Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 10

Questions - Essay Example Economics on the other hand views sustainability in relation to value because Economics fundamentally examines the relationships between ends and scarce means. Hence, the scope of Economics covers the ability to maintain a financial worth of the products and services over a period of time when they are demanded and needed by constituents of the society and the community. This has to do with elements and aspects of behavioural matters and behavioural techniques that are used by the various constituents as a means of examining and evaluating various variables to identify the way people seek to maximise their ends in relation to the resources available at every point in time. Hence, the position taken by Economics is one that utilises aspects of the rational human being and how s/he seeks to maximise returns of a given stock of resources as opposed to the natural science approach which uses scientific methods to estimate the stock of natural resources without the inclusion of human sent iments and human expectations. Neoclassical Economics is about the use of various aspects of rationality to attain maximum returns from a given level of resources. Thus, the neo-classical Economists argue that the rational consumer must seek to attain the most from a given level of inputs whilst the rational producer also produces the highest volume of products with a given volume of stocks. Thus, in viewing this, neo-classical Economics are meant to provide a framework within which people will gain the most from what they utilise or seek to use. Thus, the two concepts and the two ideas are synthesised to suggest that neo-classical economics seeks to support a position where the society work to attain the most from the environment. Social and Ecological complexity on the other hand asserts that there must be some degree of sensitivity to the consumption of natural resources and in utilising aspects of the natural environment. Hence, the consumer will have to ensure that he

Bob Marley Essay Example for Free

Bob Marley Essay In a time of political, economic, and social unrest, a new way of protest was beginning to emerge from Jamaica in the form of reggae music. It was 1963 when a young man from Jamaica by the name of Robert Nesta Marley, better known as â€Å"Bob Marley†, formed a band called The Wailers, who would undoubtedly become one of the only reggae bands to rise up from the oppression of the third world country. The country of Jamaica had just gained independence from the U. K. in 1962, but was anything but a free nation. Those in power chose to exploit the country’s few main exports, primarily bauxite, a mineral used in the process of manufacturing aluminum. The first ten years of Jamaican independence saw considerable economic growth, but these gains were held back from the country’s urban poor. From his book, Reggae, Rastafari, and the Rhetoric of Social Control, Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"After independence, the Jamaican Labor Party’s â€Å"Five Year Plan† did not produce economic prosperity but, instead, even greater inequity of living conditions† (47). King quotes Adam Kuper, â€Å"As the Jamaican Labor Party encouraged foreign countries to invest in and expand Jamaica’s manufacturing and bauxite industries, the traditional pursuits of agriculture, forestry, and fishing dropped to a low of 10 percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product in 1968 (47). Marley chose to join the Rastafarian movement, a religious program that was a prominent group in Jamaica. The Rastafarian faith helped to fuel Marley’s purpose in music, which was to empower and inspire those who were being kept down by the nation’s wealthier class. A small rural village called Nine Miles located in the parish of Sainte Ann is where Bob Marley was born. Marley lived with his grandparents in the community of Sainte Anne, people who followed traditions they had learned from their early African ancestors. These customs included storytelling which would be one of Marley’s signature qualities during his songwriting career. When Marley was a teenager, his mother decided to take him away from Sainte Anne, and moved him to Jamaica’s capital Kingston in the vicinity of Trench Town. This would be where Marley would begin to embark on his musical journey. Like most urban Jamaican cities, Trench Town was poor and all of its inhabitants including the teenage Marley lived in poverty. During this time Marley learned how to defend himself against the rough town locals, and instead of following them Marley decided to pay closer attention to music. As one author writes,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Despite the poverty, despair and various unsavory activities that sustained some ghetto dwellers, Trench Town was also a culturally rich community where Bob Marleys abundant musical talents were nurtured. A lifelong source of inspiration, Bob immortalized Trench Town in his songs No Woman No Cry (1974), Trench Town Rock (1975) and Trench Town, the latter released posthumously in 1983† (Ruff, â€Å"Bob’s Early Life†). Marley’s beginnings in the music industry were with a form of music known as ska. Ska came about in Jamaica during the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Ska was inspired by American RB music that could be heard through U.S. radio airways on the transistor radio. Ska was a blending of America’s RB and Jamaica’s island beat, a mixture of calypso and mento. Author Stephen A. King writes, â€Å"Perhaps ska can best be characterized as a product of creolization, borrowing heavily from black American music (jazz, gospel, and RB), while also incorporating indigenous (mento) and African elements into its sound† (24). Many citizens of Jamaica could not afford radios to listen to music or keep up on any news reports coming from the island. So the Jamaican sound systems, mobile devices such as vans or musical equipment on wheels, would be used to host dances, and the deejays would also use their sound systems to inform his listeners on political happeni ngs. King states that, â€Å"As one of the few affordable social activities for the poor, the sound system brought music to places where the voice of the poor could be heard without interference by local authorities† (16). Like most of the world during this time, the black population was not allowed any political power, and many began to seek ways to resist. One of the methods used as a means to passively fight back against the imbalance was the Rastafarian religion. The Rastafarian religion was born early in the twentieth century, but its roots date back as far as the late 1800’s when slaves felt compelled to revolt against the plantation owners on the belief that God was calling them to fight for freedom. In 1927, a man named Marcus Garvey brought forth to Jamaicans the basis of the Rastafarian religion, which was to look to Africa for the crowning of a king. This would be a sign for Jamaica that freedom is near. From Africana, the Encyclopedia of the African and the African-American Experience, author Roanne Edwards quotes Garvey: â€Å"Look to Africa for the crowning of a king to know that your redemption is nigh† (Edwards 1592). In 1930 Ras Tafari was crowned emperor of Ethiopia and  baptized with the name Haile Selassie. From that moment on the Rastafarians of Jamaica would recognize the king of Ethiopia as the livi ng messiah. The religion of Rastafarianism was meant to empower Jamaica’s black population by reflecting heavily on African heritage and believed that the western society was today’s kingdom of Babylon, a corrupt city that profited from the oppressed. Part of the Rastafarian faith was to grow dreadlocks, this would become one of Marley’s signature features, but Marley was not following any trends, his purpose for wearing his hair in dreadlocks had deeper meaning than mere fashion. As quoted from Rolling Stone, â€Å"Until Babylon fell, according to one legend; the Rastas would not cut their hair. They grew it long in a fearsome appearance called dreadlocks† (Gilmore 5). Another element from the Rastafarian Movement was the use of marijuana to create a deeper connection with Selassie. Marley used marijuana as a creative outlet in songwriting and Marley, along with many Rasta musicians, followed the ritual of smoking marijuana or â€Å"ganja† for thi s spiritual experience. Marley’s songs came from a deep spiritual determination, to spread the message of the Rastafarian faith and to fight against those who sought to put down the poor and less fortunate of the world. According to author Rex Ruff, â€Å"Bob Marley reaffirms his adherence to Rastafari on Forever Loving Jah from Uprising the final album released during his lifetime. Uprising features the acoustic Redemption Song which implores the listener: emancipate yourselves from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our mind, reiterating the self-empowering convictions that Rastafarian tenets have sought to establish (Bob and Rastafarian Beliefs). The poor of Jamaica were subject to deprivation because of the decisions that were being made by the political parties put in place after Jamaica had become a free nation. On one hand, there was the Peoples National Party, led by Michael Manley, who fought for constitutional rights, and on the other hand, there was the Jamaican Labor Party, led b y Edward Seaga, who desired to put Jamaica’s capital interests abroad before the welfare of the nation. Both the People’s National Party and the Jamaican Labor Party were primarily run by white members and Marley took neither side, but was said to have small favor towards Michael Manley’s People’s National Party. In 1976 the December elections were drawing near and violent protests were taking over the streets of Kingston. Marley had become such a prominent idol for  Jamaican citizens and the People’s National Party thought a concert performed by Marley would help calm the city during the election. Marley agreed to perform with his band The Wailers at the Smile Jamaica concert. Although Marley had expressed political neutrality, some believed that Marley had favor for Michael Manley’s side. During rehearsal, just two days before the concert, Marley and some members of his band were shot at. No one involved in the shooting were killed, but both Marley and his manager at the time suffered injuries. Marley went on to perform at the Smile Jamaica concert to keep the peace, but fled the country immediately after the show ended. After the Smile Jamaica concert Marley performed again at the One Love Peace concert where he persuaded Michael Manley and Edward Seaga up on the stage to shake hands. This concert symbolized Marley’s true desire for peace and harmony between the political parties of Jamaica’s new government. As Gilmore writes, â€Å"On April 22nd, at the One Love Peace Concert, Marley managed to coax both Michael Manley and Edward Saga onstage with him and held their hands together with his in a gesture of coexistence† (Gilmor e 9). Marley died of cancer at the young age of 36, but his music is still alive and reaches hundreds of people every single day. One of the things that made Marley’s music so effective was his ability to speak an intense message through a creative melody. From Rolling Stone, â€Å"He was a superb melody writer, and his songs’ insinuating pop hooks pull the listener into the realities Marley was describing† (Gillmore 12). Although much of the Marley legacy lives on in America as a mere trend, one who chooses to look deeper into his message will feel the power Marley had intended through his poetry that was meant for an oppressed nation.

Disjunction versus Communion in Raymond Carvers Short Stories Essay

Disjunction versus Communion in Raymond Carver's Short Stories Raymond Carver, poet, essayist, and short story writer, was very different from some other writers in that he clipped his writing until only the essential remained. " Carver not only acknowledged the effect that fiction could have on readers, he proclaimed that it should affect readers."( Bonetti 58) Thus, when Carver writes about intimate relationships, the reader perceives the stories as more than entertainment or skillful language; the reader relates to the characters' situations and applies the knowledge to their own lives. It is within this realm of character affirmation that Carver draws a much more elaborate, and meaningful detail in his short stories. I propose that Carver's characters either connect or fail to connect on an intimate, spiritual level. It is this difference in his short stories which either draw the reader into or away from the meaning. These relations make certain writings in Carver's stories more interesting. More directly, it is the communion in his later writings, and the disjunction in his earlier writings, that distinguish the two types of styles. Communion within the characters of Carver's later writings, as in his collections in Cathedral, create much more depth and interest in his stories. It is within this scope of communion that Carver's stories seem to become more fulfilling with character affirmation. Communion occurs in Carver's stories when several conditions are satisfied. The difference in the two criteria; communion and disjunction, is simply defined. "Communion, n 1. A sharing of thoughts or feelings 2. a A religious or spiritual fellowship." (Websters, 141) It is a connection between characters which allows them to transcend the ordinary and redefine themselves. A moment in which words, actions, and objects take on exaggerated significance . Carver uses this bond between characters in his later writings more directly, such as in his anthology Cathedral. You must first initialize an intimate interaction between two or more characters who can communicate--- either verbally or physically. If an individual is still projecting his/her personality onto another, that individual has not experienced the loss of self- awareness which is necessary for communion. Another important element for this experience is touch. The charac... ...ders and move them to action in their own lives. Works Cited Bonetti, Kay. " Ray Carver: Keeping." Conversations with Raymond Carver. Marshall Bruce Gentry and William L. Stull, eds. Jackson, Mississippi :University Press of Mississippi, 1990. 53-61. Carver, Raymond. Cathedral. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. ---. No Heroics Please. New York: Vintage Books, 1992. ---. What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Davis, Alan. " The Holiness of Ordinary. " Hudson Review. Vol.45 Winter 1993: 653-658 Gardner, John. On Moral Fiction. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1978. Halpert, Sam. " Interviews" †¦when we talk about Raymond Carver. Peregrine Smith, Library of Congress Cataloging-in-publishing, 1991. 51-84 Sexton, David. " David Sexton talks to Raymond Carver." Conversations With Raymond Carver. Marshall Bruce Gentry and William L.Stull, eds. Jackson, Mississippi: University of Mississippi, 1990. 120-132. Stull, William L. " Matters of Life and Death. " Conversations with Raymond Carver. Marshall Bruce Gentry and William L. Stull eds. Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi, 1990. 177-191.

Commanding Heights

The commanding heights documentary episode one was actually quite pleasing. I do enjoy documentaries, and this was one I really had no prior knowledge of. I believe it will help me see a different side of economics. What stood out to me the most in the film was how post world war one, they believed more government control meant better economic outcome. This makes sense of why we had a rise in dictators, and the reason world war two even started. Post war, inflation in Germany and Austria made money worthless.It was said that money was worth less than actual wallpaper. We learned a little about inflation in class and how as the years go on, our money becomes less valuable. We raise our minimum wage due to inflation. With inflation, our life becomes more and more expensive seeing our money goes less as far. The real and nominal value of money are not the same. This is why our minimum wage changes every few years. This film basically shows two sides of economics through two figures. Key nes and Hayek, Keynes thought with more government control the economy would flourish. On the contrary, Hayek believes with the government controlling everything we would lose freedom and our economy would actually collapse. This really shows the two sides of free market and capitalism. It shows you how each one has its pros and cons. Hayek argued that socialist states cannot be successful because they lack a functioning price system to send the signals to consumers and producers, which would result in chaos. Even though this was extreme this is what he believed and free market with no control. I can see where he is coming from. Yes, the government doesn’t need to intervene in fair business, but we do need some control. Without some control I believe our country would be completely ran by the big businesses. Our country is already run by the rich without control I believe it would completely wipe out the middle class and either you were rich or you had nothing. Some say this is happening now but I believe with government control on business it is going to be hard to happen. On the contrary with Keynes idea of government control, we would be a number, a simple part to the system. There would be no classes, we wouldn’t have to worry about not having food or what we were to do in life, but we would have no freedom. Each has their advantages but each is extreme. This is why our system falls somewhere in the middle. I believe this documentary taught me more of the balance of power. How much government control can we maintain before it runs the economy to ruins, or how much freedom should be given to the market to function without abnormalities. No one really knows where the perfect balance is or if there even is a perfect balance. Too much control causes stagflation and with too little control our world would be turned into a Robin Hood type nation, rich and poor no in-between. This film really makes me think that even if there is a perfect balance it will never be found. The world cannot be run smoothly and perfectly forever without some sort of bumps, bumps are what keeps our country running and makes us a thriving and learning nation. One day possibly economist will find that perfect balance though, one thing’s for sure future economist will learn from their predecessors’ mistakes and move forward.

Discipline and Punishment

The words discipline and punishment can often be used to mean the same thing. But they are very different from each other. To me discipline is a means of helping a child to learn how to act when they are in public as well as when the parent is not around; for example whether it be at school, their grandparents house, or when being babysat a child should always act as if their parents are there which means; being respectful, listening as well as doing what you are told. I feel like discipline should never stray away from the fact the you are trying to focus on the positive aspects and self esteem of the developing child. The reason for discipline is to help a child learn how to control their behavior as well as their emotions and the child should be reassured with firm reminders. Punishment is also another form discipline. There are several methods to physical punishment which would including spanking, push-ups, squatting against a wall, or even hitting. There are psychological punishments such as taking away privileges, extra chores, writing sentences, or sending a child to their room. The reason for punishments is to discourage unacceptable behavior. To most people discipline and punishment can be viewed as the same, but there are certain methods to discipline and punishment that are different. Punishment and discipline methods both have some similarities that attempt to correct the negative behavior at hand. Punishment removes the accountability for the misbehavior from the child. Punishment is not really teaching a child what they did is wrong and what to right the next time. Punishment is ultimately telling the child if they do something wrong then they will be punished whether it be push ups, extra chores, or TV. taken away. Children need to learn that they need to take accountability for their own actions to be able to exercise self-control so that they can be successful as well respected adults. The objective of punishment is to stop a child from misbehaving. However, punishment usually only stops the behavior for that short period of time the punishment is given. Punishment does not necessarily not teach a child how to not do the same behavior again in the future. Severe punishments can cause physical and emotional damage that could last throughout a child's life. Harsh punishments can also lead to abuse which could follow on to their children as well. Another difference between discipline and punishment is that punishment only works in the present. If a child is punished by being spanked or screamed at, they will learn not to misbehave when someone can see what they are doing but, they are not learning how to not misbehave in the future. Discipline is designed to teach a child how to exercise self-control and how to not repeat the misbehavior in the future. For example if the child is with a group of friends who decided to do drugs, that child has been taught through the discipline and guidance of their parents that drugs are bad. So as a result the child has enough self-control and discipline to know not to follow in their friends footsteps. Discipline and punishment are different in that discipline is an on going learning process that allows parents to teach their child self-control, respect, and the importance of acceptable behavior and non-acceptable behavior. In life a child is going to become an adult and be faced with obstacles and barriers; that will test their morals and values that their parents instilled in them. Parents have a responsibility to communicate their expectations to their child in a manner that the child will understand. Which also means knowing what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. There are many types of discipline, and punishment is one of them. Punishment can work in the moment, but as a parent it is their job to commit to a discipline process that is ongoing throughout their child's development to truly change the behaviors in a child Discipline and Punishment

Free Essays on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

of nursery songs learned in early childhood. Like these rhymes and melodies, they remain in the memory and accompany us through life. There are two reasons for the popularity and significance of Longfellow's poetry. First, he had the gift of easy rhyme. He wrote poetry as a bird sings, with natural grace and melody. Read or heard once or twice, his rhyme and meters cling to the mind long after the sense may be forgotten. Second, Longfellow wrote on obvious themes which appeal to all kinds of people. His poems are easily understood; they sing their way into the consciousness of those who read them. Above all, there is a joyousness in them, a spirit of optimism and faith in the goodness of life which evokes immediate response in the emotions of his readers. Americans owe a great debt to Longfellow because he was among the first of American writers to use native themes. He wrote about the American scene and landscape, the American Indian ('Song of Hiawatha'), and American history and tradition ('The Courtship of Miles Standish', 'Evangeline'). At the beginning of the 19th century, America was a stumbling babe as far as a culture of its own was concerned. The people of America had spent their years and their energies in carving a habitation out of the wilderness and in fighting for independence. Literature, art, and music came mainly from Europe and especially from England. Nothing was considered worthy of attention unless it came from Europe. But "the flowering of New England," as Van Wyck Brooks terms the period from 1815 to 1865, took place in Longfellow's day, and he made a great contribution to it. He lived when giants walked the New England earth, giants of intellect and feeling who established the New Land as a source of greatness. Nathaniel Hawthorne,... Free Essays on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Free Essays on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Probably the best loved of American poets the world over is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Many of his lines are as familiar to us as rhymes from Mother Goose or the words of nursery songs learned in early childhood. Like these rhymes and melodies, they remain in the memory and accompany us through life. There are two reasons for the popularity and significance of Longfellow's poetry. First, he had the gift of easy rhyme. He wrote poetry as a bird sings, with natural grace and melody. Read or heard once or twice, his rhyme and meters cling to the mind long after the sense may be forgotten. Second, Longfellow wrote on obvious themes which appeal to all kinds of people. His poems are easily understood; they sing their way into the consciousness of those who read them. Above all, there is a joyousness in them, a spirit of optimism and faith in the goodness of life which evokes immediate response in the emotions of his readers. Americans owe a great debt to Longfellow because he was among the first of American writers to use native themes. He wrote about the American scene and landscape, the American Indian ('Song of Hiawatha'), and American history and tradition ('The Courtship of Miles Standish', 'Evangeline'). At the beginning of the 19th century, America was a stumbling babe as far as a culture of its own was concerned. The people of America had spent their years and their energies in carving a habitation out of the wilderness and in fighting for independence. Literature, art, and music came mainly from Europe and especially from England. Nothing was considered worthy of attention unless it came from Europe. But "the flowering of New England," as Van Wyck Brooks terms the period from 1815 to 1865, took place in Longfellow's day, and he made a great contribution to it. He lived when giants walked the New England earth, giants of intellect and feeling who established the New Land as a source of greatness. Nathaniel Hawthorne,...

Mileva Maric and Her Relationship to Albert Einstein and His Work

Mileva Maric and Her Relationship to Albert Einstein and His Work A 2004 PBS documentary (Einstein’s Wife: The Life of Mileva Maric Einstein) highlighted the role that Albert Einsteins first wife, Mileva Maric, may have played in the development of his theory of relativity, quantum physics, and Brownian motion. He doesnt even mention her in his own stories about his life, however. Was she really the brain behind the scenes, his silent collaborator? Mileva Maric and Albert Einstein’s Relationship and Marriage Mileva Maric, from a wealthy Serbian family,  began studies in science and math at a male prep school and got high grades. She then studied at the university in Zurich and then Zurich Polytechnic, where Albert was a young classmate four years younger than she was. She began failing in her studies after their love affair began and around the time she became pregnant with Albert’s child- a child born before their marriage and which Albert may never have visited.  (It is not known if she died in early childhood as she was ill with scarlet fever around the time Albert and Mileva finally married but may have been put up for adoption.) Albert and Mileva married and had two more children, both sons. Albert went to work at the Federal Office for Intellectual Property, then took a position at the University of Zurich in 1909, returning there in 1912 after a year at Prague. The marriage was full of tensions including, in 1912, an affair that Albert began with his cousin Elsa Loewenthal.  In 1913, Maric had the sons baptized as Christians. The couple separated in 1914, and Maric had custody of the boys. Albert divorced Mileva in 1919 at the end of World War I. By that time, he was living with Elsa and had completed his work on General Relativity. He agreed that any money won from a Nobel Prize would be given to Maric to support their sons.  He quickly married Elsa. Maric’s sister Zorka helped care for the children until she had a series of psychiatric breaks and Mileva’s father died.  When Albert won the Nobel Prize, he sent the prize money to Mileva as he had promised.   Her mother died after Albert fled from Europe and the Nazis; one of her sons and her two grandsons moved to America. The other son required psychiatric care- he was diagnosed with schizophrenia- and Mileva and Albert fought over funding his care.  When she died, Albert Einstein was not even mentioned in her obituary.  Maric is barely mentioned if at all in many books about Albert Einstein. The Arguments for This Collaboration Einstein’s letters show that he thought little of his wife’s hopes and dreams to be a scientist.Letters show that she served as an assistant to her husband in writing his papers.Letters also show that she served as a sounding board, that he talked over his ideas with her and she gave him feedback.In some letters Einstein talked of their collaborating, though in general terms: â€Å"we’ll diligently work on science together† for instance.A friend later reported that in 1905 Mileva had said that she and her husband had finished some important work together.Soviet scientist Abram F. Joffe who saw originals of three of Einstein’s key papers said they were signed Einstein Marity, with Marity being a version of the name Maric.Albert Einstein gave his Nobel Prize award money to Mileva Maric. The Arguments Against Being a sounding board and assistant do not equate to collaborating in the creation of Einstein’s revolutionary theories.There’s no hard evidence for any real contribution on the part of Mileva Maric to the content of Einstein’s theories.The statement to a friend in 1905 may be a later legend.The reference to â€Å"Einstein-Marity† likely reflects a Swiss custom of adding a wife’s name to the husband’s, according to some Einstein scholars, and the only reference that can be located to a reference to this dual name by Joffe is a clear reference to Albert Einstein alone.Mileva Maric never claimed publicly to be a collaborator on Albert Einstein’s work, and never asked for credit.Einstein’s giving his Nobel Prize money to his ex-wife was part of a divorce settlement, and was a way of supporting her and his two sons from their marriage. There’s no indication it was done to acknowledge any contribution she made to his scientif ic work. Conclusion The conclusion, despite the documentary’s original strong claims, seems to be that it’s unlikely that Mileva Maric contributed substantially to Albert Einstein’s work- that she was literally his â€Å"silent collaborator.†Ã‚   However, the contributions that she did make- as an unpaid assistant, helping him while pregnant and her own scientific career was falling apart, possibly with the stress of the difficult relationship and her out-of-wedlock pregnancy- demonstrate the difficulties which were peculiar to women of the time and which made their actual success in the sciences far more of a hurdle than what men with equivalent backgrounds and earlier education had to transcend.

Why Noon is no longer the Ninth Hour

Why Noon is no longer the Ninth Hour Why â€Å"Noon† is no longer the â€Å"Ninth Hour† Why â€Å"Noon† is no longer the â€Å"Ninth Hour† By Maeve Maddox In current usage, the English word noon refers to midday, the time when the sun reaches the meridian. Look into the etymology of the word noon, and you will find that it comes from the Latin word for the number nine. So why does our word for the time when both hands of the clock are on the twelve come from a word for nine? Like the word noon itself, the original time-related meaning goes back to the Romans. They counted the hours of the day from sunrise. The â€Å"ninth hour† (nona hora) was about 3 p.m. our time. Christians adopted Jewish customs of praying at certain hours. When Christian monastic orders were formed, a daily timetable was drawn up centered on hours for prayer. According to the earliest schedules, the monks were required to pray at three-hour intervals: 6-9 p.m., 9 p.m.-midnight, midnight-3 a.m., and 3 a.m.-6 a.m. The prayers to be said at specified times during the day are known as the Divine Office and the times at which they are to be recited are the canonical hours: Vigils: night Matins: dawn Lauds: dawn Prime: 6 a.m. â€Å"first hour† Terce: 9 a.m. â€Å"third hour† Sext: noon â€Å"sixth hour† None: 3 p.m. â€Å"ninth hour† Vespers: sunset Compline: before bed Vigils was also known as the â€Å"Night Office.† Matins and Lauds originally referred to the prayers sung at dawn. In time, the Night Office came to be called Matins. The shift in the meaning of noon from â€Å"3 p.m.† to 12 noon† began in the 12th century when the prayers said at the â€Å"ninth hour† were set back to the â€Å"sixth hour.† By the year 1140, the Old English word non had taken on the meaning of â€Å"midday† or â€Å"midday meal.† Like our words September, October, November, and December, noon is a fossil word that embeds customs of former ages. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:4 Types of Gerunds and Gerund Phrases8 Proofreading Tips And TechniquesSupervise vs. Monitor

Risk Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Risk Assessment - Essay Example The history and ability of terrorists involves any method they have utilized to accomplish their objectives. Secondly, the risk assessment process should identify the building asset value that requires safeguarding, or protection. The third step is conducting a vulnerability assessment (Baranoff, Harrington & Niehaus, 2006). A vulnerability assessment appraises the probable vulnerability of essential assets against a wide range of hazards or threats that have been identified. A vulnerability assessment gives a foundation for establishing measures of mitigation. These may be required to protect essential assets in a building. A vulnerability assessment acts as a connection between hazard or threat, value of asset, and the consequential risk level. Step four is the risk assessment. This stage involves analyzing the threat, value of asset, and vulnerability to determine the risk value of each and every significant asset against any threat that can be applicable. Moreover, a threat that would happen and has extremely little consequence may need mitigation measures that are easy and of low cost. Those that are more likely to occur, but have consequences that are particularly massive may need mitigation measures that are complex, and more expensive (Wheeler, 2011). The risk assessment process should provide a comparative risk profile. ... The purpose of the process of assessment is to realize the protection level required. This is through the execution of mitigation measures in a designed building. The mitigation measures may decrease the risk by denying, detecting, devaluing or deterring the probable threat component before, or during a terrorist attack. In addition, mitigation measures may lessen the risk of injury or damage by imparting a satisfactory protection level if there is an occurrence of a risk. It may also work to dissuade an aggressor further (Crouhy, Galai & Mark, 2005). This paper will look at a risk assessment of the Seattle Space Needle building. Threat Identification and Rating   There are many hazards that are manmade. This makes necessary to comprehend the individuals who have the intention of harming others. On the other hand, it is fundamental to be familiar with an aggressor’s tactics, weapons, and tools. The Seattle Space Needle building designers recognize that tactics, tools, and we apons can change quicker than the building can be customized against the threats that are posed. They acquired the hazard or threat assessment information from local emergency management, local enforcement, the Homeland Security department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Crouchy, Mark & Galai, 2000). For risks or hazards that involve technology, they got information from the Local Emergency Planning Committee, State Emergency response Commission, hazardous materials unit, and the local fire department. These organizations isolate facilities that are significant in zones that are vulnerable and create management plans for emergencies. Moreover, many fire departments have information on industries in a local area that have many of the materials

Rose for emiley written by william faulkner Essay

Rose for emiley written by william faulkner - Essay Example These devices include motifs, themes and symbols; for instance, the theme of tradition versus change, symbol of the hair strands and Emily’s house and motifs such as watching and dust. Themes, symbols and motifs play significance roles in enhancing the story’s plot and of characters’ traits. Themes The theme of ‘tradition versus change’ is notable throughout the story, particularly through Emily’s mysterious figure through which Faulkner demonstrates the struggles, which emerge from attempting to maintain tradition in light of sweeping change. Jefferson town is at the crossroad, accepting a modern commercial future while remaining perched in the past. This is notable in the eroded glory of the Grierson home to the cemetery where the town buried unknown Civil War (Faulkner 83). Emily is part of the tradition, steadfastly remaining unchanged over the years regardless of the countless changes occurring in her community. She represents traditions which people seek to honor, but she is also a burden cut off from the external world as she nurses odd behaviors that others do not comprehend. In essence, Faulkner uses the theme of ‘tradition versus change’ to show how Emily inhabits a timeless vacuum, as well as the world conjured by her imagination. For instance, Emily refuses to have metallic numbers embedded to her house when Jefferson receives modern mail services. While Jefferson holds traditional notions, such as reputation and honor in high regard, the narrator is rather critical towards the old men who wore Confederate uniforms to Emily’s funeral. The narrator notes that like Emily, the old men considered time a relative element. The theme of the power of death also enhances the story’s plot. Death permeates the story from the mention of Emily’s death at the beginning of the story (Faulkner 11). In all instances, death prevails over all attempts to master it. For instance, Emily who is a key fixture in her community slowly succumbs to death. The narrator compares Emily to a drowned woman who is bloated and pale after staying too long in the water. Emily tries to exert power over death by denying its existence. This is most notable through Emily’s treatment of Homer, after the death of the latter. Motifs The story encompasses motifs such as dust, which underscores decay and deteriorations. The dust which covers Emily’s house is a fitting description of the lives which faded within the house. Faulkner writes that when the aldermen went to secure Emily’s tax payments, Emily’s house smelt of dust and disuse, and the dust rose when they sat. This demonstrates the degree to which Emily’s house was a place of stasis in which memories and regrets remained undisturbed. The dust also portrays the cloud of obscurity which hides Emily’s nature as well as the secrets inherent in her house (Faulkner 112). A Rose for Emily also encompasses the motif of watching in which Emily is the subject of the narrator and Jefferson townspeople’s intense controlling stare. Instead of establishing real connections with Emily, the townspeople establish subjective and imprecise interpretations of the woman they hardly know. The townspeople attended Emily’s funeral under the pretense of honor and respect, but they wanted to satisfy their curiosity regarding the town’s most eccentric person. Perhaps the most ironic dimension of the story is that of the theorizing and gossiping which the townspeople do behind Emily’

Does the effectiveness of hand sanitizer reduce over time Essay

Does the effectiveness of hand sanitizer reduce over time - Essay Example Hand hygiene is one of the simplest and effective ways to prevent the spread of microbial infections. A hand sanitizer is a supplement or an alternative to hand washing with soap. The purpose of a hand sanitizer is to eliminate germs on hands that could cause diseases. Although a proper hand washing with soap is more effective in killing bacteria and viruses than hand sanitizers (Grayson et al., 2009), the latter is widely used in most hospitals as fast and efficient antiseptic tool when water and hand soaps are not readily available. Accessible dispensers with an alcohol-based, waterless hand sanitizer have been demonstrated to significantly increase hand hygiene among health care workers (Bischoff et al., 2000). Notably, a hand sanitizer is not only effective against bacteria and viruses, but also on other microorganisms such as fungi. During a flu season, for instance, alcohol-based hand sanitizers have proven effective in getting rid of such disease-causing microorganisms commonl y associated with respiratory and/or gastrointestinal infections (Sandora et al., 2005). There are two main types of hand sanitizer: alcohol-based and non-alcoholic based sanitizers. Non-alcohol based hand sanitizer consists of non-toxic and non-flammable ingredients which are friendly to users and the environment. However, such hand sanitizers may cause germs to develop resistance to the sanitizing agent, and so, they merely reduce their growth rather than kill them (Todd et al., 2010).

Word Reappropriation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Word Reappropriation - Assignment Example It was just an innocent word that conveyed just that meaning of something "odd" or "unusual". This was the normal meaning for the word until about a century ago. But "queer" began to be the disparagement for homosexuals and lesbians since then (Irvine, Martha). How do some words and nouns change meaning They say, it is all in the mind. The mind is the source of all things, good and bad. You accept what is good and leave aside the things that are not so nice. However, socio-political or socio-economical situation does not pay homage to such noble acceptances or rejections. These words become outright evil in the minds of people and they are so treated with abomination and hatred that it becomes another synonym for the devil himself. Otherwise, why would they generate caution and circumspection to such an extent that their usage begins to draw ire and consequences! "For example, the marks REDSKINS and REDSKINETTES as applied to football entertainment services, and MOONIES as applied to a doll that exposes its buttocks, have been criticized as disparaging Native Americans and religious followers of the Unification Church, respectively. But in each of these examples, the applicant seeking trademark protection was not a member of the disparaged group; rather, the applicant was a nonmember, attaching a historic slur to a product targeted toward the general public" (Anten, Todd). Hence, as a rule of thumb, it is generally accepted that when a word associated disparagingly with a group is put forward for something serious like legal clearance for registration, such words are counted as being derisive of a group, it may be any group, and these words have to be expunged. But the question arises. Why must these words be expunged What is wrong in them They are not bad words. These words express a meaning. They may sound derisive to some. But they are understood to stand for something that may be noble. They need not stand for the gospel truth when they are mistook for something that may differ from their original meaning. We all know what is "bitch". The word has evolved to an extent that is exists in an out-of-shape form. I readily understand that a bitch is an odious woman. Yes, that is bitch! It is that woman I do not care about. She is a bitch! You tell her anything she will believe. She is a dirty woman! So she is a bitch. Unacceptable as this word has become, it is bandied about in all hue and shape with chivalrous regularity. The word may be synonymous with infamy. But its reach has scaled dizzying levels. One may not feel overwhelmed or ashamed when it is associated with none other than Hillary Rodham Clinton (Zeisler, Andi). This sounds hilarious as well as hegemonic. The same group that is using a word for an international figure has also discarded the original meaning for "bitch". Call it a she-dog. Do not call her a bitch. The bite in the word "bitch" has turned so nasty that it has assassinated its original owner. Word misappropriation Word re-appropriation goes hand in hand with word misappropriation. Not that it is intended to be misappropriated. But the process of gradual re-appropriation has

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years Essay - 1

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years - Essay Example In conclusion, it will review the various proposals. There has been a vigorous debate about failures in the GCSE. Anxiety focused on Grade inflation and the suspicion that GCSE grading was faulty, but knee-jerk changes to the grade boundaries that dominated results in summer 2012 when many students failed to get predicted Grade C, led to calls to Ofqual about harsh marking1 and claims that there was a â€Å"gross injustice done to many young people†; other concerns focus on cheating or unfair practice and the range of subjects that are offered. A number of politicians today have urged that the GCSE as it stands should be replaced with more rigorous tests with better grading systems. Replacing the GCSE, however, is not so simple and current plans are already delayed until 2018. A debate about the standard secondary school exam had been ongoing in British politics since the 1950s. Efforts to modify the O level system were proposed by the then education secretary Shirley Williams in the 1970s but the election of a Conservative Government in 1979 delayed her proposals of a single comprehensive examination that would mirror comprehensive schooling. Following changes to the Scottish Ordinary Grade exam for secondary school children2 and the establishment of the Scottish Standard3, the English-based O Level and CSE4 was replaced by the broader GCSE from 1986 to 1988 under plans drawn up by Keith Joseph in 1984. However, the O level, currently still set by the University of Cambridge International Examinations board, survived in the Commonwealth, with a comparable exam also based in Hong Kong which only recently switched to the IGCSE. Current GCSEs are graded from A-G (and U) and cover around 60 subjects including a number of Vocational courses that had previously been a part of the GNVQ examinations (General National Vocational Qualifications). The exams are set to a â€Å"common timetable† between May and June each year by a number of boards, so many po pular subjects are offered by a variety of competing boards like AQA, CCEA, Edexel, OCR, and WJEC. The boards are supervised by Ofqual, DCELLS (Wales) and CCEA(Ireland). Coursework was always envisaged to be a feature of the GCSE and a new body, the School Examinations and Assessment council, later the QCA, was set up in 1991 to establish and monitor what was an acceptable level of achievement. It is hard to prevent parental help, or indeed too much guidance from the teacher. The development of the GCSE is tied to the debate about selection in Education. Many countries, with the notable exception of Germany, which still retains elements of selective schooling, have moved away from routine selection. Not only was the means of selection questioned (for example an IQ test, or cognitive skills test at a specific age), but the very idea that one child should have advantages denied another child was felt to be wrong. A movement in the UK in the late 50s saw the reduction of gender segrega tion5, and efforts to ignore the economic background of parents. The elitist system which had existed in the UK until the early 60s allowed for a very small percentage of pupils to follow academic studies in school to the age of 18, and then to progress to Higher Education. Almost 45% of the rest achieved no qualifications6. Today, most students expect to attend University as a

Sony Playstation Security Breach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sony Playstation Security Breach - Essay Example Only a single vulnerability is needed for hackers to exploit and put an entire database at risk. In order to avoid such vulnerabilities, database developers and application developers must dance to the same tune. Sony’s data center in San Diego, CA was hacked into on April 19, 2011. The hackers had gained access of customers’ data through Sony’s PlayStation Network servers. This attack on Sony is said to be the largest personal data heist in history with reports estimating that around 77 million Qriocity and PSN users’ accounts and 24.5 million Sony Online Entertainment user accounts were affected. (Better Business Bureau, 2011). Strange activities had been detected by Sony Corporation on their network system. They noticed unauthorized access of the company’s servers. A day after the attack, Sony decided to power down the affected systems and delayed restoration of the PSN services for users in the U.S until May 14. Users were later on required to change their usernames and passwords as an additional way of curbing further attacks. Since the attackers had exploited Sony’s website via its URL, they were thus forced to disable the page temporarily because attackers exploited the URL of Sony’s website (The Sydney Morning Herald, 2011). Unfortunately, this was not the last attack. A series of attacks on Sony’s Online Entertainment services and the PSN were later on executed during the same period. These attacks were carried out on; Sony BMG Greece, Sony BMG Japan, So-Net ISP in Japan, and servers of Sony in Thailand (McMillan, 2011). It was estimated that the personal information of 77 million Qriocity and PSN users, and 24.5 million online entertainment users was stolen. The attackers rummaged through a wealth of information concerning the users and their attributes such as names of users, their addresses, email addresses, and birth dates. Attackers also approached the login information of users such as

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years Essay - 1

Should GCSE formate be changed over the next few years - Essay Example In conclusion, it will review the various proposals. There has been a vigorous debate about failures in the GCSE. Anxiety focused on Grade inflation and the suspicion that GCSE grading was faulty, but knee-jerk changes to the grade boundaries that dominated results in summer 2012 when many students failed to get predicted Grade C, led to calls to Ofqual about harsh marking1 and claims that there was a â€Å"gross injustice done to many young people†; other concerns focus on cheating or unfair practice and the range of subjects that are offered. A number of politicians today have urged that the GCSE as it stands should be replaced with more rigorous tests with better grading systems. Replacing the GCSE, however, is not so simple and current plans are already delayed until 2018. A debate about the standard secondary school exam had been ongoing in British politics since the 1950s. Efforts to modify the O level system were proposed by the then education secretary Shirley Williams in the 1970s but the election of a Conservative Government in 1979 delayed her proposals of a single comprehensive examination that would mirror comprehensive schooling. Following changes to the Scottish Ordinary Grade exam for secondary school children2 and the establishment of the Scottish Standard3, the English-based O Level and CSE4 was replaced by the broader GCSE from 1986 to 1988 under plans drawn up by Keith Joseph in 1984. However, the O level, currently still set by the University of Cambridge International Examinations board, survived in the Commonwealth, with a comparable exam also based in Hong Kong which only recently switched to the IGCSE. Current GCSEs are graded from A-G (and U) and cover around 60 subjects including a number of Vocational courses that had previously been a part of the GNVQ examinations (General National Vocational Qualifications). The exams are set to a â€Å"common timetable† between May and June each year by a number of boards, so many po pular subjects are offered by a variety of competing boards like AQA, CCEA, Edexel, OCR, and WJEC. The boards are supervised by Ofqual, DCELLS (Wales) and CCEA(Ireland). Coursework was always envisaged to be a feature of the GCSE and a new body, the School Examinations and Assessment council, later the QCA, was set up in 1991 to establish and monitor what was an acceptable level of achievement. It is hard to prevent parental help, or indeed too much guidance from the teacher. The development of the GCSE is tied to the debate about selection in Education. Many countries, with the notable exception of Germany, which still retains elements of selective schooling, have moved away from routine selection. Not only was the means of selection questioned (for example an IQ test, or cognitive skills test at a specific age), but the very idea that one child should have advantages denied another child was felt to be wrong. A movement in the UK in the late 50s saw the reduction of gender segrega tion5, and efforts to ignore the economic background of parents. The elitist system which had existed in the UK until the early 60s allowed for a very small percentage of pupils to follow academic studies in school to the age of 18, and then to progress to Higher Education. Almost 45% of the rest achieved no qualifications6. Today, most students expect to attend University as a

Philosophy of Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Philosophy of Language - Essay Example The group was called logical positivists, and they accomplished this union by introducing the notion of convention. The class of positivists asserted that logical empiricism was possible through convention or arbitrariness, where agreement would be reached on the meaning of statements. Quine sought to attack this school of thought through a two-pronged approach; reliance on reductionism and making a distinction on analytic and synthetic distinctions. Dogmas are sets of beliefs that are held to be true by certain people without question, and are often called such as a mark of disapproval from an observer or analyst. Quine felt that logical empiricism lacked legitimacy because of two dogmas; one of them was the distinction between analytic and synthetic truths. An analytic truth may be understood as an assertion that is true exclusively because of its meaning while a synthetic one is held as such owing to facts. Quine felt that the distinction between analytic and synthetic sentences was baseless by looking at a series of assumptions and definitions in the school of thought. Quine started with the notion of synonyms where logical positivists claim that a sentence may be defined as analytic if synonyms can be used to substitute original words and the expressions remain logical truths (Schwitzgebel, 2008). However, the philosopher opposed this statement because it presupposes that synonymy is a well understood and defined term, yet it needs to be explained before it can be applied. The philosopher sought to look for other ways in which logical empiricists sought to defend themselves, such as by saying that a logical truth exists if a sentence has terms whose definitions can be substituted by others. Quine has a problem with this component as well because it is not clear whether an irregularity can arise because of the meaning of the term or the belief that one holds about it.

Energy & capability Essay Example for Free

Energy capability Essay Energy has been defined as the capability to produce an effect, it can be stored within a system and can be transferred from one system to another and use it in our everyday life. Generally, countries around the world benefited most their energy consumption from oil. Unfortunately, oil crisis affects every nation since producers and sellers monopolize its price as well as its production but apparent drawbacks are expected due to depletion of oil reserves and environmental pollution. The United States merely consumes one-fifth of the world’s oil produced and 35% of it utilize for transportation hence oil importation ought to resolve through alternative energy utilization. It is good to hear that researches and new technologies of alternative energy production and usage have been recently prioritized by the government. There’s only one way to insulate the US from the corrosive power of oil, and that’s to develop an alternative energy resource that’s readily available domestically: hydrogen . Hydrogen is the simplest, most abundant element and it is lighter than air and can be found in the atmosphere in an insoluble substance gas. It is only available on earth in a compound state like water (H2O), coal, petroleum and methane (CH4). It has the highest energy content of any common fuel by weight (about three times more than gasoline), but the lowest energy content by volume (about four times less than gasoline), an energy carrier and derivative of other chemicals that can be produced from a variety of resources (water, fossil fuels, biomass) . Hydrogen can be extracted with no environmental pollution effects through â€Å"steam reforming in which natural gas reacts chemically with steam to produce hydrogen and CO2, electrolysis which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen and the latest discoveries from cultured microbes that emits hydrogen , all require expensive financial support from the government. The fuel cell is an electrochemical devise that can continuously convert chemical energy into electrical energy of power as long as fuel and a reactant are supplied hence chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in a fuel cell create electricity leaving only water as byproduct unlike internal combustion engines that also generate carbon monoxides hazardous to man and environment as well. Hydrogen often described as the perfect fuel for it does not explode, environment-friendly exploitation and exhaustible major reserve of water will never run out of hydrogen however, considerable amount of energy is needed for steady production of hydrogen. The higher temperature fuel cells can reform natural gas for instance, gaseous hydrogen must be compressed and stored in tolerable high pressure tank to hold enough fuel for travel while liquid hydrogen demands more than -4000F for refrigeration both require high temperatures for fuel to recuperate. Adoption of hydrogen technology should settle first the hydrogen fuel-tank problem, mass production of fuel cell vehicles, alter fueling infrastructure to hydrogen, intensify hydrogen production and public campaign to sell the hydrogen economy . Indeed, importation of fuels can be minimized plus pollution free environment consequently upsurge economic growth. BIBLIOGRAPHY Richard Sonntag Claus Borgnakke. Fundamentals of Thermodynamics 6th ed. (New York: John Wiley Sons, 2004), p21 Joann Jovinelly. Oil : The Economics of Fuel. (New York : The Rosen Publishing Group, 2008). Peter Schwartz Doug Randall. How Hydrogen Can Save America. Wired, April 11, 2009, http://www. wired. com/wired/archive/11. 04/hydrogen. html? pg=1topic=topic_set= Edward Cummings ed. The Encyclopedia Americana, vol. 12. (Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier International, 2002). Energy Information Administration. Hydrogen. October 2008, http://www. eia. doe. gov Greg Bolt. From Microbes to Hydrogen Fuel. Physorg. com, March 24, 2009, http://www/physorg. com/news157140535. html Kurt C. Rolle. Thermodynamics and Heat Power 6th ed. (New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2005), p593 Bryan Woodbury. Hydrogen the Perfect Fuel. 1997, http://www. commutercars. com/h2/

Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews Essay -- essays pap

Conformity and Rebellion in Conversion of the Jews Though it seems like a stereotype, all teenagers, at some point, choose to rebel against authority figures or conform with their friends. Part of growing up means becoming the person God intends you to be and finding out how to survive, or be independent, on your own. Conformity and rebellion, two issues that each human being has experienced, have great effects not only on the conformist and rebel, but on the people around them as well. In â€Å"Conversion of the Jews,† Ozzie rebels against the religious complacency that he sees in his Hebrew school, and his friend, Itzie, projects an example of religious complacency and conformity. Ozzie, a thirteen-year-old boy born into the Jewish faith, has spent his short life conforming to what his single mother, his religion, and Rabbi Binder wanted him to be and believe. Judaism means everything to Ozzie’s mother, Mrs. Freedman. The importance of her religion, expressed through her actions as Ozzie states that â€Å"she didn’t look like a chosen person. But when she lit candles she looked like something better; like a woman who knew momentarily that God could do anything† (1103). Judaism defines who she is as an individual and who she is as a member of society as well. Ozzie has many questions about Judaism and Mrs. Freedman and Rabbi Binder feel he does not need to ask them, but just have faith. It becomes clear throughout the story that Rabbi Binder wants Ozzie to behave. By behave, Rabbi Binder means conform to his way of thinking. The rabbi dodges his questions and Ozzie says that â€Å"he kept explaining about Jesus being historical, and so I kept asking! him. No kidding, Itz,... ...onforming. Conforming means not standing out, not thinking, and involves little work. In a religious setting, conforming gives a person a place to be important and accepted. Being truly â€Å"religious† requires some work; however, mindless conforming and religious complacency seems much easier. Rebelling, on the other hand, seems like something people like to do just as much. In the case of religion, a line rests between rebellion and spiritual questioning. In Ozzie’s circumstance, his questions went beyond spiritual questioning, crossing into the realm of rebellion. In any case, conforming and rebellion both have consequential effects. Conforming can lead to a life of unanswered questions and being the person that you are not. Rebellion can lead to alienating yourself from something good that might only need a few simple explanations.

Petty Lawsuits :: essays research papers

Are we Sueing for a Purpose? People today are not sueing to rectify matters. There is no purpose in lawsuits today. I believe everyone is out to get an easy buck through the judicial system. It is almost inevitable if people spill hot coffee on themselves that they will win a lawsuit against the company that served them that coffee. People believe that nothing is their fault and that someone (the defendant) should pay. The problem with the judicial system today is that people are sueing all the time and winning in court with ridiculous cases. Take this case in North Carolina for instance. A Dallas couple is sueing Kmart for $23 million dollars because some Kmart employees harassed and accused the Dallas couple of going through their garbage. The employees were fired and the Dallas couple sued for $23 million. Fortunately the couple didn’t receive all that money, there is a state law capping punitive damages which forced the judge to reduce it to $250 thousand dollars. The plaintiffs feel that they have been mistreated and that Kmart should reconcile with them by paying them off. The couple states at the end of court that â€Å"they believe us. That the most important thing, they believe us.† Obviously that is not the most important thing to them for they are trying to appeal the state law which caps their $23 million. And if that’s not greedy enough, the week before the jury awarded them $18,985 in compensatory damages. So the couple was awarded $268,985 for being accused over something as petty as going through a stores trash. Anyone can differentiate one fraudulent case from another. I understand that the Dallas couple is trying to clear their name from shame. But trying to appeal the already huge sum of money and going for more shows just how greedy these people really are. They got what they wanted, for the people to believe them. Everyone believes them now, and on top of that, they were awarded a nice some of money. There are people out there who really do deserve some kind of compensation for negligence, harassment, or anything else that might have gone wrong. For example, a Gastonia man who already has enough appeal to pity has yet another problem to deal with. He is a paraplegic who awoke to find a rat eating at his leg to the bone.

A Review of the Employee Relations in the British Airways

According to One World (n. d. ), a global union of the world’s ten biggest airlines, the British Airways, which is a founder member of the alliance, is the largest airline in the United Kingdom and is the leading international airline in the world. It has always been the first on the line at everything it did – they were the first to provide jet and super passenger services, and fully-flat beds, and the first to carry out â€Å"weather-beating autolandings†. The purpose of this paper is to discuss and clearly evaluate the quality of employee relations within the British Airways.It will cover the context of employee relations, employee relations and employee relations strategies with the said organisation. In addition, theories and theoretical perspectives will be used to explain the kind of employee relations in the British Airways. However, to begin with, two definitions of Employee Relations will be provided. Employee Relations Defined According to Heery and No on (2001), â€Å"Employee Relations is a common title for the industrial relations function within personnel management and is also sometimes used as an alternative label for the academic field of industrial relations.†On the other hand, according to the NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre Office of Human Relations (2001), â€Å"Employee Relations involves the body of work concerned with maintaining employer-employee relationships that contribute to satisfactory productivity, motivation and morale†¦is concerned with preventing and resolving problems involving individuals which arise out of or affect work situations. † Both definitions treated Employee Relations as a part of something that is bigger – a function of industrial relations and a â€Å"body of work†.Also, both pointed out that Employee Relations deals with the people that works at a company or organisation – the employer and employee. Lastly, both have the same purpose and tha t is to manage the relationships of these people with one another as both definitions aims on the development of the company or the organisation. However, Heery and Noon’s definition of Employee Relations is more inclined as a term that refers to a certain function of industrial relations that is concerned to managing personnel in a company, organisation or a simple workplace.It gives another face to industrial relations, making it appear that it has a broad scope, it shows that the industrial relations does not only focuses on trade union but also with employee management (Heery & Noon 2001). In other words, Employee Relations, in Heery and Noon’s definition, appears to be a function under industrial relations. On the other hand, the definition of NASA focuses on the very significance of Employee Relations and not regarding it as a â€Å"branch† of industrial relations.Although it pointed out that it is a â€Å"body of work† which can be understood as a part of work that focuses on a specific task which is preserving the relationship of the employer and the employee with one another in order to sustain a healthy work environment. Context of Employee Relations and the Balance of Power Though Employee Relations always deals with the employer-employee relationship, its manner of management will vary whether in every country an environment, even between a company and an organisation. In this paper, the focus would be on an organisational context.According to Heathfield (2007), organisations should maximise their employees’ strengths or they will transfer somewhere else. The employers should make their employees feel that they are useful in the organisation in order for them to gather confidence and self-worth. They should trust them since they have a certain kind of maturity that can handle important matters in the organisation and, also, when a work is done, the employees should be given compliments and positive reactions. In a ddition, since employees are important is organisations, thus, they should not ignore them (Capital Outsourcing Solutions n. d. ).They should also be treated equally and with respect in order for them to give out â€Å"positive attitudes† in the organisation that can greatly help its â€Å"productivity, competitiveness and profits†. According to Capital Outsourcing Solutions (n. d. ), agendas like providing employee handbook, suggestion programmes, policy manuals, employee performance appraisals, employee assistance program, performance incentives, wage surveys, social activities, and management/employee committees are effective in boosting up the morale of the employees and to establish an environment of teamwork.Teamwork is important in an organisation since it enables the organisation to achieve things that cannot be done by a single person alone (Heathfield 2007). British Airways is proud to say that they are involved in every aspect of the Human Resources. One of the topmost priorities of the Human Resources of the British Airways is to treat each and every one with respect and with paramount professionalism. Another significant aspect they wish to maintain good staff morale, in addition, they make sure that every employee will work as a team through a â€Å"clear management structure† to assist them all throughout (British Airways Recruitment, n. d. ).The organisation also certify that their managers are flexible enough to take on the changes that constantly occur, in addition, they also help out in simplifying their working process in order to enable their employees to help the organisation manage its performance. They threw in their every effort on these matters to give good quality of service to their customers and to motivate the employees to work at their best. According to the British Airways Recruitment (n. d. ), the organisation values and promotes diversity and equality even at the point of recruitment.They believe that in o rder to achieve the value of respect, which is very important to an employer-employee relationship, they are responsible to treat each other equally when it comes to every opportunities. The British Airways also aims to maximise the employee’s full potential in their training and career development methods. They are proud to say that they have every extraordinary training resources which consists of computer-based interactive learning centres, library facilities, reference materials, audiotapes and video-based learning (British Airways Recruitment, n. d. ).in addition to the learning facilities, there are also various programmes that aims to develop one’s leadership skills, team-building skills , presentation and negotiation skills, etc. As for rewards and benefits, the organisation provides reduced air fare travel and travel discounts, holiday entitlements, pension and private healthcare schemes, profit share schemes, bonuses, employee share schemes, sports and social amenities and a chance to join British Airway clubs, and subsidised staff restaurant (British Airways Recruitment, n. d. ). They also keep an eye on the wages in all their industries and assure the sufficiency of the salaries.Actions mentioned above are necessary as proven by the motivations theories. There are many motivation theories since the act of motivating varies from person to person. Motivation is the most common and effective way in accomplishing work and in improving oneself and the organisation. Among the theories of motivation are Theory X that is attributed to Sigmund Freud, Theory Y by Douglas McGregor, Theory Z by Abraham Maslow, the Hygiene/Motivation Theory by Frederick Herzberg, Contingency Approach that is being supported by Fred Luthans, Expectancy Theory of Victor Vroom, and other theories by Chris Argyis, Rensis Likert (Accel Team 2008).Theory X assumes that people do not like to work at all and that in order for them to work is through giving them a reward o r through coercion and punishment while Theory Y is just the opposite, according to McGregor, people on the contrary likes to work in order for them to achieve self-discipline and self-development. On the other hand, Maslow’s Theory Z states that people has needs that they need to satisfy – â€Å"physiological needs, safety needs, love needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs† – and he only fulfils them by working hard.Still based from the human needs is the Hygiene/Motivation Theory of Herzberg whom divided the needs into two groups – â€Å"animal needs† (supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions and salary) and â€Å"human needs† (recognition, work, responsibility and advancement). According to Herzberg, people work to accomplish the mentioned needs and by fulfilling them one by one do they get even more motivated to work for â€Å"work accomplishment† is their â€Å"self-enlightened interests†.W hen it comes to Argyris, organisations should fully utilise their employees by involving them in decision making in order for them to be satisfied in their workplace since, according to Heathfield (2007), employees should feel relevant in the organisation and that can be only achieve in involving them in making important decisions. In connection to Argyris’ theory, Likert also agree that decision making should be done by a group involving the employees in it in order to achieve outstanding outcomes sine being able to participate in such are great way to be motivated.However, Luthans supported the Contingency Approach and believed that not all practices fit every job and organisations, thus, flexibility in leadership should be needed. Likewise, Vroom’s Expectancy Theory talks about that an employees’ rewards also varies, some will want an increase in salary while other would want promotion, that means, employers should rewards employees with something that is imp ortant to them. In the past, employees prayed and wished for them to be chosen by the employer, however, due to the changing times, it is now the vice versa.According to Rousseau and Shperling (2003), the shift in the balance of power was due to the rise of high-technology and the sudden increase of dependence of organisations in the employees. In addition, the shift was also caused by the development of the global economic conditions which result for opportunities to widen for employees in the field of the information technology, finance, sales, marketing and general management (New South Wales Higher Certificate Education 1999).The shift of the balance of power in the employer-employee relations is said to be due to the growth of knowledge-based organisations, beginning of an organisation to appreciated the intellectual and relational assets of human, and sudden necessity for them to hold on to important employees and to draw talented ones towards them (Rousseau & Shperling 2003). There is already an extra need for organisations to make themselves as interesting as possible for employees to consider them working for them.According to the New South Wales Higher Certificate Education (1999), the labour market is no longer controlled by the employers since it is already been taken over by the employees. British Airways is also affect of this shift in the balance of power; they always use their business’ diversity and the excitement one can experience in an airline industry in order to attract employees for they know that graduates or employees in general are looking for an organisation where they can develop a lot of skills and a competitive and challenging environment.They accept anyone regardless of age, sex, status, race, sexual orientation, religion and whether you are disabled or not. By doing this, they are confident to be able to gather the most talented and capable people for the job they provide. Employee Relations Issues Like in other environme nts, there would always be issues and conflicts, thus, Employee Relations is no exception. Conflicts in Employee Relations will always be present and the best thing for the â€Å"manager† – the one who maintains the relationship of the employer and employee – is to resolve it as early as possible so that it would not affect the organisation’s productivity.These conflicts exists due to the diversity of people working in the organisation, no individuals are the same, thus, disagreements are most like to occur due to differences. According to Kelly Services (2008), conflicts in a workplace can waste a huge amount of time and can really affect the performance of the organisation through lost productivity, perception costs and team erosion. On a more personal note, conflicts can result to withdrawal (physically and emotionally), job resignation, cutting of personal relations and violence (Rau-Foster 2000).However, conflicts do not always bring negativity to th e organisation for it also helps to strengthen the relationship of each people that are involved. It can improve their creativity, productivity, decision making skills, performance and interpersonal relationships (Kelly Services 2008; Graves 2007). According to Graves (2007), the conflicts that materialised can be classified into three: task conflict, process conflict and relationship conflict.Conflicts comes from disagreements over â€Å"business ideas, decisions and actions† difference in personality, vague classification of responsibility, limited resources and private interests or can easily be classified into thee – task conflict, process conflict and relationship conflict. (Kelly Services 2008; Rau-Foster 2000). The conflicts from the said causes with the exception of the personality differences are easy to solve through compromise, however, personality clashes are entirely a different matter for its resolution lies within the person.A change to a person’ s behaviour and attitude is needed, unfortunately, turning a person into another is never an easy task, and so the best solution is for the person to remain civil towards the others (Kelly Services 2008). Since British Airways is a diverse organisation with diverse employees, most conflicts may come out because of age, disability, unbalance lifestyle, gender, harassment and bullying, race, religion and sexual orientation.According to the British Airways (n. d. ), in order to maintain a positive Employee Relations, the organisation challenged all the suppositions and stereotypes regarding about age, gave additional trainings to disabled employees to maximise their potential, provides flexible working options to help the employees to balance their professional and home life, established numerous flexible working initiatives for women, guaranteed that employees know their policy regarding harassment and bullying to continue promote respect in the organisation as well as dignity, listen ed to the ideas of employees from racial minorities, provided prayer facilities and published monthly religious festivals newsletters for employees with different religions and beliefs, lastly, they offered inclusive working environment for every employees which includes those with different sexual orientation.The British Airways also joined other organisations that are concerned with disabled, racial minorities, harassment and bullying, other religions, and different sexual orientation. Employee Relations Strategies In order to maintain a positive relationship between the employer and the employee different strategies are used.According to New Zealand Qualifications Authority (2003), strategies are developed based on the external and organisational environment, current status of the organisation’s Employee Relations, influences and changes in the organisation, wants of the employees, logical conclusion, and in the process of the organisation’s decision making. To impl ement these strategies, resources should be considered, and is based on the organisational policies and legal practice. Once a strategy is implemented, it should be assessed whether it is effective or not and this can be done quantitatively (analysis and statistics) and qualitatively (survey and opinions). Changes within a strategy are necessary if problems surfaced. Back in the year 1974-1981 when the British Overseas Airways Corporation and British European Airways came together to form the British Airways, one of the major problems that they encountered was about the cultural background of the employees.In the merging of the two organisations, one culture is required to embrace the methods and practices of the other and it is here that the organisation got its biggest problem. In order to solve this cultural conflict, a Staff Development Initiative was applied, a cultural training to help the employees to do their jobs efficiently and to help them to be motivated to do their best (British Airways Case Study, 2008). In addition, the British Airways used its strategy called â€Å"Putting People First as Putting People First Again† and gave updated courses to the personnel to improve the relationship of the employees to one another for the organisation experienced another set of problems during a management change during the early 1990s.Back to the present, there is the Diversity Strategy of the organisation, which was discussed earlier, where they cater to any employees regardless of age, religion, sex, sexual orientation and also to disabled ones. To see where the British Airways is now, it is safe to say that the strategies that the organisation developed and implemented at effective and helped them to be the largest airlines in the world. The Staff Development Initiative helped to solve the problem of cultural clash that was brought by the merging of two organisations and the â€Å"Putting People First as Putting People First Again† strategy contributed in to resolve the conflicts brought by the change of management.Lastly, at present, the Diversity Strategy is currently helping the organisation to gather all the talented people to work for them. The Employee Relations of the British Airways helped them to sustain its status in the airline industries. From maximising the potential of its employees, to respecting and giving them the benefits they needed and deserved, and to resolving possible conflict at the early point in time, the employees are always motivated to work with the team for the improvement of service and productivity of the organisation. Reference:Accel Team. 2008. Employee motivations. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. accel- team. com/motivation/theory_02. html British Airways. n. d. Diversity strategy. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www.britishairways. com/travel/crdivstrategy/public/en_gb.British Airways Recruitment. n. d. Training and career development. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from htt p://www. britishairwaysjobs. com/baweb1/? newms=info2.British Airways Recruitment. n. d. Equality and diversity: British Airways policy. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from http://www. britishairwaysjobs. com/baweb1/? newms=info219.British Airways Recruitment. n. d. Graduates. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from http://www. britishairwaysjobs. com/baweb1/? newms=info37.British Airways Recruitment. n. d. Rewards and benefits. Retrieved April 26, 2008 from http://www. britishairwaysjobs. com/baweb1/? newms=info3.Capital Outsourcing Solutions. n. d. Employee relations. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://capitaloutsourcingsolutions. com/794/5101. html.Graves, K. 2007. Managing conflict. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. thegoodmanager. com/managing_conflict. htm.Heathfield, S. M. 2007. Twenty dumb things organizations do to mess up their relationship with people. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://humanresources. about. com/od/ interpersonalcommunication/a/twentymistakes. htm.Kell y Services. 2008. Workplace conflict. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. kellyservices. com/web/au/ccmanager/en/pages/110_conflict. html.New South Wales Higher Certificate Education. 1999. Influences on employment relations – the changing roles of stakeholders. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. hsc. csu. edu. au/ business_studies/employment_relations/influences_emprel/Influencesonemploy. htmlNew Zealand Qualifications Authority. 2003. Human resource management: manage employee relations strategy and plans. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. nzqa. govt. nz/ nqfdocs/units/pdf/11545. pdf.One World. n. d. British Airways. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. oneworld. com/ow/ member-airlines/british-airways Rau-Foster, M. 2000. Conflict in the workplace. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. workplaceissues. com/arconflict. htm.Rousseau, D. M. & Shperling, Z. 2003. Pieces of the action: ownership and the changing employment relationship. p. 554-560. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://www. heinz. cmu. edu/bio/papers/Rousseau-PiecesOfTheAction. pdf.Sloan Work and Family Research Network. n. d. Definitions of employee relations. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://wfnetwork. bc. edu/glossary_entry. php? term=Employee%20 Relations, %20Definition(s)%20of&area.All Thinking Made Easy. 2008. British Airways case study. Retrieved April 25, 2008 from http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2008/02/british-airways. html.

Describe marketing situations in which the use of qualitative research methods would be appropriate Essay

Describe marketing situations in which the use of qualitative research methods would be appropriate. According to Zikmund, Ward, Lowe, Winzar, Babin Qualitative research is a methodology that elaborate interpretations of phenomenal of interest without depending on numerical measurement ( Zikmund, Ward, Lowe, Winzar, Babin, 2011, pg 65 ) . It is characterised by its aims, which relate to understanding some aspect of social life, and it’s methods which generate words, rather than numbers, as data for analysis ( Patton, Cochrain, 2002 ) . In terms of marketing situations, qualitative research methods are appropriate to be used when the organization root for new product idea generation and development, strength and weaknesses of products/ brands and studying emotions and attitudes on societal and public affairs issues (qrca. org). To maximize understanding on the situation, there are two qualitative research methods that can be consider is Focus Groups and Questionnaires. With these methods, we identify the benefits as well as limitations of using these research methods. Focus groups can be define as an unstructured, free-flowing interview with a small group of people ( Zikmund, Ward, Lowe, Winzar, Babin, 2011, p71) . An approximately 60 to 90 minute discussion is led by a trained moderator with 8 to 12 relatively homogenous but unacquainted individuals who are brought together to discuss a specific topic ( Gunn, 2004) . Focus groups allow people to discuss their feelings, anxieties and frustrations, as well as the depth of their convictions, in their own words ( Zikmund, Ward, Lowe, Winzar, Babin, 2011, p72 ) . The benefits of focus groups can be presented for an in-depth exploration of new ideas, opinions, perceptions, and reactions to concepts and messaging. Focus groups often serve as exploratory research to assist survey design of subsequent quantitative research methods. Similarly, they can also be useful in validating and/ or clarifying results garnered from previous quantitative research and can be use to elicit â€Å" in their own words descriptions of products, services or issues being discussed. Conferences and other events present relatively low-cost opportunities to conduct focus groups with target audiences. There tend to be few interviewer effects on dialog because individuals tend to be influenced more by the group discussion than by the moderator. Participants are usually enthusiastic and spontaneous in their responses and groups tend to naturally cover more questions, opinions and comments than researchers could have anticipated. The disadvantage of the focus group however shows that the results from focus groups are qualitative and nonprojectable to larger populations. They require well-trained moderators to manage discussions, maintain focus, and minimize affects of the personalities and behaviours of individual participants on others and/or the entire group. Logistical and cost considerations include room and food set-up, and incentives are typically needed to encourage response. Questionnaires are not among the most prominent methods in qualitative research, because they commonly require subjects to respond to a stimulus, and thus they are not acting naturally. However, they have their uses, especially as a means of collecting information from a wider sample than can be reached by personal interview. Though the information is necessarily more limited, it can still be very useful. For example, where certain clearly defined facts or opinions have been identified by more qualitative methods, a questionnaire can explore how generally these apply, if that is a matter of interest. Ideally, there would then be a qualitative ‘check’ on a sample of questionnaire replies to see if respondents were interpreting items in the way intended. Alternatively, a questionnaire might be used in the first instance, followed by qualitative techniques on a sample as a check and to fill out certain features of the questionnaire replies. Interaction among techniques in this way is typical of qualitative research.

Earth Liberation Front Essay

With over 600 criminal acts resulting to more than $100 million in property damages, the Earth Liberation Front has been dubbed as the most active and destructive domestic terrorist group in the United States by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Unlike international terrorism, mostly carried out by Muslim radicals seeking â€Å"Holy War† with America, domestic terrorism falls under the category of special interest extremists according to the FBI, the lead agency in counterterrorism. Special interest extremists conduct acts of politically motivated violence to force segments of society, including the general public, to change attitudes about issues considered important to their causes. These groups occupy the extreme fringes of animal rights, pro-life, environmental, antinuclear, and other movements (FBI, 1999, p. 20). The ELF conducts random economic sabotage by destroying facilities and industries involve in logging, genetic engineering, energy production and auto making to prevent the exploitation of the natural environment. The group believes that in order to preserve the earth’s ecological balance they have to tear down the U. S. capitalist economic system that continually abuses nature for profit. James F. Jarboe, FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Section Chief, testified in 2002 before the U. S. congress describing the ELF as the top domestic terror group which could become a serious threat to nuclear sites. In 2005, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security branded ELF as the most aggressive terrorist element among the radical environmental movement. Members, who call themselves â€Å"Elves†, engage in a new brand of hostility named eco-terrorism. They are committed to defend their cause by all means necessary through direct actions and revolutionary violence. Due to the autonomous nature of the movement with no formal chain of command, law enforcement agencies admitted that they have difficulty in infiltrating the group despite several major arrests and indictments. The FBI alleged that William C. Rodgers was the leader of the group. He was arrested in December 2005 but committed suicide while in jail using a plastic bag. ELF’s base of operation is mainly located in Canada, United Kingdom, and United States. Origin: ELF originated in 1992 in Brighton, England devoted to protect and save the environment. It was established by a more radical group of activists known as Earth First who thinks that criminal acts like economic sabotage would better advanced its cause rather than legal protests. The name was derived from another movement Animal Liberation Front (ALF) who likewise use the same method in promoting their ideals of liberating the animals from abuse. The two organizations forged alliance in 1997 and have claimed more than 1,200 criminal acts causing over $100 million in property damages for the past 15 years. Members employ illegal direct actions by using arson in confronting companies and practices they see as abusive and immoral. With such tactic they hope to impose economic loss or cripple business operations. ELF surfaced in America in 1996 by burning a U. S. Forest Service truck in Oregon’s Willamette National Forest and spray-painted the building with anti-logging slogans. Since then, ELF continued attacking big businesses year after year becoming the most wanted terrorist group. The movement is funded by wealthy benefactors and other allied organizations sympathetic to its cause like the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Organization, Ideology and Tactics: ELF is an underground movement with a decentralize structure. It is a loose network of small groups or individuals who sympathize with the movement. Anyone can be a member as long as he or she simply follows the ELF’s guidelines: to inflict maximum economic damage on those profiting from the destruction and exploitation of the natural environment, to reveal to, and to educate the public about the atrocities committed against the earth and all species that populate it and to take all necessary precautions against harming life (Rosebraugh, 2004, p. 18). The group is practically invisible with no official members, leaders or spokesperson. In this manner, they can continue to freely fight for their cause without the fear of being imprisoned and this practice has been proven to be very effective. The group is rooted in an ideology that considers all living organisms on earth possess moral rights and deserve equal care as the humans. In addition, the ELF also believes in deep ecology favoring the rollback of civilization and restoring the environment damaged by selfish interests brought about by the industrial age. This philosophy maintains that modernization has created endless injustices on the planet that will lead to the destruction of human existence on earth and the extinction of wildlife habitat. ELF recognizes that the environmental movement has failed to bring the message across and brought about changes in preserving the environment. The legal protests did not catch the attention of the public and the government but instead laws have encouraged many big businesses to profit from the exploitation of the earth’s natural resources. Members of the group believe that it is within their rights to protect the environment and enforce the natural law. They accomplish their mission in many innovative tactics or techniques. Their primary weapon is arson burning various properties, research laboratories, vehicles, equipment, and buildings. They would use crude incendiary devices like candles that are attached to a plastic jugs filled with gasoline. They use booby trapped letters with poisoned razor blades and issue death threats to exploiters. Members also engage in vandalism by spray painting their targets as well as break windows and glue locks. In addition, the ELF advocates â€Å"monkeywrenching,† a euphemism for acts of sabotage and property destruction against industries and other entities perceived to be damaging to the natural environment. â€Å"Monkeywrenching† includes tree spiking, arson, sabotage of logging or construction equipment, and other types of property destruction (FBI, 2002,  ¶10). Their main goal is merely to channel public attention to their cause and not kill people. So far of all the criminal acts the group committed there has been no single human casualty reported. The group has become effective in their campaign while eluding authorities because of its leaderless resistance. Leaderless resistance is a technique by which terrorist groups can carry out violent acts while reducing the risk of infiltration by law enforcement elements. The basic principle of leaderless resistance is that there is no centralized authority or chain-of-command. The various cells are linked by shared ideology but otherwise are autonomous, for the most part unconnected and unknown to each other (Leader & Probst, 2004, p. 2). Before an attack is executed, the group plans carefully its every move. Members would thoroughly study the target with video and photo surveillance, conduct intelligence gathering, and research the industry. In 2001, the ELF came out with a handbook entitled Setting Fires with Electrical Timers: An Earth Liberation Front Guide. The 37-page manual details how to assemble an Old-Fashioned Kitchen Timer and a SCR Digital Timer complete with instructions, tips, diagrams, materials, and tools needed. It advises members on the rules of a successful arson, where to place incendiary devices, and fuel requirements to burn down a building. Currently, ELF has launched a nationwide campaign of arson against genetic engineering and genetically modified organism activities. The group believes that these actions, genetically alternating life forms, are types of oppression and destruction. In its Illegal Incidents Report: A 25 Year History of Illegal Activities by Eco and Animal Extremists, the Foundation for Medical Research in Washington, D. C. noted that both ELF and its partner ALF were responsible for 529 attacks against research facilities, universities, drug discovery companies, and various organizations from 1981 to 2005. The assaults were made up of vandalism (45%), theft (23%), harassment (15%), arson (10%), and bombing (7%). According to U. S. law enforcement, radical environmentalism currently poses the most visible homegrown threat to the national security of the United States. As recently as June 2004, the FBI designated â€Å"eco-terrorism†Ã¢â‚¬â€the use of or threat to use violence in protest of harm inflicted on animals and the world’s biosphere—as the country’s number one militant challenge emanating from inside its own borders (Chalk, Hoffman, Reville, & Kasupski, 2006, p. 47). Criminal Activities: This shadowy movement has unprecedented record of criminal activities that continuously threaten American society and democracy. Their history of violence expands across the U. S. hitting various institutions such as government, private citizens, education, and other forms of development. In 1997, ELF burned down the Bureau of Land Management horse corral in Oregon and on the following year set fire on a ski resort in Vail, Colorado that resulted in $12 million in damages. The group set seven separate fires destroying three buildings and damaging four chairlifts. The FBI considered this event as the most destructive act of eco-terrorism in U. S. history. In 1999, ELF radicals were involved in the burning of an 8,000 square-foot structure of the Boise Cascade logging company in Monmouth, Oregon and the destruction of the Agricultural Hall of the Michigan State University. In September 8, 2001, the group burned a McDonald outlet in Tucson causing $500,000 in damages. In 2003, this extremist set fire on a housing complex that was under construction in San Diego knocking down a five-storey building and a 100-foot crane. The damage was estimated at $50 million. Six weeks later, they burned three other houses that were being built within the area. In addition, the ELF assaulted three car dealers in Southern California setting ablaze 40 Hummers and SUVs amounting to $2 million in damages. The group vandalized the cars by painting the words â€Å"Fat Lazy Americans†. They did the same in Los Angeles where 125 sport utility vehicles were also vandalized and burned inside auto dealer shops and along the neighborhood. According to FBI investigations the ELF were responsible for attacking vehicle dealerships and construction sites. In February 2005, the group burned down a new Pinewoods apartment complex in Sutter Creek, California with an incendiary device leaving a graffiti that said â€Å"We Will Win – ELF†. Five months after, the same group torched two homes that were under construction in Whatcom County, Washington causing $100,000 in damages to the other house while the other one was destroyed. They also vandalized and damaged a number of construction equipment. The arson campaign went on in 2006 with the burning of more houses. In Camano Island, Washington, the ELF set fire on a 9,600 square foot trophy house worth $3 million. In its official communication made in 1997, the ELF declared their struggle to free all species in the planet. We are the burning rage of this dying planet. The war of greed ravages the earth and species die out every day. ELF works to speed up the collapse of industry, to scare the rich, and to undermine the foundations of the state. We embrace social and deep ecology as a practical resistance movement. We have to show the enemy that we are serious about defending what is sacred. Together we have teeth and claws to match our dreams. Our greatest weapons are imagination and the ability to strike when least expected (Pickering, 2007, p. 10). Operation Backfire: In response to the attacks, the FBI initiated in 2004 Operation Backfire intended to investigate acts of terrorism by the ELF. It put together several independent investigation bodies from the agency’s Portland, Oregon field office and rounded up suspected eco-terrorists. Seven people were arrested in four different states. They were Stanislas Meyerhoff, Chelsea Gerlach, Daniel McGowan, Darren Thurston, Kevin Tubbs, William Rodgers, and Kendall Tankersley. In addition, five others were taken into custody namely Jonathan Paul, Josephine Overaker, Rebecca Rubin, Suzanne Savoie and Joseph Dibee. Federal prosecutors together with U. S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales indicted in 2006 11 suspects with 65 counts of conspiracy charges to commit arson in Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Colorado and California. Many of those apprehended turned informants for the government. The arrests and indictments were the outcome of a nine-year old investigation on the series of arsons in America where the ELF claimed responsibility. The operation is on going around the country. Those participating in the investigation besides the FBI are the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Eugene Police Department, the Portland Police Bureau, the Oregon State Police, the U. S. Forest Service, the U. S. Bureau of Land Management, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Department of Justice and the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. Some of those arrested have been convicted of the crime in U. S. Federal Courts. They are as follows: Stanislas Meyerhoff – 13 years, Kevin Tubbs – 12 years 7 months, Chelsea Gerlach – 9 years, Kendall Tankersley – 3 years 10 months, Suzanne Savoie – 4 years 3 months, Darren Thurston – 3 years 1 month, Daniel McGowan – 7 years, Jonathan Paul – Sentencing in abeyance, Joyanna Zacher – 7 years 8 months and Nathan Block – 7 years 8 months (DOJ, 2007,  ¶4). Other suspects were released on bails while some were placed on restrictions pending their trial. A few decided to cooperate while the rest remain imprisoned. Operation backfire was highly criticized because of coercion and paid informants. Other sectors called the bold move unconstitutional but Atty. General Gonzales argued that such acts only constitute violent criminal activity, which may violate the right of every U. S. citizen. Conclusion Terrorist groups like the ELF are anti-progress and as long as development continues they will not stop their modus operandi in terrorizing the public and businesses, which already have incurred heavy losses. The scenario is extremely dangerous and alarming. It is imperative that authorities and intelligence organizations have to assess the threat and study the behavior of these terrorists who are becoming more advanced and knowledgeable in their strategies. There is a need for effective counterstrategies to detect and prevent acts of terror at the same time proper allocation of resources in order to efficiently combat these adversaries. As a loose organization, ELF could become even more dangerous because its members do not follow any rules. The group constantly poses great risk to the country’s democracy, endangers American lives and undermines the constitution that guarantees protection to the citizens. There is also possibility that such group could turn violence as a way of life and spread its corrupt ideals to the younger generation, which is already affected by media violence. For the government to combat this kind of domestic terrorism, it has to take more proactive actions in preventing further destructions to the economy. While doing so, its programs should remain within the framework of freedom without violating one’s constitutional rights. Authorities must strengthen their intelligence network to prevent arson attacks. Though the ELF has its right to voice their concerns, they must be contained and stopped immediately. References FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). (1999). Terrorism in the United States 1999. Counterterrorism. 30 Years of Terrorism: A Special Retrospective Edition. Threat Assessment and Warning Unit Counterterrorism Division. Report. Federal Bureau of Investigation Rosebraugh, C. (2004). Burning Rage of a Dying Planet (P): Speaking for the Earth Liberation. Lantern Books, New York. Leader, S. H. & Probst, P. (2004). The Earth Liberation Front and Environmental Terrorism. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://cjc. delaware. gov/PDF/ELF%20ALF%20article. pdf Chalk, P. (2006). Trends in Terrorism: Threats to the United States and the Future of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. RAND monograph series. RAND Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA. ISBN: 0833038222 Pickering, L. J. (2007). Earth Liberation Front 1997-2002. Arissa Media Group; 2nd ed. , New York. FBI. (2002). Testimony of James F. Jarboe, Domestic Terrorism Section Chief, Counterterrorism Division, FBI Before the House Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. http://www. fbi. gov/congress/congress02/jarboe021202. htm DOJ (Department of Justice). (2007). Final Sentencing Hearing Held in Case of Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front for Acts of Eco-Terrorism in Five Western States. Press Release. Retrieved December 2, 2007, from http://portland. fbi. gov/dojpressrel/2007/elfsentencing080307. htm