Archive for December, 2009

Caring for Silverware

Since the silver will be protected from tarnish from some time, it is well worth applying this polish thoroughly to maintain maximum shine. An occasional rub-over with a cloth dipped with the same polish will prolong its life. When it is applied, ensure that the polish cover every part of the article so that the entire surface is protected.

Another effective way to prevent tarnish is the use of lacquer as a physical barrier against the air, Unless you have done it before, you should leave the job of lacquering to the professional. However, lacquering has some disadvantages. It may spoil the appearances of the metal. If a scratch appears on the lacquer, the underlying metal surface tarnishes quickly. Stripping off the lacquer then can be a tedious job.

Silverware is generally acknowledged as an asset that appreciates in value all the time. Therefore, it does make sense to spend some time caring and maintaining it well. It is indeed a good investment.

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Effects of Drugs

Some of the commonly used drugs are anabolic steroids. These drugs are developed to treat a few serious conditions, for instance, blood, bone and kidney diseases. Unfortunately, these drugs can sometimes cause irreversible side effects. One example is the stunting of growth in children. Some young patients may develop jaundice and sodium retention that can lead to heart failure. In the West, the use of anabolic steroids for children is strictly checked or prohibited. In developing countries where this drug is used freely. It is very likely that thousands of children are suffering from various negative effects as mentioned above.

Exactly how many drugs are sold without prescription in developing countries will never be known. It has been estimated that 10 000 branded drugs are on the open market in Thailand, Brazil, India and Indonesia. Not all of these countries have up-to-date prescription laws. Those that have tend to overlook them. It is hoped that the relevant authorities will act swiftly before the situation deteriorates.

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Medicine Exports

Developed countries in the West export a large quantity of medicine to developing and third world countries today. It is estimated that more than $4 billion worth of modern medicines are imported annually by the latter. In these countries, there is not only a shortage of medicines, but also a scarcity of doctors and pharmacists. Now that western medicines are easily available in developing countries, an unexpected problem arises. These medicines can frequently be obtained by anyone without prescription from the doctors. There are drug stores selling these medicines at street corners in the cities or villages. There is generally a lack of hospitals and clinics. The ratio of doctors and pharmacists to the population in developing countries can be as low as 1 to 100 000. One can easily imagine the scenario in these developing countries. When someone falls sick, he or she is likely to go to the drug store or any medicine shop for help. These drug dealers take on the role of doctors or pharmacists by prescribing medicine without examining the sick carefully. What they prescribe is solely based on the strength of the instructions found on the labels of medicine bottles and packets.

Most countries in the West have strict regulations over the sale of medicines. However, most developing nations have no such regulations. They also do not have adequate agencies to monitor adverse drug reactions. Consequently, there is no record of how many patients have been affected or endangered by the indiscriminate supply of unsuitable drugs. While many unsafe drugs have been banned or restricted in the West, they are freely marketed in developing countries. As such, the exporters of these medicines should also be held responsible for knowingly selling unsafe drugs or drugs known to have negative effects.

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Differences of American & British English

The differences which exist today between American and British spelling are largely the results of the efforts of one man – Noah Webster. Webster’s The American Spelling Book was first published in 1783 and its influence was enormous. It sold millions of copies when published. Webster wanted to reform spelling drastically but he knew that he would have difficulty getting people to accept too many changes. He contented himself with modifications, which he thought might be very likely to be accepted. Webster believed that superfluous, unpronounced letters should be dropped from many words. Because of Webster’s influence, Americans write color instead of colour, judgment instead of judgement and check instead of cheque. Webster’s spelling probably caught on because it made much more sense to people than old spelling. British spelling retains the older forms. The British have always been a bit slower in accepting change. American spelling has been adopted in countries where Americans influence has been greater, for example, in the Philippines and Japan. In spite of such differences between English and American spelling, an American in England needs to learn only a comparatively small number of words to be able to communicate with the residents with no fear of confusion.

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Road-Bullying

According to psychiatrists, road-bullies are basically anti-social. They are probably badly brought up. Some of them acquire these aggressive tendencies at home and others from their driving schools. Bad instructors pass on bad driving habits to their pupils. According to a psychiatrist, there are two kind of road-bullies. The passive aggressors are the ones who pick on weaker victims like woman and older people. They honk, drive recklessly to show off and show vulgar signs. But they do not leave the confines of their cars. The more dangerous kind are the active aggressors. These drivers are probably under a lot of emotional stress and are easily provoked. They probably use physical violence to settle most of their arguments in every aspect of their social life. These are the types who take matters into their own hands and physically assault their victims regardless of age, sex or size. They do not even appear remorseful when arrested and are likely to repeat their offences.

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American & British English

Though English is the official language of the United States of America, it differs in some respects from the English spoken in England. Sometimes this difference has been exaggerated by those who wished to emphasize the difference – cultural, social and political – between Britain and the United States. The British, in particular, seem to enjoy thinking that British English is superior. The British can rightly claim that it was the British Empire that was responsible for the spread of English in the first place. The Americans, however, claim that it was the economic and political power of the United States that has helped maintain its importance in the world as an international language.

The remarkable fact about American English is not that it differs from British English, but that it is still too close to the parent language. The years 1970 to 1860 in America saw a tremendous influx of German and Irish immigrants. From 1865, even greater numbers of Scandinavians, Slavs and Italians settles in United States. It might be expected that the opposite happened. The immigrants adopted English the way they heard it. The English language in America absorbed the new influences without changing its own course of development.

An American on arriving in England for the first time might be confused by words with which he is familiar, but which are used in ways unfamiliar to him. For example, the porter would refer to his baggage as luggage. He would take the tube instead of the subway, he would see lorries on the road instead of trucks and he would have to use lifts in the hotel instead of elevators. He might travel in a motor car. He would have to clean his windshield instead of his windscreen. He would also have to open the hood not the bonnet of the car to check the battery. His pronunciation of certain words might also be different but he should still be able to make himself understood.

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