wouldnt want people to think that I want to prove anything. I dont want to prove anything; I merely want to live. Book 6, Chapter 25 And he set off for the elections without appealing to her for a candid explanation. It was the first time since the beginning of their intimacy that he had parted from her without a full explanation. From one point of view this troubled him, but on the other hand he felt that it was better so. At first there will be, as this time, something undefined kept back, and then she will get used to it. In any case, I can give up anything for her, but not my independence, he thought. Book 6, Chapter 32 And though she felt sure that his love for her was waning, there was nothing she could do, she could not in any way alter her relations to him. Just as before, only by love and by charm could she keep him. And so, just as before, only by occupation in the day, by morphine at night, could she stifle the fearful thought of what would be if he ceased to love her. Excerpts From Book 7 and 8 Book 7, Chapter 10 Tell your wife that I love her as before, and that if she cannot pardon me my position, then my wish for her is that she may never pardon it. To pardon it, one must go through what I have gone through, and may God spare her that. Book 7, Chapter 11 An extraordinary woman! Its not her cleverness, but she has such wonderful depth of feeling. Im awfully sorry for her. Book 7, Chapter 11 Youre in love with that hateful woman; she has bewitched you! I saw it in your eyes. Yes, yes! What can it all lead to? You were drinking at the club, drinking and gambling, and then you went. Book 7, Chapter 26 Now nothing mattered: going or not going to Vozdvizhenskoe, getting or not getting a divorce from her husband. All that did not matter. The only thing that mattered was punishing him. When she poured out her usual dose of opium, and thought that she had only to drink off the whole bottle to die, it seemed to her so simple and easy that she began musing with enjoyment on how he would suffer, and repent and love her memory when it would be too late. Book 7, Chapter 31 But she did not take her eyes from the wheels of the second car. And exactly at the moment when the midpoint between the wheels drew level with her, she threw away the red bag, and drawing her head back into her shoulders, fell on her hands under the car, and with a light movement, as though she would rise immediately, dropped on her knees. And at the instant she was terror-stricken at what she was doing. Where am I? What am I doing? What for? She tried to get up, to throw herself back; but something huge and merciless struck her on the head and dragged her down on her back. Book 8, Chapter 10 But now, since his marriage, when he had begun to confine himself more and more to living for himself, though he experienced no delight at all at the thought of the work he was doing, he felt absolutely convinced of its necessity, saw that it succeeded far better than in the past, and that it kept on growing more and more. Book 8, Chapter 14 Just as the bees, whirling round him, now menacing him and distracting his attention, prevented him from enjoying complete physical peace, forced him to restrain his movements to avoid them, so had the petty cares that had swarmed about him from the moment he got into the trap restricted his spiritual freedom; but that lasted only so long as he was among them. Just as his bodily strength was still unaffected in spite of the bees, so too was the spiritual strength that he had just become aware of.

Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism - Essay Example The research delves on leisure activities. Leisure activities focus on both physical leisure activities. The physical activities include sports activities. The nonphysical activities include non-sport leisure activities. Leisure activities must enhance one’s interpersonal relationships. In layman’s terms, leisure activity is correctly described as any act done during work breaks. Leisure is the free time during non-nonworking days like Saturdays, Sundays, and official holidays. Leisure is the opportunity given to the person to do whatever he or she wants during the person’s free from work time or unemployed time. Leisure time can be use to rest or recreation (Veal & Lynch, 2001). Further, Lynch and Veal correctly reiterated that leisure is composed of three dimensions. The dimensions include time devoted to leisure. Another dimension includes occupations that constitute leisure. Leisure also includes attitudes that define leisure. Both authors correctly insist th at leisure activities include the love for the outdoor sports. The outdoor sports activities incorporate the leisure activities of the Aboriginal tribes of Australia. The Aboriginal people love the wilderness. Additionally, the Europeans of Australia include organized sports activities as leisure activities. The organized sports incorporate the European cultural and Leisure concepts. The overpowering demands of structured working lives included organized leisure activities. Leisure is done during times when work is finished or on hold recess (Veal & Lynch, 2001). For example, leisure activities are done at night, after the daily 9- 5 work schedule is accomplished. Leisure activities are done during Saturdays and Sundays, during off work days. Furthermore, Godbey rightfully insists that leisure is the act of pursuing the truth and understanding of oneself. The leisure act includes several contemplative ingredients. The contemplative ingredients are aesthetic, philosophical, psycholog ical and religious in nature. Thus, reading several books on philosophy, arts, literature (Shakespeare) are considered leisure activities. Reading books to resolve whether Charles Darwin’s evolution theory is correct is another brain enriching leisure activity (Veal, 1992). On my own, my leisure time is spent on sports activities. I prefer to play basketball games. Basketball gives the quick mind to analyse whether to move forward and shoot the ball or to stop my running and shoot the ball. The game of basket ball allows me to compete with other individuals who love the game of basketball. Basketball is a game of speed. To increase my speed, I continually do speed running. Additionally, my other leisure activity is reading books. I love to read books on topics that are related to my class lessons. I love to read the tragedies of Shakespeare. I also read books related to my school assignments. The books increase my current stock knowledge on the topics discussed in class. Conc lusion Leisure activity can have diverse culture-based meanings. The research shows different leisure activities. Leisure activities include physical leisure activities. The physical activities include perspiring sports activities. The nonphysical activities include sport-exempt leisure activities. Evidently, leisure activities improve one’s interpersonal relationships. Question 2 Introduction: Culture conflict often crops up in everyday situations. The research delves on conflict occurrences. The research delves on conflict resolution. Conflict resolution research involves contribution from different parties. Conflict resolution is the peaceful alternative to more other violent conflict interactions. The author correctly states that managers in event, sport,

Magnet Schools and the Pursuit of Racial Balance Essay

Magnet Schools and the Pursuit of Racial Balance - Essay Example There are 3 goals of magnet schools - to reduce minority isolation, to eliminate minority isolation and to prevent minority enrolment. Out of 54 schools in Cincinnati sample frame 10 magnet schools and 10 non magnet schools were selected. A questionnaire was distributed to all the fifth grade parents and to all non administrative staff in each school of the selected temple. Magnet schools are a tool for racial balance. Many parents believe that the goal of integration is beneficial for both the parents as well as the students. In conclusion we may say that the students will derive benefits from encounters with students from different races. In 1802, Nassau Hall was consumed by fire, the next year Dickson College's building was burned down likewise there were many such college buildings which were either burned or affected by other natural calamities like lightening. Often when a college had a building, it had no students and when it had students it had no buildings. And it if had both than it didn't have money, professors or president. College founding in the 19th century was undertaken with the same spirit as canal-building, farming etc. Yale men were responsible for setting up Christian goals in the west. For the Methodists and the Baptists founding colleges became a part of their process of coming to terms with middle class societies.

The Next Big Thing What Is Pinterest Marketing Essay

The Next Big Thing What Is Pinterest Marketing Essay Pinterest is a website that lets individuals or businesses gather and share the numerous interesting items, pictures, videos, or anything that interests them; It is essentially a community of curators (Pinterest, 2012, p.1). The term pin refers to posting or placing an item on your pinboard (Pinterest, 2012, p.1). Individuals use pinboards to beautify their households/offices, design their weddings, learn about new recipes, and other interesting things (Pinterest, 2012, p.1). The website allows users to browse through other pinboards of individuals or brands; browsing through pinboards is an exciting way to discover new ideas (Pinterest, 2012, p.2). Pinterest users are encouraged to interact with the content by repining it, sharing pins on Facebook and Twitter or via email, and even embedding individual pins on their website or blog (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 9). . 1.1 Brief History of Pinterest Pinterest was created by a company called Cold Brew Labs in 2009 (Carlson, 2012, pg. 1). Cold Brew Labs initially consisted of three founders, but a couple of months later it consisted of only Ben Silberman and Paul Sciarra (Carlson, 2012, pg. 1). It has since grown to become one the best and most used social media platform. As of Fall 2012, Pinterest had over 11 million users, of which up to 80% of the users are women between the ages of 25 and 55 (Hayden, 2012, p.1). According to Beth Hayden (2012), the demographic is shifting and there are more men joining Pinterest, she also goes on to talk about how Pinterest users are fairly affluent, with an average salary of $50,000. 1.2 SWOT Analysis of Pinterest The major strengths of Pinterest are its users, its fun and easy interface, its ability to increase traffic, ability to increase sales, and its abilty to link and lead (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 9-12). The major weaknesses of Pinterest are spams, the fact that it is not on all smartphones, and also the fact that they are yet to develop a clear, effective revenue mode (Hubspot, 2012). Opportunities available for Pinterest are take over/mergers, more mobile apps, and. Threats are clone sites, biggers sites like google, facebook (Hubspot, 2012). 2. How Are They Influencing Social Media? 3-5 years ago an average online customer would have to ask friends or professional for wedding tips, home dà ©cor tips, or even food tips. Today, Pinterest is changing the way we access information, we no longer need to pay a professional for wedding tips, home dà ©cor tips, etc. However, the main question is how does that influence social media? Well, Pinterest has filled the void social media giants Facebook and Twitter have failed to fill by providing consumers and sellers the perfect medium to exchange ideas visually. At present, Pinterest is driving more referral traffic than LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube combined, the only social media platform driving more traffic than Pinterest is Facebook (Hayden, 2012, p.11) Pinterest, whose users have been proven to buy more items, spend more money, and complete more transactions online than any other site (Crum, 2012, p. 2). In short, the people who use Pinterest are the ones at the heart of every social media outlet on the market these days, and what theyre looking at and buying is critical to any successful merchant (Crum, 2012, p. 2). 3. How Can Businesses Effectively Use Pinterest Pinterest presents businesses with a variety of activities you can initiate to market your company to a new audience (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 22). The goal is to increase or attain brand recognition, drive traffic to your website and be successful at transferring the new visits into leads and/or sales (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 22) Pinterest is an awesome social media platform for businesses that rely on high-volume of website traffic to increase sales. In fact, early research indicates that Pinterest is more effective at driving traffic compared to other social media sites, even Facebook (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 10). At the end of the day, whats going to matter most is how much traffic, leads, sales, and customers you generate via Pinterest (Hubspot, 2012, pg.27). What is the behaviour of traffic? What topic drives traffic? Analytics tools like Pin Alert, Pinerly, and Pinvolve can help a business monitor and measure growth (Honigman, 2012, p.1). 3.1 How To Drive Website Traffic and/or Sales Via Pinterest First of all, the business has to realize that it has to gain followers, and the easiest way to do this is by becoming an information curator for your niche (Hayden, 2012, p.1). Gather the newest and best resources on your boards. Become a trusted source of information on Pinterest, and your following will grow by leaps and bounds (Hayden, 2012, p.1). Also, Connect your account with your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Not only will it help you gain followers, but making this connection adds social media icons under your profile picture that link to your Facebook and Twitter profiles (Hayden, 2012, p.1). A lot of brands have already started creating contests using Pinterest. Hold a contest that asks users to create a pinboard on their own account to demonstrate what they love about your brand, products, or services (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 25) Make it super easy for website visitors to share your visual content or images on Pinterest by adding a Pin It button to your site (Hayden, 2012, p.1). Just like other social media sharing buttons, this will help to expose your brand to a new audience (Hayden, 2012, p.1). Offer exclusive Pinterest promotions. Create pins that give special promotions for following you on Pinterest (Hayden, 2012, p.1). Create a board that tells the story of your company and communicates your core values. Make this board available to people as part of your sales process (Hayden, 2012, p.1). 4. Brands Already On Pinterest Pinterest offers a great medium to connect with your audience. The brands that have been most successful arent just enabling users to pin their content; rather, theyre getting in on the pinning themselves (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 34) Unlike Twitter, The top profiles, owned by individuals, on Pinterest are over 10 times larger than the top profiles owned by companies, and none are celebrity accounts (business insider, 2012). Individuals who have been successful have kept it simple: Lots of pictures of food and fashion (Minato, 2012, p.2) Pinterest offers a great medium to connect with your audience. The brands that have been most successful arent just enabling users to pin their content; rather, theyre getting in on the pinning themselves. (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 34) Below are 5 brands that are doing well: Perfect Pallete Drake University Mashable Wall Street Journal Whole Foods Market 4.1 What are they doing right? While Pinterest is still very young and its true ROI remains to be seen, here are three examples of brands who are already using Pinterest the right way: to engage fans in a meaningful way that gets them to react, share, and even convert (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 34) The Perfect Palette, a wedding blog that explores the color palette possibilities for your wedding and serves, as a resource for other wedding ideas, would seem to be a perfect match for Pinterest and it is (Wasserman, 2012, p.1). Drake University for instance uses Pinterest to interact with students and help them navigate campus life, they also showcases items its student population might actually be interested in: clothing that matches the schools colors, room dà ©cor perfect for the dorm, guides to making cheap food look and taste awesome, and study inspirations (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 39). If you are a potential student, you can learn everything you need to know about the school with just a few quick glances (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 34) Meanwhile, since Pinterest looks a bit like a newspaper, the Wall Street Journal made it into an actual newspaper. The newspaper takes the most interesting quotes from its articles, highlights them on its Quotes Board and then encourages users to click on them (Minato, 2012, p.1). Food is one of the major niches or shared interests on Pinterest. In fact, food lovers were among the first on Pinterest; they saw the benefits of pinning instead of clipping recipes. These foodies used boards to plan dinner parties, collect holiday baking ideas, and create their own virtual cookbooks (Helm, 2012, p.4). 5. Conclusion As you can tell, the trick to succeeding on Pinterest isnt necessarily about showing off your products or services directly. Its about finding creative ways to show how those products and services fit into the lifestyles of your target audience (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 43). Take the best practices we have shared here and start pinning content that represents your company identity and attracts visitors back to your website (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 43). Finally, dont invest a ton of effort in marketing on Pinterest unless you can measure the results of your activities (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 43). Be smart about the way you prioritize your marketing initiatives and keep a close eye on the specific benefits this new social network can provide to your business (Hubspot, 2012, pg. 43). At the end, it comes down to this: make an amazing product, and people will buy it (Patterson, 2011, p.1)

Joy Luck Club †Conflict Essay

Conflicts play a crucial role in novels and are seen in many different forms. Two of which are internal and external. An internal conflict is when a character must deal with private problems. An external conflict is when a character must deal with problems originating from another person or the public in general. These types of conflicts are visible within the novel entitled The Joy Luck Club written by Amy Tan. There are many prominent conflicts seen in The Joy Luck Club. Two of which I’ve chosen are between Waverly and Lindo, and between June and Waverly. The first prominent conflict within this novel deals with Waverly and her mother Lindo. Waverly feels as though her mother is attempting to ruin her life by causing her to â€Å"see black where there once was white† (186). Waverly believes Lindo is attempting to influence her daughter for the worse. She doesn’t want to be influenced by her mother’s opinions, her criticisms of everything that she loves, yet Waverly fears that even if she â€Å"recognized her sneak attack, she was afraid that some unseen speck of truth would fly into her eye, blur what she was seeing and transform it† (181) into the thing that her mother saw, into something full of faults, something that is not good enough for her. Waverly resents this, yet Lindo believes that it is for Waverly’s own good. She does not want Waverly to accept something just because it was a gift, like the fur jacket that Rich gave Waverly. Lindo believes that she has taught Waverly to grow up with valu es, with goals that everyone and everything must meet. As Waverly shows Lindo the jacket, Lindo inspects it, finally reporting, â€Å"This is not so good† (186). Waverly protests, â€Å"He gave me this from his heart,† (186) to which Lindo replies, â€Å"That is why I worry† (186). Lindo simply wants Waverly to strive for the best. Lindo believes that her daughter deserves the best, and nothing should influence her for the worse. The conflict between mother and daughter is finally resolved after Waverly confronts her mother about the verbal abuse she has endured. Waverly realizes that her mother is only â€Å"an old woman†¦ getting a little crabby as she waited patiently for her daughter to invite her in† (204). Waverly finally tells her mother about her life, especially about Rich, and they begin to get along better. Both must sacrifice a little pride to make the relationship work, but as they both do so, they grow closer and their relationship becomes stronger as a result. The second important conflict within The Joy Luck Club deals with the competition between June and Waverly. Their conflict begins at birth, considering that they are only one month apart. Their mothers started the competition by comparing which baby was the smartest, strongest, prettiest, and so on. They compare â€Å"the creases in their belly buttons, how shapely their earlobes were, how fast they healed when they scraped their legs, how thick and dark their hair† (27). As the children grow, they follow their mothers’ examples and begin to compete on their own, especially Waverly. Once Waverly becomes famous from her chess playing, she begins to rub her success in June’s face. Waverly was never afraid to make June feel bad about herself, stating after a bad piano recital, â€Å"You aren’t a genius like me† (151). June resents all that Waverly does to her, to make her lose confidence in herself. Even Waverly’s compliments are sneak attacks on June. The simplest statement could turn ugly in a second. For example, Waverly compliments her haircut at New Year’s, yet when she discovers that June still sees David, the gay man, she states, â€Å"He could have AIDS†¦ you can’t be too safe these days†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (229). June struggles with anger, and finally, after many years of torment, she sees her opportunity to prove Waverly wrong, to show her that she also makes mistakes. June states, â€Å"Maybe I could afford Mr. Rory’s prices if someone’s firm paid me on time† (230). However, this also backfires on June. Waverly is initially surprised and hurt, then she simply tells June that her copy writing was not what their firm was looking for. June is crushed again. She will never triumph over the genius, which is Waverly. June finally realizes that she will never be as smart or as strong as Waverly. June knows that â€Å"she is good at what she did, succeeding at something small like that† (233). She finally accepts herself as she is, ending her competition with Waverly once and for all. In closing, the conflicts within this book deal with internal and external conflicts for each character. Two of the most visible conflicts are between Lindo and Waverly, and between June and Waverly. Each of the conflicts is resolved through some sort of compromise on one or both sides.

Medieval Europe The Dark Ages - 1231 Words

Medieval Europe: The Dark Ages By: Robbie Kees, Keegan Sokorai, Lizzy Heinemann, Victoria Crooker, Zack Dahms, and Lily Lugiano Europe fell into the Dark Ages in 410 AD, when the Mother of the World fell to economic and social troubles. Rome had supplied food, language, and knowledge of architecture and farming, et cetera. So much, in fact, that Europe was conquered immediately after Rome fell. The Visigoths are a tribe of nomadic barbarians from Germany, who are more commonly referred to as the Goths. They were the ones who conquered Europe after the Mother of the World’s demise. The phrase â€Å"Mother of the World† refers to Rome and it’s power. Rome was the most powerful city before the Dark Ages. The Europeans depended so heavily on Rome to supply their demands, such as food and trade that when Rome fell, Europe descended into economic chaos During Dark ages Europe, many advances Europe had at the time were gone, such as wealth and knowledge. There were many unpleasant factors in this downward spiral in humanity. At the time in Europe, there had been mass starvation since many trading cities were destroyed by Vikings . Diseases such as measles, smallpox and bubonic plague killed many people as well. Raiders such as Vikings and knights looted villages and killed anyone or took them captive if they stood in their way. There were many revolts of the townsfolk because most emperors at the time were more interested in wealth and personal gain than for the good of theirShow MoreRelatedThe Transition Of Medieval And Modern Times1235 Words   |  5 Pagestransition of Medieval to Modern happened over a long period of time. The middle ages marked a dark time in Europe’s history, and the people were anxious to get out. The Renaissance began, and art emerged to create a brighter society. During the Reformation, the count ry shifted away from the Roman Catholic Church, and many Protestant religions emerged. 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ThisRead MoreLate Middle Ages: The Bubonic Plague Essay705 Words   |  3 Pagesthe barren history out of the dark middle Ages. Then again, these attributes accomplish more than characterize the lifestyle of a medieval public opinion. Dismissed expressions, absence of training and adulterating forces portray a human advancement ousted by a period of obscurity. These dismal dark ages are incited by quickly spreading sickness, forcing foes, and extortionate forces. By seeing how these scourges, intrusions, and defilements shape a dull age, the medieval times might be all the more