Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Organic solar cells Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organic solar cells - Literature review Example The development of the photovoltaic cell is important for the future alternative energy production in the global community (Mihailetchi, 2005; Williams, 2010). Due to the importance of harvesting solar energy, the continuous development of solar cells is one of the most important developments in the conversion of solar energy. Dendrimer is a significant technology in light-harvesting due to the efficiency (Andrews et al., 2009). Organic solar cells are photovoltaic cells with organic make-up used due to different advantages for the light absorption process and transfer of energy. Initially, the photovoltaic cells are made with crystal silicon photovoltaic are used. Due to the fixed bandgap energy and high cost of production, new materials for solar cells had been developed. The organic solar cells are referred to as second generation photovoltaics which had different advantages such as lower manufacturing costs and higher power conversion efficiency (Williams, 2010, p.2). Organic solar cells are solar cell consisting of organic materials. A solar cell is a composed of one or more light-absorbing layers between two electrodes. One of the layers is for passage of light. The active layer can release free carriers upon the absorption of light which then gather at the electrodes. In the organic solar cells, the main difference is the material for the active layers. It is composed of thin films of organic semiconductors formed through solution-based polymeric materials or through thermal evaporation for small-molecule materials (William, 2010, p.3). Photovoltaic behaviour of organic solar cells is the main basis of the function and the advantage of the said type of thin film solar cells. Organic semiconductors, such as lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), use plastic or glass substrates with

Monday, October 28, 2019

Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy Essay Example for Free

Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy Essay In October 24, 1999, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN approved the implementation of a legitimate policy that addresses the relationship between registrars of domain names where individuals may register domain names, and the clients who register themselves for a domain name under the registrars. The registrars or endorsers of domain names include domain names ending in . com, . org. , . edu, . net, etc. Registrars also include those who operate under â€Å"country-code top-level† types of domains. The â€Å"country-code top-level† types of domains include domain names ending in . au, . nu, . tv, etc. The purpose of ICANN’s espousal of the policy on Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution is to set up permissible rules and guidelines that shall be embodied in a contract or settlement, called the Registration Agreement, concerning the registered client to a domain name and other parties. The policy also ensures that clients who register under a domain name shall be accountable to the declarations agreed upon between the registrar and the client, as embodied within the Registration Agreement. Therefore, the act of registering under a domain name does not end with the registration itself. Clients who own domain names should be knowledgeable about the laws and regulations that are embodied in the Registration Agreement and implement them as long as the said domain name exists. When a client registers or renews a domain under the registrars of a domain name, he certifies the correctness and preciseness of the declarations written in the contract and settlement, that the client’s registration for a domain name under the registrar does not contravene with the rights of other factions, that the domain name under which the client is registered shall not be used for illegitimate functions, and shall not go against the recognized rules and guidelines for the use of the domain. These are the rules, which clients should be informed about upon registration. Moreover, unlawful functions that the registered domain name commits should be the responsibility of the client to detect or identify. Perhaps, examples of these unlawful functions or violations include those that violate copyrights or right of ownership, or those sites that promote the same themes or ideas as that with other registered domain names or, etc. It is the responsibility of the client to monitor subscribers or online users of the particular domain in order to determine if the domain name is being used unlawfully. For instance, subscribers of a domain name registered to a client, should also be warned and informed of legal clauses that fulfill their use or subscription under the domain name. At the same time, the client himself should be able to stray away from utilizing the domain name that offends other concerned parties. The registrar for domain names reserves the right to revoke or modify registration of clients under circumstances wherein the client informs the registrar to discontinue his registration under the particular domain name, a law-implementing body or a directorial panel informs the registrar to discontinue the registration of a client under the particular domain name, and with regards to the Registration Agreement, such as the expiration of the registration, domain names subject to renewal, etc. If the domain name registered under a client is found out to be operating illegally and implementing directives that are against the settlement, the client should be able to provide a mandatory administrative proceeding. This particular proceeding shall be handled by a body of service providers, which are in charge of the resolution of administrative disputes or arguments. The client shall be subject to provide a mandatory administrative proceeding under several reasons, such as the domain name be linked to another copyrighted trademark. Overall, this particular policy protects the rights of owners of trademarks or marks that are related to service. In order to resolve the dispute between the client who registered under a domain name and the owner of a copyrighted trademark, revocation of registration of the relocation of the domain name to the owner of a copyrighted trademark who espoused the complaint shall be implemented. Works Cited ICANN. â€Å"Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. † 15 Feb. 2002. Retrieved from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers 16 Apr. 2008 http://www. icann. org/udrp/udrp-policy-24oct99. htm.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Fahrenheit 451 - A Structured and Censored World :: Fahrenheit 451 Essays

Fahrenheit 451 - A Structured and Censored World Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 forces us to envision a world that is so structured and censored fireman exist not to fight fires, for all buildings are fireproof, but instead to burn books. Fahrenheit 451 is a horrific account of what could happen in an all too close future when society carries "political correctness" to its extreme. One of the primary characters that one meets in Fahrenheit 451 is a young girl named Clarrise has been raised to live the way things once were, in a time where people had true freedom Because of Clarrise's view of life she is branded as anti-social by her teachers and an outcast by her fellow classmates. Clarrise becomes acquainted with another main character named Guy Montag. Montag is a fireman who deep inside does not want to live a life without having to think. Montag's inner thoughts become more and more a part of him as the book progresses. Montag eventually becomes a freedom fighter of sorts when he joins a group of people who illegally hide and re ad books. Montag's wife Mildred on the other hand prefers not to have to think, but rather to allow others to think for her to simply say "yes I agree." Mildred is the epitome of laziness. The most complex of all the characters is the fire chief Beatty. Beatty is a man who once was educated but has now turned his back on education and works to destroy it. Beatty knows what is in books but chooses not to care, not to do anything but help the destruction of books. The loss of the characters freedom to read and to think was not an act that was forced on the people but, embraced by the people. The people loved the idea of not having to think anymore. The desire to confront issues was gradually lost by the people. Since the desire the desire to confront issues was lost people stopped doing anything that was so called "politically incorrect" so as to affend no one. After a while not confronting issues became so natural that anyone who did was considered odd and a threat.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Global Warming and Human Population Essay

Forest loss is directly-associated with human population growth. In 1921 human population was 25. 13 crores and forests cover was 104. 05 million hectares. By 1989, forests cover reduced to 64. 01 m ha, while human population in 1991 reached to 84. 39 crores. Deforestation is due to diversion of forest land to agricultural land, river valley projects, roads, industiy and urbanization, transmission lines and activities like shifting cultivation, fuelwood and timber collection overgrazing fires and acid rains (vide Rana, 2006). Green wealth index (GWI) is an indicator of green wealth possessed by a State or Union Territory and Green Protection index (GP1) is a qualitative calculation of protection accorded examining forests cover, recorded forest area and protected area coverage. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are richest in their green wealth with GWI at 0. 747, while Sikkim for protecting its natural heritage ranks highest on GPI scale with 0. 903. All India GWI is a dismal 0. 193 (Ghosh, 2004). A total of 0. 397 m ha forests loss in Madhya Pradesh is recorded with tribal areas accounted for about 0. 219 m ha. And in Andhra Pradesh forest loss was about 0. 46 m ha in tribal areas. This trend continues in Northeast including Assam (State of the Forest report, 1999). Various ethnic groups practice various forms of agriculture as main stay of economy in NE region. Rice is major crop though maize and millets are grown. Traditional agricultural systems are Zabo, terrace construction and jhum or shifting cultivation. Zabo, an indigenous farming system of Nagaland combines agro-forestry and animal husbandry and is common to individually owned lands of about 2. 5 ha. For terrace construction, the area is cleaned by cutting and burning forest vegetation. Jhum cultivation is practiced roughly by 5 lakhs tribal families. A total land area of 4. 36 m ha is being affected by jhum cultivation, out of which 2. 7 m ha is in NE region. Jhum cycle has reduced to 4-5 years in Meghalaya, 5-10 years in Mizoram and Tripura, 6-15 years in Nagaland and Manipur and 5-10 years in Arunachal Pradesh. Such cultivation results in soil erosion and loss of soil fertility. In areas, where bamboos are cut and burnt, K- rich ash accumulates for jhum crop. This fallow land invites several weeds and it takes a very long time for soil, to support crop plant growth. Modern agriculture with longer cycles of 10 or more years and agro-forestry system are suggested for control of jhum (Sharma. 2004). Problems relating to use and conservation of natural resources in developing countries are qualitatively different than those of developed countries. In developed countries, the primary issue is protection of what remains in nature, but in India conservation of natural resources must necessarily consider the claims of human population on these resources for their sustenance and livelihood. Such population is dependent on forests and is among the poorest, as forests form life support systems for them. Any legal and administrative regime must aim to judiciously utilize these resources for addressing the concerns of livelihood while ensuring sustainability of their use (Hazra, 2002). Essay on Global Warming: Causes, Effects and Remedies Global warming is the greatest challenge facing our planet. It is, in fact, the increase in the temperature of the earth’s neon- surface air. It is one of the most current and widely discussed factors. It has far-reaching impact on biodiversity and climatic conditions of the planet. Several current trends clearly demonstrate that global warming is directly impacting on rising sea levels, the melting of ice caps and significant worldwide climate changes. In short, global warming represents a fundamental threat to all living things on earth. Global average temperature rose significantly during the past century. The prevailing scientific view is that most of the temperature increases since mid-20th century has been caused by increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations produced by human activity. Most scientists agree that planet’s temperature has risen 0. degree Celsius since 1900 and will continue to increase at an increasing rate. As a result, the world is getting warmer. The year 1990 was the hottest year in the last century. Together with 1991, the years of 1983, 1987, 1988 and 1989 have been measured to be the warmest six years in the last hundred years. The year 1991 was the second warmest year of the past century. The consequences of the rise in temperature is being felt all over the globe the findings of scientific research done in this field reveal that the temperature of the earth is likely to rise from 1. 4 °C to 5.  °C within a period of 100 years. Unfortunately, the imbalance which we have created between our life and earth is already showing the signs disasters in the form of flood, cyclones, landslides, tsunami, drought, etc. If the imbalance continues to rise, one day this will pose a question mark on the existence of this planet. Carbon dioxide (C02) which is an important constituent of environment is causing a warming effect on the earth’s surface. It increases the evaporation of water into the atmosphere. Since water vapour itself is a greenhouse gas, this causes still more warming. The warming causes more water vapour to be evaporated. The C02 level is expected to rise in future due to ongoing burning of fossil fuels and landuse change. The rate of rise will depend largely on uncertain economic, sociological, technological and natural developments. Other gases such as methane, CFCs, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone are also responsible for global warming. Increases in all these gases are due to explosive population growth, increased industrial expansion, technological advancement, deforestation and growing urbanization, etc. Trees play a significant role in the global carbon cycle. They are the largest land-based mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the air. Deforestation is checking these positive processes. It is the second principle cause of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforestation is responsible for 25 per cent of all carbon emissions entering the atmosphere, by the burning and cutting of 34 million acres of trees each year. Everyday over 5500 acres of rainforest are destroyed. As a consequence of massive loss of forests, global CO, levels rise approximately 0. 4 per cent each year, the levels not experienced on this planet for millions of years. As we know the forests are the great absorbers of CO. There is a close relation between global warming and population growth. Today the large population on earth is using the technologies which are destructive for the earth. Approximately, 80 per cent of atmospheric C02 increases are due to man’s use of fossil fuels either in the form of coal, gas or oil. A large portion of carbon emission is attributed to the burning of gasoline in internal-combustion engine of vehicles. Vehicles with poor gas mileage contribute the most to global warming. Besides, the sulphur group gas is the most harmful for this. Its contribution is 30 per cent in global warming. This gas is also emitted from the burning of fossil fuels. Increase in global temperatures will cause rise in sea level. It will lead to melting of glaciers, changes in rainfall patterns, increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather. As per the latest survey report the rate of melting of glaciers has seen sharp increase in recent times. Even those glaciers are affected from global warming which have been considered permanent. The shrinking of glaciers is going to pose a major problem of drinking water. The sea levels as a result of melting of glaciers have risen from 0. 35 mm to 0. 4 mm. Scientists have warned in their reports that most of the glaciers will disappear within a period of 15 to 25 years. It will create problems of drinking water and food grains in most of the North American countries. India is not unaffected from it. The Himalayan glaciers have shrunk about 30 per cent after 1970. The rise in sea levels is a major cause of concern. A large number of cities located in coastal areas will submerge in the sea. Besides, many island countries will ultimately â€Å"lose their existence and will be washed away from the surface of the earth. The damage of rising sea levels is diverse. Buildings and roads close to the water could be flooded and they could suffer damage from hurricanes and tropical storms. Experts believe that global warming could increase the intensity of hurricanes by over 50 per cent. In addition, as the sea rises, beach erosion takes place, particularly on steep banks. Wetlands are lost as the level rises. Rise in atmospheric temperature will lead to the outbreak of airborne and water-borne diseases. It would also contribute to the rise in death caused by heat. The problem of drought would be frequent. Consequently, malnutrition and starvation will pose serious challenge before humanity. Global warming is a great threat to the flora and fauna of the earth. A large number of species of them may become extinct. The expanse of desert would increase. Low rainfall and rising temperature could add to the intensity and frequency of dusty storm. This in turn will immensely affect the quality of agricultural land, ultimately causing adverse effect on agricultural produce. It would have far-reaching socio-economic impact. In Indian context, the impact of global warming is a matter of grave concern. As is well known, India is mainly an agricultural country and agriculture here is gamble of the monsoon, e. . largely depending on rainfall. Though it is to affect the whole country, the worst likely impact would be on central and northern India which is high-yielding parts of the country. These are the regions which produce the largest agricultural yield. The rise in atmospheric temperature and fall in rain would naturally result in decline in crop production. Moreover, it would have great effect on biodiversity as well. The growing concerns over global temperatures have led to the nations, states, corporations and individuals to draw out a plan of action to avert the situation. As a result the world’s primary international agreement on combating global warming was reached in Kyoto in 1997 which came to be known as Kyoto Protocol. However, ten years have passed; the situation does not appear to be very changed. It seems that the member countries are not very serious about its devastating effects. In addition, forestation can be of great help in this regard. Planting more trees and reducing timber cuts worldwide will help restore the imbalance. Secondly, we must follow on environmental policy of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’, i. e. promoting the reuse of anything. Thirdly, the use of fuel-efficient vehicles should be promoted as these vehicles have lower emissions of harmful gases. Fourthly, every individual should be aware of the importance of the protecting environment. Besides, eco- friendly technologies must be promoted, and must be substituted with the technologies which cause great emission of global warming gases. Public awareness campaign can be of great help in this regard because unless each and every individual is aware only governments’ effect cannot bring desired difference. Words Essay on Corruption in India (free to read) Corruption is not a new phenomenon in India. It has been prevalent in society since ancient times. History reveals that it was present even in the Mauryan period. Great scholar Kautilya mentions the pressure of forty types of corruption in his contemporary society. It was practised even in Mughal and Sultanate period. When the East India Company took control of the country, corruption reached new height. Corruption in India has become so common that people now are averse to thinking of public life with it. Corruption has been defined variously by scholars. But the simple meaning of it is that corruption implies perversion of morality, integrity, character or duty out of mercenary motives, i. e. bribery, without any regard to honour, right and justice. In other words, undue favour for any one for some monetary or other gains is corruption. Simultaneously, depriving the genuinely deserving from their right or privilege is also a corrupt practice. Shrinking from one’s duty or dereliction of duty are also forms of corruption. Besides, thefts, wastage of public property constitute varieties of corruption. Dishonesty, exploitation, malpractices, scams and scandals re various manifestations of corruption. Corruption is not a uniquely Indian phenomenon. It is witnessed all over the world in developing as well as developed countries. It has spread its tentacles in every sphere of life, namely business administration, politics, officialdom, and services. In fact, there is hardly any sector which can be characterised for not being infected with the vices of corruption. Corruption is rampant in every segment and every section of society, barring the social status attached to it. Nobody can be considered free from corruption from a high ranking officer. To root out the evil of corruption from society, we need to make a comprehensive code of conduct for politicians, legislatures, bureaucrats, and such code should be strictly enforced. Judiciary should be given more independence and initiatives on issues related to corruption. Special courts should be set-up to take up such issues and speedy trial is to be promoted. Law and order machinery should be allowed to work without political interference. NGOs and media should come forward to create awareness against corruption in society and educate people to combat this evil. Only then we would be able to save our system from being collapsed.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Sociology and Understanding Human Behavior †Socl215

September 8, 2011 Phase 4 Individual Project Sociology and Understanding Human Behavior – SOCL215 The sports sociology exists because of the strong relationship between sports and society. As a culture, we as Americans value sports for the entertainment, physical activity and many other benefits it provides to us. I believe that is the reason so much research has gone into discovering how and why it affects us as a society. Sports are enjoyed all over the world, particularly soccer and baseball in many parts of the globe. I am a really big fan of and enjoy football. It is my favorite sport. During the fall and winter months much of my life rotates around being able to watch professional football games and to cheer for my favorite team, the Carolina Panthers. It’s my favorite sport because I enjoy the energy, the socialization, competition and action. Because it is so widely revered in America, it is not very difficult to find another football fan or sports bar. Football is widely represented in the media which also helps to be a fan. ESPN (Entertainment Sports Programing Network) covers games if you may have missed a game or play as well as offer news about teams and players. During the local news broadcast a sports segment is always included. And in local as well as nationally published newspapers a sports section is included. I however am not a typical viewer/fan in the football demographic. Most fans are middle aged white men that make $55,000. However the number of women watching football is on the incline. According to the New York Times the number of women watching â€Å"Sunday Night Football† has increased 23 percent over the last two years. (Baker, 2011) The fan base for football is expanding for minorities as well. I think this is because more minorities are playing the sport. To get a better understanding of how sports and society affect one another I went to a local high school football game. I have always gone to football games as a fan, never as an observer and I knew this experience would be different. I decided to attend this event because I enjoy football and I knew a few of the students from work that go the high school. It was also an opportunity to learn more about high school, I usually only watch NFL (National Football League) football games. The following are my observations from the fieldwork done during the football game. The setting for this game was a high school football game was Carolina Forest High School. The elements that would affect behavior included banners, posters and cheerleaders. This affected the home team in a positive way as they feel more support and motivation. It could negatively affect the away team as they feel intimidated and home team as they could feel more pressure to win. The attendees/fans were students, parents, cheerleaders, ROTC members, teachers and other dance team members. Most of the fans were white high school students between the ages of 14 to 17. I would say it was divided pretty evenly between males and females. They seemed upper middle class with a few that seemed to be upper class. The players were similar to the fans as they were high school students, 14 to 17 years old and middle class but there were a few more black players than white. The dress of the fans was typical of teenagers. Students mostly wore jeans, T-Shirts and flip flops. Many were shirts that had the schools logo and mascot on it. There was a group of young men with hair dyed black and wore similar skateboard type attire. The students seemed to stay in groups together as did the parents. There definitely seemed to be groups that stayed to themselves and did not socialize with anyone outside of their group. This behavior applied to parents and students. The students in these groups were of the same social class and did dress similarly. The atmosphere was very positive and happy at the football games. The home team won which helped with the atmosphere. There were a couple moments of tension when the home team had a penalty or was losing. I saw symbolism in the flags used by the high school’s NJROTC drill field team. Other symbolism I saw was used by the referees. They used hand gestures to convey the penalties being issued to either team. The other observation I noticed was the language used during the football game. Students used chants that were exclusive to their school to show their support. There was also verbiage used to describe which down and field position the game was being played at. There was also commentary from the announcers tell the audience which players were preforming which plays and their positions. From my field work I learned that energy of the game is in direct correlation of fans. Because many high school students don’t know the rules of football and go to games as a form of socialization only the energy isn’t as high. However there seemed to be less tension and conflict among the fans as a result of this. When emotions run high, there is a greater risk of conflict. This seems to happen a lot in football because of the loyalty fans feel for â€Å"their† team. I previously stated in week one’s assignment that functionalist perspective was most useful when looking at the sociology of football because it played a part in society has a purpose to fulfill as a whole. And I still believe holds true. It helps to bring people together, gives a sense of competition and a role model for children. It also helps fund the education of promising athletes and promotes good physical wellbeing. American football culture has a positive impact on society. College students that show promise are able to get a higher education on a full paid scholarship. This allows more potentially more successful people in society. People throughout the world love sports. Mankind loves to get together for a common interest and celebrate. Even in the face of war and other devastating losses, we as a society will feel hope and inspiration from the victory of our sports team. This is the reason why sociologists are so interested in researching sports. It is a strange and intriguing phenomenon. I think the reason the so many participate is the social status it gives you. Children look up to athletes as role models. There is also the factor of money as well. Fans will dedicate a lot of money and loyalty to their favorite players. I also think they enjoy the feeling of having people rely on their abilities and come from very far away to watch them play. Many just have a passion for the sport they play. Fans play large roles in society. One way they do this is by providing economy to metropolitan areas that have professional or college sports teams. They are also the reason why sports media has grown to be what it is now. If it weren’t for fans there would be need to have things, like instant replay that has helped the integrity of many sports. We wouldn’t have tailgate parties so more members of society can come together for a common interest. â€Å"The importance of sport varies with the individual. It plays little or no role in the lives of some people. For others, it is a light diversion from the cares of everyday life. But for many, it is a central feature of their existence. † (Delaney, 2003) Sports will continue to play a part in society, people will gather from all across the world to watch sports like we do with the Olympics. There will also be controversy and conflict but I believe the benefits of enjoying sports still make being a sport’s fan worth the effort. References Baker, K. (2011, January 28). Gridiron Girls. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from nytimes. com: http://www. nytimes. com/2011/01/30/magazine/30FOB-wwln-t. html? _r=1 Delaney, T. (2003). Sports and Deviant Behavior. Retrieved September 8, 2011, from philosophynow. org: http://www. philosophynow. org/issue41/Sports_and_Deviant_Behavior Response to Peer Discussion Board Suggestions and Questions: I think the number of women watching football is unsurprising because many women have men in their lives that love football and expose women to the sport. I grew up watching the New York Giants because my father and our family favored that team. I stopped watching football so often until I met my husband and now we watch every game that is played by his favorite team. If I didn’t have these influences didn’t exist in my life, I wouldn’t watch sports at all. I’ve always enjoyed independent research. I like to work with groups and on my own which is a wonderful benefit to going to Colorado Technical University. I like being able to physically research and see for myself the ideas and concepts that are in our textbook. It makes the subject of Sociology feel more â€Å"real. † An interesting point is that fan behavior is not only affected by the game it is also affected by the team or sponsor they play for. I think it’s very true that some fans are definitely â€Å"fair weather. † Meaning a fan likes a team or supports a team because they win or are winners. I believe in supporting a team even if they lose or are not a very popular team. Another point I didn’t mention was how fans affect the player moral in a game. I think that if fans are cheering for a team and have good energy that this can affect a team in good and bad ways; good because the team will try to perform better and bad because they may not perform as well because they feel they don’t need to try as hard. There can also be the opposite effect of a team that is not doing well and is not being supports. They can either succumb to the negativity or work harder to overcome it.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Whats the Best You Can Do †Three Myths Non-writing People Believe About Writing

Whats the Best You Can Do – Three Myths Non-writing People Believe About Writing Im a freelance writer who charges professional rates, and clients always ask me to lower my rates. The other day, in fact, I sent a message to a potential client. I gave them my usual rate and got the dreaded question in response: Whats the best you can do? Its always depressing to hear it, and its even more depressing to think about its implications. Its no surprise that writing has become massively undervalued in recent years, but its somewhat surprising to realize how undervalued its actually become. A few decades ago, $1 per word would have been a respectable professional rate. Today, writers are lucky if they get paid 30 cents per word. And this question – Whats the best you can do? – reveals what people actually think about writing. Here are three myths that this question creates and what your response should be to each myth: Myth #1: Less is more. The first and most unsurprising implication of this question is the clients vision of quality. They believe that the less they pay, the better. Theyre either unwilling or unable to pay for premium writing, but either way, they believe that they shouldnt have to pay a lot. The best price is the cheapest. The truth: When it comes to writing, more is more. Full-time freelance writers may not have other sources of income. The more theyre paid, the more passionate theyll be, and theyll produce better content. Thats not to say writers slack for low-paying jobs, but the truth is that high-paying jobs provide a better impetus for writers. They also set quality standards much higher. Let your clients know that writing is your job. Its not a side hustle; its your lifeblood. Refuse to go lower. Either theyll respect you and pay what you deserve or youll lose a client you didnt need in the first place. Myth #2: Writing is no big deal. With the advent of outsourcing, many people have come to believe that writing can be – and should be – something they can cheaply and quickly acquire. They think anyone can do it. They think writers easily churn out compelling copy in a few minutes and send it off. The truth: Clients need to know that creating a piece of writing is a painstaking endeavor that requires drafting, editing, and meditating. More work goes into one paragraph than most clients will ever realize. Make your client aware that writing is not as easy as they think. Explain what you do to create the best content possible, and theyll respect you for it. Myth #3: Low rates are fair rates. This sounds similar to Myth #1, but this myth propagates the idea that writers can survive on next to nothing. This is due to the rise of people from third world countries entering the freelance economy. In other countries, $2 an hour is a decent wage, but for thousands of others, its chump change. A similar idea is that writing for low rates is perfect for students or someone trying to make money on theside. But those people see writing as no more than a side hustle, so they likely wont put that much effort into it. You, on the other hand, work day and night to create the best content your client has ever read. The truth: Tell your client that great writing is not going to be cheap. If writing is your main (or only) source of income, make that clear. And dont forget to mention how much attention you give to your writing. Tell the client youre worth more because you do more.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Self Reliance

After reading Emerson’s â€Å"Self Reliance† I have discovered that self-reliance is the most significant aspect in my life. Emerson talks about inspiring ideas, which involves trusting and only answering to thyself. He believes in saying exactly what you think, not to be what your not and to live only by what you believe to be the best. â€Å"There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide.† To translate this Emerson quote one can say that if a man is jealous of other people, he will ignore his own qualities and if a man tries to be like other people, he will lose himself; like suicide. When I was younger it was hard for me to have faith in myself. I would always try to fit in to the so-called â€Å"cool crowd† and when I didn’t get accepted I began to resent them. What I tried to finally do was copy them, their clothes, their taste in music, and the actions that they took. It was then that I realized that I didn’t like their clothes, their taste in music and the things they did. I realized that by me imitating them I lost myself. I began to take the road less traveled, to see things in a different way than anyone did. I wanted to be unique and I wanted to be accepted for being my own person. After discovering that I liked being me was when I made my greatest of friends. They like that I always say what’s on my mind and that I don’t let anyone’s actions influence mine. â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.† I believe now that imitation is the result of jealously and in order for me to succeed in life I had to believe that I could do it. For one to accomplish their goals and meet their destiny, they must choose self-reliance as the answer. Self-reliance lets one know that it is essential to realize that all choices in life come down to ... Free Essays on Self Reliance Free Essays on Self Reliance After reading Emerson’s â€Å"Self Reliance† I have discovered that self-reliance is the most significant aspect in my life. Emerson talks about inspiring ideas, which involves trusting and only answering to thyself. He believes in saying exactly what you think, not to be what your not and to live only by what you believe to be the best. â€Å"There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide.† To translate this Emerson quote one can say that if a man is jealous of other people, he will ignore his own qualities and if a man tries to be like other people, he will lose himself; like suicide. When I was younger it was hard for me to have faith in myself. I would always try to fit in to the so-called â€Å"cool crowd† and when I didn’t get accepted I began to resent them. What I tried to finally do was copy them, their clothes, their taste in music, and the actions that they took. It was then that I realized that I didn’t like their clothes, their taste in music and the things they did. I realized that by me imitating them I lost myself. I began to take the road less traveled, to see things in a different way than anyone did. I wanted to be unique and I wanted to be accepted for being my own person. After discovering that I liked being me was when I made my greatest of friends. They like that I always say what’s on my mind and that I don’t let anyone’s actions influence mine. â€Å"To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, that is genius.† I believe now that imitation is the result of jealously and in order for me to succeed in life I had to believe that I could do it. For one to accomplish their goals and meet their destiny, they must choose self-reliance as the answer. Self-reliance lets one know that it is essential to realize that all choices in life come down to ...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

SAT Writing Prep The Best Methods and Strategies

SAT Writing Prep The Best Methods and Strategies SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips I’ve spent the past decade teaching SAT prep classes and helping hundreds of students prepare for the SAT Writing section. After taking my class, many of my former students were able to improve their SAT Writing scores by more than 200 points. My experience has taught me that having a disciplined, focused approach to your SAT prep will allow you to maximize your score. In this article, I have given you the best advice I have for preparing for SAT Writing. Using these methods will enable you to use your study time wisely and master the skills you need to be an SAT Writing superstar. I tried to arrange these tips by how important they are to acing SAT Writing. However, these are all crucial tips for SAT Writing success, and you need to follow them all if you want to fully prepare yourself. #1: Learn the Grammar Rules that the SAT Tests SAT Writing is primarily a grammar test. Knowing the grammar rules that appear on the SAT isthe most important way to prepare for SAT Writing. On the PrepScholar blog, we have written articles covering all of the grammar rules and errors that repeatedly appear on the SAT Writing section. Here they are: Subject-Verb Agreement Verb Tense and Forms Pronoun Agreement Pronoun Case Wordiness and Redundancy Idioms Run-On Sentences/Sentence Fragments Parallelism Faulty Modifiers Adjective and Adverb Errors Illogical Comparisons Relative Pronouns Word Choice/Diction You should focus your studying on the rules that are more commonly tested. We have written a post on the distribution of appearance of the grammar rules on SAT Writing (coming soon). For those of you striving for a highscore, you need to have a firm grasp on all of these grammar rules. And learn them. And understand them. #2: Do Tons of Practice Problems and Understand Your Mistakes If you want to do the best you can on SAT Writing, you have to put in the time. Doing tons and tons of practice problems will make you more confident with the material. You'll be able to recognize grammar errors more quickly and avoid falling into common SAT Writing traps. Frankly, there's a lot of SAT prep material out there that isn't good and will be of minimal help to you. The practice questions you're doing should be representative of the questions you'll find on your SAT. We've identified the quality material so you won't waste your time. To spend your time wisely, you want to do practice problems that are likely to resemble those you will encounter on the SAT. Practice with official SAT tests and make sure you're using the best books to prep for SAT Writing. Check out these articles on where to find the best SAT Writing practice tests and the best SAT prep websites you should be using. Additionally, PrepScholar has over 1500 practice problems customized to each skill. However, simply doing practice problems is not enough. Why You Need to Understand Your Mistakes While doing a bunch of practice problems will help you prepare for SAT Writing, if you keep repeating the same mistakes, your score is not going to improve. You need to understand why you're getting certain questions wrong so that you can reduce your weaknesses and raise your score. One of the most common mistakes students make in their SAT preparation is that they don't take the necessary time to comprehend their mistakes and figure out how to correct them in the future. Understanding your mistakes can be more difficult than just doing practice problems, but it's essential if you want to keep improving your SAT Writing score. How to Understand Your Mistakes Fully understanding your mistakes takes diligence and organization. Here is the process that I recommend to grasp why you made each mistake and how to improve for the future; this process is somewhat rigorous, but it's also the best way to prepare for SAT Writing: On every practice test or question set that you take, mark every question that you're even 20% unsure about. When you grade your test or quiz, review every question you marked or answered incorrectly. This way you'll be reviewing all your missed questions and the questions on which you were able to guess correctly. On your computer or in a notebook, write down the gist of the question, why you missed it, and what you'll do to avoid that mistake in the future. Create different sections for each grammar skill and put the question in the appropriate section. Try to determine why you got questions wrong on your own. However, if you're having trouble figuring out your mistakes, the College Board website has an official test with explanations. Also, Khan Academy has helpful explanation videos for some of the questions on this test. Take notes on what you specifically missed and how to improve in the future. Be as specific and as thorough as possible. For example, don't just write that you missed a subject-verb agreement question and need to do more subject-verb agreement questions. Write down how the subject-verb agreement error was presented. Was the subject placed after the verb? Did you get confused by an interrupting phrase? What resources will you use to fully learn this rule and address your weakness? Don't just take notes on your content issues. Also, write down any information about your careless mistakes and what steps you'll take to prevent making them again. Do you need to read the question more carefully? Do you need to look at the answer choices more closely? You want to really dig into why you're missing questions and focus on specific ways to improve. #3: Identify Your Weaknesses and Drill Them If you do a thorough job of categorizing your missed questions and taking notes, you should be able to identify your weaknesses. When you notice patterns to the questions you miss, find extra time to practice the areas where you're struggling. Maybe there's a specific grammar rule like illogical comparisons or parallelism that is causing you problems. Do extra content review and practice problems related to those rules. The best SAT prep books and websites will have real or realistic SAT practice problems for each specific skill that is tested on SAT Writing. (We obviously believePrepScholar qualifies, and it'sdesigned to customize your SAT prep to focus on your weaknesses.) Furthermore, you should keep going over all of the questions you missed and marked. By focusing your studying on the areas where you're having the most difficulties, you'll be using your time most efficiently. Spending the majority of your time practicing stuff you already know is not an effective use of your time. Strengthen your weaknesses! The following tip relates to the approach you should use to answer SAT Writing questions. #4: Practice Relying on Grammar Rules to Answer Questions Don't rely on what sounds right to answer SAT Writing questions, except on idiom questions. Many of the SAT Writing sentences are lengthy or use uncommon phrases. The sentences might sound odd to your ear, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're wrong. Similarly, some of the sentences contain grammar errors that are so common that these sentences are likely to sound fine to you. As such, it's vital that you practice approaching the test from a logical standpoint. Every time you answer a question, you should be able to justify your choice with a specific grammar rule. Here's an example of how you would rely on grammar rules to answer SAT Writing questions. The explanation I give to the question is similar to the thought process you should use when answering SAT Writing questions. Now, take a look at this question from a real SAT: Frequently on tour, a band called the Chieftainsrevered internationally as spirited performers oftraditional Irish music. (A) revered internationally as spirited performers (B) revered internationally and they are spirited performers (C) is revered internationally for its spirited performances (D) is revered internationally as giving spirited performances (E) are revered internationally as being spirited performers Explanation: When I first read the sentence, I immediately noticed that it does not express a complete thought. It’s a sentence fragment. The word â€Å"revered† is used as a participle and not a verb. I assumed that the correct answer would add a verb to fix the sentence fragment. Immediately, I eliminated answer choices A and B because they don’t fix the sentence fragment. Then, I had to determine whether to use the singular verb â€Å"is† or the plural verb â€Å"are†. Because the subject is â€Å"band†, which is singular, the verb should be in the singular form. I eliminated E because that would be a subject-verb agreement error. Answer choice D is incorrect because â€Å"as† is the wrong word. This is an idiom error, the only type of error in which you may have to rely on your ear for what sounds right. The correct answer is C. The sentence fragment has been corrected, the subject and verb agree, and â€Å"for† is the correct preposition to use in this sentence. When you're doing practice questions, be able to explain and justify your answer choices with your knowledge of SAT grammar. #5: Determine If You Have Time Management Issues. If So, Address Them How To Determine if You Have Time Management Issues Find an official SAT practice test, and take only the Writing sections. For each section, use a timer and treat it like a real test. If time runs out for that section and you're 100% ready to move on, then move on. If you're not ready to move on, keep on working for as long as you need. For every new answer or answer that you change, mark it with a special note as "Extra Time." When you're ready, move on to the next section, and repeat the above until you finish all Writing sections. Grade your test using the answer key and score chart, but we want two scores: 1) The Realistic score you got under normal timing conditions and 2) The Extra Time score. If the difference is more than 4 raw points, then you need to address your time management issues. How To Improve Time Management Issues Generally, time management improves as you become more familiar and confident with the content. If time management is a lingering issue for you, monitor your time spent per question. You should have a target time of 45 seconds foreach improving sentences question and 30 seconds for each identify the error question. No question should take longer than 1 minute. When you're doing your practice questions, keep track of how long you're spending on each individual question. Focus on finishing each question in the target time. For my final tip, I want to remind you about the shortest subsection on SAT Writing. #6: Don't Forget Paragraph Improvement Because there are only 6 paragraph improvement questions on each SAT, you should spend the majority of your time preparing for the sentence improvement and identify the error subsections. However, make sure you practice paragraph iprovement questions as well. Some paragraph improvement questions are similar to improving sentences questions, but others are unique to this subsection. Here are the major types of questions you will find on paragraph improvement: Macro Logic: how paragraphs relate to each other and to the main idea Transitional Logic: how sentences and ideas connect to each other Redundant Sentences: whether sentences or ideas are extraneous and can be deleted Conciseness and Style: how to choose words to express ideas succinctly and clearly When you practice paragraph improvement questions, you should use the same approach as for the other two subsections. Categorize your mistakes, take notes on why you made mistakes and how to improve, identify your weaknesses, and then spend extra time improving those weaknesses. Review this article on how to approach paragraph improvement. If you make a commitment to following the six tips I just gave you, I guarantee you'll be giving yourself the best chance to succeed on SAT Writing. Whenever your motivation starts to wane, think about your goals and why you want to do well on the SAT Writing section. What's Next? Review the article on how to get an 800 on SAT Writing. It offers more depthsome of the methods I presented in this post. Also, you'll want to check out the articles on my top study strategies and test-day tips for SAT Writing success (coming soon). Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? Check out our best-in-class online SAT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your SAT score by 160 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Writing and grammar lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Christianity verses Feminism with a focus on gender violence against Essay

Christianity verses Feminism with a focus on gender violence against women - Essay Example I was determined to know the roles played by religion and the feminists as discussed in the essay. In this discussion, I will relate Christianity and feminism focusing on gender violence especially on women. In the discussion, I will introduce many concepts integrated in the gender violence; explore the traditional Christian and the feminist’s ways of their violence against women. I will also examine the three books discussed in the class throughout the term and integrate them in my work. Domestic abuse can simply be defined as the war waged in the family against immediate family members especially the spouses2. Domestic abuse employs wide range of tactics such as physical or psychological warfare to their victims. In the Christianity, this is combined to shifting of blame, prejudice and fallen theology making it an entangle issue which is difficult to resolve3. However, â€Å"with all the goodwill and readiness to counter the domestic violence problem among the Christian families, it is close to impossible until the female subordination doctrine which is centrally placed on the issue of gender violence and is also what perpetuates the issue is dealt with.†4 This discrimination, which is institutionalized, thrives on unreasonable fear and hatred for women. Furthermore, it perpetuates the abuse and prevents the Christians from responding to the victims compassionately using bible principles5. Ingersoll further observes that gender based violence forms one of the major violence afflicted to women in the society of today6. In the religion of Christianity, women abuse has become one of the major marital problems being attended by the priests and the counselors. The spousal abuse perpetrators mostly use biblical injunctions and religion to justify their actions. The essay has debunked the myth that it is only through religion that women can be safe from the many kinds of gender violence7. The

No topic needed. It's only essay assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

No topic needed. It's only essay - Assignment Example As a result, the world was divided into two major blocks; communist and capitalist countries. In brief, cold war was all about these two conflicting ideologies. The war started as the two economic giants started using all means possible to lure other countries to follow their economic system, an aspect that had started as a mild problem only to become serious problem later that ultimately split the world into two blocks that were following different ideologies. Korean war (1950-1953) is one of the key factors that fueled cold war in the 1950s whereby USA was leading the UN forces to support South Korea with China, which was a communist power supporting North Korea. In the 1960s, the most remarkable element that perpetuated the war was the Cuban Missile Crisis that took place in 1962. In the 1970s, the main factor that was prolonging the war was the Vietnam War that had started in the late 1960s whereby the American forces were bombing the Northern region that was led by Viet Minh, and later started bombing Cambodia (Davidson, DeLay and Heyrman 168). Other factors included the issue of Nuclear Arms Race that was very popular in the 1970s and in the 1980s. The war later ended in 1985 as a result of a number of factors with the change Soviet leadership being a major factor. Gorbachev who was a modern leader compared to the past generations took over power and introduced various reforms in order to save the country’s economy that was rampantly dwindling. He reduced the military support Soviet was giving her military in other countries thus leading to the weakening of the communism philosophy that led to breakdown of the Berlin Wall in 1989. After Gorbachev, Yeltsin was elected as the Soviet Empire came to an end and completely ended the war. Â   The Vietnam War originated from the attempt by Viet Minh to gain independence from their colonial masters, France. This attempt led to guerrilla war

Friday, October 18, 2019

Critically discuss the proposal that effective HRM policies can Essay

Critically discuss the proposal that effective HRM policies can support the delivery of business strategies and affect their performance. The arguments for and against this proposal-show the evidence - Essay Example Morfeld (2003) however, notes that despite the popularity of the aforementioned initiative, the activities of human resource managers, specifically workplace staffing, can be described as tactical at its best. The author notes that these strategies are in fact, reactive as managers usually scramble to fill in a vacant position upon the resignation of an employee, as an example. Although the abovementioned is at times, unavoidable, Human Resource generalists believe that there are effective ways to use human resource policies to enable a company to deliver strategy and high performance. This strategy usually entails the full support of the corporate leaders. In the same manner, effective HR policies also imply changes within the processes and procedures of the company in order to become successful. Finally, it is also of vital importance to demand commitment and cooperation in all levels of management in order to ensure that a company drafts and implements effectual HR policies. HR seems to have taken a more strategic role in the enterprise – an apparent paradigm shift. The focus on the synthesis of HRM practices and policies with strategy has been depicted as a paradigm shift from an administrative to a strategic thrust or goal (Thomason 1991). Unlike traditional personnel management that is characterized as reactive, parochial, and concentrates on rank and file employees, HRM is proactive in finding and setting up practices and policies which are consistent across all organizational policy areas (Miller 1989; Schuler 1991). The HRM orientation makes it imperative for personnel practices and policies to respond to enterprise needs (Schuler 1991). In addition, HRM considers employees as valued strategic resources instead of merely being overhead cost. A core goal of HRM is the effectual management of people within the enterprise – when done, this is expected to garner competitive advantage (Kamoche 1991; Miller 1989). In comparison with

Management issues for the family-run business Essay

Management issues for the family-run business - Essay Example Institute for Family Business (IFB), shows that up to 65% of all businesses in the UK are family-owned and amounts to 42% of private sector employment. Family businesses provide work for more than half of the private sector labor force. There are clear and attractive compensations, since any venture will profit from the relations of faith and dedication among family members. Nevertheless, a family business yet requires be running and managing with an objective and specialized manner. The family businesses form a vital role running the financial system of the country. They are mostly common in the micro business segment - firms with less than ten workers. But they are as well widespread in the small and medium enterprise (SME) segment.1 Further, few of the very leading private and well-known UK businesses are family firms, for example JC Bamford (usually branded as JCB), Clarks Shoes and Associated British Foods. The family enterprises vary considerably in size and as well vary in the level of family participation in the business. A number of families may participate daily in the management of the business, at the same time as others may take a more liberal approach with the participation of specialized non-family administrators. Exact explanations of a family business differ, however the enterprises ought to meet a few conditions concerning their ownership or management. A generally accepted explanation, set up by the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry in 2004 2, is that: The Family Entrepreneurship Working Group should have the majority of votes held by the person who established or purchased the firm or their spouses, parents, child or child’s direct heirs. And also minimum one member of the family is involved in the management of the firm. In the case of a scheduled business, the individual who established or purchased the firm or their families enjoy 25% of the right to vote through their share investment and there is minimum one family member on the

Thursday, October 17, 2019

When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing Essay - 1

When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing - Essay Example To facilitate the answer to this question, we will discuss and investigate the three key ways of knowing. This entails sense, reason, and perception. There will also be an analysis on intuition’s reliability, as it will enhance its comprehension (see Barrett). Personal demonstration is an ideal answer to this question. This is because was previously addicted to Oreos. There have sugar and fat content of 60%. As a result of my justification, I ate in large quantities. After detail research, I discovered that they contain 2% vitamin C, 4% vitamin A, and 10% of calcium. From this analysis, is evident that, Oreos are highly nutritious, hence intuitively appealing. This was the reason behind my consumption, in reference to the supporting information. However, despite the fact that the study shows that Oreos are nutritious, it is satisfactory that they are healthy. This is as a result of the sugar content among its ingredients. This was an ideal practical example of a situation where intuition was appealing, but on the other hand, it was totally wrong. Regardless of the fact that various situations call for straightforward answers, there should be a detailed explanation before one takes a different turn (see Nabisco Cookies). In reference to the above discussion, intuition is appealing. However, in relation with John Kord Lagemann, a famous author, argues that intuition is not an enemy of reason but it ally. This gives an allegation that suggests that intuition appeals rising from reason should not be given the same treatment as the other intuitions. An example connecting to this theory is the controversy that exists between The Big bang and Creationism. The two theories are bas on intuition; however, they are also based on detailed reasoning. The difference comes in the meaning and interpretation of the theories. Creationism states that there are impossibilities

Regulation of Interest Groups by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act Essay

Regulation of Interest Groups by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act - Essay Example The Bipartisan Campaigns Reform Act came along with two unique features that were not covered in the earlier federal act. One requirement of the BCRA was that the amount of soft-money contributions by interest groups be limited during the campaign period. This was effected by instituting federal limits to bar spending or raising of finances that are beyond the preset values. Secondly, this new law defined â€Å"electioneering communications† that required that no corporation would be allowed to fund the advertisements that had to be done 30 days before the primary elections or 60 days before a general election (Campaign Finance Institute, 2006). In addition, the candidates had to declare their names within the advertisement and confirm to have authorized the airing of such an advertisement. The impact of the new law was to minimize the influence that interest groups had maintained in the campaign by either funding the process or contributing to advertisements. Surprisingly, the provisions of these laws have faced a lot of antagonism from numerous federal candidates that have raised concerns regarding the restriction of utilization of financial resources during the campaign period. One issue that has seen many political parties and organization move to court is the pre-BCRA constitutional provision on the ‘527 organizations’ that were not covered adequately in the regulation of soft money spending. The law required that the 527 organizations such as Media Fund and Swift Board Veterans for Truth spend at least 50% of hard money in their campaign expenses while participating in federal campaigns. In 2007, the Federal Election Commission was forced to impose fines on these organizations after they had failed to abide to the financing laws governing the election process. In addition, in 2007, the US Supreme Court overturned the BCRA condition that limited the interest groups from contributing to the financing of media adverts on t he ground that this restriction was unconstitutional. As Boatright (2006) points out, BCRA has received abundant criticism and the public demand is that this law be changed to include more realistic regulation of interest group contributions to the campaign process. From above experience, it's worthy to note that the BCRA has numerous weaknesses that warrant its revision to achieve an effective regulation of interest groups. The United States President, Barack Obama, in 2010 announced the need for US to pass a bill that would restrict financial spending in the campaign period, and particularly the contribution of the specific interest groups. His argument was that the BCRA law is subject to alteration by the Supreme Court as long as this law does not state implicitly the specific amounts that federal candidates would

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing Essay - 1

When should we discard explanations that are intuitively appealing - Essay Example To facilitate the answer to this question, we will discuss and investigate the three key ways of knowing. This entails sense, reason, and perception. There will also be an analysis on intuition’s reliability, as it will enhance its comprehension (see Barrett). Personal demonstration is an ideal answer to this question. This is because was previously addicted to Oreos. There have sugar and fat content of 60%. As a result of my justification, I ate in large quantities. After detail research, I discovered that they contain 2% vitamin C, 4% vitamin A, and 10% of calcium. From this analysis, is evident that, Oreos are highly nutritious, hence intuitively appealing. This was the reason behind my consumption, in reference to the supporting information. However, despite the fact that the study shows that Oreos are nutritious, it is satisfactory that they are healthy. This is as a result of the sugar content among its ingredients. This was an ideal practical example of a situation where intuition was appealing, but on the other hand, it was totally wrong. Regardless of the fact that various situations call for straightforward answers, there should be a detailed explanation before one takes a different turn (see Nabisco Cookies). In reference to the above discussion, intuition is appealing. However, in relation with John Kord Lagemann, a famous author, argues that intuition is not an enemy of reason but it ally. This gives an allegation that suggests that intuition appeals rising from reason should not be given the same treatment as the other intuitions. An example connecting to this theory is the controversy that exists between The Big bang and Creationism. The two theories are bas on intuition; however, they are also based on detailed reasoning. The difference comes in the meaning and interpretation of the theories. Creationism states that there are impossibilities

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Buddhism and Hinduism in comparision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Buddhism and Hinduism in comparision - Essay Example It highly reflects the prevailing theme at the time in which Japan took pride in its genius through the fields of religion, philosophy, art, and rich literature. While the fundamental color of brilliance is perceived through the coating to designate in equilibrium the simplicity of brightness through wood carving, the Hindu sculpture has, among the revered gods Vishnu, Shiva, Krishna, and some others, on the contrary been worked using stone or hard rock medium to enhance the proper locus of the aspects with light. A rare sculpture of ‘Vishnu’ seated on a Naga coil under the five hoods of the serpent deity is stone-made. Found at the Nithyakalyanaswamy temple at Thiruvidanthai, the statue is said to date from the Vijayanagara period during the 17th century. Contrary to the standing position of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Vishnu is depicted sitting in a relaxed posture to signify an aura of meditative heights achieved. This ‘Vishnu on Naga Coil’ is well-ado rned as opposed to the plain appearance of the Buddhist sculpture. Being considered as the ‘Supreme god’ in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism, the symbolic statue reflects him as the all-pervading essence of all beings and this is a strong ground for sculpting Vishnu in a manner that exhibits details rich in adornments and are defined under perfect human features, except for bearing four arms. Not having any earth-related object by him suggests how Vishnu’s state is one that is severely distant from men and this further indicates no sign of humility unlike in the case of the bodhisattva. Though his divinity radiates opulence of things by which he could sustain and govern the universe as the ‘Preserver’, the sculpture seemingly lacks the essence of purity. In one of the modifications made for the structure of Vishnu with the same serpent deity, the presence of Lakshmi, his consort, heavily coated with gold altogether gives a manifestation of extre me wealth and power. Its lavish creation of curves and lines inlaid on the golden stone medium occur to characterize immortal possession of authority and matter, transcending the significant idea behind misery or suffering, a major part in Buddhist principle of attaining pure divinity. Such design with Vishnu and similar Hindu gods mirrors the equivalent aspect in Indian culture of observing colorful festive traditions abounding in food, clothing, ceremonies, and other stuffs of various kinds. On the other hand, Though the ‘Eleven-Headed Bodhisattva of Compassion’ primarily consists of wood, the sophisticated carvings and the countenance which appears to possess a blend of gold and bronze external coating, aimed to bring about a wholly essential color, suggests subtle prominence while depicting the purpose of identifying a bodhisattva by nature. The smooth lines of the sculpture were fashioned such that the strokes exude a character with humble gesture, one with which n o trace of rigidity can be detected. In the absence of conspicuous edges in its shape all throughout, the eleven-headed Kannon may be readily claimed to have been so intentionally brought to the gentlest of forms. ‘Eleven-Headed Bo

Monday, October 14, 2019

Employment at Will Essay Example for Free

Employment at Will Essay There are several concerns and issues that had been analyzed by the new COO of the organization. Many aspects need to be carefully considered before making sound decisions of any corrective action or termination in effort to avoid legal actions. According to Connell and Castro, issues need to be carefully investigated by exploring relevant witness such as co-workers (Castro Connell, 2009, p.31). This will ensure that situations with misunderstandings are not the issue. However, the conclusion made by the COO should be practical and within reason, not made on impulse or suddenly, and in line with the Employment-at-will doctrine. Although, employees can be dismissed at any time for whatever reason if there aren’t any statutes that would prohibit the act, careful review of the concerns listed below is needed for the betterment of the company and its strategic plans. John posted a rant on his Facebook page in which he criticized the company’s most important customer. Jim sent an email to other salespeople protesting a change in commission schedules and bonuses and suggesting everyone boycott the next sales meeting. Ellen started a blog to protest the CEO’s bonus, noting that no one below director has gotten a raise in two (2) years and portraying her bosses as â€Å"know-nothings† and â€Å"out-of-touch† Bill has been using his company-issued BlackBerry to run his own business on the side. The secretaries in the accounting department decided to dress in black-and-white stripes to protest a memo announcing that the company has installed keylogger software on all company computers. After being disciplined for criticizing a customer in an email (sent from his personal email account on a company computer), Joe threatens to sue the company for invasion of privacy. One of the department supervisors requests your approval to fire his secretary for insubordination. Since the secretary has always received glowing reviews, you call her into your office and determine that she has refused to prepare false expense reports for her boss. Anna’s boss refused to sign her leave request for jury duty and now wants to fire her for being absent without permission. Summarization of Employment-At- Will Doctrine In any kind of employment relationship, employment is a moment to moment employment contract between the employer and the employee. Therefore, the employment- at – will doctrine allows the employer to do whatsoever it feels to the respect of the employee. Putting it differently, the doctrine permits an employer to terminate a worker for any reason good, bad, or without reason as long as the termination is within the legal parameters (Urhuogo, 2010, p.29). In other words, if nothing else applies to the situation at hand such as a specific law of court case that would support the termination (Anti- Discrimination Law), then the employment – at – will doctrine will succeed. However, exceptions at the federal, state, and city level such as specific statutes or laws and common laws (contract and public policy) allowed for modifications to be implemented to the employment-at-will-doctrine in effort to prevent an employer in terminating a worker under the more precise exemption. At the federal level Title VII (Civil Rights Act), which includes race, sex, national origin, and religion are protected. In addition, workers are protected under the Age Discrimination and Employment Act, Americans with Disability Act, and National Labor Relations Act, which protects workers that participate in a union. Most state laws are paralleled to those laws implemented at the federal level. However, some states have expanded their laws to further modify the employment-at-will doctrine for example; some states have included sexual preference as being protected, which is not covered under the federal law. Common law exception, which is applied to all levels is based on precedence and therefore, does not need   o apply. An example would include a judge handing down a verdict in his or her jurisdiction creating an exception to the employment-at-will-doctrine. The decision made by the judge would therefore become a binding on employers, which is independent or separate of the laws or statutes that was created by the legislative body. In conclusion of the employment-at-will doctrine, if the workers termination does not fall within the statutory or common law exception, the employment-at-will doctrine will default. Recommendation and Implementation Firstly, many of the concerns and issues referenced above could have possible been eliminated if a whistleblowing policy had been implemented. Realizing and executing this policy within the workplace, allows for whistleblowers to exhibit a role of importance that could eliminate unethical or illegal behaviors within the workplace before any issues become too difficult to handle. When organizations continue to have employees that display a characteristic of being unethical, they position the organization to be at risk in a negative manner legally, financially, and publically. The fact of the matter is that wrong doing occurs in many organizations, but workers at ALL levels should feel comfortable and confident that their work environment is not one of being hostile. Therefore, including a whistleblowing policy should be safe for the worker in knowing that if or when a matter is reported internally; any corrective action can be quickly executed thereby, causing workers to become more ethical. In addition, ongoing ethics training for workers at ALL levels in effort to enhance a moral environment or climate should be applied so that: Objectives and strategic plans are met and the best way to ensure that they are met Leaders are â€Å"walking the walk and talking the talk† (setting examples for all) Workers will feel as though their communication and responsibility is of value to their place of work. Finally, the assurance of the policy should be an image of the company and therefore, being upheld than just words on a piece of paper. The whistleblower should feel confident and safe that when an investigation is done, it will be conducted in an objective manner and investigated by one that has absolutely no influence on the outcome. This too will give a feeling that confidentiality is of value within the organization to the whistleblower. After careful review of the employee issues and concerns, the following recommendation has been made: Firstly, the real boss in my opinion is the customers and especially the high profitable ones because they are the major source of buying. And if your high profitable consumers decide to take business to your competitors then you basically have fired yourself. Although, John decided to criticize the most important customer, it is best to terminate his position due to the fact that at that moment a competitive disadvantage had been created. Jim and Ellen have some real legitimate grievances that need to be address by the company in effort to determine if other employees have the same concern and if so, developing ways to correct the issue. However, both Jim and Ellen have real concerns in reference to pay and therefore, it should be addressed. I believe that they both need to be coached and maybe even disciplined on the way of handling their concern but, I feel that they are both protected under the retaliation law and public policy. In Bills cases, grounds for termination can be expected assuming he did not get permission first. The use of the company’s cellular in effort to start his business is considered theft. Misusing the company’s resource for personal business causes the business to lose time and money. Im afraid it is perfectly legal for an employer to monitor company computer usage while you are at work, you do not have the right without permission to do your private work on your companys computer. Therefore, the accounting department need to be coached on the expectations of the company but also understand that they are not obligated to continue their employment with the organization if they feel disapprove of the key loggers. I believe that Joe has the right to sue the company due to the fact that it was his personal email that had been reviewed. I believe that if Joe’s criticism had been done on the business email then corrective action must stand. In order for the business to prevent personal email usages, it should be clearly outlined in the employee handbook as well as explaining the extent of computers being monitored. Employers should make sure that workers clearly understand the policy. The information provided by the secretary should be investigated thoroughly. If her claim is true, then she would be protected by the violation of public policy. The secretary cannot be terminated due to the fact that she declined to prepared false expense reports for her boss. However, the boss should and need to be investigated and terminated for his actions to eliminate a hostile work environment. Anna exercised her legal right under public policy law reporting to jury duty. However, Anna’s boss may ask for proof of jury duty and unless the employee handbook state otherwise, the employer does not have to compensate Anna. Termination in this case would be illegal. In Conclusion, understanding the employment-at-will doctrine and carefully executing the parameters of the doctrine can still leave the employer with sense of being uneasy and becoming apprehensive that an employee will attempt to sue. According to Wood and Karau, it is imprtant to respect employees during the process of which the termination is taking place because it will show the employee that their work was appreciated while they were working for the company (Wood Karau, 2008, p. 521). This can help or assist in preventing legal actions when respect is given. According to Urhuogo, Giving employee’s reasons for termination may result in employees to be understanding of the situation (Urhuogo, 2010, p.33). However, in the end, every employers and workers must display a demeanor that is ethical and suitable for the company and themselves.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Career Path: Who am I? Essay -- Psychology

Finding a career that overlaps personal and professional concerns is the focus of most career counseling. O*net (2000) has created two assessment tools that help individuals navigate this difficult impasse. This paper focuses on my individual results, reactions and conclusions regarding these two assessments. Career Instrument Results Built around Holland’s Theory of Types and Person-Environment Interactions, the Interest Profiler (IP) and Work Locator (WL) instruments are self-administered, self-scored surveys designed to reveal an individual’s personality type and work values in order to match themselves with a career that will allow the appropriate expression of both. According to the results of these instruments I am categorized as Artistic-Achievement. My secondary interests are Social and Investigative. My secondary work value was revealed as both Relationships and Support. My current job zone is four and my future job zone is five. Niles & Bowlsbey (2009) gives an account of Holland’s personality types. According to this description, artistic types â€Å"prefer ambiguous, free, unsystematized activities†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 64). They tend to gain knowledge in language, art, music, drama and writing and have less tendency toward clerical or business related topics. Some words associated with this type that I feel apply to me include: complicated, imaginative, disorderly, intuitive, nonconforming, expressive, idealistic and original. There are a few that I don’t think I adhere to: introspective, impractical, and impulsive. I will admit that this assessment could be due, at least in part, to a lack of personal insight. It’s interesting to note that my secondary interest areas are Social and Investigative; the two personality pat... ...demic pursuits and the many hats I wear as a mom give me room to express my creativity and build relationships that have great impact on the entire community. I look forward to the future and what God has in store for my life. I believe that He alone has called me to this profession. He alone created me to fulfill His purpose and bring about His kingdom. Works Cited Niles, S. G. & Harris-Bowlsbey, J. (2009). Career development interventions in the 21st century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. U. S. Department of Labor (2000). Interest profiler. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://online.onetcenter.org. U. S. Department of Labor (2000). Work importance locator. Retrieved April 2, 2012 from http://online.onetcenter.org. Whiston, S. C. (2009). Principles and applications of assessment in counseling. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Fairy Tale or Epic Allegory Essay -- Literary Analysis

Goblin Market is one of the masterpieces of Christina Georgina Rossetti, composed in 1859 and was published in 1862 in Goblin Market and Other Poems. She was an English poet in Victorian era, a period when Bible was chiefly and frequently read and people were too religious. Also, it was the time of sexual repression, to enjoy or to talk about sexual passion was considered a sin. Moreover, women were confined to their home and education was denied, it was an era of male dominance. The poem might seem to be a fairy tale about two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, and their misadventures with the goblin men, but it is very complicated. A deeper exploration is essential to decode her metaphors, as she has used a wide range of metaphors since this poem was simply intended as a fairy tale. When it comes to Rossetti’s Goblin Market, numerous critical approaches are offered. Feminists believed that this was an effort to reconstruct women’s roles and visions, they were also convinced that it had a strong message of hero creation. Not so, argued naturalists because Christina has used wide range of natural elements, and they validated this with her early life in the country and some argued she hinted the infiltration of women into capital market as she talks about trade and market. Some critics also speculated that she has incorporated the classic theme of temptation, fall, and redemption, which is quite obvious because Rossetti was a religious female. Her poem was also castigated for the extensive use of sexual language or perhaps it was just a fairy tale. But, if we deeply dig into the poem and her personal life we can find the hidden epic allegory. A profound analysis of her work will reveal the thematic interpretation of christian belief ... ...6 Nov. 2010. Haller, John S. & Haller, Robin M. The Physician and Sexuality in Victorian America. USA: University Of Illinois Press, 1974. Print. Mitchell, Sally. Daily Life in Victorian England. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996. Print. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Charleston, SC: Create Space, 2010. Print. Pearsall, Ronald. The Worm In The Bud. Toronto, Canada: The Macmillian Company, 1969. Print. Rosenberg, Carroll-Smith. Disorderly Conduct. Toronto, Canada : Random House, 1985. Print. Rossetti, Christina. â€Å"Goblin Market.† Representative Poetry Online. 1862. University of TorontoLibraries. 20 Nov. 2010. . Scholl, Lesa. â€Å"Fallen or Forbidden : Rossetti's Goblin Market.† Victorian Web. . Web. 24 Nov. 2010. Tennyson, Alfred. The Princess. 1847. Print.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Islamic Studies †Death and Disease Essay

Death and disease occur all around us; they are universal human experiences. Muslims look upon death as a transitional phase between this life and the next. Since ‘the enjoyment of the present life is but little as compared with the hereafter’ a true Muslim shall not fear death. Death and disease are both necessary methods of biological control, without which problems such as overpopulation would be widespread. They also allow us to appreciate life and good health respectively, without which our society is likely to take a lot more for granted. The classic theistic view of this life being a test by God is one upheld by Muslims. In perspective of this, disease is principally viewed as one of the ways of carrying out this test – the ultimate reward for which being paradise. A practical utopia in which there is no suffering would lead to a world of automata; one in which our freedom would be undermined and thus nullifying the test for which we were placed on earth. Those of us who abuse this freedom and live for this life alone shall be punished by Allah, some remaining in hell for eternity. This can be seen by some to conflict with God’s mercy as it may seem harsh, however Muslims take the view that it is necessary so as to differentiate fully between good and evil, awarding each only what they deserve. Disease can be one of the means of coming to death and is an experience that comes to us all. It can be seen to have several purposes depending on the circumstances. The following verse illustrates Muslim’s views on life being a test: â€Å"He who has created death and life that he might try you-which of you is best in deeds.† In order to be tested we must undergo hardship- disease being one example. Those with patience and who affirm their faith whilst saying as all who are suffering should: â€Å"Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return† are those who will have succeeded in the test. Those who blame Allah and result in blasphemy or kufr are those who will have failed. This test is essential as it allows differentiation between the latter and the former. The word test in Arabic can also mean misfortune, an example of which being disease, which has other purposes besides being a test. Yet only Allah is able to assess these purposes and thus we are only able to make generalised comments. For the believer, disease or more generally misfortune is a bounty from Allah as it can be a means of purification of sins and also enduring disease increases our reward. The prophet was reported to have said: ‘You are not a believer until you see misfortune to be a bounty and good fortune to be undesirable’ This is because many of those who are given the ‘illusory’ pleasures of this life stray from the right path, for as we know ‘power corrupts.’ All misfortune to believers is of benefit. A Muslim scholar was reported to have said. â€Å"God did not cause disease upon a Muslim in this life but that it will be of benefit to him.† Thus it is common that Allah gives Muslims the most misfortune, they are suffering from disease in all parts of the world- yet it shall be of benefit to them. Yet why are those non-believers not usually tested equally? It is because they have already failed in their test- Satan needs not spend time with those who are already corrupt. The Prophet peace be upon him was reported to have said: â€Å"The greater Allah’s love for a person the harder is his test† Thus there is a hierarchy of misfortune, the greatest being upon the greatest of us, notably the prophets. Yet for the disbeliever the hereafter begins to manifest itself in this life. Disease can be seen as a just punishment brought upon by themselves: â€Å"And whatever misfortune befalls you, is due to what your own hands have wrought† A contemporary example of this being the sexually transmitted diseases present in today’s ever-increasing promiscuous society. Surely AIDS and the like of it were brought about by ‘their own hands’? However, the above verse does not apply to true Muslims as the following explains: When Ali, son of Hussein-the grandson of the Prophet, was taken to Yazid to be tortured by him, Yazid said â€Å"And whatever misfortune†¦.hands† Ali replied, â€Å"This verse is not concerning us (me), that which is regarding us is ‘There befalls no misfortune either in the earth or in your own persons, but it is recorded in a Book before We bring it into being’ † Thus Muslims are expected to be patient and to endure disease. Islam has taken various measures to help those with disease. The Quran rightly says, â€Å"There is no inconvenience for the sick.† This is reflected in the fact that those who are ill do not need to fast, those who have a bad leg may sit whilst praying and many other examples. Others with disease should be treated with sympathy, compassion and kindness. Yet the disease of physiological bearing is insignificant when compared with the misfortune that is the spiritual disease. Those who are ‘ill’ from within are thus also suffering from disease, yet their disease is one of choice. The Quran describes those who are spiritually sick in the following way: â€Å"In their hearts was a disease, and Allah has increased their disease.† Death is an experience that all of us will go through, as Allah reiterates in the holy Qur’an on three separate occasions: â€Å"Every soul shall taste of death† Muslims believe that every person on earth is given a specific time in which to live, thus ‘no person can die except by Allah’s leave- a decree with a fixed term.’ With this in mind, Muslims should not fear the future. If a person’s time has come, there is no evading Azrai’l, the angel of death: â€Å"Say, ‘If you had remained in your homes, surely those who on whom death had been enjoined would have gone forth to their deathbeds.† With the belief that our lives are not our own possessions and that only Allah has the right to take life from us, homicide, suicide and euthanasia are forbidden in Islam. Also, excessive mourning and lavish graves are also forbidden. Yet how can Muslims believe in life after death? Is it possible that after decaying in the earth we can be brought back to life? There are many ways in which this belief may be justified. One way takes the form of an experimental argument entirely based on physical research, John Hick suggests that â€Å"even if we discount the entire range of physical phenomena it remains true that the best cases of trance utterance are puzzling, and taken at face value are indicative of survival and communication after death.â €  There are also countless philosophical arguments notably in Plato’s Phaedo or in the works of Socrates that may also account for the practicability of resurrection. Yet the argument presented in the Quran, in my opinion, is the most direct and feasible. The argument put forward in surat Yasin is self-explanatory: â€Å"Does not man see that We have created him from a mere sperm drop? Yet lo! He is an open quarreller†¦. He says ‘Who can resurrect the bones when they are decayed?† Say, ‘He who created them the first time will resurrect them†¦ Verily his command when he intends a thing is only that He says to it, ‘Be’ and it is.† Death signifies the end of our worldly life. It is the parting of the material and non- material forms; the body and the soul. The soul, or al-Nafs, differentiates man from the rest of creation, constituting humans to be the ‘crown’ of Allah’s creation. Muslims believe that Allah only gi ves to us what is just, similarly our dying is a means of justice; for us and others. Death is a necessity and not just a reality, this is highlighted in the following hadith: Prophet Muhammad was reported to have said: â€Å"A tribe once approached the prophet of their time and said, ‘Pray to your Lord that death shall no longer be bestowed upon us. And so the prophet prayed and Allah no longer bestowed upon them death. As the years passed, the population grew until the houses became cramped and the generations many. Men were no longer able to go out and work as they spent their time feeding, washing and cleaning their parent, grand parents, great grand parents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ And so the tribe went back to their prophet and asked that he pray Allah return death and death was returned† Death can also be understood on different levels. Let us consider the following verse: â€Å"Only those who listen can accept. And as for the dead, Allah will raise them to life, then to Him shall they be brought back† Yet is not resurrection the same as being brought back to life? So why has Allah said that He ‘will raise them to life then to Him shall they be brought back.† The distinction here can be interpreted as meaning those who do not listen (to Allah), but are physically alive, are spiritually dead. Similarly those of whom one may think to be dead may also be alive: â€Å"Think not of those, who have been slain in the cause of Allah as dead. Nay they are living in the presence of their Lord and are granted gifts from him.† For the believer, death can be seen as a purification of his sins, it is the last pain that a pious Muslim shall endure, but for the non-believer it is the first of an eternity of suffering. One Muslim scholar stated that for the true believer, ‘Death is a journey from a prison to a palace’, as â€Å"the life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment† . Yet death can also be seen as a mercy for non-believers: â€Å"Death signifies a rest for he who obeyed his desires in this life, for surely the longer he lived the greater would be his punishment.† From the countenance of the angel of death, Azra’il, one can tell where he shall reside. It is said that upon death we are shown our position in heaven or hell. For the believer the soul will depart easily, however the non-believer says ‘My Lord, send me back that I may do righteous deeds in the life that I have left behind’ and the soul departs in a struggle. Yet death is an irrevocable barrier. It is true that our souls leave our bodies every night when we are asleep, yet ‘He retains those against which he has decreed death, and sends back the others till an appoi nted time.’ And so after our death we are unable to acquire any more reward, except, as the Prophet Muhammad said, â€Å"From three things are we able to obtain reward after our death; A charity, knowledge given to others and noble offspring. At death we are in a transition state between this life and the hereafter, known as al- Barzakh. The Quran describes those in the ‘Barzakh’ as being Sakra or in a state of stupor. There they will be questioned as to what they did in this life. Punishment or reward starts in this state yet in a non-material form until the Day of Judgement where both body and soul will be resurrected. The practical implications of death to a Muslim are that he must realise that life has a purpose; the hereafter. And thus Muslims should use their time on this earth as efficiently as possible, aiming to fulfil this purpose before the toll of death is upon us. This is reiterated by all the pious men of Islam. The fourth caliph, Ali Ibn Abu Talib’s (peace be upon him) words should be adhered to by all: â€Å"Live for this life as if you are to live forever, and live for the hereafter as if you were to die tomorrow.† To make full use of these implications, death should be constantly in our minds. To fully understand why Allah allows his servants to suffer from disease, we may consider other views on this topic. The problem of suffering has lead many to disbelieve In Allah. There are three main classic theistic views on this matter. One approach taken by Christian Science, according to its founder himself is that ‘Sin, disease, whatever seems real to material sense is unreal.’ The argument being that suffering does not really exist. Another approach put forward by Swinburne and Hick focuses on the notion that all evil is punishment which is justly inflicted by god. Another view, according to Alvin Platinga says that all suffering comes from the abuse of free will. With regards to disease he proposes that non-human persons have caused us disease by abusing their freedom. Yet all three views can be seen to be flawed. The first view, probably is the most ridiculous of all, and yet even i f ‘one could rationally defend this odd conclusion†¦even if evil is an illusion, it is a painful one and it is therefore false that evil is nothing but an illusion.’ The second approach being that all disease or suffering is a just punishment from God can also be challenged. D.Z. Phillips asks, â€Å"What then are we to say of the child that is dying from cancer?,† surely this cannot be deserved. The third approach seems much more feasible, and has some grounds in Islam. But is disease caused by angels who come down to earth and wreak havoc due to their abuse of free-will? This view by Platinga is one that has no basis in Islam. Islam has provided us with a synthesis of these views. As stated before, for the non-believer it can be punishment, for the believer it can be a test of faith or a purification of sins. It is also true that a world without suffering would render our purpose of life null. Disease also serves to emphasise, through contrast, good health. Thus it allows us to appreciate our times of good health more. Eternal hell is mentioned several times in the Quran and Muslims thus believe that some people will go to hell for eternity. Yet it is seen that this does not contradict Allah’s mercy for several key reasons. Allah is the most merciful but only to those who actively go about seeking his mercy, for Allah only helps those who help themselves. One who disobeys Allah’s orders cannot be expected to be shown as much mercy as those who are good Muslims. And yet it is not as if Allah has left us without direction and guidance. Every man and woman instinctively knows the difference between right and wrong, there are enough signs leading to Allah for â€Å"those who think and reflect† and Allah has sent down many prophets and scriptures to guide mankind. Any deviation is thus out of man’s own arrogance and thus should be punished deservingly. Hell for the sinners is also justice to those who did good in life, for if those that lived for the pleasures of the worldly life too went to heaven this would be a grave injustice to the pious amongst us. As opposite’s, heaven and hell serve to emphasise each other. Thus the prospect of hell acts as a deterrent preventing many from doing wrong and thus making the world a better place. Socrates goes one step further claiming that heaven comes from hell, â€Å"opposites come from opposites in the case of things which have an opposite.† Although the words of Socrates seem somewhat extreme, taken in a less literal sense, what he says has bearing on all that which we have discussed; Death, disease and hell. We may ask our selves, would there be death without life? Or would there be disease without good health? Or would there be hell without heaven? All of which Allah has bestowed upon us creating a perfect natural balance. Bibliography An introduction to the philosophy of religion by Brian Davies Islam by Rosalyn Kendrick Islamic Teaching Course, volume one by the IPCI Meezan Al-Hikmah volume 1,4 and 5(in Arabic) by Mohammed Shahristany Plato’s Phaedo by Plato Philosophy of Religion by John Hick Summa Theologiae by Aquinas The translation of the Holy Quran by Yusuf Ali Holy Quran, 9;38 Holy Quran, 67;3 Holy Quran, 2;157 Holy Quran, 42;31 Holy Quran, 57;23 Holy Quran, 24;62 Holy Quran, 2;11 Holy Quran, 3;186, 21;36, 29;58 Holy Quran, 3;155 Hick, J., Philosophy of Religion, p128 Holy Quran, 36;78-83 Holy Quran, 6;37 Holy Quran, 3;170 Holy Quran, 3;186 Holy Quran, 23;100 Holy Quran, 39;43 Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, Ia, 13,5. Davies, B., An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion, 37 Ibid,37 Gallop (ed.), Plato’s Phaedo, 17ff