Free Essays on Women In Palestine And Their Rights

When will this all end? My knowledge about the world has always been based on how the United States functions and the rights that are given to everyone and that’s including me, a woman. I never thought of myself lower than anyone else and especially a male. Everything has to do with how I was raised and where I was raised. Palestinian women don’t have the same gender privileges that I have. They have to suffer with having to be raised in a country where gender is a big issue and masculinity is what powers. This paper will mainly focus on the violence and the civil and political rights of women in Palestine. The dominance of male control in Palestine is currently threatening the progression of women rising above the constraints of patriarchy. It is however important to recognize specific cultural and religious practices of gender hierarchy that are accepted by Palestinian women. While keeping this in mind it is of paramount importance to keep sight of the consequences of abusing these cultura l practices at the expense of women’s liberation and development. If we as a global community can acknowledge the adverse effects of patriarchal rule and appreciate the fundamental role of women in society, the succession of women will most certainly follow. The consequences of the subordination of women have left perhaps no woman un-scared by its devastating effects. Unfortunately there are numerous examples that highlight the problematic consequences of patriarchal supremacy. One of the numerous examples that highlight this patriarchal supremacy is the violent crimes towards women. This section of the report deals with the connection between political and social violence in Palestinian society and the manner in which each of these forms of violence interplays with the other. There is also a focus on the forms of violence directed against women at the societal level and within the family, as well as a description of the laws, policies and... Free Essays on Women In Palestine And Their Rights Free Essays on Women In Palestine And Their Rights When will this all end? My knowledge about the world has always been based on how the United States functions and the rights that are given to everyone and that’s including me, a woman. I never thought of myself lower than anyone else and especially a male. Everything has to do with how I was raised and where I was raised. Palestinian women don’t have the same gender privileges that I have. They have to suffer with having to be raised in a country where gender is a big issue and masculinity is what powers. This paper will mainly focus on the violence and the civil and political rights of women in Palestine. The dominance of male control in Palestine is currently threatening the progression of women rising above the constraints of patriarchy. It is however important to recognize specific cultural and religious practices of gender hierarchy that are accepted by Palestinian women. While keeping this in mind it is of paramount importance to keep sight of the consequences of abusing these cultura l practices at the expense of women’s liberation and development. If we as a global community can acknowledge the adverse effects of patriarchal rule and appreciate the fundamental role of women in society, the succession of women will most certainly follow. The consequences of the subordination of women have left perhaps no woman un-scared by its devastating effects. Unfortunately there are numerous examples that highlight the problematic consequences of patriarchal supremacy. One of the numerous examples that highlight this patriarchal supremacy is the violent crimes towards women. This section of the report deals with the connection between political and social violence in Palestinian society and the manner in which each of these forms of violence interplays with the other. There is also a focus on the forms of violence directed against women at the societal level and within the family, as well as a description of the laws, policies and...

Long Story Short

Long Story Short I’ve often heard writers of nonfiction complain that they’re the Rodney Dangerfields of the literary world. Not that they don’t sell a lot of books and articles (because they do) or that they don’t make money from their writing (because they do). Their complaint is that they aren’t recognized as â€Å"real† writers until they’ve published fiction. The same might be said of short-story writers. Some feel they aren’t truly fiction writers unless and until they’ve sold a novel. Many people who are not themselves writers have asked me, â€Å"Why waste your time writing short stories?† Well, I’ve written three novels- two are out with an agent and the other is sitting here at home aging like tobacco leaves, or (as I prefer to think) fine wine. But mostly I write short. One reason, honestly, is that since I’ve sold so many short stories and have never sold a novel, I just feel more comfortable with the short stuff. It’s safe ground for me, and I’m as reluctant as the next soldier to venture far from my foxhole unless someone orders me to. Does that mean I’m not a real fiction writer? Maybe so. But it’s not a question that bothers me much. Having said all that, what possible advantages could there be to writing short stories instead of novels? Well, here are a few: (1) They can be resold. I’ve had some of my shorts published half a dozen times each, in different markets. If you’ve not signed away â€Å"all rights,† you can sell reprints over and over again. (2) They give you a sense of completion. Finishing a story and writing THE END is a great feeling, to me. I can write a short story in a matter of days, and then turn around and write something else, something completely different. (3) There’s less time invested. A novel takes months or even years to write, and if it doesn’t sell, you’ve spent an enormous chunk of time with those characters and that plot. (4) They can help build a rà ©sumà ©. Story credits in quality magazines and anthologies can make you more marketable to agents and publishers of longer works. (5) They’re good practice. Crafting publishable short stories teaches you how to write â€Å"tight.† Novels might be long, but the best novels are still focused and compact, with few wasted words. Writing short also gives you experience in creating the story arc that is so necessary in novels, screenplays, etc. (6) You don’t need an agent. I had a wonderful agent for several years who represented my short fiction (he passed away in 1999), but few agents now will take on short-story authors, and the truth is, you can probably do as well without them. (7) It’s fun. I think the process of putting together a good plot and believable characters in only a few thousand words is a thrill as well as a challenge. A final note. Some writers don’t write short because they don’t think they can. Several novelist friends (one a New York Times bestseller) have told me they think short stories are extremely difficult to write. Lawrence Block once agreed, saying: â€Å"Novels aren’t harder; they’re just longer.† And Faulkner said he tried writing short stories when he found he couldn’t write poetry, and then turned to writing novels when he found he couldn’t write short stories. I’ve also heard that writing a good novel requires a better storyteller, while writing a good short story requires a better craftsman. Is that true? Beats me. It doesn’t matter anyway. There’ll always be room for both.

Employee Engagement and Employee Voice (Contemporary HRM Research) Essay

Employee Engagement and Employee Voice (Contemporary HRM Research) - Essay Example The role of employee voice in employee issues therefore very important in the operation of human resource management units since it has a significant influence on employee performance, employee views and also regulates the relationship between employers and employees. This paper examines the concept of 'employee voice'. It attempts to identify what that concept actually is and how it has evolved over the past 60 years The research then goes on to examine the position of employee voice after the Second World War and how it has evolved to this day. It will examine key concepts and ideas that define the phenomenon. Also, the research discusses the role of employee engagement in organisations. This is done from two perspectives. The first is the position of employers and the facades within which they deal with employee demands. The second is how the organization and the human resource department specifically, deals with employee voice. Finally, the paper will focus on the role of employe e relationships and how it affects the strategic position of organisations. It will be done by examining the business case of employee relations and how it is integrated into the communication plan of organisations. Employee Voice â€Å"For working purpose, we define voice as the expression of ideas, information, opinions and concerns as well as silence, such as withholding† (Greenberg & Edwards, 2009 p4). This means that voice refers to communication in the wider sense. There is no clearcut definition of employee voice. However, using this preamble, we can say that voice refers to the kind of feedback or message that employees give or seek to give to their employers in the workplace. From another perspective, this also means that where employees refuse to communicate or make any demands, it can also be viewed as some kind of a voice. This implies that communication from employees is essential for the success of organisations around the world. Employee voice therefore takes a different connotation all together. Its scope is wider than just making demands and asking management or the owners of a business to come up with certain actions or activities. â€Å"Employee voice is the term increasingly used to cover a whole variety of processes and structures which enables and sometimes empowers employees directly or indirectly to contribute to decision-making in the firm† (Armstrong, 2008 p200). This shows that employee voice is a kind of involvement of employees in the

Scientific method experiment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scientific method experiment - Essay Example 56) To establish this, the experimentalist used four samples of five gases namely; Oxygen, Hydrogen, Carbon Dioxide and Sulfur Hexafluoride. He used other tools such as four testing tubes, a top- loading balance and a syringe. The experimentalist measured a volume of 50ml of each of the gas samples. By using the syringe and the balance, the experimentalist calculated the weights of each of the 50ml-sample. He observed that although the samples were of the same size, they weighed different. The vacuum weighed 0.00g Oxygen 0.54g, Hydrogen 0.11gm , Carbon Dioxide .088g and Sulfur Hexafluoride 0 .263g (Pandey et al. 56) The explanation behind this is that heavier gas samples have larger weight than the lighter ones. The gas sample cannot have more weight in this experiment as a result of change in the volume of the samples. Therefore, the change must be linked to the mass of the particles of the gas. On plotting the molecular weights against the experimental weights, the experimentalist found out that it was a straight line. This is as a result of the correlation between the mass of the constant samples and the molecular mass. Therefore, this leads to the accepting the hypothesis that it is possible to determine the molecular mass of a sample of gas simply by measuring the constant quantity against an already determined linear relationship Pandey et al.

Enron scandal Essay Example for Free

Enron scandal Essay A brief on Enron’s history ï‚ § Enron was formed in 1985 by Kenneth Lay after merging Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth. ï‚ § In the early 1990s, he helped to initiate the selling of electricity at market prices, The resulting markets made it possible for traders such as Enron to sell energy at higher prices, thereby significantly increasing its revenue. ï‚ § As Enron became the largest seller of natural gas in North America by 1992, Enron pursued a diversification strategy owning and operating a variety of assets including gas pipelines, electricity plants, pulp and paper plants, water plants, and broadband services across the globe. (cont.) brief ï‚ § Enrons stock increased from the start of the 1990s until year-end 1998 by 311% percent, only modestly higher than the average rate of growth in the Standard Poor 500 index. ï‚ § However, the stock increased by 56% in 1999 and a further 87%compared to a 20%  increase and a 10% decrease for the index  during the same years. By December 31,  2000, Enron’s stock was priced at $83.13  and its market capitalization exceeded $60  billion, 70 times earnings and six times  book value, an indication of the stock  market’s high expectations about its future  prospects. In addition, Enron was rated the  most innovative large company in America  in Fortunes Most Admired Companies  survey. Causes of downfall †¢ Enrons complex financial statements were confusing to shareholders and  analysts by using accounting limitations to misrepresent earnings and modify the balance sheet to indicate favorable performance, According to McLean and Elkind in their book The Smartest Guys in the Room, The Enron scandal grew out of a steady accumulation of habits and values and actions that began years before and finally spiraled out of control. the combination of these issues later resulted in the bankruptcy of the company. †¢ the majority of them were perpetuated by the indirect knowledge or direct actions of Lay, Jeffrey Skilling, Andrew Fastow, and other executives, Skilling constantly focused on meeting Wall Street expectations, advocated the use of mark-to-market accounting and pressured Enron executives to find new ways to hide its debt. (Cont.) causes of downfall Mark-To-Market accounting: †¢ when Skilling joined the company, he demanded that the  trading business adopt mark-to-market accounting, citing that it would represent true economic value. †¢ This method requires that once a long-term contract was signed, income is estimated as the present value of net future cash flow. Often, the viability of these contracts and their related costs were difficult to estimate, investors were typically given false or misleading reports. †¢ While using the method, income from projects could be recorded, although they might not have ever received the money, and in turn increasing financial earnings on the books. However, in future years, the profits could not be included, so new and additional income had to be included from more projects to develop additional growth to appease investors. (Cont.) causes of downfall †¢ For one contract, in July 2000, Enron and Blockbuster Video signed a 20-year agreement to introduce on-demand entertainment to various U.S. cities by year-end. After several pilot projects, Enron recognized estimated profits of more than $110 million from the deal, even though analysts questioned the technical viability and market demand of the service. When the network failed to work, Blockbuster withdrew from the contract. Enron continued to recognize future profits, even though the deal resulted in a loss . †¢ Between 1996 and 2000, Enrons revenues increased by more than 750%, rising from $13.3 billion in 1996 to $100.8 billion in 2000. This extensive expansion of 65% per year was unprecedented in any industry, including the energy industry which typically considered growth of 2–3% per year to be respectable. For just the first nine months of 2001, Enron reported $138.7 billion in revenues, which placed the company at the sixth position on the Fortune Global 500. (Cont.) causes of downfall Special purpose entities: †¢ Enron used special purpose entities—limited partnerships or companies created to fulfill a temporary or specific purpose . †¢ These shell firms were created by a sponsor, but funded by independent equity investors and debt financing. †¢ By 2001, Enron had used hundreds of special purpose entities to hide its debt . †¢ The special purpose entities were used for more than just circumventing accounting conventions. Enrons balance sheet understated its liabilities and overstated its equity, and its earnings were overstated (cont.) causes of downfall Executive compensation: †¢ Although Enrons compensation and performance management system was designed to retain and reward its most valuable employees, the system contributed to a dysfunctional corporate culture that became obsessed with short-term earnings to maximize bonuses. †¢ Employees constantly tried to start deals, disregarding the quality of  cash flow or profits, in order to get a better rating for their performance review. (cont.) causes of downfall †¢ The company was constantly emphasizing its stock price. Management was compensated extensively using stock options. †¢ Skilling would develop target earnings by asking What earnings do you need to keep our stock price up? and that number would be used, even if it was not feasible. †¢ Employees had large expense accounts and many executives were paid sometimes twice as much as competitors. †¢ In 1998, the top 200 highest-paid employees received $193 million from salaries, bonuses, and stock. Two years later, the figure jumped to $1.4 billion. (cont.) causes of downfall  Financial audit: †¢ Enrons auditor firm, Arthur Andersen, was accused of applying reckless standards in its audits because of a conflict of interest over the significant consulting fees generated by Enron. †¢ Andersens auditors were pressured by Enrons management to defer recognizing the charges from the special purpose entities as its credit risks became known. †¢ To pressure Andersen into meeting Enrons earnings expectations, Enron would occasionally allow accounting companies Ernst Young or PricewaterhouseCoopers to complete accounting tasks to create the illusion of hiring a new company to replace Andersen. †¢ In addition, after news of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations of Enron were made public, Andersen would later shred several tons of relevant documents and delete nearly 30,000 e-mails and computer files, causing accusations of a cover-up. (cont.) causes of downfall Other accounting issues: †¢ Enron made a habit of booking costs of cancelled projects as assets, with the rationale that no official letter had stated that the project was cancelled. This method was known as the snowball, and although it was initially dictated that such practices be used only for projects worth less than $90 million, it was later increased to $200 million. †¢ In 1998, when analysts were given a tour of the Enron Energy Services office, they were impressed with how the employees were working so vigorously. In reality, Skilling had moved other employees to the office from other departments (instructing them to pretend to work hard) to create the appearance that the division was larger than it was. This ruse was used several times to fool analysts about the progress of different areas of Enron to help improve the stock price. Bankruptcy †¢ On November 28, 2001, The company had very little cash with which to operate, let alone satisfy enormous debts. Its stock price fell to $0.61 at the end of the days trading. †¢ Enron was estimated to have about $23 billion in liabilities from both debt outstanding and guaranteed loans. Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase in particular appeared to have significant amounts to lose with Enrons bankruptcy. †¢ Enrons European operations filed for bankruptcy on November 30, 2001, and it sought Chapter 11 protection two days later on December 2. It was the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history (before being surpassed by WorldComs bankruptcy the next year), and resulted in 4,000 lost jobs. Sarbanes-Oxley Act †¢ The bill was enacted as a reaction to a number of major corporate and accounting scandals including those affecting Enron, Tyco International, Adelphia, Peregrine Systems and WorldCom. These scandals, which cost investors billions of dollars when the share prices of affected companies collapsed, shook public confidence in the nations securities markets. †¢ The main provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act included the establishment of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board to develop standards for the preparation of audit reports; the restriction of public accounting companies from providing any non-auditing services when auditing; provisions for the independence of audit committee members, executives being required to sign off on financial reports. Major elements: (Cont.)SOX 1.Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB): Title I consists of nine sections and establishes the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, to provide independent oversight of public accounting firms providing audit services (auditors). It also creates a central oversight board tasked with registering auditors, defining the specific processes and procedures for compliance audits 2. Auditor Independence: Title II consists of nine sections and establishes standards for external auditor independence, to limit conflicts of interest. It also addresses new auditor approval requirements, audit partner rotation, and auditor reporting requirements. It restricts auditing companies from providing non-audit services (e.g., consulting) for the same clients. (Cont.)SOX 3. Corporate Responsibility: Title III consists of eight sections and mandates that senior executives take individual responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of corporate financial reports. It defines the interaction of external auditors and corporate audit committees, and specifies the responsibility of corporate officers for the accuracy and validity of corporate financial reports. It enumerates specific limits on the behaviors of corporate officers and describes specific forfeitures of benefits and civil penalties for non-compliance. For example, Section 302 requires that the companys  principal officers (typically the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer) certify and approve the integrity of their company financial reports quarterly. (Cont.)SOX 4. Enhanced Financial Disclosures: Title IV consists of nine sections. It describes enhanced reporting requirements for financial transactions, including off-balance-sheet transactions, pro-forma figures and stock transactions of corporate officers. 5. Analyst Conflicts of Interest : Title V consists of only one section, which includes measures designed to help restore investor confidence in the reporting of securities analysts. It defines the codes of conduct for securities analysts and requires disclosure of knowable conflicts of interest. 6. Commission Resources and Authority: Title VI consists of four sections and defines practices to restore investor confidence in securities analysts. It also defines the SECs authority to censure or bar securities professionals from practice and defines conditions under which a person can be barred from practicing as a broker, advisor, or dealer. (Cont.)SOX 7.Studies and Reports: Title VII consists of five sections and requires the Comptroller General and the SEC to perform various studies and report their findings. Studies and reports include the effects of consolidation of public accounting firms, the role of credit rating agencies in the operation of securities markets, securities violations and enforcement actions, and whether investment banks assisted Enron, Global Crossing and others to manipulate earnings and obfuscate true financial conditions. (Cont.)SOX 8. Corporate and Criminal Fraud Accountability: It describes specific criminal penalties for manipulation, destruction or alteration of financial records or other interference with investigations, while providing certain protections for whistle-blowers. 9. White Collar Crime Penalty Enhancement: This section increases the criminal penalties associated with white-collar crimes and conspiracies. It recommends stronger sentencing guidelines and specifically adds failure to certify corporate financial reports as a criminal offense. (Cont.)SOX 10. Corporate Tax Returns : Title X consists of one section. Section 1001 states that the Chief Executive Officer should sign the company tax return. 11. Corporate Fraud Accountability : It identifies corporate fraud and records tampering as criminal offenses and joins those offenses to specific penalties. It also revises sentencing guidelines and strengthens their penalties. This enables the SEC to resort to temporarily freezing transactions or payments that have been deemed large or unusual.

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt :: Movie Film Essays

Use of Doubles in the Film, Shadow of A Doubt The film Shadow of A Doubt uses doubles, a film concept in which a shot is created and then later exposed once again in another frame. There are various scenes in the movie where doubles are used to imply different ideas. Three concrete examples of this effect include the scenes where Uncle Charlie and young Charlie wake up, the scenes where both Charlie’s say that telling Emma about Uncles evildoings will be hurtful, and the scene of the trains going in opposites directions of each other. First and foremost, the scene where Uncle Charlie wakes up parallels directly to the scene of little Charlie waking up. The director makes it obvious that these two characters will be linked in some way through this use of doubles. Later in the film, we find that these two characters are closely connected but have a contrasting relationship. Their relationship was one of much love when Uncle first arrived to the family, and suddenly turned sour when little Charlie told Uncle that there was something inside him that no one knew. Next, Shadow of A Doubt uses the two different scenes where both Uncle Charlie and little Charlie say that telling Emma about Uncle will be hurtful are both combined into a double. The director does this in order to let the viewer see that both Uncle and little Charlie have common thoughts even though they have different perceptions on life. They have a common goal and that is for no one else to hurt from Uncles hidden evils. Lastly, this film uses doubles in the final scene of the movie where the two trains cross each other. This sequence is important due to the fact that Uncle was thrown under one of the trains to his death.

Ratio Analysis on Literature of Review Essay

I also declare that I have done my work sincerely and accurately even then if any mistake or error had kept in it, I request the readers to point out these errors and guide me to remove these errors in future. Presentation Incharge Signature of the Candidate Practical work experience is the integral part of individual learning. An individual who is learning managerial concepts has to undergo this practical experience for being a future executive. It is the result of various factors. Primarily because of rising cultivations of BT. cotton (Bacillus thuringnsis) and reduce the farmers input costs, while the yield as well as quality are substantially much larger compared to traditional varieties. In view of this development, the cotton cultivation acreage has been steadily going up in India. The farmers have become more knowledgeable to follow scientific methods to cultivate high yielding long staple cotton varieties. Besides individual mills are also simultaneously taking steps to improve the cotton production along with Technology Mission on cotton (TCM), the cotton development research Associations of organizations (CITI), South Indian Textiles Mills Association (SIMA) and Kerala State Textile Corporation (KSTC). The resultant factor is quality and quantity of raw material supply has substantially improved in the country. Due to globalization of our economy, the conscious of quality inputs and pricing have become competitive to the international standards and prices. Supply of quality raw material availability sources of raw material from major cotton exporting countries. Every organization is a deliberate and planned Endeavour of people whose common goal can be achieved through attainment of targets and goal by individual members in it. No organization can survive for long unless it takes care of prudent utilization of resources particularly human resources. In brief, good business is generally the result of good organization which can emerge only if it consists of good people who work together as a team. The textile industry occupies a unique place in our country. One of the earliest to come into existence in India, it accounts for 14 per cent of the total industrial production, contributes to nearly 30 per cent of the total exports and is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. The Indian textile industry is one of the largest in the world with a massive raw material and textile-manufacturing base. Indian economy is largely dependent on the textile manufacturing and trade in addition to other major industries about 27 per cent of the exchange earning are on account of export of textiles and clothing alone. In India organized textile mill sector has increased from 1787 in 2003-04 to 1789 in 2004-05. During the year 2003-04 the production of yarn was 3051. 07 million kg and it had increased to 3220. 59 million kg in 2004-05. The number of workers worked in textiles mills during the year 9, 18,000. India has the second-largest yarn-spinning capacity in the world (after China), accounting for roughly 20 percent of the world’s spindle capacity. India’s spinning segment is fairly modernized; approximately 35 to 40 percent of India’s spindles are less than 10 years old. During 1989-98, India was the leading buyer of spinning machinery, accounting 2003-04 was 9,28,000 and it have decreased during the year 2004-05 was for 28 per cent of world shipments. India’s production of spun yarn is accounted for almost entirely by the organized mill sector, which includes 285 large. Man-made fibers, wool and silk segment grew by modest 4. 5 per cent per annum during the 5-year period 2000-01 to 2005-06. During the first year of quota-free global trade, production increased leaps and bounds. Textiles production increased 10 per cent over 2004. The growth was fuelled by a 22 per cent rise in production of other textiles (including apparels). Cotton textile also posted an increase of nine percent. In the last six years, an estimated US$ 6. 7 billion has been invested in the textiles sector, aided by the Technology Up gradation Fund (TUF) scheme. The TUF scheme expires in March next year (2007) and the quotas on China will be lifted in 2008. Hence, companies will continue to add capacities over the next year. Also, according to CRISIL, the sector is likely to rise over US$ 3. 5 billion from the capital markets in the next few years. The cotton textile industry, one of the oldest and major consumer industries in India, has assumed national importance by virtue of size, investment, output and employment. The industry produces a wide range of fabrics to suit specific needs of consumers. Further, the cotton textile industry occupies a pre eminent place in the Indian economy by contributing a major share and to the countries industrial production and providing cloth to its millions. The industry also serves by providing direct employment to 60, 00,000 workers in several of its related activities. India is one of the largest textile producing countries in the world. The share of the industry in the export basket of India is around 20%. However, textile industry is vast developing sector and when the competitions are exorbitant especially in its design and quality we have to adopt modern technology management, machine so as to complete with other countries in the international market.

Zen Psychology

In all that we learn, finding peace in all the hurt and happiness, tears and laughter, and ups and downs is not an easy thing. Finding the inspiration to accomplish the things that will make us feel like fulfilled human beings is not an simple task. Like a wise person once said â€Å"Why is it that the deeper you go, the bigger it gets? † What drives great men to do great things? What drives evil men to do evil things? How can I find the courage inside me to accomplish all that I want to do, much less, figure out what I want to do? Life is full of different choices, which inevitably lead to different questions. Working, going to school, quitting your job, or moving to India all eventually lead to the question: What am I going to do with my life now? Zen, is not an answer to these problems. Zen is more of a psychological application rather then a philosophical school of thought. It doesn’t try to touch on metaphysics, spirituality, or anything of the sort. It is more of a complex psychology of acceptance, which turns out to be extraordinarily simple. Humans are afflicted with all external forms of life: we are subject to life and death, pleasure and pain, love and fear, good and evil, beautiful and ugly. We tend to sway, or strive towards one side, and reject its opposite. There is no real escape of one or the other, yet we somehow believe that sooner or later, we will be able to conquer the other side if we stay focused long enough. We often strive for good, hoping the evil in our lives will disappear. But the inevitable always arises, and we find ourselves in the same place that we started. Why is this? From a more Taoist point of view, life could not be without death. Pleasure could not exist without pain. Good could not exist without evil. Growth could not exist without stagnation. If the opposites are dependent on one another, why do we feel inclined to strive for one and reject the other? Why are we so afraid of what’s on the other side of the border? Zen is the psychology of accepting both sides. It is accepting that good and evil are both a part of your life, so there is no need to strive for one or fear the other. Pain is essential for pleasure, if pleasure is to be known as pleasure. Therefore, denial of one of these sides is like denying the existence of both ends. If we believe that evil cannot exist, then good cannot exist, because then there is nothing to compare it to. However, if we accept that both good and evil exist in our lives, it can allow us to feel more at home in the world. We can feel that the world is already whole, and that our lives are already perfect because we are living it. Acceptance also opens up the freedom in our lives. By accepting that we could one day be a failure, we start removing the fear of failure from our want to succeed. Our striving to succeed is then a choice, and not a product of our fear. Through our acceptance of our own fears, we will conquer them. But what is truly accepting everything in life? How can we truly accept everything that happens to us? Would making an effort to change be just another attempt to escape an aspect of ourselves? After all, to truly be accepting, you have to accept that you may not be truly accepting, right? Acceptance is not changing things at all, yet at the same time, a change takes place by accepting. This is the dilemma that the Zen philosophy faces. To be accepting, we can’t be forceful with life. We must accept all as it is, and let everything go. How the heck can we do that? Zen teaches that the only way to be truly accepting, is to live in the now. We hear that all the time, â€Å"Live in the now. Live in the now. What does â€Å"living in the now† actually mean? By losing the foresight of the future, or hindsight in the past, we open up that world of acceptance. Some people will steal because they see that they have something more in their future. Some people will do good deeds because they feel that later on, they will feel better about themselves. Living in the now, is discarding the past, not looking to the future, and just enjoying life as it is. Living in the now holds onto nothing, but accepts everything, because it’s a state of just awareness. Zen teaches that life is life, and nothing more, so we shouldn’t try to make it something that it isn’t. It is like the concept of the time of now, the concept exists, yet we can never hold on to it. Living in the now lets us see that all aspects of life are strangely beautiful and complex. Life is almost one of the most outrageous concepts ever thought of. We go through life, and we search for the answers, but oftentimes the search becomes so strong that we forget to live, we forget to smile, we forget that â€Å"it’s all good in the hood. † Zen tries to take it one step further, taking that frame of mind to every single moment of one’s life. It doesn’t teach us to follow certain ideals, it just teaches us to let go, and enjoy life as it is.

Religions Vs. Cults Is There A Difference Professor Ramos Blog

Religions Vs. Cults Is There A Difference Religions are such a touchy subject. There are thousands of religions in the world today, but they all differ in ideology. Anytime anyone brings up a matter of his or her â€Å"beliefs,† everyone seems to get uncomfortable and changes the subject. Cults, are an even touchier subject. Every time someone says â€Å"cult,† our brains automatically associate with Heaven’s Gate, Children of God, People’s Temple, David Koresh’s Branch Davidians, or Aum Shinriyko. What is a cult, exactly? What makes a religion a religion? Is there that big of a difference? I am going to explain what a religion is, what a cult is, and the commonalities and differences between cults and religions. This is important because when someone is looking for something to believe in or follow; one must know exactly what they are getting into. Converting to a religion is a big commitment, so people need to be aware of what they are getting themselves into and to notice to signs of a possible faux religion. According to the Lexico Dictionary, the definition of religion is, â€Å"the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods† (Religion). Having faith in a god, or numerous gods, usually means that is a religion. A religion has a set of beliefs that lay out a set of guidelines on how to reach the path to God, or the gods. Eric Dietrich Ph.D. states in his 2015 article, â€Å"Why Are There So Many Religions?,† â€Å"that there are tens of thousands of religions on planet Earth today† (Dietrich 2). The fact that there are so many religions in the world can be a little confusing. A theory of why there are so many variations of religions is that, â€Å"we are each seeking our own path to God, and our own paths vary because we vary† (Dietrich 2). Mostly all religious groups always feel like they are practicing the right religion over the others in the world. It is hard to say which is wrong and which one is right. The basic ideology of religion varies since they all are so different. The oldest religion, that is still being practiced today, is Hinduism. Hinduism’s ideology is, â€Å"the goal to become free from the law of karma† (Adamson). Hindus believe in numerous gods and goddesses, karma, and reincarnation, so in other words, one’s soul will continue to rebirth on Earth until the soul has fully reached spiritual perfection and can finally rest at peace. A more familiar religion in America is Christianity. Christians believe in the one almighty God, and the basic ideology is to worship only Him, follow the Ten Commandments, and to live for God. Even though these two religions are vastly different, they are similar in that they believe in a higher supernatural power, which is not here on Earth, and they also try to follow a peaceful way of life to reach the path of their god. In retrospect, even though each religion may be different in names and whom they exactly believe in , they both are very similar in the fact that they live for someone higher than them. â€Å"The term cult used to refer to a minor religious sect that practices its own peculiar rituals,† but, â€Å"nowadays, it suggests a secretive and dangerous group† (Galanter 1). Cults have always been a taboo to society. There is always a bad connotation with the word cult. A cult is traditionally defined as a new religious movement. From the beginning of religion, any branched off religion that was not the original religion, was considered a cult. Judaism, Buddhism, and Christianity were all technically associated with being a cult at the beginning of their debut. They only became religions when they got enough real estate and followers. Cults have basic ideology as well because they â€Å"align themselves with mainstream religions† (Coughlin). Members of cults believe in a higher power, but the higher power is usually the leader of that cult. They promise the path to a divine afterlife alongside God, or themselves, the leader. These religious groups, cults, are so appealing to people because â€Å"they offer the simple path to happiness, to success, to salvation by following their simple rules,† and â€Å"each member contributes to the power of the leader by trading his or her freedom for the illusion of security and reflected glory that group membership holds† (Zimbardo 2). The lines between a religion and a cult are very blurred. Because cults are based off of well-known religions, or religious beliefs, that we all are very familiar with, so it comes down to logistics to see the differences. The first difference is that cults â€Å"can be financially exploitative, like Scientology, which requires its members to literally buy into the religion at different checkpoints on their road to total faith† (What’s 2). Although, orthodox churches do ask for offerings or donations, but it is not mandatory to prove your faith to that church or god. On the other hand, these orthodox churches will have an â€Å"alms-giving policy that requires members to donate ten percent of their earnings out of charity† (What’s 4). Understandably, every organization needs money to operate, religion or cult. Another difference is that religions believe in worshiping the followings and teachings of a supernatural power, whereas a cult will have the leader , here on Earth, be the higher power. This contrast is where the idea of manipulation comes into play. Many argue that cults will twist the words of the religious beliefs they run off to make them have faith in â€Å"committing suicide upon command or destroying the cult’s enemies,† anyone not in favor of them (Zimbardo 4). Mainstream religions continuously preach to do no harm to others or yourself. In these popular religions, committing suicide or murder is a cardinal sin and against all teachings, and any act of it will be automatic damnation to Hell. Philip G. Zimbardo Ph.D. states in his journal, â€Å"What Messages Are Behind Today’s Cults?,† â€Å"that the major difference between a religion and a cult is what happens when a member tries to leave† (Zimbardo 4). His theory is that if a member of a conventional church isn’t happy with the way the church is being ran, or even disagrees with the teachings, one can choose to leave the chur ch in search of a new path, no problem. If one doesn’t agree with a cult’s teachings once they have already pledged their allegiance and attempts to leave, that member is now looked at as a traitor and can be held hostage, be punished, or even killed for their unsupportive feelings toward the group and it’s leader. These points of differences are very subtle, but they are a big factor is what distinguishes the two groups. The resemblance of a religion and a cult are so parallel, that they overlap in many concepts. Both groups â€Å"demonstrate great zeal and unquestioning commitment to their leader. Doubt, skepticism, and debate are discouraged and sometimes even punished. Current members are always looking to acquire new members and money. There’s a mentality that there are two kinds of people in the world: this in the group, and everyone else† (What’s 1). No one in a mainstream religion wants to hear that there are so many similarities in religions and cults, but this is reality. The two groups practice rituals and ceremonies, have reverence for spiritual leaders, have dogmatic adherence to myths, have a system of moral laws, have supernatural or deistic beliefs and have a veneration of sacred symbols. â€Å"A religion is an old cult. A cult is a new religious movement,† (What’s 3). Religions and cults go hand in hand. Even though people may not want to admit it, every religion started off as a cult because it was anew way of thinking. With all these new teachings and more options to follow, it allowed people all over the world to choose what worked best for their lifestyle. It is true, we all think differently and we all have a different outlook on which higher power is looking down on us, guiding our every move. Even though cults have now gotten a bad reputation for the radical groups that have been associated with them, all cults are not bad. Cults are the beginning to a new movement and a new path to salvation. Without the start of cults, branch offs of mainstream religions, we would not have any of the religions we have today. Adamson, Mariyln. â€Å"Connecting with the Divine.†EveryStudent.com, www.everystudent.com/features/connecting.html. This article gives the run down of the five major religions in the world still practiced today. It covers Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam. I am using this information from this article to compare and contrast the different religions today and how they are similar and how they are different. I want to prove that even if religions are not the same, the ideology is basically the same, with the exception of a few particulars. This is more of a blog post, but I feel like it is credible because the author has done religious studies and has traveled to many countries to study religious culture. Coughlin, Sara. â€Å"Where Is The Line Between A Cult A Religion?†The Difference Between A Cult And Religion, Explained, 31 Aug. 2018, www.refinery29.com/en-us/cult-vs-religion-difference. This article explains the differences from cults and religions. It really highlights the more modern cults that have a bad name. I think this article does a good job of comparing and contrasting the things alike and different from religions and cults. I am using this article to show some of the different points it makes aside from the journals, since this article in particular describing the bad cults that can be very manipulative and harmful. Although this source is from an online article that is just more opinion based, the author did an interview with Janja Lalich, Ph. D, who is a professor of sociology ar California State University, Chico. The author quotes the doctor and their findings in the research that they have conducted about cults over the years. Dietrich, Eric. â€Å"Why Are There So Many Religions?†Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 7 Apr. 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/excellent-beauty/201504/why-are-there-so-many-religions. In this article, it breaks down the estimated number of how many religions there are in the world. It also continues to explain why the number of religions in the world is so high. The main point of the whole article is that everyone has a common goal, which is to find the path to their God, but everyone’s paths do not always align. There are many ways to findings one purpose, so that is why there are many different derivatives. I am using this information in my report to show the number of current religions in the world. I want to show that religion is such an open statement and can be interpreted in many different ways. This source is not scholarly, but it was written by, Eric Dietrich Ph.D., whom is a professor of philosophy at Binghamton University and is a current editor in chief of the Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Artificial Intelligence. I think his words are valid since he teaches philosophy of religion. Galanter, Marc.Cults: Faith, healing and coercion. Oxford University Press, 1999. This book is a sequel to the study of cults with updated research. In this book, the author goes into detail about what a cult actually is. Cults never used to be a bad, awful, terrible thing, it was just a new movement of a religious culture. Nowadays, cults are always associated with a bad reputation, but it is more complicated than that. I am using this information in my report to explain how cults came about and how they took a total left turn into what we know today. I am trying to prove the point that religions and cults are not that much different if you lay out all the facts that this book displays. This is a reliable source because it is scholarly. Marc Galanter wrote this book and he was a Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he taught religion and law. â€Å"Religion: Definition of Religion in English by Lexico Dictionaries.†Lexico Dictionaries | English, Lexico Dictionaries, 25 June 2019, www.lexico.com/en/definition/religion. This is an online dictionary sponsored by The English Oxford Dictionary, so I feel like it is a credible source to get a proper, and valid, definition. I wanted to use the definition of religion to have my audience get a better understanding of what exactly a religion is. Tremlin, Todd. Minds and Gods: The Cognitive Foundations Of Religions. Oxford University Press, 2010. In this book, it lays out a plethora of different types of religions and every single one of their ideologies. It explains the foundations of the religion in Sri Lanka all the way to the Catholic Church teachings. This book highlights the commonality between all the types of religions, which is the beliefs in gods. I am using this research within my report to explain the base foundations of religions and how they really are similar once you get down to the base of all the different teachings. It also goes into depth about the power of the mind and how religion goes hand in hand with what you believe to be right or wrong, or even which god is valid and which one is not. This is a scholarly book that was written by a Professor at Central Michigan University, whom is also the head of the religion program. â€Å"Whats the Difference Between Religion and a Cult? Is There?†Guff, 2015, guff.com/whats-the-difference-between-religion-and-a-cult-is-there. In this article, it does a good job of really comparing and contrasting cults and religions. It lays out soe base foundations and asks the reader to really think if those characteristics of a cult or a religion. This article states that the lines distinguishing cults and religions are really blurred, since technically, all religions were cults at one point in time. I am going to use the information form this article post to really drive the point that there is no difference between a cult and a religion because of ideologies are very similar, almost identical. This source is just more of a blog post, but I do believe that this post is credible because they do cite researchers that have done their research on religions. Zimbardo, Philip. What messages are behind today’s cults.(1997). In this journal, the author talks about the ideology and the appeal about cults. This author explains why a person might voluntarily join a â€Å"cult.† It also explains how the ideology of cults can easily be manipulated by it’s leaders into thinking this is really a new revolution. I am using this information to highlight the rational perspectives of the people who get wrapped up in these â€Å"new religious movements.† There are always two sides to the story, and in all cases, cults aren’t necessarily meant to be a bad thing. This information is from a scholarly source. The journal is written by Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo, who is a renowned social psychologist at Stanford University, and is also apart of the American Psychological Association.

Facts about the Importance of Graphene

Facts about the Importance of Graphene Graphene is a two-dimensional honeycomb arrangement of carbon atoms that is revolutionizing technology. Its discovery was so significant that it earned Russian scientists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. Here are some reasons why graphene is important. It Is a Two-Dimensional Material. Nearly every material that we encounter is three-dimensional. We are only just beginning to understand how the properties of a material are changed when it is made into a two-dimensional array. The characteristics of graphene are very different from those of graphite, which is the corresponding three-dimensional arrangement of carbon. Studying graphene helps us to predict how other materials might behave in two-dimensional form. Graphene Has the Best Electrical Conductivity of Any Material. Electricity flows very quickly through the simple honeycomb sheet. Most conductors we encounter are metals, yet graphene is based on carbon, a nonmetal. This allows for the  development of electricity to flow under conditions where we might not want a metal. What conditions would those be? We are only just beginning to answer that question! Graphene Can Be Used to Make Very Small Devices. Graphene conducts so much electricity in so small a space that it may be used to develop miniaturized super-fast computers and transistors. These devices should require a minuscule amount of power to support them. Graphene is flexible, strong and transparent, too. Opens Research into Relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Graphene can be used to test the predictions of quantum electrodynamics. This is a new area of research  since it hasnt been easy to find a material that displays Dirac particles. The best part is, graphene isnt some exotic material. Its something anyone can make! Graphene Facts The word graphene refers to a single-layer sheet of hexagonally-arranged carbon atoms. If the graphene is in another arrangement, its usually specified. For example, bilayer graphene and multilayer graphene are other forms the material can take.Just like diamond or graphite, graphene is an allotrope of carbon. Specifically, it is made of  sp2 bonded carbon atoms that have a molecule bond length of 0.142 nm between atoms.Three of graphenes most useful properties are that it is extremely strong (100 to 300 times stronger than steel), its conductive (best-known conductor of heat at room temperature, with an electrical current density 6 order of magnitude higher than copper), and its flexible.Graphene is the thinnest and lightest material known. A 1-square-meter sheet of graphene weighs a mere 0.0077 grams, yet is capable of supporting up to four kilograms of weight.A sheet of graphene is naturally transparent. Potential Uses of Graphene Scientists are only just beginning to explore the many possible uses of graphene. Some of the technology under development includes: Ultra-fast charging of batteries.Collection of radioactive waste for easier clean-up.Faster flash memory.Stronger and better-balanced tools and sporting equipment, such as  tennis racquets.Ultra-thin touchscreens  that can be pasted onto a non-breakable material.Graphene-based e-paper that can update with new information.Quick and efficient biosensor devices 200, to measure blood glucose, cholesterol, and possibly your DNAHeadphones with  phenomenal frequency response.Supercapacitors  that essentially make batteries obsolete.Novel waterproof coatings.Bendable batteries.Stronger and lighter aircraft and armor.Aiding tissue regeneration.Purifying salt water into drinking water.Bionic devices that can connect directly to your bodys neurons.

Imperialism,'Race' and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Imperialism,'Race' and Development - Essay Example Even though it is said that Colonialism involves the colonization of a country of dark skinned people by a lighter-skinned people, it is not so always. We also come across different countries being subjected to slavery by people of the same origin (Issues of race and imperialism). The world has gone through these stages of development and each stage has left its mark on the face of earth. While we study development or human development, a basic knowledge of these words and the process are necessary to understand their influence on the difference between nation state. To consider and understand the influence of development we should strive to understand about nation states, how individual nation states were formed and how the world developed to its present form. We can use the term ‘development’ to trace the formation of the world order till the end of twentieth century and then turn to ‘human development’, which was a term used only by the end of twentieth century (Coopper.1999). The development of a nation is a very complex multi-faceted notion. It is a much broader concept than income and national GDP. The rate of growth of income of individuals, especially the common working class can be considered as a judge of progress of economies over time. It includes what people with diverse and broad expectations, of the â€Å"good life† that each society envisages for itself. Even though the concept includes growth of income level and economic growth, it can go well beyond these as well. The changes should not only be on the large scale it should also involve whole scale social and economy wide transformations (Haq.2009). The order in the modern world is established by nation states. States are the law makers; they make sure that these are observed and breaking of the law is also the concern of the State. Markets are under the control of states, currency is managed and its value is controlled by the State in both

Ethical issue in health about baby born from transplanted uterus Essay

Ethical issue in health about baby born from transplanted uterus - Essay Example For instance, there are several ethical challenges and dilemmas concerning the babies born form such transplantation processes (Ozkan,et al., 2013). The main dilemma, however, is based on a conflict of two major ethical principles in medicine, the principle of autonomy and non-maleficence. The principle of autonomy states that people are free to make their choices regarding their health and lifestyles. As such, this principle supports uterus transplantation if and when a woman feels it is right for her to go through the process. On the contrary, the principle of non-maleficence requires that doctors and other medical practitioners do no harm to their clients. In this regard, whenever health workers are faced with a complex medical problem, in certain cases it is better to avoid doing anything, than engaging in a process that will ultimately affect the patient negatively. The conflict arising from these two ethical principles makes it quite difficult for the doctors to make a sound decision over whether to progress with uterus transplantation or not. Furthermore, there is the challenge related to the nature of the baby born from such a process (Ozkan, et al., 2013). There are many issues that may affect the ethics of uterus transplantation as relates to the nature of the baby. For instance, the relationship between the child, the parents and the donor, personal identity of the baby, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the future of a baby born from uterus transplantation. These issues can make it difficul t for one to make a strong decision concerning transplantation, thus making it a very risky process. Furthermore, other questions about the costs and technology involved in such a process make the dilemma more complicated. For instance, if indeed the process is successful, it will not be affordable to the majority of the people who need it.