Income Inequality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Income Inequality - Essay Example The main reason he foresaw an evolution was due to the recurrent nature of income inequality. In an income inequality situation, the richer keep getting richer due to a better income, while the poor keep getting poorer. The gap between the top earners and the low-income earners keeps widening in an income inequality situation. In America, almost 95% of the national wealth is under 5% ownership; this situation leaves 95% of the population to scrounge for the limited 5% wealth (DeNavas et. Al, 2005). For economic inequality study, a family makes the ideal study unit. In the study, the family’s income is under analysis, and then the family members ranked from the lowest income earner to the highest income earner. After the ranking, the incomes aid in establishing a Lorenz curve that is important in analysis of income. In order for a Lorenz curve to be correct, the incomes of the family members have to be divided into fifths (Lorenz, 1905). A Lorenz curve enables analysis of data by adding the percentage value of the lowest fifth to the next higher fifth, which becomes the first point of the curve. The second point in the curve comes about through adding the first point to the middle fifth of the derived incomes. The process of plotting continues until exhaustion of all cumulative values of member incomes (Lorenz, 1905). For a perfect Lorenz curve, all members in a family would earn the same amount and the Lorenz curve would be a diagonal with the lowest point being the lower left hand corner moving progressively towards the higher right hand corner. This diagonal shows an ideal situation and it is the baseline in determining income inequality. Since not all family members receive an equal income, the Lorenz curve turns out as a curve instead of a diagonal. The area between the curve and the diagonal dictates the measure of inequality from one member of a given family to the next member (Lorenz, 1905). Income

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay Example for Free

The Main Drivers Stimulating Globalisation Essay The following essay looks at the main drivers stimulating globalisation and how they impact on global strategies. Globalisation is about the increased interaction and linking of world societies and there economies. The world economy is now more closely linked than ever through global markets and the global organisation of the production of goods and services. â€Å"Globalisation is a process in which the world appears to be converging economically, politically and culturally. Globalisation is seen by many as a fundamental change where national borders become irrelevant, a process accelerated by development in information and communications technology. † (Needle, 2004) The first and probably the most important driver stimulating globalisation is the triumph of economic neo-liberalism with regards to changes in government policies. Neo liberalism is a set of economic policies that have become widespread over the past 25 years or so. These economic policies have on the whole been looking at reducing barriers to the movement of goods, services and capital across national borders. Many people believe the most important being the reduction of government created barriers to trade such as tariffs and quotas(GATT/WTO) which in the past would have minimised and stifled international trade. These changes in government policy interventions saw an increase in the moving from government controlled systems/business’s to privately run business’s that are run for profit which really kick started competition within the market. Due to these reductions in barriers to trade and tariffs business’s can look at the world as one big global market, they can export and import goods for a minimum cost, they can base production at a location to optimise production and therefore lowering costs(greater economies of scale) and they also have a greater access to cheaper raw materials in order to become more cost efficient. Another driver is the vast and growing spread of international governance and regulations, this being vaster regulations across many countries . This move from shallow to deep integration has seen regulations become more standardised across a variety of countries, has lowered barriers and resulted in more cross border activity. A linked world economy has been made much easier by the agreement on global standards , there are many global and regional organisations such as the UN,WTO and the EU that have contributed to this process of standardisation. If we take the EU this is a political economic community of 27 member states located in Europe. The EU has created a single market through the standardisation of systems and laws which apply in all member states, this guarantees the freedom of movement of people, goods services and capital. These type of policies and regulations have really drove globalisation as it is now easier to trade in different countries, source materials, get funding and recruit people from these countries as workers. This can lead to companies maximising production as they have a greater amount of skilled labour to choose from. They can also cut costs as they can recruit and pay foreign workers at minimum levels. The regulation of laws on things such as product quality has also had a great effect. Organisations can now buy materials from certain countries cheaply knowing they have to be of a certain quality dictated by EU law, this makes the market more accessible and global. The emergence of worldwide financial markets and better access to external financing has had an impact on globalisation. The additional trade and investment generated by globalisation required a greater financial mobility which was helped by the removal of restrictions on the movement of capital through banking, stock markets and the WTO. This made it easier for companies to source financial backing anywhere in the world making the idea of trading internationally far more appealing to many organisations. In addition to consumer goods financial goods such as foreign exchange, shares and insurance are now also traded globally. New stock exchanges have been created and emerged around the world in order to meet this expansion of global trade in the financial sector. It has been thought that much of the cross border activity that occurs now is flows of financial capital. Although this is good for investors and means companies can get funding and investment from throughout the world so much easier now it also has its drawbacks and can lead to a crisis within economies. This was highlighted in the financial crisis that hit Asia in 1997, Asia as an economy was growing which attracted many investors to invest money within various area of the Asian economy at that time. When the economy slowed and there was rumour of a crisis many investors withdrew leaving the economy and many business’s in financial ruin. Technological advancements and innovations have effected globalisation as the world now has become a smaller place, things are now readily available and accessible throughout the world wherever you are. The world economy is now networked electronically through innovations in transport particularly in air travel and communications. People and businesses can now contact each other quickly and efficiently throughout the world through the internet, e-mail, telephones etc so wherever the company is situated they can contact each other at minimum costs. Advancements in transportation have had a major influence on companies going global. They can now transport goods and bring in raw material from all over the world quickly, efficiently and at a minimum cost. This is down to transportation speed and the ability to get access to quicker methods of transport now than in the past. Aeroplanes can now transport goods anywhere in the world quickly and cost effectively. In the past companies could only source and get goods locally as these methods of transport weren’t available or feasible. We can see that such developments in transport and communications have made the movement of people, goods, money and services much easier and have really been a major influence in globalisation and its attractiveness. The final driver of globalisation is social and cultural convergence there is now an increased circulation of people of all nations around the world due to there being fewer restrictions on travel etc. People want and will search for global products as everything is now more accessible. There has been a change in individual tastes and preferences which are in the direction of favouring greater choice in the range and origin of goods and services. This is attractive for firms as they no there are potentially profitable international markets that want there products. There has also been a change in cultures there has been a growth in cross-cultures. People have the desire to enjoy foreign products and ideas, adopt new technology and have a real desire to participate in a world culture. This has lead to a change in peoples values, collectivism is being replaced by individualism in many countries, they are changing more from traditional societies to more modern ones which increases demand for international products from other countries. There are various types of strategies that an organisation can implement that are also influenced by the main drivers stimulating globalisation. The first and most simple would be a home replication strategy this is when a firm takes the strengths of the business and looks to replicate that in the international markets that they want to move into. This strategy is usually more popular with smaller business that target a niche market, they look to expand into other markets and target niche markets within that market. The multi domestic strategy which is the strategy most firms take assumes that consumers needs and wants differ from country to country. To become competitive in these markets they tailor there product and operations to suit that country. The power within the organisation is de-centralized to strategic business units in each country and power is given within these business units to managers to make decisions in that particular country. The main driver behind this strategy is the varying cultures between countries in the world. It would not make sense to sell certain products in countries that have strong feelings against the product and will not purchase it. The best way to become competitive in these markets is to differentiate your product within that country. E. g. McDonalds not selling beef in India as they do not eat beef and selling chicken instead is a prime example of a multi-domestic strategy. The Global strategy is based upon the idea that consumers want the same things wherever they are in the world. Within this strategy the organisations products and services are the same across all markets throughout the world. This design is based upon the worldwide centralisation of decision making and control at the headquarters of the organisation. It is the head office of these companies that make all the key decisions regarding production, marketing etc and tell the head of the strategic business unit in each country what to do, the only decisions they make are with regards to the legal side of the country the company are doing business in to make sure they are working within the law. If done well this strategy can allow the organisation to achieve economies of scale. The main drawback within the strategy is it is not flexible to local markets and is very difficult to respond to changes within the local market because of how centralised it is. The transnational strategy is when the organisation tries to achieve both a global efficiency and an ability to respond to local market needs . This can be difficult to achieve because there is a real emphasis on the strong central control of the organisation as well as coordinating the activities to achieve efficiency and being responsive to the local market. An example of this local responsiveness with global efficiencies would be a car manufacturer manufacturing cars for the left hand side and right hand side drivers. They create a uniform product e. g. body of car created then tailored to specific market depending on what side of the road you drive on. As we can see there are many drivers that stimulate globalisation and also many strategies that can be taken but when going global there are also many things that need to be taken into consideration when deciding on a strategy. Trade blocs need to be considered as they influence the ease of access to particular markets and influence costs of trading in different regions of the world e. g. EU, NAFTA. This may be a hindrance due to added cost of setting up and blocs on trading but if you were to locate within a trading bloc this could help reduce long term trading costs and be a beneficial strategy e. g. Japanese companies building plants in the UK to help overcome exposure to the common external tariffs. Economic factors need to be considered such as tax systems, financial markets- can capital be raised and easily moved within that area. Prices of things such as oil and petrol will influence decisions as transportation costs will be effected by this. Interest rates and exchange rates might also play a factor in influencing strategy as they effect costs making it less or more feasible to move into that market. Social factors may also be relevant such as religious considerations and the appropriateness of selling your product in there country e. g. selling alcohol in a Muslim country may not be a good strategy. Also ethical and cultural issues should be taken into account when thinking of setting up in various countries as many cultures will not except certain products. Other factors such as capability of the workforce in certain countries will need to be considered as if the appropriate skilled labour isn’t available in that country it may not be a worthwhile option. The access to technology can have a major influence on global business strategy such as access to the internet, pc ownership, sales technology, processing payments and sales is this technology available and easy to use, compatibility of technologies used e. . accounting systems and language differences may also have an impact on strategy. From this essay we can see there are many drivers that have stimulated globalisation over past decades. These drivers have had a major impact on strategies that are taken by organisations. It is important for an organisation when going global to look at all the factors involved and imp lement the correct strategy in order for them to be successful.

Wicca the Complete Craft by D.J. Conway Essay -- Wicca the Complete Cr

Wicca the Complete Craft was written by D.J. Conway. This book was published by Crossing Press in 2001. It covers and goes through very thoroughly the many ceremonies, traditions, holidays, beliefs, and much more of the Wiccan religion. Wicca the Complete Craft was written with the intent to help someone go through the process of joining the Wiccan religion rather than a reference for someone to simply learn about the religion. Do not let me mislead you though, the book provides wonderful insight into the religion. It was just not written with that intent. It provides numerous list and step-by-step instructions but very little pictures and diagrams. The content of the book did not require a whole lot of diagrams or pictures, list and step-by-step instructions were adequate enough. I give Wicca the Complete Craft 4.7 stars on a 5.0 scale. The only thing that stopped me from giving Wicca the Complete Craft a solid 5.0 stars was that the author, D.J. Conway, came of as somewhat biased at times. It was very subtle, but he would slip in comments that the book could do without. You can tell he is very passionate and very serious about his religion, Wicca. I think that is fantastic but the comments that he slipped in every so often may turn people away or agitate them. I brushed them off and I am so glad I did because the Wiccan religion is fascinating and I learned so much from Wicca the Complete Craft. Wicca is an extremely old religion. Wiccan beliefs and views are so alien to the more modern religions like Christianity and Judaism. A major aspect of the Wiccan religion is covens. A coven is basically a group of 3 or more Witches (Witches are what people of the Wiccan religion call themselves) that gather together ... ... He touched base on everything you need to know to become a Witch. He even provided exercises to help you along with your journey to becoming a Witch. For the spell work aspect of the Wiccan religion he provided step-by-step instructions on several different spells. He thoroughly goes through all the processes to become a Witch. He made the reading easy to understand and if there is a word you do not recognize you can most likely find it in the multiple little dictionaries he has provided on words that have to do with the Wiccan religion throughout the book. When the need arises he provides pictures and charts. In the chapter on runes there is a particularly handy chart. There are a lot of lists in this book and they are a load of help. Overall Wicca The Complete Craft was an outstanding read. Works Cited Wicca the Complete Craft by D.J. Conway

TV Adverts

One of the things that annoys me most are TV adverts. Now, I think that TV adverts are a bit like marmite, you either love them or you hate them. Personally I absolutely loathe them seeing as I find them really irritating as do most people. Whenever an advert comes on the TV I usually switch the channel to another programme that’s on until my programme comes back on. Why? Because TV adverts are just ridiculously annoying and so time consuming.One of the things that annoys me the most is when you have to change the channel because you don’t want to watch the advert but then you end up completely forgetting about your first programme causing you to miss it. I mean I believe that TV adverts are basically hated by everybody. To me there is nothing worse than watching your favourite programme and having to wait about 5 minutes during adverts to find out what happens next. For example, lets’ set the scene, you’re sitting at home looking for something good to wat ch.You find a horror film that looks quite good and that has just started. You start to really enjoy the movie, you’re dying to know what’s going to happen, you’re on the edge of your seat and the rising suspense is unbearable. You’re just getting to the best bit and all is about to be revealed when suddenly the darkness from your screen is replaced by bright light. The creepy tension building music has gone and now your ears are filled by with nice calming music as the John Lewis clearance advert begins.Then you have to sit there for the next five minutes having to listen to people telling you what’s the best car insurance or the best place to shop for food and other really weird adverts. When the darkness and creepy music finally return your sense of excitement is gone and the suspense just can’t be replaced. Usually by this point I just turn off the movie and watch whatever other programmes are on at that time but if you can get straight back into the movie then I applaud you because that never happens for me. I can’t even fully express my hatred for these adverts that ruin everything at the moment.To be honest though it’s not only the fact that adverts just pop up at the worst times but also what they contain. You don’t know how many times I’ve caught myself humming the ‘go compare’ advert at the most random of times. I haven’t actually heard the ‘go compare’ advert in ages as the makers of the advert have stopped the singing, thankfully but it’s the fact that it’s so memorable that makes it annoying. Just the other day I was looking after my baby cousin and I started to hum go compare and she actually started to calm down, although my aunty saw me and looked at me as if I had two heads.Another thing is how adverts advertise so many different types of insurance you could buy, or different loan websites such as MA and quick quid. And don†™t get me started on all the different bingo and gambling adverts that annoy me so much. To be honest though it’s how they advertise them that annoy me. They advertise things in such a way that everyone feels the need to go and spend everything they have just to make their lives easier or to put them higher on the social ladder.However one thing I hate more commercials are infomercials. On those very rare occasions when I wake up too early and all that is on is teleshopping, I am literally about ready to kill myself. I then have to endure about an hour of a load of crap being advertised to me such as jewellery and vacuums. Anyway enough of my little rant against TV adverts now. I hope I have managed to persuade you to send TV adverts in to room 101 and if not then you can just send me so I can finally be away from them.

Religion †god’s Essay

There are eight dimensions of religiosity framed by Kendler which defines religiosity as a system of belief. These include general religiosity which included sensing one’s place within the universe and daily experience; social religiosity or in relation to others; involved God or the living or experiencing God’s presence; forgiveness is a virtue associated with being religious, God as judge is related to involved God but taken on the context of â€Å"God as authority† and notion of judgment and punishment which are attributions of divinity; unvengefulness is taken as the opposite of forgiveness referring to a pendulum swing from religiosity to fanaticism; finally, thankfulness is construed as coping scale reflecting the two ends of gratitude and anger at life and God (Kendler et al. , 2003). But nonetheless, the point of view used remained sociological and not religious as a mystic would for example introspect or meditate on the nature of suicidal act but the attribution of religiosity is important in understanding the class of individual and social group behavior patterns. For the purpose of this study, the mystical experience is assumed to be true but the Heisenberg’s uncertainty theory would make it impossible to fully describe the experience first hand. A conception and faith in an almighty force in the universe, thankfulness and communion with God could be taken as internal processes while forgiveness, unvengefulness and belonging to a religious group as social dimensions. Research on suicide showed importance of social networks particularly the primary groups in significantly reducing suicidal situations and hence its ideation, it would be difficult to differentiate social religiosity with other groupings, e. g. school science club. Hence, the author tends to regard religious experience in the level of personal understanding. Fear and love of God – the all powerful are still outward manifestations that is why it reflects strongly in group organizations and which have been institutionalized as in organized religions and churches. Looking at religiosity on psychological point of view symbolism and introspective evaluation techniques are relevant at least in trying to understand the internal dynamism of such an important belief. While it is not the wish of the researcher to go into theological discourse on the existence of one God almighty, it would be important in this research to have a glimpse on how such a belief is being reinforcement both at the social and individual or personal level. While there are a lot of accounts on mystical experiences, these experiences are not unique to purely religious experience but are even associated with use of hallucinogenic substances in some exotic religious rituals. Communion with nature or being one with nature is another area of vague divide between religious beliefs. We therefore view religion in two levels as a system of shared beliefs and as an experience. For the purpose, understanding suicide in the religious context, we take the personal view and relate the importance of such practice in the conception of self and in relation to other beings. Mind, body, and otherness: A tri-disciplinary approach in evaluating suicide syndrome Based from the review of the three disciplines, we can now combine the elements useful in evaluating a dangerous syndrome. From sociology we borrow the systematic approach to the study of groups while giving to value formation and its possible relationship with the notion of will. Value formation and exercise of will are considered human attributes. Is this natural or learned? This is clearly domain of psychology. Symbolic interactionism is one of the trends in thinking in sociology which parallel concerns in developmental psychology, that of the role of cognition in human behavior and how products of cognition are shared with others. Furthermore we limit the conceptualization of suicide into manageable numbers of variables including values, group organization, self perception, will and cognition, value and meaning of life. Taken together these variables could constitute what may be considered the psychosocial senses which enable us humans to relate self with the universe and in extreme cases, to severe such a psychosocial tie as in the case of suicide.

Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy

Assisted Suicide: Bad Public Policy The struggle to keep assisted suicide from becoming legal has dwindled in the past years up until this year due to the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. There have been many American euthanasia movements in the past but this was a highly televised case evolving assisted suicide. There is only one state within the United States that has legalized assisted suicide and that is Oregon. There is one country that permits euthanasia and that is Holland. As a nation we need to maintain our stand against assisted suicide and not allow legalization of this movement. I do not take this subject lightly due to the fact that colon cancer runs in my family and has killed my grandmother, aunt, and uncle at an early age. Having to watch their last days of their lives in a hospital was very hard. My girlfriend of a year now is a nurse at a local hospital and so is her mom so I hear stories of suffering all the time. The issue of end-of-life care needs to be given more serious consideration by all Americ ans because we will all be affected by this unforeseen tragedy at one time or another. With new medications that help relieve intolerable suffering to terminal ill patients and with improved hospice care that should be available for all Americans, physician-assisted suicide should not be a given option. Let me first start off by distinguishing the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia: Assisted suicide is distinguished from euthanasia in that it necessarily involves an individual who is capable physically of taking his or her own life and does so with means provided by another person. Euthanasia, on the other hand, refers to the situation where another person not only may provide the means but actually performs the specific act that causes an individual's death (for example, injecting a lethal dose of medication). Euthanasia may be voluntary (the individual has requested that another act to bring about ... Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy Free Essays on Assisted Suicide Bad Public Policy Assisted Suicide: Bad Public Policy The struggle to keep assisted suicide from becoming legal has dwindled in the past years up until this year due to the Terri Schiavo case in Florida. There have been many American euthanasia movements in the past but this was a highly televised case evolving assisted suicide. There is only one state within the United States that has legalized assisted suicide and that is Oregon. There is one country that permits euthanasia and that is Holland. As a nation we need to maintain our stand against assisted suicide and not allow legalization of this movement. I do not take this subject lightly due to the fact that colon cancer runs in my family and has killed my grandmother, aunt, and uncle at an early age. Having to watch their last days of their lives in a hospital was very hard. My girlfriend of a year now is a nurse at a local hospital and so is her mom so I hear stories of suffering all the time. The issue of end-of-life care needs to be given more serious consideration by all Americ ans because we will all be affected by this unforeseen tragedy at one time or another. With new medications that help relieve intolerable suffering to terminal ill patients and with improved hospice care that should be available for all Americans, physician-assisted suicide should not be a given option. Let me first start off by distinguishing the difference between assisted suicide and euthanasia: Assisted suicide is distinguished from euthanasia in that it necessarily involves an individual who is capable physically of taking his or her own life and does so with means provided by another person. Euthanasia, on the other hand, refers to the situation where another person not only may provide the means but actually performs the specific act that causes an individual's death (for example, injecting a lethal dose of medication). Euthanasia may be voluntary (the individual has requested that another act to bring about ...

Cautionary Tales Told by Fitzgerald and Frost Professor Ramos Blog

Cautionary Tales Told by Fitzgerald and Frost America can be considered the most romanticized country in the world. Even to this day, people from other countries, especially those that are disadvantaged by poverty or war, dream of coming to America to achieve so called â€Å"greatness.† In the â€Å"roaring twenties† we saw the lavish lifestyles that could be gained by being a citizen of this great country. As depicted in many novels and movies, the nineteen-twenties were the epitome of an impulse society of instant gratification. The bustling economy allowed for a life of excess but as we learned from history this type of a lifestyle comes with a price and both F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Frost warn us of it’s dangers. Babylon Revisited written by F. Scott Fitzgerald shows it’s readers exactly how one’s life can be destroyed by living lavishly. Fitzgeralds young and attractive main character, Charlie Wales, life was turned upside down due to a lifestyle of formerly unrecognized alcoholism which single handedly led to his wife’s death and the loss of guardianship of his daughter. Charlie said himself, â€Å"I spoiled this city for myself. I didn’t realize it, but the days came along one after another, and then two years were gone, and everything was gone, and I was gone.†(Fitzgerald, pg. 992) Charlie takes ownership over the fact that his life of excessive nightly partying and promiscuity made it feel as though those two years disappeared from his life. This is a direct result of his instantaneous lifestyle. Although it is hard to say if Charles is to blame for his former alcoholism and unfortunate ways as he only seemed to be a product of his society and culture a t the time. Unfortunately due to his old ways Charlie must earn back respect from his dead wife’s sister, Marion, who gained guardianship of his daughter Honoria. In fact, Charles had to choose his words very carefully around Marion as she was very sensitive to his alcoholism and former lifestyle. This upset Charles because he just wanted â€Å" to jump back a whole generation and trust in character again.† It is evident that Charles only felt this way because it was his character in question. It is here the audience can see that Fitzgerald poses the age old question of whether people are truly capable of change. During the Great Depression almost everyone one was required to change in some shape or form because their resources and wealth were depleted tremendously. Charles remorse gives Fitzgerald’s readers hope that he is actually capable abandoning his old ways. When Charlie is not with his family and working to regain guardianship of his daughter he goes out on the town where he is constantly being tempted by his past’s mistakes. This causes the reader to question why the main character is constantly putting himself in this situation. Charles says himself that going to bars and eating fancy dinners is the only way he knows how to pass time and he would pay â€Å"for the privilege of slower and slower motion.† He reminisces on a time where he was incredibly frivolous with money and explained how he would hand over large tips to almost every worker he encountered. It is clear that Charlie did not know what he had until he lossed it all because it was not till then â€Å"he suddenly realized the meaning of the word ‘dissipate’.† Many people during this time did not see the loss and destruction that was to come in their lives but if they did, perhaps, they would have been more prepared. Despite at one time losing everything, Charlie is far better off than most; however, it is clear that Charlie has not learned from his former financial decisions in the past. Although he is no longer rich Charlie still wants to spoil his daughter with toys and entertainment. Honoria is aware that this is strange and responds by declining his lavish gifts and saying â€Å"we’re not rich anymore, are we?† Charles lifestyle was so over the top it was apparent to his young daughter that they were well off. Being robbed of her family’s fanciful ways and left with her aunt after the death of her mother must have left a psychological toll on Honoria. Charles lifestyle had bigger consequences that he was not able to see at the time and the well being of his daughter was the biggest one of all. Based on reading Robert Frost’s poem Directive one can surmise that the speaker of the poem knows what it is like to have everything but lose it all. The opening line states, â€Å"back out of all this now too much for us,† which can be used as a comparison of Charlie Wales the tole Great Depression took on his life. After the stock market crash Charles could only dream and reminisce on his old days of frivolity. That world is now distant and far away for Charlie. Due to his downfall, being a father figure and maintaining a healthy family was â€Å"too much† for Charlie. He was forced to â€Å"back out† of it and live a much simpler life reflecting on his past wrongdoings. The speaker in Directive also reminisces on â€Å"a house that is more a house/ upon a farm that is no more a farm/ and in a town that is no more a town,† this is representative of all the destruction that took place in Charlie’s life and much like the lives of others during the Great Depression. Charlie had all that one could dream of having in life. He had wealth, a beautiful wife and daughter, and a nice home to live in. All of that was gone in an instant after the death of his wife and the fall of the market. In much of the short story he cannot help but remember how good those days used to be. It is clear that Fitzgerald and Frost are using their works as cautionary tales to tell its readers that sometimes having it all is actually having nothing at all. Much like the roaring twenties, people today still live in a very instant access type of world. This is even more prevalent living in this age of technology. Everything Americans have today is at the touch of their fingertips and at their quickest convenience. This also allows individuals to have easier access to their vices leading to drug habits, debt, and the destruction of families. If society does not take a moment to reflect they can end up down the same path as Charlie and be forced to reminisce on what they once had much like the speaker of Directive. Unfortunately the phrase, â€Å"history repeats itself,† is truer than to be expected. Fitzgerald and Frost seemed to know this to be the case. It is clear that they wrote these pieces as a way to warn its readers of the paths that can unfold by living too car elessly.

How to Setup and Use SSH on a Raspberry PI

How to Setup and Use SSH on a Raspberry PI SSH is a secure method of logging onto a remote computer. If your Pi is networked, then this can be a handy way of operating it from another computer or just copying files to or from it. First, you have to install the SSH service. This is done by this command: sudo apt-get install ssh After a couple of minutes, this will be complete. You can start the daemon (Unix name for a service) with this command from the terminal: sudo /etc/init.d/ssh start This init.d is used to start other daemons. For example, if you have Apache, MySQL, Samba etc. You can also stop the service with stop or restart it with restart. Have It Start at Bootup To set it up so the ssh server starts every time the Pi boots up, run this command once: sudo update-rc.d ssh defaults You can check that it worked by forcing your Pi to reboot with the reboot command: sudo reboot Then after rebooting try to connect to it using Putty or WinSCP (details below). Powering Down and Rebooting Its possible to corrupt your SD card with power offs before it halts. The result: reinstall everything. Only power down once you have fully shut down your Pi. Given its low power usage and little heat given off, you could probably leave it running 24x7. If you want to shut it down, use the shutdown command: sudo shutdown -h now Change -h to -r and it does the same as sudo reboot. Putty and WinSCP If youre accessing your Pi from the command line of a Windows/Linux or Mac PC then use Putty or the commercial (but free for private use) Tunnelier. Both are great for general browsing around your Pis folders and copying files to or from a Windows PC. Download them from these URLs: Putty Download PageWinSCP Download PageTunnelier: Powerful free to use Windows SFTP etc. Your Pi needs to be connected to your network before you use Putty or WinSCP and you need to know its IP address. On my network, my Pi is on 192.168.1.69. You can find yours by typing in /sbin/ifconfig and on the 2nd line of the output, youll see inet addr: followed by your IP address. For Putty, its easiest to download putty.exe or the zip file of all the exes and put them in a folder. When you run putty it pops up a configuration Window. Enter your IP address in the input field where it says Host Name (or IP address) and enter pi or any name there. Now click the save button then the open button at the bottom. Youll have to login into your pi but now you can use it as if you were actually there. This can be quite useful, as its far easier to cut and paste long text strings in via a putty terminal. Try running this command: ps ax That shows a list of processes running on your pi. These include ssh (the two sshd) and Samba (nmbd and smbd) and many others. PID TTY STAT TIME COMMAND858 ? Ss 0:00 /usr/sbin/sshd866 ? Ss 0:00 /usr/sbin/nmbd -D887 ? Ss 0:00 /usr/sbin/smbd -D1092 ? Ss 0:00 sshd: pi [priv] WinSCP We find it most useful to set it up in two screen mode rather than in explorer mode but its easily changed in the Preferences. Also in preferences under Integration/Applications change the path to the putty.exe so you can easily jump into putty. When you connect to the pi, it starts at your home directory which is /home/pi. Click on the two .. to view the folder above and do it once more to get to the root. You can see all of the 20 Linux folders. After youve used a terminal for a while youll see a hidden file .bash_history (not that well hidden!). This is a text file of your command history with all the commands youve used before so copy it, edit out the stuff you dont want and keep the useful commands somewhere safe.

Marketing Communication of Smiths Group Term Paper

Marketing Communication of Smiths Group - Term Paper Example Marketing, on the other hand, has been defined by the American Marketing Association as "an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders". Communication is the most crucial aspect of a successful marketing plan. The stakeholders are to be properly communicated in terms of organizational plans, strategies, and policies. The end-users or the business partners should have a fair knowledge about the product line, the availability of the products, the price, and the promotional measures. And all these could be achieved with proper communication as and when required. With all things in place, without effective communication, the organization can never expect to reach its desired goal. Founded by Samuel Smith way back in 1851, Smiths Group is a leading global technology company today. Since the end of 2000, the company is known as Smiths Group PLC. The company is listed with the London Stock Exchange and has its headquarters at 80, Victoria Street, London. The Smiths Group with its vow to bring technology to life has five major divisions of business namely Smiths Detection, John Crane, Smiths Medical, Smiths Interconnect, and Flex-Tek. According to their website, these divisions "are focused on the threat & contraband detection, medical devices, energy, communications, and engineered components markets worldwide. Our customers range from governments and their agencies to hospitals, petrochemical companies, and equipment manufacturers and service providers in various sectors around the world" (About Smiths, n.d.). Smiths Detection deals with designing and manufacturing of sensors that help to detect and identify explosives, narcotics, weapons, chemical agents, biohazards and contraband. John Crane assists in enhancing productivity for the major process industry which includes the oil and gas, pharmaceutical, chemical, pulp, and paper, etc through its array of products and services.  

National Sports Day in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Sports Day in Qatar - Essay Example This way the students, employees and every person in Qatar have a chance to participate in sporting events and camps organized by the government. On its, introduction in 2012, CAN-Q did not see much use of the facilities meant for sporting. Both the student body and the staff did not turn up for the events and camps. This report is going to look into the reasons as to why people did not attend the events and camps, by conducting a pestle in addition to customer and competitor, analysis. Furthermore, the report will look at market research and problems faced, and how to resolve these problems by research. CAN-Q is among the oldest colleges in Qatar that provide high learning to the local residents since 2002. The college has a staff of over 650 personnel and a student body of 4600 students. The institution has excellent sporting facilities, which range from football, tennis and basketball courts to the fully equipped male and female gyms. There are two male and female swimming pools located in their respective gymnasiums. The pools have lifeguards who work round the clock, shower and locker room facilities, maintained in top condition. The target market for these facilities is the staff and students of CAN-Q. Both the staff and student are constantly encouraged to make use of these facilities to balance work and exercise and to keep fit and fresh to perform their roles even better. The service gets a fair amount of promotion through email, posters, and flyers and even through word of mouth among the students. Moreover, the service is free of charge to all the staff and students in addition to the alumni of CAN-Q. This is the section where one conducts an environmental analysis of the situation surrounding the sports day in CAN-Q. The result of this will bring a better understanding of the pros and cons around the college. The National sports day is a political initiative made by the ruler of Qatar.  

Management Restructuring Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management Restructuring - Assignment Example The development stages discussed in the case represent restructuring in many areas such as communication and customer management. The basic aim of the restructuring is to increase competence as the overall environment is very agile and firms need to compete at the max level is order to attain their position in the market or industry. The design tactics discussed herein are mostly related to competency based planning for the replacement of the management. The knowledge base is to be kept for future assistance and this is why knowledge management is gaining popularity in the current context. Knowledge is the most precious asset a firm has and it will try to keep it at almost every cost. The core competency driving forces assumed are The case also highlights the importance of feedback that is vital for the expansion/continuity of the business. The technique being focused over here is the dominant 360 feedback technique in which all can evaluate each other. Next discussion is about the communication within the organization. Communication is regarded as an important role player within the system and clear n concrete communication is all that is required for success. The communication process is to be designed in a more attractive fashion, unlike from the same routine based system. The system development is to be focused on the point that the candidates involved should be able to show their extent of interest in follow

Changes in Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct Essay

Changes in Apple's Supplier Code of Conduct - Essay Example At Apple, we value our workers as really, they are the reason for our success. We, therefore, require of every supplier that transacts any dealings with Apple to exhibit genuine intention to protect the rights of our workers at all times. A maximum of 60-hour work week should always be observed. We ensure that our suppliers strictly follow this. This ensures that our workers are not over-worked, and hence they remain productive. By 2014, about 92% of our suppliers complied with this. We are custodians of human rights as well. This is seen in our use of conflict-free minerals in our products. Suppliers affiliated with Apple are usually held accountable to hiring procedures that are ethical.For productivity, good health is key. That is why at Apple, we really care about the safety and health of our workers. In order to ensure that this is maintained, we have sought to train our management staff and workers. In an effort to assure that safety and good health is maintained, we launched a bout 870 projects in 2014 to improve conditions at the places of work. This was done through the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Academy. We have also come up with a comprehensive mapping program that aims to make steadfast our chemical management functions.We have great regard for the environment at Apple. That’s why we ensure that our products and services are environmentally conscious. We are doing all we can to ensure that the natural resources that have been bestowed upon us are well conserved.

Modern Dance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Dance - Research Paper Example Dance is part of every society’s practice and is the barometer of livelihood in America. Dance capturers an array of aspects that include social-political issues; fundamental in the spiritual realm; preservation of culture and social interactions. The spirit of independence, taking risks, experimentation of new ideas and persistence are some of the aspect that assists in making modern dance. This form of dance has an irreplaceable touchstone and a national wealth. It is primarily occasioned because of a wide range of movement vocabularies, choreographic impulses and social-cultural issues (Martin, John, 1989). Since early 1990, during the debut of American modern dance, citizens show immense support for the dance. Consequently, United States of America exports the culture abroad by using it as an important ambassador. The dance passes from one generation to the next through a series of new works of danced. Generational rebellion against mentors induces innovation and in the process the dance is preserve. Modern dance is a continually evolving desire to understand and share the potential of human movements (Martin, John, 1989). As a result modern dance cannot take a neat definition. However, the origin of American modern dance is traced from the concepts of idealism and rebellion. Therefore, utopian notions of the liberty of the body and character, and the desire for self-expression guide the direction take by modern dance in America. American people credit the beginning of modern dance to Isadora Duncan (1877-1927). As a result of amateurish kinds of ballet spectacles and famous entertainments known to Americans, Isadora reacted against the moves (Anderson & Janet, 2004). Consequently, Duncan unleashed a natural way of movement by elevating dance to a serious form of art that expresses ideas and emotions (Duncan, Isadora, and Sheldon Cheney. 1928). Many pictures of Duncan’s dresses document her while running barefoot,

Financial Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Financial Plan - Essay Example Financial break-even point is defined as â€Å"the point where revenue equals expenses and profit is zero† (Smartacus Corporation, 2011, par. 1). For Dr. McDougall’s financial situation, assuming fixed cost = $2.8 and variable cost = $2, the number of units that must be sold to break-even is 3,800 units. The components of the cost of goods sold is calculated by establishing the â€Å"Beginning Finished Goods Inventory + Cost of Goods Manufactured = Finished Goods Available for Sale – Ending Finished Goods Inventory = Cost of Goods Sold† (Averkamp, 2011, par. 1). For Dr. McDougall’s financial performance, it could be assumed that the COGS was arrived at using this: Financial information could be used to determine the available resources which can be used in future plans and endeavors. For Dr. McDougalls’s future plans include the research and development of innovative products of similar natural ingredients in other preparations to cater to other cultural tastes. Therefore, financial information would serve as the gauge for decision-making and to design appropriate strategies that would achieve the defined goals. The relevant financial ratios to determine profitability and success are profitability ratios such as the gross profit margin (gross profit/sales) = 60%; operating profit margin (operating profit/sales) = 31%; and net profit margin (net income/sales) = 26%. These ratios define that there are substantial profits generated from the manufacture of food products that provide a successful measure of returns for the company. Averkamp, H. (2011). How do I calculate the cost of goods sold for a manufacturing company. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from Accounting Coach: http://blog.accountingcoach.com/manufacturing-cost-goods-sold/ Smartacus Corporation. (2011). Break-Even Analysis and Break-Even Point. Retrieved September 22, 2011, from college-cram.com:

Modern Dance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Modern Dance - Research Paper Example Dance is part of every society’s practice and is the barometer of livelihood in America. Dance capturers an array of aspects that include social-political issues; fundamental in the spiritual realm; preservation of culture and social interactions. The spirit of independence, taking risks, experimentation of new ideas and persistence are some of the aspect that assists in making modern dance. This form of dance has an irreplaceable touchstone and a national wealth. It is primarily occasioned because of a wide range of movement vocabularies, choreographic impulses and social-cultural issues (Martin, John, 1989). Since early 1990, during the debut of American modern dance, citizens show immense support for the dance. Consequently, United States of America exports the culture abroad by using it as an important ambassador. The dance passes from one generation to the next through a series of new works of danced. Generational rebellion against mentors induces innovation and in the process the dance is preserve. Modern dance is a continually evolving desire to understand and share the potential of human movements (Martin, John, 1989). As a result modern dance cannot take a neat definition. However, the origin of American modern dance is traced from the concepts of idealism and rebellion. Therefore, utopian notions of the liberty of the body and character, and the desire for self-expression guide the direction take by modern dance in America. American people credit the beginning of modern dance to Isadora Duncan (1877-1927). As a result of amateurish kinds of ballet spectacles and famous entertainments known to Americans, Isadora reacted against the moves (Anderson & Janet, 2004). Consequently, Duncan unleashed a natural way of movement by elevating dance to a serious form of art that expresses ideas and emotions (Duncan, Isadora, and Sheldon Cheney. 1928). Many pictures of Duncan’s dresses document her while running barefoot,

Introduction to English - Essay 1 (1000words) Login to unit provided

Introduction to English - 1 (1000words) Login to unit provided - Essay Example While Shakespeare presented his women as unfaithful and loose, Chaucer chose to show women as long-suffering, faithful and virtuous. Troilus and Cressida is set during the mythological war between the Greeks and the Trojans precipitated by a Trojan prince’s act of stealing the wife of a Greek king. The woman named Helen eloped with Paris, son of King Priam of Troy, and left her husband King Menelaus. Menelaus, together with the fierce Greek commanders and the greatest Greek warrior Achilles attacked Troy to vindicate the king’s honor and wrest the lovely Helen back. King Priam and his sons Hector, Paris and Troilus relentlessly defended Troy and a war lasting for more than a decade subsequently raged. Amidst this turbulent background, Troilus, Priam’s youngest son fell in love with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest named Calchas. Troilus sought Cressida’s affection through her uncle Patroclus who, acting as a pimp more than a kinsman, set up a meeting between the two. On the initial meeting, Troilus proposed his love and Cressida although coyly at first, readily gave in. The sw ift development was marked by of faithfulness and Cressida, declared that â€Å"From false to false, among maids in love, Upbraid my falsehood! when they’ve said ‘as false As air, as water, wind, or sandy earth, As fox to lamb, as wolf to heifers’s calf, Pard to the hind, or stepdame to her son,† â€Å"Yea† let them say say, to stick the heart of falsehood, ‘As false as Cressid.† They ended up in bed together. Soon after, Cressida’s words were put to a test when her father Calchas defected to the Greeks who had camped outside Troy and suggested that a valuable Trojan prisoner be set off with his daughter Cressida. Since the Trojan prisoner was a valuable officer, the set off was readily agreed to by King Priam and his sons to the dismay of Troilus who was not able to stop the deal. Before she left, Cressida and Troilus pledged once more

Islam - The Life of Muhammad Essay Example for Free

Islam The Life of Muhammad Essay A prophet is someone through whom Allah speaks. The Quran names 25 prophets, but tradition says there have been 124,000 in all. For Muslims, Muhammad in Allahs last prophet, known as the seal of the Prophets. The exact date of Muhammads birth in Mecca is unknown, but it is thought to have been no later than 570 AD. His father was called Abdullah, which means servant of God and his mother Aminah- peaceful. Both were members of the Hashim clan, a sub-division of the Quraysh tribe which had lately abandoned its nomadic life as desert Bedouins and risen to dominate the trading city of Mecca. Muhammad had a sorrowful early childhood. The name Muhammad is said to have been given to him as a result of a dream his grandfather had. He is also said to have had other names, such as Abul-Qasim, Ahmad, and Mustafa. There were many legends about Muhammad. One said that before his birth his mother Aminah heard a voice telling her the child would be a great leader. Another told of a heavy shower of rain, a blessing that ended a long drought. Yet another legend was that two angels removed Muhammads heart, washed it clean, then weighed it against first one man, then ten, then a hundred , then a thousand. Finally they said Let it be. Even if you set the whole community in the scale, he would still outweigh it. These stories show that Allah was preparing Muhammad for his prohetetic mission in future. His father was dead by the time of his birth and his mother died before he was six, meaning he was raised as an orphan. According to Quraysh law he was to be given to a Bedouin foster mother and sent of into the desert, and would be unable to inherit from his fathers estate. So almost from the beginning of his life he was both poor and something of an outcast from Meccan society. This shows that muslims are taught to trust in Allahs goodness, and to accept death as a stage in their life and not the end of it. It is, however, known for certain that when he was eight Muhammad was sent to live with his uncle, a merchant called Abu Talib. From the age of 12 Abu Talib took him with him on his long trading trips, which sometimes lasted for many months. A number of stories surround Muhammad in this period of his life. One tells how he and his uncle stopped at a Christian monastery on their travels, and a monk named Bahira recognised the mark of a prophet on Muhammads shoulder.His future prophetic status was indicated by certain marks on his body and by miraculous signs in nature. Muhammad first worked as a camel driver, but as both his horizons and business acumen expanded, he became known as The Trusted One (al-Amin) for being fair in his dealings and honoring his obligations. The most important hadith about his early life, and the ones with some of the largest degree of unanimity, are about a trip to Syria, where he was recognised by a Christian monk as Shiloh the non-Jewish Prophet whose coming was foretold in the book of Genesis. It seems that Muhammad, from an early age, believed himself to be Shiloh, the first and last non-Jewish Prophet who would bring the final message and warning to mankind in the last days before the end of the world. It may have been for this reason that he became something of a mystic, spending long periods of isolated meditation in the desert. From his early twenties onwards he began to have religious experiences and visions of various sorts, but was on the whole confused by their significance. He is also reported to have become a expert on the Jewish and Christian religions and to have engaged in long religious debates with both monotheists and pagans. At the age of 25 Muhammads social status changed markedly. He had been employed by a wealthy widow, Khadijah, to run her trading interests and, after they had prospered, she asked him to marry her. He accepted, even though she was to prove faithful, understanding and supportive wife and the marriage was happy. They had six children-two sons, Qusim and Abdullah, and four daughters, Zainab, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima. The two boys died in infancy. The couple had only one surviving child, a daughter called Fatima who in later life became a fanatical Muslim. After her death he had several others, perhaps the best known of whom was the young Aisha. Muhammads uncle Abu Talib fell on hard times, and Muhammad repaid his kindness by taking responsibility for his little son Ali. Another child in the house was Zaid ibn Haritha, a slave boy given to Khadijah as a present. One day Zaids father, who had been searching for him for years, discovered where he was and offered to buy him back. Zaid was asked what he wished to do and chose to stay with Muhammad. Muhammad was so moved that he freed the boy instantly, and raised him as his own son. At that time Mecca was tumultuous melting pot of Christianity, Judaism, and the various pagan religions practiced by the desert tribes and Meccan clans. Khadijahs family had been exposed to monotheism, which was growing in popularity in its various forms and it is known that her uncle was a practicing Christian. In contrast, the pagan clan cults of the Qursysh in the city had become decadent, especially in their shameless worship of material goods and worldly wealth and the consequent huge disparities between rich and poor, which Muhammad, with his varied background, was able to appreciate. These problems, springing from the difficult transition of the Quraysh from nomadic poverty to sedentary merchant wealth, concerned him greatly, and social injustice-especially the treatment of orphans like himself-is the theme of many of the early surahs of the Quran. The cults of the pagan desert Bedouin clans, who visited Mecca only occasionally, were equally divisive, degenerate and cruel. Human sacrifice and female infanticide were widely practiced. Each Arab tribe had its own gods and worshiped idols. The most important of these was the House of God (Kabah), located in Mecca itself. When Muhammad was a young man it contained 360 pagan idols, worshipped by dozens of separate tribes and clans. His clan, the Hashemites, had the honour of guarding it, through tradition which held that the monument had been re-built by their ancestors Ibrahim and Ismail after the original- believed to have been built by Adam at the beginning of time- had fallen into disrepair. The Quyrashs wealth was based on the dozens of pagan cults who used the Kabah as their central shrine. They sold idols, and Meccas position as a trading city was largely based on contacts made with the visiting tribes. New religions were welcomed as good for business. At first Islam was seen as just another money-making cult and Muhammad was encouraged to use the Kaba alongside the others in a spirit of fair and toleration. But in 613 Muhammad began preaching to the public at large, rejecting all other religions, demanding the removal of idols from the Kaba and therefore threatening trade. As Quyrash hostility grew Muhammad showed himself to be skillful politician as well as a learned theologian. Steadily he gathered around him the elders of minor clans and middle ranking merchants through preaching a return to the religion of Ibrahim. Whilst the Quyrash continued to ridicule him, called him a madman and an impostor. Muhammad had begun to receive Allahs final message to mankind in the form of the Quran through miraculous revelations which did not come until he was by the standards of the time- already an old man. The Quran Muhammad received his first revelation during the month of Ramadan in the year 610 AD when he was about 40 years old. He was engaged in one of his regular periods of solitary meditation in a cave known as Hira near the top of Mount Jabal Nur, near Mecca, when he received a visitation from the angel Gabriel(Jibreel). Muhammad had experienced religious visions before, but this was quite different. Angel Gabriel (Jibreel) commanded him to Recite in the name of your Lord, and the Prophet lost control of himself and, Muslims believe, began to speak the actual words of Allah. Eventually he was told to recite what is now the beginning of Chapter 96 of the Koran: Recite in the name of your Lord who created, created man from blood congealed. Recite! Your Lord is the most beneficent, who taught by the pen, taught men that which they did not know. After a short period during which he received no further revelations, they then began again and continued until the end of his life. In the 23 remaining years of his life Muhammad received a total of 114 separate revelations which were compiled as the Quran after his death. Muhammad was illiterate so he would repeat each revelation afterwards. Some were written down on whatever was available, from parchment to palm leaves and animals bones, but the majority, in the tradition of the times, were memorized. A year after Muhammads death they were collected together by his secretary, Zayd, under the supervision of a committee, shown to many of the Prophets companions, and agreed to be accurate. But by about thirty years after his death a number of different versions were circulating and being recited, so a definitive canonical version was issued and sent to the four main Islam cities of Basra, Damascus, Kufh and Medina. Two of these original copies still exist today. One is in Tashkent in Soviet Uzbekistan and other is in the Topkapi palace in Istanbul, Turkey. The text is divided into 114 surahs, each containing the words of one revelation. The number of verses, or ayahs, in each surah varies from three to 286 and totals 6,239. Each has a title, and 86 have sub-headings indicating they were received in Mecca, whilst another 28 were received in Medina. The Meccan surahs are shorter, more mystical and warn about the dangers of paganism, marked by vigorous semi-poetic language, and concerned with warnings that men would inevitably be judged by God for their behaviour in this world and severely punished if they did not mend their ways. The Medinan surahs are in general longer, less urgent in tone, and deal in great detail with aspects of Allahs law such as the rules for declaring war, accepting converts, divorce proceedings and the mandatory punishments for various crimes more concerned with the solut ion of practical problems facing him and his followers. The structure of the Quran is unusual and, apparently, illogical. In general the longer Medinan surahs, given last, are at the front of the Book and shorter Meccan surahs, the earliest, at the back. There is no logical explanation for their order but at the same time Western scholars, attempting to reorganise them on this basis, have found that no other order works without splitting the surahs up into scattered verses. Sunni Muslims hold that the order was dictated by Jibree to give the Quran an esoteric inner meaning reflecting the Divine rather than human order of things. Acceptance of every word of the Quran as the literal word of Allah is a binding obligation on all Muslims. The idea that Muhammad was the author of the Quran, or any part of it, is rejected absolutely. At the heart of the Quran is the simple, repetitive warning that mankind must renounce paganism, accept Allah as the one God of all mankind and live according to his laws. The message is directly addressed to the pa gans, Jews and Christians of Mecca, amongst whom Muhammad lived, complete with threats of dire consequences if they failed to mend their polytheistic ways. The first revelation received by Muhammad deals with this very theme. In another early revelation Allah openly threatens Muhammads brother-in-law Abu Lahab, who, as head of his Hashemite clan, had disowned Muhammad and annulled the marriage between his son and Muhammads daughter Fatima. Allah also shows himself to be equally angry with Abu Lahabs wife, who had ridiculed the idea of Muhammads Prophethood. The Hijah Muhammads flight into exile is the most significant episode in the Prophets life apart from the revelations he received which made up the Quran. It marks the point in the Prophecy when Allah demanded not just a reform of the religious life of Mecca, but a total break with it. It also marks the start of jihad (Holy War both spiritual and physical) against the pagan Quyrash and, ultimately, all those oppressing Muslims and opposing by force the spread of Allahs word. The date of this declaration of war was later chosen as the first day of the Muslim calendar, with 622 the first year of the Age of Hijrah. By this time most of Medinas population regarded themselves as his followers. Many, in addition, had signed military treaties with his followers in Mecca promising military aid. They now eagerly awaited Muhammads declaring of war. But instead, after receiving fresh revelations, he decided to first convert the nomadic Bedouins in the surrounding desert. Between 622 and 628 Muhammad set in motion the biggest tribal avalanche Arabia had ever seen. The tribal chieftains rapidly converted to Islam and joined Muhammads army. The process was helped by Islams being an entirely new religion free from the feuding assocations of both the localised pagan cults and the foreign monotheist doctrines of Judaism and Christainity. Muhammad showed himself to be a brilliant military leader in early skirmishes with the Quyrash and this, along with further revelations promising Allahs support and certain victory, is likely to have persuaded yet more shayks to join. In just six years Muhammad assembled an army of 10,000 Arabs a huge force for those times and marched with the people of Medina against Mecca. The force was so overwhelming the city was taken without resistance. Muhammad issued a general amnesty to the Quyrash and urged them, without pressure, to convert to Islam, which they slowly did. The conquest of Mecca also gave him control of the Kabah and he resumed his preaching to pagan pilgrims as they visited the shrine. Conversion was rapid and only nine months after the occupation of Mecca his army had grown to 30,000. More clans and tribes converted to Islam. Muhammad died at Mecca on June 8th 11 AH/632 AD. Respect is shown towards Muhammad by saying peace be upon him (PBUH). He was respected as a man who was close to God, who thought deeply and was kind and wise. Muhammad had known the Kaba all his life, with its many shines. He had also known the greed, exploitation, lack of compassion of the rich merchants. Muhammad spent his life searching for spiritual guidance, drawing ever closer to God. Islam is not just a matter of ritual prayers or fasting or feasts. It is the conscious bringing of every moment of the day, every decision, every detail of the muslims thoughts and actions, into deliberate line with what they accept as being the will of Allah. How is the will of Allah known? The muslim bases all decisions on the revealed words of the Holy Quran, the messages that were delivered, over a period of 23 years, to the inspired prophet Muhammad. Not one word in the Quran is believed by muslims to be the thought or teaching of Muhammad himself- although he is refered above all human beings as one od the most perfect of Allahs messengers. Other messengers were Abraham, Moses, Jesus and, in fact, at least 24,000 prohets. Muhammads ministry was not based on any mircles other than the receiving of the Quran. Muhammad is so important to muslims because be was the last prophet, the seal of all that was revealed to the prophets before him. Muslims family life The Quran speaks about the family more than any other topic and deals with the rights and responsibilities of husbands and wives, divorce, orphans, inheritance and so on. The Sunnah also deals with relationships within the family: in one tradition, the Prophet says that a man is the guardian of his family and a women is guardian of her husbands home and children. Two particular Quranic verses underline the Islamic view of the family: . . . he created for you mates that you may dwell in tranquillity with them and he has put love and mercy between your hearts . . . 30:21 We created you from a simple pair of a male and a female. . . that you may know each other (not that you may dispise each other) 49:13 This declares the essential equality between men and women but Islam does not see this as contradicting different roles played by men and women. For example, muslim men carry the heavy burden of family maintenance and are supposed to be the only, or the main, breadwinners supporting not only their wives and children but other married or widowed women in the family. If a mans wife does not wish to live with his family or anyone else, he must respect her wishes. The major responsibility which falls to the woman is creating a harmonious family atmosphere and bringing up the children. Women may kake up paid work outside the home but it is not expect ed of them as part of the equal partnership and many muslims feel women should only do so if there is a real need for the money. Mature muslim men and women are allowed to mix at work, in public places and social gatherings. Divorce Islam allows divorce if circumstances warrant or necessitate it. Islam has permitted divorce reluctantly, neither liking nor recommending it. The Prophet of Islam has said: Among lawful things, divorce is most disliked by Allah Islam has not made it necessary that the grounds of divorce should be publicized. It, however; does not mean that Islam views divorce lightly. In fact, publicity of grounds may not be of any positive consequence. The grounds may not be pronounced but genuine. On the other hand, the grounds may be stated and may in reality be false. Islam does not also want washing dirty linen of private affairs in public or in the court except in exceptional circumstances. It is for this reason that court comes in as a last resort in the Islamic scheme of separation of husband and wife. The Quran states as regards grounds of divorce in very general terms: And if you fear that the two (i.e husband and wife) may not be able to keep the limits ordered by Allah, there is no blame on either of them if she redeems herself (from the marriage tie) (2 : 229). The general ground of divorce in the Quran, therefore, is hopeless failure of one or both parties to discharge their marital duties and to consort with each other in kindness, peace and compassion. Long absence of husband without any information, long imprisonment, refusal to provide for wife, impotence etc. are some of the grounds on which wife can ask for divorce. Either party may take steps to divorce in case of chronicle disease, insanity, deceptive misrepresentation during marriage contract, desertion etc. A Muslim male is allowed three chances, that is to say, acts of divorce on three different occasions provided that each divorce is pronounced during the time when the wife is in the period of purity. A husband may divorce his wife once and let the Iddat (the period of waiting after divorce) pass. During the waiting period the two have the option of being reconciled. If however the waiting period passes without reconciliation, they stand fully divorced. If after the first divorce the husband is reconciled with his wife but the hostility and conflict begins all over again, he may divorce her a second time in the same manner as stated above. In this case also he can return to her during the Iddat (or waiting period). If however, after second reconciliation, he divorces the wife the third time, he can not take back the wife during the Iddat. She is totally prohibited for him. The lady, thereafter can marry any person she likes according to her choice. The wife can divorce her husband if this condition is stipulated in the marriage contract. This kind of divorce is called Delegated Divorce (Talaq Taffiz). Marriage can also be dissolved through mutual consent. This is called Khula in the technical language of Islamic law. Marriage can also be dissolved by judicial process through the court on complaint of the wife on the grounds explained before. One of the consequences of the divorce is the commencement of waiting period for the wife. This usually lasts three months. If there is a pregnancy, it lasts as long as pregnancy lasts. The waiting period is basically a term of probation during which reconciliation can be attempted. It is also required to establish whether the wife has conceived. It also allows time for planning the future. Maintenance of wife during the waiting period is on husband. The wife can not be expelled from her place of residence and he can not in any way harass her. These will constitute moral as well as criminal offence. In case of divorce, the young children remain in the custody of their divorced mother. However, the father has to provide the cost of maintenance of young children though they remain under the custody of mother. Islamic law of divorce is based on practical considerations. The process of separation is basically a matter of husband and wife. However; when conflict arises, attempts should be made for reconciliation. It has not made judicial process obligatory in divorce for reasons explained earlier. The intervention of court has nowhere reduced the number of divorce. Judicial process in Islam is the last resort in so far as divorce is concerned. Islamic law on divorce if followed in true spirit will enhance the dignity of man and woman, reduce conflict and ensure justice. The Holy Quran explicitly prohibits the divorcing husbands from taking back their marriage gifts no matter how expensive or valuable these gifts might be In the case of the wife choosing to end the marriage, she has to return the marriage gifts or money to her husband. Returning the marriage gifts in this case is a fair compensation for the husband who is keen to keep his wife while she chooses to leave him. But the majority of ulamma have agreed that to act unfairly against the husband is not allowed and the marriage cannot be annulled by such way. The Holy Quran has instructed Muslim men not to take back any of the gifts they have given to their wives except in the case of the wife choosing to dissolve the marriage. Also, a woman came to the Prophet Muhammad seeking the dissolution of her marriage, she told the Prophet that she did not have any complaints against her husbands character or manners. Her only problem was that she honestly did not like him to the extent of not being ab le to live with him any longer. The Prophet asked her: Would you give him his garden (the marriage gift he had given her) back? she said: Yes. The Prophet then instructed the man to take back his garden and accept the dissolution of the marriage. The children usually stay with their mother unless she is shown to be incapable or unsuitable but she loses the right of custody of her children if she remarries. Marriage The most important ingredients in a Muslim marriage are shared values and beliefs, so that even if a couple come from different cultures and backgrounds they possess the same basic world view, attitudes and habits which will bind them together. Many Muslims seem to marry their cousins, Islam neither encourages nor refuses this practise. The prophets seventh wife, Zaimab bint Jahsh, was his cousin, but he only married her when she was 39 after his foster son Zaid divorced her. Cousin marriages inbreeds genetic disorders, and makes it very hard for a couple to divorce from a failed marriage if other close relatives will be offended. Muslim boys may marry Christians and Jews, but Muslim girls are not permitted to marry non- Muslims because in Islam the children have to take the religion of the father, and so would bec ome non-Muslims. The prohet said : A woman should only be married to a person who is good enough for her or compatible to her. The prophet permitted marriages between people of vastly different social status and financial backgrounds, knowing it was not these factors which made for compatibility, but what they were like in their hearts. Do not marry only for a persons looks, their beauty might become the cause of moral decline. Do not marry for wealth, since this may become the cause of disobedience. Marry rather on the grounds of religious devotion. ( Haddith) Islam sees marriage as the only moral and legal status for a sexual relationship as it provides in public for the security and well being of man and woman. The ceremony itself is extremely simple and takes the form of a basic contract set in a social gathering. It can take place anywhere usually in a home in Muslim countries but in Britain it is most likely to be in a mosque. The imam does not need to be present and there is no fixed formula but it must be clear that both man and woman agree to the marriage and there may be readings from the Quran on the theme of married life. The contract- Aqd nikah- is written, as well as spoken, and bride and groom sign three copies. They keep one each and, in a Muslim country, the third is kept by officials. The Quran requires that the groom give the wife mahr- a sum of money or property or some other gift of value. It remains hers, whatever happens, and they agree between them what it is to be and when it is to be given. Jihad Arabic for exerting ones utmost efforts to a determined objective, such objective normally being the struggle against anything that is not good. Two kinds of jihad traditionally exist for mainstream Muslims: the greater (al-jihad al-akbar) and the lesser ( al-jihad al-asghar). The greater jihad is also known as jihad al-nafs, and is understood as an individuals inner, spiritual struggle against vice, passion, and ignorance. The lesser jihad is defined as meaning holy war against infidel (non-Muslim) lands and subjects. It has both legal and doctrinal significance in that it is prescribed by the Koran and mainstream Muslim hadiths (recorded sayings and actions ascribed to the Prophet Muhammad and accorded a status on a par with revelation). Holy war is the sole form of war that is theoretically permissable in mainstream Islam. Muslim law has traditionally divided up the world into dar al-Islam (abode of Islam) and dar al- harb (abode of war, that is, of non-Muslim rule). As Islam is the last, most superior and universal of mans divinely ordained religions, it is believed that the entire world must ultimately surrender to its r ule and law, if not its faith. Until that time, a jihad against non-Muslim neighbours and neighbouring lands is the duty of all adult, male, and able-bodied Muslims. According to this traditional view, Muslims who die in jihad automatically become martyrs of the faith and are awarded a special place in Paradise. According to the law-books, two kinds of non-Muslim enemies exist, kafir (pagans) and ahl al- kitab (people of the book). The term people of the book originally meant only Jews and Christians, but later on it included other groups such as followers of Zoroastrianism. People of the book need only submit to Muslim political authority to avoid or end jihad and may keep their original faith: their status, defined as dhimmi (a protected non-Muslim), is inferior to that of a Muslim and they must pay the prescribed jizya (poll tax). As for pagans, that is, those whom Muslims do not recognize as a people of the book, such as Buddhists and Hindus, they must either convert to Islam or suffer execution. This drastic alternative, however, was rarely enforced in practice. There can be no going back for a convert to Islam-be that person a dhimmi or pagan-since it is a capital offence to abandon Islam, even for a former religion with a recognized revelation. However, ways of avoiding the strict enforcement of the law were often found. Jihad can also be defensive, that is, for the purpose of protecting Muslim lands from non-Muslim incursions such as, for example, the crusades of the Christians in the Holy Land during the Middle Ages or the Spanish Reconquista. Some modern Muslim scholars have stressed the defensive aspect of jihad above others. In contrast to the Sunnis, some Muslim groups like the Imami and Bohora-Ismaili Shiites are forbidden from participating in offensive jihad. This is because for both sects the only person legitimately capable of conducting an offensive jihad is their Imam, and he is presently in occultation (that is, in hiding and incommunicado until the end of time). The two sects, however, are permitted participation in defensive jihad. I have been asked to evaluate the following statement The Quran would be more useful to everyone if it were translated into modern English. Whether the Quran may be translated from its original Arabic into another language, and, if so, under what circumstances a translation may be used, has also been a matter of dispute. Nevertheless, it has been translated by Muslims and non-Muslims into a variety of languages. Today there are many versions available in English and the other major languages of the world. Although it can now be read in at least 40 languages, all translations lose part of the inspiration and meaning, and are not treated with the same respect as the original. Since the Quran is believed to be from Allah, every word, every letter, is sacred to muslims. It is therefore considered very important to keep the Quran in the language in which it was first spoken i.e. Arabic. Muslims were taught to recite it, and it must still be learnt in Arabic. As Islam spread from Arabia, its language was adopted by a number of Islamic countries, and is still spoken in these countries today. Muslims in these countries should find the Quran quite easy to read, even though the style of modern Arabic has naturally changed since Muhammads time. In other countries, muslims need to learn enough Arabic to take part in their worship and to read the Quran. You can find translations of the Quran for people who do not know Arabic, or copies with both Arabic and another language for those who do not have Arabic as their first language, but muslims do not accept these translations as proper Qurans. The main argument used to defend the Divine authorship of the Quran is the incomparable quality of writing. Much of it is composed in rhyming Arabic and the language is particularly beautiful and graceful. The surahs were given in Arabic and, since it would be a sin to alter the word of Allah, Arabic remains the sacred language of Islam. Non- Arabic speaking muslims can use translations but the Quran is so important to them that many learn Arabic just so they can read it in its original form. Muslims and non-believers alike agree the full power and beauty of its writing can only be appreciated in the original. But for muslims it goes further than that. Translations can only be interpretations which cannot truly say what is said in Arabic. The combination of the words and rhythms in the original language- the way the Quran sounds when recited- is also an important part of its power. Muslims think of the Quran as a complete philosophy, a comprehensive description of the universe and the entirety of the law by which people must live. The longer and later Medina surahs stress Allahs merciful nature more fully, with extensive friendly practical advice on personal and family matters. The Quran is also the focus of Islamic art. Many individuals copies of the Book are major works of art in their own right with sublime Arabic calligraphy on superb hand-made paper, and high quality decorative leather and metal work. Figurative art is forbidden by classical Islam, especially the creation of images of Allah and the Prophets, and the astonishingly fine decorative art found in many mosques is largely based on Arabic calligraphy, woven into patterns repeating passages from the Book. Even the most sceptical non-believer, Muslims insist, is forced to admit that the Quran is a book of immense beauty and importance not least because it has now almost certain become the most widely read and memorised book in the world. The preface to one of the most widely available Quran in English, the Tahrike Tarsile translation, puts it like this: The Qurans miracle lies in its ability to offer at least something to non-believers and everything to believers. Learning large parts of the the Quran by heart is an important part of Muslim religious devotion and children start memorising it at an early age. In many Muslim countries learning the Quran by heart forms the basic curriculum of primary school education. Muslims who memorise its contents in their entirety are given the honourable title of al-hafiz.

Porn and Prose Essay -- Videos Sex Technology Essays

Porn and Prose Pornography has the ability to stay current with each technological breakthrough while pushing the borders of what we deem as â€Å"acceptable† in reading and writing. In, Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age by Tribble and Trubek, an article by Gopnick notes the death of the â€Å"word† before its technological resurgence. â€Å"Each new medium was more visually and sensually rich that the last: movies gave way to talking movies, which gave way to color talking movies, which gave way to round-the-clock talking color television. In that context, words just hung around looking glum, with hardly enough energy left to compose themselves into sentences†(180). Gopnick then discuses the â€Å"revolution† of the Internet and even though it’s written language can be regarded as a backward move, it is the return of the word. Sven Birkerts, as noted in Tribble and Trubek, speaks about the downfall of printed text. "This shift [from printed word] is happening throughout our culture, away from the patterns and habits of the printed page and toward a new world distinguished by its reliance on electronic communucatuins"(63). Pornography has not been left in the dark regarding this phenomenon, and is blazing its own trail as it goes. Internet porn is breaking ground for a â€Å"sexual liberation† of sorts as well as becoming a full-fledged addiction for some and a means for artistic expression for others. What is pornography? It is something that lacks concrete definition. It is for the most part subjective in nature. As Supreme Court Justice Stewart said, â€Å"I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.† A Cosmopolitan magazine cover may be acceptable and exposed in one grocery store, then concealed ... ...would have been unacceptable as an essay topic anyway. Be it obscene, or art, Internet pornography has paved its way into a genre of writing with a cult-like following. Works Cited Birkerts, Sven. "Into the Electronic Millennium." Tribble and Trubek. 63 & 71. Gopnick, Adam. â€Å"The Return of the Word.† Tribble and Trubek. 180 & 181. Kessler, Merle. â€Å"Porn: For the rest of us.† 2001. Online. Internet. 27 Mar. 2004. Available: http://dir.salon.com/people/feature/2001/12/10/slash/index.html. Noxon, Christopher. â€Å"When Harry Met Smutty.† 2003. Online. Internet. 27 Mar. 2004. Available: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/06.26.03/potter-0326.html. Tribble, Evelyn B., and Anne Trubek, eds. Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age. Addison Wesley Longman, 2003. 338 & 340.

Pastoral care :: essays research papers

African American Pastoral Care by Edward P. Wimberly is a supplement to the book written in 1979 on Pastoral Care in the Black Church. Pastoral Care by African Americans shows pastoral counselors how to care for African Americans through a narrative methodology. By linking personal stories and the pastor's stories to the heart language of the Bible stories, counselors can use God's unfolding drama to bring healing and reconciliation to human lives. Further, demonstrating that caring can be shown through story telling and is widely used by the black church. The stories relayed are basic methods used in the past by black clergy, seminary students and lay people. Using the methodology of storytelling can build and improve the care given by our black pastors. Black Pastors share stories how caring for their members rely on seven needed narratives gained from stories and metaphors. They motivate their members to action by: helping them to see themselves in a new light, help them recognize new resources, enable them to channel behavior in constructive ways, sustain them in crisis, bring healing and reconciliation in relationships, heal scars of memories, and provide guidance when direction is needed. The African American Pastor tell stories that help people gain a glimpse of hope in the midst of suffering. Metaphors have been used for centuries to link Christians to positive directions in life. God from the very beginning uses identifying through biblical stories to heal, provide wholeness, and liberation for the sake of others. God provides four major functions to act in our lives: to unfold, link, thicken, and twist to arrive at the final outcome of our purpose in life. In examining the Pastoral Care shared through God’s four major functions we begin to understand what is meant by unfold, God plans our lives one scene and one chapter at a time, and the purpose is not revealed until the complete story is complete. We then rely on Gods guidance to link the unfolding story to their lives. The scriptures help to relate the plot of the story to themselves. Black Pastors sharing their stories with members who see from the unfolding events and how they relate every day. Thickening refers to those events that intrude into God’s unfolding story and seek to change the direction of that story from all involved. Suffering sometimes stakes its claim on our lives and hinders our growth and development.

Mid Term 1 Solution

COT5405 Analysis of Algorithms Midterm 1 Solution Summer 2012 June 11 In all cases explain clearly and as succinctly as possible. Problem 1 10 Pts Answer: n T (n) = 2T ( n ) + log n 2 2 n = 4T ( n ) + logn n + log n 4 2 2 2 n = 4T ( n ) + log nn? 1 + log n 4 2 2 = †¦ ?log2 n 1 = nT (1) + n i=1 i ? n Since i=1 1 > ln n, T (n) ? ?(n log log n) i Problem 2 20 Pts Answer: The general idea is to use the technique similar to quick sort, by doing partition on both lids and cups.First we pick a cup randomly, and use it to partition the lids into two subsets: those lids smaller than the size of that cup, and those larger than the size of the cup. We can also ? nd the correspondent lid for that chosen cup. Second we use that lid to partition the cups and divide them into two sets. We keep on repeating this procedure on each subset of cups/lids until all the cups/lids are paired. The overall time complexity is O(n log n) (Worst case: O(n2 )). Problem 3 20 Pts Answer: In this problem we are more interested in ? ding the median instead of the minimum/maximum element. The ? n ? th element in a min/max heap is not the median. 2 In this case, we should develop a new type of heap to adapt this problem. Problem 3 2 The solution is to use two heaps: a min heap and a max heap. Suppose the total number of elements is n, we set the restriction that the max heap should contain ? n ? 2 elements. Correspondingly, the min heap contains n ? ? n ? elements. 2 When we insert an element, we always insert it into the max heap.If the number of elements in the max heap exceeds ? n ? , we remove the maximum element in the 2 max heap (the root), and insert it into the minimum heap. During this procedure, we need to do heapify to maintain the heap structure for both heaps. Under this setting, it is easy to see that all the elements in the max heap are less than those in the min heap, and the two elements at the root of both heaps represent the ? n ? th 2 and (? n ? + 1)th element. 2 Suppose the median is de? ned to be the ? n ? th element over all n elements.When 2 we delete the median, we just delete the root of the max heap, and the following two cases might occur: (1) If the max heap contains ? n? 1 ? elements, then we do delete-max to the max 2 heap. (2) If the max heap contains ? n? 1 ? ? 1 elements, we take out the root of the min 2 heap and set it to be the root in the max heap (because it is larger than all the elements in the max heap), then we do delete-min to the min heap. It is straightforward to see that the time complexity for both insert and delete-median is O(log n). COT5405 Analysis of Algorithms HW 2

Balabhadrapur: Life in a Village Essay

The name of my village is Balabhadrapur. It is situated on the bank of the Brahmani. My village is separated from other villages by the main river on one side and by its tributary on two other sides. The village is very old and has a number of special features. Although it faces flood every year, the geographical feature of the village has not altered. It is believed that Lord Balabhadra who is the village deity protects this village in all kinds of disaster. Another specialty of this village is that there is no Brahmin family here. All the families bear the surname of Sahu. Although they are weavers by caste, there is no sign of weaving. They are farmers. It is said that in old days the king ordered the people of this village to weave for him a special cloth. As the weavers delayed their work, the king was enraged and punished them. The villagers were united and revolted against the king. They stopped doing their profession. Being deprived of the royal help they solely depended on farming. Since that day they have been doing agriculture only. It is a small village with only thirty families. Its population is about two hundred only. It is sixty kilometers away from the Bay of Bengal. It looks green as there are many green trees in our village. The temple of Lord Balabhadra is situated in the middle of the village. There is also a big pond near the temple. There are champak trees, mango trees, a few oleander trees and a big peepal tree around the pond. This part of our village presents a beautiful: it. The smell of flowers and mango buds combined with how attractive colour arrests everybody’s attention. Our village has a fair weather connection with the main road. As it is a very small village, the government has taken no step to construct a bridge over the river. In spite of it our village is a developed one. There is a school with teaching facility up to the matriculation stage. For the purpose of medicine the villagers depend upon the neighboring village where there is a dispensary, a post office, and a market. The main occupation of our villagers is cultivation. Our village has a good name for vegetable production. The river is very helpful to our villagers. All kinds of seasonal vegetables are available in good quality and cheap price. For this reason, many vegetable merchants come to our village for collecting fresh vegetables in large quantity. However, our villagers are united and therefore they are seldom influenced by the foreign merchants. Our village has been awarded a cash award of ten thousand rupees by the Collector for the cleanliness and purity of atmosphere. The villagers do not differ on any issue. If at all there is a dispute, they sit together and settle it amicably. Ever since I born, I have lived in Delhi. Since I had heard a lot about village, I wanted to visit one. And at last I got an opportunity. One day our teacher decided that he would take us to a village, situated at a distance of 15 kilometers from Delhi. He wanted us to see for ourselves the crops of the season. Sunday was the day fixed for the visit. We started in the morning in a bus. The journey from Delhi to the village was much fun. The moment we were out of Delhi we seemed to have entered a new world. The air tasted sweet. Everything was different from what we had seen in the city. We reached the village in an hour. Our teacher contacted the village headman. The headman was an old man but strong, agile and healthy. He offered to take us round the fields. Walking through the village I had a strange feeling. I felt free the way I had never felt before. There were no city crowds, no maddening din of the work-a-day world. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry. There was no terror of the speeding traffic. It was all in complete contrast to what I had grown accustomed to in the city. I saw people just sitting outside their houses, doing nothing and then I saw others who were moving about to attend to their work. But none, working or idle, seemed to be pressed for time. There was a strange expression of calmness, contentment and courage on every face. When we reached the fields we saw all the beauty of nature, all the wealth that mother earth yields to her beloved children pull grown, bountiful crops were waving in the fields. We stood on the edge of a field and saw the expanse of land before us, land laden with the fruit of human labour. The scenery fascinated us. For a moment we forgot our city life. The experience was like a rebirth. Soon our teacher was telling us about the crops before us. All that we had read in books came alive before our eyes. The headman made everything all the more interesting by adding comments from his own experience. We stayed in the fields for an hour or so. Then our teacher took us to a well. It was surrounded by trees. We sat under those trees and had our lunch which we had carried with us. The headman joined us on our invitation. He liked our lunch very much. In the end our teacher thanked the headman and we started for home. It was indeed a day of joy for all of us, a day on which we really lived.