Is Torture Ever Ok free essay sample

A lot of times in these scenarios there are no other options and torturing someone is the only way to get fast results before it is too late. I am a utilitarian thinker and I believe in the greatest good for the most people. If a lot of peoples lives are at stake in a situation and can be saved because of one criminals pain then torturing is the way to go. I believe that torture can be morally justified in many extreme circumstances and by regulating torture by law then it could benefit our society. My first argument will show how torture can be used to help stop a bank robber who has many hostages. Suppose, the authorities arrested one of the conspirators of the bank robber and they werent getting anything out of him. The bank robber told the authorities that if they didnt get him a plane out of the country then he would start killing hostages. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Torture Ever Ok? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The authorities dont know where the bank robber is or the hostages. The bank robber says they only have fifteen minutes to arrange him a plane before he starts killing the hostages. The authorities could torture the conspirators and get the information they need to save the hostages and arrest the bank robber or they could let the hostages die. This is why in my opinion torture is morally justified in this situation. The first argument I used shows a real example of how torturing can save people lives, arrest a criminal, and prevent more people from dying in the short and long run. A stakeholder from my last paper, Mirko Bagaric, agree with me. Bagaric is a professor of law at Deakin University and according to him, torture is justifiable when used as an information gathering technique to avert great risk (Bagaric, p. 264). In my example, it obviously agrees with Bagarics statement. There are many variables that go into whether or not torturing someone in a severe situation is permissible. Bagaric wrote a list of these variables: 1. the number of lives at risk; 2. the immediacy of the harm; 3. the availability of other means to acquire the information; 4. the level of wrongdoing of the agent; and 5. the likelihood that the agent actually does process the relevant information. I believe that if these were the five rules in a law that regulated torture so we could set a compromise with people who think torture should never happen. The biggest reason I believe torturing is ok in harm-based situations is because it is our moral duty to save other peoples lives. In my opinion, some moral duties override others. The moral duty to save thousands of people overrides the moral duty to respect someones physical body, who is holding information from you because they want all those people to die. Everyone must agree that the most basic and important human right is the right to life. If you have a chance to save thousands of lives and torturing is your only option then the choice is obvious. Torturing must be ok in some circumstances, in order to save lives. I am not saying that people should torture a person to death because that violates their right to live. But, if the torture only causes some physical pain to one person to save many lives then torture should be morally and legally permissible. In Heinz site, whenever torturing someone there should always be a doctor there to make sure the person being tortured isnt killed. I do not think torturing is always ok and it should always should be the last option, but when worse comes to worse saving thousands of people is worth torturing a person who is ok with those people dying. People who oppose torture at all times are deontologists. Deontologists believe that general rules and values must be respected regardless of the outcome. According to them even a savage terrorist who wants to kill their family and friends should not be harmed because it is immoral to inflict physical pain on someone. They believe that you should never bend the rules even if it causes death. Some of them believe that if you allow torturing that you will start down a slippery slope. For example, this slippery slope could lead up to killing a prisoner to avoid a bomb going off and killing thousands. And, what if, you killed the prisoner and he or she didnt give up any information. The slippery slope of sinning leads to more sinning according to deontologists. For them, torture promotes violence and sin. Although, I do agree with some of the components from the other sides argument it doesnt change the fact the torture is needed in some malicious cases. I agree that you should not cause another person physical harm, but if harming this person can saves lives I believe it is morally ok. People have a greater moral obligation to preserve our species and defend our family and country. If physically harming one person can help us do this then torturing should be acceptable. Opponents to torture also stated that we will go down a slippery road to sin and killing people being tortured, but I disagree. I believe that we are rational enough to be able to torture someone and keep them alive. When torturing someone I think it would only be acceptable if a doctor was present to make sure the person be tortured didnt die. Also, I believe we have to be one-hundred-percent positive the prisoner has the information we want, otherwise; torturing them would be wrong. I know that torturing is wrong in most cases but in should be acceptable in others. Bagaric states that A legal framework should be established to properly accommodate these situations, (Bagaric 274). If torture were to be regulated instead of prohibited, it would bring out greater good then it would harm. Torture happens whether it is prohibited or not. If we create the idea of a torture warrant at least we are stating what we are doing instead of hiding it. The only way to get a torture warrant would be to meet the five variables Bagaric wrote. Doctors being present when a prisoner is being tortured also insures that his or her life is being watched over carefully. In this example it shows that torture can be regulated to insure we dont fall down a slippery slope and that it will help save many people in the future. My second argument shows that regulation of torture is better than prohibiting it. In my opinion, admitting what you do is better than lying about it. Torture is outlawed in Israel yet they have been criticized all over the world for torturing people, (Dershowitz). They are being hypocritical. It is a known fact that the United States tortures people secretly to find vital information. Although they try to be secretive about it, they usually get caught. It would be better if everyone knew that torture does happen and has to sometimes. I agree and wish that we never had to do it, but sometimes to save lives you have. By regulating torture, people will not be hypocritical about it and there will be rules pertaining to the issue. An obvious objection to this argument is again, the slippery slope. People against torture believe if you open the door to torture, even if you regulate it, you will lead to more and more torture. They say even if you torture is needed in extreme situations that making it legal will allow torture in less desperate situations. Again, I can rebuttal this objection of the slippery slope for regulating torture. First off, torture is already used even though it is legally prohibited. I believe making regulating torture will actually decrease it. People will have to get torture warrant and we should make very sure those are hard to get. Second, Bagaric and Clarke say, that there is no evidence to suggest that the lawful violation of fundamental human interests will necessarily lead to a violation of fundamental rights where the per-conditions for the activity are clearly delineated and controlled. For example, we use the death penalty in the U. S. , but we still value life and havent been putting people to death unless it was for a legitimate reason. Religions such as the Muslim-American religion state, It is irreligious, immoral, and unethical(Rashid 1). They state their religious history is full of stories demanding that we condemn abuse and torture. The Muslim-Americans say that, The Prophet Moses sacrificed his royal position to stop an act of torture (Rashid1). They state, the Prophet Muhammad forbade the mistreatment of prisoners. Torture offends Muslim-Americans because it is immoral nature. They state that the torture of human beings at the behest of the American government must be condemned. They say that, Simply because another country allows torture does not mean we should encourage and utilize the moral weakness of others (Rashid 1). They explain that when we ratified the Convention Against Torture President Ronald Reagan said, â€Å"[We] clearly express United States opposition to torture, an abhorrent practice unfortunately still prevalent in the world today. † They also applaud President Obama for shining light on these shameful practices. Finally they said, We cannot be deaf to the voice of justice, but must establish it. Torture is not just (Rashid 2). The Muslim Religion has many valid points, but I disagree that torture is always wrong and immoral. Sometimes bad things can be used for the greater good. My father who was a veteran of the Air Force knows how important it is to get vital information out of enemies. My father believes, like Bagaric, when many lives are at risk and the only way to save someone is torture them then you should do what is necessary. My dad has been through torture training. My dad states that, if the other side is going to torture us then we have to have to learn the same tactics. My father said in the interview, that torture should always be the last option, but when things are turning for the worst then sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. I agree with my father and I think that even torture may be immoral by itself it can be used to help people who are going to be killed which makes it moral. In conclusion, I believe prohibition of torture is wrong and that there needs to be a regulating law that allows torture so we can gather vital information. If there are more instances where thousands of peoples lives are at risk and there is no oth er way of saving their lives then to torture someone then we most allow it. It should be morally acceptable to save peoples lives and I believe a peoples lives are worth more than an evil persons physical pain.

Essay Writing Tips

Essay Writing Tips Essay Writing Tips Essay Writing Tips This page was written essay writers to provide you with essay writing tips. The below questions will help you make your essay perfect in terms of style, format, grammar, and content. Is an essay topic interesting and worth of research? Can I make an original contribution to the existing literature on the topic? Have I clarified the significance of my results, discussion, and ideas? Have I thoroughly accounted for the intended audience? Has my opinion on audience changed in the result of essay writing? Have I thoroughly accounted for what the readers need to know? What terms or concepts need more clarification? Are my examples and illustrations effective? Should I provide more examples to help college essay readers visualize conceptual problems? Have I used concepts that my readers will not understand? Have I introduced information that may make the audience angry? Can I eliminate these hot passages and still get my point across? Have I established the tone appropriate for the audience and purpose of essay writing? Have I established the appropriate voice? Are there any confusing or pedantic sections that need to be revised or edited? Now that I have thought more deeply about the essay topic, how have my thoughts changed about the particular voice that I should try to establish? As I look over the whole essay, the paragraphs, the sentences, and the words, can I trace the development of ideas? Did I finish with the same purpose that I began writing an essay? What changes to introduction need to be made to account for what I have written in my essay? Are there any gaps in content development and reasoning? Do I need to provide additional reasoning or outside documentation to support controversial statements? Have I provided enough background information for essay readers to understand the discussion and evaluation? Have I addressed all of the important counterarguments? Have I cited the appropriate studies and relied on up-to-date information while writing an essay? Throughout the essay body, have I moved from what the reader knows - the given - to what the reader doesn't know - the new? Have I provided the forecasting and transitional sentences that essay readers will need to understand how different ideas relate to each other? offers essay writing help to assist you with accomplishment of paper writing assignments.   We are able to help you with any academic assignment and we know how to write an impressive essay for you.   Our site is a team of professional writers who are able to impress you with high quality.

Legalization of Drugs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Legalization of Drugs - Essay Example f rise of various forms of violence that fundamentally arises as a result of disputes between the sellers and customers who have no choice but to rely on their own powers since neither of the two parties is backed by legal support. An analysis of the various forms of violence prevalent in the modern world suggests that in a vast majority of cases, drug oppression is the root cause of violence. Everyday, we read news about stuffed babies, dolls, vegetables, drug agents’ skin and capsules. Millions of dollars are spent on exploring and dealing with such cases resulting into an ever growing and flourishing drug industry. Every year, thousands of children are kidnapped by the drug dealers who murder them and stuff heroine in their bodies and take them to other countries. When such cases are caught, image of the drug exporting country is tarnished. Drug oppression not only indirectly encourages kidnapping and murder, but also tarnishes the international relations among countries. T his paper argues that legalization of drugs is fundamental to the elimination of violence from the society and provides evidence and reasoning for the same. basis of the sky high prices of drugs. It is the illegal and hidden process of drug smuggling that makes them so high priced. The drug addicts want to access them at any cost, even if they have to commit murder in their way to approaching the drugs. â€Å"The Presidents Commission on Organized Crime estimates a total of seventy drug market murders yearly in Miami alone. Based on that figure and FBI data, a reasonable nationwide estimate would be at least 750 murders a year. Recent estimates from New York and Washington are even higher.† (Ostrowski, 1993, p. 209 cited in Cussen and Block, 2000, p. 3). with disputes on the part of the smugglers and the drug purchasers. With no laws designed for the process and the parties involved, the concerned parties are forced to resort to their own power and resources to safeguard their personal

Female Identity in school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Female Identity in school - Research Paper Example It is possible to consider the way the challenges are manifested at school, as this is one of the most important periods in a person’s life, the period of the individual’s personality formation. Halim and Ruble (2010) claim that yearly years are the most important for development of the gender identity. Stereotypes become a part of children’s life at early ages as well. Therefore, educators have to be careful when choosing materials to discuss and provide to learners. Aina and Cameron (2011) also underline the importance of handling the issue of stereotypes in early childhood education. It is essential to make sure that young children develop unbiased worldview, which is free of stereotypes concerning gender. It is possible to start with the analysis of censorship concerning gender roles. It is noteworthy that similar issues can be traced in different countries of the world. Thus, the US education is characterized by certain censorship when it comes to gender education. Curwood, Schliesman and Horning (2009) note that the curriculum does not include discussion of ‘controversial’ issues. Thus, when working with some literary works, educators deliberately avoid certain issues that are seen â€Å"an unsafe space† (Curwood et al., 2009, p. 38). In other countries, censorship can be much stricter. Thus, Morton (2013) stresses that censorship in education is used as a tool to form a society of people sharing certain values. In these societies, females are assigned inferior roles and are taught to be submissive. It is important to note that apart from censorship, media contribute significantly to development of bias and prejudice as well as stereotypes in the societies. At this point, it is important to add that Hollywood and pop culture play central role in this process. Thus, Hollywood films create a specific image of a woman. For instance, women in science are depicted as females following latest fashion trends (Steinke, 2005). Even though female

Cost Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Cost Management - Assignment Example In profitability analysis, the foreign exchange rates play a determinant role and the article clearly highlights the role of FX banks in fixing the problem. The article not only highlights the current trends and challenges of e-commerce in the United States, but is also points out the ways in which on-line merchants can manage their FX risks. Essentially, the merchants demonstrate greed because they do not want to accept foreign policy and subsequently, deal with foreign currencies. They are attempting to manage their cost through avoidance of foreign levies that their products and services may attract. In this regard, the on-line merchants engage their FX banks in their attempts to produce a balanced scorecard. The major reason for this is that the third party providers are the ones who outsource FX risks for the on-line merchants. Managing foreign exchange is a complex affair in cost accounting and the merchants in the article have to do so with the help of their FX banks. These accounting issues require in-depth financial analysis and the article brings a relevant perspective to the course content. Indeed, e-commerce requires some balancing act in order to sail though the turbulent market, especially for merchants with a global market. In finance and Accounting, foreign exchange plays an important role in determining the extent to which the on-line markets will operate. Besides, the course content compliments the article in the sense that FX banks are key stakeholders in cost Accounting as well as e-commerce. It is because different countries have different business policies that in most cases affect the on-line merchants. â€Å"E-Commerce Balancing Act: The Fine Art of Managing FX Risk.† HSBC Global Connections, 12 June 2014. Web. 21 June 2014. < https://globalconnections.hsbc.com/us/en/articles/ecommerce-balancing-act-fine-art-managing-fx-risk

Analysis of Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation Speech

Analysis of Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation Speech The Day of Infamy On the seventh of December, 1941, the lives of many people drastically changed. In that particular afternoon, all American radio broadcasts were interrupted with important news. Pearl Harbor had been attacked by an unforeseen Japanese air raid. The results of the attack were devastating and, according to the National WWII Museum, killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including 8 battleships (A Pearl Harbor Fact Sheet). The following day, December 8th, 1941, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the president at the time, gave an address to the distressed nation regarding the attack. His speech consisted of an explanation of what had taken place at Pearl Harbor, evidence that the attack was in fact predetermined, and a request for the United States of America to wage war against Japan. Currently neutral in regards to the second world war, the United States of America was close to entering the war but was hesitant. In his speech entitled the Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation also known as the Infamy speech Franklin D. Roosevelt persuaded the government and the people through word choice, design, and appeal, to declare war against Japan. One of the most important parts of any speech is how the speaker structures it. The ingenious way that Roosevelt structured his speech held a major part in how it, as Braj Mohan reflects, proved a turning point in the course of the Second World War (68). Roosevelt used various methods in structuring his speech in order to form a better argument. A method that Roosevelt utilized when structuring his speech was repetition. For example, when reporting the various places that had been attacked by Japan on December 7th, he says: Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island (Roosevelt). The use of repetition in this paragraph of Roosevelts speech proved to be very clever and useful, as it provides a much greater emphasis for the point being made. Throughout Franklin D. Roosevelts speech, he structures his argument by first stating that what happened at Pearl Harbor was evil and unpredicted. Then he goes on to state how the United States of America needs to secure itself and provide defense. Finally, he completes his argument with a call to action in response. Another, and probably just as important, part of a speech is word choice. The speaker has the ability to portray many different emotions and meanings to the audience, if the words are chosen in a clever way. When analyzing his speech, it is evident from the beginning that Roosevelt was careful when choosing his words. Roosevelt opens his speech by immediately delivering the devastating news about Pearl Harbor: Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 a date which will live in infamy the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan (Roosevelt). In this opening phrase, there are multiple strong words that were chosen to describe what had taken place. Roosevelt used the word infamy very wisely in the beginning of speech when he describes December 7th as a date which will live in infamy. The word infamy literally means being well known for some bad quality or evil deed, and Roosevelt picked it precisely to portray how evil the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor was. Continuing on in his opening, Roosevelt couples the words suddenly and deliberately to describe how Pearl Harbor was attacked. These words were used by Roosevelt to portray that the bombing of Pearl Harbor was definitely no accident, and that the United States of America was in no way prepared for it. Throughout the speech, Roosevelt utilizes two rhetorical modes of ethos and pathos, in order to further complete his argument as a whole. Looking at the speech in a larger context, it is evident how Roosevelt uses these appeals when writing his speech to the intended audience. Since he is speaking mainly to the citizens of the United States of America, one of the main appeals Roosevelt uses is Pathos which is the appeal or evocation of emotion. For example, Roosevelt mentions in his speech that the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace (Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation). By stating that the United States, which implies the nation as a whole, was deceived by Japan into thinking that the Japanese had similar goals of peace in mind, Roosevelt awakens the feeling of betrayal by Japan in the hearts of the American citizens. Roosevelt also backs up his argument with the use of ethos, the ap peal to ethics or morals. Towards the ending of his speech, Roosevelt assert that, in regards to Japan, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory (Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation). In this phrase, Roosevelt incorporates religion into the argument which further inspires the audience, and assures them that it is morally right to wage war against Japan. In Summary, the impact of Franklin Delano Roosevelts Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation was enormous. At the time that the speech was given, the USA had been recuperating from the first world war. Since the United States of America was trying to uphold a stance of neutrality in the second world war, it was hesitant to engage in any warfare. Because of this, Franklin D. Roosevelt formulated his speech in such a way, with particular word choice, design, and appeal, to not only reveal the evil of Japans deeds but also to persuade the nation to declare war. The USA was at its tipping point, and after the shocking news broke out that Pearl Harbor had been attacked, the United States of America finally entered the second world war. Works Cited A Pearl Harbor Fact Sheet. National WWII Museum. www.nationalww2museum.org/assets/pdfs/pearl-harbor-fact-sheet-1.pdf. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017. Mohan, Braj. A Demonstration of the Discourse Dissection Model (DDM) with an analysis of FD Roosevelts Pearl Harbour address to the nation. SKASE Journal of Theoretical Linguistics, vol. 13, no. 1, 2016, p. 62+. Academic OneFile, db06.linccweb.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.db06.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?p=AONEsw=wu=lincclin_dbccv=2.1it=rid=GALE%7CA469757333asid=311032f9663020836acc9d055f4f8632. Accessed 24 Mar. 2017. Roosevelt, Franklin D. Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation. American Rhetoric. Web. 23 Mar. 2017. .

FAMOUS PEOPLE :: essays research papers

Rosa Parks is widely known as the African-American woman who refused to get off her seat on a bus. She did not want to forfeit her seat in order for a white individual to replace her. She was arrested and taken into custody against her will, just because she felt the need to stay on the seat she felt she rightfully deserved. On December 1st, 1955, according to history, Rosa Parks was tired and exhausted from a long day of work. In fact, under different circumstances, she would have probably given up her seat willingly to a child or elderly person. But at this point in history, Parks was tired of the treatment she and other African-Americans received everyday of their lives. This included racism, segregation, prejudice and the Jim Crow laws of the time. After she took a stance, Americans seemed to notice and the laws and regulations of the time were questioned and subsequently, revised. Before her arrest, Parks had the fire inside of her to change what was wrong with things that were unjust. She served as secretary of the NAACP and later an adviser to the NAACP Youth Council and tried to register to vote on many occasions when it was basically impossible to do so. Not only was Parks a legitimate figure in the African-American community, but also she initiated change without really realizing so. After the bus incident, the establishment of the Montgomery Improvement Association was implemented, led by a young pastor named Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The world today is clearly different all because of Rosa Parks refusing to give her seat up. Her action lead to reaction, which is the most important part in establishing change. Her act of defiance began a movement that ended legal segregation in America. This meant that people of different color could finally start drinking from the same water fountain, restrooms were not designated â€Å"colored† and â€Å"white,† and one of the most important things was that schools started desegregating, which mean t black and white children could attend the same schools. This last item was finally implemented by the passing of the Brown v. Board of Education law, but it would not have been able to happen if Rosa Parks had gotten up from her seat. Had she done that, our future as Americans would have been compromised and the laws that are active today might have been something African-Americans would still be fighting for.

Legislative Branch Essay

There are many important parts in the process of the legislative branch. The legislative branch creates laws, and during that process many things must happen. The bill must pass majority votes for the House, the Senate and then the President must sign the bill into law. If the President vetoes it, the Senate can override it. The legislative branch is very complex but important to our country’s government. The most important step of the legislative branch is when a bill becomes a law. The very intricate course that the bill takes is what legislation is all about. Since not all bills become laws, it is important that they pass majority of votes in the House and Senate. If it does not pass, the bill is destroyed and will have to start the editing journey over again. It is for this reason that the process of a bill becoming a law is a crucial step in the legislative process. The Senate’s ability to override is another very important aspect to the legislative branch. The Senate displays a very equal disbursement of each state in a fair manner, two per state. If the President vetoes a law, the Senate has the power to override it. This is very important because it assures voices from every state to be heard, rather than just the President’s. It also gives the bill another chance to become a law. The power of the Senate plays a huge role in the legislative branch. The legislative branch is the most important branch of government. It has a very elaborate process in which a bill must go through. Some aspects are more substantial than others. When a bill officially becomes a law is essential, as well as the Senate’s qualification to override the President’s decision. The complexity of the legislative lawmaking process does not undermine the importance of each step taken to create the law.

Free Essays on Rembrandt

Rembrandt's style, subject matter and his financial success changed drastically from the Leiden period to his first Amsterdam period, and eventually to his later works. Prior to his arrival in Amsterdam in approximately 1631, Rembrandt’s influences had been his instructor Lastman, his studio mate Lievens, Titian and Caravaggio - indirectly through the school of Utrecht. Rembrandt learned the device of creating chiaroscuro scenes by his professor, but he surpassed the technical skill of Lastman by means of incorporating reflected light. Rembrandt moved from Leiden to Amsterdam during a time of vast economical growth in the capital due to the expansion of the United East Indiies Company. This growth increased Amsterdam’s population to over 90,000 which became one reason for the project to reclaim land that had been eroded into the sea. Rembrandt could not have chosen a better time to move to the capital. Amsterdam had become one of Northern Europe's leading Art communities. Within one year Rembrandt had already acquired a reputation as a well known portraitist. Rembrandt’s first portraits struck a balance between liveliness and elegance, in addition to fanatical detail, and this novel combination brought him instant business. It was during his first decade in Amsterdam when Rembrandt was commissioned most often by businessmen as well as significant figures from various religious groups and organizations. As Rembrandt’s career flourished he attracted many assistants and pupils as he did wit h Dou and Jouderville in Leiden. By 1636 Rembrandt had captured a huge share of Amsterdam’s market for portraiture, received commissions from the court in the Hague, set up an active workshop, married a burgomaster’s daughter and moved to a prestigious address. An example of one of Rembrandt’s commissioned portraits during this early period is Old Man in a Gorget and Black Cap, 1631, located at The Museum of Fine Arts, Bo... Free Essays on Rembrandt Free Essays on Rembrandt Rembrandt's style, subject matter and his financial success changed drastically from the Leiden period to his first Amsterdam period, and eventually to his later works. Prior to his arrival in Amsterdam in approximately 1631, Rembrandt’s influences had been his instructor Lastman, his studio mate Lievens, Titian and Caravaggio - indirectly through the school of Utrecht. Rembrandt learned the device of creating chiaroscuro scenes by his professor, but he surpassed the technical skill of Lastman by means of incorporating reflected light. Rembrandt moved from Leiden to Amsterdam during a time of vast economical growth in the capital due to the expansion of the United East Indiies Company. This growth increased Amsterdam’s population to over 90,000 which became one reason for the project to reclaim land that had been eroded into the sea. Rembrandt could not have chosen a better time to move to the capital. Amsterdam had become one of Northern Europe's leading Art communities. Within one year Rembrandt had already acquired a reputation as a well known portraitist. Rembrandt’s first portraits struck a balance between liveliness and elegance, in addition to fanatical detail, and this novel combination brought him instant business. It was during his first decade in Amsterdam when Rembrandt was commissioned most often by businessmen as well as significant figures from various religious groups and organizations. As Rembrandt’s career flourished he attracted many assistants and pupils as he did wit h Dou and Jouderville in Leiden. By 1636 Rembrandt had captured a huge share of Amsterdam’s market for portraiture, received commissions from the court in the Hague, set up an active workshop, married a burgomaster’s daughter and moved to a prestigious address. An example of one of Rembrandt’s commissioned portraits during this early period is Old Man in a Gorget and Black Cap, 1631, located at The Museum of Fine Arts, Bo...

Zinc and Sleep on Acne Essays

Zinc and Sleep on Acne Essays Zinc and Sleep on Acne Essay Zinc and Sleep on Acne Essay Zinc is one of the longest-studied nutrients that correlates with statistically significantly less acne. Some months ago, I discovered that around 200mg/day of zinc picolinate could, under some circumstances, make me dramatically acne-free for the first time ever. That led to a very long course of study, research and experiments. For a megadose of zinc to affect acne dramatically, a good bet was that zinc is a cofactor in a reaction that affects acne. If you have a chemical reaction in the body like Zinc + X -gt; Y, then flooding the area with zinc will at least modestly increase the production of Y, since it makes it more likely that all the available X will get used up. After much study, I concluded that Y is actually zinc superoxide dismutase, or ZSOD. ZSOD comes with the usual labels people grope for in acne cures: anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, etc. But then, what is the X that must be combined with zinc to make this reaction? If I have to overdose on zinc to get enough Y, the implication is that what Im really deficient in is X. Like most people in America who eat meat, its highly unlikely that there is any lack of zinc in my diet. If I could remedy my deficiency in X, then I should be able to be acne-free without taking any zinc. More study led me to conclude that X is melatonin. Melatonin slows cell division. It may decrease the production of androgens right in the skin. And perhaps most importantly, melatonin crosses the cell membrane and directly stimulates your DNA to produce the precursor to ZSOD, the molecule that zinc must combine with in order to create ZSOD. Experiments with melatonin were immediately fruitful. By tending to my sleep cycle, I was soon able to be acne-free on less zinc, but still could not be acne-free reliably for long periods without any zinc supplement. Something was still missing. The final piece of the puzzle was finding the fairly recent discoveries that show that, in modern life, we fail to effectively suppress daytime melatonin because we live in relatively dim indoor light. When you dont effectively suppress daytime melatonin by having your eyes in outdoor light all day long, two bad things happen. First, your gut thinks its nighttime and you get carbohydrate malabsorption that keeps it from effectively digesting tryptophan (the fuel your body needs to make melatonin) and (tada! ) zinc! Second, you get a flattened melatonin curve when you sleep at night your body simply doesnt produce the giant burst of melatonin at night that nature intended. The data fits this hypothesis nicely, including the most obvious points: Do low zinc levels correlate with acne? Yes. Do low tryptophan levels correlate with acne? Yes. Do low ZSOD levels correlate with acne? Yes. Can this explain why primitive tribes are acne-free? Yes. This effect of daytime light is simply astounding. For example, I have long struggled with the ability to consume legumes. I bought into the standard advice that its a problem of gut flora, if you eat them long enough your gut will adjust and digest them better without gas, etc. If I had a large Coke and a large burrito, the result was 100% predictable: great intestinal discomfort. However, I now know that was simply another problem of failing to suppress daytime melatonin. By living in outdoor light all day, I can slam down a Coke+burrito with zero intestinal discomfort, hardly any gas at all. Ive repeated this experiment reliably several times, and outdoor light exposure is like a light switch (heh! ) on my ability to digest legumes. I speculate that the growth in acid reflux disease (and the esophageal cancer it can lead to) is probably another result of living in dim light during the day that produces carbohydrate malabsorption. The unfortunate thing is, although the pill-free cure for my acne is conceptually very simple, its also very hard for modern people to accomplish. I had to buy a laptop with an extra-bright screen so I could work outdoors during the day most people have indoor jobs with no option of working outdoors. Just look at some the many ways we guarantee we wont have a natural melatonin cycle: Work indoors all day. Indoor light simply does not produce the definitive OFF signal for pineal melatonin that outdoor light does. Even on a severely overcast day, outdoor light is much more intense (and also simply contains much more of the blue-green frequencies most effective at shutting down melatonin production). Sleep in the midst of light pollution. Ironically, while bright light is needed to shut melatonin all the way off, very little light is needed to depress the nighttime surge of melatonin that you need to make lots of ZSOD. A night light, a street light shining into your bedroom. Trying to sleep when the sun is up. Flipping on a light when you go to the bathroom. All easy ways to destroy your nocturnal melatonin surge. Go to bed at different times. Want to catch that late movie on the weekend? Its just like a form of jetlag your bodys 24-hour clock just got bumped and may take days to settle back down to match your regular bedtime again. Take in lots of caffeine. Caffeine will both depress your nocturnal melatonin peak and shorten the hours you sleep, both ways to become melatonin-deprived. Vegetarianism. Without meat, it becomes more difficult to get enough tryptophan and zinc in the diet. If you combine that with eating high-fructose foods like apples, pears, etc. and living in dim light during the day to produce fructose malabsorption, that greatly raises the odds of acne. This is not to say you cant be a vegetarian and acne-free, but it is plausible that some vegetarians might have to take a couple of pills to get there. Sunglasses, hats, travel in cars, etc. If you compare modern people to the completely acne-free primitive tribes that still exist, its almost like we are comically trying to avoid getting any daylight in our eyes. We stay indoors all day. When we travel, we run from shaded building to shaded car (often with dark-tinted windows). We cover our eyes with dark glasses not just when the light is bright, but often just as a fashion statement when the light isnt even bright at all! Depression. Depression and a screwed-up melatonin cycle often go hand-in-hand. But of course, acne itself is strongly correlated with depression. This is a real chicken-and-egg scenario. What causes what? The mess is more complicated by the fact that anti-depressants may tinker with the melatonin cycle for better or worse themselves. What is easy to say is that it would be better to not be depressed if you want a normal melatonin cycle (but that may be a complete tautology for some people! ). A Zinc-less Zinc Regimen I probably cant think of all the inventive ways people destroy their melatonin cycle, but heres the basic remedy to achieve natural levels of melatonin and ZSOD: Go to bed at the same time each night. Sleep in total darkness. (Black out your bedroom, go to sleep when the sun goes down, wear a sleep mask, never turn on a light in the middle of the night, etc. ). Avoid caffeine, especially evening caffeine. Spend all day in outdoor light without sunglasses or hats. Sleep gt;= 8 hours. (This becomes easy when you stop megadosing caffeine and suppress your daytime melatonin. ) FAQ Thats too hard. I just cant Since Ive been doing it for weeks now, I agree with you. I have the luxury of being able to choose to work outside, but its a pain I essentially do office work out on my deck. Its a pain to say I cant go to that midnight movie. Its a pain to put tinfoil on the bedroom windows, wear a sleep mask, etc. Its a pain to open every shade in the house every morning and get my eyes outside ASAP. All I can say is, its nothing like the pain of cringing when I have to go out in public with acne. Cant I just take a pill? Since there are periodic reports in the medical literature of people who hurt themselves by taking extreme doses of zinc (400mg/day, 800mg/day, even more) for their acne, I suspect you can just take a pill, but it could send you to the hospital eventually. I could argue in great detail why you cannot achieve the desired effect by taking melatonin orally, but the fact is many people have tried melatonin pills for acne and they just dont cure it. A melatonin pill before bedtime might help you sleep a little better and jumpstart a busted melatonin cycle, but you really wont need that if you effectively suppress your daytime melatonin. Put another way, if you need that bedtime melatonin pill to sleep, you probably still have a busted melatonin cycle. Why me? How come my acne-free friends can I used to just throw my hands up at this and invoke the fairy dust of it must be our genes. However, now that I have a detailed theory of the mechanism of acne that seems to me to hold water, I can say that theres a decent chance its you in significant part because you are doing some things different than your friends. For example, in college, were most of my friends staying up until 4am and virtually never going outside like me? Hmmmm, not really. And once you induce carb malabsorption by screwing up your melatonin cycle, then suddenly all the Coke I love to drink does make some difference, and the formerly confusing fact that trying to eat healthy by eating fruit really didnt work is incredibly frustrating. The fact is, I suspect I can induce acne in most of the acne-free people you know: just keep them in dim light all day every day, keep them in bright light when theyre trying to sleep, give them lots of high-fructose foods with every meal (Coke or apples your choice), and supply lots of caffeine. There may well be a genetic component to the why me? question, but it may be quite small compared the actual details of your acne-inducing lifestyle. What about dairy? I still dont know. The fact is, while living the outdoor lifestyle, I have been able to eat a suspicious amount of ice cream without the usually reliable cystic acne response, but I havent pushed it. It is plausible that the mechanism for dairy producing acne is not beta cellulin, but simply sugar (lactose), and that once carbohydrate malabsorption is cured by suppressing daytime melatonin, dairy isnt a problem. But I do not yet feel certain of that. Are you acne-free? What pills are you taking? Every week that I stick with all the rules to maintain my melatonin cycle, Im acne free. In fact, I sometimes cheat and have caffeine, or miss my bedtime. That sometimes results in a zit, but not always. I stopped taking zinc. I have stopped taking my normal complement of vitamins for a couple of weeks and stayed acne-free, but wont give them up for longer than that because I start getting arthritis. Maybe its just Vitamin D? No. Ive been Vitamin D replete for years (gt;50ng/dl) with no effect on acne. Its possible that if youre horribly Vitamin D deficient (many modern people are) you wont be able to absorb zinc well, compounding your problems. While working outdoors, I work in the shade with no direct sunlight on my skin (though as much view of sky in my eyes as possible). The only times my skin is in direct sunlight is when the sun is low in the sky (little UVB). So, despite spending massive hours outdoors, I havent tanned at all so far this year. As always, any hope that Vitamin D is really a significant factor in curing acne has to overcome the hurdle of explaining why theres no epidemiological evidence that it varies strongly with latitude (Canadians should have way more acne than Texans if Vitamin D were crucial to the disease). Can I do [ ] instead? Who knows? But if its really important to you to get rid of the acne, set aside 2 weeks where you can strictly control your light exposure, and see whether this works. I say set aside, because I find this regimen amazingly hard. The indoors couch is like a magnet for my butt; I initially had to literally keep a stopwatch outside to keep from fooling myself that I was spending more hours outside than I really was. If you can do it religiously for 2 weeks and it doesnt eliminate all new acne, then the heck with me and my theory. If it does, then youve gained some understanding of how you can control the disease and you can do your own experiments and make your own trade-offs. Get an hour of outdoor light in the eyes immediately after waking, before work, and before breakfast. Totally drop caffeine of all forms (it both depletes zinc and of course affects the sleep cycle). Try to arrange lunch so I can eat outside, and have eyes in outdoor light as many minutes as possible before actually eating the food. Likewise, try to get eyes into the outdoor light immediately after work and before eating. Avoid/reduce carbs (especially high-fructose fruits and fizzy drinks) when there was no significant outdoor light exposure before the meal. Make it a priority to get the all-day outdoor light exposure on weekends. Carefully tend my sleep cycle to get the best nocturnal surge I can.

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