all about apples

Apple pectin diet lowers cholesterol

Source : Health Care Guide
Our ancestors believed that old proverb "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," but they didn't understand the 'Why' of it.
Nutritional scientists research for evidences that verify how apples are good for our health. Apples are rich in pectin, a soluble fiber (fibre), which is effective in lowering cholesterol levels.
Apples work in any form, from raw to juice, to maintain good cardiovascular health. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, found that apples act as antioxidants against the damaging portion of cholesterol in the blood stream.
Many researchers suggest that people who eat fatty foods should, if possible, wash down this food with apple juice rather than the usual drink.
Researchers have found that apples are the richest of fruits in pectin with the Jonagold variety of apple leading other varieties.
A diet of low fiber, high fat, and animal protein appears to be the leading cause of death in many people. It has been established that a diet rich in pectin can protect against these diseases. (Thrombosis Research, United Kingdom)
Biotherapy (Japan) has found in their lavatories that apple pectin can decrease colon cancer.
Apple fiber helps maintain intestinal balance by cleansing the intestinal tract with its soluble and insoluble fibers. Pectin apple fiber increases the acidity in the large intestines. (University of Florida College of Medicine)
Apple pectin in any form is advocated for diabetics and those suffering from ulcer, colitis, and for regulating the blood pressure.
Researchers advise that children should be taught to eat apples or drink apple juice and to keep this habit on through life. Too many people ignore good nutrition until they get old, then, too late, they begin to worry about their health.
Establish good diet habits early and keep them throughout life and that means eat plenty of apples and drink apple juice.
Researchers conclude there is still a mysterious 'Why' in apples. Scientists say apples are a real health food that helps the human body. Their investigation is in agreement: eating or drinking an apple a day is a must in building better health.

Paris

 
Paris  is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,193,031 (January 2007),^[2] but the Paris metropolitan area has a population of 11,836,970 (January 2007),^[4] and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.^[5]
An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.^[6][7] In 2009^[8] and 2010^[9][10] Paris was ranked among the three most important and influential cities in the world, among the first three "European cities of the future" – according to research published by the Financial Times –^[11] and among the top ten most liveable cities in the world according to the British review Monocle.^[12] Paris also ranks among the 10 greenest European cities in 2010.^[13][14] Paris hosts the headquarters of many international organizations such as UNESCO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the informal Paris Club.
Paris and the Paris Region, with €552.1 bn in 2009, produces more than a quarter of the gross domestic product of France.^[15] According to 2008 estimates, the Paris agglomeration is along with London, Europe's biggest city economy and the sixth largest in the world.^[16] The Paris Region hosts 37 of the Fortune Global 500 companies^[17] in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest dedicated business district in Europe.^[18] According to the latest survey from Economist Intelligence Unit in 2010, Paris is the world's most expensive city in which to live.^[19] With about 42 million tourists per year^[20] (28 in city proper),^[21] Paris is the third most visited city in the world after Orlando^[22] and New York City,^[23] and the first by international visitors (with about 17 million in city proper).^[24] The city and its region contain 3,800 historical monuments and four UNESCO World Heritage Sites.^[20]

universal studio

Universal Studios Singapore is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It was a key component of Genting's bid for the right to build Singapore's second integrated resort. On 8 December 2006, the Singapore government announced that the consortium had won the bid. Construction of the theme park and the rest of the resort started on 19 April 2007. It is the second Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia (Japan being the first), and the first in Southeast Asia. The official plans for the park were unveiled to the public when Universal Studios Singapore released a park map to the public on 20 October 2009.^[1] Universal Studios Singapore has since attracted more than 2 million visitors in the 9 months from its opening.^[2]

Universal Parks & Resorts markets the park as a "one-of-its-kind theme park in Asia" and promises that the park will be the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia for the next 30 years.^[3]

Construction of Resorts World Sentosa, and Universal Studios Singapore began on 19 April 2008. After almost three years of construction, the park opened on 18 March 2010.

Universal Studios Singapore was opened for sneak peek week in view of the Chinese New Year Celebrations, from 5 pm to 9 pm every night between 14 to 21 February 2010.^[4] Though visitors had to pay SGD$10 to enter the park despite rides not operating, tickets for the week were sold out in 2 days. On 5 March 2010, it was announced that the park will open its doors on 8:28 am (UTC+8) 18 March 2010, for a soft-opening phase. From 13 March 2010, the team members of Resorts World Sentosa and their families had a chance to visit the park before the public has a chance to do so.^[5] The park had its soft opening period from 18 March 2010 to 26 October 2010.^[6]

genting highland

Genting Highlands otherwise known as Resorts World Genting is the flagship integrated resort developed by Genting Group. It is nestled on a mountain peak (maximum elevation about 1760m) within the Titiwangsa Mountains on the border between the states of Pahang and Selangor of Malaysia. Resorts World Genting is operated by Genting Malaysia Berhad (formerly known as Resorts World Bhd), which also operates Awana chain of resorts & hotels. It is accessible by car from Kuala Lumpur in one hour, or also accessible by a cable car called Genting Skyway (3.38 km^[1])which at its opening used to be the world's fastest and South East Asia's longest gondola lift.

The idea of creating a hill resort located in proximity to Kuala Lumpur came up in the late Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong's mind during a business trip to the Cameron Highlands in 1964. He mooted this idea while enjoying the fresh and crisp air from the balcony at his hotel room.

Subsequently, a study of the maps and Kuala Lumpur’s vicinity located the ideal site - the 1,800-metre Gunung Ulu Kali, just 55 km from Kuala Lumpur. Amidst the dense virgin tropical jungle and rugged terrain, the task to transform a remote mountain into Malaysia’s premier holiday destination seemed impossible, but not for Tan Sri Lim.

A private company called Genting Highlands Berhad was set up on 27 April 1965, with the late Tan Sri Haji Mohammed Noah bin Omar, Tan Sri Lim successfully obtained approval for the alienation of 12,000 acres and 2,800 acres of land from the Pahang and Selangor State Government respectively between the years 1965 and 1970. An anomaly happened during the obtaining of the land approvals. While the Pahang state government swiftly approved a freehold lease, the Selangor state reluctantly approved a 99-year lease. As a result, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong met the then Mentri Besar of Selangor, Dato Harun Idris and telling him that a freehold lease will be more feasible than a 99-year lease. Finally, the Selangor state government agreed to grant a freehold lease.

On 18 August 1965, a technical and construction team began the herculean task that would take Four years to complete the access road from Genting Sempah to the peak of Gunung Ulu Kali.

To ensure the sound and prompt construction of the hotel-cum-resort, Tan Sri Lim devoted all of his time, capital and resources, including the reserves of his family company, Kien Huat Realty Berhad towards the making of this "dream resort".

On 31 March 1969, the late YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister graced the official laying of the foundation stone for the company’s pioneer hotel, the then Highlands Hotel, marking the completion of the access road to Genting Highlands Resort. The Prime Minister was impressed that the private sector, without the assistance of the Government, could develop a mountain resort for the enjoyment of all Malaysians; subsequently a gaming licence was suggested to help accelerate the development of this remote area.

In 1971, the first hotel at Genting Highlands was successfully completed and was then named Highlands Hotel (now renamed Theme Park Hotel).

Since the opening of the first hotel in 1971, Genting Highlands Resort continued to grow from strength to strength. The development of the area continued to this present day to enhance Genting Highlands Resort as the premier holiday destination in the region while ensuring that the natural beauty of the rain forest is maintained.

To date, Genting Highlands Resort has six hotels (namely Maxims, Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel, Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and First World Hotel) and two apartment blocks (Ria and Kayangan Apartments) at the hilltop and Awana Genting Highlands Golf and Country Resort.

Together with integrated world-standard entertainment facilities encompassing various leisure, indoor and outdoor theme parks and gaming facilities, Genting Highlands Resort has become the "City of Entertainment" and Malaysia's Premier Resort.  / 3.42368; 101.79335

In 1997, Genting Highlands Resort further boosted its facility attraction with Genting Skyway cable car system that provides a 3.38 km transport to the hilltop. Genting Skyway is also recognised as the "World's Fastest Mono Cable Car System" with a maximum speed of 21.6 km per hour and the "Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia".

social network

A social network is a social structure made up of individuals (or organizations) called "nodes", which are tied (connected) by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as friendship, kinship, common interest, financial exchange, dislike, sexual relationships, or relationships of beliefs, knowledge or prestige.

Social network analysis views social relationships in terms of network theory consisting of nodes and ties (also called edges, links, or connections). Nodes are the individual actors within the networks, and ties are the relationships between the actors. The resulting graph-based structures are often very complex. There can be many kinds of ties between the nodes. Research in a number of academic fields has shown that social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.

In its simplest form, a social network is a map of specified ties, such as friendship, between the nodes being studied. The nodes to which an individual is thus connected are the social contacts of that individual. The network can also be used to measure social capital – the value that an individual gets from the social network. These concepts are often displayed in a social network diagram, where nodes are the points and ties are the lines.

Social network analysis (related to network theory) has emerged as a key technique in modern sociology. It has also gained a significant following in anthropology, biology, communication studies, economics, geography, information science, organizational studies, social psychology, and sociolinguistics, and has become a popular topic of speculation and study.

People have used the idea of "social network" loosely for over a century to connote complex sets of relationships between members of social systems at all scales, from interpersonal to international. In 1954, J. A. Barnes started using the term systematically to denote patterns of ties, encompassing concepts traditionally used by the public and those used by social scientists: bounded groups (e.g., tribes, families) and social categories (e.g., gender, ethnicity). Scholars such as S.D. Berkowitz, Stephen Borgatti, Ronald Burt, Kathleen Carley, Martin Everett, Katherine Faust, Linton Freeman, Mark Granovetter, David Knoke, David Krackhardt, Peter Marsden, Nicholas Mullins, Anatol Rapoport, Stanley Wasserman, Barry Wellman, Douglas R. White, and Harrison White expanded the use of systematic social network analysis.^[1]

Social network analysis has now moved from being a suggestive metaphor to an analytic approach to a paradigm, with its own theoretical statements, methods, social network analysis software, and researchers. Analysts reason from whole to part; from structure to relation to individual; from behavior to attitude. They typically either study whole networks (also known as complete networks), all of the ties containing specified relations in a defined population, or personal networks (also known as egocentric networks), the ties that specified people have, such as their "personal communities".^[2] In the latter case, the ties are said to go from egos, who are the focal actors who are being analyzed, to their alters. The distinction between whole/complete networks and personal/egocentric networks has depended largely on how analysts were able to gather data. That is, for groups such as companies, schools, or membership societies, the analyst was expected to have complete information about who was in the network, all participants being both potential egos and alters. Personal/egocentric studies were typically conducted when identities of egos were known, but not their alters. These studies rely on the egos to provide information about the identities of alters and there is no expectation that the various egos or sets of alters will be tied to each other. A snowball network refers to the idea that the alters identified in an egocentric survey then become egos themselves and are able in turn to nominate additional alters. While there are severe logistic limits to conducting snowball network studies, a method for examining hybrid networks has recently been developed in which egos in complete networks can nominate alters otherwise not listed who are then available for all subsequent egos to see.^[3] The hybrid network may be valuable for examining whole/complete networks that are expected to include important players beyond those who are formally identified. For example, employees of a company often work with non-company consultants who may be part of a network that cannot fully be defined prior to data collection.

Several analytic tendencies distinguish social network analysis:^[4]

There is no assumption that groups are the building blocks of society: the approach is open to studying less-bounded social systems, from nonlocal communities to links among websites.

Rather than treating individuals (persons, organizations, states) as discrete units of analysis, it focuses on how the structure of ties affects individuals and their relationships.

In contrast to analyses that assume that socialization into norms determines behavior, network analysis looks to see the extent to which the structure and composition of ties affect norms.

The shape of a social network helps determine a network's usefulness to its individuals. Smaller, tighter networks can be less useful to their members than networks with lots of loose connections (weak ties) to individuals outside the main network. More open networks, with many weak ties and social connections, are more likely to introduce new ideas and opportunities to their members than closed networks with many redundant ties. In other words, a group of friends who only do things with each other already share the same knowledge and opportunities. A group of individuals with connections to other social worlds is likely to have access to a wider range of information. It is better for individual success to have connections to a variety of networks rather than many connections within a single network. Similarly, individuals can exercise influence or act as brokers within their social networks by bridging two networks that are not directly linked (called filling structural holes).^[5]

The power of social network analysis stems from its difference from traditional social scientific studies, which assume that it is the attributes of individual actors—whether they are friendly or unfriendly, smart or dumb, etc.—that matter. Social network analysis produces an alternate view, where the attributes of individuals are less important than their relationships and ties with other actors within the network. This approach has turned out to be useful for explaining many real-world phenomena, but leaves less room for individual agency, the ability for individuals to influence their success, because so much of it rests within the structure of their network.

Social networks have also been used to examine how organizations interact with each other, characterizing the many informal connections that link executives together, as well as associations and connections between individual employees at different organizations. For example, power within organizations often comes more from the degree to which an individual within a network is at the center of many relationships than actual job title. Social networks also play a key role in hiring, in business success, and in job performance. Networks provide ways for companies to gather information, deter competition, and collude in setting prices or policies.^[6]

LONDON

London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures.^{[note 1]} London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium.^[6] London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile mediaeval boundaries. Since at least the 17th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core.^[7] The bulk of this conurbation forms the London region^[8] and the Greater London administrative area,^{[9][note 2]} governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.^[10]

London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence.^[11] It is the world's largest financial centre alongside New York,^[12][13][14] has the largest city GDP in Europe^[15] and is home to the headquarters of more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies.^[16] It has the most international visitors of any city in the world.^[17] London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers.^[18] London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutions in Europe.^[19] In 2012 London will become the first city to host the Summer Olympic Games three times.^[20]

London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries.^[21] In July 2007 it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London,^[22] making it the most populous municipality in the European Union.^[23] The Greater London Urban Area is the second largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251,^[2] while London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million^[3] and 14 million.^[4]

London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Greenwich Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT).^[24] Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, 30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin"), St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Trafalgar Square. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions including the British Museum, National Gallery, British Library, Wimbledon and 40 theatres.^[25] London's Chinatown is the largest in Europe.^[26] The London Underground network is the oldest underground railway network in the world^[27] and the most extensive after the Shanghai Metro.^[28]

people commit crime for selfish reason

Why Do People Commit Crimes?

People commit crimes because that is what they want to do. Criminal behaviour is a matter of choices. Today, there are many excuses cloaked as reasons for criminal behaviour. The misguided nature of these assertions has a serious impact upon crime control strategies. The classical approach to crime control strategies deals with direct intervention tactics. Law enforcement, within this rubric, takes an aggressive posture toward criminal acts. The delayed tactics of a reactionary position is relegated to the illusion of rehabilitation. In the classical view, deviance and crime are addressed in a proactive manner. This strives to be consistent with both legal and social aspects of constraint. Deviant behaviour in the form of criminal activity must necessitate a punitive approach to behaviour. Such an approach must come with speed, precision and certainty. For control sanctions to work, the systems of justice must work decisively. The attendant criminal justice systems must be capable of deploying the necessary resources. From an historic perspective, the classical school of criminology is often overlooked as a viable crime prevention strategy.

All available scientific, forensic and technical resources should press full force behind a more classical approach to criminology. This effort should be applied within the context of modern times. The individual creates the basis for their departure from socially, morally or legally sanctioned aspects of behaviour. A person calculates the "pain versus the pleasure of an act", or the gain minus the risk of doing a certain thing. Not unlike the rest of us, the perpetrator carries out his or her conduct as a result of personal calculations. Such acts of deviance stem from the pleasure being greater than the risk. In other words, they want to take something that someone else has. Criminals want the shortest distance between two points. The implication of the doctrine is that the societal reaction to crime should be the administration of a measured amount of pain. The general proposition of the classical school is that it is necessary to make undesirable acts painful. Attaching punishment is crucial to making an impact on behavior. Likewise, punishment requires re-education, so that criminals learn through painful costly consequence such behaviour is counterproductive.

People commit crimes as part of a selfish desire to get something for nothing. Their "private logic" focuses on their alleged "suffering" at the hands of an insensitive and cruel world. They selfishly desire to take advantage of opportunities, exploit their prurient interests, and assert their abilities. All this is done based on their individual capabilities to get what they think is rightfully theirs. The criminal is not a victim of society. Neither is he or she forced into a position of disadvantage by others. Criminals refuse to accept responsibility and accountability for their behaviour. When caught, they are quick to puppet excuses the social sciences, the media and politicians have preconceived for them. Criminals develop their thinking processes on the basis of "being owed" something. His or her behaviour becomes connected to what they believe is "entitlement".

Personal choice dominates the motives of individual actions. We think, we fantasize and we act according to our underlying belief system. Through a process of rational conscious thought, we select the temptations of preference. Regardless of what comes into us from external sources, we pick what we want. We employ our learning history to do things we conjure in our own minds. Such is the rational process by which we pick and select the course of action we take. In a kind of "economic view" of the world, people balance the risks, or the costs, involved in doing a certain act. Upon validation that the "benefit" outweighs the cost, we decide to act. Then again, we might decide not to act. Crime, in a sense, holds a seductive quality and grips our attention. We are mesmerized by the darkness in the balance between good and evil. Good and evil is simply picture thinking about the scope of human nature. For some, crime pays, until caught. At the very least, we calculate a "pain versus pleasure" reality.

study

Study skills or study strategies are approaches applied to learning. They are generally critical to success in school,^[1] are considered essential for acquiring good grades, and are useful for learning throughout one's life.

There are an array of study skills, which may tackle the process of organising and taking in new information, retaining information, or dealing with assessments. They include mnemonics, which aid the retention of lists of information, and effective notetaking.^[2]

While often left up to the student and their support network, study skills are increasingly taught at High School and University level. A number of books and websites are available, from works on specific techniques such as Tony Buzan's books on mind-mapping, to general guides to successful studying.

More broadly, any skill which boosts a person's ability to study and pass exams can be termed a study skill, and this could include time management and motivational techniques.

Study Skills are discrete techniques that can be learned, usually in a short time, and applied to all or most fields of study. They must therefore be distinguished from strategies that are specific to a particular field of study e.g. music or technology, and from abilities inherent in the student, such as aspects of intelligence or learning style.

friendship is everythings

Friendship is a form of interpersonal relationship generally considered to be closer than association, although there is a range of degrees of intimacy in both friendships and associations. Friendship and association can be thought of as spanning across the same continuum. The study of friendship is included in the fields of sociology, social psychology, anthropology, philosophy, and zoology. Various academic theories of friendship have been proposed, among which are social exchange theory, equity theory, relational dialectics, and attachment styles.

Value that is found in friendships is often the result of a friend demonstrating the following on a consistent basis:

• The tendency to desire what is best for the other
• Sympathy and empathy
• Honesty, perhaps in situations where it may be difficult for others to speak the truth, especially in terms of pointing out the perceived faults of one's counterpart
• Mutual understanding and compassion
• Trust in one another (able to express feelings - including in relation to the other's actions - without the fear of being judged); able to go to each other for emotional support
• Positive reciprocity - a relationship is based on equal give and take between the two parties.

FRIENDSHIP AND HEALTH

The conventional wisdom is that good friendships enhance an individual's sense of happiness and overall well-being. But a number of solid studies support the notion that strong social supports improve a woman's prospects for good health and longevity. Conversely, it has been shown that loneliness and lack of social supports are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, viral infections, and cancer as well as higher mortality rates. Two female researchers have even termed friendship networks a "behavioral vaccine" that protects both physical and mental health.^[16]

While there is an impressive body of research linking friendship and health status, the precise reasons for this connection are still far from clear. Most of the studies are large prospective studies (that follow people over a period of time) and while there may be a correlation between the two variables (friendship and health status), researchers still don't know if there is a cause-and-effect relationship, e.g. that good friendships actually improve health.

There are a number of theories that attempt to explain the link, including that: 1) Good friends encourage their friends to lead more healthy lifestyles; 2) Good friends encourage their friends to seek help and access services, when needed; 3) Good friends enhance their friends' coping skills in dealing with illness and other health problems; and/or 4) Good friends actually affect physiological pathways that are protective of health.^[17]

life ?

The meaning of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general. This concept can be expressed through a variety of related questions, such as "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", and "What is the meaning of it all?" It has been the subject of much philosophical, scientific, and theological speculation throughout history. There have been a large number of theories to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds.

The meaning of life is deeply mixed with the philosophical and religious conceptions of existence, consciousness, and happiness, and touches many other issues, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, conceptions of God, the existence of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions are more indirect; by describing the empirical facts about the universe, science shifts the question from "why?" to "how?" and provides some context, while setting parameters of usefulness, for conversations on related topics. An alternative, human-centric, and not a cosmic/religious approach is the question "What is the meaning of my life?" The value of the question pertaining to the purpose of life may coincide with the achievement of ultimate reality, or a feeling of oneness, or a feeling of sacredness.

am i a shopaholic ?

Deciding whether you are a shopaholic depends on your definition of the word. The term shopaholic used to mean someone who liked to shop, maybe a little too much. Now being a shopaholic may mean that you are a compulsive shopper who spends beyond your limits, buys things you have no use for, and uses shopping as a way to feel better temporarily.
Some believe that the compulsive shopper or shopaholic is actually suffering from an addiction. Addiction is defined as having a compulsion to a commit a behavior, being unable to stop a behavior, and continuing the behavior despite harmful consequences. Research now shows that addictive behavior often provides a momentary lift in mood. A flood of “good feeling” producing hormones rewards a shopaholic. Unfortunately the lift is not permanent, and the shopaholic must go out and shop more in order to find the next boost in hormones.
In a sense, when one is shopping, they are given a few moments of good mood. This is a momentary mental reward. So it encourages one to repeat the pattern in order to feel that “high” produced by shopping and purchasing.
However, the shopaholic frequently begins to search for more and more “highs,” which translates to greater expense. Once the shopper begins to damage his or her own life by spending, or the compulsive shopping interferes with relationships, then true addiction exists, particularly if the person can’t stop shopping.
The shopaholic frequently spends beyond his or her means. This means they may sacrifice money for food, rent, utilities, or simply be unable to pay rising credit card balances. Once a shopaholic spends beyond limits, the disease, like an addiction to drugs can worsen. The shopaholic may indulge in compulsive theft, or may steal money from others in order to continue shopping.
What began as joy at finding a few good bargains can end in financial ruin, and even criminal prosecution. However, there is help to end such compulsions, which are just as likely to occur in men and women. Needing shopping, just like needing any other activity or drug to regulate mood suggests that mood is already in chemical imbalance.
Often restoring chemical balance, through medications like anti-depressants, can help curb some of the urge to shop. However, this is only one half of the equation. As a person becomes a shopaholic, he or she not only physically depends on the shopping for chemical balance, but also emotionally depends on the shopping.
The same holds true for people addicted to substances like nicotine. Fighting the physical addiction is not the same as fighting the habitual behavior of smoking. In addition to possibly needing chemicals to help alter brain chemistry, a shopaholic needs to learn how to stop habitual shopping.
This can be especially difficult, since most of us need to shop from time to time. You cannot simply go “cold turkey” if you are a shopaholic. You will probably still need to occasionally shop for things like groceries, and this can lead to regression in fighting the addiction.
What does appear to help is support groups or individual counseling for controlling addictive behavior. Many organizations exist to help compulsive shoppers. As well, individual counseling can help one create strategies for taming the addiction. Group counseling can be particularly effective in keeping you from regressing back to shopping.
Just like any other addict, the shopaholic must want to quit. Very little can be accomplished until there is a sincere desire to end the behavior. For some this only occurs when they hit rock bottom. Hopefully, recognizing the signs early can help one curb the behavior in its infancy, so it does not become an addictive behavior that controls one’s life.

euthanasia

Definition

Euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the practice of killing a person or animal, in a painless or minimally painful way, for merciful reasons, usually to end their suffering. This article discusses euthanasia in humans; a separate article covers animal euthanasia.

Euthanasia in the strict sense involves actively causing death. This is in some cases legal in the Netherlands (see below), but in few other countries. Euthanasia in a wider sense includes assisting someone to commit suicide, in particular physician-assisted suicide (PAS).

Allowing death—e.g. by not providing life support or vital medication—is not considered euthanasia if it is the patient's wish. It is sometimes called passive euthanasia in cases where the patient is unable to make decisions about treatment. Living wills and Do Not Resuscitate orders are legal instruments that make a patient's treatment decisions known ahead of time; allowing a patient to die based on such decisions is never considered euthanasia. In some cases, a patients' religion must be taken into account, for example Jehovah's Witnesses are not allowed to accept blood transfusions for themselves or their loved ones, and cannot be resuscitated, as both of these are against their beliefs.

Terminal sedation is a combination of medically inducing a deep sleep and stopping other treatment. It is considered to be euthanasia by some, but under current law and medical practice it is considered a form of palliative care.

Advocates of euthanasia generally insist that euthanasia should be voluntary, requiring informed consent, and that it should only be used in cases of terminal illness that cause unbearable suffering. Its opponents challenge it on several ethical grounds, including a slippery slope argument that it is the first step towards compulsory euthanasia.

Types of euthanasia

Apart from the above classifications three types of euthanasia may be identified, depending upon the sentience of the individual.

Voluntary euthanasia
This is the truest and fullest form of euthanasia wherein the individual requests euthanasia - either during illness or before, if complete incapacitation is expected (coma would be an example). Euthanasia in these cases differs from suicide by existing only within the context of the amelioration of suffering in the process of death. Volition must be informed and free (i.e. not under duress from any third party).

Non-voluntary euthanasia
Where an individual lacks sentience (in a coma, for example) and hence cannot decide, or distinguish, between life and death, such a person cannot give consent or cannot give informed consent, and therefore any euthanasia is not voluntary but also not involuntary. Famously notable as "turning off life-support", it is often done when resuscitation is not expected, or after severe brain damage that renders a person incapable of making life decisions.

Involuntary euthanasia
Where an individual may distinguish between life and death - and may fully realise the difference between them, any medical killing is involuntary. If, for example, a man is going to experience severe agony and does not consent to death, euthanasia imposed upon him is ethically and morally, if not legally, forbidden as murder.

In Nazi Germany the term "euthanasia" (Euthanasie) referred to the systematic killing of deformed children and mentally ill adults under the T-4 Euthanasia Program. This has tainted the word in German-speaking countries; the alternate term is "Sterbehilfe", which means "help to die." Any time that medical personnel determine on behalf of a sentient and responsible individual that his or her life is not worth living, the medical killing of such a person as it is considered to be done for the prevention of suffering is involuntary euthanasia. This is not to be confused with medical killing in cases of capital punishment or as part of genocide.

online shopping

 

 

Online shopping is the process whereby consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller in real-time, without an intermediary service, over the Internet. If an intermediary service is present the process is called electronic commerce. An online shop, eshop, e-store, internet shop, webshop, webstore, online store, or virtual store evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or in a shopping mall. The process is called Business-to-Consumer (B2C) online shopping. When a business buys from another business it is called Business-to-Business (B2B) online shopping. Both B2C and B2B online shopping are forms of e-commerce.

In recent years, online shopping has become popular; however, it still caters to the middle and upper class. In order to shop online, one must be able to have access to a computer, a bank account and a debit card. Shopping has evolved with the growth of technology. According to research found in the Journal of Electronic Commerce, if one focuses on the demographic characteristics of the in-home shopper, in general, the higher the level of education, income, and occupation of the head of the household, the more favourable the perception of non-store shopping., Enrique.(2005) The Impact of Internet User Shopping Patterns and Demographics on Consumer Mobile Buying Behaviour. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, An influential factor in consumer attitude towards non-store shopping is exposure to technology, since it has been demonstrated that increased exposure to technology increases the probability of developing favourable attitudes towards new shopping channels.^[2]

Online shopping widened the target audience to men and women of the middle class. At first, the main users of online shopping were young men with a high level of income and a university education. This profile is changing. For example, in USA in the early years of Internet there were very few women users, but by 2001 women were 52.8% of the online population. Online shoppers commonly use credit card to make payments, however some systems enable users to create accounts and pay by alternative means, such as:

• Billing to mobile phones and landlines^[3][4]
• Cash on delivery (C.O.D., offered by very few online stores)
• Check
• Debit card
• Direct debit in some countries
• Electronic money of various types
• Gift cards
• Postal money order
• Wire transfer/delivery on payment

Some sites will not accept international credit cards, some require both the purchaser's billing address and shipping address to be in the same country in which site does its business, and still other sites allow customers from anywhere to send gifts anywhere. The financial part of a transaction might be processed in real time (for example, letting the consumer know their credit card was declined before they log off), or might be done later as part of the fulfillment process.

 Advantages

Online stores are usually available 24 hours a day, and many consumers have Internet access both at work and at home. Other establishments such as internet cafes and schools provide access as well. A visit to a conventional retail store requires travel and must take place during business hours.

In the event of a problem with the item – it is not what the consumer ordered, or it is not what they expected – consumers are concerned with the ease with which they can return an item for the correct one or for a refund. Consumers may need to contact the retailer, visit the post office and pay return shipping, and then wait for a replacement or refund. Some online companies have more generous return policies to compensate for the traditional advantage of physical stores. For example, the online shoe retailer Zappos.com includes labels for free return shipping, and does not charge a restocking fee, even for returns which are not the result of merchant error. (Note: In the United Kingdom, online shops are prohibited from charging a restocking fee if the consumer cancels their order in accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Act 2000.^[17])

Disadvantage

Lack of full cost disclosure

The lack of full disclosure with regards to the total cost of purchase is one of the concerns of online shopping. While it may be easy to compare the base price of an item online, it may not be easy to see the total cost up front as additional fees such as shipping are often not be visible until the final step in the checkout process. The problem is especially evident with cross-border purchases, where the cost indicated at the final checkout screen may not include additional fees that must be paid upon delivery such as duties and brokerage. Some services such as the Canadian based Wishabi attempts to include estimates of these additional cost,^[18] but nevertheless, the lack of general full cost disclosure remains a concern.