Islam in the modern world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Islam in the modern world - Essay Example In the words of Groff & Smoker (1996), â€Å"fundamentalism or religious extremism or fanaticism--when religions claim their version of religion is the only one--are seen as an extreme form of the socially-learned aspect of religion and one not conducive to creating world peace†. In most of the instances, these religious teachings are observed to be quite traditional and introduced in the early centuries. Since then, these religions have been strongly influenced with the inclusion of various modern thinking in the daily lifestyle of human beings as well as revolutions which at times deliberately contradicted the initially developed religious beliefs (Ahmad & Reifeld, 2004). From a materialistic point of view, it can be affirmed that with changes taking place amid the human society in the due course of action, religious beliefs have been and is most likely to be contradicted repeatedly (Calma & Gershevitch, 2009). Contradictions in Islam were also quite apparent in its chronolo gical practices. It has often been argued that during the introductory phase of Islam, Christianity and Hinduism faced various disadvantageous dilemmas in comparison to Islamism. However, with the passing time, Islamism has been repeatedly contradicted with regards to the religious definition that it provides for human rights and equality, especially in relation to gender (Hitchens, 2009; Abdel-Latif, 2008). The so called ongoing Egyptian Revolution of 2011-12 can also be argued on with regards to the contradictory beliefs currently existing in relation to the implications of Islamism (Gad, 2011). The below discussion will thereby be focused on the contradictions currently witnessed in Islamism in the plight of the recent Egyptian Revolution of 2011. The Egyptian Revolution 2011-12 The recent Egyptian Revolution of 2011 is witnessed from various perspectives by the worldwide experts, analysts and critiques. While a few of the experts view the revolution as the aftermath of the conti nuous social and economic failings. Corruption, brutality witnessed to be practiced by the law enforcers majorly including the police, unjust implementations of political prohibitions restricting the human rights to vote freely, inflationary rates, stagnant unemployment and also the practice of inequality in terms of religion, sex and wealth distribution as well (Meguid & et. al., 2011). Others view the revolution as a new opening towards a broader concept of Islamism with the virtues of greater democracy and equality within the population introduced by the hands of the youth (Engdahl, 2011; Wahba, 2011). However, it is worth mentioning that the revolution did not take place with Islamism as its primary reason. The revolution was actually caused due to the ongoing economic, social as well as political malpractices within the economy under the veil of Islamism, to a certain extent. As stated by Claret (2011), â€Å"in a country like Egypt where nothing is conceivable without Islam o r eastern Christianity...† The early as well as the current research based on the political, economic and social processes within Egypt along with other Middle Eastern nations have often claimed religion to be in the position of a vanguard in relation to the unjust functioning of political leaders, police and other social leaders (Claret, 2011). As a matter of fact, Egypt is known to be one of the strongest believers of Islam and is thus known

Dadas Contribution to Contemporary Art Essay Example for Free

Dadas Contribution to Contemporary Art Essay This research paper supports my belief that Dada had a far reaching effect on art of the 21st century so much so that contemporary art as we know it could not have come into existence without Dada. Dada Zurich was the catalyst for many other centres of the nihilistic movement. Tristan Tzara was the major force behind the Zurich Dada where he and Francis Picabia produced 8 issues of Dada magazines in both French and German between the years 1917 to 1921. (Dada Anti-Art Movement) Upon the end of the war Switzerlands importance as a neutral refuge educed, resulting in Richard Huelsenbeck, leaving for Berlin while Picabia went to Paris, and when Tzara followed him in 1920 thus ending the Zurich phase of Dada. (Dada Anti-Art Movement) Richard Huelsenbeck was the founding member of Dada Berlin which included members such as; Johannes Baader, George Grosz, Raoul Hausmann, Helmut Herzfelde and Hanna Hoch. (Dada Anti-Art Movement) Dada Berlin was known to be satirical and highly political with targets more and precisely defined than any other Dada movement. Dada Berlin utilized periodicals, including Club Dada and Der Dada, which employed the use of photomontage and typography. The Cologne Dada group was formed in 1918 by Jean Arp and Max Ernst and was known to be less political and more focused on being anti-aesthetic. (Dada Anti-Art Movement) Max Ernst was known for his satirical collage techniques using popular printed material, depicting the weirdly erotic. (Dada The Anti-War Art Movement) In May 1920 Dada Cologne hosted one of the first Dada exhibitions. Held in the courtyard of a public house accessed through a mens bathroom the exhibition was soon closed down by the authorities due to suspected pornographic content but later reopened. IAN CHILVERS Dada) Dada Hannover was formed in 1919 after Kurt Schwitters applied to join the Berlin dadaists but was refused because of his unpolitical attitude. Schwitters possessed a unique dedication to Dada ideas, leading to the production of artwork constructed using urban refuse and found objects (objets trouves). This had a major influence on later movements like Junk Art, Assemblage and Arte Povera. (Dada Anti -Art Movement) Not limited to Europe, the Dada movement also had a New York Centre. Formed by Marcel Duchamp, renowned for reproducing the Mona Lisa with a beard and moustache and signing a urinal proclaiming it to be a fountain, along with Man Ray, a well sought after fashion and portrait photographer, renowned for his photograph Le Violin d`Ingres. (Justin Wolf’s Dada) Dada Paris, which was known for its theatrical and multi-cultural activities, came about when, many of its early founders, such as Jean Arp, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Francis Picabia and Tristan Tzara went to Paris, where they met with a number of french poets including Louis Aragon and Andre Breton. Dada Paris was later dissolved when Breton, unable to deal with Tzara’s and Picabia’s nihilistic mentality, left to start a new movement. This marked the birth of Surrealism. (Dada Anti-Art Movement) According to Dieter Wanczura, â€Å"Surrealism emphasizes the unconscious, the importance of dreams, and the psychological aspect in arts and became an important movement in the fine arts, literature and in films. † Unlike Dada, Surrealisms emphasis was not on negation but on positive expression. It has a sense of playfulness and impulsiveness that brings fantasy and mystery into art pieces. The most fascinating aspect is that there are so many questions and ideas that surround Surrealism making it a hugely inspiring modern art/contemporary art movement. (Surrealism ; Surrealist artists) Contemporary artist today, challenge, oppression, authority and control that spans economic, social and political concepts. More importantly, contemporary art frequently touches on deep emotional issues that trouble our society. The Dada organization challenged the status quo of society and what is viewed as art making it easier for more artists’ work to be viewed as art because they no longer need to conform to any particular standards or values of society. Due to the Surrealist movement, society has been exposed to the concept that art can be anything the artist visualizes or feels inside. This can sometimes seem odd to the public who does not see its values and heroic stature, resulting in art not being noticed and appreciated by collectors, galleries and museums but judged as a masterpiece by people who share the artist feelings and thoughts.

Outline Of The Constitution Of The Usa :: essays research papers

I. ARTICLE I-- CONGRESS A. Section 1. 1. Establishment B. Section 2. 1. House Membership and Qualifications a. selection and composition b. representation C. Section 3. 1. Senate Membership and Qualifications a. selection and compostion b. elections D. Section 4. 1. Congressional Elections E. Section 5. 1. Congressional Operation and Procedure a. elections b. rules c. records F. Section 6. 1. Congressional Employment, Compensation and Privileges a. the "speech and debate clause" G. Section 7. 1. Public Laws and Other Congressional Instruments a. bills for raising revenue b. the presidential "presentment clause" c. congressional voting records d. congressional orders, resolutions and votes H. Section 8. 1. Powers of Congress: a. raising revenue (tax, etc.) to pay debts and to provide for defense and general welfare b. borrowing money c. trade regulation (the "commerce clause") d. immigration and naturalization; bankruptcies e. currency; weights and measures f. counterfeiting punishment g. post offices h. intellectual property (copyrights, patents, etc.) i. the federal judiciary j. maritime and international law k. war l. military appropriations/armed forces m. naval forces n. rules for the government and military o. domestic security p. military governance and administration q. District of Columbia r. administration of the law (the "necessary and proper clause") I. Section 9. 1. Congressional Limitations includes: a. writs of habeas corpus b. population census and direct taxation c. appropriations d. accounting of public monies and expenditures J. Section 10. 1. State Limitations II. ARTICLE II-- THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH A. Section 1. 1. Establishment, Elections, Qualifications, Compensation a. the president b. the vice president c. electors B. Section 2. 1. Executive Powers a. commander in chief b. pardons and reprieves c. treaties and appointments C. Section 3. 1. Official Duties, Responsibilities and Privileges a. state of the union b. foreign relations D. Section 4. 1. Impeachment III. ARTICLE III-- THE JUDICIARY A. Section 1. 1. Establishment, Tenure and Compensation a. the Supreme Court b. inferior federal courts c. federal justices and judges B. Section 2. 1. Jurisdiction, Venue and Cases a. Supreme Court original and appellate jurisdiction; the "exceptions clause" b. criminal cases/trial by jury C. Section 3. 1. Treason IV. ARTICLE IV-- STATES A. Section 1. 1.

Tourist Case Study – Monaco

Monaco is a small and ancient principality located on the southern coast of France, near the Italian border by the Mediterranean Sea. This principality has been in the hands of the ruling Grimaldi family since the thirteenth century and the Prince Rainier is the current ruler. Although it only covers one square mile (two squared kilometers), it has a current population of 34,000, where only 16% are Monegasque (native population), 16% are Italian, and 47% are French. It is known for having more police per square meter than any other country in the world and for not having to pay any income tax. It is considered by many to be Europe's most fascinating country. Today, holidaymakers are attracted to the many physical and human factors, which can be found in Monaco. Certain attractive physical features may be found. Firstly, holidaymakers seem mostly attracted to Monaco's beautiful Mediterranean climate, where the summers are warm and the winters are mild with an average of 300 sunny days a year. There are many attractive beaches, such as â€Å"Larvotto Beach† and the â€Å"Monte-Carlo Beach Club†, where the water is at a high temperatures through May till August, and where a chick crown is attracted to, as well as movie stars. Monaco also contains a huge amount of human factors which attract tourists. For any people who are interested in Museums, Monaco has a wide selection. It is extremely famous for its â€Å"Oceanographic Museum†. This being one of the best aquariums in Europe (known to have the rarest fish in the seven seas), is one the main attractions in the principality, containing a total of 90 seawater tanks which hold 4,000 fish of which there are 350 different species. Giant skeletons of oceanic mammals are also on show, as well as the use of a meteorological station and a seismological observatory. A public terrace provides a beautiful panoramic view of the Italian Riviera. For tourists looking more towards ‘collections', the â€Å"National Museum† contains doll and automata collections dating from the 17th century, as well as the â€Å"Museum of Stamps and Coins†. Other museums such as the â€Å"exhibition the prince's private collection of classic cars†, the â€Å"naval Museum†, the â€Å"wax museum of the princes of Monaco† and the â€Å"museum of Prehistoric Anthropology† may be of high curiosity for anyone interested in those particular areas. If you visit Monaco for more historic reasons, you will be sure to visit the â€Å"museum of Napoleon's souvenirs†, where Napoleon's personal knickknack such as socks, handkerchiefs, medals, uniforms and swords may be found. One of the oldest parts of Monaco is known as â€Å"Monaco-Ville†, or â€Å"the old town†. If tourists are looking to understand the history of the principality better, then that is the place to go. It is found on top of a large piece of rock and is called â€Å"the rock†. It measures a large 60 meters in height (or 200 feet). There are three main attractions which seem to dominate tourism: The royal palace, the casino, and the Grand Prix. The Palace, which sits on the â€Å"rock†, has been owned by the Grimaldi Family since the 13th Century. It has 15 rooms and the throne room can be visited. There is the changing of the guards. The â€Å"Casino†, was built by Charles Garnier, one of France's best architects of this ire. It stands on a panoramic terrace, offering one of the grandest views along the Riviera. It is a place where every tourist insists on gambling in, not because the actual Casino is any different to any other one, but because it is situated in â€Å"Monaco†. Finally, Monaco's largest success which takes place once a year in the last week of May: the Grand-Prix. It is where people from all over the world come to watch famous racecar drivers race to win. This is a huge sportive event for thousands of people and just the thought of an autograph would make anyone plan to see this. Many other sportive events take place in Monaco, which also attract locals and holidaymakers. Monaco has its very own Stadium, the â€Å"Stade Louis II†, where many huge and famous football matches are played. It is a giant sports complex where a high level of international competition takes place, encouraging tourists from all over the place to support the games. As well as this, it is possible for holidaymakers to book to watch the â€Å"Tennis Masters† and â€Å"Open tennis championship† tournaments, which are huge sporting events for the History of Tennis where some the World's best players come. Many beautiful gardens are very appealing to tourists. These include the â€Å"Princess Grace Rose Garden†, where 4,000 rose trees stand being more than 150 different varieties. On the other hand, the â€Å"Exotic Garden† is composed of 7000 varieties of succulent and remarkable specimen of cacti. Tourists are known to have had admired them for their amazing shaped and colours (as they come from Africa and Latin America). The â€Å"World Music Awards† are held in Monaco, attracting anyone with music interests or anyone who wants to try and see famous pop stars. The â€Å"Yacht show† is a huge event attracting all those tourists interested in boats. Last but not least, holidaymakers usually plan their holidays so as to leave enough time for â€Å"shopping†. There are shops such as: â€Å"Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Lanvin, Prada, Cartier, Bulgari and Fred†. It is hard to find other towns where all these sorts of shops are so close together. Tourists can take part in various activities. They can ride in the â€Å"Azur Express tourist train†, which is a guided tour around Monaco or take the â€Å"Aquavision† which is a boat trip with Underwater vision. There are also â€Å"runs† which take place from time to time where people run around Monaco. And of course, there are always parties that over 18s can take part in. Tourists bring both benefits and problems to Monaco. The prices in Monaco are extremely high and as it is a huge tourist area, when tourist come to Monaco, they spend a lot of money on the shops and restaurants, tourist sites, the casino and hotels. This gives Monaco a very high economy which enables the residents to live tax-free and to keep the people employed. People who are working there are also getting a lot of money to earn a living, they are well paid. Without the tourists coming to Monaco, the people living there would not be living in the same conditions; they would have to pay tax and to do this work extra time. The money is also going towards improving the environment and it is important for Monaco to keep up its high standards. The tourists in Monaco also cause conflicts between them and the residents. For example at the Grand-Prix, the streets where it is happening will be crowded with people, the roads will be blocked making it inaccessible for public transport for the retired. There will be huge amounts of noise, not only from the screaming crowds, but the motor-cars, where the noise can be heard almost all over the principality. This also disturbs certain schools who happen to have major exams during that week. During major football matches, there is a huge amount of traffic in Fontvielle (a neat industrial suburb) and therefore the residents nearby are not happy, also because the loudspeakers can be heard. It is no longer safe to go out during a football match as tourist take to getting drunk and starting fights with anyone who crosses their way. To manage the risk of getting hurt in a fight, police have now been sent all around Fontvielle to avoid the occurrence of fights and to arrest anyone who opposes to that rule. Now, only cars with a driving plate indicating it is from either France or Monaco is aloud to drive past the royal palace. If this rule had not been put to use, tourists would have caused traffic jams by stopping in the middle of the road in front of the Palace to take pictures. This way, they can take a nice long walk and admire the scenery properly; in more depth. Monaco is very keen on its environment and it is often the case that tourists step on the grass, though it is not allowed. To solve this, more and more signs have been put up to try and stop the destruction or the flattening of grass. In conclusion, it is clear that Monaco is a very tourist industry thanks to its good facilities and physical and human factors. Although conflicts and problems are caused, tourists also bring benefits to Monaco; they increase Monaco's economy and it is due to this, that Monaco is the principality that it is.

Cultural Stereotype Essay

Human beings are unique and different in many ways. However, people from other countries may also have certain similarities in character and perception. Cultural differences give people an idea on how to describe or identify a person who belongs to a certain group. Most of the time, people give a preconceived or oversimplified generalization about another group of people. The world is full of different groups of people that make up the whole of the society. These groups, however, have their own classifications based on how people perceive them. Stereotyping can sometimes be positive, but it may also bear a false assumption toward a certain group or person. Stereotyping is definitely inevitable because this is one way of giving a certain group an identity for them to be easily recognized by the people who share the same perception towards them. In most cases, stereotyping affects the way the society views a certain group of people, and worst, the image and perception that the society has towards them may be considered as reality rather than just a representation of that group. For example, the society looks at women as oppressed and vulnerable while the teenagers are perceived as aggressive and carefree individuals. The politicians are viewed as cheaters and liars while the loner people are stereotyped as weird or geek. These kinds of perception are stored in the minds of other people until they get to know one person from the group and prove that not all people with the same color, interests, gender, and designation have the same characteristics. Most often, however, stereotypes are wrong and negative which instill a permanent image or representation of an individual who belong to that cluster. The world might have been changing but the stereotyping remains as old as the culture that each country or each group has reserved for the past centuries. It is a manifestation that stereotyping can never be avoided or eradicated for it is part of the lives of the mainstream. Oftentimes, stereotyping offends the person or the group because of exaggeration in naming and injustice in giving information without proper evidences. Unfortunately, a certain group that had been rendered a stereotyped judgment tends to create an image which would remain inculcated in the minds of the people in the society. The impression that a group leaves to the people around them would be the same impression that would be gained by the other group which looks, acts, talks, and even shares the same beliefs with them. It has been said that mass media is one of the strongest factors in creating a stereotype judgment toward a person or a group. Apparently, people pattern their views based on how media portrays a specific group on media sources. The media does not teach the society on how they should perceive a group but their portrayal of that group on television shows, magazines, newspapers, and radio would give people an idea on the characteristics of the individuals that certain group has. Sadly, the media most of the time, tends to overlook the consequences of negative depiction of a certain group. On the other hand, stereotyping makes a certain group distinct from others. Because of the image that the society created pertaining to them, a group would be easily recognized and would gain a unique identity. Stereotyping may be favorable to those that have been having a good image representation because the society may not easily notice their negative sides. However, it would be unfair for those who already have a negative judgment from the society because people may perceive them only based on what they have learned and heard about that specific group. Every individual believes and practices different cultures and these may affect the way people view one another. However, making themselves familiar to the culture and beliefs of others may somehow lessen the negative impact of stereotyping. As stated in this article, not all stereotypes are bad and damaging for a group of individuals who share the same perspectives. Rather, it is the ignorance and the refusal of another group to know more about the culture of the other that makes it offensive. People should evaluate first the image that they have conceived from other people or from the media in order to avoid the negative perceptions caused by stereotyping.

Winslow Homers Breezing Up essays

Winslow Homer's Breezing Up essays Winslow Homers Breezing Up (A Fair Wind) Winslow Homers Breezing Up, located on the West Main Floor in Gallery 68 of the National Gallery of Arts, perfectly captures the beauty and splendor of nature and innocence. The painting, which was completed after three years of work in 1876, is displayed among the works of other oil painters including additional works by American and naturalist painter Winslow Homer. In this painting, Winslow Homer depicts a man with three boys in a small wooden sail boat that is riding along the choppy waters. At the center of this painting is the stern or rear of the boat. The oldest of the boys is sitting on the far end of the stern with his knees up and his bare feet planted firmly on the deck. Although the subject is directly in front of the viewer, Homer uses a slightly diagonal linear perspective that goes from the rear of the boat to the right and distant horizon. It is this boy, not the man, who is steering the boat almost effortlessly with one hand on the line. His face is turned slightly away from the viewer, yet Homer adds so much detail using line and color to accentuate the boys chin, left cheek and eye. Throughout the artwork, Homers use of lines is only hinted at by the detailed contours of the figures and boats themselves. These detailed features stand out greatly against the thick layers of puffy clouds, painted with thick and loose brush strokes, which linger over the water. The use of expressive lines is also hinted at in Homers ability to recreate curves just as they would appear in nature, such as the shape and form of the rolling waves in the sea and the clouds hovering overhead in the sky. Winslow Homer also uses the technique of line of sight, in which lines are created from the two boys on the left and their father looking to the sail while the boy steering the boat is looking towards the shoreline, their destination. Implied lines may also be app...

Current World Population and Future Projections

Current World Population and Future Projections The world population has grown tremendously over the past 2,000 years. In 1999, the world population passed the six-billion mark. By March of 2018, the official world population had jumped over the seven-billion mark to an estimated  7.46 billion. World Population Growth Humans had been around for tens of thousands of years by the year 1 A.D. when the Earths population was an estimated 200 million. It hit the billion mark in 1804 and doubled by 1927. It doubled again in less than 50 years to four  billion in 1975. Year Population 1 200 million 1000 275 million 1500 450 million 1650 500 million 1750 700 million 1804 1 billion 1850 1.2 billion 1900 1.6 billion 1927 2 billion 1950 2.55 billion 1955 2.8 billion 1960 3 billion 1965 3.3 billion 1970 3.7 billion 1975 4 billion 1980 4.5 billion 1985 4.85 billion 1990 5.3 billion 1995 5.7 billion 1999 6 billion 2006 6.5 billion 2009 6.8 billion 2011 7 billion 2025 8 billion 2043 9 billion 2083 10 billion Concerns for an Increasing Number of People While the Earth can only support a limited number of people, the issue is not so much about space as it is a matter of resources like food and water. According to author and population expert  David Satterthwaite, the concern is about the number of consumers and the scale and nature of their consumption. Thus, the human population can generally meet its basic needs as it grows, but not at the scale of consumption that some lifestyles and cultures currently support. While data is collected on population growth, it is difficult for even sustainability professionals to understand what will happen on a global scale when the worlds population reaches 10 or 15 billion people. Overpopulation is not the biggest concern, as enough land exists. The focus would primarily be on making use of uninhabited or underpopulated land. Regardless, birth rates have been falling around the world, which may slow down population growth in the future.  As of 2017, the total fertility rate for the world was 2.5, down from 2.8 in 2002 and 5.0 in 1965, but still at a rate that allows population growth. Growth Rates Highest in Poorest Countries According to World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, most of the worlds population growth is in poor countries. The 47 least developed countries are expected to see their collective population nearly double from 2017s one billion to 1.9 billion by 2050. Thats thanks to a fertility rate of 4.3 per woman. Some countries continue to see their populations explode, such as Niger with a 2017 fertility rate of 6.49, Angola at 6.16, and Mali at 6.01. In contrast, the fertility rate in many developed countries was below replacement value (more loss of people than those born to replace them). As of 2017, the fertility rate in the United States was 1.87. Others include Singapore at 0.83, Macau at 0.95,  Lithuania at 1.59, the Czech Republic at 1.45, Japan at 1.41, and Canada at 1.6. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the worlds population has been rising at a rate of roughly 83 million people  every year, and the trend is expected to continue, even though fertility rates have been dropping in almost all regions of the world. Thats because the worlds overall fertility rate still exceeds the rate of zero population growth. The population-neutral fertility rate is estimated at 2.1 births per woman.

About World War II Japanese Soldier Lt. Hiroo Onoda

About World War II Japanese Soldier Lt. Hiroo Onoda In 1944, Lt. Hiroo Onoda was sent by the Japanese army to the remote Philippine island of Lubang. His mission was to conduct guerrilla warfare during World War II. Unfortunately, he was never officially told the war had ended; so for 29 years, Onoda continued to live in the jungle, ready for when his country would again need his services and information. Eating coconuts and bananas and deftly evading searching parties he believed were enemy scouts, Onoda hid in the jungle until he finally emerged from the dark recesses of the island on March 19, 1972. Called to Duty Hiroo Onoda was 20 years-old when he was called up to join the army. At the time, he was far from home working at a branch of the Tajima Yoko trading company in Hankow (now Wuhan), China. After passing his physical, Onoda quit his job and returned to his home in Wakayama, Japan in August of 1942 to get into top physical condition. In the Japanese army, Onoda was trained as an officer and was then chosen to be trained at an Imperial Army intelligence school. At this school, Onoda was taught how to gather intelligence and how to conduct guerrilla warfare. In the Philippines On December 17, 1944, Lt. Hiroo Onoda left for the Philippines to join the Sugi Brigade (the Eighth Division fromHirosaki). Here, Onoda was given orders by Major Yoshimi Taniguchi and Major Takahashi. Onoda was ordered to lead the Lubang Garrison in guerrilla warfare. As Onoda and his comrades were getting ready to leave on their separate missions, they stopped by to report to the division commander. The division commander ordered: You are absolutely forbidden to die by your own hand. It may take three years, it may take five, but whatever happens, well come back for you. Until then, so long as you have one soldier, you are to continue to lead him. You may have to live on coconuts. If thats the case, live on coconuts! Under no circumstances are you [to] give up your life voluntarily. 1 Onoda took these words more literally and seriously than the division commander could ever have meant them. On the Island of Lubang Once on the island of Lubang, Onoda was supposed to blow up the pier at the harbor and destroy the Lubang airfield. Unfortunately, the garrison commanders, who were worried about other matters, decided not to help Onoda on his mission and soon the island was overrun by the Allies. The remaining Japanese soldiers, Onoda included, retreated into the inner regions of the island and split up into groups. As these groups dwindled in size after several attacks, the remaining soldiers split into cells of three and four people. There were four people in Onodas cell: Corporal Shoichi Shimada (age 30), Private Kinshichi Kozuka (age 24), Private Yuichi Akatsu (age 22), and Lt. Hiroo Onoda (age 23). They lived very close together, with only a few supplies: the clothes they were wearing, a small amount of rice, and each had a gun with limited ammunition. Rationing the rice was difficult and caused fights, but they supplemented it with coconuts and bananas. Every once in a while, they were able to kill a civilians cow for food. The cells would save up their energy and use guerrilla tactics to fight in skirmishes. Other cells were captured or were killed while Onodas continued to fight from the interior. The War Is Over...Come Out Onoda first saw a leaflet that claimed the war was over in October 1945. When another cell had killed a cow, they found a leaflet left behind by the islanders which read: The war ended on August 15. Come down from the mountains!2 But as they sat in the jungle, the leaflet just didnt seem to make sense, for another cell had just been fired upon a few days ago. If the war were over, why would they still be under attack? No, they decided, the leaflet must be a clever ruse by the Allied propagandists. Again, the outside world tried to contact the survivors living on the island by dropping leaflets out of a Boeing B-17 near the end of 1945. Printed on these leaflets was the surrender order from General Yamashita of the Fourteenth Area Army. Having already hidden on the island for a year and with the only proof of the end of the war being this leaflet, Onoda and the others scrutinized every letter and every word on this piece of paper. One sentence in particular seemed suspicious, it said that those who surrendered would receive hygienic succor and be hauled to Japan. Again, they believed this must be an Allied hoax. Leaflet after leaflet was dropped. Newspapers were left. Photographs and letters from relatives were dropped. Friends and relatives spoke out over loudspeakers. There was always something suspicious, so they never believed that the war had really ended. Over the Years Year after year, the four men huddled together in the rain, searched for food, and sometimes attacked villagers. They fired on the villagers because, We considered people dressed as islanders to be enemy troops in disguise or enemy spies. The proof that they were was that whenever we fired on one of them, a search party arrived shortly afterward.  It had become a cycle of disbelief. Isolated from the rest of the world, everyone appeared to be the enemy. In 1949, Akatsu wanted to surrender. He didnt tell any of the others; he just walked away. In September 1949 he successfully got away from the others and after six months on his own in the jungle, Akatsu surrendered. To Onodas cell, this seemed like a security leak and they became even more careful of their position. In June 1953, Shimada was wounded during a skirmish. Though his leg wound slowly got better (without any medicines or bandages), he became gloomy. On May 7, 1954, Shimada was killed in a skirmish on the beach at Gontin. For nearly 20 years after Shimads death, Kozuka and Onoda continued to live in the jungle together, awaiting the time when they would again be needed by the Japanese Army. Per the division commanders instructions, they believed it was their job to remain behind enemy lines, reconnoiter and gather intelligence to be able to train Japanese troops in guerrilla warfare in order to regain the Philippine islands. Surrendering at Last In October 1972, at the age of 51 and after 27 years of hiding, Kozuka was killed during a clash with a Filipino patrol. Though Onoda had been officially declared dead in December 1959, Kozukas body proved the likelihood that Onoda was still living. Search parties were sent out to find Onoda, but none succeeded. Onoda was now on his own. Remembering the division commanders order, he could not kill himself yet he no longer had a single soldier to command. Onoda continued to hide. In 1974, a college dropout named Norio Suzuki decided to travel to the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Burma, Nepal, and perhaps a few other countries on his way. He told his friends that he was going to search for Lt. Onoda, a panda, and the Abominable Snowman.  Where so many others had failed, Suzuki succeeded. He found Lt. Onoda and tried to convince him that the war was over. Onoda explained that he would only surrender if his commander ordered him to do so. Suzuki traveled back to Japan and found Onodas former commander, Major Taniguchi, who had become a bookseller. On March 9, 1974, Suzuki and Taniguchi met Onoda at a pre-appointed place and Major Taniguchi read the orders that stated all combat activity was to be ceased. Onoda was shocked and, at first, disbelieving. It took some time for the news to sink in. We really lost the war! How could they have been so sloppy? Suddenly everything went black. A storm raged inside me. I felt like a fool for having been so tense and cautious on the way here. Worse than that, what had I been doing for all these years? Gradually the storm subsided, and for the first time I really understood: my thirty years as a guerrilla fighter for the Japanese army were abruptly finished. This was the end. I pulled back the bolt on my rifle and unloaded the bullets. . . . I eased off the pack that I always carried with me and laid the gun on top of it. Would I really have no more use for this rifle that I had polished and cared for like a baby all these years? Or Kozukas rifle, which I had hidden in a crevice in the rocks? Had the war really ended thirty years ago? If it had, what had Shimada and Kozuka died for? If what was happening was true, wouldnt it have been better if I had died with them? During the 30 years that Onoda had remain hidden on Lubang island, he and his men had killed at least 30 Filipinos and had wounded approximately 100 others. After formally surrendering to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos pardoned Onoda for his crimes while in hiding. When Onoda reached Japan, he was hailed a hero. Life in Japan was much different than when he had left it in 1944. Onoda bought a ranch and moved to Brazil but in 1984 he and his new wife moved back to Japan and founded a nature camp for kids. In May 1996, Onoda returned to the Philippines to see once again the island on which he had hidden for 30 years. On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Hiroo Onoda died at age 91. Resources and Further Reading Hiroo Onoda,No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War (New York: Kodansha International Ltd., 1974) 44.Onoda,No Surrender;75. 3. Onoda,No Surrender94. 4. Onoda,No Surrender7. 5. Onoda,No Surrender14-15.Hiroo Worship.  Time  25 March 1974: 42-43.Old Soldiers Never Die.  Newsweek  25 March 1974: 51-52.Onoda, Hiroo.  No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War. Trans. Charles S. Terry. New York: Kodansha International Ltd., 1974.Where It Is Still 1945.  Newsweek  6 Nov. 1972: 58.

The Unification of Information Security Program Management and Project Article

The Unification of Information Security Program Management and Project Management - Article Example However, converging the two managements has drawbacks as well. More often than not, drawbacks weigh more than success on the first stages of the implementation. In light of the mentioned union, his paper will discuss the risks brought about by the new technology, the tasks to be dealt with in developing the Enterprise Information Security Program, and the adherence to executing risk management. The life of any organization or enterprise moving to build up a gateway lies in making goals into reality, and maintaining a successful position in the industry. Dealing with new things may bring more thoughts to ponder. The unification of Information Security Program Management and Project Management comes with new security threats/risks that must be addressed accordingly. "Unfortunately, in the context of security, requirements and specifications are most often overlooked. This may in turn account for the estimated 92% of security vulnerabilities NIST3 recently attributed to applications."1 Organizations wanting to advance with Information Security Program are susceptible to the possible hazards for the Project Management in setting up new systems to adhere with the goals of both managements. A partner of Hurwitz and Associates, Fran Howarth, wrote an article about "The Convergence of Physical and IT Security." Howarth stated that "IT systems are increasingly being attacked-and not in the way they used to be, by hackers concerned most with gaining the respect of their peers for their exploits, but by criminals intent on financial gain."2 H owarth further explained that: the heightened security threats that we face today-especially given the high levels of international terrorism that we face-affect huge parts of our lives. In recent years, public buildings, hotels, embassies and transport links have all been targeted by terrorists. And huge parts of our critical national infrastructures, including power, water and food supply, transport links and facilities, government and commercial facilities remain vulnerable, not just to terrorist attacks, but also to theft, sabotage and environmental disasters.3An executive summary of a research entitled "Making Security an Integral Part of the Management" from Computer Electronics Inc. reveals that "security should be an important element of project management, to ensure that the security implications of these changes are addressed."4 A skilled and knowledgeable project manager must be aware of the security requirements in managing projects. In addition, A Guideline to the Project & Program Management Standard produced by the International Association of Project and Program Management for the benefit of the project managers who need "to attain project success according to schedule, cost, quality, and to customer expectations."5 IAPPM sees a greater need in developing new techniques as organizations compete to be more accessible in providing solutions, products and services.6 IAPPM describes project management as "the centralized management by an individual to plan, organize, control and deploy key milestones, deliverables and resources from conception through retirement, according to customer goals. Often project managers are skilled to use specific templates and techniques to manage through the preferred project life-cycle."7 For example, a

Career Goal Statement for Nursing Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Career Goal Statement for Nursing Program - Essay Example This also fulfils my childhood dream reinforced over time. I believe in integrity, honesty and diligence in handling people’s information. I am courteous and hospitable with a higher regard for the elderly. I like interacting and socializing with friends with a view to knowing emotional, physical and psychological well-being of people. My multiple skills and experience puts me in the best position for generic nursing program. I have educational courses gained from my pre-professional nursing classes. I have helped treat complicated complications affecting a larger segment of our population like performing, teaching, and supervision of blood collection procedures. I have also conducted uncomplicated and painless tests for patients with heart diseases by recording their hearts electrical activity. I would like to hone my nursing skills and attain a top nurse status in the state. My skills will allow me overcome significant complications I have seen and experience many patients undergo. I also intend to become an Associate Degree Nurse (ADN) through internship and referrals. I would like to help reduce the rising cases of heart diseases by writing and partnering with other nurses in journals, articles and magazines. Having the EKG and Phlebotomy certifications, I am destined to become a professional nurse. I have excellent report from the lead nurse in the institution I earlier worked. I have helped treat more than 15 cases of heart complications. My previous health facility, with my assistance, collected more than 1500 blood samples kept in the blood bank. I would like to become an experienced nurse with the ability to treat and handle referral cases and emergencies. I also intend to produce my own book on Phlebotomy complications and provide an objective view of this profession. I would like to become a source of consultation in health issues by helping open an EKG section of the library in the university. I would

Music in the Afro Brazilian Religion Candomble Research Paper - 1

Music in the Afro Brazilian Religion Candomble - Research Paper Example This "Music in the Afro Brazilian Religion Candomble" essay outlines the characteristics of Brazilian religion. The features included in the religion include vigorous rituals and music that are very imperative in its development. The Capoeira is one recognized art in the Afro Brazilian setting that has the combination of music and dance. The specific ritual is martial art created in Brazil by slaves of the African continent and characterized by very fast and swift moves that are rather complex for anyone not well trained to comprehend. The power exerted in the dance is vast and thus for a person to perform the art well, strength is an important factor. One of the instruments used in the Capoeira is the berimbau. The instrument has its importance in that it brings out the rhythm of the songs in performance. Rhythm is an integral part of the ritual and without it; there can be no sense of dance in the music played in the Capoeira. The berimbau is not the only instrument played in the Capoeira but rather one of a set. The set is arranged in a row where there are three berimbeu, an agogo and two pendeiros (Rohrig 167). The full formation of the set is very important in that each of the instruments has a role that it plays in the completion of a perfect Candomble dance. All the instruments are supposed to follow the formation of the rhythm of the berimbau. The songs played in the Capoeira have different themes and purposes. There are also the songs played in various games in an effort to boost the morale of the players.

Things That Garbage Can Reveal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Things That Garbage Can Reveal - Essay Example The garbage from the trash bin depicts variety and the corresponding quantity of materials in regard to distinct socioeconomic discrepancy amidst the underlying activities and prevailing eating habits of every property(Pellow, 34-156).Cheap and widely available foods such as grains, fruits, nuts, local fish, chicken eggs and corresponding lentils depict relatively lower socioeconomic class since they are of minimal cost. Conversely, expensive meat and corresponding remains of salted fish depict the high socioeconomic class of household. Moreover, the waste from the neighboring drains that turned up less of a diversity of foods depicted immersed socioeconomic discrepancy amidst neighbors. Garbage also reveals the economic status of the household in regard to the quantity packages they buy that is relatively lower income families purchase products in smaller packages whilst corresponding upper-income families purchase massive economy-size substances. A larger packet of pizza, sausages, burger, crisps, ice cream and soft drinks reveals that the underlying family had relatively higher income(Pellow, 34-156). Larger quantities also reveal that the families were large whilst few packets depict relatively smaller family. In sum, the kind of garbage normally depicts the socioeconomic class of the underlying household, the number of persons within the household, economic welfare and culture. Moreover, archaeologists largely depend on garbage in determining of the culture of a family and consequently neighborhood.

Importance of Business Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Importance of Business Ethics - Research Paper Example The researcher states that several ethical theories exist defining what ethical and otherwise. Business ethics is derived from the ethical theories as for the behavior and conduct that any business entity adheres to in their daily interaction with their environment. Business ethics involves the application of ethical values such as integrity, fairness, respect, and transparency in business interactions. Business ethics also relates to how the business develops its structures produces and delivers its products and services to its clientele. Interaction with consumers, suppliers, employees and the wider society should align with ethical practice. Business ethics is very important due to the moral reasons which come with it. According to deontological theory, an action is considered to be ethical if it complies with the duties allocated either formally or moral duties. The utilitarian perspective of ethical actions is those that yield greater good for the majority. Personal and communit y conduct should comply to set rules and regulations for it to qualify classification as ethical. Actions that undermine the rights of other people are unethical especially exploitative behavior even if the victim is not informed of their rights. At the same time, some ethical theory as suggested by Plato and others in his school of thoughts indicates that the end justifies the means. Provided the end results are considered to be positive and acceptable then the process is ethical. Being ethical in a business is the right thing to do and business should ensure all the business behavior is governed by ethics. Business ethics and corporate governance work together to ensure accountability of the business to all stakeholders. Business ethics brings about the cooperation required for a company and the business environment to survive.

Things That Garbage Can Reveal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Things That Garbage Can Reveal - Essay Example The garbage from the trash bin depicts variety and the corresponding quantity of materials in regard to distinct socioeconomic discrepancy amidst the underlying activities and prevailing eating habits of every property(Pellow, 34-156).Cheap and widely available foods such as grains, fruits, nuts, local fish, chicken eggs and corresponding lentils depict relatively lower socioeconomic class since they are of minimal cost. Conversely, expensive meat and corresponding remains of salted fish depict the high socioeconomic class of household. Moreover, the waste from the neighboring drains that turned up less of a diversity of foods depicted immersed socioeconomic discrepancy amidst neighbors. Garbage also reveals the economic status of the household in regard to the quantity packages they buy that is relatively lower income families purchase products in smaller packages whilst corresponding upper-income families purchase massive economy-size substances. A larger packet of pizza, sausages, burger, crisps, ice cream and soft drinks reveals that the underlying family had relatively higher income(Pellow, 34-156). Larger quantities also reveal that the families were large whilst few packets depict relatively smaller family. In sum, the kind of garbage normally depicts the socioeconomic class of the underlying household, the number of persons within the household, economic welfare and culture. Moreover, archaeologists largely depend on garbage in determining of the culture of a family and consequently neighborhood.

Analizying Poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analizying Poems - Essay Example In sum, the poems sound like reminders for human beings to adjust their actions, perspectives and livelihoods in order for them to live in ways that are sensitive to some of the issues that lie hidden away from unperceiving eye, and which cause much of human suffering that is witnessed in the modern world. The Sound of Silence Garfunkel’s poem, â€Å"The Sound of Silence,† illustrates a moment of awakening for the speaker. In the first line, he refers to darkness as an â€Å"old friend,† (Garfunkel 1). The hidden meaning is that the speaker has lived with or in this darkness for a long time. Symbolically, this darkness represents ignorance and a general loss of direction and common sense. In a broad sense, this poem invites the readers to examine their own live in order to redeem themselves from systems of darkness, which systematically prevent them from the pleasures and joy of reality. In lines 12 and 13, the speaker talks of , â€Å"When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/ That split the night,† (Garfunkel 12, 13). This moment appears to be the supreme moment of awakening. Symbolically, the darkness could imply the common misconceptions, prejudices, dogma, indoctrination and other kinds of information that cannot stand the test of credibility. Such systems have the effect of blinding humanity from the real truths. They are also the causes of suffering, conflicts, and other ills, which afflict societies. This poem is a mockery to the modern discourse of communication and human existence, which have eroded the natural sense of humanity. The poem relies significantly on figurative language to make meaning out of the many issues of general human interest. The poet directs the readers to some of the important issues that are often ignored by humanity in their rash to meet their daily needs. Generally, the poet seeks to remind humanity of some of the basic concerns that must be addressed in order for people to live in tot ality. By assigning the quality of sound to silence, the poet employs the technique of inversion and contrast to achieve his thematic objectives. Blowin’ in the Wind In the poem â€Å"Blowin’ in the Wind† the poet uses the technique of questioning to interrogate some of the weaknesses that prevent people from finding solutions to issues that appear to be quite ordinary. The question, â€Å"How many...?,† is repeated severally throughout the poem. At every instance, the question is directed towards a different subject, which, in essence, comprises the underlying themes in the poem. Such themes include death and suffering, negligence, loveless relations, reward, recognition and the permanence of phenomena. The persona delves into multiple issues that concern a range of subjects of human interest. In the first two lines, the poet appears to hint at the theme of human struggle: â€Å"How many roads must a man walk down/ Before you call him a man?† (Dyl an 1, 2). This line captures the futility of human efforts, which lead man to engage in multiple struggles, which are often poorly rewarded. This line reads like an indictment to the unfeeling world that fails to recognize the selfless struggles and sacrifice that some people engage into for the sake of improving the welfare of the society. This line could apply to themes of poor working conditions in the modern employment sector and other roles that fail to attract the necessary rewards and acknowledgement from people. The other question, â€Å"

Effects of gambling Essay Example for Free

Effects of gambling Essay What are the Odds? With flashy lights, cheap buffets, and free hotel rooms; owners of casinos use these things as a ruse to pull people in. In a study by Dr. Weinstock, it was found that when gambling, the odds are stacked against the player. The odds of a college athlete becoming a pro football player are 3,000 to 1, the odds of being struck by lightning are 280,000 to 1, the odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 140,000,000 to 1 (Weinstock). Gambling is a complex and intriguing human activity. It has been in existence for several thousand years. Casinos are now located everywhere and gambling has become a recreational activity for all kinds of people. Gambling can be destructive to people and communities; however gambling can be a positive pastime because it provides entertainment and relaxation. It is a popular activity because people find it so pleasurable. The United States History of Gambling board did a study shows that thirty-eight percent of Americans will go to Las Vegas in their lifetime (History of Gambling in the United States). People go on vacations to places like Las Vegas or Reno Nevada, which are two major cities for gambling, to gamble for fun. It’s an enjoyable activity. People can participate in many different types of gambling; those with instantaneous prizes or scratch cards, slot machines, betting on sporting events, betting on special events, televised lotteries and traditional lotteries. Gambling can be positive and negative for these reasons: economy, addiction, harmful to the youth, and scholarships. Gambling preys on people who are poor, luring them with the promise of a life free from financial worries and burdens. In a physiological study, sixty percent of casino revenue comes from gamblers making less than $25,000 per year (Nance-Nash). As a result, bankruptcy rates are 100 percent higher in counties with casinos than in counties without casinos. While casinos may bring in tax revenue, this is perhaps the worst form of regressive taxation imaginable (Nance-Nash). The poorest of the population are the ones funding this tax revenue. On a more positive note, the regulation of the economy is a positive in favor of gambling. Wherever there is a casino, there is people spending money. When people win money, they use it to purchase items, thus putting the money back into the economy. Through regulation of the economy, new schools and hospitals can be constructed because of the increased funds caused by gambling taxes. With the creation of new casinos, other businesses in the area are often forced to shut down. Although gambling establishments may give tourism a boost, there may also be an increase in crime rates, which clearly isn’t a positive change. With more people passing through a town or city, there are more opportunities to commit crimes without getting caught. Gambling addicts can turn to thefts, robbery, fraud and embezzlement just to get more gambling money. The benefits to local businesses may be overstated, since many tourists will confine their activities to casinos and may not even spend their money elsewhere. Casinos are bad, because when people become addicted, it takes away from the economy by providing rehab, food, and housing assistance. As some people view gambling establishments as providing jobs, the activity also takes jobs away. People who become problematic gamblers become so addicted that they feel like that can’t do anything else besides betting. In turn, this causes people to lose their job in result of this addiction. 50% of college students were either problem or probable pathological gamblers (Weinstock). Looking at gambling from a different angle; when these establishments are built, other real estate such as hotels and restaurants are added to the community. These businesses provide more jobs. . Casinos are a positive because of the jobs they provide. Such jobs include: dealers, security staff, janitors, and entertainers. By providing more jobs, casinos help increase the population in an area. Jobs in the casino industry are often well paid jobs. Casinos make a great addition to a city with rundown areas because they encourage visitors and tourists. Gambling addicts not only do damage to themselves but to their families. Gambling addicts take a whole lot of time away from their families and friends. Whats worse is that they may even be spending not just their money but money for their familys daily expenses or for their kids education. Addicted gamblers fail to recognize this and are only focused in getting more cash when in reality, theyre just losing more. Gambling badly affects family life. Divorce, child neglect and suicides are products of gambling addictions. The legalization of gambling is not a problem, people who become addicted bring the problems and suffering upon themselves. A lack of self-discipline can lead to financial problems. Americas gambling addiction isn’t too far behind the nation’s drug problem, and it’s growing (Nance-Nash). In the United States there are 15 million Americans addicted to gambling and 23 million addicted to drugs or alcohol so the problem of people being addicted to gambling is not as bad as it may look. Also, there is a simple cure to gambling and that is to just stop going to casinos. Drugs have harmful effects and are much harder to break that addiction. The key for society is to find the right balance of it. Furthermore, people should be aware of the downsides of gambling so they participate in moderation. Gambling is fun and rewarding but destructive too, if one doesnt know how to handle it. As a youth, the rates of being at-risk for problem gambling can be two to three times higher than an adult. Gambling has become a problem because young kids, not yet old enough to gamble are now participating in this harmful activity, illegally. Huang found through research that students who gamble are at risk of obtaining other addictions such as binge drinking, marijuana use, cigarette use, and unsafe sex. (Huang) Living in the constantly changing times of today, technology has made placing bets easier than ever before. Students are liable to take part in gambling because it is deemed socially acceptable. As is it glamorized by advertising, and promoted as a sport, more and more people have found it okay to throw their money away on a nonsense game of luck. Although, for students gambling creates money for scholarships like the Arkansas Lottery scholarship. The Arkansas Lottery Commission is responsible for providing entertainment to the public and maximizing the revenue generated. Though gambling is looked at both negatively and positively everyone has their own opinion. They are all opinions; by giving supporting facts for both looks I have shown that gambling does have its ups and downs. Neither out ways is the other gambling something that will more than likely always be around. The gambling industry only exists because there are people willing to risk their money on a game of chance in the hope that they will make a profit. Usually, the only people who profit are the owners of casinos and other gambling establishments, but there are some people who are convinced that their day will come. Is it worth the risk to gamble your life away? While doing research supporting gambling it was found that gambling is beneficial because it stimulates the brain and strengthens decision making skills. (Campbell) People gamble, whether it is legal or not, because it helps them face the world more successfully than they could without the spark which it gives. Gambling is just an extension of entertainment like going to the movies or out to a sporting event. Casinos and gambling are harmless in moderation. They are beneficial to the community and the people who live there. Legalized gambling is a national sensation. The gaming industry is prosperous and should continue expanding.

Strategies to Avoid Car Congestion

Strategies to Avoid Car Congestion BUSINESS CASE: AVOIDING CRIPPLING CAR COGESTION 1 Case 2, Business Case: Avoiding a Future of Crippling Car Congestion Page 109 Explain the concept of connected cars. Why does Bill Ford see a need for connected cars? What does Ford mean by â€Å"global gridlock†? Brainstorm a few other ways in which an IT network could help to reduce global gridlock. Do  not limit yourself to current mobile network capabilities. If no action is taken far in advance of the forecasted car congestion, what do you foresee will  happen? What is the â€Å"Connected Cars† concept? According to (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 109/1). This connected car concept, are vehicles linked to various mobile networks and or intelligent systems and capable of M2M communication. This concept was outlined by Bill Ford chairman of Ford Motors at the 2012, Mobile World Congress (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 109/1). The mobile infrastructure allows for incorporation of technologies, applications, support, security processes, as well as devices for management and distribution of wireless communications. Wi-Fi technology permits devices to connect and share a network or Internet connection without connecting to a commercial network. (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 94/3). Theconnected caris a vehicle with internet connectivity which can be linked or connected to its navigation and information systems in addition to its passenger’s personal communication devices such as smartphones, computers, tablet or any other internet connected personal device. Also to include data connectionswithin the vehicle, such as GM’sglobal communication system â€Å"OnStar† (Howard, B. 2013). Permanent connections which allows the vehicle to communicate with your smartphone that would assist you in locating your car. Or the status of a charged battery pack by an app command or text message (Howard, B. 2013). Wide area networks (WANs), WiMAXs, and local area networks (LANs) and wireless wide area networks (WWANs) for mobile computing constitutes the various mobile network infrastructures. LANs and WiMAX are the components of the wireless infrastructures (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013) pg 94/4). So simply speaking a connected car can be any vehicle that has Mobile to Mobile connectivity, internet access or connected to a remote location that offers a service for the vehicle or its occupants over Wi-Fi connectivity is a connected car. Bill Ford see’s the need for connected cars because he see the vehicles in the world climbing at an ever-accelerating rate, and this massive surplus of vehicles can be averted with vehicles that are capable of communicating to each other as well as the communication system or infrastructure. Bill Ford Jr., of Ford Motor Company, â€Å"cautioned of the danger of amplified automobile possession and no conforming increase in automotive connectivity†. Partnerships will be needed to be established between automotive as well as telecommunications industries and the need will be greater than ever as we prepare for and manage the future (Barry, K. 2012). Within impending days, linked vehicles would communicate with one another through centralized traffic-observation platforms which would communicate notices about congestion, construction and accidents to in-car monitoring systems. Ford said vehicles should be seen â€Å"as pieces of a much bigger, richer network.† Precisely, cars of the future could rely on 802.11p WLAN, a network infrastructure reserved for vehicle 2 vehicle network infrastructures. Connected automobiles can interconnect with one another as well as command and traffic control stations. These stations could warn could about traffic jams, construction and accidents by relying data to in-car navigation systems (Barry, K. 2012). â€Å"Mobile data traffic is expected to increase 18-fold in size and speed through 2016, according to Cisco Visual Networking Index (VN1) Mobile Data Traffic Forecast, 2011-2016†, according to (Turban, Volonino, Wood, Sipior, 2013). Ford’s vision of â€Å"global gridlock† can be explained as follows: â€Å"a never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources which also impedes the movement of commerce and healthcare,† Ford said that, â€Å"Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030, and there will be 2 billion automobiles on the highways. This progression is anticipated to come in China, the world’s largest automotive market† (Barry, K. 2012). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration pronounces,† connecting our cars could address as many as 4.3 million crashes, or about 80 percent of accidents that don’t involve intoxicated drivers. Sixty percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2030, and there will be as many as 2billioncars on the road.† (Barry, K. 2012). How can future gridlock be reduce or controlled? , well here’s an example of future concepts of reducing global gridlock. Evacuated Tube Transport Technology Envision traveling from Manhattan to Beijing in one-hundred twenty minutes, that’s only 2 hours. A pair of pioneering minds have confidence in reducing travel time significantly, using high-speed capsules racing through tubes – considerably like driving through a drive through bank. Colorado inventor, Daryl Oster references this idea the â€Å"Evacuated Tube Transport Technology†, â€Å"it can propel a person or object 400 miles from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 30 minutes. This technology would necessitate a system for transporting a capsule through a vacuum tube with the air sucked out as if being in outer space, eradicating friction† (Petersen, B. 2013). Supercavitation -The occurrence identified as supercavitation is most familiar within the military realm. Cavitation an air or gas pocket developing around an object in motion underwater can be beneficial as this air or gas pockets fall away from a vehicle. The drag or resistance on a ship or underwater vehicle becomes greatly reduced. A defense tech company, â€Å"Juliet Marine Systems† developed a supercavitating watercraft called theâ€Å"Ghost marine platform†incorporating stealthiness and attack helicopter technologies for tracking airborne and subsurface objects. Gliding efficiently through the water still ends up being like moving through the air. (Danigelis, A. 2013). My Thoughts on Future Transportation I would consider using manual powered equipment as a means of travel providing exclusive attention would be given to this device. Such as bicycle that was designed for a comfortable long distance ride with exclusive roadways designed just for my device. How about a multiple person hover craft, where three or four person would mount a disc like object that hover only a few feet above ground. With the occupants securely strapped in and again allowed to operate exclusively within an air-space just for this mode of travel. What if no action is taken far in advance of the forecasted car congestion, what do you foresee will happen? I as well agree with Bill Ford, I see massive gridlock along with major congestion throughout the United States as well abroad. A never-ending traffic jam that wastes time, energy and resources and even compromises the flow of commerce and healthcare. Traffic on Interstates and Express routes will come to a mere crawl, vehicles will exhaust there fuel supply while stuck in traffic road blocks. Causalities will increase as a results of medical transportation and supply vehicles caught up in gridlock as well, making it nearly impossible for medical supplies or patients transport to reach there intended destinations. Food supply vehicles will have there cargo spoiled as a results of being caught up in traffic gridlock. I also envision a special highway express being created just for medical, food, fuel and any lifesaving product or supply. I also see this special highway being patrol by law enforcement and violators being severely punishment for traveling these special routes or interfering with the traffic on them. Unless the growing number of vehicles are not seriously addressed, to include major funding, rigorous IT research and advancements commuting and traffic as we know it will be a process of the past. References: Barry, K. (2012). Ford: Connected Cars Can Save Us From Gridlock.Ford: Connected Cars Can Save Us From Gridlock. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2012/02/ bill-ford-says-connected-cars-can-save-us-from-gridlock/ Danigelis, A. (2013). 10 Wild Ways To Travel In The Future.FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION. Retrieved from http://news.discovery.com/autos/ future-of-transportation/10-wild-ways-travel-future-130812.htm Howard, B. (2013). Connected cars: When is the breakthrough coming?Extreme Tech. Retrieved from http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/ 147568-connected-cars-when-is-the-breakthrough-coming Petersen, B. (2013). Hyperloop, Vacuum Tubes Shaping Up As Travel of The Future? CBS New York. Retrieved from http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/12/ hyperloop-vacuum-tubes-travel-of-the-future/ Turban, E., Volonino, L., Wood, G. R., Sipior, J. C. (2013).Information technology for management: Advancing sustainable, profitable business growth, 9th edition(9th Ed.). Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

george gershwin :: essays research papers

In 1910, the Gershwins had acquired a piano for Ira's music lessons, but George took over, successfully playing by ear. He tried out various piano teachers for two years, then was introduced to Charles Hambitzer, who acted as George's mentor until Hambitzer's death in 1918. Hambitzer taught George conventional piano technique, introduced him to the music of the European masters, and encouraged him to attend orchestral concerts. (At home following such concerts, young George would attempt to reproduce at the keyboard the music he had heard). He later studied with classical composer Rubin Goldmark. His 1916 novelty rag "Rialto Ripples" was a commercial success, and in 1918 he scored his first big national hit with his song "Swanee". In 1924, George and Ira collaborated on a musical comedy, Lady Be Good. It included standards as "Fascinating Rhythm" and "The Man I Love." This was followed by Oh, Kay! (1926); Funny Face in (1927); Strike Up the Band (1927 & 1930); Girl Crazy (1930), which introduced the standard "I Got Rhythm"; and Of Thee I Sing (1931), the first musical comedy to win a Pulitzer Prize. It was in Hollywood, while working on the score of The Goldwyn Follies, that George Gershwin collapsed and, on July 11, 1937, died of a brain tumour. He was interred in the Westchester Hills Cemetery, Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Gershwin had a ten-year affair with composer Kay Swift. Swift was a frequent consult of Gershwin; he named the musical Oh, Kay after her. Posthumously, Swift arranged some of his music, transcribed some of his recordings, and collaborated with Ira on several projects. Gershwin died intestate and all his property passed to his father.

Love Me If You Dare †Movie Analysis Essay

Love Me If You Dare is a French love-story film that released in 2001. It doesn’t have the typical arragement of plot that is commonly used in Hollywod cinema, so this film is categorized as Non-Classical Narative Structured film. The narrative structure itself is engaged with the content of a story and the form used to tell the story. In order to analyze the narrative structure of Love Me If You Dare, here we are going to discuss more about â€Å"what†, â€Å"where†, â€Å"who† and â€Å"how† the story is. 1. Where is the story set? The story takes setting in France. It is not only the language used in this film that can be apply as a reason to prove, but also many French words that explicitly appear on the scenes. Such as ‘capus’ that printed on the body of school-bus, and ‘M.Le Directeur’ that hangs on the door of principal’s room. 2. What event begins the story? The story begins by depicting a block of cement whose a can of merry-go-round is planted on the top of it, then the voice of narrator starts playing to explain about the story behind that game. 3. Who are the main characters? The main characters are Jullien Janvier, a guy whose Mom has a serious illness and really adored to play ‘game-or-dare’ with his merry-go-round can; and Sophie Kowalsky, a naughty girl that always enjoys to play ‘game-or-dare’ with Jullien through years. 4. What conflict do they face? The conflict begins when both of Jullien and Sophie grow older and they have been realized by people around them that time has changed; it is not a time to do such a childish game anymore. Jullien has to pass an exam, Sophie too. The last time they see each other, Sophie forces Jullien to admit that the feeling they have is not only game, but Jullien refuses his own feeling. However, Jullien’s life after that goes much easier than Sophie’s. He becomes a success youg executive (proven by his vehicle and suits), while Sophie becomes a waitress in a cafe, and also has to deal with many junk guys. They finally meet again for over four years promise not to see each other. Jullien comes with the gesture of proposing Sophie, but actually what he’s done is asking Sophie’s permission to marry another woman. That’s when the story begins more complicated. 5. What happens to the character as they face conflict? Jullien fails to marry with the woman he choose because Sophie comes and messes it up. Jullien is angry, then he tries to kill Sophie by asking her to stand in the middle of railway. Sophie can survive herself and she’s angry to Jullien in return. They agree not to see each other again in ten years. 6. Who wins the conflict? In a particular time when Jullien and Sophie decide to separate, each of them tries to have their own life. But when the ten years has come to an end, they prepare themselve to see each other. From this scene, the audience can infer that none of them are win or lose the conflict. Because it reaveals that they actually miss, and still need each other. 7. What reward do they achieve? After getting unite and admitting that actually they made for each other, they decide to live togeteher forever by sinking theirself into flan mud of cement, so that they will be statued forever. 8. How is the major conflict in the story set up? Stressing how important the game for Jullien and Sophie ïÆ'   showing that much things is need to be thought seriously by the goes of the time ïÆ'   Jullien’s dad refusal towards Sophie ïÆ'   major conflict begins. 9. How are the main character introduced? Jullien as the first speaker and narrator ïÆ'   introduces who are around him 10. How is the story moved along so that the characters must inevitably face the film’s central conflict? Condition forces them to separate ïÆ'   Jullien changes in the first meeting after four years ïÆ'   Sophie tries to make Jullien be her again ïÆ'   fails ïÆ'   Jullien hates her ïÆ'   Jullien tries to kill her ïÆ'   they hate each other. 11. How is the dramatic confrontation set up as the film draws to its close? Jullien and Shophie hate each other ïÆ'   emptyness while they are apart ïÆ'   problems with their ow wife/husband appear 12. How does the film resolve most of the major conflicts set up at the outset? They prepare a meeting after ten years ïÆ'   Sophie traps Jullien ïÆ'   thing beyond their control happens ïÆ'   Jullien traps Sophie back ïÆ'   they reveal and admit their feeling.

Essay on the the Secret Book Essay

According to recent studies, self-help books – non-fiction books that offer advice for behavior modification and make explicit promises for positive change – have doubled as a percentage of all book titles since the 1970s. The increasing popularity of self-help books is an indicator of the modern society’s quest to maximize personal happiness through a process of self-discovery. Self-help books are a response to a real and genuine hunger for psychological understanding and self-improvement and are part of the larger market of advice media. Readers buy self-help books seeking self-control – both as a good-faith attempt to increase their self-control and to elicit a temporary sensation that, in fact, the first step toward self-control has already been taken. And of recent years, one of the increasing self-help or spirituality books involve the teachings of New Age-ism. The New Age is a decentralized Western social and spiritual movement that seeks â€Å"Universal Truth† and the attainment of the highest individual human potential. It includes aspects of Occultism, astrology, esotericism, metaphysics, alternative medicine, music, collectivism, sustainability, and nature. New Age spirituality is characterized by an individual approach to spiritual practices and philosophies, and the rejection of religious doctrine and dogma. New Age practices and philosophies sometimes draw inspiration from major world religions: Buddhism, Chinese folk religion, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism; with particularly strong influences from East Asian religions, Gnosticism, Neopaganism, New Thought, Spiritualism, Theosophy, Universalism, and Western esotericism. New Age spirituality has led to a wide array of literature on the subject and an active niche market: books, music, crafts, and services in alternative medicine are available at New Age stores, fairs, and festivals. And one of the most phenomenal publishing successes in the self-help/New Age teachings is a book called The Secret. ABOUT THE SECRET Product Details The English-language 6. 9 x 5. 7 x 0. 9 inches hardcover book is fairly lightweight at 198 pages. It was first published in November 28, 2006 by Atria Books in Australia. In the United States of America, the book is published by Beyond Words and in United Kingdom by Simon & Schuster UK. Product Description Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it. In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life — money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life. The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers — men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible. Content of The Secret 1. Foreword 2. Acknowledgements 3. The Secret Revealed 4. The Secret Made Simple 5. How to Use The Secret 6. Powerful Processes 7. The Secret to Money 8. The Secret to Relationships 9. The Secret to Health 10. The Secret to the World 11. The Secret to You 12. The Secret to Life 13. Biographies The Secret Revealed The first thing you need to know is that The Secret isn’t really a secret. The secret is actually â€Å"The Law of Attraction† that asserts what you think creates what you feel, and these feelings flow from your body as magnetic energy waves over vast distances, which then cause the universe around you to vibrate at the same energy level as your feelings. The idea dates back nearly 3,000 years to early Hindu teachings that â€Å"like attracts like. † The law of attraction, which the author Rhonda Byrne says is the most powerful law in the universe, states that people experience the logical manifestations of their predominant thoughts, feelings, and words. This gives people direct control over their lives. A person’s thoughts (whether conscious or unconscious) and feelings bring about corresponding positive or negative manifestations. Positive thoughts bring about positive manifestations while negative thoughts bring about negative manifestations. The theory is very simple. Because it is an absolute law, the law of attraction will always respond to your thoughts no matter what they are. Thus your thoughts become things. You are the most powerful power in the universe simply because whatever you think about will come to be. You shape the world that exists around you. You shape your own life and destiny through the power of your mind. To quote some of the teachings in this book are â€Å"Thoughts are sending out that magnetic signal that is drawing the parallel back to you. †Thus there is no such thing as accident or coincidence; it is you, the individual, who brings misery on yourself because of your toxic thinking. But the good news, if you can alter your thoughts, and therefore your feelings, you can actually cause the universe around you to vibrate at a positive energy level and the desires of your heart will come to be realized! All you have to do is Ask — Believe — Receive. You just have to visualize what you want, feel good about it, and then ask the universe — and whatever you can imagine can be yours. It is like having the universe as your catalogue and you flip through it and go, ‘Well I’d like to have this experience and I’d like to have that product and I’d like to have a person like that’ †¦ It is you just placing your order with the universe. The law of attraction was the power, the author argues, behind geniuses such as Plato, Newton, Beethoven and Einstein. In this book too, she has also gotten quotes, experiences and support from the who’s who of the self-help industry, including John Gray, author of â€Å"Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus,† and Jack Canfield, who wrote â€Å"Chicken Soup for the Soul. â€Å"Jack Canfield, provides an excellent example of the ask-believe-receive system where he tells us that he visualized earning $100,000 (even writing the desired amount on a bill worth far less and tacking it to the ceiling above his bed) and focused his mental energy only on the goal of attaining the money. He tells us that he had absolutely no idea how he was going to get the money — he simply focused on believing that he would get the money, somehow. But how? For four weeks he had no breakthrough ideas but then, one day in the shower, he remembered that he had written a book and, if it was published (particularly if he sold 400,000 copies and he made a quarter on each) he just might achieve his financial goals. Of course the book was published, and the results were only a few thousand dollars shy of 100,000 dollars. And this is just one of the many testimonials in this book called The Secret. The Story Behind The Secret It is not a secret now that The Secret is a publishing phenomenon of recent years especially for in the non-fiction & self-help category. This small book, with a parchment-brown cover engraved with the image of a red wax seal, debuted in 2006 and since then it has sold over four million copies worldwide and has been translated to 38 different languages. The Secret began as a DVD which came out end of 2004. Rhonda Byrne was a television producer in Australia in 2004 when the death of her father led her to discover ‘the secret’, which is her term for what is commonly known as the law of attraction. Her discovery was mainly caused by the 1910 book The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles. Wattles’s book struck such a chord with Byrne that she plunged into a crash course in Western, Eastern, ancient and modern thought, devouring hundreds of books and articles in just two and a half weeks. Inspired, she flew to the States in July 2005 and began lining up people to interview; the film was finished six months later and she began trying to find an Australian network to air it. The top-rated Nine Network was intrigued by her proposal, but the finished film struck Len Downs, the program manager, as just â€Å"a whole range of talking heads giving their basis of the secret of life. † It eventually ran in Australia just a few weeks ago, and, says Downs, it didn’t do all that well. But armed with the law of attraction, Byrne was confident things would work out. A Web company situated just blocks away from her office in Melbourne had a technology for distributing streaming video over the Internet. In March 2006, her site (http://thesecret. tv) began selling downloads and DVDs, one of which found its way to Cynthia Black, president of the New Age-oriented publishing house Beyond Words saw its potential and by late November the book was in the stores and the rest as they say, is history. PURCHASING THE SECRET The Secret books are available at all major bookstores, online bookstore and through its official website. It is usually placed in the Health, Mind & Body -> Self Help category or Religion & Spirituality -> New Age category. At most of these major bookstores, The Secret books are placed most prominently on the shelves. Due to it being constantly on worldwide bestseller lists for non-fiction books thus the title is prominently displayed in the bookstores should the bookstore have a bestsellers display section. Its average retails price for cash & carry stores are $23. 95 in the United States; ? 12. 00 in United Kingdom; and MYR79. 90 in Malaysia. While its average retail price for online purchases are $14. 00 and ? 12. 00 in United States and United Kingdom respectively. PROMOTING THE SECRET After the phenomenal success of the The Secret DVD, it made sense for it to be turned into a book and what better way for the marketers to embark on promoting the book than playing up the hype of the movie and using the popular internet marketing tool such as the viral video site YouTube. The book was marketed with an online viral video campaign focusing on wealth enhancement. The short video clips showed testimonials from readers of the book and practitioners of â€Å"the secret† claiming that the technique brought them wealth, cured sickness, and brought about a general life-change. The video clips do not disclose what â€Å"the secret† is, where it originated from or how it can be practiced, but rather pointed viewers to the website for both the book and film. Thus hooking the viewers and made them all the more intrigue by the claims made by the author in the book. As for packaging and promotional material, the book also played into the consumers’ senses by trying to showcase that â€Å"the secret† originates from the cosmos. The cover prominently displayed a parchment-brown cover engraved with the image of a red wax seal (see Appendix 1) to indicate it is somewhat a book from the olden days and in the inside pages, the background design are a field of stars, and various shots of the universe thus adding mystique to the claims and the practice. However, the most savvy and most probably the ultimate gambit of the book is to call it ‘The Secret. To quote Mr Donavin Bennes, a buyer who specializes in metaphysics for Borders Books, â€Å"We all want to be in on a secret. But to present it as the secret, that was brilliant. † Thus the name evoke a sense of intrigue to readers who are looking for something magical or perhaps easier tool for them to understand and to fully live their lives. Another smart marketing move made by the publisher was to have it endorsed by well-known and highly popular worldwide celebrities. The book got its first break in the US when Ellen DeGeneres featured it on her show. And when Oprah Winfrey decided to run a show on it, although it was already a big success, the sales ballooned up much more. Oprah Winfrey first featured it on Feb. 8 2007 and according to Nielsen BookScan, the book had sold 18,000 copies the week before. During the week of the show, sales rocketed to 101,000 and when the show did a follow-up on Feb. 16 2007, the sales that week reached 190,000. With the success of the book, the publishers decided to create more spin-off titles, which they call The Secret tools. There are now The Secret to Teen Power (see Appendix 2), The Secret Daily Teachings (see Appendix 3) and The Secret Gratitude Book (see Appendix 4). Not only that, at its official website there are also ‘gifts’ for the readers such as visualization tools, The Secret memory game, wallpapers, ebook and blank checks (see Appendix 5) which goes hand-in-hand with the teachings of the book. THE SECRET S. W. O. T ANALYSIS Strengths 1. The intriguing title. As elaborated above, the title play a major role in inciting readers’ interest in the book. 2. The cover design. Alongside its intriguing title, the odd-shaped book with its olden-days personification invoke a sense of mystery that is definitely eye-catching and surely pique a person’s interest while browsing the shelves at a bookstore. 3. The content is an easy read with its simple language and peppered with inspiring testimonials from many men & women who has experienced the use of the secret plus personal experience & quotations from the the who’s who of the self-help industry. 4. The savvy marketing ideas of the publishers that has created the hype that constantly raise awareness of the book. 5. Endorsement by high-profile & influential personalities that are recognized world-wide certainly helped boosted its sale internationally. 6. Constant high-placing in best-selling charts, most probably due to the savvy marketing ideas of the publisher and as the  long-term effect of the celebrity associated to the book especially Oprah Winfrey. Weaknesses 1. The selling price in Malaysia of RM79. 90 is definitely a setback to potential buyers as the price is rather steep for many people especially for books in the self-help category. 2. The book is not available in paperback form thus some book buyers are not keen on buying hardback cover books due to its steeper price or its slightly heavy weight. 3. The content is not something that is unique and there are many similar teachings that one can get in many other books thus it does lack a little originality. 4. As typical with many New Age teachings, the content of the book has garnered much criticism which try to debunked the book’s teaching as merely hype, mumbo-jumbo or just plain illogical. 5. The book has to complete with many other form of self-help books available that are cheaper, more accessible and from much more renowned authors (Paulo Coelho, Eckhart Tolle, Anthony Robbins) Opportunities 1. Publishers could promote to younger readers especially The Secret for Teens book first and therefore will garner their interest in the main book The Secret. 2. Use the The Secret movie to lure potential readers as there are those who would like to have to book in hand as a way to look back or do revision which is harder to do with the dvd. 3. Offer a cheaper paperback form, thus the book is able to be sold at a cheaper price and therefore garner many more readers. Threats 1. With the easy access to internet, potential readers might decide to check out what the book is about online and thus stumbling on the many critics that the book has garnered. This in turn can make them believe the critics before actually reading the book, thus will result in loss of sales. 2. Like many other things in life, people are apt to stumble upon a new idea for a book or a belief that could help the world, thus there will be brand new books in the future that will probably come with a much more savvy marketing approach and thus will affect the interest of the people about The Secret! THE SECRET CONCLUSION The Secret is a phenomenon and it is likely to become one of the best-selling self-help books of all time. Venture into your local bookstore or look around you while waiting at an airport, and you’re bound to see people reading it and absorbing it. They will not just be people who consult astrologers and who listen to Tony Robbins tapes, but normal, average people like the ones who live next door to you. There are almost 1400 reviews of the book printed at Amazon with an average rating of 3. 5 out of 5. The breakdown of those scores is interesting: fifty-two percent of them are 5-star, thirteen percent are 4-star and twenty-one percent are 1-star. This means that the majority of people, the great majority even, believe in at least some aspects of the book’s premise and teaching. They believe in the law of attraction. The one problem that The Secret poses is that it simplifies and speculates way too much and there are a quite a significant level of moral defects, the lack of scientific backing, and the various philosophical shortcomings, how is it that a significant number of people still believe there’s something to The Law of Attraction? Part of the reason must certainly be the powerful testimonials coming from celebrity figures such as Oprah Winfrey, a woman who attributes her success to her mighty powers of attraction. Of course, that’s a long way from the simple model of Ask-Believe-Receive. In most people’s lives, positive thought leads to success only through the transforming medium of action. But as the author Rhonda said in an interview, she just wants to bring happiness to everybody. That’s the reason it all began. And to her credit, she does bring happiness to many people worldwide and surely there is nothing, in principle, wrong with thinking about what makes you happy.

Into the Wild and Walden

After reading Walden, by Henry D. Thoreau and watching the movie titled, Into The Wild, written by Sean Penn, I realized how similar and different both main characters were. Christopher McCandless, the main actor in the movie and, Henry D. Thoreau, the author and main character in Walden, share many things in common however, their views on the world and motives for going on their journeys are very different from one another. These two men share complex views on life and how one should live that life. They differ in regards to how they deal with and go about living their lives. Thoreau and McCandles live their lives doing what they feel makes them happy. McCandless quotes Thoreau and says, â€Å"If you want something in life, reach out and grab it† (sc. 167). Both of their journeys were beneficial for them and taught them a lot about themselves. Both of these men went out on a quest to find themselves and give insight into how they define and live with technology, finding spiritual freedom, the necessities of life, and living life to its fullest, but it is these similarities shared between the two that they also contrast each other greatly. Both McCandless and Thoreau deal with the advancement of technology in their journeys. McCandless is the Henry D. Thoreau of the 1990s. What sets him apart from Thoreau is his view on technology. Thoreau states, â€Å"The nation itself, with all its so- called internal improvements, which, by the way, are all external and superficial†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (119). This statement is the opposite of McCandless‘ view. McCandless uses the advancements in technology to get to his final destination of Alaska. McCandless travels by train, which would have made Thoreau absolutely sick. Thoreau clearly expressed his iscussed for the railroads in Walden. McCandless also relies of cars and trucks as he hitch hikes across the country. Now in Thoreau’s time there were not these elaborate highways and cars but Thoreau would not have been happy about this. If Thoreau had a problem with the railroads in the 1800s then there is no doubt he would have not agreed with the way McCandless chose to get to Alaska. They both had technology that they relied on. They both love to read and write. Ink and books were both made from the advancements in technology over centuries. They also both had tools while out in the ilderness that they heavily relied on. They both had knives that they used all they time for cutting and cleaning food. Thoreau had a wheelbarrow and a spade, where as McCandless had a gun, and a handbook on, what was edible in nature. McCandless and Thoreau both went in search to find spiritual freedom and escape society. Thoreau recorded his two year experiment to express what he has learned about himself and society. McCandless also recorded his escape from society on his two year journey. They both were out in the wilderness alone for two years as they connected to the earth spiritually. Unlike McCandless, Thoreau never mentioned problems within his family in Walden. McCandless had another reason to escape society other than to find himself, he was escaping the violence and troubles presented in is everyday life at home. A voiceover of Carine, McCandless sister, comes on and says â€Å"Worse yet was that it was Marcia to whom he was still legally married at the time. And it was Chris and I who were the bastard children† (sc. 53). This shows how McCandless had so much more to leave behind than Thoreau did. This scene also give us insight into McCandless’s state of mind nd how much his life at home effected him. Thoreau states, â€Å" I left the woods for as good of a reason as I went there†¦I had several more lives to live, and could not spare any more time for that on† (426). Thoreau’s statement tells us how he just went for the purpose to get away from society and live in nature and solitude. McCandless had emotional problems brought on him by the instability of his family. Both Thoreau and McCandless lived with the necessities of shelter and durable clothing. They both had shelters that were made by man. McCandless lived in a bus out in he Alaskan wilderness, and Thoreau lived in a cabin at Walden pond. Thoreau and McCandless had to deal with the airiness of their homes. Thoreau says, â€Å"This was an airy and unflustered cabin, fit to entertain a traveling god†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (110). Thoreau however did have a functioning cabin where as, McCandess lived in a bus that was converted into a house. Thoreau had a more room to move around as well as better protection from the weather. McCandless lived in more open and colder environment than Thoreau had to. Both men also relied on their clothing to be durable and able to withstand the elements. The harshness of their living conditions required them to have warm and durable clothing. They did not have enough room in their bags to bring every item of clothing they owned. It had to be functional year round as well as strong enough to hold over a duration of two years of hunting and gathering. Thoreau had did not have as much variety of clothing to chose from as McCandless did. McCandless was born in a generation that made clothes in mass quantities and clothes were more accessible to everyone plus McCandless had his parents to buy him clothes over the years. Thoreau and McCandless were both college graduates that lived their lives to the fullest. Thoreau graduated from Harvard and McCandless graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Both men were highly educated and were very knowledgeable in many aspects but prefer not to have a job. McCandless says to Mr. Franz , â€Å"I think careers are a twentieth century invention and I don’t want one. You don’t need to worry about me. I have a college education. I’m not destitute. I’m living like this by choice† (sc. 185). They both were philosophizers and knew about the uselessness of possessions. McCandless donated twenty-six thousand dollars to Oxfam, cut up his identification card, and credit cards. Thoreau however, did not give up his possessions, he just set them off to the side until his experiment was complete. McCandless lived the last two years of his life doing what he wanted and exploring nature. He died doing what he wanted to do, not what he had to do. Although Thoreau did not die during his experiment he lived his life the same way. Thoreau knew that for one to be happy, one must live their lives doing what they want. Both men lived their lives to the fullest and did what they wanted to do. McCandless and Thoreau have learned so much about themselves and about how the world works, whether its for the better or not, while out in the wild. As these two men have traveled and lived in their final destinations they have had to deal with technology, finding spiritual freedom, the necessities of life, and living life to its fullest, to make it there. Thoreau says, â€Å"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer† (430). Thoreau is saying that it does not matter how you match up to others or if you follow other people, only he or she can make their ife worth living and worth telling about. Both McCandless and Thoreau have similarities but because they are different people they also have many contrasts between them. They both benefited from their journeys and have taught us all something. The have both gained knowledge of the world and of themselves while out in the wild. They teach us that if one wants to be happy, do that which makes one happy. Their journeys are something we can all do for ourselves. And if we do go on a journey like this we wont always have the same answer for questions but will be faced with the same questions of life.