Personal learning plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Personal learning plan - Essay Example The learning plans should attempt to meet the course objectives. In essence, the plans should function as blueprints for the learning by allowing students to consider the personal learning needs and areas of improvement within the context of intellectual development. In addition, the plans guide students to individualize the learning process, promote a sense of self-directedness with specific outcomes, and enable the development of habits related to lifelong learning (Graham, 2013). The paper presents my personal learning plan by highlighting the steps to improve time management skill. My long-term goal is to improve in time management in order to excel in all subjects including mastering the Mathematics skill, which I have a tremendous weakness. The attainment improvement of the time management skill will offer me sufficient time to attend to the subjects I underperform such as Mathematics. As indicated in my personal learning profile, I have attempted to master the skills of time management by adhering to programs and schedules. As I advance in my career, I endeavor to improve on time management in order to devote a lot of time in the studies and do away with the Mathematics phobia, which has been a challenge in my studies. I realize that my weekly schedule indicates that I have approximately twenty hours to work on my assignments. Although the time is adequate, I endeavor to utilize substantial time in Mathematics as I seek to excel in all disciplines and proceed to my master degree. My time management goal will complement my strong values such as communication , team player, self-confidence, open-mindedness, and self-awareness. Time management is critical in the learning process. The highest achievers tend to manage their time exceptionally well. It is crucial to develop workable strategies for managing time in order to balance the inevitable conflicting demands of time for study, work, and leisure. Essentially, time

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Essay Example for Free

Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Essay To relief the high demand of energy, countries like United States, Venezuela and especially Canada with 232 billion bbl recoverable unconventional reservoirs which contain bitumen, heavy oil and extra heavy oil as remarkable resources of energy. The reducing high quality oil resources and increase of oil price contributed to production from heavy oil reservoirs in recent years. This paper investigates the heavy crude oil properties and evaluates the steam-assisted gravity drainage(SAGD) which has become the method of choice for oil sand producers and it is therefore critical to optimize this process. Analysis has been done to realize the influence of different parameters on SAGD. The effects of parameters such as horizontal well length, steam quality, viscosity, porosity, permeability in both horizontal and vertical directions, injection well location, injection rate, shale barrier and grid refinement on proficiency of SAGD are analysed. The following findings were obtained: Higher vertical and horizontal permeability, injection rate and steam quality have positive effect on oil production while Lower porosity, absence of preheating period and higher injection rate have adverse effects on steam-oil ratio(SOR) . Preheating period has impact on SOR at the start of the process. In fact without preheating period the amount of SOR at the start of process is very high. Horizontal shale barrier has more negative effect on oil production than vertical shale barriers. Locating injector close to the horizontal production well has nugatory impact. The shorter the length of horizontal wells the lower the recovery of oil. This paper explains the aforementioned effects in details. Results of numerical simulations show that SAGD is advantageous for production of bitumen by considering recovery factor and cumulative steam-oil ratio(CSOR).

How Graphic Design Affects Culture Cultural Studies Essay

How Graphic Design Affects Culture Cultural Studies Essay The culture of the world is highly dynamic. The rapid change that is experienced has been attributed to many factors. In order to fully understand the extent to which graphic design influences the culture, it is important to understand what the term culture means. Culture can be taken to loosely mean the way of life for a particular group of people. However, there have been more detailed definitions of the term. This study seeks to provide an insight into how culture inter- relates with graphic design while mainly inclining on the impact of graphic design on culture. The paper addresses the topic by first understanding the two variables; culture and graphic design, and then reviewing the various instances when the culture has been influenced by graphic design. The study also touches briefly on the dependency of graphic design on the culture of the people. There exist numerous studies that has been conducted on the issue of the inter-relationship between culture and graphic design. In the studies, various definitions befitting graphic design are prominent. A study by Phill Meggs concentrates on tracing the history of graphic design. In this work, graphic design is traced back to the cave men where there were drawings of the animals they hunted for food. The study also brings out the development of the alphabet as having descended from symbols (Meggs 1998a). A paper by Helfand (2001) reviews the work of Richard Hollis who shows that graphic design dates back to the industrial revolution of North America. Further, he claims that the first individual to have used the term graphic design was William A. Dwiggins in a 1922 article titled New Kind of Printing calls for New [Type of] Design (Soar 2003, page 20). This implies that graphic design has been in existence or rather in practice for a long time and has evidently shaped the human way of life over time. Graphic design can be attributed to various forms of art. In a study by Helfand (2001), the words of a prominent designer, Milton Glaser stands out. In the definition, graphic design has been interpolated in the particular cultural setting and has been seen as to comprise various disciplines. It places such disciplines as typography, images and other forms of media with the aim of conveying a particular message. The purpose of graphic design is to pass a message with the aim of giving instructions, persuading the targeted group to either perform some activities. . As emissaries of communication, they visualize solutions for the presentation of abstract data, turning ideas into things: They create books and magazines, posters and packaging, exhibitions and Web sites, logos and film titles (Helfand 2001, p. 6). We can therefore conclude that graphic design is a communication form that utilizes the visual aspect of communication to transmit certain ideals or to stimulate particular feelings and emotions from its audience. This message has mainly been put across by a two-dimensional setting that is articulately aimed to convey a specific type of information. A study of Lorenzo London underground attributes graphic design with the attainment of aesthetic attributes of presentations or in construction. In order to point out how culture has been influenced by the practice of graphic design, we need to generate its definition. In a study by Sun Kang (2007), culture is shown to mean the pattern of human daily activities mainly reflected in their music, art, fashion and food. The study gives culture some different aspects on which we can be able to deduce how graphic design impacts on it. The three aspects of culture are derived from what is referred to as the core of culture. It is constituted of the values which are defined as the cultural meanings [that] are conveyed through practices which relate to the various communication forms [and] may include human behaviors, actions, and all other visible performances that people create and act in everyday life (Sun 2007, page 08). In concluding the Hofstedes theory, Sun (2007) points out that culture cannot be separated from the aspect of conveying the various cultural meanings. He posits that the core of culture; values, is transmitted through symbols and systems of symbols by different communication behaviors (page 8). In a different paper by David Carlson in the David Report (2011) culture has been attributed to the more complex ways of living [that incorporates] value systems, traditions, beliefs and habits; including knowledge, morals, law and customs, acquired by those within that Society (Page 8). David (2001) further claims that these attributes are the symbols of the integration of the beliefs of different individuals in a society that shares a common culture. They are therefore used as the cultural values or the cultural objects with which the standard way of living for the society is mirrored upon. We can therefore take the culture to refer to the ordered way of life of a particular society based on their established and accepted values. In this paper, I will tackle the topic of how graphic design influences culture based on various aspects of the culture. These aspects stand out prominently as defining the culture of a society. They are communication. Consumption patterns as well as the ways in which people present the literary works. In settling for these three aspects, the study aims to capture almost all spheres of human relations as well as their lives. It is important to note that these aspects have been taken as umbrella factors which cover a wide range of other aspects of the human life. It is true that graphic design has been in existence for a long time in the history of mankind. It has undergone many changes which have been attributed to many factors, the cultures of the society standing out prominently. Many studies have been conducted on the influence of culture on graphic design. The facts that have been presented are able to show that indeed there is a correlation between graphic design and the culture. However, the direction of the causation may not necessarily be in the direction they have dutifully established. It is for this reason that this study is appropriate. The paper does not, however, aims to dispute the established causation theories but rather seeks to indicate the existence of causation in the different direction. A study by Forty (1979), points out the impact of graphic design on culture through its influence on visual communication. When designers convey messages through visual media like specialized packaging, business logos and posters they are able to convey information not just to about the product but also about what it means to be associated with the brand. It is therefore common to find people who associate with a particular brand. Political views have also been greatly influenced by graphic designs. The evolution of graphic design has seen many changes in how designers presented their ideas. The Avant-garde movement was however, considered to be the inception of the contemporary work. Jan Tschichold was one of the designers of the time who is reputed to have used typography and images to stimulate changes in political polarization and instability (Owen 2008). This implies that not only has graphic design shifted the world on how we communicate but also on how we relate with each other which constitutes the politics of a society. Through the use of asymmetrical design as well as sans serif typefaces, he was able to capture the peoples emotions thereby influencing how they lived with each other. In another study, Lavin (2001), as quoted in Helfand (2001) shows how todays designers have failed to bring out the realities but rather wraps the mess in a clean envelop (page 31). Further, the study points the historical and contemporary track record of graphics in making powerful political statements, in functioning as intriguing personal creations, and in consciously influencing cultural norms (Page 31). There is also the factor that Lavin further blames the designers for failing to use the potential that they have to shift the political attitudes. Additionally, the study also points out the need for graphic designers to critically influence the culture. It is clear that the designers are perceived to have veered away from the course of positively influencing the societys culture. Perhaps it is time that the designers stopped concentrating on the corporate product designs to creation of art that invokes emotions in the society. As quoted by Helfand (2001), the failure of todays designers to positively influence the societys culture can be attributed to the inherited preoccupations of history and criticism (analyzing design products, compiling designer biographies, and developing a historical narrative of style influences (page 31). Further, as put across by Mills (1963), as quoted by Helfand (2001), between the human consciousness and material existence stand communications and designs, patterns and values which influence decisively such consciousness as they have. The mass arts, the public arts, the design arts are major vehicles of this consciousness (page 32). With the use of expressions, a designer is able to shift the conscious of their audience through employing various styles of graphics, colors, and material. The combination of graphic design and advertisement has been seen as the sure way of influencing the culture of the people. In this light, Soar (2002) has looked upon the use of artists and the elite group of the society largely seen as mass consumers with comfortable jobs. When the advertisements are aimed at this group, they employ the use of well known personalities who have been known to have a substantial following. In this way, the artists used are seen as having taken serious mass cultural products and converted them to popular cultures among the people. The end result is that the people adopt behaviors that are in close relation to their favorite celebrated personalities. Consequently, this influences the individuals way of life and therefore, their culture. There is a pedagogic function, then, in advertising and design, in which private codes are disseminated to a broader cultural mass via the [creations]. Indeed, their own cultural readings are highly attuned, being perfect consumers operating in a particularly rarefied social milieu (Soar page 14). As shown by Barchas (2003) there has not been an instance that graphic designing has not inter-related with the culture. He points out the case of Mr. Fary who is able to discredit the purchase Bohee tea especially on account that it was overpriced. By using poetry, he was able to influence the way the foreign Bohee tea was perceived thereafter. Indeed, Barchas points out that the Bohee tea became the new symbol of decay in the eighteenth century. The use of graphic design in advertising such products as the Bohee tea and displaying them as superior will surely influence peoples lifestyles. It was seen to be perpetrating materialism in the society. The retailer took advantage of the great influence that the advertisement had on the society to overprice them as well as to sell them substandard products. The culture is seen to be influenced given that such work influenced not just how people think, but also how they act afterwards (page 4). When we view the mode of presentation of the various works of art, they also have had an impact on the worlds perceptions of literary work. Barchas shows how the various changes in the print culture affected not just how the text was disseminated but also how it was interpreted. In his review of Eisenstein work, he shows how the changes in the print culture to include the presentation of literary work in book form influenced verification and legitimization of the work (Barchas 2003, page 8). This work has been viewed as the artifact that not only has value in its content, but also in the way it had portrayed history and culture. It had influenced how today the scholars present their work as well as the recognition of not just the material used in the presentation but also the layout as well as the design. Graphic design has been influenced by cultures across the world over time. People from different regions, cultures and ages are mesmerized by the nature of art displayed by designers. Art on the other hand is influenced by different cultures. The artist generates an item based on the environment that they have been exposed to. It is then possible to link different cultures through art. When a graphic designer makes a logo that reflects their culture for an event or for a corporate, then their audience becomes bigger. Such a logo may influence the lifestyles of people from different societies with different cultures.

Civilisation And Savagery :: essays research papers

When the boys first arrived on the island they automatically seeked for some kind of law and order since there are not any grown-ups. They want to belong to a group, with someone in charge to lead them, and make them feel safe. After being chosen in a democratic election, Ralph becomes this leader. Ralph's society becomes a symbol of the democratic society, where everyone has their rights and an equal say. He assigned the choir as hunters and Jack the position of being the leader of them. The conch becomes an important symbol for authority and civilisation, anyone who holds it has the right to be heard. In Ralph's society everyone works for the benefit of the whole group. Building shelters, looking for food and keeping the fire alive are the three most important issues. After a period of time this society starts to brake up. With the fear of the 'beastie', the boys have become terrified of this 'creature' which lead up to the death of Simon and then Piggy. But there is a difference between these two deaths, as Simon's death was accidental and Piggy's death was deliberate. This shows the darkness inside man's heart, which is released when mankind becomes savages. Fear is what provokes savagery, as Roger lost control of his actions because of fear. With the destruction of the conch along with the death of Piggy, it also shows the destruction of authority and civilisation. Jack and the hunters show that mankind are inheritantly evil, if left alone to take care of themselves, fear will turn tem into the savage roots of the ancestors. This is shown near the end of the novel with the killing of piggy and the hunting of Ralph. Though at first Jack felt guilty for killing Simon, because he was still civilised, however as time goes on it turns into a thirst for blood, to kill anything that stands in his way to become the leader of the island. Ralph represents fairness and morality while Jack represents evil and the decay of civilisation. Piggy symbolizes the law and order of the world they left behind.

Existentialism †God Essay

What is the meaning of life. The meaning of our lives, the purpose, and the dreams both dashed and realized, and the expectations forced upon us by others. In other words how do you â€Å"translate† what life is? â€Å"Translation† means to explain in simple terms. What is it supposed to be about? There are different answers for different people at different times in their lives. A person’s lifetime is filled with self-examination. Why am I here? What am I doing? Is this as good as it gets? You have a beginning. You’re in the middle, and your story hasn’t ended yet. If one would recognize the greatest things we have in life, they would not be asking this question. These great things are faith, hope, and love. Faith is the one that can keep one from asking questions. If God wanted us to know something, then we would know it. In most religions, Christian ones in particular, the question of meaning in life is inextricably wrapped up in a relationship with God. Living in, for, with, and through him. Therefore, how one answers the meaning of life question bears directly the existence of God. Soren Kierkegaard said to be the â€Å"father† of existentialism maintains that there are three basic answers to the question of the meaning of life. He called these â€Å"stages† of life, because he believed that people â€Å"progressed† from one stage to the next. Whether or not that is true, there do seem to be at least three fundamental outlooks on life. One is a life devoted to pleasure. This value perspective can be shown by a person whose only concern is for what they are doing now. They would rather gain from pleasures in life without any regards to how they might affect their future. Another stage is those choosing ethical and moral paths. People who are honest and loyal demonstrate this in their everyday lives. Finally, there is a live religiously. This has been the popular way of life for many of us. It is going to church and practicing your faith Stace argues, the present age has begun to weaken faith in God. The concept of a supernatural person has begun to seem unlikely to many people. The Bible no longer seems as respected for many Catholics. While many people say they believe in God they are beginning question whether faith and God are the answer to the meaning of life. Most of us whether we choose to admit it or not show that material things are what we base our lives around. These ideas are at the heart of existentialism, which is a view of life that says that human beings are the creators of their own sense of meaning or purpose. The most famous existentialist, John Paul Sartre in his books and novels developed several themes that portray existentialism. The first is the notion that â€Å"existence precedes essence. † A legacy of traditional philosophy has been that we have a fixed human nature. Sartre challenged that we have no such set purpose or meaning. Our real meaning or who we are is a result of our decisions. We are what we decide. The second associated concept is the importance of human freedom. Sartre believed that every human being has the freedom to live life as we choose to. He believed that we are often terrified by our freedom, and in fact frequently do not want to take responsibility for our own actions. This attitude Sartre called â€Å"bad faith. † Bad faith is an act of self-deception in which we rationalize our actions as being caused by circumstances instead of being self-caused. Basically blaming others for our own deceptions and mistakes. The third major concept of existentialism is the idea of the Absurd. The philosopher Albert Camus popularized this concept. The concept of the absurd is promoted by atheistic existentialist, such as Sartre and Camus. The similarity between Christian and atheistic existentialist is the significance of human freedom and the belief that we are the makers of our own lives One of the most significant pieces of the decline of religious faith is the continuing awareness that there may not be any purpose in life. Both Albert Camus, and Stace, write from this perspective. They believed that traditional Christians have found security in the belief that their lives are invisibly directed or orchestrated by God. That we have assumed that God has a plan for our life, that things happen for a purpose. But as we experience, if we do, the decline of faith or the reality of God in our lives, we come to realize that perhaps we are more responsible than God is for what happens to us. We begin to realize or suspect that it is we, not God, who is the creator of our lives. We are responsible for who we become. Of course, there are always going to be those people who doubt everything God stands for. For them, the body dies and eternity is darkness, I suppose. The fight is going to be, perhaps even as it has been a battle between those who reject God and the, and those who know that God is real. The soul is one’s conscience. Without the acknowledgement of that soul, there is no inner voice that helps guide him in the decisions that he makes. Yet, the soulless atheists still seek to discover the meaning of life, and this is where the battle is fought. They are simply stating that there is no meaning to their lives they have no soul, there can be no meaning. Theists realize life isn’t fair. People aren’t created equal. Atheists believe that until all people actually are equal, life is meaningless, and this is the connection we have to make for them. People are not equal, people will never be equal, and if this equality is the requirement for accepting the meaning of life, then life will always be meaningless. If ambition brings about advantage, those advantages must be neutralized. This is the goal of the atheist. If there is nothing but darkness after life, the goal must be to create heaven on earth. Everyone has questioned their purpose in life for example in his article, â€Å"My Confession†, Leo Tolstoy has gone through his life without ever really questioning the meaning. Then he periodically questioned it until one day he eventually could not picture himself living anymore until he came up with an answer to his questionings. All the things he was thought to be living by no longer made any sense or had any meaning at all to him. He tried to answer his question many different ways, but whichever way he went he kept coming up with a dead end. He first thought the answer must be his family. Although he loved them very much, as humans they are confronted with the same questions he is. They are living this lie right along with him pretending that they have all the answers, or just simply ignoring the questions. He next thought the answer to be in his work. Eventually, coming to the realization that with all of his success in art and poetry he had become distracted. He was using art as a decoy. Without knowing his answers to the meaning of life, it was wrong and useless to depict these lies to others. He soon felt as if life had stopped, and was even contemplating suicide when he came to the realization that faith is present in each one of us and is what makes our lives meaningful. Everyone must believe they have a purpose here, for if they didn’t they would not be living at all. For life to have true meaning, that meaning must come external to the individual and be somehow consistent with life as a whole. Christians would argue that only God could grant this. It is the helping hand, which guides us through life with an honest and loving heart. Jesus is the only man to lead a true, meaningful life. His life is really the only life of meaning and it is only through him that we have the opportunity to live meaningful lives. Without accepting this answer, one will have only difficulty for the rest of their lives, especially in answering the question of the meaning of life. If you accept this answer, however life is much simpler, because your search is over. Jesus said, â€Å"I am the way, the truth, and the life? † John 14:6. The way the truth and the meaning of life itself. There are scriptural accounts of people claiming to see God, and while a witness is more â€Å"proof† than no witness is, there is no way to scientifically verify these statements. They must be accepted purely on faith. Some say that the existence of humans or planetary balance is proof that God exists. These do not prove He exists. Christians believe God is in control of everything in the universe, and created the same. God created all beings, and every atom in this universe. We know God exists because He says He does. The bible is His word, left for us to read. Psychologist Viktor Frankl wrote in â€Å"Mans search for Meaning† that we should not ask what we expect from life, but what life expects from us. He was making the point that people must deal with what daily tasks are put in front of them. Instead of arguing and complaining, we have to take action. Our strength is shown through the soul survival of the hardships we face. Which brings us to the problem philosopher John Hick was facing. In his article, â€Å"The Problem of Evil† he asks the question, â€Å"if God is perfectly loving, he must wish to abolish evil. But evil exists; therefore God cannot be both omnipotent and perfectly loving. â€Å"The very fact that there is such suffering gives good cause to doubt not only the value of the whole human race, but also the existence of God. A God that can be said to care in the slightest for what’s been created, any God who has power over all things, who is anything other than a horrible monster who finds cruel unusual joy in squeezing every last drop of suffering out of them. It would rule out anything even vaguely resembling the God that Christians speak of. A God who deserves our utter hatred not our worship. However, Hick found that although harsh and painful, evil did have purpose in the world. He stated in his article, † the finest characteristics of personal life must have a good deal in common with our present world. It must operate according to general and dependable laws: and it must involve real dangers, difficulties, problems, obstacles, and possibilities of pain, failure, sorrow, frustration, and defeat. † Without these sufferings, we would not be able to know what happiness and love really was. Evil provides us with the possibility of soul making, and according to free will, we must choose our fate. The Laws of nature must be abided by without them the world could not exist. God may be creating the lesser of the evils. There must be suffering in order for God to give inner strength that compensates for loss, and gives the sufferer inspiration to live faithfully and effectively. What God provides are the resources so we can face the suffering and make something positive come from it. He gives the direction and power to make these resources work. He gives hope and wisdom to find the way past the suffering, and to learn from it. John Paul II gave us an outline of what is believed to be the salvific meaning of suffering. Suffering as he wrote in the Apostolic Letter Salvifici Doloris, â€Å"cannot be transformed and changed by a grace form outside, but from within? † This question of human suffering is not answered directly by God. As man begins to share in the sufferings of Christ, the answer is discovered within in him. Suffering changes and can either increase or decrease, and in those moments Christians become aware of Gods closeness. We are given inner peace and spiritual joy when we suffer generously. When we are suffering we are never alone we are with Christ. With Christ everything has meaning whether its moments of happiness and peace or of pain and suffering. Nothing in life can be fully explained without God. . Look to the bible and Jesus gives us the answer. Love God with your whole heart, mind, body and soul. Love your neighbor as yourself. If you do this, you are following all the commandments. Humble yourself and give the praise and glory to our creator. God the Father our creator is love and he loves you very much. God created us to worship him and he deserves all the praise because he is the first and the last. He has no beginning and no end. Just look around and take in all the beauty he has created. Everyone is special and made in the image of God. We are nothing without our creator. Sin will keep us from God for he is pure and perfect. It is hard to let go of pleasure and putting ones self first. However, the key to peace and happiness is to surrender your freewill to God, the author of life, and he will give you complete, happiness, peace, contentment and purity you are looking for. That is what we were created for. God is made evident every day when the sun comes up, and there is still air to breathe, and you made it through the night. One cannot believe that everything we know was created by accident. Things are just too perfect to have happened by chance. Man is too corrupt a creature to have invented the beautiful things in the world, as in faith, hope and love. He allows evil in this world because He wants us to have the opportunity to choose either Him or evil, thereby proving our love for Him. If His were the only game in town, then there would not be a free will conscious choice for Him. It is evident that the meaning of life has to far to complex for any one to fully understand or agree on the same answer. All these ideas of these different philosophers are not necessarily inaccurate, just incomplete. All pieces to a puzzle that one has no way of fully figuring out. No one has seemed to accomplish this yet in life. There are so many obstacles that we face as we try to achieve a higher good. Many of these are based in the fact that we are human beings, and because of that are flawed by the ways of our culture. Things such as self-doubt, worry, ignorance, and the values put into our heads since the day we were born all are roadblocks on our way to a higher level. Also being human beings makes vulnerable to the ways of the world around us, so it is not easy to block these things out of our lives. This life is a stage in which we are to develop our minds, bodies, and souls to their highest potential in preparation for the afterlife. Only God could ever really show anyone true meaning.

McDonalds and Social Responsibility

All companies have a responsibility to the public to ensure that their products are not harmful in any manner.   Presently, America is facing a national health crisis as the number of adults and children suffering from obesity continue to rise.   Companies that provide food to the public need to make sure their foods are nutritious and fit for human consumption. McDonalds was socially responsible in their actions to stop super-sizing food items.   McDonalds is aware of the obesity epidemic in America, and eliminating the oversized food servings might help in some small way.  Ã‚  Ã‚   After all, McDonalds has been nicknamed the â€Å"calorie king,† (Good Business Deeds, 2004).   Moreover, Morgan Spurlock caused McDonalds to be pressured even more after making a documentary of his experience of eating only food from McDonalds for a month.   He â€Å"gained 25 pounds, his cholesterol level soared, and his liver became impaired,† (McDocumented – One Month of living on Only McDonalds Food, n.d.). On the other hand, is McDonalds to blame for the obesity problems in America?   Hasn’t McDonalds always been socially responsible?   McDonalds has been in business for decades and has maintained life long customers and many of them are not obese.   McDonalds provides most of the same food products that it has always provided, including salads.   Is it their fault that people choose to order a burger and fries instead?   Maybe we need to look at the personal responsibility of consumers.   Society has changed, and more Americans lead a sedentary lifestyle than in the past.   Becoming more physically active definitely plays a role in the obesity crisis as much as our diets. Why has McDonalds been singled out over the super-sizing issue?   Even convenience stores provide super-sized soft drinks.   McDonalds is socially responsible, but individuals need to take more personal responsibility in eating a balanced diet and exercising. â€Å"In the 1990s, McDonalds spent over $3 billion dollars on recycled products,† (Good Business Deeds, 2004).   This clearly demonstrates that McDonalds is making an effort to be socially responsible.   Not just for show, but because of the values of the company.   â€Å"We take seriously our commitment to conducting our business in a way that respects the world around us and the issues that matter most to you,† (McDonalds Corporation, 2004). Although they will no longer continue to super-size, some consumers will eat twice as much of the regular size.   McDonalds is not to blame for gluttony.   McDonalds is simply providing a service that consumers want, fast and convenient foods.  Ã‚   That is what restaurants do.   They provide the types of food that people want to eat.   If consumers didn’t enjoy the food at McDonalds they wouldn’t buy it.   The problem with obesity is not a McDonalds issue. The problem is that too many Americans do not want to take responsibility for their personal choices.   McDonalds has restaurants all over the world, including most countries in Asia.   However, most people in Asian countries are fit and trim.   McDonalds is serving up the same food to them as it is to Americans, but they are not suffering from obesity.   May our problem is greed.   We are a materialistic society and we stuff our mouths with food, our closets with excessive clothing, and our bank accounts with money. We never seem to be able to satisfy our appetites.   So when McDonalds eliminated super-sized products we started eating twice as much of the smaller portions.   Whether or not a restaurant serves large or small portions, we will eat as much food as we want to eat.   The ‘food police’ cannot control how much anyone chooses to eat.   And we will continue to gain weight and suffer from poor health.   But this is the law of cause and effect.   Because we eat in excess we are affecting our health.   Because we refuse to exercise, our bodies will fail us.   It is not up to the government to punish the companies that make or provide food.   It is up to each person to take the time to plan and eat balance and healthy meals. We eat at McDonalds because we want instant gratification.   Isn’t it faster and easier to grab a burger on the way home from work, than to go home and good real food?   Isn’t it easier to take diet pills than to take a 30-minute walk each day?   We have the option of making decisions that are best for our health.   Unfortunately, the sad truth is that many of us are choosing to be obese, and we are in denial.   Our health is our responsibility. References Good Business Deeds (2004).   Retrieved April 8, 2007 from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/july-dec04/corporate_12-23.html McDocument – One Month of Living on Only McDonalds Food (n.d.).   Retrieved April 8, 2007 from http://www.plastic.com/article.html;sid=04/01/28/07585282 McDonalds Corporation (2004).   Responsibility.   Retrieved April 8, 2007 from http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp/values/report/archive.RowPar.0001.ContentPar.0001.ContentPar0007.DownloadFiles.0001.File.tmp/CR_Report_(Revised).pdf