Monday, September 30, 2019

Motivation as an Important Aspect of Human Resource Management

Motivation is a vital aspect in functioning of every organization. It refers to the forces that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action for accomplishing organizational goals. Nowadays, there are numerous motivation theories that human resource managers use in order to encourage high work performance. Generally, there are two types of rewards in motivation.The first is intrinsic rewards, which is the satisfaction a person receives in the process of performing a particular action. For example, a person selling educational materials may get an intrinsic award of helping children read well. The other type of rewards is extrinsic, which are the rewards that are generally given by another person, typically a manager and include promotion and pay increases. For instance, some person that does not get pleasure from doing his/her job may be motivated by an extrinsic reward of high payment.Good human resource managers usually strive to help people achieve both e xtrinsic and intrinsic rewards, far as it has been proven that most talented and innovative employees are usually motivated not only by rewards such as benefits and money but also with the satisfaction from the work they do. To create an environment that is rich in opportunity, challenge and reward managers need to implement one of the manager’s theories. The three types of motivation theories include: content theories, process and reinforcement theories.Content theories usually stress the understanding of human needs and how they can be satisfied in the workplace. Thus, if a human resource manager realizes worker’s needs, the organization’s rewards system can be designed to meet them and reinforce employees for directing energies and priorities toward attainment of organizational goals. One of the content theories is the hierarchy of needs theory developed by Abraham Maslow. This theory suggests that people are motivated by five categories of needs- physiologic al, safety, belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization-that exist in a hierarchical order.Self-actualization which is on the top of the hierarchy may include: opportunities for training, advancement, growth and creativity. Esteem needs generate: recognition, high status and increased responsibilities. While, belongingness needs may comprise: work groups, clients, coworkers and supervisors. Safety needs include safe work, fringe benefits and job security. Finally, at the bottom of the hierarchy there are physiological needs which are heat, air and base salary. According to the theory low-order needs must be satisfied before higher-order needs are activated.The other content theory is ERG theory that resembles a modified Maslow’s theory. It identifies three categories of needs: 1. Existence needs- needs for physical well-being. 2. Relatedness needs- need for satisfactory relationships with others. 3. Growth needs- developing human potential and the desire for personal growth and increased competence. One psychologist suggested that nowadays the need to have fun at work needs to be added to this theory, far as it can relieve stress and enable people to feel that their personal lives are not totally separated from their work lives.There his also a two-factor content theory, created by Frederick Herzberg. After interviewing hundreds of workers he came to conclusion that two separate dimensions contribute to an employee’s behavior at work. The first are hygiene factors, which are factors that involve the presence or absence of job dissatisfiers such as working conditions, pay, company policies, and interpersonal relationships. The second set of factors is motivators, which include achievement, recognition, responsibility and opportunity for growth.Thus, on one hand providing hygiene factors will eliminate employee dissatisfaction, and on the other motivators will promote high satisfaction and performance. Process theories, unlike content theories fo cus more on determining how workers act to meet their needs and if those choices are successful. There are two basic process theories: equity theory and expectancy theory. Equity theory focuses on individual’s perceptions of how fairly they are treated relative to others. If people perceive their compensation as equal to what others receive for similar contributions they will believe that their treatment is fair and equitable.Equity is measured by ratio of outputs and inputs. Inputs include: education, experience, effort and ability, while the outputs generate pay, recognition, benefits and promotion. Thus, for example if some employee discovers that he/she is getting more money than people who contribute the same inputs to the company, he/she may feel the need to correct the inequity by working harder, getting more education or considering lower pay. Expectancy theory is a process theory that suggests that motivation depends on individual’s expectations about their ab ility to erform tasks and receive desired rewards. For instance, if the company creates an incentive program which would be used in areas such as distribution, where employees are recognized for accomplishment in safety, productivity and attendance it can appear rather effective. The other type of theories is reinforcement theory. It is a motivation theory based on the relationship between a given behavior and its consequences. For instance a company implementing a reinforcement theory may reward salespeople for the kinds of behaviors that keep sales and profits rising.If people in this company don’t perform, they don’t get paid. However, they can reap huge economic rewards for high performance. A good example of a country, where different companies use different motivation theories in their human resource management is Ukraine. Analyzing the variety of company’s in Ukraine it can be seen that most large company’s functioning on the territory of our count ry are either subsidiaries of foreign company’s or some multinational/transnational corporations.Surely, those companies placed in our country use mostly some content theories that provide workers with bonuses, opportunities for training, growth and team buildings, which can be some trips paid-for by the company, in order to create a sense of team in the company’s staff. An example of such companies would be Celenia, Kraft Foods, BMS Consulting, etc. Those companies, like many others of their kind use content theories that incorporate many useable tools for managers.As for local Ukrainian company’s that are based soly in Ukraine, they usually might offer some fringe benefits which is a good motivation tool. However, hrm managers in those companies rarely use the system of bonuses, increased payments, or some incentive programs. Mostly, the motivation is associated with fear of loosing the job or getting reduced payment if the organizational goals are not complet ed. It resembles a reinforcement theory of management, where employees are suggested a certain type of behavior and if they do or do not pursue it, certain consequences follow.There are companies that give their workers so-called â€Å"black balls† on every project they did not complete or that was not done on time and if the worker gets more than 5 balls he/she is out of the job. From my point of view, this type of motivation has a lot of shortcomings and it should be substituted by some content theory of management. Far as this type of human resource management, doesn't correspond to ethical norms of a democratic society. Thus, motivation is an important aspect in human resource management. Nowadays, human resource managers have an option of selecting out of numerous management theories.They include content, process and reinforcement theories. Content theories like hierarchy of needs theory or ERG theory focus on understanding and satisfying human needs at work. Process the ories on the other hand, focus on employee’s choices of action to accomplish company’s goals and determining if those choices are correct. While, reinforcement theory focuses on what consequences follow if the workers do or do not follow the given behavior. Choice of an appropriate motivation theory is a significant step to company’s success.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Acme Fireworks Prospectus Essay

Acme Fireworks is a fireworks retailer that sells fireworks, puts on ground display fireworks, and large aerial displays fireworks. Acme Fireworks has been a sole proprietorship since it began two years ago. At this time the owner is receiving inquiries as to Acme Fireworks ability to create fireworks displays on a regular basis. CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012). In anticipation of increased business, the owner of Acme Fireworks is in need of some information. This prospectus is going to inform the owner as to: Whether or not the business will be governed by common law or the Uniform Commercial Code. Analyze whether or not the owner has any actual contracts. Explain the potential personal liability to Acme Fireworks is someone is injured by a stray firework. Discuss different employment types while discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each type as it applies to Acme Fireworks. And finally, give suggestions as to why Acme Fireworks should no longer be a sole proprietorship. When it comes to contracts, it is important to understand that there are two different bodies of law that come into play, the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the common law of contracts. The difference between the UCC and the common law contract can make a huge difference in the outcome of a contract dispute. This could be the difference between being able to collect punitive damages, discharge or modify a contract, be able to sue under breach of contract, and whether or not there truly a legally recognizable contract after all CITATION Gun12 l 1033 (Denton, 2012). It is important to understand the type of contract governed by each body of law. The UCC applies to the sale of goods and securities, and common law of contracts applies to contracts for services, real estate, insurance, intangible assets, and employment CITATION Gun12 l 1033 (Denton, 2012). If the contract should happen to be for both  the sale of goods and for securities, the dominant element would be in control of the contract CITATION Gun12 l 1033 (Denton, 2012). Should Acme Fireworks have contracts with the inquiring businesses, these contracts would be governed under UCC rule. The contracts would be for both goods and services with goods being the dominant factor of the contracts. There would be more fireworks than there would be personnel. Hence, this would be the reasoning for a UCC contract. In order for the owner to have valid contracts with inquiring businesses there are five elements that must be present in order for the contracts to be valid. First there must be an offer. An offer is an invitation for another to enter into a contract CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012).Then there is the need for acceptance. Acceptance is the acquiescence to enter into a contract CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012). Then there is consideration. Consideration is anything of legal value that is asked for and received as the price for entering into a contract CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012). Now there is legality. Legality is the extent to which the contract is legal and not against public policy CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012). Finally, there is capacity. Capacity is the mental competency to enter into a contract CITATION Rog12 l 1033 (Rogers, 2012). Considering Acme Firework’s new â€Å"contracts†; Was there an offer? No, there was not an offer. The businesses were making inquiries, asking questions trying to find out what Acme Fireworks could handle. Was the acceptance? No, there was no acceptance. There were no contracts offered, therefore nothing to accept. Was there consideration? No, there was no consideration. Pricing of the firework displays was talked about, but that was j ust information given to answer question f the inquiry. Is there legality? Yes, when the contracts are made they will be legal as they will not be against public policy. Is there capacity? Yes, there is capacity. It is safe to assume that the owner of Acme Fireworks and the owners of the other businesses are of sound mind and body therefore able to enter into legally binding contracts. So, did the owner have enforceable contracts? No, he did not. While there was legality and capacity; there was no offer, acceptance, or consideration present. Fireworks displays are beautiful and exciting, but they are also very dangerous. The operator of a fireworks display has a duty to fireworks are done in a safe way that does not injure spectators CITATION All13 l 1033  (Business, 2013). To successfully sue a promoter of a firework display, it must be shown that the promoter failed to keep spectators at a reasonable safe distance CITATION All13 l 1033 (Business, 2013). In order to sue the operator of a firework display it must be shown that the spectator was injured by the discharge of a fireworks or firework that did not explode properly CITATION All13 l 1033 (Business, 2013). Should an injury occur neg ligence by the operator is presumed, as the operator is in sole control of firing the fireworks. Essentially, Acme Fireworks is going to want any such liabilities to be the responsibility of the company and not result in personal liability. Being a sole proprietorship Acme Fireworks will be liable for all debts and claims against the business. A lawsuit of this type could be financially devastating. However, should Acme Fireworks take the time and effort to incorporate or to form a Limited Liability Company they would more than likely be protected to a significant degree from such personal injury CITATION All13 l 1033 (Business, 2013) Should these contracts come into being, Acme Fireworks will need to hire more employees. But which type of employee should Acme Fireworks employ? The full-time employee works regular and on-going, between 35-45 hours a week, which includes non-wage entitlements and benefits like paid holiday leave, sick leave, and long service leave CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014). Part-time permanent work is regular and on-going, involves fewer hours than full-time and usually has set days or set hours. No benefits and entitlements are received by part-time employees. Casual work is on-going and involves irregular hours and hourly pay. Casual workers work on an as needed basis, which means that they work when they are needed CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014). Th ere are no entitlements for casual workers since the entitlements are factored into 20% of the higher hourly rate that casual workers receive CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014). Casuals usually receive hourly rates of pay based on a minimum 15% loading of normal or applicable hourly rates of pay CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014). Fixed term or contract employees are hired for a fixed period of time for a specific project or to replace an employee on sick leave or paternal leave CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014). This type of employee would need an agreement in writing that sets out the length of the employment contract. Fixed term employees are entitled to the same annual personal and other leave as  full-time employees, but on a proportional basis for the period of their employment CITATION ASU14 l 1033 (ASU, 2014) Piecework and commission only payment employees rather than being paid a wage or salary are paid by: Piecework – the paying f a specific amount for completing a specific task. Commission – the paying of a percentage for each sale made Retainer plus commission – the paying of a fixed amount plus commission. Should Acme Firew orks decide to hire more employees, my suggestion would be to hire casual workers. Casual workers do not expect to work all the time they work when they are needed. They would not have to give them any entitlements just work. Should Acme Fireworks become so busy that they are working everyday then they might want to get some full time workers. But, as of right now go with the casual workers. Acme Fireworks has been a sole proprietorship since it began two years ago. As a sole proprietorship all liabilities for finances and operations are on the owner. The owner’s personal property is tied to the business, so the owner assumes a risk against his personal property should the business experience financial hardship. Profits and losses of the business are reported through the owner and are taxed at the individual rate. The sole proprietorship entity is the easiest entity to set up, but the owner will probably have to sell the business to retrieve his investment. Should Acme Fireworks become a partnership? A partnership has two or more owners that share equal control, unless the partnership agreement says otherwise or the entity is set up as a limited partnership CITATION Phi14 l 1033 (Phillips, 2014). L ike a sole partnership, profits and losses of the business flow through the partners and are taxed at the individual rate. Operating partners assume risks, both legally and financially. Creditors can attempt to collect debts from the partner’s personal assets CITATION Phi14 l 1033 (Phillips, 2014). To recoup their investment the partner is required to sell his interest in the business. With the potential for devastatingly high personal injury claims, this entity would not be the one for Acme Fireworks. This entity jeopardizes the personal assets of the businesses owners. A corporation? A corporation can have an unlimited number of owners, known as shareholders. This business entity remains separate from the owners in legal and financial matters CITATION Phi14 l 1033 (Phillips, 2014). The profits and losses of a corporation are taxed at corporate rates, not individual rates. Should the  corporation realize a profit it is paid out to the shareholders who then report it as income and pay taxes on it at an individual rate CITATION Phi14 l 1033 (Phillips, 2014). Corporations are taxed twice, once at the time of profits and losses and then again when the shareholders realize the dividends. Or a limited liability company? This entity is a partnership and a corporation mixed together. Owners are protected from personal liability like a corporation, but enjoy the tax advantages similar to a partnership. The LLC would be the entity I would suggest for Acme Fireworks due to the ability to be free from personal liability and the ability to be taxed at the lower partnership rate. References: BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 ASU. (2014). Employment Type Defin itions & Eligibility Summary. Retrieved from ASU: http://www.asu.edu Business, A. (2013, July 13). Fireworks Displays. Retrieved from Avoiding Personal Liability: http://www.allbusiness.com Denton, G. &. (2012). Thwe difference between a contract that falls undert the UCC and one that does not and why it is important to you. Retrieved from Gunderson & Denton at Law: http://www.gundersondenton.com/business/difference-contract-falls-ucc-important Phillips, C. (2014). Three Types of Business Entity. Retrieved from Small Business: http://www.smallbusiness.chron.com Rogers, S. (2012). Essentials of Bussiness Law. San Diego: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Campaign Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Campaign Analysis - Essay Example In September 2004, the campaign for real beauty was officially launched for the rise of some consciousness of all issue associate with beauties. The campaign was purposely meant to challenge the stereotypes that had been set by the beauty industry. It had numerous intentions in making as many women as possible feel beautiful every day. The campaign led to the release of the global research that explored the relationship between women and beauty and what beauty links to their happiness all across the world. It was such an effective campaign and was accompanied with much advertising that inspires the society and more especially women to think differently about the definition of beauty. The campaign was also attached with some fundraising initiatives that were aimed at helping young girls who had low self-esteem related to their beauty. The DOVE SELF ESTEEM FUND supported the fund raising initiatives. According to the campaign, every woman was to possess something beautiful and unique. Sixty eight percent of all people believe that unrealistic standards of beauty exist within the advertising world and the media. Forty-seven percent has believed that only attractive women are portrayed in the well-known cultures while eighty-five percent agree that beauty can be achieved through spirit and personal attitude. This was critically analyzed throughout the campaign period that left many individuals convinced about the associated beauty with the dove products. The associated strengths with the company include its broad market equipped with quality products. Their advertising is very much inspiring with much emotional appeal. This has created perfect public relations that give it enormous strengths compared to its competitors. The company has also a positive self-image. This act as a driving factor in motivates every undertaking within the company creates a motivating factor to all the stakeholders. They make broad

Friday, September 27, 2019

Behavioural Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Behavioural Finance - Essay Example Fair distribution 8. How can fair distribution of resources be achieved? 9. What factors are to be considered in ensuring fair distribution? 10. How is inequality a challenge in fair distribution? Inclusion criteria Inclusion of the material for literature was based on relevance to the research questions and its relevance to the research topic Exclusion criteria Any material that was deemed irrelevant to the research topic was discarded; the relevance of the material to the research topic was determined by reviews of its title and abstract Relevance of research questions to the topic The view has been taken that a progression through the research questions will provide an in depth overview of the research topic. The research questions have been designed to capture all views of the new economic paradigm and the different aspects of the new economic paradigm that scholar have identified. Despite the limited literature that is available in this area, the research questions have helped t o conduct an exhaustive literature review. Table of contents Abstract 2 Table of contents 5 Introduction 6 Happiness and Well-being 7 Efficient allocation of resources 9 Ecological sustainability 11 Fair distribution 12 Analysis of the literature 13 Conclusion 14 References 15 Introduction The world has for a long time yearned for a change, the people recognise that the social, political and economic conditions in the universe are not at par with the needs of the society. Ancient economists such as Adam Smith in his ‘wealth of nations’ argued that competition would be used to distribute good and services in the world as individuals were taken as rational beings. However, it has been discovered that human beings are not rational... However, despite these advancements, the variation gap between the wealthy and the underprivileged has been rising, both in nation-to-nation comparison and within the countries. Adverse and extreme climatic conditions have increased in frequency and severity and adapting to these changes has now become a reality. Due to the rising population, the demand for natural resources has risen which has led to overexploitation of natural resources and degradation of the environment, food and oil prices have skyrocketed and debt crisis in most countries has reached an alarming levels. This paper will deal with the new economic paradigm and all the perspectives that are associated with it. These trends shows that the world has no option but to act; however, there are more benefits that come with change than just avoiding the negative effects that may result due to failure to change. Change and innovation through testing and advancement of new models are key determinants in human advancement, for instance, the global financial and European debt crisis does not only require people to imagine of a better world, but rather, to act and create that world. The need for a new economic paradigm was boosted when the 193 member states of UN general assembly adopted a consensus resolution 65/309 on happiness: towards a holistic approach to development, this resolution characterised happiness as fundamental human goal and a universal aspiration.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Franchise vs. Non-Franchise Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Franchise vs. Non-Franchise - Research Paper Example Licensing is when the licensor (corporation) makes certain resources available to the licensee, which is a company from another country. This enables the licensee to produce and sell a product which is similar to the one being sold by the parent company (Licensor). Franchising is a special form of licensing which occurs when a corporation sells a complete package to the franchisee which includes trademark, equipment, ingredients of the product and even advice related to managerial aspects. The franchisee takes the corporation`s name and standardized operating system (Management, Print). Some great examples of franchises include the fast food chains like McDonald`s, Subway, Burger King etc. on the other hand, a non-franchise business is one in which, although you have lesser support as compared to a franchise, you are free to make your own decisions and follow your own ideas. Unlike a franchise, owners of a non-franchise business do not have to face strict operational rules and other operational guidelines set by the franchisor (Non-franchised business opportunities, Web). One of the well-known franchises of the world is Subway which has been chosen as a franchise business for this assignment. The franchise concept of Subway involves a simple operation as the subs (sandwiches) do not have to be cooked. It also involves low investment and overheads for the franchisee. In order to start a franchise of subway, the franchisee first has to submit a complete application. It takes between 2 to 12 months to start the business at the proposed location. The franchisee is required not to have any association with other businesses during this term of franchise agreement with Subway. In order to purchase a franchise in the United States, the person should be a legal citizen or permanent resident of the United States. The franchisee is helped by the registered development agents of Subway who would help in the initial settlement period. The total investment by the franchisee can range from $115,700 to $260,350 for traditional locations and $85,200 to $202,150 for non-traditional locations. Subway helps the franchisee by providing training for two week which includes in class as well as training in stores. Unless this training is taken, the franchisee will not be allowed to open the shop or outlet. There is a certain criteria set by subway for location, store placement, store design etc. the basic menu of Subway offers breakfast, salads, flat breads and hot as well as cold submarine sandwiches. The franchisees have the option of adding four sandwiches to their menus, one to be selected by the store and two selected by the market. The franchisee has the ability to determine the pricing of store items although prices are also recommended by the company. The franchisee also has to follow a number of guidelines of ingredients and other items. The menu also includes freshly baked cookies and there also a number of requirements of salty snacks, bread etc. The company requires the franchisee to open the store for a minimum of 98 hours. The policy can be changed or eliminated at the franchisor`s discretion. The developing agent would give training of 70 hours during the first week of the store and will evaluate the store on a monthly basis. The company also provides daily back-up support by assigning a coordinator whom the store owner can call for

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Analysis opera market in Princeton area including psychographic Assignment

Analysis opera market in Princeton area including psychographic profile including life-styles, attitudes, personalities - Assignment Example Such has been used to hold iconic events in the region. An example of an Opera House that has been successful over time is the Sydney Opera House that has been active for over 40 years (ABC News). Linking personality to promote the opera house is important. People who are mostly open, conscientiousness and extroverted are more willing to offer clientele. In the area, people like meeting up, the opera would provide the meeting point. The opera house will be a place to exchange ideas among the people. The people may perceive opera houses to be places for rich people. This may influence the high income earners to go to the opera house. The desire of the people in the region to go to the opera house will be driven by curiosity to seek entertainment from the new establishment in the area. Moreover, more people can be coerced to the opera by their peers since most of the population in the region consists of young adults to middle aged person. In this regard, the psychographic data is important in establishing the market for the opera house. According to Kane, an editor with the Irish Times, a good example is the Wexford Opera house where in 2014 reported to have sold almost 90% of the 21 500 tickets put for sale for the different

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

6 - 7 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

6 - 7 - Essay Example Strategy is done through the application of Porter’s five force model to reduce supplier power, which enables them to price their goods at a lower price than competitors in the market. One of the factors that have also helped Wal-mart is innovation and change management. With an embracement of change through creative ideas, Wal-mart is able to stay before other competitors by continually changing their strategies to fit the market. As already mentioned, using a business model based on cost leadership has also helped Wal-mart. This strategy helps them manage their suppliers and share business risks with them, thus reducing costs and ultimately the final price faced by the customer. However, despite the market leadership enjoyed, Wal-mart has continually lost customers to its competitors who have attractive prices and better convenience. This can be related to problems of managerial capability, which can be overcome by innovation. Wal-mart needs to stop focusing a lot on meeting shareholders’ needs and instead focus more on customers’

Monday, September 23, 2019

For Poorer and For Poorer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

For Poorer and For Poorer - Essay Example As an initial matter, it must be noted that changing economic conditions do seem to affect both work roles and family roles in relationships. As noted by Hansen, in general terms, the changed economic conditions have resulted in "more fighting, postponed weddings, and less sex" (2003: np). The most immediate effect is the postponement of weddings. Rather than pursuing traditional roles as husband and wife, because of the large expenses associated with formal weddings, couples are delaying marriage while awaiting better economic times. In addition, young couples are hesitant to have children when they are unable to take care of themselves adequately. The family roles are consequently replaced by a more permanent boyfriend-girlfriend role and the relationships assume a less secure status. There is less romance, less self-esteem, and less sex. In addition to the alteration of family roles, there have also been alterations of traditional work roles. Couples are confronted with periods of unemployment and underemployment. Some people have admitted to removing advanced academic degrees in an effort to find jobs for which they are overqualified. In sum, the recent economic instability has affected both family roles and work roles in negative ways. In addition, a comparison of the idealism of the 1990s with the current period of economic instability highlights the very real financial pressures that young couples are experiencing.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Meta-Investigation on The Michael Brown Case Essay Example for Free

Meta-Investigation on The Michael Brown Case Essay Block A. A. Terms problem- The teams are not communicating primarily caused by the J. Edgar Hoover Model, page 37, Detective Terms. [This model does not require identifying the investigative building blocks or rules of investigations and assumes that everyone on the team will know them. It can be argued that this is the main cause of most problems in building cases. Further evidence for this lack of communication was the failure to manage the body(Physical Evidence#5) in a timely manner(Block A-Rules of Investigations) No one in the investigation has really known who has jurisdiction over this case. It went from city to county and then state and no one actually preceded to be the 1st in line of action to step up and say, â€Å"Hey, we have it.† One of the influencers in this case was Al Sharpton, basically bringing in the Feds and making it a civil case of racism. The population of Ferguson is 67% black, which has served as a big influence on this case. Case Label Block 1 There are no actual charges yet for this case, because they are still investigating this case in Ferguson, Missouri. The officer had reasonable doubt to ask Michael Brown to get off the road and to get onto the sidewalk. He had the law on his side if he would have frisked the two young guys and possibly arrest one or both of them. The media and Al Sharpton and other Elites are trying to make this out to be a civil case. It almost seems as if Michael basically committed Copicide. The rule of discretion was followed, it seems. The officer followed through at his own discretion instead of calling for backup. Verbal Evidence Block 2 Michael Brown had no most-serious felony convictions or pending cases. Dorian Johnson, witness to Michael Brown getting shot, has been accused of lying in the past upon several occasions. This makes him to be a bad witness for this case, good for the officer’s case though.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Assignment on Cell Phone Essay Example for Free

Assignment on Cell Phone Essay â€Å"Watson, come here: I want you.† This was the first message ever transmitted from one place to another, through a device called Telephone. Alexander Graham bell the American genius along with his assistant Thomas Watson invented this machine in 1876. It was March 10, 1876, an important day for the human civilization when this great machine was invented and it was the first step towards developing the means of communication. Since then we have come across a long way. Various means were added to the means of communication. Today, telephone is a part of our everyday life. Besides telephone, mobile phones are playing a great role to communicate massages from one place to another. It has become an integral part of life in all over the world. Today, telecommunication is one the major part of life. Nowadays, phone is not only using for making calls, among many other functions it’s used for text messaging, multimedia messaging and also even to connect us to the internet. Due to its various functionality it has a greater impact not only in the economy as well as in the society. Bangladesh is talking like never before. The phenomenal growth of the telecom industry over the last two decades has considerable changed the way people interact. The impact is seen among all spheres of people in Bangladesh. But the most significant impact is seen among the young users of cell phone. Telecommunications allows better access to services that enhance a society’s health and wellbeing such as healthcare and social services. Amongst the many implications of research is that poor and rural populations benefit most from mobile telephony because they are least likely to have alternatives. In view of this, the cross subsidies in Bangladesh from mobile to fixed users, from the poor to the rich, are especially damaging. There are a number of ways that mobile services can promote cohesion in families and society. For example, a cheap mobile service allows families and communities to remain as a coherent unit when family members are away for long periods. In cases where a family member is abroad either temporarily or permanently it allows the family unit to remain intact as well as generating inbound international call revenues. Due to intense competition among the operators, every company is trying to provide cheap call rate which is benefiting the users. Young people are benefitting most in this regard since they lack income sources. A cheap mobile service keeps them in touch with families and relatives thus strengthening social bodings. But every coin has two faces. The telecommunication companies in our country have been inclined towards introducing new and alternative packages for young people like Djuice Bondhu by Grameenphone, Desh by Banglalink, Shorol by Robi and many more. The question arises why companies are so aggressively coming up with such packages without the social mobilization to check the mindset of youth. How they are facilitating their users by such packages which offer lower call rate at midnight. Except on very urgent occasions ordinarily no one would like to talk after midnight. In our youth segment the majority is student community that is spell bounded by these packages. They are losing their essence of their studies. They are derailing and deviating themselves. They are getting away for their goals, destinies and motives. Their minds are becoming stagnant and static. Creativity and innovation is blocked by the consistent telephonic conversations spread over the whole of night. They are losing their interest towards the interactions and sociality. Alienation is increasing within small community or groups of people. In home young hardly get time to spend with their parents. In one room of hostels all four members are strangers to one another. They never try to tie up the relation because they don’t have a pinch of time. By talking whole night with opposite sex, they are getting psychologically weak and pressured. There are more other physical disorders also experiencing by the youth due to spending the precious time which is needed for compulsory rest, relaxation, relief and mental health. Due to spending whole nights over phone the absenteeism is skyrocketing in every profession. They are going far and far away from the hold of families. They tell lies and have false communication with their parents thus seriously jeopardizing the social relationship. They are deceiving the decisions, trust and expectations of their parents. They are traveling towards the lone parent family system in which one is not accountable to anyone and he is the only decision maker. Suck kind of behavior is leading towards the social fragmentation and terrible decline of moral values in which respect is core one. Even their mental approach is revolving around sexual satisfaction. Other emotions and sentiments are pushed oblivion, they are forgetting that there are so many matters that need their kind attention. Which are making them socially challenged. The mobile companies have every right to work out innovative packages offering greater value of money to their customers. But they should not making profits by compromising on the interest of young generation. Youth spend a huge amount of money on mobile cellular services annually. Major amounts of their disposable income are going to the mobile telecom companies. In the name of competition companies are aggressively promoting their offerings without considering the welfare of the youth. Therefore, we all have to realize the worth and well being of our youth.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Beam Behaviour and Magnetic Field of K500 Scc

Beam Behaviour and Magnetic Field of K500 Scc Vinay Singh#, A Dutta, A Agarwal, C Das, B Naik, Z A Naser, S Paul, U Bhunia, J Pradhan, J Debnath Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata 700064 Abstract The extraction of the beam from the K500 Superconducting Cyclotron in Kolkata is posing a great challenge. After getting the internal beam, lots of effort was made to extract the beam and thereafter various experiments were designed and done to know the beam behaviour and to investigate the real reason. The deflector electrode was used in the Faraday cup mode. The deflector probe, bore scope probe and the main probe were used to investigate the beam behaviour by varying the first harmonic amplitude and phase with the help of trim-coil no.13 operated in harmonic mode. Finally magnetic field mapping was done. In this paper, all these experimental results are described in detail. INTRODUCTION K500 SCC got its first internal beam till the extraction radius in Aug 2009 [1]. This was confirmed by presence of neutrons in the neutron detector. The main probe and zinc sulphide screen (bore scope) were the only diagnostics available then. After installing the deflector, numerous runs were tried but the beam couldn’t be guided through it. A series of experiments were designed to get into the bottom of the problem. It was then found that the magnetic field was the main reason behind this. This was further confirmed by magnetic field mapping . In this paper the steps leading to this conclusion are described in detail. The electrostatic deflector Deflector as a beam diagnostic element In K500 SCC there are two sets of deflector E1 and E2. The beam first encounters the deflector E1 which spans from 335Â ° to 34Â °. In the normal mode i.e., when the power supply is connected to it, and electric field of around 2.5 MV/m is created by applying high voltage of 20kV between the electrodes. The gap between them is 8mm. To eliminate the possibility, the beam was at all going through the deflector or not, the power supply was disconnected and the deflector was operated in Faraday mode i.e., as a beam diagnostic element. The deflector E1 is not a fixed element, but has certain amount of freedom in respect to its radial distance from the centre of cyclotron. The entry position can be varied from 667 to 671 mm and the exit from 672 to 678 mm. The variation in position of deflector coupled with use of the 1st harmonic coils (to slightly alter the beam curvature) was done repeatedly to get the beam signature on the outer electrode. However no significant beam current could be detected. Use of wire mesh at the entry and copper block at the exit of deflector To further investigate a wire mesh was placed at the entry of the deflector (Fig. 1) and a solid copper block at the exit (Fig. 2). This was done to ensure that any trace of beam reaching the deflector entry can be detected. And this beam if successfully passes through the deflector will be detected by the copper block. So, this time the deflector was used in the normal mode i.e., in the power supply mode. Wide range of 1st harmonic magnetic field amplitude and phase with the help of trim coil no.13 was applied. This was done to vary the beam trajectory near the extraction zone so as to get beam signal from the entry mesh. However no significant beam current could be detected. To further explore this point, the deflector voltage and its orientation were changed through a series of iterative methods, but no current could be detected on the exit copper block. - #[emailprotected] Use of polymer sheets for Beam impression To get a further insight, another attempt was made by putting polymer sheets on the inner portion of the septum at three different locations – one near the entry , second at middle and the last near the exit. After a small amount of beam time the sheets were taken out for chemical analysis. This was done to exclude the possibility of any marks that could have arisen due to the high voltage discharge of the electrode. Only a faint beam impression (Fig. 3) was found on the sheet placed near the deflector and no impression was found on the other two placed further away. Beam characteristics using probes The beam appeared to be not reaching the deflector side, but at the same time the beam was very much available towards the main probe and bore probe, so further investigations were continued to know the off-centeredness of the beam. Description of the Probes The K500 SCC has two kinds of probes- one is the main probe and other is the bore scope. The main probe is meant to ready the intensity of current, whereas the bore scope is means to see the beam spot on a ZnS Screen. The main probe moves over the central spiral line of the hill whereas the bore probe moves across another hill after entering from its corner (Fig. 4). To know whether the beam was shifting towards a particular area or not, need of a third probe was felt. For this reason the deflector was dismantled (to gain access to a port) and another probe called the deflector probe was installed (Fig. 4) along 25Â ° azimuth. Scheme of measurement The beam curvature is not circular but a scalloped one. The local radius of curvature will thus change as the beam proceeds. The curvature will be less at the centre of the hill and more at the valley. Moreover, the three probes are not symmetrically placed with rest respect to the orbit trajectory. So, any data that is taken for the purpose of analysis has to take into account the scalloping of the beam vis-a-vis the position of the 3 probes. Figure 4: Median Plane top view with main probe, bore probe and deflector probe. Profile of the Beam Beam profile with all the 3 probes was measured separately. It was observed that although good amount of beam was available up to the extraction radius ~ 670 mm in main probe and bore probe, but in deflector probe the beam current was falling at ~650 mm without application of any external 1st harmonic field (Fig. 5). Figure 5: Beam profile on 3 probes without any external 1st harmonic. This clearly indicated that beam was shifted towards main probe and bore probe region. Attempts were made to equalize the beam current in all the 3 probes by using different combinations of 1st harmonic amplitude (up to 40 gauss) and phase (1-360Â °). One of those several iteration has been illustrated in figure 6. However, the distribution could not be equalized in all the three probes. From the shadowing of radial distribution of beam by using the said three probes, centering behaviour of the beam was quantified [2]. Figure 6: Beam profile on 3 probes with 15 Gauss 1st harmonic (phase 151Â °) MAGNETIC FIELD MAPPING These observations pointed out towards significant amount of imperfection in field and also towards the fact that this imperfection cannot be taken care of by the beam controlling parameters. Also the absolute phase measurement was done [3], which also pointed out towards the field imperfection. The remapping of the magnetic field was thus contemplated. The magnetic field mapping was done by a search coil. The Calibration factor of the search coil was found out by the use of two NMR probes.The search coil was installed on a zig that was free to move in the horizontal plane. At any azimuth the search coil moved from -1.24inch to 26.4 inches. The mapping was done for different excitations of main magnet coils namely alpha and beta coils The magnetic field mapping found that the average field near the central region was less by around 250 Gauss and the 1st harmonic amplitude was quite high ~ 45 Gauss near the extraction region. Figure 7: 1st Harmonic field amplitude versus Radius Figure 8: Average field versus Radius In figure 7 and 8, the results of the magnetic field mapping is compared with that of the field mapping that was done earlier in year 2006. REMARKS The experimental observation that pointed out towards magnetic field imperfection was verified by remapping of the magnetic field. The correction of magnetic field is currently being done. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors would like to thank all persons who have contributed directly or indirectly, especially the control room personnel who have toiled through the day and the night in the endeavour towards a common goal.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Many Personalities of Lolita and Humbert in Nabokov’s Lolita Essay

The Many Personalities of Lolita and Humbert in Nabokov’s Lolita Although they are intimately involved, the title character of Nabokov's Lolita never fully reveals her true self to Humbert. Likewise, Humbert pours his physical love into Lolita, but he never reveals to his stepdaughter a self that is separate from his obsession with her. These two characters mask large parts of their personalities from each other and the rest of the world, creating different images and personas in regard to different people and situations. One assumption of post-structuralism holds that â€Å"persons are culturally and discursively structured, created in interaction as situated, symbolic beings.† In accordance with this idea that people are created by their culture and in their interactions, both Lolita and Humbert have different personalities in different situations and circumstances. However, they ultimately show a more continuous and profound self-existence than just as faces created in their various interactions. Post-structuralism is a theory containing a wide array of ideas concerning meaning, reality, and identity. Post-structuralism believes that the mind receives â€Å"impressions from without which it sifts and organizes into a knowledge of the world† which is expressed in language, or symbols (Selden, Widdowson 128). The â€Å"subject,† or person, â€Å"grasps the object and puts it into words†(128). Knowledge is formed from various types of communication which â€Å"pre-exist the subject’s experiences,† the subject existing as a being that is â€Å"not an autonomous or unified identity, but is always ‘in process’†(129). There are many assumptions of post-structuralism, but only one will be focused on here, in terms of Lolita and Humbert. This assumpti... ...s of Lolita and Humbert to show the isolation and loneliness they feel, and to show just how different and immoral the situation is. By stressing the dissonance between one persona to the next, he portrays a view of his characters that is sad and shocking, for the public seen is also the reader; the unaware, innocent, â€Å"moral† group. By letting us into the different faces of Lolita and Humbert, Nabokov reveals the tragedy in the novel, and allows the reader to vividly feel what is morally right and wrong with Humbert, Lolita, and ourselves. Works Cited Lye, John. Some Post-Structural Assumptions. 1997. 5-2001. http://www.brocku.ca/english/courses/4F70/poststruct.html. Nabokov, Vladimir. Lolita. New York: Random, 1997. Selden, Raman, and Peter Widdowson. A Reader’s Guide To Contemporary Literary Theory. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 1993.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Tybalts Character in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Although admirable qualities add to one's life, they can often lead to their death. One such example of this occurs in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet where we are introduced to Tybalt, a fiery and prideful young relative of the Capulet family. In the play, In the play, Tybalt plays a prominent role in both the thematic scheme and in the ultimate outcome. Tybalt is the instigator of a chain of reactions which change the course of this tragedy, sending it into a headlong collision with fate. Tybalt?s uncontrollable vengeance, skill as a fighter and sense of Capulet pride are admirable in their own ways, but lead Tybalt to his eventual death at the hands of Romeo. Tybalt seems to be recognized even by his own family as a hothead. Up until his death in Act III, he is constantly quarreling and never hesitates to draw a weapon in the face of a foe. Are anger management classes a spoof? If there were not a real problem with anger, they would not exist. Let us just say that Tybalt never was able to complete his anger management classes, because it is evident he has trouble controlling his anger. Tybalt is first introduced at the Capulet party that Romeo has decided to attend without an invitation. When Tybalt first spots Romeo at his family's party, he immediately races to Lord Capulet, who tries to calm Tybalt. Tybalt turns and addresses Lord Capulet: ?But this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitter gall.?(I, V, 92-93) Through this Tybalt cools down for the time being, but he certainly demands revenge again from Romeo. Tybalt's characterization in the play occurs by a direct means and it remains static throughout the duration of the play. His rude, hateful, and bitter character is made clear by his eloquent words and actions. I feel that some of the characters best development occurs when he isn?t even involved in the scene. In Act II, Scene IV, Mercutio and Benvolio develop characteristics of his fighting methods and skill as well as his French styled mannerisms in a mocking way. The method of this development could also have occurred because of the audience that Shakespeare was attempting to entertain, an anti-French group. Thus Tybalt would be both a hated villain in a fictitious play, but also a hero in some people?s eyes. In the end, although Tybalt is proud and fiery, I do sympathize with him.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

“Dude, Where’s My Country?” Book Review

â€Å"Dude, where is My Country† is a book written by Michael Moore and published by Penguin Books in 2004. In this book, Moore provocatively and boldly discusses several socio-political events in America. He takes on George W. Bush, the Conservative brigade and corporate wheeler dealers in America and offers wide ranging remedies which place the country’s redemption squarely on the shoulders of the liberal forces. The author dissects America’s problems in topics ranging from tax cuts, the Iraqi war, among others and demonstrates the failure of the nation-state to be a direct consequence of conservative ethos. Moore first seeks to debunk what he calls the ‘Big Lie’, that America is inherently and pervasively conservative. He terms this belief as a propagandist fib, perpetuated by the right in order to put down the liberal masses. â€Å"†¦.. So, in the tradition of all propagandists, they lie. They create an opposite truth: AMERICA IS CONSERVATIVE. Then they pound away with that false message so hard and so often that even their political opponents come to believe that it's true,† Moore asserts (Moore, 2003 page 2). To prove that most Americans are indeed liberal, Moore gives facts which demonstrate majority support for the Civil Rights movement, abortion, the Roe vs Wade ruling, the Green movement, gun restrictions, universal healthcare (or socialized medicine as he puts it), community as opposed to jail service for offenders, gay and lesbian rights and unionization. He then wonders why conservatives hold the rein of leadership in the country and proceeds to offer his ten cents worth. Chapter one poses seven seemingly rhetorical questions to Bush. Home of the Whopper† is the heading of Chapter two and it serves as an allegorical forerunner of the issues presented herein. Here, the author discusses the lies told by the Bush administration before narrating a fable featuring his great-granddaughter who seeks to find out from him the state of the world when oil and plastics were available and seeks to understand the reasons behind the failure of planning. In a sense, this chapter indicts the Bush administration for its lax energy policies and seems to suggest a bleak future for America occasioned by these policies. Chapter four is titled â€Å"The United States of Boo† and it takes the form of an essay. In this chapter, Moore demonstrates that death through terrorism is statistically impossible. As he so ably shows, there are other countless and plausible ways through which Americans can die that terrorism threats count for nothing. The ruse by the conservative war makers is a subterfuge meant to take away Americans’ civil liberties. Nowhere is this more succinctly evidenced than in the Patriot’s Act, Moore infers. The next chapter delineates ways in which ordinary Americans can reduce acts of terrorism. In subsequent chapters, Moore launches into an angry offensive tirade against George W. Bush that is laced with acerbic humor. The Bush years are summarized as a failed presidency and various facts adduced to support this claim. The war against Iraq is presented in great detail and used as an example to show Bush’s weak leadership. Similarly, the Enron debacle, the infamous Bush tax cuts and the collapse of other firms are cited as products of failed economic policies. The author lays bare the association between Bush, Osama Bin Laden and Saudi Arabia. He goes on to make staggering claims about alleged business connections between the Bushes and the Saudi Arabia nobles. Contrary to the wishes of FBI and notwithstanding the fact that only four of the 19 hijackers were non-Saudis, the Bush government shielded the Saudi Arabians from investigations while other Arabs in America were apprehended just like the Japanese were during the post world war II interment. Moore dismisses the high approval ratings enjoyed by Bush in 2004 thus: â€Å"the high ratings for Bush are not an endorsement of his policies. Rather, it is the response of a frightened country that has no choice but to back the man charged with protecting them. America has not fallen in love with Bush-it's more like â€Å"love the one you're (stuck) with. † (Moore, page 6). Railing against the â€Å"Christian Coalition†, Moore eloquently makes pitch for a presidency built around persons who live and understand America as it is. In regard to this, he introduces the â€Å"Draft Oprah for President† movement. Oprah, it seems, is the very representation of this people president that America so desperately needs. A clarion call for liberals to redeem their country from the ‘undesired’ hands of the conservatives is sounded. Moore gravely states that Democrats should not be left to â€Å"screw up† the [2004] election and instead details what he calls â€Å"Operation 10-Minute Oil Change† where everybody is called upon to do something for ten minutes daily in an effort to drive out Bush and his oil cronies. While the book is written in an easy to understand language with poignant examples, some hard facts and disturbing and weighty questions that inevitably stir up reflective thought, one cannot help avoid the feeling that it is grossly subjective and devoid of serious discourse. Additionally, ‘Dude, Where is My Country† seems like an unabashed endorsement of General Wesley Clark and the Democrat platoon. I do not agree with Moore because his book is redolent with numerous misrepresentations, falsities and inaccuracies. In page 69, he deliberately misrepresents facts about American’s dealings with Iraq, conveniently trashing the provisions of UN’s food for oil program. He gives a long list of persons supposedly aggrieved with the Patriot Act in page 111. However, according to the sources he has given, the listed persons were never in any way affected by the legislation. In a brazen display of dishonesty, Moore claims that closure of schools in Oregon in 2003 was as a direct result of the Bush tax cuts whereas they were actually due to a new law that decoupled the state’s income tax system from that of the central government. There are many other claims which cannot stand the test. They seem to have been intentionally twisted so that they can prop his claims. Some of his assertions border on the speculative. A good example of this is the unsubstantiated claim that Saudi military acted in cahoots with Bush and the Saudi government to launch them. While some claims are backed by solid fact, many others are not factual and it is precisely this reason that makes it hard to agree with Moore lock, stock and barrel.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie

N. Hart English Honors Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar #7Explain why you think this book will or will not be read 100 years from now. Support your opinion by stating specific events in the story. One hundred years from now I believe this book will be read as it contains most problems faced by incoming freshmen in high school. The book is well written and is fun to read as the main character, Scott Hudson employs literary uses while he writes in his journal to his unborn sibling, who he calls Smelly of his high school experiences.Every teenager faces problems while in high school and some of them are addressed in this book. The issues that are evident in this book are friendship issues, school issues, family dynamics, transition from childhood to adulthood, and actions have consequences. Friendships made in elementary school or middle school can only last in high school if the friends stay in the same city, their interests remain the same, academic performances are given th e same priority, and maturity levels develop at the same rate. Scott’s best friends from middle school are Mitch, Patrick, and Kyle.Scott wishes that they remain friends forever as he calls them â€Å"Three Musketeers. † Scott is not in the same classes as his friends. He has honors and college prep classes and they all have tech prep classes. Mitch gets a girlfriend and has no time for the others. Patrick moves to Texas and then is relocated to Japan because of his father’s work. Kyle, who others think is tough when actually he broke his nose falling off a rocking horse, stands up for his â€Å"bookworm† friend early on in their freshman year but gets on the wrestling team and soon ignores Scott.Once Kyle joins another group he no longer wants to maintain a friendship with Scott because they have different social status in high school. Scott does make some new friends in high school. An inadvertent friend is Wesley Cobble, a tough senior who in the begin ning of school â€Å"shakes down† Scott for money. They meet at the school office where Scott went to get a file for his English teacher, Mr. Franka and Wesley was sent because he was in trouble. Wesley asks Scott why he’s at the office and not wanting to lie, Scott responds that he got to the office by â€Å"perambulation,† which means walking.Wesley buys it and thinks Scott is in trouble too. Later that day at lunch, Wesley sits by Scott in the lunchroom. Scott is not sure why Wesley would want to sit by him and tries to figure this out. One morning Scott is waiting for the bus and Wesley drives by and stops asking Scott if he wants a ride to school. Scott gets into Wesley’s car because he is tired of being confronted by the upper classmen and soon they become friends. For teenagers there can be a lot of school problems to deal with. Scott’s first Spanish teacher is actually a French woman. Then he gets an Australian man to teach him Spanish.He c an’t understand these teachers but realizes his other classmates can’t either. Scott’s classes are hard and he gets a lot of homework. As a result, he has to spend hours trying to get the work down and gets little sleep. S becomes a priority for him. Scott’s PE teacher makes them physically work hard. He even makes them do physical activity when it is freezing. Also, upper classmen constantly pick on freshmen. Scott writes, â€Å"Keep away from seniors. Keep away from juniors. It’s probably a good idea to avoid sophomores, too, since most of them seem to want revenge for what happened when they were freshmen. Scott’s experiences with upper classmen make him realize that you shouldn’t ask directions because they will send you to the wrong place. While on a school bus they usually hit you in the back of the head so sit behind a tall guy. Don’t carry your books under your arm in a crowded hall because they will knock them out. Ol der student council members don’t listen to the freshmen so why join. Lastly, while being on crew for the school play, they make you do all work. Everyone’s family dynamics are different but there are always some issues within the family that causes concern.Scott feels that Bobby, his older brother got the good genes and asks his mom if he was adopted because he is not good with tools. Scott soon realizes that Bobby is struggling to find his own place in the world. Also that Bobby can hardly read and that is why he became so outgoing and got into trouble a lot in high school. They were hiding Bobby’s real problem. Scott also is watching his parents deal with the approaching birth of their third child and is worried that the baby will change things and his parents will not have time for him.The transition from childhood to adulthood is done by everyone is it is called maturing. Scott knows that Kyle is ignoring him but still doesn’t want to acknowledge it because it hurts too much since they used to be good friends. When Kyle tells him that Julia Baskins is out of his league, Scott realizes that he has outgrown their friendship because Kyle is less mature than him. Scott becomes more adventuresome by participating in the school paper, the Zenger Gazette as the sports writer, getting on the student council, and being part of the crew for the school play.All of these activities were to be near Julia who doesn’t succeed in obtaining positions on any of these extracurricular activities but Scott fulfills his responsibilities to them. Lee is another character that shows growth. She is new to the school and wears strange clothing, has piercings, and strange colored hair. Other kids at school call her â€Å"Weirdly† which is a combination of her name, Lee and weird. Her appearance keeps others at a distance. She has the love of literature in common with Scott. When Scott picks her up at her house to go to the last school dance of the year, Lee has changed her appearance to be normal.Another issue that is relatable to teens is that actions have consequences. This is shown when Mouth attempts suicide by hanging himself. Scott feels extremely guilty for he thinks that he may have pushed Mouth over the edge by telling him that he has no clue what girls think at a dance; which resulted in Mouth asking all the girls to dance with him a second time and be rejected by them. When Scott gets a chance to visit Mouth in the hospital he finds out that Mouth feels alone and lonely. That is why he did it.Scott points out that suicide leaves a mess that someone else would have to clean up. Also, when Scott first heard of someone from their school had committed suicide he first thought it was Lee as she always wore dark clothes and likes literature with vampires and death. He immediately feels guilt thinking that she might not have done it if he had been nicer to her and talked with her not caring what others might think . Another effect of one person’s actions is when Scott finally feels comfortable to talk with Wesley about him beating up people and taking their lunch money.Scott relates it to how would Wesley’s imaginary younger brother feel would if that type of bullying was done to him. Wesley seems to understand what Scott is telling him and this conversation may change Wesley to become a better person. Another action that had consequences is when Mouth put in Scott’s piece in the Zenger Gazette relating the football team to food; where Vernon is referred to a hotdog. Scott knows that Vernon is mad about that and wants to beat him up and knowing that Scott has a crush on his girlfriend, Julia. Vernon finally gets his chance by having Kelly lure Scott to a vacant classroom.When Scott gets home his father knows that he was in a fight but Scott tells him that, â€Å"it wasn’t a fair fight but that it is over. † I believe the problems that Scott Hudson encountere d in this book can be the same for high school students. Every new high school students faces the anxiety of the unknown when they first get into high school. This summer reading assignment gave us a glimpse of what those problems may be and let us see how the character, Scott handled them. I enjoyed reading Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie and think that this book will be read a 100 years from now.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Description of Grace

A DESCRIPTION OF GRACE By Emmanuel O. Obiorah Jos, Plateau State 27th March, 2013 GRACE INTRODUCTION The word ‘Grace’ is not a new word to most religious circles. Among Christians, such adjectives like amazing, extravagant, divine and awesome have been used to qualify the word grace with each depicting its importance to the Christian faith. Our concern in this work is to describe and analyze this word- Grace for a better, richer and more fulfilling understanding of its meaning. We hope that this would be of immense blessing as we consider this word which made us what we are today- Christians. Definition of the wordIn the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for Grace is Chen ( ). Strong’s Concordance defined this word as â€Å"favor, grace or charm†¦the moral quality of kindness, displaying a favorable disposition†. Chen was translated as â€Å"grace† thirty –eight times in the King James translation. It was also translated â€Å"favour† twenty-six times, twice as â€Å"gracious†, once as â€Å"pleasant†, and once as â€Å"precious†. The Greek word charis ( ) was used for Grace in the New Testament. Strong's Concordance defined charis as; â€Å"the state of kindness and favor towards someone, often with a focus on a benefit given to the object. Another Greek word that is related to charis is charisma (khar'-is-mah- gracious gift) both of which originated from the Greek word chairo (to rejoice, be glad, delighted) (Olowe 2011a). According to Olowe (2011b), Grace can be simply defined as an unmerited gift of God to assist and to equip man. This means that Grace comes in form of assistance, potential or resource. It is â€Å"a favour with which one receives without any merit of his own, the gift of divine grace, the gift of faith, knowledge, holiness, virtue†.The economy of divine grace is that through it â€Å"the pardon of sin and eternal salvation is appointed to sinners in considerati on of the merits of Christ laid hold on by faith†. Grace or gifts (as it is sometimes referred to) also denotes extraordinary powers that distinguish certain Christians by enabling them to serve the church of Christ. Grace motivates Christians to exercise all the Christian virtues â€Å"the reception of which is due to the power of divine grace operating on their souls by the Holy Spirit† (Olowe 2011b).The Catholics on the other hand defined Grace (gratia, Charis) generally as â€Å"supernatural gift of God to intellectual creatures (men, angels) for their eternal salvation, whether the latter be furthered and attained through salutary acts or a state of holiness† (Knight 2012). Having considered the various definitions, this writer believes that Grace is a divine enablement or favourable disposition towards an undeserving person to do or become what such a person would not have been or done without such enablement. Genre of the word: GraceGrace is a theological term which is present in and among many religious groups other than Christianity. However, there are significant differences between the ways these other religions use the word grace. Even within Christianity, there are differing conceptions of grace. Infact the differences in the view of Grace including the so-called controversies of grace which space may not allow us to discuss in this work made Bill Gothard describe grace as â€Å"the watershed that divides Catholicism from Protestantism, Calvinism from Arminianism, and modern liberalism from conservatism†(Olowe 2011a).One of the differences in the views of the concept of Grace is that while the Protestants believe that special grace can only be received through the Spirit of God, the Catholic doctrine teaches that God uses the sacraments to facilitate the reception of this grace (Knight 2012). Protestants on the other hand generally held the view that even without the sacraments; divine grace has been imparted by God to h umanity. Theological discussion of the word- Grace Gift and Grace are sometimes used interchangeably because Grace manifests as a gift from God. God’s grace is upon all humanity.Even though salvation is the greatest gift God has given to all mankind, it is not the only gift man receives from God. Olowe (2011b) pointed out that the Grace of God is unlimited and are in five forms. These are: Material Universal Grace (Gifts of Matter and Time), Spiritual Universal Grace (Gifts of the Soul and the human Spirit), Spiritual Special Grace (Gifts of Supernatural (divine) Spirits), Divine Universal Grace (Gifts of Favor and Restraint) and Divine Special Grace (Gift of Salvation). Two forms of this grace come from special grace and three from universal grace (Olowe 2011b).Universal Grace is to be seen as the grace that God bestows on all mankind whether believers or unbelievers as resources to implement good works. On the other hand the atonement of sins by the blood of Jesus is the so urce of the Special Grace of God. The above five forms of grace are classified under three categories: – Divine Grace, Material Grace and Spiritual Grace. Divine grace Divine Grace whether universal or special generally involves God’s direct intervention in human lives. Divine universal grace and divine special grace are not resources for implementing good works.Their general purpose is to provide assistance to man in reaching God and in faithfully implementing stewardship. Divine grace gives meaning and purpose to life. The major difference between divine universal grace and divine special grace is their manifestations. Divine special grace (gift of salvation) manifests in the salvation of the sinner and it is a long term grace that can last for ever if no apostasy occurs whereas divine universal grace manifests in making possible the other forms of grace and it can be an instantaneous or a short term grace.Material grace Material Grace is the only category of grace t hat is totally universal and not special in nature. Material Grace is for both believers and unbelievers and is gifts of matter and time. This gift include the universe, the earth, and all other resources including, the air, the sea, animals, minerals, plants, sun, moon, rain, snow, and so on. These things are available to both believers and unbelievers and were graciously given to all men by God.Paul observed that this grace is a prove of God’s love for man when he said to the people of Lystra â€Å"Nevertheless he (God) left not Himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filing our heart with food and gladness† (Acts 14:17). This was in agreement to the words of Jesus that God â€Å"maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust† (Matthew 5:445). This grace is for all. The essence of this grace is for man to use these gifts to get provisions and to implement good works. Spiritual graceSpiritual Grace whether universal or special is the only resourceful grace that resides in man. Spiritual grace determines the ability of each man. No two persons may have exactly the same spiritual gifts as the scripture puts it â€Å"but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he wills† (1 Cor. 12:11) . It is a gift that enables man to relate to God and this gift is received by believers only (special). Spiritual universal grace on the other hand is the gift of the soul that enable man to relate to his fellow man and to his environment and also of the human spirit.It is that inner longing in man to relate to God or to other spirit beings (gods) (Olowe 2012). The Grace of God expresses itself as a combination of many attributes of God, especially mercy, goodness, compassion, and love. In many verses in the Bible, these attributes are interrelated and a combination of two or more stresses the Grace of God (Eph 2: 4-5; Ps 145:8; Exo 33:19). Unlike the above view, the Catholics distinguished between only two forms of grace which are the â€Å"transient help to act† (actual grace) and the â€Å"permanent state of grace† (sanctifying or justifying grace).The former (actual grace) has a fourfold meaning. In a subjective sense, it signifies good will or benevolence and in its objective sense it refers to every favour proceeding from this benevolence (good will) and thus every gratuitous gift. The latter (sanctifying grace) â€Å"is the gratuitous gift of his life that God makes to us; it is infused by the Holy Spirit into the soul to heal it of sin and to sanctify it† (Grace and justification 2012). Charles Wesley calls this sanctifying grace the â€Å"sustaining grace† that leads believers towards perfection (sanctifying grace 2012).A closer look into the Catholic concept of actual grace would reveal the literary value of the word grace. Actual grace descri bes grace further as â€Å"seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion† or â€Å"a characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement†. This grace is also seen as â€Å"a sense of fitness or propriety† or â€Å"a temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve having the notion of mercy; clemency† (Grace 2012). It is believed to be that admiration or charm as hen the bible said that â€Å"Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us† (Psalms 90:17). This is because beauty or charm attracts benevolent love and prompts the bestowal of benefactions (blessings). This goes to explain why grace is also used in literary or secular circles for either clemency in the court and manner of behavior or poise. This grace also means the expression of gratitude from a person who has received blessing or favour by giving of thanks. This is where blessing of meals comes to play. The word gratiae (plural of gratia) also stands for t hanksgiving.Kevin Knight (2012) connected this beautifully when he said that: Universality of grace does not conflict with its gratuity, if God, in virtue of his will to save all men, distributes with sovereign liberty his graces to all adults without exception†¦ if the universality of grace is only a result of the Divine will to save all mankind, we must first turn our attention to the latter as the basis of the former. This goes to say that the universal grace that God gave to all human is to the effect that they be drawn closer to God by the salvation of their soul on the merit of Christ’s blood.Thus according to Knight, universal grace (actual grace) is the basis or foundation for special grace (sanctifying grace). One question that most theologians often ask about the matter of grace is the question of man’s free will. The bible said that â€Å"it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure† (Phil. 2:13). The question theref ore is if man needs grace to act or decide then where is his free-will to make choices on his own?Knight (2012) responded to this by observing that there is â€Å"a grace which precedes the free determination of the will and another which follows this determination and co-operates with the will†. He is of the opinion that grace does not destroy man’s free will but co-operates with it. This grace helps the believer to make decisions that would glorify God and for the unbeliever, gives him an option to choose the right. The ultimate will of God for this grace is â€Å"not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance† (2 Peter 3:9) and to remain in the faith.Knight puts it well when he opined that this grace is a way of God protecting the believer â€Å"against fall into sin and with the final experience of a happy death† (Knight 2012). Scripture text and its interpretation. Most times the particular meaning of Grace could be unders tood from the context in the passage in which the word is found. For instance, in Romans 5:1-2 â€Å"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand†¦ Grace in this context is something that is God-given and is made possible only through Jesus Christ. This is God's gift of salvation granted to sinners for their salvation. This is the divine grace or as in the Catholic parlance the justifying grace. It is that unmerited mercy (favor) that God gave by sending his son to die on a cross and thus delivering eternal salvation to humanity. Another example is to be found in Luke 2:40 â€Å"And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. In this example when using the definition of grace to mean unmerited favour it does not make sense. The reason is that the sinless Christ would not need the unmerited or undeserved favou r of salvation. Thus grace in this context literally means â€Å"favour or attractiveness†. It could also mean divine enablement which does not necessarily bring one to salvation but as Olowe (2012b) puts it this grace is the â€Å"resources to implement good works† Also in Galatians 5:4 which reads â€Å"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. It would not make any sense to interpret grace in that context as â€Å"unmerited favour† for how can one fall short of grace through pride or attract grace through meekness (James 4:6; Galatians 5:4) if it is unmerited? Grace in this context is â€Å"†¦the empowering Presence of God enabling you to be who He created you to be, and the power that God gives us to do his will†(Olowe 2011a). This suggests that the empowering is subject to being connected to the source (God). This then holds that sin could make one fall away from such empowermen t.Any form of disobedience is rebelling against the will of God and thus a fall from grace (divine empowering). CONCLUSION John Newton’s â€Å"Amazing Grace† remains the greatest hymn of all times. This song was written by a man who described himself as â€Å"once an infidel and Libertine, a servant of slavers in Africa†. He testified that it was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that he was preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he once long labored to destroy. This story of God’s amazing grace shows the power of God in transforming lives.It is the story of hope for all men, sinners and saints alike. Hope that the sinner can still return to God and be accepted by Him. Hope that the saint need not depend on his strength for victory over sin. Hope that we could be co-opted into the service of God and function effectively because grace is available. The challenge before the church therefore is not just to sing a bout this grace, but to be so motivated by its power that we would carry this message of God’s grace to the unsaved neighbours and friends around us. May this be our passion and mission! REFERENCEAbi Olowe (2011). Grace of God. Houston: Omega Publishers. http://www. graceti. com/books. asp? bkid=7. Abi Olowe (2011). The Five Forms of Grace. Houston: Omega Publishers. http://www. graceti. com/books. asp? bkid=1 www. scborromeo. org/ccc/p3s1c3a2. htm†¦. â€Å"Grace and justification†- St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. www. olrl. org/Lessons/Lessons8. shtml†¦ Lesson 8 â€Å"sanctifying grace†. www. gbgm-umc. org/umw/Wesley/walk. stm. ‘Grace’ Easton Bible Dictionary version 2. 0. 0 Vintech Systems (accessed 03 October, 2012) http://www. illumina. com/encyclopedia/hymns/amazing_Grace

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Third Out Of Class Essay

Body The body of your essay will provide specific and relevant details that develop and support your opinion on the topic. The details should be reasons supportable with facts, not more opinions. The body paragraphs will examine each fact you are presenting and explain to readers how this fact (or set of multiple facts) relates to our thesis (point or opinion). Your thesis in some manner. (See Chapters 53 and 54 in LB Brief. ) You must cite and list all the texts you use as sources and list them at the end of your essay.See Chapter 56, â€Å"MALL Documentation and Format,† in LB Brief for guidelines and directions. Most of your body paragraphs will begin with a statement of a reason for the position you are taking on the topic. The sentences that follow will offer specific details about the topic and related texts to support, clarify, and emphasize your thesis. Wrap up the paragraph by showing the readers that the details do in fact provide credible purport for your opinion an d reasoning. Each paragraph should fulfill a different purpose in support of your thesis.You must now explain how the ideas in these texts (sources) relate to your ideas (see pages 102-104 in LB Brief). Choose among the following, as appropriate for the particular source and your thesis: (1) Explain why you agree with the author and relate his or her ideas to your thesis. You must do more than simply repeat the author's ideas and support. You need to extend the author's ideas and relate them to topics the author does not mention. 2) Agree with the author on some ideas but disagree on others as they relate to your thesis.Be specific about which ideas you accept and which ideas you do not accept. (3) Focus on only one point the author makes and explain why you disagree with him or her on that point as it relates to your thesis. (4) Explain how the author gets his or her points across, and comment on whether you think the author's strategies are effective and why you think so. (5) Focu s on only one strategy the author uses and explain how it serves (or fails to serve) the author's purpose. Cite specific sections of the text that illustrate and evolve your critique.Relate the explanation to your own opinion on the topic. You develop a thesis by (1) giving the reasons for the position you are taking, (2) then backing up those reasons with factual details, and (3) then explaining how those details relate to your thesis or position. The body paragraphs will consist of different approaches to developing your thesis. See pages 53-59 in LB Brief, and use two or more of the following strategies: Narration: retelling a story, anecdote, or historical event that supports the trustworthiness of your thesis readers to comprehend your pointIllustration: presenting specific examples or instances that back up your main idea Definition: identifying boundaries, contrasting things that might be wrongly mistaken for each other, clarifying abstract or complex terms Analysis: dividing a topic or text into its logical parts to show readers how the parts relate to each other, or looking at a familiar topic or text from an unusual angle to show that it is more complex or simple than the readers might have at first thought Classification: listing the types, sorts, classes, levels, kinds, or genres of a topic to identify more easily understood â€Å"pockets† for further discussionComparison: comparing or contrasting two or more topics to highlight qualities that support your idea or making an analogy, explaining something unknown or complicated by comparing it to something readers already know and understand Cause-and-effect analysis: dividing causes from effects to explain how or why something relating to your idea happened or might happen Process analysis: dividing a process into steps, phases, or stages to help readers understand its connection to your thesis Make sure that you use transitions and other devices for coherence that help readers e how one sent ence relates to the next and how one paragraph relates to the next, as well as to your overall point.See Chapter 7 (â€Å"Paragraphs†) in LB Brief to learn some strategies for achieving unity and coherence. Conclusion Your conclusion should probably be the shortest section of your essay, comprising about a tenth of the whole (120-240 words). Pages 62-63 in LB Brief list some helpful strategies for concluding your essay. The main reason for a conclusion is to let readers know that you have (you hope) fully supported your opinion with the relevant available facts and that your opinion on the topic is important for them to consider. Due Date/Grading You must bring a thesis statement for this synthesis essay (typed, double-spaced, in MALL format) on Wednesday, 29 October.

A Study Of The Flawed Competition Market Of Skechers Sdn. Bhd

A Study Of The Flawed Competition Market Of Skechers Sdn. Bhd Imperfect competition market is a market where there are one or several vendors who dominate the market or prices, as well as few buyers dominates a market or prices. Imperfect competition does not followed some rules of of perfect competition. When dealing with imperfect competition the equilibrium price can be influenced by the actions of agents. In imperfect competition the price of goods can increase above their marginal cost and thus have customers decrease their level of purchase, and so reach inefficient levels of production. The existence of the various parties that dominate the market or the price of goods and services will produce diversity forms of imperfectly competitive market. In general, the types or forms of imperfect competition markets is monopoly market, olygopoly market, monopolistic market, monopsony market, and oligopsony market. Skechers Sdn. Bhd is the type of imperfect competition. Skechers Sdn. Bhd is company that offers a high-performance footwear brand. They designs, developes and market more than 3000 styles who are design for men, women, and kids. The company sells its footwear in department, speciality and independent stores, as well as more than 1100 company-owned Skechers retail stores as well as online bussiness at skechers.com.the company’s success stems from it’s high quality, diversified, and affordable product line that meets consumers variuos lifestyle needs. Based on the investigation that we made Skechers Sdn. Bhd use monopolistic competition to market their product. It refers to that market in which many producers produce goods which are close substitutes of each other. The number of producers is sufficiently large and each one of them produces goods which are similar, but not the same. The term used to describe this is product differentiation. This market we often meet when we visit the supermarket. There we will find a variety of forms, types and brands of similar but not identical. Physicall difference means that the product of one firm is physically different from the other product of other firms. Physicall differentiton is done through differences in materials use, design, colour etc. For example, Skechers, Adidas, and Nike are a footware brand that offers same product in market. Although all shoes have same functions which is to protect feet from injuiry, but every product produced by different manufacturers have the specific cha racteristics of their own product. Skechers use physically differentitiation product to compete with other footwear manufactures this can be proof when they offer a wonderfull design, comfort features, offered with variety of colors , and a low price etc. In a monopolistic market, manufacturers have the ability to influence the price although the effect is not as producers of market monopoly or oligopoly. This ability comes from the nature of the goods produced. Because of the differences and characteristics of the goods, consumers will not easily switch to another brand, and continue to choose the brand even though producers raise prices. For example, the shoe market in Malaysia. A shoe is tend to be homogeneous, but each of it has its own special features. For example Skechers, which has comfort features and attractive design that can be used in various events whether formal or informal. While Adidas has the advantage with their high-quality product. As a result, every brand has loyal customers each. Under monopolistic competition there is freedom of entry and exit. Thus under monopolistik competition it is found that both that features of competition and monopoly are present. For example, there are number of manufactures producing different brands of footwear like Skechers, Adidas, Nike etc. The manufacturer of Skechers has got the monopoly of producing it. Nobody can produce and sell footwear with the name Skechers. But at the same time their faces competition from other manufactures of footwear as their product are close subtitutes of Skechers footwear. Firms under monopolistic competition market incur a considerable expenditures on advertisement and selling cost so as to win over customers. In order to promote sale firms follow definete-methods af competing rivals other than prices. Advertisemet is a prominent example of non-price competition. The advertisment and other selling cost by a firm that change the consumer’s wants for their product and attract more customers. For example, Skechers has appointed a Hong Kong actor and singer, Sammi Cheng as their official spokesperson brand to promote their new product named as Skechers Gorun.According to Sanmi this Skechers new product have attractive design and offers with more bright colors to increase the confidence and spirit of the wearer, this shoes are also equipped with sensor tecnhnology that responds to brain. Users will detect and correct reaction of the positions they run thus making the run more comfortable.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Difference between Data and Information as It Applies to Freeway Ford Essay - 4

Difference between Data and Information as It Applies to Freeway Ford - Essay Example The success of a managerial decision depends on the correct interpretation of data collected. Data has no value at all if it is not transformed to meaningful information. In this case Freeway Ford knows the purchase date and owner of every car it sells. In other words Freeway Ford has the data about the exact date and the actual purchaser of every car it sells. But they never tried to convert these data in to useful information. Normally people will go for new cars within a period of 3 to 4 years. Freeway Ford could have easily prepared a database with respect to the cars they sold based on the date. From this database they can contact their customers regularly at least once in 3 months or 6 months period to know about the functioning of their car and also about their future purchasing plans. Service is one of the core elements of every purchasing decision. Regular follow ups always attract customers and they will consider Freeway Ford once again when they think about purchasing a ne w car or exchanging their used car, if they receive proper service from Freeway Ford. A used car buyer will always be interested in knowing the previous history of the car for known problems and also any accidents it suffered previously. Freeway Ford has all these data, but they fail to convert them into information. Each vehicle has an identification number (VIN) and the insurance companies sending the repair and claim details every month and Freeway Ford could have easily created a database for each car based on the repair and claim details which will be useful to the customers. Freeway Ford can create a website which explains everything to the customers with respect to their used car selling activities. Each vehicle details must be provided in the website so that a buyer can access all the relevant information regarding the vehicle he was interested in, even if he is not at the Freeway Ford location using internet technologies. Even a laptop is enough for Freeway Ford to convince the purchasers regarding the previous history of their cars.  

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Miracles of the Quran Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Miracles of the Quran - Essay Example It was revealed piecemeal to him in twenty three years, starting from when he was forty, till he died at the age of sixty three. The book was not compiled during his lifetime, with many Muslims memorizing it by heart; some years afterwards, a lot of these memorizers, or Hafiz, were killed in battle, therefore, the Muslim Caliph Usman decided to get it compiled. The compilation of Quran in its present form was, hence, done under the Caliphate of Usman. The Muslims believe that the Quran is the direct word of God. They believe that the angel Gabriel, or Jibra’eel, came to the Prophet Muhammad and revealed the word of God to him, which the latter disseminated amongst his followers. Muslims further believe that the word of God, the Quran, is revealed to be a source of guidance and direction for all humanity. The fact that they consider it the last revelation of God to mankind further stipulates that Muslims consider this to be the last guidance sent to man from God. This entails t hat they spend their lives trying to live according to the edicts of the Quran, and trying to bring their lives as close to the commands of the Quran as possible. The Muslims consider this to be a book from God for a multiple of reasons. One reason, as is put forward in the Quran itself, is that such a book, with its poetic and miraculous nature could never be produced by man. In the second Chapter, or Surah, of the Quran (the Cow, or Al-Baqarah), it is said â€Å"And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Sura like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (if there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true† (verse 23). Furthermore, the Muslims believe that there have been miraculous claims in the Quran that are further testament to it being the word of God. These include various predictions or prophecies in the Quran that were later fulfilled. One such prophecy relates to the body of the Pharaoh (the Phara oh said to have oppressed the Jews); when relating the story of his death, God thus speaks to the Pharaoh in the Quran â€Å"This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!† (10: 92). The mummified body of a Pharaoh in an Egyptian Museum in Cairo is said to have been that of the same Pharaoh, thus the Quran’s prophecy regarding his body being preserved has proven to have come true. Further, a few years after the Byzantines had been defeated by the Persians completely, a revelation of the Quran said â€Å"The Roman Empire has been defeated – In a land close by; but they, (even) after (this) defeat of theirs will soon be victorious – within a few years†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (60: 2-4). This seemed impossible as the Byzantines had incurred heavy losses and the Empire seemed to be at the brink of total annihilation, however, a few years after this revelation, t he Persians were, indeed, defeated by the Byzantines. Moreover, in Chapter 48 of the Quran, a prophesy is given regarding the taking of Mecca: â€Å"†¦ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if Allah wills, with minds secure, heads shaved, hair cut short, and without fear†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (27). Some time afterwards, Mecca was indeed conquered by Muhammad and his followers, and they did enter the Sacred Mosque, or Kaaba, in the same condition described herein. Also, there have been some statements in the Quran that have been recently proven to be scientifically accurate. For example, when a verse of the Quran says â€Å"By the Firmament which returns (in its round)† (86: 11) and â€Å"