Inquiries and serious case Essay

Serious case reviews are summoned when a child or a vulnerable adult is seriously injured and there is a suspicion that abuse or neglect has played a role in the outcome. When an incident occurs, a number of investigations are triggered to establish what has happened and who is to blame. In these situations serious case review and inquiries are undertaken in addition to the other investigations. According to Williams (Sarah, 2012), the purpose of serious case reviews is as follows To identify what the lessons are and how they will be acted on to improve practise. Improve local interagency working Review procedures and make recommendations for improvements Of all the procedures and stages of appointment of staff the most crucial factor is safety. It might sound weird but an error in this aspect might have wild consequences. Safer recruitment practice should include those persons who may not have direct contact with children, but because of their presence and familiarity in certain settings will still be seen as safe and trustworthy. The principles of safer recruitment should be included in the terms of any contract drawn up between the organisation and contractors or agencies that provide services for children and young people for whom the organisation is responsible. The organisation should monitor compliance with the contract, which should also include a requirement that the provider will not sub-contract to any personnel who have not been part of a safer recruitment process. Staff has to be kept informed about child protection responsibilities and procedures through induction, briefings and awareness training. There may be other adults in the school who rarely work unsupervised, more usually working alongside members of the school staff. However the supervisor will ensure they are aware of the school’s policy and the identity of the Child Protection Officer. Any member of staff, volunteer or visitor to the school who receives a disclosure of abuse, an allegation or suspects that abuse may have occurred must report it immediately. In Dubai and the United Arab Emirates there is currently no infrastructure of Educational Safeguarding and/or Social Care Services. Following cases which caused concern in the Emirati community, Sheikh Mohammed, the Ruler of Dubai, supported the drafting of a Federal law on child protection â€Å"to ensure a secure and stable future for children in the  U.A.E.† In April 2012, it was reported that Dubai had  "embraced a new policy to protect children against all forms of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect and offer support and care for those in need.† The policy â€Å"aims to provide protection to Emirati and expatriate children under the age 18 who live permanently or temporarily in Dubai. In November 2012, the UAE Cabinet approved â€Å"Wadeema’s Law† to â€Å"protect children in the UAE.The law includes creating special units that intervene when children are at risk and stresses that all children have rights regardless of religion and nationality.† In conclusion, serious case reviews make an important contribution to understanding what happens in circumstances of significant harm. Their effectiveness can be improved and there are examples of promising approaches using the findings of serious case reviews to bring about improvements in safeguarding practice. However, achieving such improvements requires Local Safeguarding Children Boards to develop a much stronger learning culture within which serious case reviews are but one important source of knowledge for improving safeguarding practice. References Dubaicollege. (2012). Child protection policy. Available: http://www.dubaicollege.org/media/policies/Child%20Protection%20Policy.pdf. Last accessed 03rd May 2014. Willams, rutter, gary (2012). Promoting Individual and Organisational Learning in Social Work. london: SAGE publications. p99-102.

Labour Day Essay

As the world acknowledges the hard and tedious work of a laborer and celebrates the Labor Day with great zeal and zest, an ordinary laborer continues to work hard mindless of what goes around, to make it through the day. Aspiring to make this world a better working place, May 1 marks the labor day when debates and talks are held, sessions and processions are carried out and banners and brochures are distributed all over the world. In a hope to provide the laborers better working conditions and opportunities for better socio-economic outcomes, more is said than what is actually done about it. Labor Day is celebrated in various countries across the globe at varying days of the year to honor the achievements and contributions of workers as well as to spread awareness about the working conditions and wage issues of laborers. In Pakistan, the labor policy was started in 1972 and 1st May was declared as the Labor Day and a public holiday. As a member of International Labor Organization (ILO), Pakistan observes the Labor Day in relation to its activities to improve the working conditions of laborers and to acknowledge their contributions. As a member of ILO, it is the responsibility of Pakistan state to uphold the core values of ILO and to devise policies and schemes to protect the interests of workers. But what happens on ground is a totally different story. There is a more of talking and less of action. So 1st May comes and yes we enjoy a day off, read in newspapers and blogs about Labor Day, watch special TV programmes and then just get along with our daily routines and as soon as the day ends we forget all about it. But for the laborers the situation is ugly. Sky rocketing prices, soaring inflation, excessive load shedding of electricity and gas, low wages, rising poverty and poor law and order conditions, all contribute to make the life of people generally and of laborers particularly, utterly miserable Reality Ch eck: The conditions in which laborers work are bad, to say the least. Long working hours, low wages, lack of health facilities, safety measures, and social protection are the vital issues of the working class, but the mindset of our elitist groups and the common practice of factory owners is to deny the basic rights of laborers and to press them against the wall. The only way to change the course of events, to change this mindset of paying less and making the workers work for long arduous shifts is to bring in strong legislative changes and to protect them through  strict regulations. nothing will change until the government formulates new laws and policies. The truth is Pakistan has have the history of bad naming itself not just because of ill-bread policies or lack of proper regulatory and enforcing system but also because of its lack of interest to nip the evils of child labor and of that of bonded labor. Every major city of Pakistan and the neighboring areas of these cities see factories, cottage industries, brick kilns and similar working places filled with malnourished young children working 9-10 hours a day for less than Rs.300 a day. Young girls, women as well as elderly people are seen making bricks in brick kilns in harsh weather conditions yet they have no hope to escape these conditions since majority of workers in these kilns are bonded labor- where every newborn comes to life with a big baggage full of interest money to pay on a loan his great grandfather once took, years and years ago. Every year on May 1, we remember our laborers and workers because we know how much we need them, yet Labor Day brings along nothing more than some enthusiastic but highly unrealistic speeches, pretentious promises and stalemate guarantees. If something meaningful has to be done for a class who is the backbone of our economy, now is the time to change our words into productive actions.

Future Innovative Design in Virgin Galatic Case Study

Future Innovative Design in Virgin Galatic - Case Study Example Virgin has been associated with change and innovative idea, during this era of design and innovation manufacturers are experimenting with technology and introducing new services and creating opportunities for themselves. It has one of the successful space tourism groups in the industry and also the first one of its kind. Virgin is a large group therefore this organization has got access to more funds and tools to research and therefore they are able to come up with great creativity. They are trying to explore the satellite business through their efforts of launching satellite based services and science missions along with the idea of passenger flights which is expected to come as a successful venture in the space industry (Aaker, 2008). The world has become a place of complexity and unpredictability therefore businesses need to be very careful and in order to sustain the competition, they constantly need to update themselves and cope up with the changing needs and wants of the consumers. Therefore design has become an excellent tool to create a sustainable competitive advantage in the industry. Due to the importance of this subject and its relevance in the business set up and functioning there are various researches and studies that have been done. Design - Inspired In... e on the need for firms in UK to incorporate design in their work in order to differentiate themselves by other nations and other organizations and compete on factors other than price, this is called the differentiation strategy. Designing is a creative experience altogether where one has to think out of the box. There are companies all around the globe that have long history of success and innovative designs such as Apple which is the king of innovation in the industry, then there is Toyota Motor Corp which has constantly shown evidence of efficiency in the manufacturing while Procter & Gamble has adopted an open house innovative strategy. Virgin got a strong backing on the decision on using UK as a base for its launch plan. Currently the contribution of the UK space industry towards their economy is 6.5 billion pounds and it is providing employment to around 68000 employees which is significantly a large figure. The economy is hoping to achieve success in this sector in the near future and a 5% growth rate each year by 2020 which will help the space industry to come out of its recession and it is said that the space industry is probably one of the success stories of UK currently. Therefore knowing the potential in the industry Virgin Galactic has portrayed itself an example of excellence in ideas, modernization and development (Bennett & Craun, 2008). The company wants to give their consumers a memorable experience along with safety which is an integral part of the entire manufacturing at the same time. Initially people didn't believe that this idea will be implemented and that soon Virgin is going to launch its airplane for commercial purpose as it surprised all of them when they gave a first look of their new Space Ship two's planes it took them two years to

Week 7 Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Week 7 Analysis - Case Study Example The company instituted a policy that allowed its customers to check-in two bags free of charge. Most airlines in the industry charge their customers $15 to $25 per bag. The strategy has been very effective because during recessionary times customers are looking for ways to save. Transportation – Southwest Airlines operates in an industry in which overhead costs are very high. The company might be foregoing a lot of income by not charging its customers money for transporting their bags. Integrated Marketing – The company is using an integrated marketing campaign in which the firm is attempting to steal market share from other companies by promoting its free bag policy. The organization might have made a mistake within its strategy by becoming the first airline in the industry to charge for carry-on bags to highlight the benefits of free bag handling. Promotional Mix – The firm’s promotional mix has been effective, but the company might not be focusing on other revenues opportunities such as increasing the amount of business flyers that utilize the firm’s services. Target market – The marketing strategy of the company is targeting flyers that are looking for a bargain price. The firm’s strategy is not focusing enough on obtaining recurrent flyers. Based on Pareto’s 80-20 rule 80% of a firm’s business comes from 20% of its customers (Starak). Public relations – The public relations campaigns of the company focus a lot on how fun it is to fly with the company. The firm might be better off by illustrating to its customers how much more value the firm offers through its combination of lower prices and free bag handling. Value based purchasing brings together information about the quality of the product or service (Ahrq). The case study is a good illustration of how companies can take advantage of recessionary times to increase their market share. Often people believe that during a recession all businesses have

Free topic (contact me by email) Research Paper

Free topic (contact me by email) - Research Paper Example Non-verbal forms of behavior are expressive while verbal behavior is indicative. In a normal communication between two people, only one-third of the meaning is transmitted on a verbal level while two-thirds on a non-verbal level (Sielski, 1979). Nonverbal communication provides an insight into why people behave as they do. Such insight and information is invaluable for professions such as counseling because body language can actually contradict verbal communication (Sielski, 1979) and non-verbal cues are processed differently in different cultures (Yammiyavar, Clemmensen & Kumar, 2008). Terms ‘body language’ and NVC are interchangeably used throughout the paper. This subject has been of interest to evaluate how an understanding of body language can actually influence counseling. I have gone through some literature on body language and counseling and since I intend to enter the counseling profession, I felt motivated to go deeper. This research paper is purely based on textual analysis. Based on the literature review, the framework for the research would be formed. The methodology would be briefly discussed and then the findings would be analyzed based on theoretical framework. Body language as a means of communication has been of immense interest to many researchers and psychologists. It is considered to be an outward reflection of a person’s emotional state, according to Yammiyavar, Clemmensen and Kumar (2008). It is a study of the mixture of all body movements that could be involuntary or deliberate; it could also apply only in one culture or across all cultures. Non-verbal communication refers to all stimuli generated for the purpose of communication. Various body movements such as facial expression, gestures, eye contact, tactile communication and paralanguage have been identified as principle non-verbal cues. Areas of study in non-verbal cues

Evidence-Based Practice Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Evidence-Based Practice Project - Assignment Example There are five categories of adopters in this theory including earlier adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards (Sahin, 2006). In the implementation plan of the research geared towards understanding the use of echocardiography in the treatment of heart diseases, the diffusion of innovation theory will be helpful. From the PICOT questions, the target population is teenagers that suffer from heart problems to the extent that their productivity is affected. It is from this population that the five categories in the diffusion of innovation theory will be taken out from for the implementation plan. The intervention under the PICOT question is securing and protecting these teenagers from succumbing to heart problems through a research program that will provide the required information on the best way to solve the heart problems that they face. Here, the five-stage adoption process in the diffusion of innovation theory will be used in implementing the intervention in the five categories established from the chosen population. The first stage is knowledge or awareness stage (Sahin, 2006). In this stage of implement ation, I will search for information that will enable me to gain knowledge of the clinical change required for the teenagers. this will involve asking questions from professionals in the area and researching on the information. This stage will feature the comparison aspect of the PICOT question because information has to be compared in carrying out the study (Santos, Pimenta, & Nobre, 2007). The second stage is the persuasion or the interest stage. This stage involves gaining interest and persuasion about the advantages of the innovation (intervention). This will involve looking at the intervention both from the positive and negative side and weighing the two to determine whether the advantages are more than the disadvantages. This will lead to persuasion on exactly the side to take with regard to the intervention. This stage

Project Charter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Project Charter - Essay Example With the advent of new communication technologies call centres expanded their services considerably, allowing companies to contact a large number of people efficiently. Making a decision about the call centre setting up, the ABC Telecom Company sees considerable benefits for its business, because a call centre will: This document represents a general description of the project aimed to set up a call centre, comprising 10 workstations, in the ABC Telecom Company. The call centre is intended to be a primary way of effective communications with customers, partners and other external audience of the company. The company executives believe that the call centre will provide a single point of contact for all people who interact with company via various channels, including email, fax, web chat and board, phone, VOIP, SMS etc. Such virtual (not face-to-face) interactions may concern different issues from multiple areas, e.g. information dissemination, customer service and support, customer relationship management, marketing and telemessaging, sales (inbound and outbound), employee service and support, emergency services and other areas, related to customers’ satisfaction and telecom business’s efficiency. Undoubtedly, the project is rather complex, it includes a number of various aspects – from the selecting the location to build the call centre to the hiring and training a staff. The ABC Telecom Company does not have sufficient resources to cope with all project tasks by its own strength, that’s why it is intended to get a number of subcontractors and vendors to take part in the project, what brings additional important constraints in the project. Call centre in the ABC Telecom Company is being created in order to increase the value of contacts between the company and existent or potential customers. For customers the value means a good care,

Discussion forum 1 and 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion forum 1 and 2 - Essay Example We observe all factors related to development of health policies on the basis of nursing experiences through the present article According to WHO, â€Å"health policy refers to decisions, plans, and actions that are undertaken to achieve specific  health  care goals within a society† (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). This definition speaks a lot about the cumulative approach that health policy development ends up being. The development of health policy creates a vision for the forthcoming generations and establishes targets and reference points towards achieving the specific health goals in the society. In a way, having set norms in health policy helps keep health institutions catering to patients in an uniform manner. Executive agencies and health departments are instructed to publish the norms related to the use of different treatment and healthcare protocols all across the area. This brings in a direct impact on the kind of patient care imparted in different organizations. Awareness of the latest health policies and their practice is very important to ensure the growth of stability in society. The main focus on the use of payment tables which are important sections in the rule book and the medicare conditions of participation is very important and while health institutions, nursing and medicare personnel are aware of these policies, the common man reaps complete benefits only when he is aware of them too. As is observed in every society, health policies have a definite impact on the quality of care, staffing and payments in these institutions (Buerhaus & Needleman, 2000, p.10). The role of the nurse in policy making is very important today (Toofany, 2005, p.27). Nursing professionals are given complete freedom to register their recommendations to the government and policy making bodies. Nurses can easily make their recommendations and cases studies heard by contacting the elected representatives in their state and use technology to reach out to

How effetive were the articles of confederation in establishing Assignment

How effetive were the articles of confederation in establishing cohesion between the thirteen states - Assignment Example 22). Articles of Confederation happened to be a written document that laid down the functions of a central government once the United States declared freedom from Great Britain. It brought into existence a frail central government that only partially prevented the individual states from carrying on with their own foreign diplomacy (Anastaplo 2006, p. 22). Articles of Confederation were contrived after the American War of Independence gained momentum. The states began to foresee the advantage of having some sort of a central government that coordinated the war efforts. The Articles of Confederation to a great extent succeeded in creating some sort of cohesion between the thirteen colonies. The Articles of Confederation brought into existence a national government commanding a sovereign authority. The Articles of Confederation also curtailed the rights and authority of the individual thirteen states from carrying on with their own independent foreign policy and foreign diplomacy. However, in a practical context the Articles only succeeded partially in restraining the independent states from doing so. For instance the state of Georgia continued to abide by its own sovereign foreign policy with regards to Spanish Florida (Anastaplo 2006, p. 195). Georgia threatened to annex the disputed territories in case the Spanish officials did not abide by the terms and conditions set by them regarding the belligerent Indian nations and the runaway slaves (Anastaplo 2006, p. 195). The Articles of confederation also prevented the federal government from stopping the landing of convicts which the British government exported to its colonies. Thereby, it does need to be mentioned that i n a practical context the Articles of Confederation did fail in bringing in some kind of steely cohesion between the thirteen states. Besides, the Articles of Confederation were innately replete with many built in flaws that made the

Body Image and the “Double Bind” Essay Example for Free

Body Image and the â€Å"Double Bind† Essay Society and mass media has always been in charge of creating and setting standards and categorizations by which America and the rest of the world is supposed to live by and live up to. In this country, image is of the utmost importance, and who we presume to be is more important than who we actually are. How we view ourselves, and how we think we should look like is largely affected by society in its creation of the â€Å"ideal† men and women. But it is mostly women, who appear to be on the receiving end of such â€Å"ideal† standards which society imposes on the rest of us on a daily basis, through magazines, television shows, commercial ads, and practically the whole of mass media. I talked to my friend, Seunghye Lee, regarding this issue, and her answers provided a significant but alarming insight on the effect mass media has on women of every race and culture, and the unfortunate success which the said system apparently has on influencing womens standards regarding self image and body issues. Seunghye Lee, as evident from her name, is Korean. After graduating from elementary school in Korea, she left for the United States, and has since been studying in this country. She is now twenty years old, majoring in biology, with a minor in psychology. But Seunghye is considering shifting to chemistry because she believes the field requires a greater amount of logical thinking, as opposed to plain memorization, which, from experience, she believes is what biology is limiting her to. Despite the length of time she has been staying in America, and how she appears very American, Seunghye understands a lot about her roots and the Korean culture. I met her at the main library for interview, and appearing relatively tall, healthy, as well as cheerful and with a sunny and optimistic view and disposition, I did not think she would be affected by the oppressive standards of media, nor would she feel bad about her body. I was wrong. When asked how she feels about her body, Seunghye replies, â€Å"I feel like I need to lose a little bit of weight because since I entered college, I gained some weight. People say that I am pretty tall, and I look healthy. † She confesses to feeling more conscious of her body when she turns to fashion magazines like Cosmopolitan, and admits wanting to hit the gym more often when she looks at images of beautiful and skinny girls on the magazine. But since shes entered college, shes had fewer times in which she needed to look at magazines anymore. Like probably most adolescents and women of her age, Seunghye feels that she needs to lose weight, even when peeople tell her that she has a relatively normal and healthy body. Her idea of happiness, where her physical features, and wher body is concerned, is â€Å"losing a few pounds† and â€Å"having a toned body. † But unlike others, she believes in exercise, work-outs, and hitting the gym, as a healthier means of losing weight, as opposed to starving oneself to death by not eating. When asked ultimately, if women today feel pressured, and if she feel pressured regarding her body image, Seunghye relates, â€Å"Yes, yes it affects me. Im pressured to not look fat. † Despite such statement, she admits, â€Å"I do not want to be too skinny, but I want to be fit and toned. It would be nice to have a body like Angelina Jolie. † It is clear from Seunghyes response, and by the way the rest of adolescent women across America choose to dress, or behave, and regard themselves, that body issues and image affects all involved. Mass media unfortunately exploits this particular weakness which most, if not, all of us are prone to falling trap into. Women are torn in the â€Å"double bind,† between standards set by society which dictates we should be â€Å"sexy† and â€Å"feminine† by wearing the type of clothes designers choose to put on models and celebrities, and in conventional standards which asks that we should also appear â€Å"chaste† and â€Å"virginal. † How we should regard and relate to our body should not be affected by the crassness of images and ideas being peddled by media. There exists a struggle and a need to break free from these standards, stereotypes, and maybe even cliches, regarding our body images. We need to create our own standards and not let media, society, or any system force feed ideologies regarding how we should act and who we are to become: for our sake, and for the benefit of all involved.

Criminological Theories of Terrorism

Criminological Theories of Terrorism ORIGIN Terrorism has occurred throughout history for a variety of reasons. Its causes can be historical, cultural, political, social, psychological, economic, or religious-or any combination of these. Some countries have proven to be particularly susceptible to terrorism at certain times, as Italy and West Germany were during the 1970s. Terrorist violence escalated precipitously in those two countries for a decade before declining equally dramatically. Other countries, such as Canada and The Netherlands, have proven to be more resistant, and have experienced only a few isolated terrorist incidents. In general, democratic countries have provided more fertile ground for terrorism because of the open nature of their societies. In such societies citizens have fundamental rights, civil liberties are legally protected, and government control and constant surveillance of its citizens and their activities is absent. By the same token, repressive societies, in which the government closely monitors citizens and restricts their speech and movement, have often provided more difficult environments for terrorists. But even police states have not been immune to terrorism, despite limiting civil liberties and forbidding free speech and rights of assembly. Examples include Russia under tsarist rule and the Communist-ruled Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as well as the Peoples Republic of China, Myanmar, and Laos. In broad terms the causes that have commonly compelled people to engage in terrorism are grievances borne of political oppression, cultural domination, economic exploitation, ethn ic discrimination, and religious persecution. Perceived inequities in the distribution of wealth and political power have led some terrorists to attempt to overthrow democratically elected governments. To achieve a fairer society, they would replace these governments with socialist or communist regimes. Left-wing terrorist groups of the 1960s and 1970s with such aims included Germanys Baader-Meinhof Gang, Italys Red Brigades, and the Weather Underground in the United States. Other terrorists have sought to fulfill some mission that they believe to be divinely inspired or millennialist (related to the end of the world). The Japanese religious cult Aum Shinrikyo, responsible for a nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 that killed 12 people, falls into this category. Still other terrorists have embraced comparatively more defined and comprehensible goals such as the re-establishment of a national homeland (for example, Basque separatists in Spain) or the unification of a divided nation (Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland). Finally, some terrorists are motivated by very specific issues, such as opposition to legalized abortion or nuclear energy, or the championing of environmental concerns and animal rights. They hope to pressure both the public and its representatives in government to enact legislation directly reflecting their particular concern. Militant animal rights activists, for example, have used violence against scientists and laboratory technicians in their campaign to halt medical experimentation involving animals. Radical environmentalists have sabotaged logging operations and the construction of power grids to protest the spoiling of natural wilderness areas. Extremists who oppose legalized abortion in the United States have attacked clinics and murdered doctors and other employees in hopes of denying women the right to abortion. Â  [2]Â   More than 2, 000 years ago the first known acts of what we now call terrorism were perpetrated by a radical offshoot of the Zealots, a Jewish sect active in Judea during the 1st century ad. The Zealots resisted the Roman Empires rule of what is today Israel through a determined campaign primarily involving assassination. Zealot fighters used the sica, a primitive dagger, to attack their enemies in broad daylight, often in crowded market places or on feast days-essentially wherever there were people to witness the violence. Thus, like modern terrorists, the Zealots intended their actions to communicate a message to a wider target audience: in this instance, the Roman occupation forces and any Jews who sympathized or collaborated with the invaders. Between 1090 and 1272 an Islamic movement known as the Assassins used similar tactics in their struggle against the Christian Crusaders who had invaded what is today part of Syria. The Assassins embraced the same notions of self-sacrifice an d suicidal martyrdom evident in some Islamic terrorist groups today. They regarded violence as a sacramental or divine act that ensured its perpetrators would ascend to a glorious heaven should they perish during the task. Â  [3]Â   THEORIES OF TERRORISM THE POLITICAL THEORY OF ANARCHISM AS A THEORY OF TERRORISM Terrorism is most definitely not a form of governance, but anarchism is. Most anarchists reject terrorism in its vanguard varieties (for nationalist or religious purposes), but in a theoretical sense, anarchism justifies terrorism as a form of criminal action that attacks the values of an organized, complacent society. Anarchism is a theory of governance that rejects any form of central or external authority, preferring instead to replace it with alternative forms of organization such as shaming rituals for deviants, mutual assistance pacts between citizens, syndicalism (any non-authoritarian organizational structure that gives the greatest freedom to workers), iconoclasm (the destruction of cherished beliefs), libertarianism (a belief in absolute liberty), and plain old rugged individualism. Anarchism is often referred to as the nineteenth century roots of terrorism, the term first being introduced in 1840 by Pierre-Joseph Proudhon. Anarchism definedis the rejection of the state, of any form of coercive government, of any form of domination and exploitation. It is the notion of free and equal access to all the worlds resources to enable positive freedom (freedom to) in place of negative freedom (freedom from, or the basis of most constitutional rights). THE POLITICAL THEORY OF FASCISM AS A THEORY OF TERRORISM Fascism is the one form of government with the most disagreement about a definition for it. The word comes from the Latin fasces which means to use power to scare or impress people. It generally refers to the consolidation of all economic and political power into some form of super-patriotism that is devoted to genocide or endless war with ones enemies. Benito Mussolini, who practically invented the term in 1922, said it is the merger of state and corporate power. Mussolinis version of fascism was based on the idea of an indomitable power and an attempt to resurrect imperial Rome. Adolf Hitler said fascism is the clever and constant application of propaganda so that people can be made to see paradise as hell, and the other way around. Hitlers brand of fascism drew upon philosophical reflections by Hegel, Nietzsche, and Spengler, and also drew upon Nordic folk romance from Wagner to Tacitus. Japanese fascism involved racism, fanaticism, historical destiny, and a mixture of Bushido, Ze n and Shinto Buddhism, emperor worship, and past samurai legends. THE PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY OF RELIGION AS A THEORY OF TERRORISM More than one criminologist has pointed out that the disciplines of theology, religion, and philosophy have had important things to say about terrorism (Stitt 2003; Kraemer 2004). It is also a fact that about a quarter of all terrorist groups and about half of the most dangerous ones on earth are primarily motivated by religious concerns (Hoffman 1993). They believe that God not only approves of their action, but that God demands their action. Their cause is sacred, and consists of a combined sense of hope for the future and vengeance for the past. Of these two components, the backward-looking desire for vengeance may be the more important trigger for terrorism because the forward-looking component (calledapocalyptic thinking, or eschatology) produces wild-eyed fanatics who are more a danger to themselves and their own people. The trick to successful use of terrorism in the name of religion rests upon convincing believers or convertees that aneglected dutyexists in the fundamental, m ainstream part of the religion. Religious terrorism is therefore, NOT about extremism, fanaticism, sects, or cults, but is instead all about a fundamentalist or militant interpretation of the basic tenets. Evil is often defined as malignant narcissism from a theological point of view, and religion easily serves as moral cover for self-centred terrorists and psychopaths (Stitt 2003). Religion has always absorbed or absolved evil and guilt in what is called theodicy, or the study of how the existence of evil can be reconciled with a good and benevolent God. Most religions theodicize evil away as either: (1) a test of faith; (2) a product of free will; (3) part of Gods plan; or (4) functional to let people learn right from wrong; and terrorists easily make use of these established theodicy or critiques of them (Kraemer 2004). THE ECONOMICS THEORY OF RATIONAL CHOICE AS A THEORY OF TERRORISM The discipline of economics has many concepts that are relevant to an understanding of terrorism supply and demand costs and benefits, etc. Fully-developed economic or econometric models of terrorism are quite rare, however, and often involve such things as psychic costs and benefits (Nyatepe-Coo 2004). More down-to-earth economic theories can be found in the literature ondeterrence. Rational choice theory, in particular, has found a place in criminology, and holds that people will engage in crime after weighing the costs and benefits of their actions to arrive at a rational choice about motivation after perceiving that the chances of gain outweigh any possible punishment or loss. THE GLOBALIZATION THEORY OF TERRORISM Nassar (2004) has probably written the most interesting piece on globalization theory as it relates to terrorism, and although his ideas are fairly critical of the U. S. for exporting nightmares as well as dreams, he does provide a robust introduction to the complex topic of globalization. Globalization contributes to dreams, fantasies, and rising expectations, but at the same time, it leads to dashed hopes, broken dreams, and unfulfilled achievements. Terrorism breeds in the gap between expectations and achievements. The thinking is very similar to strain theory in criminology or the rising expectations theory of prison riots, and about the only thing unique about globalization theory is that it adds a rich-poor dichotomy. Rich people (or nations) are seen as wanting power and wealth, and poor people (or nations) are seen as wanting justice. From this perspective, then, rich people are part of the causal factor or root cause of terrorism, since they contribute to the conditions whic h give rise to it. Perpetrators of terrorism (always treated as an ill-defined concept in globalization theory) are never seen as born or raised with any specific predispositions toward it. In brief, globalization theory holds that if the oppressed and disgruntled poor people of the world were simply given the chance to find peaceful means for achieving justice, terrorism would not thrive. SOCIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES OF TERRORISM Modern sociological perspectives are primarily concerned with the social construction of fear or panic, and how institutions and processes, especially the media, primary and secondary groups, maintain that expression of fear. Labeling theory in criminology, for example, is a social constructionist viewpoint that, in my opinion, goes about reconnecting consequences with causes in a way that is less systematic than the way functionalists did it a long time ago. Some societies become softer targets after terrorism (especially after short-term target hardening), and other societies become stronger in the long term. It depends upon interaction patterns, and stabilities and interpenetrations among the structural subsystems (economy, polity, religion, law). PSYCHIATRIC THEORIES OF MENTAL ILLNESS AS A THEORY OF TERRORISM The leading exponent of the terrorist-as-mentally-ill approach is Jerrold Post (1984; 1990), who has gone on record saying that the most dangerous terrorist is likely to be a religious terrorist, and that all terrorists suffer from negative childhood experiences and a damaged sense of self. His analysis of the terrorist mindset (a word that substitutes for terrorist personality, and technically means a fixed mental attitude or inclination) draws upon a view of mental illness that compels, or forces, people to commit horrible acts. It should be noted that we know from criminal justice that this is not the only possible view on mental illness. More crazy people come into contact with the law through sheer folly and foolishness than a compulsion their mental illness made them have. Post (1990) makes a somewhat neo-Freudian distinction between terrorists who desire to destroy the nation, or world, of their fathers and those who desire to carry on the mission, or world, of their fathers. BIOLOGICAL THEORIES OF TERRORISM David Hubbard (1983) was one of the first biological researchers of terrorism, and his line of work is similar to the familiar cycle of violence hypothesis in criminal justice. In this view, people who commit repetitive and cyclical acts of violence (which would include wife beaters, rapists, and serial killers) are driven by hormonal or neurochemical fluctuations in their body or brain chemistry. Three compounds, in particular, have been singled out as having abnormal levels among terrorists: norepinephrine, acetylcholine, and endorphins. Of these, norepinephrineis suspected as being the most influential, as it is associated with the so-calledflight or fight mechanismin human biology. The theory of fight or flight was developed by W. B. Cannon back in 1929, and refers to a state of arousal under stress in which the heart, lungs, and muscle operate more efficiently. As it applies to terrorism (and crime), the behavioral requirements of such activities (fighting exhilaration before an event, and fleeing manipulation of audience after an event) produce a syndrome of physiological need for arousal at fairly regular intervals. Motives for terrorism appear to be quite stable when the biological viewpoint is taken, and it is possible to link a variety of aspects in the typical terrorist profile with biological factors. TRADITIONAL CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORIES APPLIED TO TERRORISM Its not easy applying traditional criminological theories to terrorism. Most of these theories were designed to explain ordinary street crime like robbery or burglary, and have a certain hardiness to their perspectives which makes them difficult to extend. Ruggiero (2005) is typical of those who have attempted to apply such theories or suggest various extensions, starting with Durkheims functionalism by asking whether Durkheim would see terrorism as part of the normality of crime or as part of a clearly unacceptable, dysfunctional form of crime. On the one hand, Durkheim said that all crime serves positive functions (of innovation and evolution), but on the other hand, the organic metaphor that Durkheim used seems to suggest that some forms of crime only cause disintegration and are cancerous. The Chicago school of disorganization in criminology would presumably focus on the distinctiveness of different social worlds between terrorists and non-terrorists, analyzing the communication blockages, for example. Strain theorists would likely argue that terrorism is inevitable as a manifestation of the broken promise that everybody can rise from rags to riches, and study the adaptation Merton described as rebellion. Learning theorists would likely emphasize the importance of role models or the techniques of neutralization involved along with the drift into a terrorist lifestyle. Labeling theorists would probably say, cynically but truly, that terrorism is what the other person does. Control theorists would likely focus on terrorists being unattached, unloved, uncommitted to education or business, uninvolved in conventional tasks, and having their hands idle so time becomes the devils playground for them. Conflict theorists would probably focus on the presence or absence of associations that provide room for collective action and permanent confrontation, although more radical versions of conflict theory might glamorize terrorism as proto-revolutionary action. Integrat ed theories would likely focus on the influences of aggressive proneness, provocation, and the support of third parties. THEORIES UNIQUE TO DOMESTIC TERRORISM Freilich (2003) does a good job of reviewing the theories in this category, a relatively small area of research which tends to be studied within a field called the sociology of social movements. There are three groups of theories. The first is called economic/social integration theory, and it holds that high concentrations of farming, economic depression, and social disorganization are all related to high levels of domestic terrorist activity, militia movements in particular. In some varieties, it tends to be a kind of farm crisis or agrarian reform theory frequently used by those who study the Latin American context. The second theory is called resource mobilization theory, and it suggests that states which are more prosperous and socially integrated would tend to develop more domestic terrorist activity, on the basis that group competition for power and resources becomes intense. The third group of theories are called cultural theories, and propose that states experiencing greater cultural diversity and female empowerment along with increasing paramilitarism are likely to develop greater levels of domestic terrorist activity. In terms of research findings, more empirical support seems to exist for the third set of theories (at least according to Freilich 2003), although resource mobilization theory tends to dominate the theoretical literature. Also in general, there is more empirical support for the idea that domestic terrorism more often plagues richer and affluent nations than poor ones. Â  [4]Â  

God. Creator or Poet? :: Religion Religious God Essays

God. Creator or Poet? The Latin word â€Å"poet† means â€Å"creator†. Humans, realizing they are different from animals in the world, have been trying to rationalize things and themselves to the world ever since. Poets and writers used to come up with these far off imaginative ways of how to answer questions of life almost to explain it in a philosophical way. Who were the first humans? How did they come to be? What made the sun and the moon and the stars? Why the animals were made the way they were? What caused night and day, the seasons, the cycle of life itself? Why were some people greedy and some unselfish, some ugly and some handsome, some dull and some clever? As people pondered these questions and many more, they created stories that helped explain the world to their primitive minds. Storytellers told these tales again and again around the fires of the early tribes, by the hearth of humble cottages, before the great fire in the king's hall; they told them as they sat in the grass huts of the jungle, the Hogans of the Navajo, and the igloos of the Eskimo. Their children told them, and their children's children, until the stories were smooth and polished. And so people created their myths and their folktales, their legends and epics; the literature of the fireside, the poetry of the people, and the memory of humankind. They spoke what made them understand the unknown. However scholars choose to look at them, folktales and myths are literature derived from human imagination to explain the human condition. Literature today continues to express our concern about human strengths, weaknesses, and the individual's relationships to the world and to other people. This thought came up by Euhemerus in 300 B.C. He began the theory that once one war hero became respected and dies, people pass on their name while embellishing their heroic story. Soon, people forgot the fact that this hero was even human. Now, the hero was a God; an immortal God. The vast body of traditional literature was shaped verbally by generation after generation, simply because oral language was then the only language. (Even today, writing is far from universal. Of 2796 languages in the world, all have an oral form, but only about 153 have a written form.

Battle of the Sexes :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

Battle of the Sexes Tiny pink nipples peeked out from our pasty chests and our protruding ribs gave way to our sun-starved tummies. Alex and I ran free, our shirts flapping in the wind as we waved them over our heads like victory flags. Moments later, on that April day in first grade, my best friend and I experienced the injustices of womanhood; our teachers informed us that we were not allowed to go shirtless during recess. "Why?" Alex whined. "That's not fair," I protested. "The boys can." Of course our complaints received the usual response, "It's different for little boys and little girls." An answer that was not only unsatisfactory, but infuriating as well. Indignantly, Alex and I argued our way to topless equality. By age six, I challenged the double standard set for boys and girls. Instinctively, I knew to speak out against blatant sexism. When I heard a guest at a dinner party remark, "What a shame that beautiful curly hair was wasted on your son. You really should consider cutting it, so the poor thing doesn't get mistaken for a girl." I boldly cut in, "Boys can have long hair just as much as girls. They can be beautiful too, you know." The adults chuckled over my petulance and my parents shared embarrassed smiles. Then they banished me to the designated "children's table," leaving me with a lingering sense of injustice. My strong desire for equality has been shaped by experiences like these and myriad of other people and standards as well. For example, I am angered by the emphasis society places on men to become "big, strong protector providers" while women are encouraged to appear docile and meek. When I was young I watched cartoons like Popeye and Superman, noting their bravery in rescuing innocent folks from the arms of danger. Then I wanted to know why there were no women heroes. Why couldn't females be the ones to flex their muscles at monsters and "bad guys" to protect or rescue their helpless male lovers? Early in my life I recognized these implied yet clear-cut roles for men and women and they still exist in many areas of life today. However, I strongly believe that males and females deserve equal opportunities and that expectations based on gender are unfair.

Essay --

John Berger notes that, ‘original paintings are silent and still in a sense that information never is’. This observation is not different in the case of Vincent Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night (1888). While visiting a museum, I stumbled across this painting, one of Vincent Van Gogh’s great works. My next move was to engage with the painting, with the aim of understanding critical information in relation to its meaning, significance and importance in both the traditional and modern context (Whitney et al, 360). This is to ensure that we learn more about the eye-catching paintings hanging on the walls of museums. In addition, this approach is vital in understanding both the literal and hidden meaning of such a painting, as intended by the artist. The name of the picture speaks volumes in relation to its context and setting; it is a night scene. From a literal perspective, the picture shows a large establishment where people from the region can enjoy their coffee by night. On the other hand, the picture also focuses on the expression of an important meaning in accordance with the intention and the aim of the painter in its composition. For instance, Van Gogh focuses on expressing a beautiful event aided by the stars and the bright sky. In addition, the painting integrates bright colors to express a peaceful encounter during a bright night (Brower 200). Firstly, I thought it would be satisfying to understand specific data in relation to the development of this painting. I asked myself; â€Å"When was this picture made?† Vincent Van Gogh’s the Cafà © Terrace, at Night 1888, was painted between the 9th and the 16th of September 1888. The next key question was the location. I learnt that the picture was painted in Arles. According to an obse... ...to different generations in the history of Arles (Punt et al, 228). In the 21st century, the painting still has a great meaning to the people of Arles. This indicates that the painting expresses a cultural relevance to the people of Arles in a similar manner to that which they felt in the 19th century. This attachment is valuable in enhancing my interaction with the painting. Analysis indicates that the painting has diverse meanings in relation to the type of interaction an individual has with the picture. The picture is never silent once you ask relevant questions such as its meaning, intention, and significance to the artist and the target audience. Moreover, the picture could be of meaning and relevance to individuals from different generations or centuries. This is because the painting has captured and exhibited a beautiful scene (The Drawings of Van Gogh 12).

Movie Review †The Help Essay

â€Å"The Help† based on a best-selling novel by Kathryn Stockett, a story of three women who take extraordinary risk in writing a novel based on the stories from the view of black maids and nannies. Set in Jackson, Mississippi in the early 1960s, a young girl sets out to change the town. Skeeter, who is 21 years old, white, educated from Ole Miss, dreams of becoming a journalist. She returns home to find the family maid, Constantine, gone and no one will explain to her what happened. Skeeter acquires a job as a columnist for the local paper at the being of the movie. Skeeter mother’s only concern is for Skeeter to find a husband. Skeeter’s ambition to become a writer starts with her idea to write a novel about from the view of the black maids and nannies in Jackson. Aibileen, who lost her son after he was ran over and dumped at a hospital, works as a maid for a family. She watches after the seventeenth child of a white family. Minny, Aibileen’s friend and a maid, raises children of her own and keep secrets of the white women she works for. The unlikely trio begins to write the stories of the life of the maid from their viewpoint. It is socially unacceptable and against the law in Mississippi to discuss integration. Skeeter needs to recruit more maids to tell their stories. However no maids are willing to help until a series of events happen that change their minds. The book published called â€Å"The Help† with all of the stories having hidden identities. The white women of the town begin to question who the true characters are and where the book is actually taking place. Some of the women swear up and down it is not Jackson to protect themselves from humiliation. The movie along with the book the three wrote during the movie depicts how life was really like in Jackson for black families. There are several areas within the movie that describe what live is Jackson was like. There is a scene in the movie where Aibileen was in the bathroom, built specifically for her because a white lady in the movies says that bla ck people have different diseases than white people. In several scenes in the movie, the maids travel on buses that are for black people only or are at the back of a bus with the white people at the front. Skeeter goes to the  library in Jackson and gets a book with information about segregation and the laws. Blacks could not attend the same schools and churches as the white people. The transferring of books between whites and blacks was not acceptable. They remained with whoever began using them first. They were to remain with the population that started using them. They also use separate entrances to public buildings. Aibileen tells the story of how her son died and explained that they the white bosses loaded him up in the back of a pickup after being ran over. They dropped him off in front of the colored hospital, honked the horn, and drove away. He later died at home with a collapsed lung because there was nothing the doctors could do to save him. The list above shows some of the issues that are within the movie about segregation and discrimination. The movie, filmed well, shows the different views of life and shows different things and values affect different people. There are several other movies that I have watched related to this one including Ali, a movie about an amazing African American boxer during the 60s and 70s and his way to winning the heavy weight title. Remember the Titans, a film related to integration of schools during the early 70s. The movie is about a new African American football coach that faces the challenges with a racially integrated football team.

Analysis of Poetry Essay

This Unit Activity will help you meet these educational goals: 21st Century Skills—You will use critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and communicate effectively. Introduction In this activity, you will read and analyze three poems by different poets and examine the similarities and differences among them. __________________________________________________________________________ Directions and Analysis Task 1: Read and Analyze Poetry Read these poems, which revolve around the ideas of darkness and the night: â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† by Dylan Thomas â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† by Robert Frost â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark† by Emily Dickinson Read the poems a few times, noting each one’s theme, mood, form, structure, rhyme scheme, and use of imagery and figurative language. Use the provided table to record your analysis. Type your response here: â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night† â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark† theme Mortality Isolation To â€Å"find the light† imagery Sunrise and sunset Loneliness figurative language Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay Personification and rhyming Darkness and light mood Somber desperation Discomfort Sadness form Villanelle Iambic pentameter Lyric poem meter, structure, and rhyme scheme five three-line stanzas and a sixth stanza with four lines Terza rima, ABABCBCDCDADAA, Italian form Rhythm is similar throughout, but changes from eight and six syllable lines to seven and six syllables to seven and six syllables. Task 2: Make Comparisons Write a 250-500-word essay describing the similarities and differences you found in the poems. Address the following points in your essay: Examine how the subject of darkness is used in each of the three poems. How has each poet woven the central idea of the poem around the subject? Compare and contrast the figurative devices used in each poem. How do they affect the mood and relate to the theme of the poem? Point out the differences in style and tone, including the choice of words. Which poem do you think has the greatest overall impact on readers? Which one communicates its message most directly and effectively? Which poem appeals most to you? Give reasons to explain your answers. As with any essay, this essay should be structured into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Arrange your ideas logically and group them into paragraphs, using suitable words to mark transitions between ideas. Remember to provide textual evidence from the poems for your opinions. Type your response here: The similar ideas of dark and night appear in works by Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas, and Robert Frost, but the meaning of the two concepts in context of the literary works differ greatly. In Emily Dickinson’s â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark†, Dylan Thomas’ â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night†, and Robert Frost’s â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† the theme of night and darkness is compared and contrasted through the literary elements of point of view, imagery, and structure. The concept of darkness and night is portrayed through the use of point of view. In each of these poems, the poet writes in the first tense, giving the reader a sense that the narrator has personally experienced the presence of the symbolic â€Å"darkness† and â€Å"night†. However, while â€Å"We Grow Accustomed to the Dark† is written in a plural point of view, â€Å"Acquainted with the Night† is written in a singular view, and â€Å"Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night† is from the speaker point of view. This gives a differing meaning to dark and night between these poems, because although Dickinson’s plural poem encompasses humanity as a whole, showing the dark to be a natural point in life, Frost’s poem depicts the night his character is experiencing as a lonely, solitary happening, and Thomas’ poem shows loneliness and wanting for companionship. The differences in these poems help to show night as a more unnatural and depressing experience than the dark that happens to everyone. __________________________________________________________________________ Evaluation Your teacher will use these rubrics to evaluate the completeness of your work as well as the clarity of thinking you exhibit. Task 1: Read and Analyze Poetry Criteria Distinguished (4 points) Provides a complete and accurate analysis of each poem Exhaustively lists instances of figurative language and use of imagery Provides a concise but compelling description of the mood and theme of each poem Proficient (3 points) Provides a complete and largely correct analysis of each poem Lists most instances of figurative language and use of imagery Provides an effective description of the mood and theme of each poem Developing (2 points) Provides a complete analysis of the poems with some inaccuracies Lists some instances of figurative language and use of imagery Provides a passable description of the mood and theme of each poem Beginning (1 point) Provides an incomplete analysis of the poems with some inaccuracies Lists only a few instances of figurative language and use of imagery Attempts to describe the mood and theme of the poems Task 2: Make Comparisons Criteria Distinguished (4 points) Thoroughly addresses all the points mentioned Effectively compares how the subject has been woven into the central idea in the three poems Thoroughly evaluates and compares the effect of figurative language and imagery in the poems Insightfully compares the style and impact of the poems Provides strong textual evidence to support opinions Structures the essay exceptionally well, has a compelling introduction and conclusion, and uses transitions to enhance the organization of ideas Consistently uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation throughout Proficient (3 points) Adequately addresses most of the points mentioned Effectively compares how the subject has been woven into the central idea in the three poems Adequately evaluates and compares the effect of figurative language and imagery in the poems Effectively compares the style and impact of the poems Provides adequate textual evidence to support opinions Structures the essay well, has a meaningful introduction and conclusion, and uses transitions effectively Largely uses correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation Developing (2 points) Adequately addresses some of the points mentioned Compares how the subject has been woven into the central idea in the three poems Evaluates and compares the effect of figurative language and imagery in the poems to some extent Compares the style and impact of the poems Provides some textual evidence to support opinions Structures the essay into paragraphs, has an introduction and a conclusion, and uses transition words Makes a few mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation Beginning (1 point) Marginally addresses some of the points mentioned and omits others Attempts to compare how the subject has been woven into the central idea in the three poems Inadequately describes the effect of figurative language and imagery in the poems Attempts to compare the style and impact of the poems Does not provide textual evidence to support opinions Does not structure the essay well and does not use transitions effectively Makes several mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation

History of Matches Essay

A match is a small stick of wood or strip of cardboard with a solidified mixture of flammable chemicals deposited on one end. When that end is struck on a rough surface, the friction generates enough heat to ignite the chemicals and produce a small flame. Some matches, called strike-anywhere matches, may be ignited by striking them on any rough surface. Other matches, called safety matches, will ignite only when they are struck on a special rough surface containing certain chemicals. History The first known use of matches was in 577 during the siege of a town in northern China. Women in the town used sticks coated with a mixture of chemicals to start fires for cooking and heating, thus allowing them to conserve their limited fuel by putting the fires out between uses. The details of this technique were subsequently lost to history. It was not until 1826 that John Walker of England invented the first friction matches. Walker’s matches were ignited by drawing the heads through a folded piece of paper coated with ground glass. He began selling them in 1827, but they were difficult to light and were not a success. In 1831, Charles Sauria of France developed a match that used white phosphorus. These matches were strike-anywhere matches and were much easier to ignite. Unfortunately, they were too easy to ignite and caused many unintentional fires. White phosphorus also proved to be highly toxic. Workers in match plants who inhaled white phosphorus fumes often suffered f rom a horrible degeneration of the jawbones known as â€Å"phossy jaw.† Despite this health hazard, white phosphorus continued to be used in strike-anywhere matches until the early 1900s, when government action in the United States and Europe forced manufacturers to switch to a nontoxic chemical. In 1844 Gustaf Pasch of Sweden proposed placing some of the match’s combustion ingredients on a separate striking surface, rather than incorporating them all into the match head, as an extra precaution against accidental ignition. This idea—coupled with the discovery of less-reactive, nontoxic red phosphorus—led J. E. Lundstrom of Sweden to introduce safety matches in 1855. Although safety matches posed less of a hazard, many people still preferred the convenience of strike-anywhere matches, and both types continue to be used today. The first matchbook matches were patented in the United States by Joshua Pussey in 1892. The Diamond Match Company purchased the rights to this patent in  1894. At first, these new matches were not well accepted, but when a brewing company bought 10 million matchbooks to advertise their product, sales soared. Early match manufacturing was mainly a manual operation. Mechanization slowly took over portions of the operation until the first automatic match machine was patented by Ebenezer Beecher in 1888. Modern match manufacturing is a highly automated process using continuous-operation machines that can produce as many as 10 million matches in an eight-hour shift with only a few people to monitor the operation. Raw Materials Woods used to make matchsticks must be porous enough to absorb various chemicals, and rigid enough to withstand the bending forces encountered when the match is struck. They should also be straight-grained and easy to work, so that they may be readily cut into sticks. White pine and aspen are two common woods used for this purpose. Once the matchsticks are formed, they are soaked in ammonium phosphate, which is a fire retardant. This prevents the stick from smoldering after the match has gone out. During manufacture, the striking ends of the matchsticks are dipped in hot paraffin wax. This provides a small amount of fuel to transfer the flame from the burning chemicals on the tip to the matchstick itself. Once the paraffin burns off, the ammonium phosphate in the matchstick prevents any further combustion. The heads of strike-anywhere matches are composed of two parts, the tip and the base. The tip contains a mixture of phosphorus sesquisulfide and potassium chlorate. Phosphorus sesquisulfide is a highly reactive, non-toxic chemical used in place of white phosphorus. It is easily ignited by the heat of friction against a rough surface. The potassium chlorate supplies the oxygen needed for combustion. The tip also contains powdered glass and other inert filler material to increase the friction and control the burning rate. Animal glue is used to bind the chemicals together, and a small amount of zinc oxide may be added to the tip to give it a whitish color. The base contains many of the same materials as the tip, but has a smaller amount of phosphorus sesquisulfide. It also contains sulfur, rosin, and a small amount of paraffin wax to sustain combustion. A water-soluble dye may be added to give the base a color such as red or blue. The heads of safety matches are composed of a single part. They contain antimony trisulfide, potassium chlorate, sulfur, powdered glass, inert fillers, and animal glue. They may  also include a water-soluble dye. Antim ony trisulfide cannot be ignited by the heat of friction, even in the presence of an oxidizing agent like potassium chlorate, and it requires another source of ignition to start the combustion. That source of ignition comes from the striking surface, which is deposited on the side of the matchbox or on the back cover of the matchbook. The striking surface contains red phosphorus, powdered glass, and an adhesive such as gum arabic or urea formaldehyde. When a safety match is rubbed against the striking surface, the friction generates enough heat to convert a trace of the red phosphorus into white phosphorus. This immediately reacts with the potassium chlorate in the match head to produce enough heat to ignite the antimony trisulfide and start the combustion. Match boxes and match books are made from cardboard. The finned strips of cardboard used to make the matches in match books are called a comb. The Manufacturing Process Matches are manufactured in several stages. In the case of wooden-stick matches, the matchsticks are first cut, prepared, and moved to a storage area. When the matchsticks are needed, they are inserted into holes in a long perforated belt. The belt carries them through the rest of the process, where they are dipped into several chemical tanks, dried, and packaged in boxes. Cardboard-stick matches used in match books are processed in a similar manner. Here is a typical sequence of operations for manufacturing wooden-stick matches: Cutting the matchsticks 1 Logs of white pine or aspen are clamped in a debarking machine and slowly rotated while spinning blades cut away the outer bark of the tree. 2 The stripped logs are then cut into short lengths about 1.6 ft (0.5 m) long. Each length is placed in a peeler and rotated while a sharp, flat blade peels a long, thin sheet of wood from the outer surface of the log. This sheet is about 0.1 in (2.5 mm) thick and is called a veneer. The peeling blade moves inward toward the core of the rotating log until only a small, round post is left. This post is discarded and may be used for fuel or reduced to wood chips for use in making paper or chipboard. Stripped logs are placed in a peeler, which cuts a sheet about 0.1 in (2.5 mm) thick, called veneer, from the log. The veneer proceeds to the chopper, which cuts it into small sticks. The sticks are soaked in a dilute solution of ammonium phosphate and dried, removing splinters and crystallized solution. The matches are dumped into a feed hopper, which lines them up. A perforated conveyor belt holds them upside down while they are dipped in a series of three tanks. The matches are dried for 50-60 minutes before they are packaged. 3 The sheets of veneer are stacked and fed into a chopper. The chopper has many sharp blades that cut down through the stack to produce as many as 1,000 matchsticks in a single stroke. Treating the matchsticks 4 The cut matchsticks are dumped into a large vat filled with a dilute solution of ammonium phosphate. 5 After they have soaked for several minutes, the matchsticks are removed from the vat and placed in a large, rotating drum, like a clothes dryer. The tumbling action inside the drum dries the sticks and acts to polish and clean them of any splinters or crystallized chemical. 6 The dried sticks are then dumped into a hopper and blown through a metal duct to the storage area. In some operations the sticks are blown directly into the matchmaking facility rather than going to storage. Forming the match heads 7 The sticks are blown from the storage area to a conveyor belt that transfers them to be inserted into holes on a long, continuous, perforated steel belt. The sticks are dumped into several v-shaped feed hoppers that line them up with the holes in the perforated belt. Plungers push the matchsticks into the holes across the width of the slowly moving belt. A typical belt may have 50-100 holes spaced across its width. Any sticks that do not seat firmly into the holes fall to a catch area beneath the belt and are transferred back to the feed hoppers. 8 The perforated belt holds the matchsticks upside down and immerses the lower portion of the sticks in a bath of hot paraffin wax. After they emerge from the wax, the sticks are allowed to dry. 9 Further down the line, the matchsticks are positioned over a tray filled with a liquid solution of the match head chemicals. The tray is then momentarily raised to immerse the ends of the sticks in the solution. Several thousand sticks are coated at the same time. This cycle  repeats itself when the next batch of sticks is in position. If the matches are the strike-anywhere kind, the sticks move on to another tray filled with a solution of the tip chemicals, and the match ends are immersed in that tray, only this time not quite as deeply. This gives strike-anywhere matches their characteristic two-toned appearance. 10 After the match heads are coated, the matches must be dried very slowly or they will not light properly. The belt loops up and down several times as the matches dry for 50-60 minutes. Packaging the matches 11 The cardboard inner and outer portions of the match boxes are cut, printed, folded, and glued together in a separate area. If the box is to contain safety matches, the chemicals for the striking strip are mixed with an adhesive and are automatically applied to the outer portion of the box. 12 When the matches are dry, the belt moves them to the packaging area, where a multi-toothed wheel pushes the finished matches out of the holes in the belt. The matches fall into hoppers, which measure the proper amount of matches for each box. The matches are dumped from the hoppers into the inner portions of the cardboard match boxes, which are moving along a conveyor belt located below the hoppers. Ten or more boxes may be filled at the same time. 13 The outer portions of the match boxes move along another conveyor belt running parallel to the first belt. Both conveyors stop momentarily, and the filled inner portions are pushed into the outer portions. This cycle of filling the inner portion s and pushing them into the outer portions is repeated at a rate of about once per second. 14 The filled match boxes are moved by conveyor belt to a machine, which groups them and places them in a corrugated cardboard box for shipping. Quality Control The chemicals for each portion of the match head are weighed and measured exactly to avoid any variation in the match composition that might affect performance. Operators constantly monitor the operation and visually inspect the product at all stages of manufacture. In addition to visual inspection and other normal quality control procedures, match production requires strict attention to safety. Considering that there may be more than one million matches attached to the perforated belt at any time means that the working environment must be kept free of all sources of accidental ignition. The Future The use of matches in the United States has steadily declined in the last few decades. This decline is the result of several factors: the availability of inexpensive, disposable lighters; the decrease in the use of tobacco products by the general public; and the development of automatic lighting devices for gas-fired stoves. Of the matches that are sold, book matches far outsell wooden stick matches because of their advertising value. Worldwide, matches will continue to be in demand for the foreseeable future, although their production will probably follow the demand and migrate to other countries. Where to Learn More Books Bennett, H., ed. The Chemical Formulary, Vol. XV. Chemical Publishing Company, Inc., 1970. Periodicals Bean, M.C. â€Å"History of the Match,† Antiques and Collecting Hobbies. September, 1992, pp. 42-44. — Chris Cavette

A study on the link between abortion and crime Essay

Imagine being raised in a home where education wasn’t encouraged. Imagine being truant from elementary school because your parents regularly abused drugs and weren’t there to take you to school. Would you be where you are today? Where do you think you would be? Here’s another question that may seem unrelated. Why did crime drop drastically in the early 1990’s? According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, from its peak in 1991, violent crime fell roughly 34 percent by 2001. The rate of homicide – one of the most studied and arguably the most serious crime there is – fell massively. Over a slightly longer period, homicide rates per capita fell 44%, almost being halved. So we are left with the question, why? Such a massive decrease in crime affects all of us, even if it happened in the 1990’s. If a crime had continued to rise at the same rate, we’d live in a dramatically different world today. Understanding why this happened provides us with a crucial understanding of how the world works. Perhaps the answer lies in one of the biggest and oldest moral dilemmas of modern times.   A paper written by Steven Levitt of the University of Chicago and John Donohue of Yale University titled â€Å"The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime† in 2001 revived the idea that legalized abortion has an effect on reduced crime. The main argument behind it is that after the legalization of abortion took place in 1973, crime fell sharply 18 to 22 years later in the 1992-1995 period. Think about it. Males in the 18-24 age range are those most likely to commit crimes, and 18 to 24 years after abortion was legalized, crime fell drastically. See a connection? While this is a glaring indicator that there is a connection, it is not the only one. States that legalized abortion before Roe v. Wade experienced declines in crime before other states. On top of that, states that had higher abortion rates in the mid-1970’s had steeper declines in crime. These aren’t the only factors that contribute to the Donohue-Levitt hypothesis. Unwanted children, such as those that were born to people denied abortions, are more likely to suffer from neglect and abuse or to be abandoned. These children are more likely to eventually drop out of school, join gangs, and commit crimes or be incarcerated. Bringing a child into a family that is unable or unready to provide for it increases the child’s likelihood to exhibit delinquent behavior. The purpose of studying the link between abortion and crime isn’t to advocate abortion, or to hail it as a crime-fighting tool, but to instead understand trends in crime, and, ultimately, how the world works. In studying this, we can discover why people commit crimes, what affects crime rates, and the effects of abortion on society. The abortion debate is, and always should be, one of the moral values.

Take a theme of the poet Cathy Song and explain, prove it thru support Essay

Take a theme of the poet Cathy Song and explain, prove it thru support and analysis of at least 3 poems, using point by point me - Essay Example This realization seems to have become an impetus for her creative sensibility. The recurrence of this theme of filial connections forms the pervasive subject and the thematic content of her poetry. Song has credited her early interest in writing to her family’s travels: â€Å"Our family travels started my writing. I guess I was around nine years old when I decided I wanted to be the family chronicler† ( â€Å" Poetry Foundation†). From this quote we can infer that incessant traveling with her family does have an impact on her creative genius and may also have made her admit the importance of these family relationships in a person’s life. â€Å"Song’s poetic oeuvre is united by her abiding focus on family. The moral ties that bind women to children and parents, to their community, to tradition, and to the land are continuously interwoven throughout her verse† ( â€Å" Poetry Foundation† ). We also find a mention of some broader themes l ike impact of immigration on the lives of the people. But whatever she sees these things, she sees them through the kaleidoscope of her family. In her poetry, Cathy Song usually examines the everyday world that touches and affects her. Cucinella observes: As such, possible topics for Song’s poetry include the lives of her grandparents in Hawaii following their immigration from China and Korea, the resistance of third generation Asian Americans to the traditional Asian Ways and their paradoxical needs to embrace their Asian ancestry, and the more mundane aspect of her life as a daughter, mother , and wife (353). In her third collection of poem, School Figure, â€Å"Song explores further than before relationships between husband and wife, mother and son, and mother and daughter. â€Å" The Grammar Silk† explores how a mother wishes a better life and escape for her daughter†( Cucinella 353). In the following lines we will explore the extent and scope of this recurr ent theme of family ties in Cathy’s poetry. Our probe will further be delimited to mother-daughter relationship in her poetry. All the nuances of this relationship will be explored to strengthen our thesis that Cathy’s close association with her family became the cause of her creative genius and made her imprint different facets of her connection with her parents and especially of her mother. Our analysis will be based on three of Song’s representative poems:† The Grammar of Silk†, â€Å"The Youngest Daughter† and â€Å"The White Wash†. The Grammar of Silk The grammar of silk shows a mother’ concern for her daughter and desire to see her past and future in her. The mother is trying to accomplish what was missing in her. â€Å"She was determined that I should sew/ as if she knew what she herself was missing† ( Song Lines 49-50).That’s why she has sent her to a sewing school. She wants to ensure that her daughter shou ld be an accomplished seamstress and should learn this art to the perfection. The mother’s choice seems to be pleasing for her daughter. On Saturdays in the morning my mother sent me to Mrs. Umemoto’s sewing school. It was cool and airy in her basement, pleasant—a word I choose (Song Lins 1-4). The place is not just a sewing school. It assumes a higher existence and transforms into a safe haven for women. Song reflects: This evidently was a sanctuary, a place where women confined with children conferred, consulted the oracle, the stone tablets of the latest pattern books( Song Lines 27-30). The Youngest Daugh

The Landscape Masters of the Baroque Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Landscape Masters of the Baroque - Essay Example For the most part, French baroque art can be considered as an expression of the French Crown’s values, particularly those of King Louis XIV.King Louis built the Versailles palace as a symbol of the Crown’s total authority, of which the design of both the palace and surrounding land was a direct product of a rigid, rational, and disciplined approach meant to show the state and government control of the king. The sculptures, paintings, and architecture that were chosen to decorate this palace were, stylistically, purely classical in nature, conveying the timeless and orderly truths of the policies pursued by King Louis XIV. However, not every artist in France wanted to be employed by the government with majority of them electing to leave the country, contending that this was better than placing their artistic creativity in political service. The two most distinguished artists of this period, Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin, chose to move to Italy, where they got inspir ation from the gentle landscape in Rome.Claude Lorrain elected to paint the lovely countryside in form of poetry, populating the landscapes with ancient monuments and their picturesque ruins, as well as flocks of sheep. Poussin also sought to depict similar features in his landscapes on the countryside in Rome. However, Poussin sought to do more than delight the audience or viewer. Instead, he utilized the classical setting to present human history in dramatic form. On top of delighting his landscapes’ viewers, he also set out to instruct them.

Assess the importance of Chapter One in Great Expectations by Charles Essay

Assess the importance of Chapter One in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - Essay Example Pip is an orphan who has had a good though sometimes rough upbringing by his sister Estella. The focus in the entire novel is on the family, which starts from the very first chapter as Pip spends his time in the graveyard amongst his family members. He has never seen his parents ‘for their days were long before the days of photographs’ (5; ch 1). This also creates the atmosphere that the novel was created in the early nineteenth century. With child-like innocence, he conjures the image of his parents (whom he had never seen) by carefully studying the lettering on the tomb. The first chapter draws out the tension and creates the proper mood for the novel. ‘Ours was the marsh country (13; ch 1) denotes the depressing atmosphere in which Pip lives as a child. It symbolizes the uncertain and mysterious times in his life. This bleak place overgrown with nettles was the churchyard (15-16; ch 1), the low leaden line beyond, was the river; the distant savage lair was the sea (19-21; ch 1)– add to the dreary scene. It also builds up a sense of dread that something fearful is about to happen. Soon after this Magwitch appears and threatens to cut Pip’s throat. The repetition creates an atmosphere of subdued and miserable tension that besieged Pip’s life when he discovers in chapter 39 that his benefactor is none other than Magwitch, the escaped convict who he had met at the graveyard. This revelation is awful and it destroys the little peace that he had known. The chapter further illustrates that no act of kindness ever goes unnoticed. He is frightened into helping an escaped convict called Magwitch. Pip returns bringing food and drink for Magwitch and this act of kindness has important consequences later in the novel. It was an act out of fear, as Pip was scared of Magwitch’s violent threats and because Magwitch made him promise, "Say

Read the Dunkin Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Read the Dunkin Case - Essay Example While the Dunkin’ Donut retail stores continue to expand, the Starbucks stores are closing by the hundreds. In the past Dunkin’ Donuts target markets where focused primarily in the Eastern part of the U.S. with little presence in the West. Starbucks already has a somewhat of a uniform distribution across the country which will constrain their growth as Dunkin’ Donuts expands into the West into untapped regions. Dunkin’ Donuts market strategy is different in that they are targeting a group of no frills, cost-conscious coffee drinkers. At Starbucks, there is a market segment that is willing to pay a premium for drinks like the ‘skinny half-caf soy caramel Macchiato’. While the market segment at Dunkin’ Donuts is focused at those who just want a consistent, well tasting, old fashioned brew of coffee that doesn’t exceed more than $3. (Mitchell, Dan). From the previously aforementioned statements, one can see how Starbucks marketing s trategy has always focused as much on the overall store experience as they have the product itself. With free Wi-Fi provided by ATT&T and a recent partnership with HP to provide music downloads in the store, Starbucks has positioned their efforts towards creating an upscale informal coffee shop and social experience. (DiCarlo, Lisa).

Science research project Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Science project - Research Paper Example The completely randomised design was used to remove biasness among the different income groups surveyed. From the study it was clear that the 75,000 – 100,000 income groups had the highest level of information on peak oil while least information about the same was found in income groups below 75,000. However, income group over 100,000 had little information about the same but not as little as the income group below 75,000. Generally it was concluded from the results that no relationship existed between the willingness to purchase oil and the level of awareness of peak oil, hence the null hypothesis was adopted. This study recommends a new line of research open to others interested in the same to find out the relatedness of oil prices to income at household level and its effect on the same. (Mark, 1999) There has been a considerable increase in the price of fuel all over the globe and the United States is no exception. There is therefore, a likeliness of close observation of oil and gasoline prices by the US consumers; this is because they had paid more than what they had anticipated. This research tried to shed light into the factors which were responsible for the price change, its effect on the economy and the alternatives that the consumers preferred most. This work will also provide an insight into the consumption of gasoline between the years 2006 and 2011. The uses focused majorly on industries, commercial and residential sectors. This will be helpful in describing the pattern of gas consumption in the US. Information was provided by statistical method on the past few decades’ oil production and a comparison was made to the demand over the same period. Survey monkey was used to collect data and analysis was done by Excel program to come up with the comparison between the different parameters of study (amount people are willing to pay, awareness of peak price and best alternatives

Gendering the Mythic World Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Gendering the Mythic World - Term Paper Example They also include false beliefs that certain societies use in order to give justifications to certain social institutions. Additionally they could be some sort of invented stories or ideas and concepts since they are about imaginary things or fictitious events and persons. Gendering on the other hand can be understood as socially defining certain sets of norms that are behavior related within certain cultures and are considered appropriate to a given sex. They include attitudes, personality traits, and actions related to particular sex in a society. Therefore gender differs in behavior and personality in accordance to the societal and cultural factors. Gendering myths is therefore deciding the gender roles of the characters depicted in the mythical tales based on the society and culture that the myth seeks to explain. This paper therefore seeks to discuss how: the mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. The mythic world has defined roles for men and women based on how the given societies and cultures deemed appropriate. (Ferranti, 17 -21) outlines: in the ancient Greek women are depicted by many of the mythical stories as having strong feminine power which were mysterious and un-understood by men. Women gave life to people in this ancient age when the mystery of birth was just beyond man’s conception. The process of fertility, conception and birth were barely understood by the society. Consequently, males are depicted to so anxious about this mysterious feminine power to give life. Thus women were meant to raise and guard children. The roles that women played in the mythic stories are depicted as ladies of marriage and guardians of children, they thus were expected to give birth, raise and guard children. Similarly the myth of ancient Egyptian goddess, Isis talks of the same role that women played in giving life from what was in existent as will be

House Prices and the Wealth Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 11

House Prices and the Wealth Effect - Essay Example In a typical household, shares account for a relatively smaller proportion of average assets while housing takes the huge proportion. People will rather invest in housing that has moderate rises in price compared to the stock market that has sharp unpredictable prizes. Home values are thus more evenly distributed that financial related wealth that is spread among the rich whose spending has less effect on changing waves. Change in house prices thus presents much higher effect to many people that change in share prices (Case, Quigley, & Shiller 3). However, this is not true across all economies. The influence of financial assets is much greater than that of housing wealth in Britain than in America because of Britain having refined instruments through which money is spent. In America, weakness in wealth effect on consumption was expected to reduce spending but the opposite happened. As more Americans became poor from the fallen share prices, spending grew considerably hence helping America avoids getting into recession. Housing prices instead went higher thus squaring out the effect of fallen stock prices. However, empty homes and increased unemployment have indicated that consumer spending is driven by real earnings that influence projections of earnings from stocks, property, and bonds. Thus fallen asset values that cause investors to spend less and the rest are put into savings (The Economist, â€Å"A housing slump helped† 1). For example in the US in 2004, an increase in wealth by $1 caused an increase in spending between 1 and 7 cents. This translated to 0.0375 wealth effect for a model that assumed equal effect between housing and financial assets. The policymakers consider housing wealth as having a similar effect as financial wealth in microeconomics sense. However, some people have already established fault in such conclusion. They argue that increase in the price of property increase cost of housing.  

Teenage and Fashion Essay Example for Free

Teenage and Fashion Essay Statement: For teenagers, fashion is first and foremost a social statement. It is an outward means of expression to their peers and the rest of the world. Identity: Fashion also provides teenagers a sense of identity by signaling which grouping they belong to (prep, punk, goth, etc. ). It may also signal a more independent or inclusive personality. Attraction: Teens can be extremely conscious about overall image when it comes to sexual attraction. They will often exploit fashion as a means to attract a certain type of person. Rebellion: Rebellion may also be acted out via fashion. Since rebellion is often a huge aspect of a teenagers life, it is not shocking that teens often use licentious or shocking fashion to rebel against their parents, their classmates, and/or society. Peer Pressure: Many teens pick up on fashion trends in an effort to stave off humiliation and mocking from peers. Poor fashion choices in the eyes of others can often be an open door to ridicule. Celebrities: Often, fashion for teenagers is the result of the desire to be like a celebrity. Celebrities are perhaps the greatest influences on teenagers in the modern world, and they can have a huge impact on a teens ideas about fashion and its importance. In our society, there are many issues that affect teens. Fashion is something that teens use to fit in which makes them struggle in their everyday life. Teens find brands to be something that will make them look â€Å"classy† as many teens say today at school. Teisha-Vonique Hood from SMU stated that when people associate themselves with a particular brand or branded image, they immediately assume a new identity that is in some sense, confined to the societal points of that brand. They classify themselves through the brands they wear and it makes them feel like they fit in. There is always that new shirt or those new jeans or just some new trend that happens to begin. Teens may feel like if they don’t have the latest brands, they aren’t worthy or not able to fit in and be themselves. Also, teens find themselves to be a little under-confident or intimidated by other people in their school. Ehow contributor, Ashton Pittman said that many teens pick up on fashion trends in an effort to stave off humiliation and mocking from peers. The majority of teens in high school have a fear of getting bullied or excluded. They use fashion to hide their fear and to feel more confident on who they are, or who they are trying to be. Their attitude towards fashion and the way society shows it to be can change a lot of teens’ opinions. Stated in SMU study, as a result of this need for peer acceptance, teenagers are receptive to characteristics such as character, personality, etc. Since a lot of teens try to find their identity through high school and fashion, it can ultimately change not only their personality, but their character towards other people and family. Tying into this, celebrities are a big impact on teen fashion. Ashton Pittman also states that often, fashion for teenagers is the result of the desire to be like a celebrity. Teens look at celebrities and say â€Å"Oh well if they can wear that, then why can’t I† and most of the time they end up giving the wrong idea to their friends and people around them. Have you ever tried to dress some way so that others accept you? A lot of teens don’t realize that this is an issue on their everyday life because they are so caught up with trying to fit in. Just because other teens have the latest brand and you don’t, doesn’t mean that you aren’t unique.

Yoga Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Yoga Philosophy Essay Most of the time when people think about yoga they simply imagine contorting their bodies into strange and awkward positions in hopes of keeping themselves in shape. I have to admit that I was one of those people. However, I have come to understand that the art of yoga is much more complex than I had ever imagined. This form of exercise, that I thought was restricted to famous people attempting to keep there movie star physiques, is becoming an epidemic among modern society. Yoga is much more than contorting your body into strange and somewhat un-normal positions. Mind and Body explains that â€Å"Yoga is both philosophic and metaphysic conditioning. † This art is also a general name for the controls and techniques that are used to create mythically the perfect body, mind, and spirit. Along with the above definition of yoga, we must look at it as one of the six systems of Indian philosophy â€Å"Darshanus†, meaning viewpoint or vision from the root (Hewitt). Yoga differs from all other systems because it is not content on the metaphysical knowledge, but has devised and presented practical techniques that allow intellectual understanding and can be reinforced by experimental knowing. The fundamental principle of Yoga philosophy is that nothing exists beyond the mind and its consciousness. The objective of this philosophy is to dig up misconceptions about the existence of external realities from the minds of men. It believes that it is possible to reach this stage of self realization through regular practice of yogic meditative processes that bring complete withdrawal or detachment from all false sources of knowledge and exposes an inner sense of balanced calm and tranquility (Mind and Body). The sense of meditative healing and yogic philosophy works on the five states of the mind, the five modifications of the mind, and the nine impediments of the mind. To begin the philosophy exposes the five states of the mind which include; disturbed, confused, distracted, concentrated, and completely balanced. â€Å"The first three stages are causes of impediment to the mind and are considered negative. † says Hewitt. The last two stages of mind are positive and engaging to meditation. Various yogic practices are designed for achieving these two particular states of mind. The yogic philosophy also breaks down the forms of thought or modifications of the mind into fives stages. These stages include; comprehension, misunderstanding, conceptualization, deep sleep, and memory. The knowledge gained from either sensory or inner perception, inference, or verbal authority is all considered to be true knowledge according to yoga. However deep sleep, conceptualization, and memory are looked at as negative modifications to the mind in particular forms. (Mind and Body) Last are the nine impediments of the mind that define the yogic philosophy. Sickness, incompetence, doubt, delusion, fatigue, overindulgence, confusion, lack of perseverance, and regression are all results of the modifications to the mind and forms of thought. These nine conditions are the greatest causes of all sorrows, miseries and pain, which disturb the mind and result in distractions and loss of mental tranquility. Knowing all this changes my entire outlook on yoga. I understand that this art that people engage in is much more complex than simply body positions and the humming that I often associated with this practice. The philosophy of yoga encompasses all the elements of mind, body, and spirit. References Mind Body Focused. August 29, 2008 . Claire, Thomas. Yoga for Men : Postures for Healthy, Stress-free Living . Franklin Lakes: The Career Press, 2004. Hewitt, James. The Complete YOGA Book. London : Hutchison Publishing Group Limited, 1977.