"Obesity is the issue (or topic) I have decided to investigate"

Obesity has become a major issue affecting large masses of people. The condition of obesity is a person having a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or more; whereas, a healthy BMI would be between 18.5 and 24.9. This condition is typically an effect of inactivity and energy dense, nutrient low foods. The issue of obesity has not simply affected America or Europe but the entire globe. Why is everybody fat, you may ask. The answer is; urbanization, globalization, and modernization have impacted present history through promoting obesity causing behaviors.

A singular reason obesity could be a common issue around the world is urbanization. In times before urbanization, when the majority of people on earth lived in small communities; people ate what they grew. The modern movement of urbanization has pushed people into large cities, places indifferent to farming and herding, forcing them to more convenient eating habits. These new, available foods are created in large quantities for many people. Unfortunately, as examined by numerous nutritionists, the more industrialised the food, the more saturated fats, short chained sugars, and sodium they contain. All of these factors lead to serious health concerns, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), Diabetes 2, high cholesterol, and, of course, obesity. Sadly, unless large fast food corporations provide healthier and just as convenient options within cities, obesity will still impact the multitudes.

Globalization is another reason why obesity is an international issue. Fast food chains, such as MacDonald's and KFC are spreading in developing nations world-wide. These fast foods, as previously explained, are industrialized and contain energy-high, nutrient-low consequences, obesity. Unfortunately, many consumers worldwide, faced with these cheap and convenient choices, opt to them, harmfully effecting their health. Unfortunately until health literacy and/or public regulations are enacted impacting industrialized food, people in developing nations, everywhere, will be faced with the question, "Is this healthy?"

Lastly, obesity is caused by the contemporary movement of modernization, particularly, through transportation. Most Americans commute to work by car on a daily basis. Whereas, this lifestyle completely contrasts the outdated forms of walking or bicycling. Roughly, biking and walking burn more calories than car riding. This prevailingly modernizing movement from active transportation to sedentary transportation could further add to the reasons obesity is an issue in the worlds current society.

Urbanization, globalization, and modernization have contributed to worldwide obesity. And simply put, obesity is a global issue. In the beginning, people lived in small communities, rarely ever leaving that area. There in their small community they would sustain their own means of living, such as farming and herding. Then came urbanization, and people began to move to cities. Next came globalization, and corporations created convenient foods. Lastly, came modernization, and automotive transportation became predominant. Ultimately, obesity came.

This photograph can originally be found here.

This Photograph can originally be found here.

This illustration can be found here.

This picture can originally be found here.

This artwork can be found here.

"I've learned that leaders in many nations of the world face complex problems that they feel can't be solved w/o international action or cooperation"

This photo relates to the international issue of drug trafficking and drug sales. These drugs were confiscated in the UN; however, many countries face the same issue of drug trafficking. It can be found here.

This photo envelopes the effect of acid rain on the environment. It can be found here.

This simple cartoon expresses the commonly discussed issue of acid rain. The cartoon can be found here.

In the years following globalization and new imperialism, world leaders have been faced with increasing numbers of conflicts; conflicts that can only be solved with the help of other world powers. Many of these conflicts are related to the environment, a thing all world powers are forced to share. These conflicts can arise from a variety of sources, taking first place: Pollution. Acid rain degrading forests, dirty rivers killing fish, and over logging disrupting ecosystems are a few heated topics. Many of these conflicts require diplomacy and world cooperation to solve. An example that is a current issue is acid rain in South Eastern Canada and Germany. The collective polluted air, acid rain, arisen from bordering countries and the country's inland has begun (since the industrialization period) to be carried and deposited on forests and communities, causing many biological and architectural issues. The reaction of acidic rain on tree leaves is said, according to scientists, to degrade the waxy cover, disrupting the photosynthetic cycle. Therefore, Germany and Canada must work in junction with neighbors to solve surrounding pollution, ultimately, controling the negative consequences on their environmental.

Another popular conflict requiring international diplomacy is drug/gun trafficking. An example could be the The Cartel in Mexico. Mexico is the main supplier of methamphetamine to the USA and a main supplier of marijuana and cocaine. How can the USA solve this problem on their own? The answer is that they can't. The USA must work in junction with Mexico to solve these issues, through programs such as, boosting Mexico's ability to solve Cartel issues with their own power.

It is easy to see after studying world issues to understand that many environmental, organized crime, and other conflicts expand beyond the margins of any one country.

"I understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed through analysis of primary sources of many"

Primary sources are documents, relics, photos, etc... that provide substantial evidence of an event in history. Historians find primary sources ideal for proving that an incident occurred. Without primary sources, events in history would not be history. For, history began when people began to record the events around them. Through these records and relics, historians are able to piece together events and learn of past theologies.

This is a photograph of an 'Opium Den'. Even though the photograph is blurry due to the low tech 1840s camera, one can observe the unhealthy state of the addicts and their environment. Even though the Opium Wars (1839-1842) did not occur during the period of New Imperialism (1880-1914) the Opium Wars can be said to have created the opportunities necessary for the colonization of China during the period of New Imperialism. I believe the source this photograph came from is legitimate, the Society of Anglo-Chinese Understanding, because the purpose of their site is to sell a magazine to educate on the matter. This, I believe, gives SACU creditability. This source came from here.

This Artwork is a prime example of Impressionism (late 1800s, early 1900s). This artwork utilizes the Impressionist technique of anti-realism. Impressionism was, in fact, a movement caused by artists beginning to reject traditional Renaissance style art, realistic. This impressionistic time period, as you may know, overlapped the New Imperialistic period. In fact, one could even say that the globalization that followed New Imperialism were the very sources of the ideas that generated the movement towards Impressionism. One of these ideas was creativity and abstractity over realism, which can be paralleled to the plethora of new ideas flowing in from foreign countries due to globalization. Would it not make sense that as people began to learn more and more about their surrounding they began to opt towards new and 'adventurous' lifestyles. I believe the source this artwork came from is creditable because it comes from a legitimate Van Gogh online gallery, directed towards selling prints. I believe that if the site even expects to sell any prints to art enthusiasts its paintings should have valid background information. The original site can be linked to by clicking here.
The relic above is a Maxim Machine Gun, employed in 1917. This gun was used in WW1 by Germans. However, its basic idea comes from the Original Maxim Machine Gun invented by Harim Maxim in 1884, the age of New Imperialism a time when many monumental inventions were coming around. Other inventions could include the light bulb. However, unmistakeably, the Maxim Gun dwarfs other inventions with its credentials, such as its effectiveness in the Matabele War (1893-1894). In the Matabele War, the gun's first ever implication into war, four Maxim Machine Gun's defeated 5,000 Matabele warriors. The Maxim Gun can, by far, be said to have been the major turn-over that made British so successful in defeating the Matabele then going on to colonize Africa (Imperialism). The photograph of the relic's original site can be found here.

This advertisement depicts a woman using a Carbolic Smoke Ball. In the period of New Imperialism, the world was globalizing. Opportunities for crooks were bountiful, especially to gullible clients. Advertisements generally lured consumers in through testimonials, as the advertisement above does. The Carbolic Ball is said to cure the common cold, hoarseness, loss of voice, influenza, hay fever, throat deafness, sore throat, snoring, headaches, asthma and whooping cough. More like, breathing in smoke vaporized from some mysterious ball will give you any of these conditions! I believe the site I found this advertisement from is legitimate because it is a '.org' site for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. However, it is possible a fraud would falsify multiple pages of seemingly legitimate information for no monetary or political means. Yet, I can hardly imagine the Pharmaceutical doctors of Great Britain allowing a fraud to falsify such a prestigious society. The advertisement above illustrates a 'Carbolic Smoke Ball' which can be found here.

"I have become more knowledgeable about the World"

This photo can originally be found here.

I have become more knowledgeable about the globe through learning of the life of Ugandan children. Who would think this was happening to Children on Earth. I did not. In fact, I now question how I could have known, such as through FOX news and AOL being the only primary sources. These two main sources of news for me never had informed me on the situation. This effect, I came to learn, is called 'Shock Exhaustion'. This effect derives itself from the viewer constantly being bombarded with mass terror, leading to the 'exhaustion'. The 'exhaustion' is the lessened impact of the terror than before. An example could be, "LRA kills 254 villagers, kidnaps 45 children." Due to 'Shock Exhaustion' this message begins to read in your mind, "Some people killed in Africa." I have gathered from class discussion and group work the LRA evils and the procedure the Media takes to many of its actions.

This map can originally be found here.

On another note, I have become even more knowledgeable pertaining to happenings of the twentieth century. A time when New Imperialism was in full swing, right up until WW1. This world war was the of the only two international wars to have of ever existed. It was given during its time the title 'The Great War'. It would not be unusual for a young woman to give a man a white feather during the period of the Great War. For, this feather was intended to shame the man, in other words calling him a coward. This group of women were called 'The White feather' campaign.
During the Great War, many injuries pertaining to the face and facial features and injuries to the body would arise. An effect of this was medical advancements. In this new world, post-WW1, knowledge and medicine blossomed.

This photo can originally be found here.

I have also learned much about human diversity, including the sociological (non-scientific) nature of race as a category. Using knowledge from the 'Race Quiz' provided by the Bush Administration, I have come to accept that race is more connected to ones self perception of their pedigree than in reference to their ancestry, which is identified through close analysis of one's ancestral past and origin. Morelikely, people given the choice will classify themselves according to their sociological nature. This means that an individual is more likely to classify themselves due to cultural ties than bloodlines.

This photo can originally be found here.

I have also learned of places on the earth. Nearly, it seems, a month ago WH2 did a project on countries around the world. From this study many interesting facts arrose. Did you know that Singapore was the first country ever to gain independence against its own will? Or, did you know that Somalia is full of pirates or that in Cambodia, the flexibly wrists is a sign of grace? I, speaking solely for myself, did not know. I believe the study on world-wide countries was intended to make students aware of the general location of various places not of their own.

This photo can originally be found here.

On a final note, I have learned extensively on cultures of the world's societies. Calling reference to the 'Race Quiz' and the study on world countries. Many cultures find themselves vastly different than their neighbors. For instance, as an American I have ancestrial ties to primarily England, Ireland, and Germany; however, on Census 2010 I did not even claim to be a one of those things. I did this because when I see a Brit I do not see myself. From the study on race and the study on countries I have learned that culture is the customs of people in a community and that culture affects many aspects including race.

This photo can originally be found here.

Invisible Children

She appears to have had her upper lip scissored off. I was curious after reading the article if both or one or how much of the the 'lip' was actually removed. This must have a serious impact on ones self image and also physical health due to the presumable poor health care system within Uganda.

When I first saw this boy, I wanted to say "awww, how cute" but then rethought as I recolected images of lips and ears being removed. Not many kids are given the title 'cute' by me, so this one must have a certain quality I cannot pinpoint.

If these are LRA members they seem to be a little old. Or maybe one effect of killing is physical representations of maturity due to inward exceeding maturity.

I find this to be a well depicted abstract art, representing the "Invisible Children".

I am curious as to why the children believe themselves safer in large groups in the city. It seems to me, that the LRA would catch on. Then, simply hustle all the children at once. The article that was to be read for homework helped me thereroize why the children do this. The LRA's major strengths are hunting people down in the jungle and sneaking around. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense to hide in the jungle if that was their realm, expecially at night. Furthermore, the article stated that more than half of the commanding officers had been predicted to have been killed within the last 18 months. That reasonably leaves one to believe that the LRA is short on men. Furthermore, large hustlings would likely require manpower to subdue children and withhold onlookers.