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Lung Cancer.

There are two kinds of cancer that can affect the lungs. Non-small cell cancer and small cell cancer. They are identified by how they look under a microscope, and are distinguishable by how they grow and spread. Treatment programs differ, depending on which cancer a person has. First, Non-small cell lung cancer is more common than small cell cancer, and grows and spreads more slowly. This cancer is divided into three types. They are named after the cells affected squamous cell carcinoma, Aden carcinoma and large cell carcinoma. Second, Small cell lung cancer, also sometimes referred to as oat cell cancer, is less common than non-small cell cancer. It will often spread to other parts of the body, creating secondary tumors. The causes for lung cancer have been identified through research. Most of them involve the use of tobacco and cigarette. Cigarette smoke contains many carcinogens, as well as a whole host of other toxins. The smoke which is breathed into the lungs damages the cells, and over time, those cells can become cancerous. The factors which appear to influence whether a person will develop lung cancer are, age of the person when he/she started to smoke, how long the person has smoked, number of cigarettes smoked per day, how deeply the smoke is inhaled. Finally, quitting smoking will greatly reduce the chance of a person getting lung cancer

bungee jump

The feeling of standing on that platform, so close to the ground you can see every detail, yet high enough for the horizon to be many miles away. There's a rope tied to your feet and your head knows that to jump off is madness, your heart tells you to go for it.
Summon up enough courage and jump, drop like a stone and your fall will gradually be slowed by the cord until finally you stop falling down, the bungee recoils and you start to 'fall' upwards! Bounce a couple of times and come to rest, the crane lowers you to the ground having had the thrill of your life, and ready to do it all again.
Bungee jumping is probably the easiest of all adrenaline sports to get started with, there is virtually no training required, just turn up at a site and get going. There are many traveling bungee experiences, but some of the best can be static cranes because they are often higher. Remember - the higher the crane, the longer you fall, the bigger the thrill.
Training normally only consists of an explanation of the procedure; you will be weighed, and the length of the bungee cord adjusted appropriately. A trained operator will attach the padded ankle straps, making sure they fastened correctly, you then step into the crane, accompanied by the operator, and are hoisted up and up. When the crane stops you turn to face outwards and quite simply just jump off.
Some sites have the facility to jump over, and with care, into water. You will drop further than normal, past the normal safety limit for jumping over dry land, past ground level where the crane is standing and down towards the surface of the water. If the cord length has been judged accurately you should enter the water head first, maybe down to your waist, before being thrown back into the air, dripping wet, as the elastic recoils.
Travel the world and jump from more extreme places.
Try Goliath, the highest bungee jump in Canada, where you can fall 200 feet from a huge limestone rock that surrounds a deep, blue lagoon. Or Costa Rica, where jumps are possible from a bridge rising 265 feet above tropical forest. Or even jump from the bridge spanning Victoria Falls in Africa.

A Place to Visit.

A tourist to Saudi Arabia should not miss a visit to Makkah. When you visit Makkah perhaps the first thing that you notice is the hotels and buildings that surround the Holy Mosque. A short walk from your hotel can take you to many small shops that are overflowing with clothes and materials. Also, you can enjoy eating food at the restaurants that are full of delicious foreign smell of fresh exotic food.
After enjoying these sights, visitors can spend the rest of the day performing Omrah. When you enter the Holy Mosque, you can actually hear the people that surround you pray. Not to mention, the amount of foreign people you see from all over the world that come to pray and perform Hajj or Omrah. As you come further, you can see a big cube covered in black, heavy, expensive satiny fabric that is embroidered with gold verses of the Holy Qura'an. As you walk through the crowd, you can see the huge footsteps of the Prophet Ibrahim. When you get tired from walking, there is a lot of refreshing, cool, pure water from all different areas in the Holy Mosque. This fresh water is called Zamzam. When you are in the Holy Mosque, you should not miss the scene of the dark blue sky fill with millions of bright shining stars among it. You can almost smell and feel the fragrance of the fresh air running through you. The beautiful scenery is just unforgettable. That is why Makkah is the number one tourist attraction in Saudi Arabia

Air Pollution.

Air pollution is made up of many kinds of gases, droplets and particles that reduce the quality of the air. Air can be polluted in both the city and the country. In the city, cars, buses and airplanes may cause air pollution. In the country, trucks and cars driving on dirt or gravel roads, rock quarries and smoke from wood and crop fires may cause air pollution. Air pollution can cause some symptoms for example; irritate the eyes, throat and lungs, burning eyes, cough and chest tightness. Different people can react very differently to air pollution. Some people may notice chest tightness or cough, while others might not notice any effects. Because exercise requires faster, deeper breathing, it may increase the symptoms. People with heart disease or with lung disease, such as asthma, may be very sensitive to air pollution exposure, and may notice symptoms when others do not. Air pollution is bad for your health. Fortunately for most healthy people, the symptoms of air pollution exposure usually go away if the air quality improves. However, some people are more sensitive to the effects of air pollution than others. Children probably feel the effects of lower levels of pollution than adults. They also experience more illness, such as bronchitis and earaches, in areas of high pollution than in areas with lower pollution. People with heart or lung disease also react more severely to polluted air. Their condition may come to the point that they must limit their activities. To protect yourself and your family from the effects of air pollution you must follow these following steps. First, stay in your house as much as you can during days when pollution level is high. Second, if you have to go outside, try to limit your outside activities to the early morning or after sunset. This is important in high ozone conditions because sunshine increases ozone levels. Third, don't exercise outside when air quality is unhealthy. The faster you breathe the more pollution you take into your lungs. In conclusion, people must know about what's going on in this world. If we keep on polluting the air, our children might not breathe normally. Life on earth might not be possible. Earth will be just like any other planet. Human can't live without air, without healthy clean air there will be no life on earth. Save the planet, save the environment, but mostly save the future

How to Be a Good Student?

Knowledge is the most powerful gift God has ever given to mankind. That is why there are schools and universities all over the world so that they could educate people. Any student must attempt strenuously in order to reach his/her goal. When I was in high school, I used to get low grades and skip classes. After applying the following tips I realized that I can reach any goal I set my eyes on by being a good student. First, do not procrastinate. If you put off your assignments until the night before they are due, it makes it harder and more stressful to complete it. Believe me, you will feel much better if you did your assignments on time. Second, it is important to attend class as much as possible. It is hard to know what the teacher expects from you on certain assignments if you are not present when they teacher gives out directions. Many students skip classes for one reason or another. There are reasons why you should attend all your classes: sitting in the classroom and listening to the lectures will help you absorb the materials. Plus, you can have a direct impact on your grade simply by attending. Third, you should be spending at least three hours studying. And for some classes, you’ll find you need a lot more time than that. Study early and often. Try to make studying a habit you can enjoy doing anytime. Know how you can study. Some people need complete silence to concentrate while others like a little noise. Find what works for you and stick with it. Study with friends to gain support, but do not turn it into a party. A study buddy can be a great tool, as long as you actually get some studying accomplished. Make sure work is done before doing anything. Studying is critical to learning, which is critical to better grades, so do the work before heading out to have fun. Forth, do all of your homework right after school. This is a great tip that I didn't learn until the last few years of high school. When I found this out, I was so excited to do this that I did it everyday and life was so much easier. After your homework, you can do anything you want. Finally, there is another tip. Remember to think of your teachers as your friend not your enemy. I hope that by following these tips will help you to be a good student and accomplish your aims and goals.

Cosmetic Operations in the Arab World.

Cosmetic operations in the Arab world are not restricted to women anymore. In fact, men entered this field and became a noticed number, increasing day after day. People in the Arab world thought that cosmetics operations are against their religion. Now people approached this field, and cosmetic centers began to spread all over the Arab countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

After the majority of cosmetics seekers use to approach Harley street in London or Beverly Hills in Los Angeles California, or Paris, seeking the best results and trying to protect their privacy for this sensitive subject. They began now to approach clinics and hospitals that spread all over the Arab countries without fear or hesitation or shyness. In addition to high cost they used to pay, and spending most of their vacations in treatment. The Author of "Everything Women Should Know about Cosmetic Surgery" Dr. Jan Adams said "Although many patients think of plastic surgeries as a quick and permanent fix, it's likely that few understand its risks and frequently temporary results."

According to the statistics of the International Society of Cosmetics Doctors in 2001, which had been counted from about 850 members all around 30 countries, the U.S ranked first according to total numbers of cosmetics operations performed there for 21%, followed by Brazil 14%, then Mexico 8%. As for the Arab countries that participated in this statistics, Jordan came in the 22nd place with 0.47%, Egypt 24th for 0.33%, and last U.A.E 26th for 0.27%.

Cosmetic operations include two important types: the first are the corrective operations and the other one are operations done for good look such as lipo suction and others. The first cosmetic operation in the Arab world had been done in Libya, as a face lifting at the 70's. From where cosmetics operations find large success and great admiration in Libya during the last three years. Currently there are about 200 abdomen make up done in Libya every year for both men and women. More people from Arab countries are approaching Libya seeking this kind of operation for less money, which represent about 5-15% of the cost of similar operation in Europe.

Some Saudis think that cosmetics operations cope to the scientific, social, cultural and civil progress in any society, which leaded to substantial progress in this field especially during the last 15 years, while on the other side numbers of Saudi surgeons who obtained postgraduate study certificates in the field of cosmetics operation are increasing. The cost of cosmetics operations in the Kingdom depends on the type of the operation's difficulty and the experience of the performing surgeon. However, there are those kinds of cosmetics operations that deal with accidents results, burns and scratches, and the costs of such operations are moderate and affordable to all. As for the cosmetics operations that are aimed to beauty and appearance, they're more costly, including lipo suction to improve the body. In addition to stable the stomach and its result of weight increase and frequent pregnancies for women, and reform to breast enlargement for men, that cause them great embarrassment, so they're forced to go to these cosmetics operations.

On of the main cosmetics operations that both men and women approach so many cases are nose reform operations. Generally, the cost is between 8000-20,000 riyals. As for face tailor it can cost up to 12,000 riyals and will hold till more than 10 years. The most interesting in Saudi cases is that a large numbers of Saudi women go to the clinics secretly and they request their noses to be reformed to be like their star idol. Jeddah cosmetics hospitals receive more than 120 women weekly so they can be like their idol. In the U.A.E cosmetics operations also wide spread especially during the last five years, and more people are approaching cosmetic centers in Dubai. The most interesting is that men are approaching these kinds of operations like hair implanting, removing excess fat and nose operations. That represents the majority of cosmetics operations and reached about 60%.

Breast operations witnessed great progress in Egypt, which is the most famous operation on the country, and total number of operations might reach till 25,000 each year. According to Sayidaty magazine issue 8937, 35% of Egyptian women are between 17 and 50 years old, are considered obese, and 45% are under the excess weight.

Nose and ear operations fever shifted to Qatar, where men and women are crowding in the cosmetics centers, which assured women obsession on these operations weather they're in the face, chest or abdomen. Nose operations are witnessing great attraction from both men and women. The costs of such operations are between 8,000-20,000 SR, depending on length and difficulty of the operation and the surgeon's reputation


As for Lebanon it is known that around 10,000 operations are done annually in this field, 30% of which aren't for Lebanese, and most of them are from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. The first specialized hospital in cosmetics affairs had been established in 1999, and it receive about 140 operations every month, which means more than 1680 operations annually, 40% of which are for visitors who come from outside Lebanon and most of them are from the Gulf. It is noticed that total number of males who approach such kinds of operations are increasing while they represent about 30% of people who seek to have operations and most of them are doing nose operations.

Despite the large numbers of operations, cosmetics operations aren't yet considered a phenomenon against traditions, especially if we know that in the USA total number of women who performed operations reached more than 23 million last year. This issue isn't simple, as cosmetics operations veil so many risks, the most important which are the elements used in it, especially those used to enlarge lips or breasts, that are done through silicon or through water and salt.

Silicon is known for its toxic, especially its relation to breast cancer, as reports had been published in New York Times last month, which leaded to failure to some of companies that deals with this stuff. During 1998 Daewoo chemicals, the largest silicon manufacturer paid about 3.2 billion dollars to a large number of people who had suffered from their product. "Another competitive inhibitor is botox. We recognize that one way to cause wrinkles on the skin is muscle contraction and what botox does is essentially smooth out those wrinkles by paralyzing the muscles. "Said Dr. Adams

To sum up, people now are not satisfied with what God has given them. Instead of thanking Him, they torture themselves and pay fortune just to look beautiful, not knowing that beauty is the confidence that comes from the heart and soul not just a phony figure

How to Repair a Broken Heart?

If you are suffering from a broken heart, do not worry, you are not the only one. A lot of people fall into relationships that are not suitable for them. The end of a relationship means the beginning of a period of healing for both people. If the break up was not mutual the person who ended things may be dealing with guilt and feelings that made a mistake. The person being broken up with will definitely have to adjust to being rejected and to live a life without their lover. How do you get through those first few weeks? Here are a few things everybody must do in the early days of a break up to let the healing begin.
First, start a journal. This will help you sort out your thoughts; feelings and emotions like writing a list of all the things that bugged you about him/her, focus on all the things about your past lover that drove you crazy. Think about these things often and replay them in your mind over and over. Then write it down and post it by your mirror. It will make you feel better to remember that your past lover was not perfect and that there are things you won’t really miss. Or talk out your feelings with close friends. Get everything out so that you won’t hold it inside. Your friends may get sick of hearing you talk about the situation but you need to let out all your feelings and thoughts. Cry if you want to. It’s alright to cry over a loss. Don’t hold back, let the tears roll. Their purpose is to cleanse you of any pain.
Second, distract yourself by doing something you've never done before every day. This could mean walking the neighbor's dog or playing Scrabble with your mom. You can learn sign language or learn a card trick and then impress your friends with your new magic skills. Plus, you can volunteer for your favorite cause. There are bigger things out there than anyone. If you can't then go on an adventure by yourself: see a movie, or to the beach. It's good to remember how to hang out just with yourself. Go to the zoo. The monkeys might remind you of him/her which in the end helps you to recognize why it's best you're not still a couple.
Third, move the furniture around in your room. Redecorate your space. You might just need a fresh look on things to cheer you up like planting some flowers in the yard, or in a pot for your windowsill. Change your look by dying your hair a funky temporary color like purple.
Forth, let go of mementos. Put away or give away anything and everything that reminds you of the relationship. Hide them out of sight so they will be out of mind until you are able to remember the relationship without longing for it to still be going strong or a better idea Have a garage sale and sell all of the presents he/she gave you during your relationship.
Finally, mending a broken heart is not easy but it can be done. Just stick to the notes above and before you know it you’ll be just fine and even better than you were in a relationship. Good luck!

Causes and Effects of Stress in Students.

Stress is an enormous problem for students. Students can not function properly because of stress. Stress can effect their studies, social life and even their life itself. In addition, stress can lead to nervousness and mental break down. So, when a student is under stress, he/she must deal with it and find a solution for their problem. In the following lines, I will analyze the causes and effects of stress in students.

On of the main causes of stress is dead line pressure that is to hand in assignments and projects for many courses in a certain time. This causes confusion for the students to remember what to hand in at what time. Another cause of stress is parent's expectation for their son/daughter to be the best in class. The student will do anything to be accepted in the same college as his /her parents were, even in the same major just to satisfy their parents. In addition, when the student is accepted in college, he/she will try anything to be the best. This causes competition between the students. Not to mention the discouragement from doctors or teachers to devastate the students when they shout at them.

As a result of these causes, students may start felling overwhelmed because they have too much to do in little time, they can not possibly do everything they feel they must to. They may feel angry, unfairly judged and lack of patience with everything. They may feel that they don't have enough time to have fun or to be with their family or friends. They may cry and get upset about small things, even they worry about everything. There different symptoms of stress. It includes headaches; stomach aches; chest pains, diarrhea, sweating, sleeplessness, increased heart rate and it may lead to alcohol and drug addiction.

To prevent stress, avoid cigarette. Smoking can cause illness and death; students tend to smoke more when under stress. Exercise regularly helps students to look and feel better and provides health benefits. Get plenty of rest to help students to maintain health and deal better with their problems. Do not drink too much caffeine, because it speeds up the body and can exaggerate the effects of stress. Finally, learn to manage stress and to keep a perspective on things that are important and those are not.

Shocking news: UFO in Jazan!!!!


On June 3rd, 2003. There were an alien landing marks in Jazan. This issue brought up a lot of questions weather it was true or not. On the other hand, many eye witnesses saw it and they confirmed it looked like a UFO. Security resources said it this object might be a spy airplane that went through Saudi Arabia. A lot Amoud Valley people noticed the landing of this awkward object at 9:00 AM on Monday morning, which it caused a collective panicking to the people and the animals of the valley who saw everything.

Abdul Rahman Al-Ousaimi, the mayor of the valley talked to one of the newspaper reporters while he was on his way to check on scene. The mayor heard from the people about this weird event that scared them. He added that the size of the UFO was not that big, but it shape and form was frightened. Al-Watan newspaper founded out from its resources that a specialized unit went to check the scene and investigate the people.

One of the local newspapers went to check the scene of the landing of this object, and met few of the people to get more information about this matter. Salman Al-Raithy (one of the witnesses) said that he actually saw this weird object flying on a low altitude. Then, it landed on the ground, and it stayed nearly half an hour, then it flew again. An old woman suffered from inflexibility in her feet from how much she was afraid after she saw that flying object. She said that she couldn't move, and stayed next to the object. She described it as a circular flying object, and it was on the size of an eagle.

Since this bizarre event, the Amoud Valley witnessed a lot of weird events. One of it was the appearance of sulfuric poisonous water in one of the people's well. This caused a lot of curious people (even from the Gulf countries) to demand from the Farming Ministry for tests on the well for answers. However, the ministry had to fill up the well after it was confirmed that it contained a poisonous elements.

The question is, is there any connection between the mysterious death of animals and the appearance of this flying object in the area? Is it possible that Jazan might be a secret base for aliens? Could it be that these sudden deaths was caused by exposing to radiation or virus from outside the solar system? How come Jazan area? Will Saudi Arabia witness more future activity of UFO's?

Aggression.

The source of aggression within humans is a long summative list, but before trying to understand its source one must apply a working definition of aggression. Aggression in Oxford dictionary means hostile behavior that launches attacks and initiates unprovoked hostilities. Aggression first started in the behavior of animals, and it transferred to human beings. Aggression is a critical part of animal existence, which is an inherent driving force to humans. In this essay, I will analyze the major sources of aggression in humans, expose its effects and provide some solution.

The first cause of aggression is the environmental factors. For example, parental pressure for their child to seek perfection in his/her life can cause aggression. In addition, children can be aggressive by being exposed to negative media like action movies or violent video game. Also, another main cause of aggression is stress in the social life. For example, a person is exposed to pressure at work can be aggressive, or a student who is filled with home works, assignments and studying for exams can feel the pressure and might lead to aggression.

To sum up, the causes of aggression are very awful and sad. However, the effects are even more tragic, hideous and horrible.

Aggression can effect in more than one way. First, youth can be more violent, and harm themselves and the people around them. Second, it can affect their grades by getting distracted from studying. And they might turn into criminals. In addition, it can develop psychological problems, and individuals might become incompetent, alienated and isolated. And it could lead to break up a marriage and divorce. That has a negative effect on children.

So what can we do to reduce aggression? Well, the best answer is to try hard to control anger and to change life style. However, the media should also stop exposing visual violence. Last but not least, people must start supporting themselves and the unfortunate people or groups

The Causes and Effects of Divorce

From the past to present, people all over the world have determined to live together, which is called “get marriage” in another word, so that they depend on for living each other. Nevertheless, some couples are unable to maintain their relationship; therefore they choose divorce, which is one of the solutions to cope with problems between husband and wife. Furthermore, most people think carefully before they get marriage. However, the divorce rates trend to continually increase nowadays, thus it might be argued that divorces can be taken place easier than the past. There are three main causes of divorce: changing woman’s roles, stress in modern living and lack of communication, which are highlighted below.
The first significant cause of recent rise in the rates of divorce is that women completely change in roles. In the past, men have to earn whole money to afford the expense of family, whereas woman only do housework, hence women have no money leading to depend on husbands’ money. Because of these situations, it is too difficult for most women to separate from their husbands. Nonetheless, these situations entirely change nowadays. The equality between men and women in roles are very clear at the moment, thus women can work outside to earn money, while men share the household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing as well as caring for children. It can be clearly seen that women are independent from money as they can earn money by themselves to support their living cost. Accordingly, the divorce rates recently rise.
Another cause to confirm the recent increase in divorce rates is stress in modern living. Many people, who live in globalization, have considerable pressures to earn money. It can be obviously seen that the stress has occurred since they are children. For instance, in Thailand, students generally want to go to famous school so that they take advantage to go to well-known universities. Studying in celebrated universities mostly causes having a good opportunity to find a job or earn a lot of money. This circumstance not only happens in Thailand, but also occurs in many countries. Some people are laid off from their companies; consequently the stress occurs in their family, which leads to divorce. Some families can earn money, but inadequate for covering their expenses, therefore it is easy to think about divorce. Nevertheless, the rates of unemployment trend to continually increase as a result the divorce rates can also rise. It is no doubt that the stress in modern living may lead to recently increasing divorce rates.
The final cause of recently increasing divorce is lack of communication. Owing to financial status in each family, many people are fairly busy. For this reason, they have inadequate time to talk to the problems with their partners, which produces the likelihood of divorce. Some couples are often quiet when they have problems each other, as a consequence little problems can be expanded to probably become huge problems, resulting in divorce. It is quite clear that the more communications are used, the more divorce rates are reduced.
Although, these three cause of the recent rise in divorce rates are expressed above, there are also two effects of the recent increase of divorce rates: negative effects and positive effects
Firstly, the effects of recent enlargement in divorce rates are negative effects. Most couples normally have children when they get marriage. Accordingly, divorces can directly effect on children. Children living in single parent families are more probably to get pregnant as teenagers, drop out of high school, abuse drugs and have aggressively emotional and behavioral problems, which lead to social problems. Some children decide to go out of their home when their parents separate each other, and subsequently they become homeless children. They do not have good opportunities to find a job due to shortage of education. Consequently, crime may likely be the end result. These are significantly negative effects of recent expansion in divorce rates.
Secondly, on the other hand, another effects of rise in divorce rates are positive effects. People, who divorce by consent from their partners, want to have better quality of life, since they are unhappy with their spouses. Accordingly, they can work efficiently, which results from fine mental condition. They not only have more free time to do many things, but also free from their spouses’ murmurs. In addition, divorces also get rid of the violence of quarrel between husband and wife, hence everybody in family get better in physical and mental healthy, particularly for children. These are the advantageous effects of increasing divorce rates.
In conclusion, a family is one of the important parts of society, thus many people had better aware of the significance of relationship in family. At the moment, divorce have become the substantial problem because of changing women’s roles, stress in modern living and lack of communication. Nevertheless, there are also the two different ways in effects, which are negative and positive effects. Some couples, which have no children, divorce by consent, therefore divorce should be good solution for couples to deal with this problem. On the other hand, some couples having children in their family should think deliberatively before they end their marriage in divorce; otherwise innocent children probably become victims for this situation. Although people trend to think carefully before they get marriage, the rates of divorce continuously rise nowadays.

Schools in Kenya.

As one of the many different developing countries in Eastern Africa, Kenya is unique in its own way. With its mangrove swamps, thick forests, crystal lakes, towering mountains, and vast deserts; this is all wrapped up in a country the size of Texas. It attracts millions of visitors in seek for an African Safari which is much appreciated by the government as a source of foreign capitol for this poor region. In this essay I will demonstrate the description of schools in both Kibera and Nairobi and comparison between public and private schools and the facilities in Kenya.

First, Kibera is the largest slum in all Africa. Kibera has anywhere from 500,000 to 800,000 crowded people, smaller than Manhattan’s Central Park. Mud-walled, corrugated iron-roofed settlements. There are 76 private elementary and high schools, enrolling more than 12,000 students. The schools are typically run by local entrepreneurs, a third of who are women who have seen the possibility of making a living from running a school. Again, many of the schools offered free places to the poorest, including orphans.

Second, in the slums of Nairobi, private schools are made from the same materials as every other building: corrugated iron sheets or mud walls, with windows and doors cut out to allow light to enter. Floors are usually mud, roofs sometimes thatched. Children will not be in uniform and will usually be sitting on homemade wooden benches. In the dry season, the wind will blow dust through the cracks in the walls; in the rainy season, the playground will become a pond, and the classroom floors mud baths.






Third, comparison between public school and private school. In Kenya, where free elementary education had just been introduced to much acclaim. How would this affect private schools for the poor, should they exist? In Kenya, where the raw test scores showed students in private and public schools performing at similar levels, the fact that private schools served a far more disadvantaged population resulted in a gap of 0.1 standard in English and 0.2 standard in math The adjusted differences between the performance of public and private sectors in each setting were highly statistically significant.

In conclusion,though elite private schools do exist in impoverished regions of the world, private schools are not only for the privileged classes. From a wide range of settings to the urban periphery areas, private education is serving huge numbers of children. Indeed, in those areas where we were able to adequately compare public and private provision, a large majority of schoolchildren are in private school, a significant number of them in unrecognized schools and not on the state’s radar at all. Above all, the evidence should inspire those who are working for school choice in the world: stories of parents overcoming all the odds to ensure the best for the children in Kenya, stories of education entrepreneurs’ creating schools out of nothing, in the middle of nowhere. The question still remains, why can not we help them by drawing a smile into their innocent faces, and give them hope and future?

Was Cosmetic Surgery Worth the Risk?

In today's society the picture of beauty is a rail thin super model with the body of a goddess posted on billboards all around the world. Children are brought up playing with Barbie dolls with the body measurements of would be 39, 18, 38. Because of these pictures and other figures of beauties projected all over, a person is convinced to believe that to be beautiful and happy, one must look like these images. To most, the easiest way to achieve this is my having cosmetic surgery performed. With the change of times, also has come the advancement of medical procedures, yet how safe can a person be who is having cosmetic surgery performed on their body. No matter how good the technological advancements, there is always the risk of not only the surgery resulting in unwanted outcomes but in some cases death.
Society today has brain washed not only today's women, but also the men to believe that in order for a person to look beautiful they must look like the images seen on television, in movies and on the cover of magazines. These images portray grotesquely thin women and muscular men with the infamous six-pack abs. The Hollywood figures that are so famous for their looks and bodies also encourage the belief that thin is beautiful. These images are plastered all over billboards, television show and commercials and magazine advertisements. With all these visions of beauty seen everywhere in a person's every day life, a person feels compelled to look just like those images.
Busy lifestyles of many people keep most of exercising daily in order to receive the fit and trim bodies to look beautiful. This then leads many to resort to cosmetic surgery. This however, can be a dangerous choice. Many fatalities have been reported as a result of surgical procedures. One report stated that over an 18-month period, 69 fatal outcomes of surgery were reported. (Foreman, 2) Yet, many who are looking into having a surgical procedure performed do not take this risk into account.
Although the technological advancements of today may seem to have improved the results of cosmetic surgery today, more complications can also arise from improper training of the surgeon. (Hilton) Many "discount" price plastic surgeons that claim to offer professional service for a low price have begun to show up all over the country. Most of these doctors not even properly trained to perform such drastic cosmetic surgeries. A doctor can attend a seminar at a hotel and in a few hours, learn how to perform liposuction. (Davis)
With the increase of untrained surgeons performing these procedures, the risk of death and improper results also increases greatly. Low-income people that are attracted to the visions of beauty on the magazines are caught in the lure of these "fake" surgeons. These doctors promise perfect results at half the price of experienced surgeons. Some of these doctors may even produce fake credentials, such as fake PhDs, for customers to view. Customers see these and without doing any research on the doctor, pay the money for the surgery to be performed. Any doctor can perform procedures such as liposuction; even dentists have been doing it. (Davis) Many fatalities of cosmetic surgeries in recent years have been as a result of unlicensed doctors performing highly technical surgeries. "It's especially risky if it's done in a doctor's office, if the doctor is not properly trained and certified..." (Foreman, 1)
A current issue in Miami, Florida involves a plastic surgery "doctor" named Reinaldo Silvestre who is believed to have fled the country as a result of the charges of aggravated battery and practicing medicine without a license. Silvestre, practicing out of a small office, is accused of using a kitchen-type spatula to force female breast implants in to a male bodybuilder's chest. In two other surgeries, Silvestre performed breast augmentation on two females that resulted in the deformation of both women's chests.
Most of these doctors also perform their surgeries in unsanitary conditions such as office-based procedures. As a result of this, infections can occur after the surgery has been performed. Mycobacterium can cause skin or wound infection to the patient after the surgery. (Hilton) Since many doctors performing cosmetic surgery are not all licensed by the American Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons and mandatory testing is not performed on their surgical tools and area, many infections can occur as a result. Dirty tools can cause bacteria to be present in the body after the surgery, resulting in infection and sometimes death. To many doctors, the patient is not a person; they are merely money in the doctors' pocket. (
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons acknowledged in a 1998 press release that there have been five reported deaths of patients who had lipoplasty. (Liposuction, 1) In 1997, a 47-year-old California woman died after a 10-1/2 hour liposuction surgery. An administrative law judge ruled that her plastic surgeon gave her too much tumescent fluid. In a second surgery, a 43-year-old women went in for a "lunchtime lipo" and was dead soon after. An obstetrician-gynecologist who hadn't even completed a two-weekend course had performed her surgery. A third death occurred to a 51-year-old Florida man who died as a result of vavular heart disease due to diet drugs and complications of plastic surgery.
(NOTE: People Magazine- Special Report: A Body to Die for...) Because mandatory reporting of cosmetic procedures is not in existence, the actual number of deaths and unsatisfactory results is unknown. With the increasing number of untrained doctors also performing cosmetic surgery, data reporting may also be inconsistent, as these surgeries are not reported to the Board. 172,000 liposuction surgeries are performed each year by Board-certified plastic surgeons. Yet since unlicensed doctors can perform the operation, the total number could be more than double that. (Davis)
Many cases have been reported of deaths as a result of cosmetic surgical procedures. (Find examples) Yet, many people are still drawn into the lure of looking beautiful. They don't care about the price they have to pay, which could ultimately be their own life. People are only concerned with the fact of being beautiful. Most importantly, society accepts this desire; even producing television shows dedicated to the televising of plastic surgery procedures. The Learning ******* has recently produced a television series aptly titled "A Personal Story" in which people voluntary appear on the show. They are followed by cameras a couple of days before the procedure and then appear again several days or even months later to let the world view the results of the surgery.
However, the series has never shown a surgery that has produced negative results. This fact encourages people to have procedures performed on themselves. If they are never informed of the fact that serious complications can occur, then they will never know to worry about checking out the doctors and procedures before the surgery is performed.
Other factors must also be taken into account when viewing risks of a cosmetic procedure. Smoking for instance can greatly increase the risk of complications for anyone having surgery. (State why... find source) Another complication can occur from the local anesthetic given to the patients while undergoing the surgery. People allergic to the local anesthetic can have very severe reactions to the drug. One example is a person waking up during surgery. This can cause the person to feel every pock and prick performed during the surgery yet the person is not able to speak or move. Therefore, the patient has no way of informing the doctors or nurses that they are not "asleep" for the procedure.
Many people believe that to be happy in life and be beautiful to all that see them, they must have the beautiful bodies of runway super models or the muscles of Mr. America. With the advertisement of products today and the idolization of actors and actresses also comes the repercussions. Not only will older generations begin to have a distorted view of what a person should look like, the new generations of tomorrow will also be more likely to have more problems as a result of low self-esteem and poor body image. We should not only cut back on the use of cosmetic surgery for safety reasons but also because it is destroying the simple beauty of a person being who they are. The American society will change its view of people in the years to come. Generations to come will grow up feeling that they are being judged on not who they are as a person, but how they look. If they don't look like the super model they have come to believe as perfect beauty, then they will not believe in themselves, causing psychological problems.
People considering plastic surgery should be informed of all the risks. They should not be concerned with trying to live up to society's standards and by the price of the operations. They should most be concerned with the real price, their lives.

My Worst Job.

The worst job I ever had was being the President of the United States of America for four years. It was hard and difficult for four reasons. Firstly, when I first started this job, everyone wanted to know more about me, so I had a lot of meetings and interviews from the publicity and press in the White House. Not to mention the amount of rumors from the press. Of course none of them were true. Plus, they had no respect for my privacy. Secondly, I was thrilled when I first got this job, but I did not realize that the president could not sleep until he/she makes sure that everyone is safe. Plus, every time I talked on the phone with other presidents or kings, I got a headache, and it was all because of the arguments. I had so many headaches that I even opened a pharmacy store in the White House that was filled with aspirin! Thirdly, I was the first female president of the United States, so I was always worried that someone may assassinate me, because some people thought that women are not good or responsible enough to be a president. Finally, I had to travel at least three times a week across the countries or the states to make sure that my policy runs well. I had so much to do that I could not see my family or my friends. Not to mention the amount of people that I am surrounded with, asking me questions or for my signature. In the end, I had to fire myself, but I did not regret my decision. Even though I missed being at the White House with everyone at my command, I realized that I gained something from this experience, which is that there is no place like home.

Water

Water is the most important liquid in the world. Without water, there would be no life, at least not the way we know it. This source of life makes up about three quarters of the human body. Water contains various minerals - some good for your health, others less so. Explore the different ingredients of bottled waters. Some 70% of the earth is covered with water. But nearly all is unavailable for human consumption without being processed first. The oceans make up for 97% and the polar ice shields hold another 2%. Only about 1% is soft water from lakes rives and underground sources, but even from that tiny amount an increasing part is unsafe for human consumption. Water is of major importance to all living things; in some organisms, up to 90 percent of their body weight comes from water. Up to 60 percent of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. About 83 percent of our blood is water, which helps digest our food, transport waste, and control body temperature. Each day humans must replace 2.4 liters of water, some through drinking and the rest taken by the body from the foods eaten. The unique qualities and properties of water are what make it so important and basic to life. The cells in our bodies are full of water. The excellent ability of water to dissolve so many substances allows our cells to use valuable nutrients, minerals, and chemicals in biological processes.
About 70 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered. But water also exists in the air as water vapor and in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers. Thanks to the water cycle our planet's water supply is constantly moving from one place to another and from one form to another. Things would get pretty stale without the water cycle! Even though you may only notice water on the Earth's surface, there is much more freshwater stored in the ground than there is in liquid form on the surface. In fact, some of the water you see flowing in rivers comes from seepage of ground water into river beds. Humans are happy this happens because people make use of both kinds of water. In the United States in 2000, we used about 323 billion gallons per day of surface water and about 84.5 billion gallons per day of ground water. Although surface water is used more to supply drinking water and to irrigate crops, ground water is vital in that it not only helps to keep rivers and lakes full, it also provides water for people in places where visible water is scarce, such as in the desert towns of the western United States.
Earth's water is always in movement, and the water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, describes the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Since the water cycle is truly a "cycle," there is no beginning or end. Water can change states among liquid, vapor, and ice at various places in the water cycle, with these processes happening in the blink of an eye and over millions of years. Although the balance of water on Earth remains fairly constant over time, individual water molecules can come and go in a hurry. The water in the apple you ate yesterday may have fallen as rain half-way around the world last year or could have been used 100 million years ago by Dinosaur.


Total water use in the United States for 2000 was determined from estimates of water withdrawals for the eight categories of public supply, domestic, irrigation, livestock, and aquaculture, industrial, mining, and thermoelectric power. Total freshwater and saline-water withdrawals for 2000 were estimated to be 408,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), or 457,000 thousand acre-feet per year. Freshwater withdrawals were 85 percent of the total, and the remaining 15 percent was saline water. Estimates of withdrawals by source indicate that for 2000, total surface-water withdrawals were 323,000 Mgal/d, or 79 percent of the total withdrawals for all categories of use. About 81 percent of surface water withdrawn was freshwater. Total ground-water withdrawals were 84,600 Mgal/d, of which 99 percent was freshwater. Nearly all (98 percent) saline-water withdrawals were from surface water.

The top row of cylinders represents where America's water came from (source) in 2000, either from surface water or from ground water. You can see most of the water we use (262,000 million gallons per day (Mgal/d)) came from surface-water sources, such as rivers and lakes. We used about 83,400 Mgal/d of ground water (from wells). The pipes leading out of the blue and brown cylinders on the top row show where the water was sent after being withdrawn from a river, well, etc. For example, the blue pipe coming out of the surface-water cylinder and entering the Public supply grey cylinder shows that 27,300 Mgal/d of water was withdrawn from surface-water sources for public-supply uses. Likewise, the brown pipe shows that public-suppliers withdrew another 16,100 Mgal/d of water from ground-water sources. Each green cylinder represents a category of water use. The Industrial cylinder, for instance, shows how much water the United States used, each day, by industries. In 2000, about 18,500 Mgal/d of water was used for industrial purposes, with about 14,900 Mgal/d coming from surface water and about 3,570 Mgal/d coming from ground water. So, now you maybe see how the two "Source" cylinders on the top row show how much water was withdrawn from the environment, and, for each water-use category (the green cylinders), the water arrives via the pipes

Keep Clicking to Get Fit

Maybe you're looking at your sedentary lifestyle the wrong way.

All of the time in front of a computer, like right now, doesn't have
to work against your fitness regime.

According to a new study, all of the motivation you need is right at
your fingertips.

Web-based intervention programs are just as effective as more
traditional print-based programs in changing the habits of sedentary
adults, a new study published in Monday's issue of the Archives of
Internal Medicine found.

A team of researchers studied 249 healthy, sedentary (less than 90
minutes of physical activity per week) adults. Participants were
divided into three different programs: tailored Internet, standard
Internet and tailored print.

The tailored print and Internet groups had exactly the same features,
including personalized feedback that the standardized group did not
have. The researchers wanted to be sure the tailored groups had
exactly the same features in order to test the method of delivery.

This meant that there were a lot of features that were left out of
the Internet group, such as chat rooms and blogs, because there was
no way to replicate those in a print format.

The standard Internet group, however, accessed what the researchers
felt were the six best physical activity sites available to the
public. Marcus said the American Heart Association' s "Just Move" was
the most popular website.

The other five included Shape Up America, the Mayo Clinic Fitness and
Sports Medicine Center, American Academy of Family Physicians,
American Council on Exercise, and American College of Sports Medicine
Health and Fitness Information.

All three groups kept logs of their activities and filled out monthly
questionnaires.

The tailored Internet group posted the biggest gains in physical
activity after six months, averaging 120 minutes per week. The
tailored print group was not far behind with 112.5 minutes per week,
and the standard Internet group reported 90 minutes.

The difference was not as notable after 12 months, with the groups
reporting 90, 90 and 80 respectively.

The three programs only focused on increasing physical activity, and
did not take eating habits into account. Marcus said many of the
people in the program reported zero activity at the beginning of the
program, making the gains by all groups even more impressive.

The researchers were surprised that the tailored Internet group did
not have stronger gains over the standardized Internet group. They
suspect that the reason may be that while they offered more
personalized feedback to the tailored group, Marcus said it did not
have the "bells and whistles" usually associated with Internet
fitness and weight-loss programs.

This study shows that the Internet is a more cost-effective way to
reach the 55 percent of Americans who do not meet the Surgeon
General's minimum requirement of 150 minutes a week of moderate-
intensity physical exercise.

And since motivation is key, the Internet offers a 24-hour
smorgasbord of options to keep people clicking for more.

If you're the sort of person who occasionally ventures off your couch
to get moving, you may have the smoothest transition into an active
lifestyle. Marcus said for the people in the study who were already
doing something - as long as it is in at least 10 minute intervals -
had the easiest time getting into a regular routine of exercise.

The key to get moving out of your office chair or recliner, Marcus
said, is to take baby steps instead of walking lunges. She
recommended that with low expectations, it is much easier to exceed
those goals.

Starting small is even easier than you think, according to Marcus. If
you're heading out to lunch or dinner, because all this thinking
about activity has you famished, try walking to your dining spot,
carry your lunch to a park, or at least park your car a short walk
away from the restaurant.

12Rules for Marriage

My sister asked me, as part of her wedding ceremony, to Say Something
About Marriage. I've been married for over two years, so obviously I
have way too much insight on this issue than could reasonably be fit
into the middle of an otherwise fairly compact service, but with some
effort, and some help from my wife Bethany, I got the list down to
twelve potentially useful pieces of advice. These probably aren't the
most useful twelve pieces of advice, but I think they're better than
nothing. As delivered at the wedding last weekend:

1. Your world is getting bigger today, not smaller! More history,
more friends, more possibilities. Marriage is not the end of the
search, it's the beginning of all the searches that are more fun to
do together.

2. Be the guardians of each other's solitudes. Not only do you need
to give each other space, you need to make each other space.

3. No difficult conversations after 10pm. Not only is it harder to
solve problems when you're tired, but at least half the time being
tired is the problem.

4. The Dutch principle of Total Soccer means that any player can
attack when there is an opportunity, and any player can defend when
there is a need. In Total Marriage you only have two players, so this
is even more important. Both of you should be able to do everything
your team needs. You'll have your preferences and strengths and
habits, but if one of you goes down, the other one has to be able to
cover.

5. Wedding rings don't really come with magic powers. You will learn
how to take care of each other one insight at a time. And even when
you're not sure how, show up and you'll think of something.

6. Headphones; separate closets.

7. If you aren't already the world's leading experts on each other,
you will be soon. It is thus your responsibility to be not only the
world's biggest fans of each other's best qualities, but also the
world's staunchest fans of each other's weaknesses and flaws.

8. Get pets. By far the easiest way to remember that you have to feed
your shared life together is if part of it comes and stomps on you
every morning.

9. No ultimatums. Ever.

10. Travel. Surprise and challenge yourselves. It's easier to have a
world together if you have a world to compare it to, and part of the
fun of getting to know each other is putting yourselves, together, in
positions where neither of you know what you're going to do
yourself.

11. Committing yourselves to one another is one of the most mature,
responsible, focused decisions you can make. Balance it out by being
immature, irresponsible and playful together as often as possible.

12. When people, especially your relatives, offer you long lists of
marriage advice, just smile politely and nod until they finally shut
up.

Women Driving in Saudi Arabia? Why Not?

Readers who do not know Saudi Arabia well couldn't understand or
appreciate the reasoning against women driving. Saudis and residents
who are familiar with the issue cite logistical and practical
problems and concerns. No one claims the ban is Islamic. In
Prophet's (peace be upon him) time, women rode their horses and
camels. In other Islamic countries, women didn't have to compromise
their modest dress code to drive. And they drive as well as men, if
not better and safer.

Many readers fear that men, especially the young, will harass or
chase female drivers.

This is blaming the victim. If men are the guilty party, then let's
ban them.

Some suspect that if we allow women driving, it will make it much
easier for dating. They say it is bad as it is. Girls pretending to
be out for school and social events go for dates! Give them cars and
see what happens!

I say if they decide to date they will find a way. If you don't
trust your kids, boys or girls, don't give them cars. But if you
brought them up well, trust them. Besides, why do we assume girls
would be less observant and conservative than boys? If both are as
much suspect, then nobody should be allowed to drive. What
difference does it make who sits on the driving seat?

Other arguments focus on practicalities, like traffic jams,
accidents, car breakdowns, driving in remote areas, etc.

I say, we should plan and prepare. We could go gradually, allowing
women over thirty to drive first, and then schedule other age
groups. If they get in trouble they could use their cell phones.
Mobile car service operators would help in case of breakdowns. We
must take extra security measures and harsher punishment for
harassers, like publishing offenders' names and photos in the
papers. They did that in Dubai and it worked.

We have to start by educating the public with media campaigns and
encourage preachers, teachers and parents to contribute and
participate. Solutions are there if we just look for them. As the
Americans say, if there is a will, there is a way.

I like the following e-mail message I received from a Western
teacher in a girls school. It very much sums up the problem from
women's perspective. It says:

I am a female teacher here in the Kingdom and I teach Saudi girls
English. I was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of females I have
come in contact with. I listen to their frustrations on a daily
basis of the restrictions (mainly of not being able to drive) placed
on them. The majority are perfectly capable human beings who just
need their country to stop underestimating them and their abilities
and the possibilities are limitless to what they will be able to
offer this society.

Of course I can also understand the hesitation in allowing women to
drive but I would place the fault of this completely on the men of
this country. I could just imagine a car full of teenage Saudi boys
hitting a woman's car just for flirting purposes and this would make
me personally more apprehensive about driving in this country. The
problems are structural and deep-rooted. You can't just lift the
ban, but on the other hand, the longer you wait the harder it will
get to change it.

A suggestion would be to fill the streets with competent, well-
trained and prepared police, and have them clean up the act on the
streets here. Maybe after a few months of over ticketing and tight
restrictions you may have a situation where women will feel
comfortable driving. You will also have to have driving schools for
women and then, maybe, the country can conceptualize driving for
women.

Another thing that needs to change is the attitude some men have
toward women in this country. If the laws are there to make women
feel more comfortable when in public then they are retroactive.

This can only change when men begin to see women as having a more
independent role in society, for example, by driving. But women
can't drive until this attitude is curbed. What comes first, the
chicken or the egg? It's quite the dilemma. All I can say is the
situation needs to change so better to start now and deal with the
problems head on, rather than just watch things become more
difficult to unravel. Bite the bullet, as we would say.

Why Is It A Good Idea To Study Abroad?

Besides the excitement of travel, one reason to study abroad is that
you will experience new customs, holidays, foods, art, music, and
politics firsthand.
"Obviously, I learned the language and am now fluent, but perhaps
more importantly was how much I learned about cultures, people, and
myself. I learned this from the viewpoint of an active member of the
community and my [host] family, not from the tourist's point of
view," says Andrew, who studied in Poitiers, France.
Another reason for studying abroad is that you'll gain self-
confidence. Christina studied in Caracas, Venezuela, a city of 10
million people and a huge change from her hometown of 35,000!
Christina says she learned how to better stand up for herself and
her beliefs and to express herself in another language. What could
make you more confident than that?
Living away from home can also help you adjust in the transition to
college and adulthood. Matthew says he returned from studying in
Australia with confidence, social savvy, and a genuine interest in
international affairs that really set him apart from his
peers. "After having gone abroad in high school, I found the
transition to college to be a breeze - moving 560 miles from home
didn't seem particularly daunting after having lived thousands of
miles away."
And speaking of college, improving your language skills might help
you get into choice colleges and even land future jobs. Colleges and
employers know that studying abroad provides leadership skills in a
world that is increasingly globally interconnected.
Most of all, it's fun! You're not likely to suffer from sophomore
slump or general boredom while you're studying in a different
learning environment

Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery is also often called cosmetic surgery and has become
a widespread method to reshape the body and to help to improve the
appearance, it includes absolutely different operations starting
with abdominoplasty and ending with eyes surgery and face lifting.
Besides plastic surgery deals even more vitally important spheres,
like for example repair damages caused by some accidents or
injuries. It is well promoted and rather expensive but still
carriers certain risks, like any other type of operation. For
example, patients, who decide to make some dental operations, are
put at great risks. People who go through a number of plastic
operations are often still not satisfied with the result and start
doing other procedures, which is of course not the best way to
influence the state of the body: many people, who are overweight
turn to special operations, but after the fat is gone they face the
problem of lots of hanging skin.
Besides most people who have done it once, will return to these
operations again and again, even with the same problem, as they feel
constantly not satisfied with the result and are ready to give huge
sums of money, which they by the way could have used for some better
needs, like really supporting their health. "Plastic surgery junkies
need to think about why they keep wanting more work done. Obviously
it's much easier to change your outlook on life than it is to change
your external look…" (Rosen Christine, The Democratization of
Beauty, 2004, p.2). So this constant seeking for perfection can be
considered more of a psychological problem than real problems with
appearance. To avoid such result of plastic operations, the doctors
are to provide sufficient amount of explanation for the potential
patient concerning the results and reasons of this operation. Some
may need just a psychological help instead of this operation. And
this is of course a task of the society to work out the "rules" for
dealing the people, who want to make plastic surgery and do the best
to defend the clients of the plastic surgery clinics.
All these is a good basis for the surgeons to build their businesses
upon, they can use the week sides of a person, as almost every
person feels not absolutely sure about his/her appearance and would
love to look better, and earn good money. People are surrounded by
advertisements of "absolutely safe" and prestigious methods of
changing the appearance. As any other branch of medicine, plastic
surgery can have its field for development and application, but
there are still certain rules or restrictions to be made about it.
From the very beginning there should be a strict division between
cases of application of plastic surgery, a person who was burnt or
injured as a result of some accident or war or any other conflict
has to make such kind of operation under the circumstances, even he
doesn't want to, and a person, who watches too much television and
wants to get the same face Britney Spears or Tom Cruise have,
chooses to make this operation on his own free will. It is
absolutely not right to make these two people pay the same price for
the plastic operation.

The Power of God

All power of decision belongs to God before and after. And on that
day the believers will rejoice in God's support. He grants support
to whomever He wills. He alone is Almighty, Merciful. This is God's
promise. Never does God fail to fulfil His promise; but most people
do not know it. They only know the outer surface of this world's
life, whereas of the hereafter they remain unaware. All power of
decision belongs to God before and after. And on that day the
believers will rejoice in God's support. God's promise was certainly
fulfilled as stated, and the believers rejoiced at the victory
granted by God. He grants support to whomever He wills. He alone is
Almighty, Merciful. Thus the decision is His while His support is
granted to whom He chooses. Nothing opposes His will. Indeed His
will, which determines the results, is the same as the will that
brings about the elements and the causes that leads to these
results. Thus, there is no conflict between the desired results and
the prevailing circumstances. The laws that operate the whole
universe are devised by the same free will. It is this will that has
determined that there should be laws of nature that operate without
fail, and systems to ensure stability. Both victory and defeat are
the results of certain factors that work in accordance with the laws
set in operation. The Islamic faith is very clear and logical. While
it makes clear that all power of decision rests with God, it does
not exempt people from taking the measures that are normally
necessary to bring about practical results. Whether these results
take effect is not part of people's responsibility, because it
ultimately belongs to God's overall design. A Bedouin left his she-
camel untied and went into the mosque to pray. As he entered, he
said: "I fully rely on God." The Prophet said to him: "Tie your she-
camel and then rely on God." (Related by Al-Tirmidhi. ) Thus, Islam
makes true reliance on God conditional on taking all the necessary
measures in any particular situation, knowing that ultimately all
decisions are left to Him. He grants support to whomever He wills.
He alone is Almighty, Merciful. Victory is thus the result of the
power that makes it a reality and the mercy that fulfils what is in
the best interests of people. In this way, such a victory is an
aspect of mercy for both the victors and the vanquished. God says in
the Qur'an: "Had it not been for the fact that God repels one group
of people by another, the earth would have been utterly corrupted."
(2: 251) That the earth should remain free of corruption is
ultimately good for all, including those who are defeated. This is
God's promise. Never does God fail to fulfil His promise; but most
people do not know it. They only know the outer surface of this
world's life, whereas of the hereafter they remain unaware." Such
victory has been promised by God, which means that it will certainly
come about in real life. For, "never does God fail to fulfil His
promise." The facts of the matter are that His promise issues from
His free will and absolute wisdom; He is able to fulfil it, as no
power can repel His judgment. Indeed, nothing takes place in the
universe except as he wills. Thus, the fulfilment of God's promise
is part of the overall universal law that is subject to no
alteration. Yet, "most people do not know it," even though they may
appear to be great scientists who have a firm grasp and wide scope
of knowledge. The fact is that their knowledge is superficial,
related to what is apparent in life. It does not extend to basic
laws and rules, and cannot comprehend their interrelations: "They
only know the outer surface of this world's life. They cannot
penetrate any deeper than this outer surface or fathom what lies
beyond it. This outer surface of the present life is very limited,
even though it may appear to us to be wide and vast. Only a small
part of it occupies all their efforts. They cannot learn all that is
related to that small part even when they devote their entire lives
to it. Still, this world's life is only a small part of the great
universe that is run in accordance with laws and rules operating
throughout it all. A person who cannot relate to the depths of the
universe and its operative laws will inevitably fail to see even
though he looks. He will only see the outer shape and movement, but
will fail to recognize the wisdom behind it or interact with it.
Most people fall into this category, because it is only true faith
that links what appears on life's surface with universal secrets. It
is only that which gives knowledge its spirit that can look into
these secrets. Believers who have such true faith are few among the
world's population. Hence, the great majority of people are
incapable of acquiring true knowledge. Whereas of the hereafter they
remain unaware." The hereafter is another stage in the chain of
creation; it is one of the many pages of the universe. People who do
not understand the wisdom of creation or the law governing the
universe remain unaware of the life to come, unable to give it its
true measure and value. They do not realize that it is a part of the
way of the universe and, as such, will never fail. To be unaware of
the hereafter makes all measures such people use inaccurate, and
their values suspect. They cannot correctly appreciate life's events
and values. Their knowledge of life remains superficial, incomplete.
When anyone takes the hereafter and its life into account, his
perspective and the way he looks at all events in this life changes.
He realizes that his life on earth is but a short stage in his
journey through the universe, and his lot in this present life is
but a small portion of his share in the universe. He feels that all
events that take place on earth are no more than a brief act in a
long play on the universal stage. To base one's judgment on a short
stage, a small portion or a brief act is unwise and can only lead to
error. The person who believes in the life to come and takes it into
account will not be able to see eye to eye on anything with someone
whose cares and interests are only for this present life, so much so
that they will not be able to agree in judging a single event or
question. They have two different viewpoints and perspectives; they
look at things in different lights. One of them sees only the outer
surface of this present life and the other looks at the bonds, laws
and rules that are behind things, taking into account not only what
we see in our world, but what lies beyond our perception, life and
death, the present life and the life to come, and the universe
stretching into the limitless. It is to such a great horizon that
Islam wants humanity to look up. It is this broad perspective that
befits man, the creature God has honoured when He placed him in
charge of the earth

A Visit to Italy

The capital city of Italy is a very extraordinary place to visit. The population of Rome is well over two-million. The people there are very friendly and are extremely proud of their country. Rome is a beautiful bustling city that has a moderate cli mate. The temperature usually stays around eighty degrees. The main way of transportation is by bus.

The side walk cafes are very popular in Rome. The cafes were always populated with happy Italians and a few curious tourists. The most preferred cafe was the Cafe S. Petro. this cafe was in perfect walking distance from the Vatican city. The Vatica n city is were the pope lives. The main meals served at the cafes varied from pizza to tortillini. The pizzas were not exactly like Pizza Hut's pizza. They were crispy thin with very few toppings available. Most pizzas came with cheese, pepperoni and a watery tomato sauce. The tortillini had soft, medium-length, hollow noodles with more watery tomato sauce. Another favorite at the cafe was the lasagna which was unbelievably delicious. After having tasted the pizzas and the tortillini, I was not exp ecting the lasagna to be so tasty. The lasagna was packed full of hot meat, zesty cheese, and a tangy tomato sauce. It was not out of the ordinary to see Italians, instead of eating at the cafe, talking with their friends and sipping on hot cappucino.

The streets in Rome were always swamped with motor scooters, three-wheeled cars, and buses. Although, the main way of transportation are buses, Italians also scooted around on their motor scooters. The scooters were more convenient because the scoote rs could easily slip through traffic jams. The parking was very hazardous for people because some cars would be blocked in by a small car that was parked vertical between two horizontally parked cars. Car accidents were very common in Rome. When two pe ople had a car accident, they would just wave or yell at each other and drive hurriedly away. The police were not notified and there was no question of who would pay for the damages.

The worst part about Rome were the buses. These buses were jammed tight with people who were sweaty and excessively vulgar. The buses were small in size, the color was a dull blue, and they contained only a few seats that were rarely available. The men on these buses were extremely vulgar in their actions. Because we had to stand so close, the men had chances to pick my pockets or place their hands on my bottom. Once this incident happened, I had to practically shove them off. This did not bother them, they would just move on to the next woman.

Over all, Rome is an exciting place to visit because it has so many attractions to offer. This trip will always be special to me because I got to see a different culture and had many entertaining experiences. I would advise anyone who was going to ta ke a trip to go to Italy because it is surely an amazing place to visit.

Saudi Telecom Company (STC)

Saudi Telecom is determined to deliver results on their journey to become a Customer centric and Competitive Company that their Customers will choose over the competition, Investors will confidently invest in, and Employees will be proud to work for. They are working to become a company where staff and managers are a confident TEAM working together to deliver what the customers want, need and expect.
Saudi Telecom since its establishment in 1998 has delivered a range of positive results that have delivered a better service to more customers. This has been achieved through an ambitious Transformation & Restructuring Program compound with an extensive expansion of their network and infrastructure.
By the end of 2002, the Saudi Government announced that 30% of Saudi Telecom Shares will be released for sale to Saudi citizens & organizations; Saudi citizens (20%), General Organization of Social Insurance (GOSI) (5%), and Pension Fund Organization (5%). By the end of the subscription period, requests for shares exceeded the number offered by 3.5 times. This is a clear indication that Saudi people are confident of Saudi Telecom’s success and trusts in its future. The General Assembly Meeting of Saudi Telecom new shareholders held at the end of April 2003, elect new board members for the first time.
Product & Services
1) At Alhatif are working to fulfill their customers' aspirations by offering a basket of diversified telephone services and aiming to achieve world class quality and customer care while adhering to their community customs and traditions.Alhatif landline phone service is the main service offered by Alhatif. The landline services operates through a huge and complex network of fiber optic and copper underground cables that covers the whole Kingdom and extends globally via armored submarine cable network. The landline service offers their costumers the ability to remain connected 24/7 with friends, family, relative and businesses within and outside the Kingdom. Upon installation of the Alhatif landline service at his/her home or office the costumer can choose from amongst two different Price plan – HATIF 30 and HATIF 45 – based on his/her need.
2) AFAQ DSL Service
Service Description:
to-enjoy surfing the internet, visiting your preferred sites, download files in matter of seconds, view the high resolution picture, keep up-to-date with the latest audio programs, view the newest sports and news clips, play online games or online trading and keeping track of stock markets around the clock ? AfaqDSL is the best solution!
- Service Benefits:
• Continuous high speed connection to the internet with no disconnection or tying up the phone line, in addition, you can choose your desired speed starting from 128 kbps up to 1 mbps.
• The ability to make your telephone calls send / receive Fax while you are surfing the internet from the same phone line without any interference to either.
• Connecting more than one computer at the same time in order for each user of the whole family to enjoy his favorite internet application by using multiple connections or a wireless connection.
3) Prepaid Calling Cards
Description: Prepaid calling cards enable the customer to make a local, national, mobile or international call by dialing the listed service provider Free phone number from any Alhatif telephone
Service features: Prepaid cards offers the flexibility and ease to make a call to any national and international destination using the credit available in the prepaid scratch card and not on the telephone used to make the call.
Service providers: Alhatif Prepaid Calling Cards are offered through five companies which sell their cards under the following brand names: Zajoul, Allo, Marhaba, Interkey and Salam
Service price: There are several categories of prepaid cards, and the calling fees as the same as fixed phones for local and international calls.
Selling points: Super markets, grocery stores.
Investor Relations Six years characterized by perseverance and development that have Placed Saudi Telecom’s roots deeper and deeper in their prosperous nation, growing to reach all areas of this soil, and all members of its community.
This stems from a promise that STC placed upon itself to continue its path of growth and modernity, a growth that is in line with their religion and traditions. This promise is being lived as you read; it is to build our investment towards a better future.
STC values its relationship with its vendors/partners and is always working on improving this relationship with the objective of maximizing its efficiency and effectiveness. Achieving that will increase the benefits gained by both sides and will reflect positively on improving the products and services STC provides to its customers.

The Vendor Relationship Management System (VRMS) is a step forward in that direction. It lays down the foundation for strong and transparent relationship built on vendors' good performance and efficient communication *******s. It is the tool for bridging the distances between STC and its Vendors/Partners.

Dear Maria
I'm writing this letter to inform you what I have bought clothes from the mall.
I went shopping in the mall last weekend with my family.
I bought almost everything. For example, I bought black long silk leggings , I can wear them basicaly with anything like a dark or light jean, short or long skirt, but right now the big style is leggings with a long dark shirt or a mini light dress.
Also, I bought layering cororful t-shirts from Zara. They have tons of colors and they're really cheap too. For instance, I bought baby blue average t-shirt that cost me 10$. A layer T with a short tube top over it looked cute on me when I tried it on .
On the other hand, my sister bought light pink Ballet flats for shoes that was so cute on her small feet. She bought this shoe because it goes with almost any outfit.
The cashier man told us that the most popular colors this year are gray because it looks awesome with blue jeans, bright and bold colors.
So, we immediatly bought gray tink tops.
As for jewlery, I tried big golden chunky jewelry like gradiant , and i really liked it, so I bought it. Plus, my sister bought gumball neclaces with large bangles.
Finally, we both bought big shining golden hoops, or 80's style earrings.
When we came back to the house, our father saw the bills and was shocked that we spent so much money on clothes and accessories. So, he punished us by not letting us go shopping for 2 months.

Offics VS Open Space.

Experts agree that there is no one-size-fits-all formula for designing the ideal workplace. However, they fall into two deeply divided camps when it comes to a fundamental aspect of apportioning space: One group proselytizes for a return to private offices, the other promotes completely open offices.

Interestingly, these groups are united in their disdain for what some might consider a compromise position—cubicles, the office environment most commonly used by employers. Currently, an estimated 70 percent of workers spend their time in cubicles.

“They provide pseudo-privacy at best, and are terrible for spontaneous communication,” says Franklin Becker, director of the International Workplace Studies Program at Cornell University.
“Cubicles are acoustic sieves that intrude on your thoughts and conversations,” agrees Michael Brill, president of BOSTI Associates, a workplace planning and design consultant in Buffalo, N.Y., and founder of the School of Architecture at the University of Buffalo.

But that’s where the agreement ends for these two experts.

Becker believes cubicle walls should come down. “Usually, you can’t see the person in the cube next to you unless you stand up,” he says.

Currently, 10 percent of offices are completely barrier-free, with no partitions separating workstations, estimate experts. In these environments, everyone—including the bosses—sits in the open on rollable chairs arranged in clusters or rows in bullpens.

In some workplaces, the private office still reigns as the primary means of allocating space—especially for those higher in the hierarchy. Overall, however, offices are becoming less common as companies squeeze funds from their facilities budgets. But Brill believes that private offices—even small ones—pay dividends for all workers by creating a more productive work environment.

HR professionals and facilities administrators caught between these two diverging opinions can easily become confused about whether one setup is generally better suited than another to their workplace. Ultimately, you’ll need to take a close look at your organization’s needs, processes and culture and decide for yourself.

Privacy vs. Collaboration
Brill studied the impact of the work environment on work satisfaction and performance for more than two decades. Working from a database of 13,000 people in 40 organizations, he’s identified the 10 most important predictors of job performance. The top two are:

The ability to do distraction-free work for teams and individuals.
The ability to have easy, frequent, informal interactions.
On average, when these factors were addressed at the 40 organizations studied, individual performance jumped 4 percent to 5 percent, team performance 23 percent. Job satisfaction rose 23 percent.

For Brill, the equation is simple: Workers spend the majority of their time in private or near-private activity. As a result, he advocates giving each person a private office, no matter how small.
In addition, most meetings—unscheduled, usually involving two or three people—occur at the workstation. Private spaces encourage impromptu, confidential conversations—which are the “backbone” of an organization, according to Brill.

“We’ve been experimenting with acoustically private offices that are 50-60 square feet with sliding glass doors—substantially smaller than the traditional private office. These new ‘cocktail’ offices are interspersed with or surround an open team area just outside the individual doors. The design permits people to do distraction-free work by keeping the door shut. If they choose, they can keep the door open, or step right outside to the collaborative space.”
Collaboration Trumps Privacy
Though privacy is important, Becker believes that promoting collaboration is at the core of good office design. Becker’s studies reveal that workers spend most of their time with their teams and go to private places only as needed.

As a result, he recommends a series of small-scale four- to eight-person “war rooms” or team offices. They can be in a room fully enclosed or clustered in a larger space. “There are times when someone needs total privacy, but no one works eight hours a day in the total concentration mode. You work in spurts; so you need to have the chance to get privacy when you need it.”

He cites a University of Michigan study in which two teams of software developers at Ford Motors were separated. One team was given private offices, the other assigned to war rooms. The group in the war rooms was twice as productive.

He also cites research showing that private offices can kill inter-group collaboration. “In a survey of 2,000 employees, we found that the likelihood that you’ll have contact outside your group drops dramatically when you have a private office,” he says.

Reading Between the Lines
In an attempt to decide if public or private spaces are best suited to their particular business and workforce, some employers have adopted an intuitively logical approach: They ask workers what they prefer.

However, if you take this tack you may need to take the responses you receive with a grain of salt. The office is a complex organism, with many interrelated forces—cultural, physical and psychological. To understand what’s really happening, you sometimes have to read between the lines.

Workers’ near-universal call for more privacy is an example. In surveys, workers’ No. 1 complaint is lack of privacy; the top request is for a private office, no matter how small.

Grousing about privacy, however, often is a smoke screen. Such complaints sometimes involve nothing more than status. “We’re working in an environment where vice presidents have been moved out of their private offices,” Becker says. “They feel they’ve been devalued. But it’s easier for them to complain about the noise than to admit to their real sentiments.”
Still, whatever their reasons, aren’t happy workers more productive? Not necessarily, says Becker. Sometimes an environment that’s not the most personally comfortable does a better job of enhancing group productivity.
“Creative tension can be healthy,” Becker says. “People who are asked about privacy usually respond from a personal perspective. Even if a private office would make them more productive, it’s not always the best option. When people discover that a hindrance of their personal productivity may help the team move along, they tend to accept the open office.”

Brill counters that office design must satisfy both the needs of the organization and the individual. “You have to accommodate both—they’re not tradeoffs,” says Brill. “We have watched the physical environment go from private to open offices. But it doesn’t increase interaction and doesn’t make for an open organization. When you do a serious investigation, you discover … it’s really a myth.”

He bristles at the suggestion that private office designs promote individual status over team performance. “The idea that status comes from the physical trappings of isolation, size and splendor is a kind of lunatic vision of what’s important to a business. People get status from a whole series of *******s. The big ones are good colleagues, challenging work and intelligent management.”
Down the Road
When the dust settles, will private offices re-capture the turf they have ceded to cubicles in the past 25 years? Or will the partitions that divide cubicles be cast aside, opening offices even more dramatically?

Whatever the outcome, it’s clear that HR, as monitor of culture and measurer of satisfaction, productivity, health and safety, needs to be involved.

“HR should be thinking broadly about the physical environment and how it impacts employee satisfaction and productivity,” concludes Lisa Bender, vice president and director of HR at the MITRE Corp., Bedford, Mass. “Space is a people issue. When decisions are made, we need to be in the middle, helping employees say what they need to do their job. We need to be advocates for having an inclusive, participative process.”

The History of Pizza


The root word of Pizza in Latin is PICEA, which describes the
blackening of the crust caused by the fire underneath.

It's impossible to date the first pizza, since it was never
made as such, but rather evolved over thousands of years. Considered
a peasant's meal in Italy for centuries, modern pizza is attributed
to Raffaele Esposito of Napoli (Naples). In 1889, Esposito baked
pizza especially for the visit of Italian King Umberto I and Queen
Margherita. He covered the humble rounds of dough with tomato sauce,
mozzarella cheese and basil. The pizza was very patriotic and
resembled the Italian flag with its colors of green (basil), white
(mozzarella) , and red (tomatoes), and was favored by the Queen. This
pizza was named Pizza Margherita. Now Naples is known as the pizza
capitol of the world. In 1830 the world's first true pizzeria,
Antica Pizzeria Port' Alba, opened and is still in business today in
Naples!

The Truth about Chocolate

Crazy for chocolates but scared of eating it? No more
compromises with your taste buds needed. Chocolate lovers can now
enjoy their favorite treat subtracting the guilt of being unfair to
their health. Surprised? But that's true!

Recent studies have revealed that chocolates are not only your
taste bud's favorite but a supporter of good health too. In fact,
this brown wonder has far more advantages than you can smell and
taste. For example, it is found that Cocoa enhances the appearance
and texture of skin and helps protect it from sun damage … from the
inside out. Additionally, chocolate has not been proven to
contribute to cavities or tooth decay. Cocoa butter may in fact coat
teeth and help protect them by preventing plaque formation. Although
the sugar in chocolate contributes to cavities, it does so no more
than the sugar in other sweet foods
Now that you've grasped the theory of chocolate, it's time for
the practical work!

nice story

This is really a beautiful story.
Why do we read Quran, even when we can't
understand?
An old American Muslim lived on a farm in the
mountains of
eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning Grandpa was
up early
sitting at the kitchen table reading his Qur'an.
His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried
to imitate him in every way he could. One day the grandson
asked, "Grandpa, I try to read the Qur'an
just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I
forget as soon as
I close the book. What good does reading the Qur'an do?"
The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal
in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river
and bring
me back a basket of water."
The boy did as he was told, but all the water
leaked out before he got back to the house. The grandfather laughed
and
said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him
back to the river with the
basket to try again.
This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket
was empty before he returned home.
Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was
impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket
instead.
The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water;
I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he
went out the door to watch the boy try again.
At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show
his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water
would leak out before he got back to the house.
The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when
he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty.
Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"
"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."
The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the
basket was different. It had been transformed from a
dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.
"Son, that's what happens when you read the Qur'an. You might not
understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will
be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Allah in our
lives." The best way to learn is to share what you have
learned and practice it in your life

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Geography
Saudi Arabia occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba to the west and the Persian Gulf to the east. Neighboring countries are Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Sultanate of Oman, Yemen, and Bahrain, connected to the Saudi mainland by a causeway. Saudi Arabia contains the world's largest continuous sand desert, the Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter. Its oil region lies primarily in the eastern province along the Persian Gulf.

National name: Al-Mamlaka al-'Arabiya as-Sa'udiya

Sovereign: King Abdullah (2005)

Land area: 756,981 sq mi (1,960,582 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 27,019,731 (growth rate: 2.2%); birth rate: 29.3/1000; infant mortality rate: 12.8/1000; life expectancy: 75.7; density per sq mi: 33

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Riyadh, 3,724,100

Other large cities: Jeddah, 2,745,000; Makkah (Mecca), 1,614,800

Monetary unit: Riyal

Language: Arabic

Ethnicity/race: Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%

Religion: Islam 100%

Literacy rate: 79% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $340.6 billion; per capita $12,900. Real growth rate: 6.5%. Inflation: 0.4%. Unemployment: 13% male only (local bank estimate; some estimates range as high as 25%) (2004 est.). Arable land: 2%. Agriculture: wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk. Labor force: 6.76 million; note: more than 35% of the population in the 15–64 age group is non-national; agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.). Industries: crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals; ammonia, industrial gases, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), cement, fertilizer, plastics; metals, commercial ship repair, commercial aircraft repair, construction. Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper. Exports: $165 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products 90%. Imports: $44.93 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles. Major trading partners: U.S., Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Germany, UK (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3.9 million (2002 est.); mobile cellular: 2.9 million (2002 est.). Radio broadcast stations: AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998). Radios: 6.25 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 117 (1997). Televisions: 5.1 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 22 (2003). Internet users: 1.453 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 1,392 km (2002). Highways: total: 151,470 km; paved: 45,592 km; unpaved: 105,878 km (1999). Ports and harbors: Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah. Airports: 209 (2002).

International disputes: nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have been negotiating a long-contested maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate.


Government
Saudi Arabia was an absolute monarchy until 1992, at which time the Saud royal family introduced the country's first constitution. The legal system is based on the sharia (Islamic law).

History
Saudi Arabia is not only the homeland of the Arab peoples—it is thought that the first Arabs originated on the Arabian Peninsula—but also the homeland of Islam, the world's second-largest religion. Muhammad founded Islam there, and it is the location of the two holy pilgrimage cities of Mecca and Medina. The Islamic calendar begins in 622, the year of the hegira, or Muhammad's flight from Mecca. A succession of invaders attempted to control the peninsula, but by 1517 the Ottoman Empire dominated, and in the middle of the 18th century, it was divided into separate principalities. In 1745 Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab began calling for the purification and reform of Islam, and the Wahhabi movement swept across Arabia. By 1811, Wahhabi leaders had waged a jihad—a holy war—against other forms of Islam on the peninsula and succeeded in uniting much of it. By 1818, however, the Wahhabis had been driven out of power again by the Ottomans and their Egyptian allies.

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is almost entirely the creation of King Ibn Saud (1882–1953). A descendant of Wahhabi leaders, he seized Riyadh in 1901 and set himself up as leader of the Arab nationalist movement. By 1906 he had established Wahhabi dominance in Nejd and conquered Hejaz in 1924–1925. The Hejaz and Nejd regions were merged to form the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932, which was an absolute monarchy ruled by sharia. A year later the region of Asir was incorporated into the kingdom.

Oil was discovered in 1936, and commercial production began during World War II. This oil-derived wealth allowed the country to provide free health care and education while not collecting any taxes from its people. Saudi Arabia was neutral until nearly the end of the war, but it was permitted to be a charter member of the United Nations. The country joined the Arab League in 1945 and took part in the 1948–1949 war against Israel. Saudi Arabia still does not recognize the state of Israel. On Ibn Saud's death in 1953, his eldest son, Saud, began an 11-year reign marked by an increasing hostility toward the radical Arabism of Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser. In 1964, the ailing Saud was deposed and replaced by the prime minister, Crown Prince Faisal, who gave vocal support but no military help to Egypt in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War.

Faisal's assassination by a deranged kinsman in 1975 shook the Middle East, but it failed to alter his kingdom's course. His successor was his brother, Prince Khalid. Khalid gave influential support to Egypt during negotiations on Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai Desert. King Khalid died of a heart attack in 1982, and he was succeeded by his half-brother, Prince Fahd bin 'Abdulaziz, who had exercised the real power throughout Khalid's reign. King Fahd chose his half-brother Abdullah as crown prince.

Saudi Arabia and the smaller oil-rich Arab states on the Persian Gulf, fearful that they might become Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's next targets if Iran conquered Iraq, made large financial contributions to the Iraqi war effort during the 1980s. At the same time, cheating by other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), competition from nonmember oil producers, and conservation efforts by consuming nations combined to drive down the world price of oil. At the time Saudi Arabia had one-third of all known oil reserves, but falling demand and rising production outside OPEC combined to reduce its oil revenues from $120 billion in 1980 to less than $25 billion in 1985, threatening the country with domestic unrest and undermining its influence in the Gulf area.

At the start of 1996, King Fahd passed authority to Crown Prince Abdullah, after suffering an incapacitating stroke. In 1998 the country's oil income fell by 40% because of a worldwide decline in prices, and it entered its first recession in six years.

In 2000, Saudi Arabia, along with other OPEC nations experiencing a recession, decided to reduce production to raise oil prices. In 2001, OPEC cut oil production three additional times.

Saudi Arabia's relations with the U.S. were strained after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks—15 of the 19 suicide bombers involved were Saudis. Despite the monarchy's close ties to the West, much of the extremely influential religious establishment has supported anti-Americanism and Islamic militancy. In Aug. 2003, following the U.S.-led war on Iraq in March and April 2003, the United States withdrew its troops stationed in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. had maintained troops in the country for the past decade, a source of great controversy in the strongly conservative Islamic country. One of the major reasons given for the Sept. 11 attacks by Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden was the presence of U.S. troops in the home of Islam's holiest sites, Medina and Mecca. On May 12, 2003, suicide bombers killed 34, including 8 Americans, at housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh. Al-Qaeda was suspected. Saudi Arabia's commitment to antiterrorist measures was again called into question by the U.S. and other countries. In July, the U.S. Congress bitterly criticized Saudi Arabia's alleged financing of terrorist organizations. While the Saudi government arrested a sizable number of suspected terrorists, little was done to quell Islamic militancy in the kingdom. Several attacks against Westerners took place in 2003 and 2004.

In Feb. 2005, Saudi Arabia held its first elections ever: municipal council elections to choose half of the new council members in Riyadh. The other half continued to be appointed, in keeping with the previous Saudi system. Women were not eligible to vote, and less than a third of eligible voters registered.

In Aug. 2005, King Fahd bin 'Abdulaziz died. His half-brother Abdullah, who had been the de facto ruler of the country for the past decade, assumed the throne.

William Shakespeare


William Shakespeare was a great English playwright, dramatist and poet who lived during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright of all time. No other writer's plays have been produced so many times or read so widely in so many countries as his. Shakespeare was born to middle class parents. His father, John, was a Stratford businessman. He was a glove maker who owned a leather shop. John Shakespeare was a well known and respected man in the town. He held several important local governmental positions. William Shakespeare's mother was Mary Arden. Though she was the daughter of a local farmer, she was related to a family of considerable wealth and social standing. Mary Arden and John Shakespeare were married in 1557. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford in 1564. He was one of eight children. The Shakespeare's were well respected prominent people. When William Shakespeare was about seven years old, he probably began attending the Stratford Grammar School with other boys of his social class. Students went to school year round attending school for nine hours a day. The teachers were strict disciplinarians. Though Shakespeare spent long hours at school, his boyhood was probably fascinating. Stratford was a lively town and during holidays, it was known to put on pageants and many popular shows. It also held several large fairs during the year. Stratford was a exciting place to live. Stratford also had fields and woods surrounding it giving William the opportunity to hunt and trap small game. The River Avon which ran through the town allowed him to fish also. Shakespeare's' poems and plays show his love of nature and rural life which reflects his childhood. On November 28, 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway of the neighboring village of Shottery. She was twenty-six, and he was only eighteen at the time. They had three children. Susana was their first and then they had twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet, Shakespeare's son, died in 1596. In 1607, his daughter Susana got married. Shakespeare's other daughter, Judith, got married in 1616. In London, Shakespeare's career took off. It is believed that he may have become well known in London theatrical life by 1592. By that time, he had joined one of the city's repertory theater companies. These companies were made up of a permanent cast of actors who presented different plays week after week. The companies were commercial organizations that depended on admission from their audience. Scholars know that Shakespeare belonged to one of the most popular acting companies in London called The Lord Chamberlain's Men. Shakespeare was a leading member of the group from 1594 for the rest of his career. By 1594, at least six of Shakespeare's plays had been produced. During Shakespeare's life, there were two monarchs who ruled England. They were Henry the eighth and Elizabeth the first. Both were impressed with Shakespeare which made his name known. There is evidence that he was a member of a traveling theater group, and a schoolmaster. In 1594, he became an actor and playwright for Lord Chamberlain's Men. In 1599, he became a part owner of the prosperous Globe Theater. He also was a part owner of the Blackfriars Theater as of 1609. Shakespeare retired to Stratford in 1613 where he wrote many of his excellent plays. There are many reasons as to why William Shakespeare is so famous. He is generally considered to be both the greatest dramatist the world has ever known as well as the finest poet who has written in the English language. Many reasons can be given for Shakespeare's enormous appeal. His fame basically is from his great understanding of human nature. He was able to find universal human qualities and put them in a dramatic situation creating characters that are timeless. Yet he had the ability to create characters that are highly individual human beings. Their struggles in life are universal. Sometimes they are successful and sometimes their lives are full of pain, suffering, and failure. In addition to his understanding and realistic view of human nature, Shakespeare had a vast knowledge of a variety of subjects. These subjects include music, law, Bible, stage, art, politics, history, hunting, and sports. Shakespeare had a tremendous influence on culture and literature throughout the world. He contributed greatly to the development of the English language. Many words and phrases from Shakespeare's plays and poems have become part of our speech. Shakespeare's plays and poems have become a required part of education in the United States. Therefore, his ideas on subjects such as romantic love, heroism, comedy, and tragedy have helped shape the attitudes of millions of people. His portrayal of historical figures and events have influenced our thinking more than what has been written in history books. The world has admired and respected many great writers, but only Shakespeare has generated such enormous continuing interest. My source states explanations rather than opinions on why Shakespeare's contributions to literature are so vast. My source devoted thirty pages to William Shakespeare. Shakespeare's plays are usually divided into three major categories. These are comedy, tragedy, and history. Three plays which are in the category of comedy are "The Comedy of Errors", "The Taming of the Shrew", and "The Two Gentlemen of Verone". Three plays which are in the category of tragedy are "Romeo and Juliet", "Titus Andronicus", and "Julius Caesar". In the category of history, three plays are "Henry V", "Richard II", and "Richard III".

Trust in Self-Reliance

Trust yourself, your intuition, and your nature. According to Emerson's Self-Reliance, these qualities are essential to contentment and harmony with one's self. Self-reliance is an appeal to the individual to obey his instincts and to challenge tradition and conventional wisdom. According to Emerson, those who are truly self-reliant have the ability to mark their place in history as great and genuinely creative men.

Emerson urges the reader to live by his instinct and listen to his intuition, "Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string." Don?t fear your original thoughts, trust them and live accordingly. Great men and artists appeal to us because of their creative nature, "In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts." If we don?t live according to our nature we are not men. Be bold and brave about your convictions, "And we are now men, and must accept in the highest mind the same transcendent destiny; and not pinched into a corner, not cowards fleeing before a revolution, but redeemers and benefactors, pious aspirants to be noble clay plastic under the Almighty effort, let us advance and advance on Chaos and the Dark." Recognize your nature whether it be good or bad, "No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature."

Emerson instructs the reader to avoid the common pitfalls that tend to hinder man's virtue. Emerson identifies consistency as being an enemy of the creative thinker, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds", "With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do". Emerson isn?t implying that we live erratically but that we should be introspective about our positions and ideals. We should not hold the same position simply because it is the one we have always taken. We shouldn?t be preoccupied with the impression we leave on others, "What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think." According to Emerson, our inconsistency should be our testimony. Your inconsistent actions will explain to others what you are, "The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tacks."

Emerson also points out man's fear of being misunderstood. We often fail to present or discuss our original thoughts and ideas in fear of being misunderstood. Emerson asks, so what? Weren't all great innovators misunderstood? Emerson says: "Misunderstood! It is a right fools word. Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh."

According to Emerson, "imitation is suicide". When we imitate we cheat our nature. Imitation is not ours, "Insist on yourself; never imitate. Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life?s cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another, you have only an extemporaneous, half possession." Emerson teaches us to rejoice in our uniqueness.

Emerson notes the advances of society. According to Emerson, society never makes true progress, "Society never truly advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other." Advancement of society is a give and take relationship. When society makes progress, it regresses in other aspects, "The civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. He is supported on crutches, but loses so much support of muscle. He has got a fine Geneva watch, but he has lost the skill to tell the hour by the sun."

To Emerson self-reliance is the embodiment of principle and integrity. The ability to trust your own thoughts and conviction is virtue, "Nothing can bring you peace of mind but the triumph of principles."

TV Violence and Children


Children from the ages 6-11 spend more time watching television than

they do in the classroom. The level of violence that they see on prime time

television is about five violent acts per hour and the level of violence on

Saturday that includes cartoons morning programming is about 20 to 25 violent

acts per hour. At this rate, the average American child will see 8,000 murders

before they finish elementary school!



As a child sits in front of baby-sitting television, her eyes are glued

to the viewing of shoot em' up rip em' up kind of entertainment. We have to

remember that the entertainment media plays an extremely powerful role in the

formation of values and morals, to all youngsters' minds of all ages, all

socioeconomic levels, and all levels of intelligence. These programs "play"

with kids' minds; these programs have a tremendous negative effect on our

children. We, as a society, must save our future and take an active role in

protecting our children from the violence on our television.



Television cartoons often feature dehumanized characters, such as

Transformers and the Ninja Turtles, who engage in the destructive acts of

violence by fighting our real life social problems. With acts of violence, kids

learn to think that's how they should solve their problems. MTV's Beavis and

Butt-head encourages fire, smoking, foul language, drinking and stealing. With

these bad attitudes seen depicted as normal on TV shows kids are lead to

believe it is cool be have that type attitude Is this what we really want our

society, especially our younger generation, to believe?



If we truly thought that television had no impact on viewers, why would

companies spend billion of dollars on television advertising? If commercials

have an effect, then so do the shows that the children watch. For example,

youngsters mimic many of the violent acts that they see such as Beasvis and But-

head. One day, a five year old boy watch his favorite cartoon, Beavis and Butt-

head, and sees the characters pull one of their famous arson stunts. And the

result, he sets his own house ablaze and his younger sister is killed.



Children do learn from television especially when they lack direct exposure

or first hand experience with violent grotesque acts. These do take a toll on

children and the way they will view life as they grow up. I know some who that

are sweet, innocent, full of dreams, hopes, laughter, and life. These kids have

learned about there environment from their parents, not by watching television.

When I am a parent, I will not show programs with bodies flying around the room

and blood spurting ever where. At this point, the parents' role must be to

watch television with their children so they can help children understand that

violence hurts people physically and emotionally.



Our society should take a long hard look in the mirror; the values of

today's youth are reflections of the values of their elders. We should remember

the words of the father in Harry Chapin's song "Cat's in the Cradle" when he

comes to realize his son "He's grown up just like me. My boy was just like me."



Violence on the television is a very real problem is our culture. We

most see that it only causes negative effects on our society. It is hard to

tell if the problem is the media or if the problem is in our values as a culture.

We must help turn back the growing culture of violence as quickly as possible.

The human toll on our society is too great to look the other way.

The Preparation For and Ceremony of Marriage in Islam

In Islam, marriages are a very important event most Muslim weddings
are arranged, in order for an arranged marriage to take place both the
boys/girls side must give consent, with arranged marriages both
families make sure that the boy's/girl's (and their family's)
reputation and history is accepted in society and that they have no
flaws which would bring a bad name on their family all this is checked
before the husband/wife enters into their family.

A Muslim boy/girl have to choose their partners very carefully as it
is an arranged marriage and they are expected to spend their whole
life with a stranger they have to get to know them and know all their
ways of living and habits etcâ?¦ before they agree to marry them
although sometimes the parents of the girl/boy are very strict and may
not allow this to happen they may just decide for their son/daughter
to get married to someone without asking their opinion this may be a
problem sometimes as the married couple may not get along or there may
be other problems, another problem with arranged marriages is that if
the parents of the Muslim girl/ boy agree to the marriage without the
daughters or/ sons consent then it is like they are deciding the fate
if their child without the child having a say in it, but mostly this
is not the case and the girl/boy is asked their opinion about the
person they are going to marry because Muslims believe that a marriage
which is forced is doomed to failure. In Islam getting married to a
member of your family whether its intermediate or distant family is
very common.

The majority of Muslim marriages are arranged although there are a few
love marriages but in the Muslim community love marriages are not
really an option and it seen as a very dangerous thing to do sometimes
muslims regard being under the influence of love' as a intoxicating
state of mind that could easily cloud judgement. Parents are thought
to find good compatible partners for their children and sometimes they
do no agree to give consent to love marriages.

Muslims are encouraged to have an arranged marriage although sometimes
people have a mixed marriage this is allowed as long as it is a Sikh,
Indian, or a Christian person. If an Muslim gets married then the wife
has to follow the husbands religion and convert the children have to
follow their fathers religion but it is preferred to get married to
another Muslim because this way their community expands and Islam as a
whole expands.

When the marriage is decided upon (arranged) before the wedding many
other celebrations and ceremony's have to take place. Such as the
engagement where both the girls and boys family gets together and have
an engagement ceremony where the bride and groom get together and
exchange rings the other event is the Mahr (dowry) The Mahr is the
dowry paid by the husband to the wife. It is a sum negotiated by the
husband and wife, which she can keep when or if they later get
divorced, if the wife wants to get divorced without the consent of her
husband she can but only if the mahr is returned. It is against, the
sunnah of the prophet to demand high dowries or not give to give a
dowry at all or pay the brides father in compensation for his
daughters services at home.

After this follows the actual Nikah (wedding) the Nikah is a simple
affair the ceremony is plain and simple consisting of readings from
the Qur'an and vows are exchanged in front of witnesses. There are
also a few prayers recited for this happy occasion the imam is present
and no religious official is necessary. The bride does not have to be
present as long as she sends her 'wali' or marriage representative and
also two witnesses of agreement to the wedding and she can be at home.
The signing of the Nikah (wedding) contract's can be changed the
original date by weeks or even months or years just like with the
prophet and his wife Aishah. If the girl is at home they declare three
times that she accepts the wedding. Nikah is not considered to be a
sacred contract or 'made in heaven' but is a binding contract giving
the husband and wife both equal rights and responsibilities. Due to
the fact that ' love' is not necessarily present at the time a bride
can include into the contract certain conditions that would help her
if she later wished to have a divorce she could also make it clear
that she does not give permission to allow her husband to have a
second wife.

After the Nikah follows the Walimah this is the actual wedding party
the bride may not dress up for the Nikah but she will certainly dress
up for the Walimah. The walimah usually consists of the actual wedding
feast it can take place within three days of the couple living
together. Presents are usually given presents given are usually money.
It is a tradition to have huge expensive parties in some societies but
this is not religious or part of Islam, the prophet disapproves of
lavish especially if it causes problems between the husband and wife.

In Islam the only compatibility that matters is the piety. The prophet
said' a woman should only be married to a person who is good enough
for her or compatible to her

Water Pollution



Water pollution is increasingly becoming a large problem that we as humans need to confront. Water is our most valuable resource. Just think of how much we humans are dependent upon clean water. Water is way more valuable than gold, what can you go a day, week, year with out, gold or water? Besides the fact that we drink the water, we use it for irrigation of farm fields, cooking, washing clothes, flushing toilets, etc. and every industrial process requires water to function. Everyone knows that the Earth's surface is covered by 70% water, so why fuss of protecting water? Only 3% of all water is fresh and drinkable and of that 3%, 75% is frozen, which leaves a grand total of only 1% of the Earth's surface water that is readily available for consumption. After taking that fact into account, one can see why the conservation and protection of our remaining water supply is so vital. Before water pollution can be stopped, the sources of the pollution must be known.



The major sources of water pollution are organic pollution, agricultural pollution, runoff, toxic waste, and thermal pollution. Organic pollution is becoming more and more pressing on the environment, because of the growing population of the world. It's a simple concept, the more people there are in one area, the more waste they will produce. For example, in a city there are so many people that the sewage plants and the environment can't take care of all of the waste and function in its usual manner. The sewage plants do their best, but the secondary discharge that gets into the water supply causes great problems. The excess waste acts as a fertilizer or food source for algae and the growth rate is uncontrollable. Everyone has been in a lake where there is a lot of dead algae on the shore and the water is clouded with algae. This situation is known as eutrophication, where algae growth is out of control and the water becomes oxygen depleted. There are natural cycles of eutrophication in the spring and fall, but the body of water can deal with those amounts. When excess waste is added to the water the body of water can no longer control the growth of the algae and the water soon becomes algae ridden and oxygen depleted. The water becomes oxygen depleted, because the dead algae goes to the bottom and uses the oxygen in the deeper water to decompose, but if there is too much dead algae all the oxygen is depleted. Oxygen from the surface doesn't reach the bottom, because the warmer water is less dense than the deeper cooler water, therefor the warmer water floats on the colder water and they never mix, much like oil and water. Soon the dead algae piles upon itself and makes the lake shallower, until it totally fills in and dries up.



Eutrophication effects all bodies of water, great and small. In the summer of 1971 at the Chicago South Water Filtration Plant on the coast of Lake Michigan, the filters were clogged with so much algae it had to be removed by hand. In the winter the turbidity(sediment in the water) was so high that the water wasn't drinkable. In a third case, the water smelled and tasted like dead fish and huge amounts of chlorine had to be added to make the water drinkable. If eutrophication can happen in lakes like Lake Michigan and Lake Erie, than no lake is safe. When eutrophication become extreme the water isn't usable any more. To stop the eutrophication of our lakes we need to devise a better system to treat sewage so it can be reused or released back into the environment without a catastrophic reaction. Currently there are some new systems that take raw sewage and convert it into usable water through biological means. The plant takes the water and feeds it to various plants. The nutrients are taken from the waste and used to grow plants. The excess water becomes clean after a four day operation. This idea is like controlled eutrophication where the plants are feed the excess nutrients to get plant growth instead of algae growth. This has only be attempted on a small scale. In the future if this could be done on a large scale the plants that are feed the waste to clean the water could be used as a food source. This idea isn't very new, infact, it is millions of years old. Basically the new sewage plant is an artificial wetland.
There are many main cause of pollution, which come from many different ways are lakes are being polluted. (Lakes have been used as dumping grounds for refuse for centuries.) (Edward F. Dolan) An author said, ?Oceans are like humans, they can absorb small amounts of contaminants but get sick when it is too much to handle.? (Edward F. Dolan) Part of why are lakes and oceans are being so polluted, is that people didn?t realize the effect it would have in the future. Only know people are realizing how important it is to take care of lakes and oceans. (Another way of are lakes and oceans are getting polluted is traffic on water.) (Dick Hecock, president of the P.R.W. district) Besides running motors, worm containers/ bedding and broken tackle are thrown into are lakes and oceans. Humans are not the only thing that pollutes are lakes, natural has different ways of polluting are waters. ?Acid rain (snow sleet) comes from burning fossils fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) which give off sulfur and nitrogen dioxides that convert into sulfuric and nitric acids by the action of sunlight and moisture.? (Authors Name?) Oil Spills have a huge factor on are waters. (Between 10,000 and 16,000 oil spills take place in U.S. waters. Only the more serious spills are reported though.) (Edward F. Dolan) From the most visible pollution, floating objects, containers, cans, and ect. (A test moved more than 125 pounds of floating materials were collected in less than five hours.) (Ian Mcnutty) Another major factor are water runoffs. (Runoff comes from streets, rooftops, and parking lots which contain sewage, chemicals, and garbage that seeks into are lakes and oceans.) (Dick Hecock)




A wetland as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary, "a lowland area, such as a marsh or swamp, that is saturated with moisture, especially when thought of as the natural habitat for wildlife." Wetlands perform a very important function in nature. First off they provide habitat for a high percentage of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals. The survival of the species depends upon the survival of the wetland. When wetlands are reduced the population of water foul, fish, and animals reduces drastically. Not only are they just a home for the animals, they serve as a purification system. Water moves slowly through the wetland and the soil and the plants pick up the nutrients and contaminants and clean the water. They serve as a large filter, dirty water passes into the wetland and clean water is the final result. Wetlands also serve as water retention and flood prevention areas. If there were no wetlands all the water that is in the wetlands and the rain and snow would flood into our cities and neighborhoods. All the excess water is held in the wetlands were it is purified and slowly dispersed. Wetland act as an erosion control along coastlines and prevent wind erosion. They also safeguard that the soil will keep its nutrients. Wetlands are economically important also. Over 95% of the fish and shellfish that the US commercial industry harvest are dependent on the wetlands. Sport fishermen spend large amounts of money on fishing equipment and licensees. Valuable timber is harvested from the many forested wetland. Fur bearing mammals and alligators are harvested in wetlands. The vegetation of the wetlands can also be harvested. The US hasn't taken advantage of this option yet, but other countries such as China do. As one can see there are countless reasons for the preservation of wetlands. Wetlands need to be protected and preserved for the future. Another type of water pollution is one most people don't really think about, runoff.



Rainfall, snowmelt and irrigation cleanse the surface of the Earth. Any pollutants that are on the ground will eventually come in contact with water. So what? The water is just cleaning the streets and everything it comes in contact with, right? Wrong, the water picks up everything that is in it's path. This can range from pieces of food to motor oil to fertilizer or any pollutants that might lie on the millions of roads and expressways of the US. Now the polluted water makes its down fall into the ground water, which intern ends up in nearby streams, rivers, and lakes. This means that any pollutant left on the ground will eventually end up as contamination of the water supply. We need this water to drink and we use the rivers and lakes as recreation. Water runoff presents a major problem.



Polluted water runoff is hard to calculate, but some attribute as high as 80% to runoff. Most people think that only the big companies are to blame for the poor quality of water, but that isn't so. The large companies are regulated by the Clean Water Act. There is no way to control the amount of pollution that is taken by water runoff. Police can not find everyone that has spread their old motor oil on their driveway to keep the dust down or keep track of how often people fertilize their lawn. This is much more difficult to detect and prevent. This comes down to each persons own values and environmental values. Each individual is responsable for their actions and there is no way to police that. The average person doesn't cause any large quantities of water pollution, it comes from an unlikely source.



Larger sources of runoff pollutants come from farms and pastures. On the farms all the excess fertilizer gets into the streams and ends up in the lakes. When the fertilizer reaches the lake or stream, it cause eutrophication to occur. This means that less fish can survive and the water will go from clear to cloudy. No one wants to swim in water that you can't see your feet in. Another problem farms present is the loss of soil and sediment in rivers. The precious soil is stolen by erosion and carried off in the rivers. The lose of the soil is bad enough, but the horrible part is that along with the soil goes all of the fertilizer, pesticides and herbicide used on the fields. In other words, any chemical put on the crops to prevent animals or bugs from eating them ends up in the water we drink. In the 1960's and 1970's the pesticide DDT was heavily used. This chemical was applied on the farms and runoff took it to the lakes. The plants absorbed the DDT and then the herbivores ate the plants. The carnivores ate the herbivores and the second carnivore(Humans or birds) eat them. As the DDT moves up the food chain it intensifies and the concentration is very dense by the time it reaches the carnivores. What goes on the farm ends up in our food, one way or the other.



On ranches the problem becomes the excess of excretion from the cattle.(25,000 cattle produce 300,000 gallons of waste a day) All of this urine and manure goes straight to the ground water and right back to the rivers and lakes. At least the human waste is sent to a sewage system, which does some good. This cattle waste is being sent straight to the water supply, untreated. In Oregon, Tallamook Bay is closed to oyster growing at certin times of the year, because of the high levels of contamination from the cattle. Where do we draw the line?



Polluted runoff is hard to control. Currently there are efforts being taken to stop polluted runoff from entering the water supply, but they are all on a voluntary basis. Most people will help, but what of the others? Legislation needs to be made to enforce what some will not do. Runoff water pollution is serious and it effects everyone. Thermal pollution is simmilar to runoff in the fact that no one ever gives it any thought.



Thermal pollution occurs when the water is heated up by power plants. Fossil fuel power plants, Neucular power plants and hydrolic dams heat the water. The industrial process requires large quanities of cooling water and water runnign through danm turbines is heated. After the water is heated, it is then discharged into lakes and rivers. Certin types of fish, animals, and plankton die if the water temperature is raised to much. Fish can't spwan when the water temperature is to high. If temperatures are hot enough the life in the water becomes minimal. Also, when the water is warmed, it promotes the growth of algae. With high concentratiuons of algae, the problem of eutrophication is introduced again. Neucular power plants cause thermal pollution, but they also cause radioactive waste. Little is known about radioactive waste, but it is know that small amounts of this material can destroy life in large quanities of water. There is one last source of pollution, toxic waste.



Toxic waste comes form a great variety of industrial plants. In mining opperations and many industrial processes heavy metals such as lead, copper, cadium, iron and others are released into the water. These heavy metals accumulate in fish and make them harmful to anything that eats them and to the fish itself. In pulp-mill paper production, a combination of organic waste and toxic waste combind to cause horriable effects. As mentioned before, DDT is a toxic waste that ravashises any environment it comes in contact with. PCB's are anothe rtoxic waste that are byproducts of many industrial processes. PCB's work in the same way as DDT by concentrating as it moves up the food chain until it is highly toxic by the time it reaches Humans and other animals high on the food chain.



Water is a necessity of life and it needs to be conserved and protected. >From all of the above pollutants, our water supply is in peril. If we value life as we know it, we need to change our way of life and look at water in a different way.

جرائم الشرف
Honor killing
An honor killing is a murder, nearly exclusively of a woman, who has been perceived as having brought dishonor to her family. Such killings are typically perpetrated by the victim's own relatives and/or community and unlike crimes of passion or rage-induced killings, usually planned in advance.

In societies and cultures where they occur, such killings are often regarded as a "private matter" for the affected family alone, and courts rarely become involved or prosecute the perpetrators.

The United Nations Population Fund estimates that the annual worldwide total of honor-killing victims may be as high as 5,000 women.
Human Rights Watch defines "honor killings" as follows:

Honor crimes are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are perceived to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a ***ual assault, seeking a divorce — even from an abusive husband — or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a specific way to "dishonor" her family, is sufficient to trigger an attack.[1]

For example, honor killings can sometimes target those who choose boyfriends, lovers or spouses outside of their family's ethnic and/or religious community. Some women who adopt the customs (or religion) of an outside group, may also be more likely to be victims.[2] Furthermore, in certain cultures a raped single woman will garner no bride price if she marries, and thus be considered "worthless" to the family. There is some evidence that homo***uality can also be grounds for honor killing by relatives. Several cases have been suspected but not confirmed. There is also a documented case of a gay Jordanian man who was shot (but not fatally) by his brother.[2]

Many hold the practice to be self-contradictory, since an honor killing is sometimes justified by its participants or supporters, as an attempt to uphold the morals of a religion or a code, which at the same time generally forbids killing as morally wrong.

Honor suicides occur when, in an effort to avoid legal penalties for killing, a woman is ordered or pressured into killing herself. This phenomenon appears to be a relatively recent development. A special envoy for the United Nations named Yakin Erturk, who was sent to Turkey to investigate suspicious suicides amongst Kurdish girls, was quoted by the New York Times as saying that some suicides appeared in Kurdish-inhabited regions of Turkey to be "honor killings disguised as a suicide or an accident."[3][4]

The historic practice of sati, or widow-burning, in parts of India and south Asia can be considered a form of honor suicide in those instances when (at least theoretically) the act is voluntary, with a deceased man's widow immolating herself on his funeral pyre as an act of pious devotion and to preserve her and her family's honor. The justifications for sati, as well as its actual prevalence and acceptance, are subject to much historical and religious debate, however

Honor killings, generally considered premeditated, are typically held to be distinct from crimes of passion, which occur throughout the world. Crimes of passion are different from honor killings, in the sense that they are spontaneous acts that are not planned. Indeed a crime of passion must not be premeditated and is treated as a type of temporary insanity. Furthermore, many honor killings (along with some crimes of passion) are based on sheer suspicion as opposed to (what appears to be) factual proof, in relation to the idea that an individual has committed or been involved in an "undesirable act", in the mind of the perpetrator(s).

As of 2004, honor killings have occurred at the hands of individuals within parts of various countries, such as Albania, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel (within the Arab, Druze and Bedouin communities)[7], Italy, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States. According to the UN:

"The report of the Special Rapporteur ... concerning cultural practices in the family that are violent towards women (E/CN.4/2002/83), indicated that honour killings had been reported in Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Yemen, and other Mediterranean and Gulf countries, and that they had also taken place in such countries as France, Germany and the United Kingdom within migrant communities."

The practice of honor killing is over-whelmingly associated with certain Muslim cultures and the peoples influenced by those cultures.[8] Honor killings are more common among poor rural Muslim communities than urban ones. Arab Christians living within parts of the Near East, such as sections of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, sometimes carry out the crime as well.[9] (citation to unbacked source) Many cases of honor killings have been reported in Pakistan. In December 2005, Nazir Afzal, director of Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, stated that the United Kingdom has seen "at least a dozen honor killings" between 2004 and 2005.[4]

In 2007, the Associated Press reported on an apparent honor killing in Jordan, when a father fatally shot his 17-year-old daughter whom he suspected of being ***ually active despite a medical exam performed before her death that proved her virginity, according to a government forensic pathologist from Jordan's National Institute of Forensic Medicine.[5] [6] Previously, the young woman had apparently "run away from home several times for unknown reasons." She returned home from a family protection clinic after doctors "vouched for her virginity" and her father signed a pledge not to harm her. The pathologist reported that an autopsy also demonstrated her virginity.

On May 18, 2007, four Yazidi men were arrested for killing 17-year-old Du’a Khalil Aswad in Bashiqa, Iraq for being seen with a Sunni Muslim .[7] The attack was recorded on a cell phone camera and broadcast around the world, bringing international attention to practice of honor killing.


قصة سندريلا
Cinderella
Cinderella is a popular fairy tale embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known around the world.

Once upon a time... there lived an unhappy young girl. Unhappy she was, for her mother was dead, her father had married another woman, a widow with two daughters, and her stepmother didn't like her one little bit. All the nice things, kind thoughts and loving touches were for her own daughters. And not just the kind thoughts and love, but also dresses, shoes, shawls, delicious food, comfy beds, as well as every home comfort. All this was laid on for her daughters. But, for the poor unhappy girl, there was nothing at all. No dresses, only her stepsisters' hand-me-downs. No lovely dishes, nothing but scraps. No nice rests and comfort. For she had to work hard all day, and only when evening came was she allowed to sit for a while by the fire, near the cinders. That is how she got her nickname, for everybody called her Cinderella.Cinderella used to spend long hours all alone talking to the cat. The cat said, "Miaow", which really meant, "Cheer up! You have something neither of your stepsisters have and that is beauty."
Cinderella sighed at the cat, "Oh dear, I'm so unhappy!" and the cat murmured "Miaow".
Suddenly something amazing happened. In the kitchen, where Cinderella was sitting all by herself, there was a burst of light and a fairy appeared. "Don't be alarmed, Cinderella," said the fairy. "The wind blew me your sighs. I know you would love to go to the ball. And so you shall!"
"How can I, dressed in rags?" Cinderella replied. "The servants will turn me away!"
The fairy smiled. With a flick of her magic wand... Cinderella found herself wearing the most beautiful dress, the loveliest ever seen in the realm. "Now that we have settled the matter of the dress," said the fairy, "we'll need to get you a coach. A real lady would never go to a ball on foot! Quick! Get me a pumpkin!" she ordered.

"Oh of course," said Cinderella, rushing away. Then the fairy turned to the cat. "You, bring me seven mice!"

"Seven mice!" said the cat. "I didn't know fairies ate mice too!"

"They're not for eating, silly! Do as you are told!... and, remember they must be alive!"

Cinderella soon returned with a fine pumpkin and the cat with seven mice he had caught in the cellar. "Good!" exclaimed the fairy. With a flick of her magic wand... wonder of wonders! The pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach and the mice became six white horses, while the seventh mouse turned into a coachman, in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes.
"I shall present you at Court. You will soon see that the Prince, in whose honour the ball is being held, will be enchanted by your loveliness. But remember! You must leave the ball at midnight and come home. For that is when the spell ends. Your coach will turn back into a pumpkin, the horses will become mice again and the coachman will turn back into a mouse... and you will be dressed again in rags and wearing clogs instead of these dainty little slippers! Do you understand?" Cinderella smiled and said, "Yes, I understand!"

When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone stopped in mid-sentence to admire her elegance, her beauty and grace. "Who can that be?" people asked each other. The two stepsisters also wondered who the newcomer was, for never in a month of Sundays, would they ever have guessed that the beautiful girl was really poor Cinderella who talked to the cat!

When the prince set eyes on Cinderella, he was struck by her beauty. Walking over to her, he bowed deeply and asked her to dance. And to the great disappointment of all the young ladies, he danced with Cinderella all evening. "Who are you, fair maiden?" the Prince kept asking her.
But Cinderella only replied: "What does it matter who I am! You will never see me again anyway."

"Oh, but I shall, I'm quite certain!" he replied.

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball... But, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the fairy had said, and without a word of goobye she slipped from the Prince's arms and ran down the steps. As she ran she lost one of her slippers, but not for a moment did she dream of stopping to pick it up! If the last stroke of midnight were to sound... oh... what a disaster that would be! Out she fled and vanished into the night.

The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, picked up her slipper and said to his ministers, "Go and search everywhere for the girl whose foot this slipper fits. I will never be content until I find her!" So the ministers tried the slipper on the foot of all the girls... and on Cinderella's foot as well... Surprise! The slipper fitted perfectly.

"That awful untidy girl simply cannot have been at the ball," snapped the stepmother. "Tell the Prince he ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is! Can't you see?"

Suddenly she broke off, for the fairy had appeared. "That's enough!" she exclaimed, raising her magic wand.

In a flash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress,shining with youth and beauty. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, and the ministers said, "Come with us, fair maiden! The Prince awaits to present you with his engagement ring!" So Cinderella joyfully went with them, and lived happily ever after with her Prince.

And as for the cat, he just said "Miaow"!

The End

التفرقة العنصرية
Racism
Because racism carries connotations of race-based bigotry, prejudice, violence, oppression, stereotyping or discrimination, the term has varying and often hotly contested definitions. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another race or races. The Merriam-Webster's Webster's Dictionary dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief.[1] The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism thus: the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others.

As an ideology, racism first appeared during Early modern Europe in Spain during the Reconquista,[citation needed] and then during the 19th century, where "scientific racism" ideologies, which attempted to provide a racial classification of humanity, became very common[citation needed]. Although such racist ideologies have been widely discredited after World War II and the Holocaust, the phenomena of racism and of racial discrimination have remained widespread all over the world.

Racism has been a motivating factor in social discrimination, racial segregation, hate speech and violence (such as pogroms, genocides and ethnic cleansings). Despite the persistence of racial stereotypes, humor and epithets in much everyday language, racial discrimination is illegal in many countries. Some politicians have practiced race baiting in an attempt to win votes.
In practice, racism takes forms such as racial prejudice, segregation or subordination (subjugation). Racism can more narrowly refer to a legalized system of domination by one ethnic group over another, such as in institutional racism. Racial prejudice refers to a pre-formed notion of individuals based on their perceived racial heritage. It involves hasty generalizations about members of a group based on the perceived characteristics of one or more members of the group. Generalizations include beliefs that every member of a group has the same personality traits, interests, language, culture, ideas, norms and attitudes. Racial prejudices are sometimes promoted by the mainstream media. Racism has started wars and slavery. It is, however, interesting to note, that racism can be so influential, that even the victim can learn to hate his own group, thus we see what is called "self hatred" which leads to many in the oppressed group oppressing themselves and thoughts of freedom. Once the physical chains are removed, the mental chains may still remain.

Organizations and institutions that put racism into action discriminate against and marginalize a class of people who share a common racial designation. The term racism is usually applied to the dominant group in a society, because it is that group which has the means to oppress others.

Racism can be both overt and covert. Individual racism sometimes consists of overt acts by individuals, which can result in violence or the destruction of property. Institutional racism is often more covert and subtle. It often appears within the operation of established and respected forces in the society, and frequently receives less public condemnation than the overt type.
In the late 20th century, the notion of "biological race," popularized by scientific racism theories spawned in the 19th century, has been challenged by geneticists and biologists. The latter have demonstrated that it is not possible to divide humanity into several, strictly delimited, populations called "races" (for example, in Blacks, Whites and Asians, or "Negroid", "Caucasoid" or "Mongoloid"). Modern genetics have proved that there are no genes which are specifics to only Blacks, or only Whites, etc.[2] Furthermore, they show that intra-group differences exceed inter-group differences: members from the same geographical population may biologically differ more than members from geographically separate populations (blood types differences are one popularly known example).[2]

Thus, race has been redefined as a social construction embedded in history, tradition and self-perception and perception of others. This social meaning is constructed by a variety of means, among which judicial means

الرومانسية في حيانتا
Romance
Ah, romance, that wonderful and exciting feeling, that most glorious intertwining of two hearts. So intense, such a high, but so fleeting, and so often for so many once gone never to return. But does it have to be that way? Can we intentionally create and sustain more romance in our lives?

Most folks profess to want more romance in their lives. Indeed, for some, romance is a goal unto itself, or at least high on the list of goals for their love relationships.

But if having romance in our committed love relationships is a highly prized goal, and if so many people want more of it in their lives, how can we create, cultivate, and encourage it? What concrete steps can we take to make sure that romance takes seed and flourishes?

The purpose of this article is to explore the idea that romance begins in your heart-center and grows outward, and is, to some significant degree, a reflection of how you feel about yourself. In other words, by romancing yourself first you can create the conditions that allow you to experience and express romance with another more easily.

Listen: your capacity to love and accept yourself is the measure of your capacity to love and accept others. The same can be said for romance: your ability and willingness to create romance within is the measure of the romance you can help create in a committed loving relationship.

True romance isn’t just about flowers and poems. Flowers and poems are great, of course, but are really just an extension of a feeling that comes from within, something that starts in, and flows from, the heart. Without that heart-felt feeling, flowers and poems are but an attempt be to romantic, not an expression of true romance.

So how do you create more romance in your life? Begin by romancing yourself. Love, accept, and forgive yourself on a deep level. Treat yourself with respect and understanding. Buy yourself flowers. Write yourself a poem. Treat yourself with respect and dignity. And remember: if you don’t love yourself first, you can’t truly love another.

And remember that it is far more important to be the right person than to find the right person. Our relationships are a reflection of the relationship we have with ourselves. Romance, too, is a reflection of that inner state. By first creating romance within, you’ll be well on your way to creating more romance in your life.

الحمل والمشاكل الصحية المصاحبة للحمل
Pregnancy symptoms
During pregnancy a woman's body undergoes a number of changes to allow the fetus to develop inside the womb. These changes can cause various symptoms, but these are not usually serious and tend to disappear without any treatment during pregnancy or soon after the birth.

Nausea and vomiting
Widely known as morning sickness, feeling or being sick during pregnancy normally occurs from about the sixth until the fourteenth week of pregnancy. However it can start as early as the first missed menstrual period and continue until later into the pregnancy. Although the name suggests nausea and vomiting occur only in the morning, they often occur throughout the day.

The exact cause is unknown, but it is thought to be linked to hormone changes. It is rare for vomiting to cause a serious medical problem.

Nausea and vomiting usually stops by about week 14 of pregnancy, without the need for any medical treatment. There is evidence that taking ginger capsules can help. Ginger tea or ginger biscuits may also be helpful. Some women find that eating dry crackers before getting out of bed in the morning can be effective.

Any woman with severe sickness that does not stop should seek medical advice. Severe vomiting can interfere with nutrition and can cause dehydration. The medical term for it is hyperemesis gravidarum, and it may require hospital treatment.

Urinary symptoms
In the first three months of pregnancy, many women find that they need to pass water more often than normal. This is a result of hormonal changes, and because the enlarging womb pushes on the bladder resulting in a smaller bladder capacity. This frequent need to urinate is also common in the four weeks before the birth, as the baby's head enters the pelvis and further presses on the bladder.

During the rest of pregnancy, there is an increased risk of developing a urinary infection. This is because hormones and the enlarging uterus can slow the passage of urine out of the body.

To help prevent urinary infections, women should drink plenty of fluids and not delay when they get the urge to pass water. Drinking cranberry juice may also help.

If a urinary infection is not treated, it may spread upwards to the kidneys and damage them, so it is important not to ignore any pain or burning sensation on passing water. If the symptoms continue, a doctor may need to prescribe antibiotics.

Fatigue
Extreme tiredness is very common in pregnancy, especially during the first 12-15 weeks, because the woman's body is under extra strain.

To help cope with this, women may want to take naps whenever possible, and try to go to bed earlier.

Extreme fatigue can sometimes be a symptom of anaemia. Any woman who is worried about this should speak to her doctor, midwife or obstetrician.

Constipation
Constipation is common in pregnancy for several reasons. Hormone changes slow the passage of food through the gut, while the growing uterus can put pressure on the rectum. Iron supplements, often given to prevent or treat anaemia in pregnancy, can also make constipation worse.

Drinking at least six to eight glasses of water per day, and eating a diet rich in fresh fruit and wholegrain foods can help prevent or relieve constipation. For more information on diet during pregnancy, please see the separate factsheet on Antenatal care.

Breast soreness
Sensitive, tender or sore breasts are commonly one of the first signs of pregnancy. This usually improves after the first trimester. Wearing a comfortable, supportive maternity bra should help.

Itchy skin
About 20% of pregnant women get some kind of skin itchiness. When this occurs over the abdomen, it is probably caused by the skin stretching. But it's also common to have itchy palms and soles of the feet, which is thought to be caused by increased hormone levels.

Itchiness can usually be relieved by applying a simple moisturiser such as aqueous cream, which is available inexpensively from pharmacies.

In rare cases, generalised itchiness in the third trimester can be a sign of a liver problem called obstetric cholestasis. Any woman with widespread itching should consult her GP or obstetrician.

Backache
Backache can occur in pregnancy owing to the increasing size and weight of the womb and the breasts, and because pregnancy hormones loosen the ligaments that attach the spine to the pelvic bone.

Backache may be relieved by resting, having warm baths, or massage. If pain is severe, a doctor may prescribe painkillers (such as paracetamol) that are safe to take in pregnancy.

Leg cramps
Leg cramps can occur during pregnancy. The exact cause of these is unknown, but doctors think they may be related to changes in the blood circulation in the legs, and the extra weight being carried. Leg cramps are most likely to happen in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Leg cramps may be relieved by stretching, walking, warm baths and massage.

Swollen ankles
Swelling (oedema) can affect the extremities, especially the ankles and toes, often later in pregnancy. The swelling happens when the enlarged womb presses on the veins that come up from the legs, leading to accumulation of fluid around the ankles.

Swollen ankles may be relieved by elevating them when sitting, wearing waist-high support tights and exercising.

Pins and needles
Pins and needles, especially in the hands, can be accompanied by some pain or numbness and occasionally weakness in the fingers. Usually this is caused by fluid build-up around the wrists, which compresses the nerves that run to the hand muscles and skin. This is known as carpal tunnel syndrome and tends to occur when there is also swelling in the ankles. For more information, please see the separate BUPA factsheet on Carpal tunnel syndrome.

If finger pain or numbness is an ongoing problem, a doctor may suggest wearing a moulded wrist splint, especially at night.

Varicose veins
These are enlarged veins, usually in the legs. They often develop or become worse during pregnancy because the growing uterus puts extra pressure on the veins in the pelvis and legs, and because hormones cause the walls of blood vessels to relax.

Pregnant women can help to relieve the symptoms or reduce the risk of getting varicose veins by getting regular gentle exercise, not crossing their legs when sitting, putting their feet up when possible, and putting on support tights or stockings before getting out of bed in the morning.

Varicose veins often improve or disappear after the baby is born. For more information, see the separate factsheet on Varicose veins.

Piles
Piles (haemorrhoids) may first appear or become worse during pregnancy and result from changes in the circulation of blood around the pregnant woman's body. They may also develop during labour when the woman is pushing.

Women can reduce the risk of getting piles by making sure they don't become constipated, and not ignoring the urge to open their bowels. Piles can be relieved with over-the-counter creams, available from pharmacies. Taking warm baths is helpful for some women.

Like varicose veins, piles often improve or disappear completely after the baby is born, but occasionally surgery is needed. For more information, please see the separate factsheet on Piles.

Medical problems
The symptoms described so far are common in a normal pregnancy and generally clear-up without medical treatment. However, there are a number of less common pregnancy-related conditions that may need medical treatment. For more information, please see the separate factsheets on Anaemia, Pre-eclampsia, DVT and Diabetes in pregnancy.

Identifying problems
Pregnant women should attend regular antenatal appointments so that any problems with the pregnancy are picked up. The GP, midwife or obstetrician will ask about any symptoms, and conduct a number of tests. These include:

monitoring blood pressure
monitoring weight, which can increase more than expected if a woman retains a lot of fluid
taking a urine sample - a simple dipstick can immediately indicate any sugar, protein or blood in the sample, which can help identify an infection
a blood test, which is taken at the start of pregnancy and then as required during pregnancy to check for anaemia
For more information please see the factsheet Tests in pregnancy.

Any woman who is worried about her symptoms can seek advice from her antenatal care provider at any time.


مرض البوليما والأنوركسيا
What are anorexia and bulimia?
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the two main eating disorders. People with anorexia have extreme weight loss as a result of very strict dieting. Some people may also make themselves sick, abuse laxatives or do excessive exercise to try and lose weight. In spite of this extreme weight loss, people with anorexia believe they are fat and are terrified of becoming what is in fact a normal weight or shape. About four out of ten people with fully established anorexia make a full recovery, and others improve. Only about three in ten continue to have major long-term illness. Untreated, about 15 per cent of all sufferers will die from the disorder within 20 years of its onset.

People with bulimia nervosa crave food and binge eat, though they are not emaciated. Afterwards they make themselves sick or misuse laxatives to get the food out of their bodies. Sufferers are very afraid of becoming fat.
Who has anorexia or bulimia?

Anorexia nervosa most commonly starts in the mid-teens. About one in a hundred 16 to 18 year olds has the illness. It is much more common in girls. Bulimia nervosa usually starts when people are a little older, but is again more common in girls. Bulimia is more common than anorexia, although people with anorexia in particular do not always ask for treatment.

Occasionally men develop eating disorders, but anorexia nervosa is rare. Male development in puberty is very different from that of females. Related bodily concerns are different and less often lead to the extremes of dieting which commonly precede anorexia nervosa.

What causes eating disorders?
Eating disorders may develop partly in response to difficult life experiences such as abuse or social pressures arising in puberty and in growing up. They are also more common in cultures where it is considered desirable to be slim. Genetic factors seem to be important, especially in anorexia. Sometimes people with an eating disorder are depressed, and they may have obsessions.

What treatments are available?
Mental health professionals need a variety of skills to treat people with eating disorders. A doctor can help diagnose the illness and any associated physical problems resulting from it. In both anorexia nervosa and bulimia, self-help strategies can be very helpful. If this approach does not work, health professionals may suggest a course of psychotherapy. If someone has lost a dangerous amount of weight, the first step will be to help the person start to regain that weight in order to survive. Some people with anorexia may need to be admitted to hospital and the nursing staff has an important role in supporting the patient in the early stages of treatment. Psychological and psychotherapy skills are also necessary at this acute stage, so that the mental health team can begin to understand why the illness developed and how to help the person to overcome it.

In anorexia, this talking treatment will involve the individual with the illness and sometimes other family members. The long-term aim will be to help that person change their attitude, behaviour and ways of thinking, and enable them to cope with the strains of life without the illness as a protection. Shorter-term expert talking treatments and also specific cognitive behavioural treatments are often effective with bulimia nervosa.

What can society do?
We can strive better to understand the distress that underlies and drives these disorders. We can provide access to such information and develop health promotion campaigns aimed at teenagers and young people. Information on how to cope with feelings and fears about growth or about being too fat is useful. We can offer more support in secondary schools and user-friendly services for troubled teenagers.



تعدد زيجات الرسول صلي الله عليةواله وسلم
The several marriages that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) contracted have been much misunderstood and subjected to derogatory remarks beyond all limits of justice and decency. Notwithstanding the fact, that the institution of polygamy existed before the advent of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and a majority of Biblical prophets were polygamous, our critics single him out "heaping abuses, calumny and derogatory epithets, upon him." 1 The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) contracted a number of marriages after the age of fifty-three. The accusation of being licentious is nothing but a product of their own fertile imagination. Dr. Besant refutes this assertion: "But do you mean to tell me that the man who in the full flush of youthful vigour, a young man of four and twenty (24), married a woman much his senior, and remained faithful to her for six and twenty years (26), at fifty years of age when the passions are dying married for lust and ***ual passion? Not thus are men's lives to be judged. And you look at the women whom he married, you will find that by every one of them an alliance was made for his people, or something was gained for his followers, or the woman was in sore need of protection." 2

The famous author of the book called "Mohammad and Mohammedanism", Bosworth Smith explains: "It should be remembered, however, that most of Mohammad's marriages may be explained at least, as much by his pity for the forlorn condition of the persons concerned as by other motives. They were almost all of them with widow who were not remarkable either for their beauty or their wealth, but quite the reverse." 3 The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) contracted marriages either for the protection of the females whose husbands had died for the cause of Islam or for cementing the bonds of love with those who could by their position and influence be of service to Islam or for the benefit of humanity at large. "In every single case it was a personal sacrifice on the part of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to have contracted the marriage, or circumstances obliged him to do so whilst there was as yet no law limiting the number of wives." 4 The ladies who married the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did so of their own volition. None of them was forced into marriage.

The youthful days of the Prophet prior to the beginning of revelation, "were free from every blemish; neither his worst enemies during his life nor the mud-slinging critics of the later times have ever been able to find the slightest fault with this critical period of his life. His veracity, chastity, innocence and pureness of heart were proverbial for he never indulged in anything unbecoming of a true should youth like him." 5 From twenty-five years up to the age of fifty he remained with a wife older than him. During this period of his age he remained devoted to his wife and even after her death he remembered her with love and compassion." 6

It is narrated on the authority of Jabir ibn Abdullah that Abu Jahl and some of the chiefs of the Quraish approached the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "If you are anxious for leadership, we are prepared to declare you our leader, if you need riches we would collect for you an enormous amount of wealth that will suffice not only for you but even for your descendants; if you are impelled by ***ual urge, you may chose ten beautiful damsels out of the whole tribe of Quraish. The Holy Prophet kept silent and did not utter a word. When their talks concluded, the Holy Prophet recited the following verse of the Qur'an : "Beneficent God! A revelation from the Beneficent, the Merciful : A Book of which the verses are made plain, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know – good news and a warning. But most of them turn away, so they hearken not" (41 : 1.4).

The Holy Prophet concluded his reply on the verse : "Then if they turn away, then say: I warn you of a scourge like the scourge of 'Ad and Thamud, (41 : 13)." 7 This solitary event is enough to refute the charge of licentiousness. The worldly pleasures had no significance for him. "His was a life of perfect sublimity and single-minded devotion to Allah, absolutely free from the taints of base desires." 8

A Western biographer of the Holy Prophet pin-points the common weakness of the occidentals who try to bring in a verdict on the marriages of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him): "Muhammad's married life must not be looked at from an occidental point of view or from that set by Christian conventions. These men and women were not occidentals and they were not Christians. They were living at a period and in a country where the only known ethical standards were theirs. Even so, there is no reason why the codes of America and Europe should be considered superior to those of the Arabs. The people of the West have many things to give to the people of the East. They have much to glean, too, and until they can prove that their way of living is on a higher moral standard than any body else's, they should reserve judgements on other creeds and castes and countries." 9

The Holy Prophet lived a simple and modest life. Being the Head of State, the Chief Justice, the Commander-in-Chief, the instructor etc., he was the most busiest man of his time, still he spent considerable part of his nights in prayers and meditation.10 His furniture was simple (i.e. mats, jugs, blankets etc.). His life was so simple that his wives did not have worldly comforts. Could this be a life of a lustful and passionate man? At the advent of Islam in Arabia the practice of polygamy was common and deeply rooted in the social life." 11 He contracted various marriages in accordance with the custom of the country.

The limitation of the number of wives was fixed at the end of the eighth year of Hijrah and the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) had married all his wives before that period. He was commanded by Allah to keep those whom he had already married but was forbidden to marry any more.12 The Quranic verse, "It is not allowed to take wives after this, (33 : 52) implies that the Holy Prophet, like all his other acts contracted those marriages perfectly in accordance with the will of the Lord. There was a divine purpose behind them and when it was achieved a restriction was placed upon him." 13

The above facts clearly belie the wrong notions that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) contracted these marriages in response to physical needs or biological pressures. Those who doubt moral integrity or spiritual excellence of our Prophet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) should answer questions such as: "Why did he start his first marriage at the age of 25 years after having had no association with any female? Why did he choose a twice-widowed older lady who was 15 years senior to him? Why did he remain with her until her death when he was over fifty? Why did he accept all those helpless widows and divorcees who possessed no particular appealing qualities? Why did he lead such an austere and hard life, when he could have had an easy and comfortable course? Why did he con-contract most of his marriages in the busiest five years of his life, when his mission and career were at stake? How could he manage to be what he was, if the harem life or passions overtook him