Explanation of Berkeley's Critique of the Lockean Notion of Substratum Essay

Explanation of Berkeley's Critique of the Lockean Notion of Substratum - Essay Example their molecular configuration or structure. Observing thus the mind was naturally led to the conception of a material substratum as something which 'underlay' and 'supported' the sensory qualities which were now perceived and known: 'the supposed, but unknown support of those qualities one found existing, which one could not imagined to exist sine re substante' ( Locke, Essay).Thus Locke agreed to the view that material substances were the ontological correlates of logical subjects - they are the things which possess qualities, such as space, shape and motion. On the other hand Locke himself had agreed that if an attempt was made to abstract from our ideas of these qualities, one was left with only an indeterminate notion of a substratum. Yet Locke insisted that this substratum alone unified and integrated the qualities instantiated in it. Moreover, he also held that the 'real essences' of objects, incapable of being comprehended by the human mind, determine the structure of all comp lexes of qualities and are 'situated' in the indeterminate substratum. They could only be understood by a being with adequate, superhuman faculties. Lockean view held that normal humans comprehend things as they systematically appear to them, conditioned by their perceptions; things as they actually are intrinsically lie beyond the confines of normal human intellect.Berkeley thought Lockean viewpoint offered much scope for skepticism. He understood clearly that once the real goes beyond the reach of all possible experience then skepticism began. The concept of material substance precisely left one skeptic. Berkeley instead put forward a metaphysical analysis of what it meant to state that a physical object existed. This analysis was an alternative Locke's skeptic concept of the 'material substratum'. Berkeley's theory also doubled up as a neo-phenomenalist reduction of physical objects into complexes of ideas, which Berkeley believed ran along side the common sense perception of the nature of the physical world. Berkeley took an anti-skeptical stance that the real world is directly encountered in perception, and that our knowledge of this world is direct and non-inferential. However if what one perceives directly is the real and objective world, and we immediately perceive only our own ideas, then it follows logically that our ideas are constitutive of reality, and are not, as was Lockean stance, merely representative of reality. It is important to see that both Locke and Berkeley believed that our entire conceptual framework was derived entirely from experience, however Berkeley argued if Lockean material substance is indeterminate and metaphenomenal, then there can be no concept of material substance, and the assertion that such a substance or substratum exists becomes, empirically meaningless.Berkely further argued that objective world of physical objects is very real. Physical objects cannot be analyzed in Lockean terms as complexes of qualities 'supported by' an underlying substratum they are rather composites of the simple ideas acquired in their perception. In short, for

Holocaust Essay Example for Free

Holocaust Essay Art: a true Holocaust survivor. Though he was born in Sweden after the war and did not experience the Holocaust personally, his life is deeply affected by the event, both directly and indirectly. To begin with, Art is troubled by nightmares and fears of the Holocaust, as he fantasizes when he was a child about certain degrading happenings. Secondly, he is impacted by the intense, traumatizing toll the Holocaust had on his father, which, subsequently, was transferred onto him. As a result of the trauma of his parents, Art was raised in a strict, decent manner that demanded he treat life with the highest regard and gratitude, being he did not have to suffer the horrendous trials which the previous generations went through. And lastly he feels guilt over not being a good son to his father, being that their relationship is rocky, arguments constantly break out, and he has a reluctance to help. Art feels deeply moved by the horrible danger of the Holocaust. For example , as a child, he would imagine that the showers in his house would pour down gas instead of water. Also, he would often ask himself which parent he would save if he could have only have saved one from Auschwitz. Most likely, he would reason, his mother would have occurred as first choice, due to the fact that he felt he had a part in her early death, because of the neglect he showed her, when he answered with a cold and dismissive â€Å"sure† to her question â€Å"do you still love me?† Vladeks personality and parenting style were clearly influenced by the war, as he forces his son to finish everything off his plate, advices ways to save money, and strictly refuses to agree. Therefore Arts character traits and lifestyle choices were in turn clearly guided by his fathers personality and parenting style. In chapter 5, he complains to Francoise, â€Å"He loved showing off how handy he was and proving that anything I did was all wrong. He made me completely neurotic about fixing stuffOne reason I became an artist wasit was an area where I wouldnt have to compete with him.† Art experienced a guilt over not sharing his parent’s experience of the Holocaust and therefore wanted to live a life untroubled by the same trauma. Art is full of guilt for claiming he’s not a good son to Vladek. Right from the first panel of the book, we are told that the two of them do not get along particularly well, and that they do not see each other often, though they live fairly close by. Art is always unsteady around his father, and when they speak, arguments sooner or later break out. For example, when Art drops some cigarette ash on the carpet, Vladek strongly rebukes him; or, Vladek’s revelation of the fact that he burnt Anjas diaries from the war sends Art into a fury. Furthermore, when Vladek asks his son for help around the house, Art is usually reluctant to do so and hesitant to give in. And, although Art, at the very beginning, tells the reader that he hasnt seen his father in a long time, as well as the fact that they are not particularly close, he gives his father an excited greeting a rare action, which probably results from the guilt and possible regret he feels over the neglect in which he gave his own father. In conclusion, I believe that Art is a true Holocaust survivor as not only does he suffer from a kind of survivor’s guilt, but he also grew up with the aftermath of the other survivors’ trauma. The misery portrayed in the pages of his father’s story, and most evidently in â€Å"Prisoner on the Hell Planet†, dictates that Art not only sympathizes with the Holocaust survivors, but even feels like he was an actual member with them in their torturous trials. His choice to even publish the novel and make everyone aware of his family’s suffering shows he believes that these shocking stories should not be ignored or forgotten, since doing so would only allow for the traumas to happen all over again.

Survival Technology Essays -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Survival Technology Arnold Pacey's book, Technology in World Civilization: A Thousand Year History argues that survival technology, the technology of production of food and other basic necessities, is dependent on the local environment and requires local solutions rather than solutions dictated by "technologically superior" scientists from other areas. Every culture has had a long experience with the environment they live in and have developed ways to make food and other basic necessities. When outsiders with advanced technology interfere without taking input from the natives they can cause more damage then they solve. One of the most basic principles of survival technology is that the most advanced solution is not necessarily the best solution. An example of this principle occurred in the 1940s in India and China. Both countries took different approaches to solve there malaria problems. India which was more open to western ideas decided to spray the walls of every dwelling in India with DDT to kill the malaria carrying mosquitoes. On the other hand China, which was not able to afford DDT, decided to inform the populace on how to avoid malaria, redesign the water courses and improve housing all in an attempt to reduce malaria. India had a more drastic drop in malaria cases, but China's drop was more permanent. By the 1970s malaria cases began to rise in India, because of mosquitoes with immunity to DDT.(1) The quick technologically advanced solution was inferior to the steps the Chinese took to reduce the amount of malaria. Forcing advanced technology onto areas without that technology is usually not a good idea without proper thought put into it. A tractor would be less than useful... ...re the techniques that the farmers have already developed. This is unique to survival technology as there is no other technology division where the researchers would totally ignore the contributions and suggestions of those using the technology. These problems are only exacerbated when the scientists come from different areas and cultures than the farmers there supposed to be helping. In those cases the scientists not only ignore the contributions and suggestions of the farmers they generally are ignorant of the environment as well. It would probably be best if the scientists would talk to the farmers they are trying to help. Works Cited 1.Arnold Pacey, Technology in World Civilization: A Thousand Year History, Basil Blackwood, 1990, pg 189 2.Ibid, pg 199 3.Ibid, pg 199 4.Ibid, pg 199-200 5.Ibid, pg 199 6.Ibid, pg 192-193 7.Ibid, pg 193

Hypothyroidism and its Relationship to Heart Disease and Cardiac Problems Essay

Hershman describes hypothyroidism as a disorder which results from a deficit of the action of thyroid hormone (2009, p. 435). This condition affects the development and function of all tissues of the body, an important example of which is the heart. The thyroid hormone is responsible for the crucial regulation of calcium flux into the sarcomeres of myocytes (Rao, 2007, p. 202). The most common effect of deficient thyroid-hormone action on any tissue is well known; a decrease in the basal metabolic rate. For the heart, this decrease most commonly causes a decrease in heart rate. Other manifestations may include â€Å"decreased cardiac output, flabby myocardium, pericardial effusion and impaired endothelial function† (Hershman, 2009, p. 435). However, for the profoundly hypothyroid patient, the most frequent cause of cardiac anomalies is impaired diastolic relaxation (Klein, 2005, p. 777). Although the fall in rate of metabolism is ubiquitous in hypothyroidism, the heart experiences a disproportionate change in demand and supply of oxygen, the supply drops faster than the demand. On the other hand, patients of coronary heart disease who have later developed hypothyroidism have been given either low doses of T4, or no medication at all by some practitioners (Klein, 2005, p. 777); the lowered cardiac load associated with hypothyroidism helps in lowering the stress on the heart. Nonetheless, the adverse effects of hypothyroidism on the heart and on metabolism generally far outweigh this small concession (Klein, 2005, p. 777). Another complication associated with hypothyroidism is hypertension. The main feature of pathophysiology that results in this manifestation is the increased vascular resistance due to absence of the vasodilating action of T3 (Klein, 2005, p. 776). This brand of hypertension shows decreased sensitivity to salt intake as compared to other forms of hypertension (Klein, 2005, p. 776). Hypertension in a profoundly hypothyroid patient is especially ominous. The increase serum levels of cholesterol and lipoprotein (a), associated with the low metabolic rate, combined with the increased vascular resistance may lead to coronary heart disease (Klein, 2005, p. 77). However, it’s the subclinical counterpart of hypothyroidism that represents a major challenge; the lack of clear cut symptoms makes the diagnosis of this latent condition difficult. In a recent study, subclinical hypothyroidism was claimed to be an independent risk factor for heart disease in women in their 60s and 70s (Hak et al. , 2000). The main pathophysiological feature is the delayed relaxation of the left ventricle after contractions, exacerbated by endothelial dysfunction and a stiffness of the arteries (Biondi, 2009, p. 24). Serum thyroid stimulating hormone, TSH, and serum free T4 are an appropriate starting point in acquiring a diagnosis of hypothyroidism (Hershman, 2009, p. 436). Myoglobin levels in blood and urine are also excellent indicators of injury to cardiac tissue (Klein, 2005, p. 777). Serum creatine kinase levels may also be increased, but troponin levels remain normal (Rao, 2007, p. 202). In subclinical hypothyroidism, TSH levels are moderately increased while T4 levels remain normal. ECG shows a general decrease in amplitude and the T wave may be inverted (Rao, 2007, p. 202). The treatment of both the latent and overt forms of hypothyroidism, in relation to the heart, involves the maintenance of steady thyroid hormone levels. Levothyroxine is the drug of choice; in patients with a known heart condition, the dosage of the drug should be given incrementally to reach a stable normal level (Rao, 2007, p. 202). In elderly patients, some degree of cardiac ischemia is assumed present and the dosage is always increased gradually (Hershman, 2009, p. 438). Beta-blockers can be administered to counter the deleterious effect hormone therapy on cardiac ischemia, unless counter-indicated (Rao, 2007, p. 203).

Techniques Used in the Great Gatsby

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Britain: Penguin, 1926. 1. Point of view – the view or perspective of how the story is narrated (i. e first person) â€Å"Only Gatsby, the man who gives his name to this book, was exempt from my reaction – Gatsby, who represented everything for which I have an unaffected scorn. † (pg. 8) †¢ This novel is narrated from a first person point of view. Nick Carraway is both a narrator and a character participant in the story.Seen that this novel is mostly about Jay Gatsby and how what happens to his life is narrated to represent general themes, there could be no other narrator than the character who is Gatsby’s neighbor, and someone who declares to be free of any preconceptions or judgments due to an important lesson his father taught him. Nick Carraway seems to be a narrator exempt from bias due to this aspect of his profile, and he leaves clear what are his specific opinions or observations. 2. Tone – throug hout the connotation and denotation of words, it is what gives a mood or attitude to the story No – Gatsby turned out all right at the end; it is what preyed on Gatsby, what foul dust floated in the wake of his dreams that temporarily closed out my interest in the abortive sorrows and short-winded elations of men. † (pg. 8) †¢ The narrator keeps his tone always dry and realistic. This helps the readers understand that even though this seems like a romantic story due to Gatsby’s unconditional love for Daisy and his pursuit for his dream, it is completely sucked in by reality from beginning to end. When the narrator talks about love or dream he does not idealize them by using words with positive connotation.He is clear and concise about the relationship between those who love and how they love. In the example above for example, the narrator clings on to disillusionment and even pessimism as he foreshadows Gatsby’s fate. 3. Imagery – the creation of a mental picture through detailed description â€Å"It eluded us then, but that’s no matter – tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther†¦ And one fine morning – So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. † (pg. 188) †¢ In this passage the author is able to create two clear mental pictures to convey his message.One is of men stretching further and running faster – though we can picture that his true intention is to suggest that mankind is trying to grasp what seems far from their reach, like Gatsby trying to grasp his American Dream throughout five years of his life. The second imagery is of the boat tiredly pushing against the strong current, and with that any reader can understand that individuals have to strive against the repressive society in order to adhere what they truly want. 4. Symbol – using one smaller idea to represent a larger one â€Å"Gatsby believed in the gre en light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. (pg. 188) †¢ The colors in this novel are used to represent greater ideas or they give specific significances to characters’ profiles or the environment in each scene. In this last moment, the green light Gatsby believes in is his dream. The color green itself is a representation of hope or faith. Also, in a specific part of the novel, the light emitting from Daisy’s house has a greenish hue, corroborating the fact that this is what he has longed so much for. 5. Irony – when there is an outcome of events that is opposite to what was expected initially The minister glanced several times at his watch, so I took him aside and asked him to wait for half an hour. But it wasn’t any use. Nobody came. † (pg. 181) †¢ This quote is in relation to Gatsby’s funeral. This can be considered an irony since at the beginning the impression that Nick had about Gatsby was that he had m any friends and was extremely popular due to all the parties he threw at his house. Yet, when he dies and has no longer anything to offer to society, he is alone and none of the plenty of people who came to his parties even cares or remembers him then. 6.Mispronunciation – when words or full sentences are written exactly as they sound to emphasize the tone and profile of the character â€Å"Oh, my Ga-od! Oh, my Ga-od! Oh, my Ga-od! Oh, my Ga-od! † (†¦) â€Å"What you want, fella? † â€Å"What happened? – that’s what I want to know. † â€Å"Auto hit her. Ins’antly killed. † â€Å"Instantly killed,† repeated Tom, staring. â€Å"She ran out ina road. Son-of-a-bitch didn’t even stopus car. † (pg. 145-146) †¢ Being a realistic novel, Fitzgerald compromises to every small detail of reality. In this example, readers can easily see the difference in accent and pronunciation of the three people having a di alogue.The officer, being from a lower social class, and therefore imaginably less educated, skips sounds when he says certain words such as â€Å"ins’antly† instead of instantly, â€Å"fella† instead of fellow and â€Å"stopus† instead of stopped. With these mispronunciations Fitzgerald enables a brief and careless speech. Wilson’s quote (â€Å"Oh, my Ga-od! †) also tells a lot about the character and justifies the murder by the end of the book. He is also part of the rough, low class, uneducated, and in this case angry and desperate.The officer and Wilson stand as contrast to Tom who presents a complete and fluent speech that proves that his wealth bought him education. 7. Repetition – to use the same word, phrase or sentence repeatedly for emphasis or another purpose â€Å"In his blue gardens (†¦) I watched his guests (†¦) or taking the sun on the hot sand of his beach while his two motor-boats slit the waters (†¦) On weekends his Rolls-Royce (†¦) while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all trains. † (pg. 45) †¢ In this passage readers are able to clearly notice the repetition of the possessive pronoun â€Å"his†.Fitzgerald chooses to do this in this specific part because the narrator is describing one of the parties at Gatsby’s house. By repeating that everything is â€Å"his†, or belongs to him, the narrator emphasizes Gatsby’s abundant wealth. Fitzgerald is creating the image of a rich and ostentatious man. 8. Flashback – the narrative of an event outside the present timeline in order to provide background information to the events â€Å"James Gatz – that was really, or at least legally, his name. He had changed it at the age of seventeen (†¦)† (pg. 104) Throughout the novel there are many stories being told about what Jay Gatsby’s past was like, and what made him become who he is now. Gat sby himself tells Nick in the present timeline of the story, a specific version of how he was educated and how he became wealthy. It is finally due to this flashback that the readers learn the accurate story about Gatsby’s life, including how he earned his money. 9. Charactonym – when a character’s name has some significance to his profile in the novel â€Å"I’ve heard it said that Daisy’s murmur was only to make people lean toward her; an irrelevant criticism that made it no less charming. (pg. 15) †¢ The character Daisy Buchanan can be compared to the actual flower â€Å"daisy†. Just like the most common daisy, the one that is yellow on the inside and white on the outside, the character appears to be something that she is not. She uses excessive amount of white powder to prove her purity and innocence, but inside she is sardonic and superficial. Like a flower, she is delicate, charming and beautiful, but throughout the novel she prov es to be interested in wealth and luxury, and underestimates Gatsby’s true love. 10.Dramatic irony – when the readers know something about the plot that one or more characters might not know â€Å"Was Daisy driving? † â€Å"Yes,† he said after a moment, â€Å"but of course I’ll say I was. † (pg. 150) †¢ In this passage the readers find out that even though it was Gatsby’s car being driven, it was actually Daisy who was driving it and who was guilty of killing Myrtle Wilson. If Mr. Wilson had known about this the ending would be different since he would not have killed Gatsby. Daisy’s shallow personality kept her from assuming the blame, and instead she just moved away with Tom to escape from the guilt.

October Themes and Special Events for Elementary School

October Themes and Special Events for Elementary School This list of October themes, events, and holidays have correlating activities to go with them. Use these ideas for inspiration to create your own lessons and activities, or use the ideas provided. Celebrate Bullying Prevention Month and School Safety Month all October long. October Holidays and Events With Correlating Activities October 1st - World Vegetarian Day Celebrate this special day by having student partake in a thematic unit on nutrition. Plus: investigate eating healthy with a healthy snacks lesson plan. October 2nd - World Farm Animals Day   Celebrate farm animals by taking a field trip to your local farm. October 3rd - Techies Day This day is to honor all new technology. Learn about tech tools for the classroom, iPad apps, and assessment apps. October 4th - National Diversity Day Teach students about the importance of diversity in the world by playing games and partaking in activities. October 5th - World Teacher Day Honor and celebrate all teachers. October 6th - Mad Hatter Day Decorate a hat and watch an Alice in Wonderland movie to celebrate this fun day. October 7th - World Bullying Prevention Day   Bullying is a serious issue in schools today. On this day spark a discussion and partake in activities that relate to bullying. October 8th - National Face Your Fears Day Have students take a moment to think about what they fear most. Then take turns going around the room discussing these fears. As a class, brainstorm ways they can overcome these fears. October 9th - Fire Prevention Day The week of October 6-12 is fire prevention week. During this time, teach kids about fire safety. October 10th - World Mental Health Day   Help students understand developmental disorders by shedding some light on Autism, and other disorders that children may see or hear about in school. October 11th - Eleanor Roosevelts Birthday   Honor this wonderful woman on her birthday by teaching students about her. October 12th - Universal Music Day   Celebrate music day by having students partake in a variety of music-related activities. October 13th - Astronomy Day Allow students to learn about the stars and the sky. October 14th - Columbus Day   Sail the sea with Columbus Day activities for students in grades 1-3. Plus: How much do your students really know about Columbus Day? Take a quiz or try a word search and find out. October 15th - White Cane Safety Day Celebrate the blind and visually impaired by teaching students all about disabilities. Talk about Helen Keller and all she went through. October 16th - World Food Day   Have students join the global movement to end hunger by bringing in can foods to donate to your local shelter. October 17th - Black Poetry Day Honor the birthday of Jupiter Hammon the first black American to publish his poetry. Learn about his past and have students try to write a poem of their own. October 18th - National Chocolate Cupcake Day   What a wonderful day to celebrate! Have students put on their chef hats and bake cupcakes! October 19th - Sweetest Day   This is a day to honor the people you love the most. Have students write a poem, letter, or story to their family. October 20th - Information Overload Day In todays society, we are overloaded with information so on this day give students a break! October 21st - Reptile Awareness Day   This day may freak students out just a little bit. But, its important for them to learn about all species. Take the time and have students learn all about reptiles. October 22nd - National Nut Day   In this day and age, it isnt uncommon for a student to have a nut allergy. This day was designed to recognize the healthy eating of nuts, but teachers can use this day to talk about the serious risks of nut allergies. October 23rd - National iPod Day The iPod is over 10 years old! If students are privileged enough to own an iPod, allow them to bring it to class and give them a chance to play a learning game at recess. October 24th - United Nations Day On this day, teach students all about the United Nations. Then break students into cooperative learning groups and see how much they learned. October 25th - Frankenstein Friday   Oh, how much fun your students will have on this day! Watch the Frankenstein movie, eat green food, and paint fun pictures to honor this spooky character. October 26th - Make a Difference Day   This day is the largest national day of helping others. Take time out of the day to have students help a fellow friend, teacher, or someone special. October 27th - Theodore Roosevelts Birthday   Honor this historic president by having students write a biography poem. October 28th - Statue of Libertys Birthday   Who doesnt love NY? Honor the Statue of Liberty by teaching students important facts about this statue! October 29th - International Internet Day   What would we do without the internet? That is a question you can pose to students. Have each child write an essay to answer that question. October 30th - John Adams Birthday   Honor the second President of the United States by teaching students some things they did not know about him. October 31st - Halloween Celebrate this fun holiday with themed lesson plans.

Phone Tapping Essays

Phone Tapping Essays Phone Tapping Paper Phone Tapping Paper A Characteristic of Orwell’s Big Brother? Communication makes the world what it is. Without communication, people would virtually be in total isolation from one another and with events around the world. Telephones play an integral role in providing this much-needed communication. Telephones also permit people the freedom to say what they wish to others on a confidential basis, without any risk of witnesses. This freedom allows releases that many people believe no one can take away. Most people take this freedom for granted and overlook the fact that the government can, under certain restricted conditions, take it away by phone tapping. Phone tapping is the secret monitoring of a conversation by a third party. Where some may argue that phone tapping is necessary, that argument is misleading and incorrect in many aspects. Many argue that phone tapping is an invasion of privacy. Nowhere in the Constitution is the word privacy mentioned, implying that, â€Å"Privacy is a value or ideal in society,† (McCloskey) but not a right. This is one argument in support of phone tapping. While some claim that the Constitution supports this argument, sections of the Constitution actually provide reasons why this argument is incorrect (Browne). Those guidelines imply that Americans have the right to privacy, because there would be no point for laws to protect privacy if privacy was not a right. However, the Bill of Rights does not explicitly say the word privacy but it implies and defends privacy within multiple amendments including the Fourth and the Tenth. The Fourth Amendment clearly states, â€Å"Without probable cause and a search warrant, the government cannot search or seize your house or belongings. † (United States Constitution. ). The right to not to have one’s personal property and belongings searched, is a guideline that defines privacy. The Tenth Amendment states, â€Å"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states, or to the people. † (United States Constitution. ). This means the government has no power or right to invade our privacy or do anything that it not specifically sanctioned in the Constitution (Browne). Therefore, concerning the invasion of privacy by phone tapping, the government has no right under any circumstances to tap any phone for any means without probable cause. Government phone tapping is said to be a key approach to staying one-step ahead of criminals and terrorists (â€Å"Bush Defends. †). The major problem with this argument is the enemy usually is too smart for phone tapping! Most often, terrorists and criminals are able to devise huge schemes to break the law without being caught. It is rather naive to assume that simple phone tapping will put roadblocks in their plans. Criminals and terrorists sometimes know the government’s plans and often they are aware of what the government is trying to do to discover their criminal acts and terroristic plots (Levy). For example, most terrorists and criminals assume their home phones are tapped and therefore they do not use them to plan their attacks or crimes (Finder). If phone calls need to be made, they normally are made off the premises or in public places. Therefore, phone tapping is too elementary to counteract their plans. Getting a court order to phone tap every public phone, for the possibility that a terrorist may use it, is quite trivial because that possibility is hardly probable enough to gain multiple phone tapping warrants (Hollingsworth and Mayes). When a phone is tapped, someone has to listen to every conversation, carefully listening for suspicious details or plans. This takes bodies away from more promising and pressing leads that quite possibly could uncover corrupt and illegal plans. In turn this actually results in phone tapping possibly aiding in criminal acts as opposed to hindering them (Levy). This idea that phone tapping aids in staying ahead of the criminals is too nominal to be considered an argument. It seems that the government is desperate to defend phone tapping so it devised this argument. Furthermore, the results that government sponsored phone-tapping produce are so marginal, it seems that spending time and money on it is futile (Levy). The government taps phones to discover evidence about a certain topic. Data mining is a system that aids in phone tapping: once a phone is tapped, all the conversations are data-mined to show trends which the government analyzes to decipher which phone records to dissect (Levy). The evidence discovered by data-mining and phone tapping only leads to more leads, meaning that intercepting evidence may identify a criminal or a suspect but most often does not lead any to incriminating evidence (Morgan and Padley). This poses a major problem. The government cannot risk picking which lead to pursue or not to pursue, and consequently they have to pursue every lead. This is extremely time consuming and if the lead turns out to be a dead end, all that time and money was wasted (Levy). Government phone tapping has so many drawbacks, is it not worth the trouble when the results barely ever produce incriminating evidence. The only legal way for the government to tap a phone is to obtain judicial authorization through a warrant (Gittlen). This system mandates collaboration between the National Security Agency and the federal courts, and forces the agency to have reasonable, coherent evidence to obtain the warrant as stated in a law developed in 1978 (Ashenfelter). Besides the National Security Agency and the judicial branch, communication companies are also involved in phone tapping. Legally, communication companies must aid in government phone taps when presented with a warrant (Ashenfelter). While communication companies are required by law to assist in warranted phone tapping, some phone companies have been assisting in phone tapping regardless of the presence of a warrant, claiming it is better to help them then to let the government do the tapping themselves (Gittlen). A serious question arises when an issue of national security is involved as to whether the government should be allowed to tap a telephone without first getting judicial authorization. The government’s most simple, but most crucial job is to protect its people and their rights at all costs. Currently, the United States is fighting a war on terrorism which threatens those rights. If the government is fighting to preserve those rights, how can the government rationalize encroaching or even suspending our basic rights for periods of time to guarantee their survival (Stephen)? The government’s own actions are conflicting with our basic rights which is what our country is supposedly fighting to defend (Finder). How can the government fight actions that threaten national security, when they themselves are doing the same things? The freedoms promised by the Constitution need to be present and permitted at all times. Subsequently, phone tapping encroaches on those freedoms making it unconstitutional. The claim that the suspension of our basic rights to ensure their survival is pure fabrication. Government phone tapping is an issue that has numerous aspects to it. As with all arguments, many people quickly judge without looking at the big picture. However, experts on the subject can see that phone tapping is both unnecessary and unconstitutional. Phone conversations are something that are held sacred to the public and are a basic right according to the Constitution. Under no circumstance, even desperation is the government allowed to break its laws. Ashenfelter, David, comp. Bushs Wiretap Program Gets a Weeks Reprieve. Detroit Free Press 28 Sept. 2006, sec. DN. LexisNexis Academic. McClatchy-Tribune News Service. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 22 Mar. 2007. Browne, Harry. Does the Constitution Contain a Right to Privacy? 9 May 2003. Google Scholar. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 22 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Phone tapping Privacy. Bush Defends Phone-Tapping Policy. BBC News. 19 Dec. 2005. 27 Mar. 2007 . Finder, Joseph. Tap Dance. The New Republic os 215 (1996): 14+. Wilson Web. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 22 Mar. 2007. Keyword: government phone tapping. Gittlen, Sandra. How Do the Feds Tap Phone Lines? Network World 13 Feb. 2006. Google Scholar. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 25 Mar. 2007. Keyword: federal phone tapping. Hollingsworth, Mark, and Tessa Mayes, comps. The Case is Notable for One Thing He Got Caught. The Guardian (London) 19 Mar. 2007, Final ed. : 8. LexisNexis Academic. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. Levy, Stephen. Only the Beginning? Newsweek 22 May 2006: 33. Wilson Web. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 25 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Phone Tapping National Security. McCloskey, H J. The Political Ideal of Privacy. The Philosophical Quarterly 21 (1971): 303- 314. JSTOR. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 24 Mar. 2007. Keyword: phone tapping. Morgan, Vivienne, and Ben Padley, comps. Using Phone-Tap Evidence Would Increase Convictions' The Press Association Limited 16 Mar. 2007, sec. PN. LexisNexis Academic. Marywood University, Scranton, PA. 22 Mar. 2007. Keyword: government phone tapping. Stephen, Andrew. A Nation Left Unprotected. New Statesman 5 Nov. 2001: 13-14. Wilson Web. Marywood University. 22 Mar. 2007. Keyword: Federal Phone Tapping. United States Constitution. Legal Information Institute. 2006. Cornell Law School. 25 Mar. 2007.

Chemical and Physical Properties of Gold

Chemical and Physical Properties of Gold Gold is an element that was known to ancient man and has always been prized for its color. It was used as jewelry in prehistoric times, alchemists spent their lives trying to transmute other metals into gold, and it is still one of the most prized metals.   Gold  Basics Atomic Number: 79Symbol: AuAtomic Weight: 196.9665Discovery: known since prehistoric timeElectron Configuration: [Xe]6s14f145d10Word Origin: Sanskrit Jval; Anglo-Saxon gold; meaning gold - also Latin aurum, shining dawnIsotopes: There are 36 known isotopes of gold ranging from Au-170 to Au-205. There is only one stable isotope of gold: Au-197. Gold-198, with a half-life of 2.7 days, has been used to treat cancer and other illnesses. Gold  Physical Data Density (g/cc): 19.3Melting Point ( °K): 1337.58Boiling Point ( °K): 3080Appearance: soft, malleable, yellow metalAtomic Radius (pm): 146Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 10.2Covalent Radius (pm): 134Ionic Radius: 85 (3e) 137 (1e)Specific Heat (20 °C J/g mol): 0.129Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 12.68Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): ~340Debye Temperature ( °K): 170.00Pauling Negativity Number: 2.54First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 889.3Oxidation States: 3, 1. The oxidation states -1, 2 and 5 exist but are rare.Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)Lattice Constant (Ã…): 4.080Specific Gravity (20 °C): 18.88CAS Registry Number: 7440-57-5 Properties In mass, gold is a yellow-colored metal, although it may be black, ruby, or purple when finely divided. Gold is a good conductor of electricity and heat. It is not affected by exposure to air or to most reagents. It is inert and a good reflector of infrared radiation. Gold is usually alloyed to increase its strength. Pure gold is measured in troy weight, but when gold is alloyed with other metals the term karat is used to express the amount of gold present. Common Uses for Gold Gold is used in coinage and is the standard for many monetary systems. It  is used for jewelry, dental work, plating, and reflectors. Chlorauric acid (HAuCl4) is used in photography for toning silver images. Disodium aurothiomalate, administered intramuscularly, is a treatment for arthritis. Where Gold Is Found   Gold is found as the free metal and in tellurides. It is widely distributed and almost always associated with pyrite or quartz. Gold is found in veins and in alluvial deposits. Gold occurs in sea water in the amount of 0.1 to 2 mg/ton, depending on the location of the sample. Gold Trivia Gold is one of the few elements that can be found in its native state.Gold is the most malleable and ductile metal. One ounce of gold can be beaten out to 300 ft2 or stretched into a wire 2000 kilometers long (1 ÃŽ ¼m thick).The melting point of gold is an assigned value, which serves as a calibration point for the International Temperature Scale and International Practical Temperature Scale.The gold ion in the 1 oxidation state (Au(I)) is called the aurous ion.The gold ion in the 3 oxidation state (Au(III)3) is called the auric ion.Compounds containing gold in the -1 oxidation state are called aurides. (Cesium and rubidium can form auride compounds)Gold is one of the noble metals. Noble metal is an alchemical term for metals that do not corrode under normal conditions.Gold is the seventh most dense metal.Metallic gold has no odor or taste.Gold has been used as jewelry since prehistoric times. Today, gold in jewelry is not pure gold. Jewelry gold is made of many different gold alloys . Gold is resistant to most acids. The acid aqua regia is used to dissolve gold.Elemental gold metal is considered non-toxic and occasionally used as a food additive.Transmuting lead into gold was one of the major gold of the alchemists. Modern nuclear chemists have found methods to accomplish this historic task.​ References   Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001), Crescent Chemical Company (2001), Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952) International Atomic Energy Agency ENSDF database (Oct 2010)

Thematic paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Thematic paper - Essay Example The New Testament is a succession of the old testaments, despite the presence of Jesus Christ in the new testaments God retains a substantial aspect of the book often appearing in a confirmation of the holy trinity. In the New Testament, He appears withdrawn as Jesus undertakes most of His assignments. However, through the Holy spirit especially after the death of Jesus Christ God’s omnipresence becomes conspicuous. The wrath of God becomes eminent right from the book of Genesis, God punishes Adam and Eve after they eat from a tree he had forbade them not to. God expressed His anger by cursing man and sending him out of the garden and promising that He would toil and eventually die. God’s anger becomes evident again in the same book when Cain and Abel offer him sacrifices. Abel pleased God by offering the best of his produce, Cain’s sacrifices on the other hand failed to please God. Cain therefore killed his brother because of the jealousy, God became angry and banished him from his presence and cursed his entire descendants. The two stories portray God as a perfect being who does not glorify sin. He curses man and bestows death upon him when he falls to the snares of the devil. However, the two also portrays Him as a compassionate being who despite His anger retains his calm and gives man a second chance despite his failures most of which annoy him. God retains a personal touch with man often blessing some of his most faithful servants while banishing and punishing those who sin against him thereby provoking his anger. The story of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah exhibit yet another portrayal of God’s anger. The two cities had fallen into anarchy with the people resorting to sin. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah fornicated and worshiped idols. God expressed his anger by sending Lot, his most faithful servant in the city, and his family out of the city before setting the two cities ablaze thereby destroying property and killing all the sinful

You choose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

You choose - Essay Example animals thus inappropriate management of the environment would culminate into detrimental impacts both to humans and to other living creatures (Houghton, 2005). Over decades, the relationship between humans and the environment has been unethical especially from the viewpoint of the environmentalist. This has been orchestrated especially by industrialization as well as an increase in the human population thus leading to a high demand in production to satisfy human needs. The increment in industrial activities and human actions as a result of high population growth rate has put more pressure on the natural environment resulting to global warming. In an attempt to intrinsically understand the nature, causes and implications of negative interaction between humans and the environment, this paper will focus on global warming, with analysis of the causes, results and recommendations towards environmental conservation. Global warming is a systematic rise in the earth’s average temperature and its related effects. Scientific evidence indicates that the climate is warming more than 90% of the additional stored in the climate since 1970. The resultant evidence of the climate change and the accompanied global warming is evidenced in the melting of the ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic regions thus pointing at the future change in events that could affect all living creatures. Scientific findings indicate that the increase in global warming is mainly contributed by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases and other human activities. However, the future implications of global warming will be different from region to region, which will be influenced by an increase in the sea levels and changes in the precipitation patterns (Kosaka & Xie, 2013). Global warming is chiefly caused by too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, acting as a cover that holds heat and warms the planet. Life on earth depends on the energy from the sun, approximately half of the sun’s light

Terrorism Contrasted With Historical Events Research Paper

Terrorism Contrasted With Historical Events - Research Paper Example The US increasingly became aggressive in their quest to end terrorism. This meant that either way terrorism had to come to an end that is no matter which way they were going to use. The US troops continued bombarding the Middle East and turned the place bloody with those escaping death finding themselves in major prisons in that area. One notorious prison in Iraq in the name of Abu Ghraib soon became the home of captives. Later on many Iraqis were held captive in this prison by the bush administration and it is for this reason that the prison came into light. Historical pundits have described the prison as one of the most controversial following the acts committed there by the Bush administration. Though it was right to some extend to capture suspects of terrorism in Middle East, it was equally wrong to do so without trial or some sort of analysis to capture real terrorist (Brust 2007). It was terribly wrong to torture the captives as well. This kind of events would later bring on ma ny question about the Bush administration and whether the alleged crimes actually took place. A significant number of people confirmed this acts including Bush himself after pictures of mistreated prisoners in Abu Ghraib went on air. With all these coming to light, Bush was quick to turn around everything by issuing an apology an even ordering the detention of the alleged perpetrators. In fact most soldiers were detained following the same. This gave Bush credit and to some extend showed the world that he actually wanted fairness and that his only aim was to counter terrorism. For him the alleged acts were a crime and he showed it by disapproving them. It was a good gesture to the world since almost everybody wants to end terrorism. Bush administration was getting credit for trying their best to do away with terrorism. Allegation of human torture, rape ,murder and even sodomy and homicide in

Teacher Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teacher Interview - Essay Example hool, he also participates in harmonizing the objectives of various schools in the district to come up with a common goal that is focused on accomplishing a shared vision. Through interaction with other teachers, he is able to understand the necessary resources for teaching and learning. He is also able to develop new learning opportunities for the teachers and students. Instructional leadership is one of the significant strategies in developing a focused student centered learning environment (Goleman, 2002). Instructional leadership has had significant benefits to the teacher’s role. It has led to a widened scope of learning beyond the classroom and with more people participating in the enhancement of learning. This has made it easy for the teacher to accomplish his duties as the head, contrary to the conventional authoritarian style where the administrator needed not to consult with others (Hargreaves & Fink, 2004). The teachers are presented with a favorable environment to carry out their duties especially through participating in goal setting, which makes empowers them especially by feeling as part of the institution and hence deliver knowledge to the students in a better way. The school is ranked among the best performers in the district, while the students are motivated to accomplish their educational goals through the collaboration that exists among the teachers. Professional leadership is among the leadership styles that are significant in developing focus and vision, which the head teacher uses to promote a sense of purpose for the institution. The teachers are assigned roles depending on their capabilities with the purpose of encouraging them to participate in decision making as regards the various areas that they supervise. Authority is distributed to the teachers and all participate in developing policies that affect learning in the school. The head teacher is always aware of the progress in all classes, including the information that is being

Marketing an Australian wine to Hong Kong wine market Essay

Marketing an Australian wine to Hong Kong wine market - Essay Example   The paper tells that Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world where full-time education is mandatory between the ages of 6 and 15. More than 90% of the children complete upper secondary education and over 25.5% of the population have attended post-secondary education. This suggests that the Hong Kong population is well-educated. The Hong Kong economy is open and dynamic. Housing in Hong Kong is at a premium and hence even four generations at times live together under one roof. Moreover, Hong Kong is still a conservative society where paternalistic affiliation is given importance. Nevertheless, youth from higher income families are more likely to participate in higher cost activities outside the home, like going to theatres or listening to operas. Those from lower income families would prefer to enjoy their leisure activities at home. Thus the target segment for the marketing plan is the young adults from affluent families. As far as wine consumption is co ncerned Hong Kong is the most mature wine market in Asia. However, the older adults prefer to consume wine and not the young adults. Students in Hong Kong universities generally do not involve in alcohol against the European students where 88% of them tend to consume alcohol beverages. Only 1.4% of the Hong Kong students are regular alcohol consumers and they start consuming alcohol on an average at 15.6 years. The most popular alcoholic beverage was beer followed by table wine. Hong Kong students are influenced by their peers in consuming alcoholic beverages possibly because it is a collectivist society. Only those who have completed tertiary education consume wine, as found in a study by Dewald (2003). Higher the education level, the more likely they are to consume wine. Since the Hong Kong youth stays with their families, home consumption is minimal. Apart from the nationals, the expatriate population in Hong Kong is high. Hong Kong women so far have shown no preference for wine but that is because they do not have much idea about wines (Ong-Wood, 2011). Based on these characteristics of the Hong Kong youth, the marketing plan would be devised. Positioning strategy Lifestyle of the local population has changed due to which food retailing and catering market has also changed. There is an increased trend towards healthy, functional and organic food as the youth has become health-conscious (Austrade, 2010). Women are also turning to wine as a part of their health and beauty regime as they believe that it enhances their skin tone and digestion (HKTDC, 2010). Since Hong Kong is a collectivist society and since the youth stays with their families, wine has to be positioned as a wellness product. Wine in Hong Kong is generally consumed in social settings, in bars and restaurants (Parker, 2010). Health is now a global concern and Hong Kong consumers believe that consuming two glasses of wine is good for health. Australian wines have been receiving recognition among the traders and the consumers. So far French wines have been dominating the Hong Kong market and hence Australian company Brown Brothers has to bear this in mind. Competition prevails in the Hong

Teacher Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Teacher Interview - Essay Example hool, he also participates in harmonizing the objectives of various schools in the district to come up with a common goal that is focused on accomplishing a shared vision. Through interaction with other teachers, he is able to understand the necessary resources for teaching and learning. He is also able to develop new learning opportunities for the teachers and students. Instructional leadership is one of the significant strategies in developing a focused student centered learning environment (Goleman, 2002). Instructional leadership has had significant benefits to the teacher’s role. It has led to a widened scope of learning beyond the classroom and with more people participating in the enhancement of learning. This has made it easy for the teacher to accomplish his duties as the head, contrary to the conventional authoritarian style where the administrator needed not to consult with others (Hargreaves & Fink, 2004). The teachers are presented with a favorable environment to carry out their duties especially through participating in goal setting, which makes empowers them especially by feeling as part of the institution and hence deliver knowledge to the students in a better way. The school is ranked among the best performers in the district, while the students are motivated to accomplish their educational goals through the collaboration that exists among the teachers. Professional leadership is among the leadership styles that are significant in developing focus and vision, which the head teacher uses to promote a sense of purpose for the institution. The teachers are assigned roles depending on their capabilities with the purpose of encouraging them to participate in decision making as regards the various areas that they supervise. Authority is distributed to the teachers and all participate in developing policies that affect learning in the school. The head teacher is always aware of the progress in all classes, including the information that is being

Alaska airlines Statistics Project Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Alaska airlines - Statistics Project Example As a matter of fact, it has been a dominant player the U.S. West Coast air. The carrier has long been known for offering friendly and highly comfortable services. Additionally, Alaska Airlines is reputed as having embraced innovative technology towards improvement of customer experience. However, in the recent past, it has faced stiff competition, more especially from South West Airlines, that has seen it loose a substantial portion of its clients. This paper seeks to establish the major areas where competitors have banked on to infringe into Alaska Airlines and further narrow down to the important ones that should be accorded greater importance to protect the market from further infringement. Pareto analysis is used to achieve this. 2. Description of the Problem Environment The services offered by Alaska Airlines extend beyond just getting onto a plane and getting seated, awaiting flight to the next destination. It also offers a range of other services including freight transportation and Food and Beverage Services. The airline’s food and beverages line offers hot and fresh meal for purchase in almost all flight durations exceeding two and a half hours. Passengers are allowed to make on-board purchases using Visa ® branded cards, MasterCard ®, American Express ®, and Discover ® brand logo cards. Debit and gift cards are included. To accommodate passengers who do not have debit or credit card, $6 vouchers are offered for purchase at all ticket counters.

My Summer Narrative Essay Essay Example for Free

My Summer Narrative Essay Essay Narrative Essay It was a hot summer day in the year 2002 when I went camping with my family in Savannah, Georgia. I will never forget this day because it’s the day I learned the lesson that if I don’t obey my parents the consequences will be large. I was only about six years old when we first pulled into the campground. Of course being a young child the first thing I noticed was this extravagant playground out near the road. When me and my sister, Natalie who was around seven at this time, saw it we both looked at each other and knew we were going to go play on that playground. We pulled into our campsite that was located near the very back of the park and our parents started unpacking everything and setting up the motorhome. They were making it obvious they wanted us out of their way. They grabbed our dolls, bikes and chalk out of the car and told us to go play. Natalie and I knew this was the perfect time to go play on the playground that we saw on our way in. It just so happened there was a playground right by our campsite as well. We came up with the perfect plan. We would tell our parents we were going to go play on the playground and trick into them into thinking we meant the one right near our campsite. In reality we planned on going to the big one near the front of the campground and not have to lie in the process. So we grabbed our bikes and asked our parents if we could ride over to the playground and play. They both said yes, so we rode off towards what we thought was the most beautiful playground weve ever saw. It was probably about a fifteen minute bike ride for us to get there. We dropped our bikes and ran to the playground and started playing. About a half hour passed when my sister Natalie decided she had to use the restroom. So she went around to the other side of the playground away from the road and decided to go. By this point we noticed there was this blue truck that drove past a few times while we were there. We began to get a little scared and thought maybe we should start going back to the camper. No sooner than we got back on our bikes our mom and dad came driving up with anger in their eyes. Me and Natalie knew we were about to be in some big trouble. Just as my parents got out of the car the man in the blue truck stopped and walked over. He started reprimanding my parents and told them they can’t let their kids run around without any supervision. He also said he was the manager and told my parents Natalie sed the restroom right out in the open. My parents apologized to the man and then made us apologize as well. The manager accepted our apology and told us we werent allowed back on that particular playground for the rest of our stay. By this point my our parents were livid and gave me and Natalie a 10 minute lecture about the dangers of them not knowing where we were and not bei ng able to see us. They grabbed us and our bikes and we headed back to the campsite. When we got back they took all our toys and our bikes and we were told we werent allowed to join any of the activities the rest of the week. That week my family went swimming, horse back riding and hiking. Natalie and I didn’t get to do any of it and our siblings made sure they told us after every activity how fun it was. It was a time I’ll never forgot. It seems everything seems so much more traumatic when you are young. I learned the lesson that I should obey my parents even if I don’t necessarily want to. I’m not saying there arent times I don’t go against their will; but ever since that day I think to myself and analyze if the rule that I am about to break is worth the consequences I’ll have to pay if I get caught.

Online Shopping Internet

Online Shopping Internet Have you ever tried buying your apparel or appliances thru internet? Online shopping is the process of purchasing and selling products or services over the internet. (Akary, 2005). It has gain popularity because of its convenience. There are some factors that are important in online shopping such as the security and the privacy of the consumers. Online shopping has replaced the traditional process of consumers buying goods from a retailer or mall that they must physically go into. (Akary, 2005). Online shopping is one aspect of electronic commerce. Online shopping is important because it offers buyers convenience that has never before been achievable. (Sneddon, 2004). The technology that is now available allows customers to shop on the internet 24 hours a day and seven days a week, without having to leave their homes or offices. Shoppers are provided with an abundance of merchant sites where almost any goods on earth can be bought. Consumers can also compare prices from a variety of different retailers with greater ease, compared to them physically going to shop in a built shopping centre to check prices. Online shopping popularity started in 1990, only few users are using the system. At the same time, the popularity of the Internet also grew at a phenomenal rate. Rifkin (2004, p. 34). History of online shopping and how it became famous will be discussed in the first part of this paper. The disadvantages and advantages of online shopping will be presented. The objective of this paper is to be able to present to the readers the pros and cons of on-line shopping. Another objective of the study is to evaluate the e-business that has been gaining the popularity. Most articles that I encounter about e-business presents one conclusion, that a company would not make it in the international market if they were not able to penetrate the online shopping. The paper will also discuss the complexity of the design. This will include the effectiveness and safety of the said design. The project aims to present a secured and protected online shopping. The main concern of the user of online shopping is their anonymity. Some website promised that they are being protected but actually they are not. This project will present the prototype design using the Multi-agent system (MAS). The MAS will make online shopping much more easily. Traditional shopping involves saleslady or agent that will assist you during your tour in the mall. The MAS will act as your guide in choosing the item you need. This will make online shopping much more convenient than traditional shopping. In the Literature review, the study done by Sinmao (1999) in the use of intelligent agent is discussed. The analyses done by Giles Malliford (2007) on the problems encountered by online shoppers are enumerated. He presented the reasons why shoppers abandoned their shopping carts. The shop.org (2007) shows the statistics of online users. The primary concern of the user is their security that is why utexas.edu presented the checklist to consider for making your online purchases as safe as possible: (www.utexas.edu). Also in the literature review the psychological effect of online shopping are discussed. (Smith, Swinyard, 2001). The benefits of online shopping are enumerated to help the user understand why such program is done. Disadvantages and advantages of using the internet in shopping will be discussed. At the end of this paper the reader will be able to decide whether they will choose to shop the traditional way or the online shopping History of Online Shopping Online shopping belongs to the so called e-commerce. It started in 1970 wherein invoices and orders are sent thru the internet. And then in 1980 the acceptance of credit cards and automated teller machine where accepted online. When dot com era arrived electronic commerce include activities termed as web commerce purchases of goods and services over the world wide web, in a secure connections with e-shopping carts and payment where done thru the use of credit card. Online shopping began in the early to mid 1990s. First online bank was opened in 1994 and Pizza Hut was the first to offer pizza online on their Web page. Further development of online shopping was done and later that year Netscape introduced SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) that make most transactions secure. In 1995 Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com and in 1996, e-Bay was founded. By the end of 1997, an estimated 41 million people were shopping online. (Kary, 2005). 1999 saw the UKs first graphical Internet shopping mall called The Virtual Mall. In 2003, Amazon.com became the first ever full-year profit online shopping merchant. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_Shop). From here the online shopping has become popular. Now dresses, foods, medicines and others can be purchased online. Safety of the customer is important even in the early years of online shopping. Netscape SSL purpose is to secure the identity of their customer to prevent cyber crime which is common in transactions involving ones identity in the internet. It has been the medium of transaction of businesses. The future is now pointing its direction to new technologies. Literature Review Several studies are involved in online shopping. The use of an intelligent agent is important in e-commerce specially in online shopping. (Sinmao, 1999). Intelligent agents are a major evolution toward solving this difficult problem.   Intelligent agents empower both buyers and sellers to accomplish e-commerce transactions by enabling efficient, precise, and comprehensive searches on the vast web community and information repository. . (Sinmao, 1999). Intelligent agents are software applications that have a predefined knowledge base and/or learning system about their users goals and wishes and, through adaptive reasoning, use this information to execute their users request. The continuum of intelligent agents may be characterized along three dimensions:   agency, intelligence, and mobility. In Appendix 1 the three dimensions of intelligent agents are presented to show how intelligent agents work on online shopping. Statistics (Table 1) shows the problems encountered during the first year of online shopping. Since online shopping during the first years is not yet fully developed problems are piling up. These problems were being resolved as the year goes by. Studies and reaches were done to enhance and improve the e-commerce. Table below shows problems encountered by Canada during the earlier years of online shopping. Table 1 Stat Source Date Around 21 percent of Canadians sited comparison-shopping as the main reason for online cart abandonment, while 17 percent reported that high shipping costs were a cause for aborting their purchases. NFO CFGroup 10/08/2002 40 percent of Internet users in Canada report that they abandoned at least one shopping cart on a Canadian retail website during a three month period in early 2002. The findings also found that for every purchase Canadians made online, another was not completed. NFO CFGroup 10/08/2002 Although Canadians spent CAD2 billion (USD1.2 billion) at retail websites during the first half of 2002, many online shoppers abandoned their carts due to poorly designed sites, shipping costs, and privacy concerns. NFO CFGroup 10/08/2002 2.2 million Canadian households spent close to CAD2 billion (USD1.27 billion) on online shopping in 2001. In 2000, 1.5 million households spent CAD1.5 billion shopping on the Internet. Canadian households placed a total of 13.4 million orders over the Internet in 2001, up from 9.1 million in 2000. Statistics Canada 09/18/2002 Source: http://www.shop.org/learn/stats_intshop_canada.asp In the study done by shop.org, 2007 online sales (including travel) rises 18 percent to $259.1 billion. Sales excluding travel will reach $174.5 billion. This strong growth will come off of an impressive performance in 2006. Online sales last year rose 25 percent to $219.9 billion. Excluding travel, online retail sales rose 29 percent to $146.5 billion, representing six percent of total retail sales in 2006. ( Grannis, Davis, 2007). According to Mulpuru, Sucharita, (2007) senior analyst of Forrester Research, online retail is moving full speed ahead, the consumers flood the web to purchase merchandise and research products. This strong growth is an indicator that online retail is years away from reaching a point of saturation. The profitability through the sector has stabilized, this is a good indication that e-commerce is gaining success. The study done by shop.org and Forrester shows the following profitability result: Eighty-three percent of respondents to the survey reported profitability and 78 percent said they were more profitable than 2005. Profit as a percentage of revenue did not change, the report notes, because revenue and expenses grew as well. In the article â€Å"The Top 10 Reasons Why Online Buyers Abandon Their Shopping Cart† by Miles Galliford (2007), he mentioned the reasons why shopping carts are being abandon by shoppers. Research undertaken by MarketingSherpa (www.marketingsherpa.com) and E-Tailing in 2006 discovered that average abandonment rates were 60% and 47% respectively. This means that the average commercial website is losing as much as half of  its potential revenue. (Galliford, 2007). Based on the article the reasons why they abandon their cart during online shopping: Hidden charges at the checkout Having to register before buying The buyer was comparison shopping and found a better deal The shipping costs were too high The buyer didnt have time to complete the checkout process The product was out of stock There were no clear delivery details No phone number was provided The checkout process was too long The buyer was uncomfortable with the checkout process From the above reasons it seems that online shopping is not yet perfected. That is why study and researches are being done to satisfy the customer. Among other studies done on online shopping includes one that provides several tips on how to make sure that the web site you are purchasing your items are secured. One of the main concerns of the shopper is their security. That is why most of the website offering online shopping states that security is their main concern. However there are some websites that does not really have a security program. As a result of this the data of the customer is easily accessible by others. This is where cyber crime takes place. In order to ensure that you are on a safe website below is the checklist to consider for making your online purchases as safe as possible: (www.utexas.edu). Only shop at online stores of reputable companies (companies you already know from retail stores, mail order catalogs or other sources). Know how to contact them offline if there is a problem with your purchase. If you are unsure of the company, do a little research with the Better Business Bureau. Secure your Web browser. Check the security settings of your Web browser to increase the security of your transactions. Check for security icons before giving your personal information. Before you type in your credit card number or name and address, check for security icons on the Web site. This includes looking for â€Å"https† in the Web address or URL. Https indicates the Web site is equipped with an additional security layer. If its not there, the site or page is not secure. Create unique passwords. Dont use the same password for all of your online accounts and applications. If you do this, you risk having all of your accounts compromised if only one account is breached. Remember to never use your university passwords for other online accounts. Dont enable the â€Å"Save Password† option if prompted to do so. If you are using a shared computer, pre-saved passwords will make it easy for others to access your accounts. Use only one dedicated credit card for online purchases. Monitor your monthly statements closely for any unusual activity. Dont use a debit card for online purchases. You are more protected using a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit card companies offer some degree of fraud protection and may be able to reverse charges to your account. Check the Web sites privacy policy. Only shop with online stores offering privacy policies that you agree with. They should provide information about how they will protect your personal information and whether it will be provided to other companies. Always log out of a Web site when you are through. Again, this will protect your accounts on a shared computer. Review your monthly credit card and bank statements. Check for any unauthorized purchases or errors. Notify your bank or credit card company immediately if you suspect someone is using your accounts without your permission. Because of these threats on online shopping, the enhancements of websites are being done to ensure that every single person and data is protected. In the study done by IBM and BYU (Professor William R. Swinyard and Professor Scott M. Smith) online shopping reveals attitude and lifestyle of the user. (2001). The attitudinal study of 4000 Web users reveals the shopping behaviour of eight online consumer types and which types would respond to marketing efforts designed to increase e-commerce sales. The study also suggests what form those efforts should take. Heres how each group looks and how Swinyard and Smith think they should be approached: With 11.1 percent of the market share, Shopping Lovers enjoy buying online and do so frequently. They are competent computer users and will likely continue their shopping habits. They also spread the word to others about joys of online shopping whenever they have the opportunity. They represent an ideal target for retailers. Adventurous Explorers (8.9 percent) are a small segment that presents a large opportunity. They require little special attention by Internet vendors because they believe online shopping is fun. They are likely the opinion leaders for all things online. Retailers should nurture and cultivate them to be online community builders and shopping advocates. Suspicious Learners (9.6 percent) comprise another small segment with growth potential. Their reluctance to purchase online more often hinges on their lack of computer training, but they are open to new ways of doing things. In contrast to more fearful segments, they dont have a problem giving a computer their credit card number. Further guidance and training would help coax them into online buying. Among the most computer literate, Business Users (12.4 percent) use the Internet primarily for business purposes. They take a serious interest in what it can do for their professional life. They dont view online shopping as novel and arent usually champions of the practice. Fearful Browsers (10.7 percent) are on the cusp of buying online. They are capable Internet and computer users, spending a good deal of time window shopping. They could become a significant buying group if their fears about credit card security, shipping charges and buying products sight unseen were overcome. Shopping Avoiders (15.6 percent) have an appealing income level, but their values make them a poor target for online retailers. They dont like to wait for products to be shipped to them, and they like seeing merchandise in person before buying. They have online shopping issues that retailers will not easily be able to overcome. Technology Muddlers (19.6 percent) face large computer literacy hurdles. They spend less time than any other segment online and show little excitement about increasing their online comfort level. They are not an attractive market for online retailers. Fun Seekers (12.1 percent) are the least wealthy and least educated market segment. They see entertainment value in the Internet, but buying things online frightens them. Although security and privacy issues might be overcome, the spending power of the segment suggests that only a marginal long-term payback would be possible In the study done by KCB336 New Media Technologies students, they have come up on reasons why many people are still hesitant in using online shopping. Their study resulted in 69% of internet shoppers felt that online retailers should do more to make them feel secure, yet only 15% reported to know others who had experienced credit card misuse advocated her trust for online shopping when she claimed. Because of the concern of the customer in the security measures, retailers employ a number of security measures, including cryptogrpahy and authentication to help the online transactions safe. Cryptography can provide authentication and integrity for electronic transmissions if properly implemented. Authentication is defined as goal of knowing that a particular user is authorized to take an action. Personal identification numbers (PIN) and passwords are the most widespread types of authentication. Based also on the study done by the New Media Technology (2004), another key issue aside from the security is the privacy. To further ease customer apprehension, many online retailers provide privacy statements which state their stance on sharing customer information with other businesses. Many companies stated that they did not share customer details. In addition to this, online retailers also employ cryptography to ensure that computer hackers cannot easily obtain any stored personal information that companies keep regarding their customers. Some companies only installed privacy and security measures after problems had occurred. Their lack of preventative methods was attributed towards the difficulty of implementing security measures, the high costs associated with these measures, and the continual need to update programs as new technologies and threats emerged. Internet-based transactions expect to make up 25 percent of all retail transactions in the next decade according to the study done by the New Media Technology (2004), therefore it is imperative for online retailers to continue to provide a secure, private and trustworthy shopping environment for their customers. Those who can best provide this climate for online shoppers will be the retailers who attract the most customers, and ultimately enjoy the most profits. According to Changchit, Douthit, and Hoffmeyer (2005), the success of online businesses relies heavily upon their ability to attract and retain customers. The better an online business understands the needs of these shoppers, the higher the chance that they can attract and retain customers. Their study includes factors that are important for the consumers. A study compared the experiences that customers have at a brick-and-mortar store versus online shopping. A main difference in the two experiences is that traditional storefronts are able to provide customers with the immediate sensory experience of touching and feeling proffered products whereas online storefronts are more limited in offering physical experiences with their products. Internet customers may have the visual experience of seeing what they are interested in purchasing. They are limited in their ability to touch or feel the merchandise until after delivery. The lack of the physical experiences touching and feeling avail able in traditional brick-and-mortar storefronts may be a reason why an online business has not risen to the level that some thought possible in the early 1990s. To overcome this obstacle, online businesses need to focus on satisfiers outside physical experiences with products. They need to convince customers that touching and feeling the merchandise are less important than what they can offer via an online shopping. This study intends to explore which factors are perceived as important to online customers when shopping on the Internet. (Changchit, Douthit, and Hoffmeyer 2005). Presented in table 3 below are the demographics of online user. The most common user of online shopping belongs to the Caucasian (4.9%) group with ages ranging form 22-25 years old (31.7%). Table 4 shows the factors that are important on online shoppers. TABLE 2: SUBJECTS DEMOGRAPHICS Age (in years) Under 18 18-21 22-25 26-30 31-35 Over 35 0 % 16 (15.8%) 32 (31.7%) 16 (15.8%) 13 (12.9%) 21 (20.8%) Nationality Ethnicity African Asian American Caucasian Hispanic Other 8 (8.2%) 7 (7.1%) 46 (46.9%) 32 (32.7%) 5 (5.1%) Annual Income (US$) >10K-30K >30K-50K >50K-70K >70K-90K >90K 22 (22.5%) 17 (17.4%) 26 (26.5%) 12 (12.2%) 6 (6.1%) 15 (15.3%) Highest Education High School 1-3 year college Associate Bachelor Master Doctorate 7 (7.1%) 18 (18.4%) 10 (10.2%) 38 (38.8%) 20 (20.4%) 5 (5.1%) Own a Computer Desktop Laptop 82 (83.7%) 59(60.2%) Employment Status Unemployed Full Time Part Time 12(12.2%) 58(59.2%) 28(25.6%) Marital Status Single Married Widow Divorce 60(61.2%) 38(38.8%) 0(0%) 0(0%) Source: Changchit,   Shawn J. Douthit,   Benjamin Hoffmeyer (2005) http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0OGT/is_3_5/ai_n16619676/pg_6 TABLE 3: FACTORS ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO VISIT A WEBSITE I will visit the website more often if . Average 1. a picture of the product is displayed 5.85 2. the website offers free shipping 5.76 3. it is easy to return the products 5.51 4. the website accuracy of the order is high 5.42 5. the website has a brand reputation 5.41 TABLE 4: FACTORS ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO PURCHASE FROM A WEBSITE I am more likely to purchase products/ Average services from the website if . 1. the website offers free shipping 5.86 2. the website offers a discount 5.79 3. it is easy to return the products 5.74 4. a picture of the product is displayed 5.70 5. the website offers tax free shopping 5.51 TABLE 5: FACTORS ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO PURCHASE MORE ITEMS I will purchase more items if . Average 1. the website offers a discount 5.71 2. the website offers free shopping 5.67 3. it is easy to return the products 5.64 4. a picture of the product is displayed 5.59 5. I received tax free shopping. 5.57 TABLE 6: FACTORS ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO PURCHASE AT A HIGHER PRICE I am willing to pay more if . Average 1. the website offers free shipping 5.20 2. if the item is not available offline 5.14 3. if I can t the product out before-paying 5.10 4. if offered tax free shopping 5.05 5. if the website offers next day shipping 4.94 TABLE 7: FACTORS ENCOURAGING SHOPPERS TO PROVIDE FEEDBACKS I would provide feedback on my shopping Average experience for 1. free shipping 5.61 2. discount 5.41 3. gift card 5.32 4. product sample 5.17 5. discount coupon 5.09 Disadvantages and Advantages of Online shopping Online shopping has its own set of disadvantages and advantages. Not all online shoppers agree to shop online, they would rather shop at the mall than sit in their living room and search for the item they want. As presented on the first report the following are the disadvantages and advantages of online shopping: Table 3 Advantages and Disadvantages On line shopping Traditional Shopping Time Unlimited you can purchase online anytime you want. No closing and opening hours You can shop at limited time only. Availability One will be able to know right away if the item is

Mike Harris And The Ontario Conservative Party: Ceos Of The Year? Essay

Private universities, private jails, private health-care and private water testing. What do all of these things have in common? They are all services the Tory government in Ontario has been trying to privatize with some disastrous results and possibly more to come. The Ontario government, lead by Progressive Conservative leader Mike Harris, has been slowly trying to do away with services that are currently administered by the province. The ideology in question, privatization, has been a hallmark of the Common Sense revolution. But so far the Tories have been slow to make a success of it. Attempts to privatize the Liquor Control Board and TV Ontario were put on the back burner because of low public support. As well, privatizing hydro utilities has already led to charges of price gouging. But by far the biggest headache is coming from the public outcry over the deaths from the E-coli outbreak in Walkerton, Ontario. Regardless of who the Tories look to blame, the issue continually keep s coming back to the privatization of water labs by the province. Yet now, with these other efforts stalled or creating political turmoil, the government is pushing ahead with its prison agenda. The first of the new â€Å"superjails† will be opened in Penetanguishine, a small rural community north of Toronto. This jail is slated to be home to the province's first privatized superjail and the issue has created a storm of controversy. In November of 1999, the Ministry of Corrections announced that the new 1200 bed facility would be turned over to the private sector, contrary to what the municipality had been previously told. Wayne Redditt is a member of a local citizen's committee opposed to the privatization venture. â€Å"The municipality entered into this deal because they thought they were going be getting a lot of good paying OPSEU (Ontario Public Sector Employees Union) jobs. People were told it was going to be a publicly run facility. Then after the election we are told that it will be private. People here didn't expect to be treated like guinea pig.† The Ministry of Corrections has defended themselves by stating there will be a strict code of standards im posed before private corporations are allowed to take control of the prisons. They have gone on to say that there will also be constant monitoring of the prison by ministry officials. This had done very little to quell public fear ... ...t money and then taking your house if you don’t pay it back? Will there be two lines in the emergency room; One for the wealthy who can swipe their credit cards and one for the â€Å"others† who will use their health cards? Since these services have felt the pressure, you can be sure that it won’t be long before other important and crucial services in this province feel the pinch. In essence, if private corporations are going to be running all the services that the province of Ontario used to run, why bother having a provincial government? Maybe some day soon we’ll all be electing a CEO and not a premier. Bibliography 1. Redditt, Wayne. Interview. HighGrader Magazine Summer 2000 2. Scanlon, Barry. Press Release. OPSEU Website Sept. 7, 2000 3. Dawe, Brian. Interview. HighGrader Magazine Summer 2000 4. Daniels, Mary Lou. Press Release. OPSEU Website Dec. 03, 1999. 5. Casselman, Leah. Press Release. OPSEU Website May 26, 2000. 6. MacDougall, Doug. Press Release. OPSEU Website Aug. 08, 2000 7. Cunningham, Diane. Interview. Ministry Website (Hansard) October 2000. 8. Casselman, Leah. Press Release. OPSEU Website June 23, 2000. 9. Taylor, Darryl. Press Release. OPSEU Website Sept. 21, 2000.

Post-impressionism and Artists

Impressionism was a movement that came about in the late 19th century, most specifically its roots can be traced back the 1874 when a group called the Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Printmakers, etc. organized an exhibition in Paris. (Samu, 2004). The group led several exhibitions through the 1880’s which brought them into the spot light despite criticism from the conventional art community in France. The movement received its name from one of the movements most now most recognized artists Claude Monet and his piece Impression, Sunrise. It is said that a critic accused the painting of being a sketch or â€Å"impression†. (Samu, 2004) Paintings of this period tended to be outdoor scenes and panoramas. My Grandfather, Lawrence Bird, who was an artist and set designer for Disney modeled his style of art after this period. He was inspired by the artists of this period and their focus on developing their own technique that was more centered around light and its effect on the image. The painting technique included short choppy and broken strokes with vibrant and light colors adding new dimensions to their paintings. Impressionism did an amazing thing it realized the phenomenon of transitoriness. The artist that carries his canvas out into the great outdoors and strives to record every small detail of what his eye can perceive is in very different state of mind than the artist that creates his art in a studio reconstructed from sketches or studies. (Collins, 2012) The social, economic and political climate of this time saw many changes. You had the industrial revolution, which replaced small farms and factories with large industrial complexes. This eventually led people into more urban areas out of the country side. There is the release of the communist manifesto by Marx and Engles and of course Darwin’s release of â€Å"Orgin of the species. † (Werner, 1998) Both changing the way people thought and viewed the world they lived in. Due to the above mentioned industrial revolution there are many new and useful items now readily available to artists, authors, sculptors and so forth. One of these items includes synthetic chemical pigments that often have greater luminosity than previous organic pigments, thus allowing the artists to explore more vibrant styles. The most notable and recognized painters of this time embraced this new medium in which to work with. These artists included: Alfred Sisley, Armand Guillaumin, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Claude Monet and Pierre Renoir. As a former sailor in the United States Navy I have an affinity for lighthouses and depictions of the sea. One of my favorite pieces of this time is Claude Monet’s – Mouth of the Seine, done in 1865. This masterpiece, with its lighthouse in the distance depicts the coming and going of the many merchant, fishing and leisure vessels as they navigate the waters of the Seine river as it empties into the English Channel. The image to me, represents a simpler time where sailing was an art that was performed by skill rather than instruments and automation. Impressionism was not brought about by a necessity or tragic change in the social environment, more so out of the fact of new ideas and the availability of these new mediums. This allowed the artists to break free of the â€Å"statu quo† and express their view on the world around them in a fresh, new and vibrant way. Impressionism opened up the art world’s eyes and lead to the influence of many new and creative artists that expounded on not only using the optical impressions but also using the new found artistic style to also expression emotion and themes of greater symbolism. (Voorhies, 2000) These artists â€Å"rebelled† against the so-called limitations of impressionism. These artists felt that impressionism was missing many key elements including emotional, structural, symbolic and spiritual representation. (Misialowski, 2006) Artists of this time frame worked, in most cases, independently and today are most often referred to as Post-Impressionists. The style was defined by vibrant colors, thick paint application, real life subject matter, geometric shapes, and distortion of objects figures for expressive emotional effect. Some of the key artists of this time included: Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Georges Seurat. Aristide Maillol and Edouard Vuillard. One of my favorite pieces of this time comes of course from van Gogh. The piece is titled Stra?enarbeiter which means Road Workers. The imagery of this piece is rough and course with distorted views and sharp lines. The shapes of the trees almost draw you away from the what the piece is actually titled after, the road workers who are shown off in the distance and then again on the left edge of the painting. The colors give the image a dark look like it is depicting a late fall day with the workers frantically trying to complete the task before the onset of winter. Again, like the impressionism movement, there was not really a prime reason for this movement other than the artists wants to more freely express themselves through their work. The social climate of the times were changing allowing for these artists to do what they were doing, however; the majority of these post-impressionism artists were â€Å"starving artists† and didn’t gain huge notoriety until after death. The two paintings are similar but completely different. Each of the pieces captures the artists view of the world as they perceive it, the use of color to exact a response from the viewer. Each artist depicted a scene in which people were working against the elements with those that were there for leisure. Where they differ is in the way the artist wants the picture to be viewed. While Monet wanted to show the beauty of the landscape, ships and buildings, van Gogh showed a different view of it being distorted colorless and hopeless. As impressionism gave way to post impressionism, post impressionism paved the way for modern art. Showing many artists that it was okay to express and play with imagery. That art was not locked down to someone else’s definition of what it should be. It was what your perception of it was. It could be the anger of a thousand paint splatters. It could be the combination of print, paint, chalk and pastels. What you thought was art was art. As my Grandfather told me, art is not limited or bound by rules nor is it created in a lab. Art comes from within, from your emotions, from your perceptions. Impressionism unlocked chains of a thousand years of oppression to give us the inspiration for what we have now.

Mesopotamian and Egyptian Culture

The main scripture that holds the Christian faith is the Holy Bible. It has existed for a very long time already that it is already considered as an â€Å"institution† when it comes to its teachings and the values that it imparts on the readers. Some religions have even sprung from Christianity itself, and the basis of their teachings is also the Bible. But there are some who dispels the notion as the Bible being an institution of knowledge by saying that some parts of the Old Testament has been copied or patterned to other writings from other cultures. This has greatly affected the formation of the Old Testament, since it has to incorporate some materials and information from other cultures. It could also just be a coincidence that they have similar points, other than that, neither one of them copied the contents of the other. The Epic of Gilgamesh/Gilgamesh as the Babylonian Noah One of the great literary pieces to ever exist was the Epic of Gilgamesh. It talks about how the great Sumerian King Gilgamesh lived is life. Even though epic was compiled into written form a very long time ago, it has existed way back in 2100 B.C. in another form which is through word of mouth. This just show how long it has already been in circulation, in order to establish a comparison with the existence of the Christian’s Moses, if he ever existed. Moses, when he came into the scene through the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament, is said to be 800-900 years younger than the Epic of Gilgamesh. With this information at hand, it is clear to see that the Epic of Gilgamesh came first, with a head start of 900 years before The Book of Exodus in the Old Testament came into existence. One of the arguable points in the Book of Exodus in the Old Testament was Great Flood that the Lord had given the lands of man. It was done in order to cleanse the earth of the sins of man. However, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, we can see that there was also a great flood delivered to cleanse the world of sinful people: same content, but different stories. It was Ut-Napishtim who told him about the gods giving such punishments to people. He told Gilgamesh to take down a house and make a boat out of it. He would spare Gilgamesh’ family and relatives; he was also instructed to gather as all the animals and living things that he can spare. Gilgamesh was vey much like the famous Noah who built the Ark on God’s bidding for them to be spared, along with pairs of different animals he can gather. But considering the time frame, it is more like, Noah was very much like Gilgamesh who built a large boat, and God was very much like Ut-Napishtim, who cleansed the lands with a great flood to get rid of sinful people. Gilgamesh and Noah are two different people coming from two different cultures in different time frames. They are very similar in a lot of aspects, especially in the matter of the Great Flood. If it was merely a coincidence that they both constructed a great water vessel and rounded up all the animals in the world, no one knows. It is just that These two men were both heroes and icons of their own times, and have made their marks in their own different cultures. The Code of Hammurabi and the Laws of Moses One of the most notable law maker/leader would be King Hammurabi of the Babylonian Dynasty. He was noted for his Code of Hammurabi, a very influential set of laws and corresponding punishments to its violators. He existed around 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C., 300 years before Moses is said to have existed. The point of comparison that is being built-up here is that Hammurabi came before Moses. Most people know that Moses is noted to be the bearer of the Lord’s 10 Commandments. This is because of some claims saying that even the 10 Commandments, as well as the laws set by Moses or the Mosaic Laws were patterned to the Code of Hammurabi. There are several concepts that would attract one’s attention if he’s looking for similarities. One of these concepts is with regards to the respect for parents. For Hammurabi, a son who strikes his father should have his arm cut off. In Mosaic law, if someone curses his parents or is very rebellious, then death is the right punishment. Another would be on marriage. For Hammurabi, if a man wishes to leave his family, then he should prepare a fraction of his property and wealth in order for the mother to raise their children. On the other hand, Mosaic law says that divorce will only be allowed if a spouse becomes indecent or unfaithful. Both Hammurabi and the Mosaic law agreed that death should be the appropriate punishment for both man and woman committing adultery. Incest for them is also unacceptable, and should be dealt with sever punishment, and if necessary, it should be death for those who have committed the crime Theft is also another aspect of similarity, where both of them condone the act of stealing and robbing from other people. In the Mosaic law, whatever living property is stolen and has been killed, should be returned five folds. If it is alive, it should be returned immediately. On the other hand, Hammurabi states that it depends on the social position of the thief, whether he should pay ten-folds or thirty times the original. But for those caught in the act of robbing someone else or stealing someone else property, no matter how valuable it is, the punishment to be given should be death. Finally, the one that showed relevant similarity was on inflicting physical injury in another person. In Mosaic laws, it depends on the weight of the damage done by the offender. Injuries which are not serious should be given necessary fines, where the offender would pay this fine for the damages he has done to the victim. But for those who have committed serious injury on somebody else, then it would be necessary to exercise taking a life for a life, or a limb for a limb. The Hammurabic code is the source of the line â€Å"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.† The Hymn to Aton Not only did the Bible borrowed from the early Mesopotamian societies, they have also extracted some from early Egyptian cultures. Praise worship for the Lord which is found in several verses of the Bible can be traced back to tomb scriptures of some of the great men of Egypt, rulers who have made a great impact on their constituents. They are revered even after their deaths, with poems, songs and hymns being written for them as a form of praise-worship. This has been adopted by some verses in the Bible, showing how the Lord is miraculous, powerful and merciful. Not many of the people know that these verses were patterned from some dead guy’s tomb scriptures. The Sinai Covenant The Sinai covenant has been the primer of what seemed to as periodic worship, which is timely, for it was allotted a day in a week for worship. However, there are also other religions that follow this day of the Sabbath, where they would do nothing else but worship their gods all throughout the day. This is in relation to what the Bible claimed to be the day of worship for its followers. References: Anonymous. â€Å"Egyptian & Old Testament Scriptural Correspondences.†Ã‚   http://www.mystae.com/restricted/streams/thera/egypt.html. Caroll, Robert Todd. â€Å"Noah's Ark.†Ã‚   http://skepdic.com/noahsark.html. Latoundji, David Paul. â€Å"God at Sinai: Covenant and Theophany in the Bible and Ancient near East.† Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society ( Mar 1999). Nosotro, Rit. â€Å"Comparing the Content of Hammurabi's Code, Mosaic Law, and Justinian Law.†Ã‚   http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw03hammurabijustinlaw.htm. Tolerance, Ontario Consultants on Religious. â€Å"Comparison of the Babylonian and Noahic Flood Stories.†Ã‚   http://www.religioustolerance.org/noah_com.htm. Worldwide Church of God. â€Å"Did Moses Steal the Ten Commandments? .† Worldwide Church of God, http://www.wcg.org/lit/bible/law/steal10.htm.