Communication of Values and Ethics in Strategic Organizational Communication Essay

Starbucks organizational structure has been rearranged to better accommodate customer satisfaction. Schultz, CEO of Starbucks announced the expansion of their matrix organization structure. They will operate under four U. S. divisions: Western/Pacific, Southeast/Plains, Northeast/Atlantic and Northwest/Mountain (Schultz, 2008). There are some major advantages for this kind of organizational structure which include maximized communication channels. Once the appropriate adjustments are made, Schultz believes that Starbucks will be able to develop products specifically to market appeal. The continual support in the Starbucks organizational structure support functions operating being their own department and supporting shared visions and goals for each of the U. S. divisions and the international circuit (Schultz, 2008). In 1995, Starbucks opened its first coffee house internationally in Tokyo, Japan (Starbucks, 2008). Successful partnership allowed the company its footing inside foreign country. The large population and high disposable income from the consumers is what initially drawn the company and its executives to Japanese market. In adapting Japanese culture, extensive researches motivated Starbucks in changing their business model by catering to 40 year old businessmen and provide a smoking environment to enjoy their coffee. The Japanese locations included U. S. menus which the founder of the international segment for Starbucks ignored the advice stated previously. The complication of working in the East and West was understood by a Starbucks business partner, Sazaby. Japans’ attraction towards the kinds of products contributed to the understanding of the global market and leading Starbucks a success (Japan External Trade Organization, 2006). Unilever has another common organizational structure; the hybrid form. It operates with three divisional regions, two product segments, and five functional segments. It developed and implemented this organizational structure for their company to improve communication and to take advantage of resources that are available to them. This structure is typically organized in a top-down manner. It flows down to management once the executive level is satisfied with the structure. It is not always visible, however judging by actions and specified reporting protocol this structure is intact and in use. In equity based modes of entry involves managements decision to make foreign investments. This would require a partnership, collaboration, or alliance be made with another company or a distributor for a better grasp on the concept of the economy, culture, and climate in the new area. Exporting, subcontracting, and franchising could be with minimal cost to the company. Starbucks continues to stand behind their mission statement in all odds of the economy and publicly through public awareness. I read a story about Starbucks charging and not responding to sending the troops in Iraq coffee without charging them. Not every company can help everyone in need and there are times when they do have to say no for other obligations. Most companies already commit to donations to specific groups/organizations and have implemented that cost into their yearly/monthly/quarterly budget. However, there are some exceptions when it does exceed their denomination term. Starbucks Customer Relations organization handles these types of comments as best as they can satisfying all parties involved. The company retracted its answer in a formal public letter, (viewable for public) stating that â€Å"Starbucks has provided over 220,000 3-packs of Starbucks VIA to the USO for their care package program. † (Starbucks Newsroom) Starbucks are partnered with the American Red Cross and the United Service Organizations (USO) to provide coffee in efforts to relieve times of conflict, donating more than 141,000 lbs of coffee. Public relations are exceptional with the Starbucks Coffee Company. They have several outlets in communicating to them any questions or concerns and a hotline phone number to be contacted. The company responds within 24 hours most times and they answer all comments no matter how small or large and resolves conflicts as quickly as possible. Starbucks Mission: Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Mystic Monk Case Study 1

James Farris Case Study #1 2/28/13 Mystic Monk Case 1. Father Daniel Mary is a man that is very dedicated to his church and seems to have a distinct passion for expanding the Carmelite Monks. Father Mary seeks expansion by the purchasing of the 8. 9 million dollar Irma Lake ranch out in the mountains of Wyoming, and by doing this, he hopes to create a place of pure worship, peace, and adoration. After the purchase of this ranch he hopes to expand the current number of monks of 13, to 30. The increase in space will allow more room for interaction and collaboration among the monks.Father Mary see’s the acquisition of the ranch as the future of the monastery and the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming. He knows that his vision of purchasing the ranch would require careful planning and execution. A way he seeks in raising money for this vast purchase is an increase in the revenues from Mystic Monk Coffee. 2. Father Mary assumed that the secluded monastic environment offered unique challeng es to functioning a business enterprise, but it also provided chances that were not obtainable to secular businesses.He committed to develop an execution strategy that would allow Mystic Monk Coffee to minimize the outcome of its cloistered monastic constraints, maximize the potential of monastic opportunities, and understand his vision of buying the Irma Lake Ranch. It seems Father Mary has a definite set of objectives and performance targets to achieve his goal. 3. Mystic Monk Coffee is going to have to make some financial changes if they are wanting to achieve their goal.This can come anyway from making spending cuts, to changing slogans and the way they market their product. An appeal to Catholics to, ‘use their Catholic coffee dollar for Christ and his Catholic church†, was published on the Mystic Monk Coffee website. This is a definite marketing ploy to try and increase sales. Mystic Monk has an advantage over other coffee brands because many customers see their pu rchase as helping the people of god, whether this is morally right or wrong, it is a clear advantage for Mystic Monk Coffee. . Mystic Monk Coffee makes most of its sales online, with a seldom few being over the phone. A 12-ounce bag on their website runs $9. 95, with purchasing of three or more bags qualifying for free shipping. They also give you the option of joining a â€Å"coffee club†, which offers monthly delivery of one to six bags of preselected coffee. The website also offers T-shirts, gift cards and CD’s. It is good the majority of their business is done over the internet seeing how our world is becoming almost completely internet based.At the end of MMC’s first year in operation, its sales of coffee and accessories averaged about $56,500 per month, but their total net profit of this was only 11%, bringing their total net profits to $6,215 per month, or $74,580 per year. This number would have to increase if they are wishing to a acquire the $8. 9 mill ion dollar Irma Lake Ranch. 5. Yes, it qualifies as a winning strategy. Just as long as Father Mary stays dedicated with his vision and makes the proper financial decisions. The acquisition of the ranch isn’t in any way unreasonable. 6.To make this dream become a reality Father Mary is just going to have to do a great job of communicating his project to others, and make sure his fellow Monks are on the same page with him as to what needs to be accomplished. Mystic Monk Coffee will also have to see a significant increase in donations if they are going to make their vision a reality. They need to make Catholic’s within the faith from our the world aware of what they are trying to accomplish. I believe if Father Mary sticks to his vision, they will be able to purchase the Irma Lake Ranch.

Public administration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Public administration - Essay Example According to Chambers (2003), in a democratic system, the majority impose their will on the minority who in essence has no protection against the more often unlimited power of the majority. All the eligible citizens have by right, equal participation in proposing, developing or creating laws by which their society is run, either directly or through elected representatives. In a democratic system of government, the Majority wields absolute and unlimited power and their decisions cannot be appealed under the established legal system that gives effect to this form of government. More often than not, this opens the door to unlimited tyranny perpetuated by the majority. As Persson & Tabellini (2006) notes, democratic systems usually take two forms; direct democracy and representative democracy. In the former, citizens participate in all decision-making personally without relying on their representative. The voting population hence has the power to alter constitutional laws, bring forth initiatives or suggestions on law governing them and also institute binding orders against their elected officials such as recalling them even before their terms end for non-performance. They can also take the form of representative democracy whereby people vote in representatives or officials who then come up with initiatives on their behalf Democracies are more often concerned with group wants or needs in terms of public good. Attitude towards law in a democratic institution is that the will of the majority shall prevail, whether it is governed by emotions without regard to consequences or based upon deliberation. Law making in a democratic form of governance is a rapid process requiring the approval of the majority as determined by voter referendums or polls. More often these referendums give legislators the opportunity to blame faulty laws on the people. On the other hand a

Religious Life of the Planet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Religious Life of the Planet - Essay Example Humans appear to be psychologically pre-disposed to accumulate a certain system of beliefs and practices that can be called religion. From psychological point of view religion is a means of assuaging anxiety. From cognitive perspective religion provides explanation of phenomena encountered in daily life and abstract concepts. From sociological point of view religion is a means of creating order and establishing group identity (Tremlin, 2010). Religion appears to manifest itself in the way it functions, and that is in its ability to serve psychological, intellectual, and social human needs (Tremlin, 2010). Being a system of rituals, beliefs, and considerations religious practices are institutionalized and help to connect humans with the world beyond. They provide people with the sense of fulfillment, leading adherents to another level of consciousness. (Super, Turley, 2006). Religion can be regarded as fundamental element of society, as it shares concepts with collective consciousness. It is a type of human activity that manifests itself as a specific behavior accepted by the members of the group sharing a certain system of beliefs. The nature of beliefs cannot be validated by direct observation (Super, Turley, 2006). However, elements of religious behavior can be singled out: gathering in groups, communal eating, theoretical discourse about the existence (Dow, 2007). Strictly speaking, religion can be defined as a collec tion of behavior patterns and observable behavior complexes. The latter include: prayer, music, physiological exercise, exhortation, reciting the code, simulation, mana, taboo, feasts, sacrifice, congregation, inspiration (Dow, 2007). Criteria to be employed in the attempts to determine whether human beings are religious may include the following: 1) theory or system of beliefs concerning unobservable agents or powers, which is shared by the members of the group; 2) meetings, processions and feasts; 3)

Analysis of a compelling project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Analysis of a compelling project - Essay Example While I agree with several of Lanier’s criticism’s of Technology, I nonetheless believe wholeheartedly that Technology is leading us forward and that it is revolutionizing communication in an ultimately positive manner. That said, Technology remains very unpredictable – as in the case of technological singularity – and often difficult to manage and direct once it has been released into the culture, particularly via the economy. Once the marketing cycle has taken up a piece of Technology, its future leaves the hands of the designer forever. Therefore, designers and technologists need to take our embryonic design steps very cautiously as we advance even farther into the realm of Technology. As Lanier explains: [Technology] can change how you conceive of yourself and the world. [Designers and technologists] tinker with your philosophy by direct manipulation of your cognitive experience, not indirectly, through argument. It takes only a tiny group of engineers to create technology that can shape the entire future of human experience with incredible speed. Therefore, crucial arguments about the human relationship with technology should take place between developers and users before such direct manipulations are designed (6). This supposition on the part of Lanier’s I agree with one hundred percent. ... Artificial Intelligence typically receives a negative treatment in the media, particularly in the cases of dystopian visions of a world once Technological Singularity has occurred. The standard plot line features hapless human beings at the mercy of or terrorized by malevolent Artificial Intelligence forms such as those found in I, Robot, Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and AI. The dystopian nightmare scenario of Technological Singularity received full treatment in the 2004 to 2009 sci-fi television series Battlestar Galatica, wherein a race of Artificial Intelligence life forms created by human beings and called the Cylons evolved to the point where they declared war on their human creators, exiled the human beings from their home planet, and hunted them mercilessly across multiple galaxies. While the dystopian, negative treatment of Technological Singularity may be the norm, it originates largely in fear and ignorance. I am not a technophobe, and I do not believe in the inhere nt dystopian view of Technology and Artificial Intelligence. I do however believe in mindful awareness of the power of technology to transform human society – for good or ill. In Lanier’s words, I understand that â€Å"Technology is not innocent, because its consequences are too direct† (Lanier 5). I found the topic of Week Four, You Are Not A Gadget: Technologies, Devices, Mediations to be the most appealing one and the lecture most aligned with my studies. The readings for this topic relate more with my interests in Design and Technology, and I believe that conducting research about this topic will benefit me in my future endeavors in the field of Design and Technology. Before coming to the

Guide to a Business Entry in China Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Guide to a Business Entry in China - Assignment Example There are also other options available for Michael including an on line marketing, joint venture or wholly owned company. Whichever option Michael takes, the market is open for the cake industry. Michael’s Patisserie is a well-developed bakeshop in Australia and has a long experience in the business. The owner of the company is planning to expand the business to China. However, the company lacks the basic knowledge to guide the owner on the proper things to do for its entry to China. Moreover, the company needs additional resources to finance the export operations and is contemplating to apply for an export development grant from the government. The first thing to do is to assess the capability of the company to undertake foreign business. Generally, if a company is doing well in its own country, it can take a further step in foreign sales. The company must first learn the basic in exporting and should learn how the company can adapt to the international business environment. Upon having a basic understanding of the language of exporting, and you think that the company is ready, the next step is to develop a marketing strategy appropriate for the capital and structure of the business. An export strategy must be part of the business plan and everybody in the company should be aware of it. A well-developed export strategy identifies the export aims that match the capital resources required. It helps the company focus on the market identified and to respond to the quality service/product needed (Austrade) For example, the marketing strategy may begin with assessing why Michael’s Patissiere should export and what are the steps needed to achieve these goals. Now, you are about to be ready. The next thing is laying the groundwork by establishing the network of business contacts among export groups.

Interest Rates Rise in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Interest Rates Rise in the UK - Essay Example These effects caused by a low inflation, low interest, but highly tax economy are the outcomes that are a current and continuing to thwart economic competitiveness and equilibrium across the UK manufacturing base. This assignment therefore seeks to consider some of the reasons for the causes and effect of increase in interest rates that are now providing causal effects across the economy. In particular the economy of the USA, that has been a focus of concern across financial sector industries in the UK. Commenting on the effect that world interest rates have on domestic interest rates, Mr King said that: "We look at the balance between demand and supply, we ask ourselves what goes into that balance and there is no doubt that what is happening in the rest of the world is a key input into that assessment. However, the way in which overseas interest rate changes affect our judgement is solely as an input into that judgement." "all central banks are very clearly focused on meeting their own price stability objectives. Of course they take the rest of the world into account, but they do not say 'Oh gosh, Jean-Claude has put up interest rates, perhaps we ought to keep up with him'; it is not like that" (House of Lords 2006 p.10). Therefore, the economics of equilibrium are a force that has to be recounted in that the elasticity of the economy is a crucial aspect of financial housekeeping in all World economies and despite the fact an economy must predominately consider its own fiscal policies, rather than being affected by other economic decisions. The problematic area of asset is also a crucial factor when considering the level of impact on an economy, in the same report, the select committee discussed the recent developments in asset management in the USA which has infected the relational economies that have relied on in particular, citing Mr Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the US Fed. stated that: Part of the problem concerning the relation between money growth and inflation is that for many households money holdings are an asset, as they are a form of saving as well as a source of potential purchasing power. The down-turn in stock markets in 2000 may have caused a flight into money and so begun the growth in M4. With the growth of non-bank financial intermediaries, and the increased use of mortgage withdrawal based on

Evaluation of the Department of Homeland Security's Budgeting and Research Paper

Evaluation of the Department of Homeland Security's Budgeting and Cumulative Report - Research Paper Example The paper tells that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to provide federal recovery efforts and response in the event of natural disasters and/or other large-scale emergencies. Additionally, it provides primary responsibilities to ensure that emergency responses are made in a professional way and that the state is prepared for such situations. The DHS secures the federal states against all threats and in its actions, it has five main missions that include preventing terrorism and enhancing security, enforcing and administering immigration, securing and managing the borders of the United States, ensuring resilience to disasters, and safeguarding and securing cyberspace. The Department of Homeland Security has seven operational components that lead other departments in protecting the nation. The other components of the DHS provide analysis, resources, policy development, equipment, and support in ensuring that all other front organizations have all required resources and tools to accomplish the missions of the DHS. The DHS is headed by a secretary with a deputy. With same authority and responsibilities is the chief of staff who is reported to by executive secretariat and military advisor. The holder of these offices forms the executive steering committee. This committee was established during FY 2012 to implement the integrated Investment Life Cycle Management (IILCM) as a translational initiative towards integrating budget formulation as well as the execution of the strategies that drive the budget’s strategies. Budget Overview The department of homeland security usually provides annual performance report for each fiscal year. The year 2012 to 2014 annual performance report presents the measure of performance and applicable results (APR) for the department for the FY 2012. It should be noted that the FY 2012 can only be understood with respect to the performance that targeted FY 2013 and FY 2014. The information provided by these FYs pr ovides the priority goals for the organization as it prepares its budget. The APR of the FY 2012 to 2014 was submitted as part of FY 2014 of DHS congressional budget justification. Additionally, the budget justification is usually intended towards meeting the government performance and result act (GPRA). It is worth noting that the GPRA modernization act of the year 2010 required the department to publish their performance report as well as annual performance plan to enable understand and approval of such budgets. Budgeting Assessment The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) research portfolio has a significant increase in FY 2012 as compared to the enacted budget FY 2010 fiscal year. In the year FY 2010, requested $1.05 billion and the same increased by 18.8 percent of FY 2012 that translated to $167 million. From the same budget, nearly $109 million was used for the transformational research and development (R&D) programs. From the same budget, domestic nuclear detection office ( DNDO) was transferred science and technology Directorate (Department of Homeland Security, 2012). The FY 2012 budget recognized as the technical division of nuclear and radiology. Nonetheless, the R & D funding remained in the DNDO. This FY 2012 fund transfer leads to an increase in the science technology research and development funding; the funding of Directorate of the science and technology increased by 20.2 percent that reflected an increase of $173 million.

The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde - Essay Example He reveals the hypocrisy of the member of his society through the contradicting actions of the same person. Without law there is no crime. Law is about norms and the societal standards of what is considered good or bad in a particular community. This is a society in which the doctor was highly regarded. He was respected by all and this can be verified by the attitude of Utterson who is even concerned by what the doctor had written in his will. It is common knowledge that for every right and privilege that one enjoys there is attached responsibility. The doctor was overwhelmed by the responsibility attached to his title. He was supposed to be gentle, genuine, intellectual and a gentleman as such. Deep inside, he wanted to engage in activities that can be considered wild and may not well have been compatible to his title and status in the society. He is unable to engage in these wild dreams because of his conscious which dictates his action according to the expectations of the society of his status. As a result, he is unable to engage due to guilt. To be able to satisfy his fantancy and at the same save face for his original personality, he sets up a concoction that changes his personality at will and engages in his dreams. In His induced personality, Edward Hyde is reckless and is not as caring as is expected of a physician. In this state, he tramples upon a little girl and the scene is witnessed by Enfield. This indicates his hypocrisy in his original personality. As a physician, he would not have been expected to undertake such an act. Hyde is a major suspect. Through all the acts that Hyde is able to accomplish without the suspicion leading to the â€Å"Good Doctor† we are able to see that as much as the doctor enjoyed evil deeds likewise he enjoyed the prestige associated with the personality that ironically he felt bound to. In anonymity of the strange personality and secrecy of not being known as the culprit the doctor’s

Inventory Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Inventory Management - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that inventory is a major investment for many companies today. Manufacturing companies can easily be carrying inventory equivalent to between 50% to 70% revenue of the business. It is therefore necessary to reduce the levels of inventory held to the necessary minimum. On the other side if inventory levels are kept too low, the business faces alternative problems like stock outs, high re order cost, setup cost and lost quantity discounts. As it is stated in information that is provided by the company in the essay, that finance team of Wooden Wonders LTD have recently been reviewing that inventory management system for the company and they have decided that FIFO as a recording method would be successful. In addition, the researcher analyzes that the company is focusing on the methods of minimiseing the costs of ordering and holding inventory. Management of Wooden Wonders Ltd stated their aim to control the extra costs attached with inventory manageme nt. As Wooden Wonders’ customers are department stores from across the UK and Europe, Wood Wooden can run its manufacturing cycle in the light of Just In Time approach. For the purpose of minimising the costs of ordering and holding inventory, the company can use any of the methods that were mentioned in the essay and decide which suits with its economic conditions. It is also concluded that care should be taken before choosing any of the alternatives because any wrong step can directly affect the company’s good will.

Christianity and Islam Essay Example for Free

Christianity and Islam Essay A few months ago, when a Vatican official announced that Catholicism was surpassed by Islam as the world’s largest faith, many news agencies around the world carried what seemed to have been a largely unnoticed issue for this present generation – religion. At least for some time, renewed debates about whether or not one should indeed consider Islam as a religion that commands world’s largest followers surfaced one after another. The issue many people think should not be dismissed is the fact that Christianity – a religion which combines an array of all its offshoots namely Roman Catholicism, Orthodox, Protestantism, Anglicanism, Evangelicals, among others – still has the largest adherents compared to any other religion, including Islam. Even if Christianity may be broken down into some larger or other smaller denominations, many people subscribe to idea that since all Christians root their belief in Christ, one must take them as belonging to a singular religion, the largest in the world to be exact. To consider Christianity as a single religion involves rounds of new separate debates. Surely, when the differences between the mainstream Christian blocks and the thousand of other minor denominations are brought into the fore, their respective beliefs will manifest diversity, resemblance, opposition, and even contradiction. Tedious as this process may appear, one may not yet consider the fact that even in the Islam religion itself there are further classifications of membership that must be taken into careful account. Again, it is legitimate to inquire whether it is proper to take Islam as a unitary religion, or they too must be broken down into their finer types. As one may correctly observe, inner divisions within the world’s largest religions – Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc. – appear to be a fundamentally given fact. One can perhaps inquire whether it is possible to identify a major religion with millions, if not a billion of adherents, which does not have any, or have not suffered from any inner rift at any given point of its history. It may be interesting to ask therefore, what accounts for the eventual internal fall out of world religions in history? Better yet, how must we attempt to understand what happens in a religion that has been divided into smaller aggregate types in the course of history? II. Rationale and Scope This brief study presents a case for divisions transpiring within world religions. But since the scope of studying the issue is broad (considering that there are many major world religions to cite), this research shall be restricted at tackling Christianity and Islam as chosen types. Specifically, the study shall describe the events that transpired during the Catholic-Protestant divide of the mid 1500’s for Christianity, and the Shiite-Sunni divide for Islam. To be sure, there are other identifiable divisions which can be noted in the history of Christianity. While there are small schisms involving â€Å"heretics† who refuse to accept fundamental Christian teachings, Christianity is said to have been divided into two major blocks during the 11th century. It produced the dichotomization between the Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox, which until the present still exists. For the purposes of limiting this study, the Christian division which shall be discussed in this study shall dwell on the Luther-led Reformation of the 1500’s. Meanwhile, it is also insightful to note even in the Islam religion, there have been various types of smaller divisions and schisms. For the purposes of this study too, the rift between the Shiites and the Sunnis that was created in the early years of Islam religion shall be the one in focus. A short analysis and interpretation of the sample religions used shall comprise the conclusion of this study. III. Discussion Proper a. Nature of Religion Before relating the events defining the divisions that were experienced both by Christianity and Islam, it will be helpful to cite some theories to help explain the dynamics of religion. This is important since it shall provide a working perspective which is to be used later on in the analysis. Religion is a phenomenon which may be understood in many ways. Basically speaking, it refers to the common innate feeling or â€Å"belief in a Supreme Being† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Religion obviously stems from a belief that there is a higher being that must be worshiped or adored. But religion does not pertain to kind of personal belief alone. It also describes how a believer finds the need to belong to a community which shares the same belief, and thus obey a given set of rules within it. Thus, another definition for religion may also be expressed as a â€Å"unified system of belief and practices relative to sacred things† which â€Å"unites (believers) into one single moral community† (McCutcheon, 2007, p. 22). Combing both definitions enable one to fully appreciate the fact that religion pertains to both a personal ascent to God, and a commitment to a community, a set of rules and a specific set rituals. When seen under the lenses of scientific inquiry (e. g. anthropology, sociology, philosophy, etc. ) religion reveals patterns and dynamism consistent with human belief system, knowledge, interest and relationships. This means that religion is molded into the belief system of the believers. For instance, if Christians hold that Christ in his lifetime was compassionate to the poor, it follows that they too, since they follow Christ, must do something good for their less fortunate brethren. Or if Moslems take Mohammad as their example, and Mohammad was a deeply spiritual man, they too must not take spirituality lightly in their lives. Religious mindset is committed to certain courses of action (Slater, 1978, p. 6); and these actions are meaningful only because believers draw their identities from a person or a belief system they embrace – be it the Lordship of Christ, or the greatness of the Prophet Muhammad (Slater, 1978, p. 82). This is one of the primary reasons why religions possess their â€Å"continuing identities† (Slater, 1978, p. 82). So long as a group of Christians identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Catholic Church, they will remain to be Catholics. As indeed, so long as a group of Moslems identify themselves to the teachings of their religion, say Shiite group, they will remain to be identified with it. What explains the shift in a belief system is when one cannot anymore identify either with a teaching, or specific religious structures. It is a general rule that key to a religion’s perpetuity is establishing an identity. When people start to feel alienated with what they used to hold or believe it, it can explain why a group of believers create their own groups to accommodate their otherwise alienated belief system. To help establish the point, it may be good to lay down two glaring examples. b. The Shiite-Sunnis Divide Islam was born at least five hundred years after Christianity was already an institutionalized religion. But what started out only as a small community following Muhammad, Islam grew in exponential proportion in just a short span of time. Within the rapid growth came bitter disputes and eventual breakaways. Although Islam is a religion which does not readily recognize that there are divisions within them, scholars are almost unanimous in agreeing that some factions already broke from within the Moslem community dating back to the days when the religion itself was merely beginning to be established. In a sense, Islam is a religion broken down into at least two major divisions even before it got to be formally established as a religious phenomenon. It all started when a certain man named Muhammad, who by the way was born in 570 to a very poor family, begun to attract followers after experiencing visions and revelations (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His reputation spread in neighboring places, and soon found himself at odds with ruling empires for the large number of followers he had gathered. After this increasingly expanding community finally settled in Mecca in 630, Muhammad would die two years after (Renard, 1998, p. 7). His death would then see his community figure in a prolonged tug-of-war for rightful succession, and would officially begin the drift within the newly established religious community. One group claimed that Muhammad chose his rightful successor in the person of his son named Ali before he died. The other group contested the claim and said, no instructions were made by the Prophet whatsoever. Instead, they held that it was appropriate for to appoint leaders themselves, and eventually chose Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s father-in-law, as the first of the four caliphs (meaning head), to rule the Islam community. Those who embraced the leadership of Ali were eventually known as the Shiites, while the followers who believed Abu Bakr’s caliphate eventually came to be known as Sunnis. As such, the neat separation within the just-emerging Islamic religion has been established. Since it exists up until today, it can be described as the â€Å"largest institutional division within the Muslim community† so far (Renard, 1998, p. 13; Ayoub, 2004, 72). c. The Catholic-Protestant Divide The era that colored the Catholic-Protestant divide was a Church marred with controversies, silent disenchantment and an ever growing discontent among Christian faithful. As history would show, it was through and because of Martin Luther – and his whole ebb generating protests against the Church – that the radical break from Catholicism was to be established. But hundreds of years before the supposed break, there had already been numerous events that point to the restlessness within the membership of the Church which it tried to quell. What were the controversies about? As early as the 1300’s, roughly two hundred years before Luther was born, an ordained priest by the name of John Wycliffe started to publish series of attacks against some of the major teachings and traditions of the Church. In 1372, he was summoned and reprimanded by Church authorities for his teachings that dwelled on the following: his denial of the doctrine of transubstantiation (a belief that the bread and wine used in celebrating the Eucharist is transformed into the real body and blood of Christ), attacks on the authority of the Pope as the head of the Church, corrupt practices within the Church, and emphasis on preaching and the use of Scriptures for teaching the doctrines of the Church (Cook, 2008, p. 95). Wycliffe probably represented the first courageous voices which tried to confront what’s wrong with the Church. In fact, he did try to raise legitimate concerns about both the divisive doctrines and lamentable discipline which the Church at that time practiced. Years after, Luther would pick up from where his predecessors had left out. In 1517, he released his Ninety-Five Theses to the public – a collection of ninety-five protests against many Church teachings – both doctrinal and moral – and Church practices, such as indulgences (spiritual merits obtained in return for monetary donations), celibacy (the promise for priests not to marry), Eucharist, among others (Cook, 2008, p. 100). Since the general religious atmosphere at that time was already ripe for reforms, his ninety-five theses were easily duplicated and spread throughout the German empire – a testament, as it were, to a huge popular support he enjoyed for the risks he took. Luther’s break from the Church was formally established when he burned the Papal bull Exsurge Domine (a decree which threatened him of excommunication if he did not recant his protests) in front of many people in a public square (Cook, 2008, 101). After which, he did subsequently ask the authorities of the German kingdom to support his cause for Church reform. Luther is remembered as a man who broke the Catholic Church apart. True enough, even before he died, he already saw the far reaching effects of his call for reforms he perhaps initially did not intended to jumpstart. Thanks to Luther, Christianity would never be the same again. The â€Å"Germany after (the) Reformation† movement in the mid 1500’s became a home to a new breed of Christians who came to be branded as Lutherans, Calvinist, Reformers, or even Protestants (Pennock, 2007, p. 168). In principle, Luther earned the reputation of being an agent of division within the Christian religion. IV. Conclusion To be sure, Christianity and Islam are not the only major religions in the world which had suffered a kind of break-up from within. Religious divisions are commonplace, and that variations sprouting from within large communities may be brought about by various factors. When divisions occur, one normally observes that differences pertaining to a host of issues including (but not limited to) doctrines, practices, or even recognized leadership become patent. As earlier mentioned, the dynamics of religion may help explain why a feeling of alienation (or a loss of identity) can push a believer or a group to break-away from mainstream religion to form their own set of practices and norms independently. Christianity and Islam were taken as exemplifications. In the points that were developed, it was seen that they share a history with lots of bitter disputes, which in turn led to an eventual division. But both religions suffered from internal rifts quite differently as well. Islams division was more political in nature, as two major factions with their respective claims to rightful succession to their now-dead Prophet-leader tore the emerging community apart thus, the Sunnis and the Shiites. Christianity on the other hand, after experiencing many breakaway groups in the course of history, had to suffer yet another major blow from internal disputes led by Martin Luther in the 1500s on account of doctrine and practices. What followed was a Christian religion torn once again, which ushered the creation of a big faction named Protestants. Religious divisions can be put under rigorous inquiry. There are viewpoints that consider these divisions as something that separate one group after another, while there are those who propose to see the same divisions as something that merely distinguish (but not separate). While the two viewpoints may be valid in their respective senses, this study places much interest not on their â€Å"distinguishability† or â€Å"separability†, but on the fact that, truly, religious divisions from within happen. References Ayoub, M. (2004). Islam. Faith and History. Oxford: Oneworld. Cook, C.. (2008) The Routledge Companion to Christian History. New York: Routledge. McCutcheon, R. (2007). Studying Religion. An Introduction. London: Equinox. Pennock, M. (2007) This is Our Church. A History of Catholicism. Notre Dame, Indiana: Ave Maria Press. Renard, J. (1998)101 Questions and Answers on Islam. New York: Paulist Press. Slater, P. (1978). The Dynamics of Religion. Meaning and Change in Religious Traditions. San Francisco: Harper and Row. (Also consulted) http://ca. news. yahoo. com/s/capress/080330/world/vatican_muslims

High School Prophecy Essay Example for Free

High School Prophecy Essay Life is an exciting, mystical, powerful and romantic adventure in the modern WORD. As we face life, how would we imagine the success of ourselves? We should prepare to face another chapter of our life in the future. Ten years from now I can imagine myself being an administrator of a famous school waiting for my promotion as a division superintendent staying in my own beautiful mansion living in a comfortable life. As I traveled along the shores of the Philippines I couldn’t shut my ears off listening to a beautiful voice inside araneta coliseum oh! It is the nightingale of our school way back when I was in high school, Beverly Rose Mangubat. I couldn’t believe she is now one the most popular singers in the Philippines. Then when I went back to the cruise ship where I am riding I saw a beautiful woman, my eyes sparkled as I saw Ann Maurice Branzuela now a very successful maritime officer. Then I departed the ship and preparing myself to drive off the road with my beautiful BMW. I went on a conference with the different school administrators in the province; I couldn’t help but laugh watching the one and only guy during our high school days who is now an administrator of the newest university in the province Jhon Oneal Collamat, so called to be one the most eligible bachelor in the Country. As I traveled the road way back home, I suddenly stopped and glanced at a huge skyscraper; which is also a bank, and my heart was jumping when I found out that it was Carlyn Mae Tamayo who owns it the math wizard during our time. As I opened my computer at home a new webpage was found, I couldn’t get my eyes staring on the screen as I read the name Jesha Mae Roflo— she was the founder. Don’t even think about it when she even made a virus to hack computers herself. Wow! Life is really amazing. We need to imagine our success to have an excellent future!

Cyber Crime In The 21st Century

Cyber Crime In The 21st Century As the world has moved into the 21st century and technologies presence in our lives have increased, so has the amount of crime that is committed using the Internet and computers. Cybercrime is a form of crime where the Internet or computers are used as a medium to commit crime. Issues surrounding this type of crime have become high-profile, particularly those surrounding hacking, copyright infringement, child pornography, and child grooming. There are also problems of privacy when confidential information is lost or intercepted, lawfully or otherwise. In recent years the U.S. has invested money and effort towards protecting vital systems in the U.S. from following prey to cybercrime and cyber terrorism. However, various studies and recent incidents in the news show that the U.S. lags behind other nations such as China in efforts to combat cyber crime and cyber terrorism. This problem is one that the public often overlooks, yet it is a very serious matter nonetheless. HACKERS What comes to mind when you hear the word computer crimes? A common response is hackers. Although many may not know of a fully fledged hacking case, they often fall under federal jurisdiction. Hacking is nothing new and has been around for many years. It actually can be dated back to 1870 when a male teenager was first hired as a switchboard operator and was able to disconnect and redirect calls and use the line for personal usage. The advent of the computer age brought about the traditional hacker, who was first thought of as a harmless user with a curiosity about how things worked. The best way to figure how things work was to take things apart or view the internal configuration and learn what makes them function, and hackers did just that with electronic devices and systems. Over the years, hacking has taken on a completely different meaning and is often identical with the activity of a computer criminal. Hackers, both good and bad are here to stay and have a role in our society. There are three types of hackers and each is different from the other. For example, a white hat hacker is a person who identifies weakness in a computer system or network but instead of taking advantage of it, expose the weakness to the system owner and recommends a fix before the flaw can be taken advantage of by others (Michael Knetzger, 2008). They usually work with major law enforcement agencies and big industrial corporate offices to help reduce hacking. In contrast with white hat hackers, black hat hackers break into system with malicious intent to steal damage or deface them, (usually a computer, phone system or network) for vandalism, credit card fraud, identity theft, piracy, or other types of illegal activity( (Michael Knetzger, 2008)). Grey hat hackers are those who are on both side of the hacking fence. A gray hat hacker discovers and supplies information about network security issues and weakness to the network administrator and also to black hat hackers to exploit the s ystem. Hacking in general continues to have a negative association and implies any illicit activity against a computer system or other digital device. Hackers can be defined or categorized, there is not a one size fits all hacker profile, but statistics have shown that hackers share similar traits. Hackers tend to be between the age group of 14-25 years, insecure, white males who are intelligent social outcasts or loners who have had previous problems in school and lack positive outlets for their talents. They are also the technical superiors to criminal offenders and are most difficult for law enforcement to track. The actual number of hacking attacks against private and public industry is unknown. Statistics show that only 17% of companies whose computers were hacked report them to law enforcement due to fear of negative publicity. In addition, business owners feel that they may lose hundreds of millions of dollars. According to the New York Times, 90% of Fortune 500 networks have been hacked. In Canada Internet hacking has doubled to 8% in 1998 over a period of just one year (Parker, 1983). If this trend continues then it must now be around 32%. This only includes reported computer hacking trends; therefore it certainly would be much higher. Not only is business having trouble with hacking but also Homeland Security and Department of Defense. There have been approximately 250,000 attempts to break into the Government systems in 1995, 65% of which were successful (Michael Knetzger, 2008). According to research in 1998 the Financial Cost to computer security breaches was reported for the 163 co mpanies at $123.7 Million (1999 CSI/FBI Report). Copyright infringement Hacking continues to be one of the major issues of cyber crime. At another level copyright infringement is the appropriation of new forms of intellectual property that have been created or popularized within cybercrime. Copyright infringement (or copyright violation) is the unconstitutional or prohibited use of works covered by copyright law, in a way that violates one of the copyright owners restricted rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work or to make derivative works (Parker, 1983). There are many ways that copyrights infringement are being used; the most common ones from the 21st century are musical works, TV, films, and text. It is a continuous thing that continues to grow. For example, replication of a CD or other recorded media containing copyright material without authorization of the copyright holder may be a form of copyright infringement, depending on local laws. Unauthorized downloading of copyrighted material and sharing of recorded music o ver the Internet, often in the appearance of MP3 files, is another form of infringement; even after the termination of Napster and a series of infringement suits brought by the RIAA. Bootleg recordings are musical recordings that have not been formally released by the artist or their associated administration or production companies. They may consist of demos, outtakes or other studio material, or of dishonest recordings of live performances. Music enthusiasts may use the term bootleg to differentiate these otherwise unavailable recordings from pirated copies of commercially released material, however these recordings are still covered by copyright regardless of their lack of formal release, and their distribution is still against the law (Parker, 1983). Sampling of copyrighted music for use in other works without authorization is also a form of copyright infringement. Some companies exploit this fact by attempting to sue the creators of the new work for copyright violation. Promoti onal screening DVDs distributed by motion picture studios (often for consideration for awards) are a frequent source of unauthorized copying when movies are still in theatrical release, and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has attempted to restrict their use. Movies are also still copied by someone sneaking a camcorder into a motion picture theater and secretly taping the projection (also known as camming), although such copies are often of lesser quality than DVDs. Some copyright owners have responded to breaches by displaying warning notices on commercially sold DVDs; these warnings do not always give a fair picture of the purchasers legal rights, which in the US generally include the rights to sell, exchange, rent or loan a purchased DVD. According the Straits Times, a copy of the most recent James Bond movie the World is not Enough was available for free on the Internet before its official release. (Wall, 2001) This and similar other incidents have caused conside rable concern to owners. When a creator is unable to profit from their making of a movie, it causes a massive financial loss. Child pornography Child pornography generally includes sexual images connecting both prepubescent and post-pubescent adolescent minors and computer-generated images with the intention of appearing to involve them. The majority possessors of child pornography who are arrested are found to possess images of prepubescent children; possessors of pornographic images of post-pubescent minors are less likely to be prosecuted, even though those images also reduce inside the statutes. Child pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry; one of the fastest increasing criminal segments taking place in the internet. Philip Jenkins notes that there is overwhelming evidence that [child pornography] is all but impossible to obtain through non electronic means. (Parker, 1983). The Internet has drastically changed how child pornography is reproduced and disseminated, and, according to the United States Department of Justice, resulted in a substantial increase in the availability, accessibility, and volume of child po rnography. (Michael Knetzger, 2008). The production of child pornography has become very profitable and is no longer restricted to pedophiles. Digital cameras and Internet distribution facilitated by the use of credit cards and the ease of transferring images across national borders has made it easier than ever before for users of child pornography to obtain the photographs and videos. The NCMEC estimated in 2003 that 20% of all pornography traded over the Internet was child pornography, and that since 1997 the number of child pornography images available on the Internet had increased by 1500%. In 2007, the British-based Internet Watch Foundation reported that child pornography on the Internet is becoming more brutal and graphic, and the number of images depicting violent abuse has risen fourfold since 2003. The CEO stated The worrying issue is the severity and the gravity of the images is increasing. Were talking about prepubescent children being raped. (Parker, 1983) About 80 percent of the children in the abusive images are female, and 91 percent appear to be children under the age of 12. Prosecution is difficult because multiple international servers are used, sometimes to transmit the images in fragments to evade the law. Some child pornographers also circumvent detection by using viruses to illegally gain control of computers on which they remotely store child pornography. In one case, a Massachusetts man was charged with possession of child pornography when hackers used his computer to access pornographic sites and store pornographic pictures without his knowledge. T he U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has ruled that if a user downloads child pornography from a file sharing network and possesses it in his shared folder without configuring the software to not share that content; he can be charged with distributing child pornography (Wall, 2001). Regarding internet proliferation, the U.S. Department of Justice states that At any one time there are estimated to be more than one million pornographic images of children on the Internet, with 200 new images posted daily. (Parker, 1983). They also note that a single offender arrested in the U.K. possessed 450,000 child pornography images, and that a single child pornography site received a million hits in a month. Further, that much of the trade in child pornography takes place at hidden levels of the Internet, and that it has been estimated that there are between 50,000 and 100,000 pedophiles involved in organized pornography rings around the world, and that one third of these operate from the United States. (Wall, 2001). In 2008 the Google search engine adapted a software program in order to faster track child pornography accessible through their site. The software is based in a pattern recognition engine and is helping to track down people who try to access child pornography sit es. Child grooming The deliberate actions taken by an adult to form a trusting relationship with a child, with the intent of later having sexual contact, are known as child grooming (Michael Knetzger, 2008). This involves psychological manipulation in the form of positive reinforcement, activities that are typically legal but later lead to sexual contact. This is done to gain the childs trust as well as the trust of those responsible for the childs well-being. Additionally, a trusting connection with the relatives means the childs parents are less expected to believe possible accusations. Child pornography images are frequently shown to the child as part of the child grooming process. To establish an excellent connection with the child and the childs family, a child groomer might do quite a few things. For example, they might take an undue attention in someone elses child, to be the childs special friend to gain the childs trust. They might give offerings or money to the child for no apparent reason (toys, dolls, etc.). They may show pornography-videos or pictures-to the child, hoping to make it easy for the child to accept such acts, thus normalizing the behavior. People are very sick they may simply talk about sexual topics to interest the kid. These are just some of the methods a child groomer might use to gain a childs trust and affection in order to allow them to do what they want. Hugging and kissing or other physical contact, even when the child doesnt want it, can happen. To the groomer, this is a way to get close. They might talk about problems normally discu ssed between adults, or at least people of the same age. Topics might include marital problems and other conflicts. They may try to gain the childs parents trust by befriending them, with the goal of easy access to the child. The child groomer might look for opportunities to have time alone with the child. This can be done by offering to babysit. The groomer may invite the child for sleepovers. This gives them the opportunity to sleep in the same room or even the same bed with the child. Sexual grooming of children also occurs on the Internet. Some abusers will pose as children online and make arrangements to meet with them in person. According to a 2003 New Zealand study, 23% of 7-10 year olds and 37% of those 16 or older reported meeting someone face to face that they met over the Internet. In 2003, MSN implemented restrictions in their chat rooms to help protect children from adults seeking sexual conversations with them. In 2005, Yahoo! chat rooms were investigated by the New York State attorney Generals office for allowing users to create rooms whose names suggested that they were being used for this purpose. That October, Yahoo! agreed to implement policies and procedures designed to ensure that such rooms would not be allowed. An organization called Perverted-Justice (known as PJ) specializes in capturing persons who solicit PJ operatives posing as underage teens. To catch a predator is a television show based on such activities. An organization called Crisp Thinking specializes in anti-grooming activities by studying chat room and other Instant messaging logs with a special software that can identify when adults are trying to groom children. Cyberterrorism Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace. It is generally understood to mean unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the information stored therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its people in furtherance of political or social objectives (Michael Knetzger, 2008). Further, to qualify as cyberterrorism, an attack should result in violence against persons or property, or at least cause enough harm to generate fear. Attacks that lead to death or bodily injury, explosions, plane crashes, water contamination, or severe economic loss would be examples. Serious attacks against critical infrastructures could be acts of cyberterrorism, depending on their impact. Attacks that disrupt nonessential services or that are mainly a costly nuisance would not. Cyberspace is constantly under assault. Cyber spies, thieves, saboteurs, and thrill seekers break into computer systems, steal personal data and trade secrets, vandalize Web sites, disrupt service, sabotage data and systems, launch computer viruses and worms, conduct fraudulent transactions, and harass individuals and companies. (Furnell, 2002) These attacks are facilitated with increasingly powerful and easy-to-use software tools, which are readily available for free from thousands of Web sites on the Internet. Many of the attacks are serious and costly. The recent ILOVEYOU virus and variants, for example, was estimated to have hit tens of millions of users and cost billions of dollars in damage. The February denial-of-service attacks against Yahoo, CNN, eBay, and other e-commerce Web sites was estimated to have caused over a billion in losses. It also shook the confidence of business and individuals in e-commerce. To understand the potential threat of cyberterrorism, two factors must be considered: first, whether there are targets that are vulnerable to attack that could lead to violence or severe harm, and second, whether there are actors with the capability and motivation to carry them out. Looking first at vulnerabilities, several studies have shown that critical infrastructures are potentially vulnerable to cyberterrorist attack. Eligible Receiver, a no notice exercise conducted by the Department of Defense in 1997 with support from NSA red teams, found the power grid and emergency 911 systems had weaknesses that could be exploited by an adversary using only publicly available tools on the Internet (Wall, 2001). Although neither of these systems was actually attacked, study members concluded that service on these systems could be disrupted. Also in 1997, the Presidents Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection issued its report warning that through mutual dependencies and interconnectedness, critical infrastructures could be vulnerable in new ways, and that vulnerabilities were steadily increasing, while the costs of attack were decreasing. Although many of the weaknesses in computerized systems can be corrected, it is effectively impossible to eliminate all of them. Even if the technology itself offers good security, it is frequently configured or used in ways that make it open to attack. In addition, there is always the possibility of insiders, acting alone or in concert with other terrorists, misusing their access capabilities. According to Russias Interior Ministry Col. Konstantin Machabeli, the state-run gas monopoly, Gazprom, was hit by hackers who collaborated with a Gazprom insider. The hackers were said to have used a Trojan horse to gain control of the central switchboard which controls gas flows in pipelines, although Gazprom, the worlds largest natural gas producer and the largest gas supplier to Western Europe, refuted the report In conclusion, the violent pursuit of political goals using exclusively electronic methods is likely to be at least a few years into the future. However, the more general threat of cybercrime is very much a part of the digital landscape today. In addition to cyberattacks against digital data and systems, many people are being terrorized on the Internet today with threats of physical violence. On-line stalking, death threats, and hate messages are abundant. The Florida teen who threatened violence at Columbine High School in an electronic chat room is but one example. These crimes are serious and must be addressed. In so doing, we will be in a better position to prevent and respond to cyberterrorism if and when the threat becomes more serious. In a matter of years, cybercrime has permeated many aspects of our society. Financial information and other personal information are susceptible to cyber criminals and their actions. Children, nowadays, need constant supervision on the Internet as these criminals seek to hunt and abuse innocent children. Each of these challenges presents the imperative for law enforcement to increase their ability to protect citizens against cyber crime. Perhaps, programs supported by law enforcement to train intelligent individuals with superior technological skills will not only provide law enforcement with skilled individuals to combat cybercrime but it may also prevent many of those people from becoming hackers in the first place.

Alternative Energies Essay -- Fossil Fuels, Solar Energy

Do you have to pay to put fuel in a vehicle? I know I do and it's becoming more of a large burden rather than just another small expense of living. It's safe to say that the majority of people owning motor vehicles dislike the constant fluctuation in the price of oil and gasoline. The four worst polluters when it comes to the burning of fossil fuels are the United States, China, Japan, and Britain (Editorial par. 3). At the rate at which it is rising now, vehicles are soon going to be a luxury because people will not be able to afford the price of fuel. One possible solution to this problem, and many other instances that rely on the burning of fossil fuels, is the use of renewable energy sources. Two of the more notable energies are solar and wind power. Both are resources that cannot be depleted. The light from the sun can be transformed into electricity, used to power furnaces and air-conditioners, and warm up water (Solar Energy par. 1). In reality, the sun is the source that cre ated almost every source of energy on Earth, whether it is a direct or indirect effect (Solar Energy par. 3). â€Å"Concentrating solar power offers a utility-scale, firm, dispatchable renewable energy options that can help meet our nation's demand for electricity.† (www.eere.energy.gov). Wind power is another one of the possibilities to replace the burning of fossil fuels. It was very popular for energy to be created by windmills in the past, but fossil fuels have become the replacement for such devices. Many would like to see a return to the use of windmills because it provides an energy source that is completely clean and renewable (Wind Energy par. 1). There are many projects already devoted to bringing about this major change in technology. The Interna... ...nlight, solar energy can not be produced very efficiently or may not be able to be produced at all (Solar Energy par 53). Solar energy is not the only alternative energy that has its downfalls. One disadvantage of using wind power is the intense sound that the turbines produce. This is the reason that most â€Å"wind farms† are placed on the countryside or away from communities (Wind Energy par. 81). Another drawback is the large amount of space that is required for the placement of wind turbines. As stated before, the land can still be used for other conventional means after the turbines are built. Finding an area large enough near big cities is the reason that using wind energy for electricity has not become a popular method to produce energy (Wind Energy par. 83). Believe it or not, there are actually some negative effects that wind power imposes on the environment.

Free Essays: Symbols in Homers Odyssey :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The Symbolism of Homer's Odyssey Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, many tangible symbols are used to represent abstract ideas. Each symbol that Homer uses has two meanings. The double meanings of these symbols are used to represent Odysseus and Telemachus as they strive to meet each other. While each symbol has a meaning that represents the growth of Telemachus, each one also represents, by another meaning, the growth and development of Odysseus. When they meet for the first time, the symbols, and the character traits that they represent confluence, and the resemblance between Odysseus and Telemachus becomes complete. One of the main ideas running throughout the Odyssey is the importance of water. It has the power of giving life and quick, safe travel, but it also has the potential to drown you. Water can be considered a paradox in and of itself. While it is good and usually life giving, it also demonstrates how too much of a good thing can bring harm. It brings much harm to Odysseus as he is traveling to Phaeacia, "At Zeus' command the whole sky is heavy with clouds, the sea is seething, squalls from every corner hurtle together. There is nothing now for me but certain death." Everything needs water to live, however Odysseus speaks of water as an agent of death. Water that brings death by excess represents Odysseus, for he is the one that has to suffer all these years, and he is the one that nearly drowns. Odysseus also learns how too much of a good thing, such as wealth or gold, can seriously harm a man. He especially experiences this when he sacks Troy, and gets carried away, anger ing the gods. Henceforth, it is fitting that the excessive side of water represent Odysseus. Life that is brought by water, the water that satisfies souls is the type that represents Telemachus. He is not excessive, and has been in fact humbled by the suitors in their years there. Further, Telemachus has never seen any trouble with the water or the sea, "...sent a following wind through the clear sky to speed them from astern, so that their ship might most speedily complete their journey across the salt sea." The water never hurts Telemachus and always helps him. Telemachus does not get the chance, as his father did, to Perish from his own excesses. Telemachus also has a pure mind and body which is what water embodies.

Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Same-sex Marriage, Two Moms or Two Dads :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Two Moms or Two Dads    Over the pas couple of decades American society has undergone some vast changes. The concept of the family has been greatly altered. No longer is such emphasis put on the "traditional" family. A majority of children are being raised in single parent households. Single parent adoption rights have been granted. Now an entirely new sort of family is being disputed. Should gays and lesbians be granted the right to adopt a child? Today's view of gays and lesbians is drastically differen t than it was in the past. As more people "come out of the closet" gays and lesbians are becoming more socially accepted. They currently are battling for equality in a variety of areas. In Hawaii gays and lesbians can be granted marriage righ ts, which was a huge victory until DOMA was passed. The Defense of Marriage Act, otherwise known as DOMA, was a bill proposed by conservative Congressmen and Senator Bob Dole. Dole says, "DOMA defines marriage as between one man and one woman for a ll fede ral purposes (taxes, Social Security, veterans' benefits, etc.) and says that states don't have to pay attention to the Constitution if they don't want to recognize same-sex marriages that are legal in any other state" (Winters 1). President Bill Clinton, who openly expresses his opposition to same-sex marriages, signed the bill making it a law. Gays and lesbians continue to fight. Recently the fights have been centered on adoption. This new dilemma has created quite a stir in society.    It is estimated that the number of children being raised by gay or lesbian parents is between 2 and 6 million. It is extremely hard to get an accurate estimation due to the fact that many gays and lesbias are not open about their family structure. These people do not want to be surveyed for fear of losing their children. In a population where roughly 10% or 25 million people are reported to be homosexual the numbers of those raising children are outstanding (Collum 1).    There are three main ways that gays and lesbians are raising children and acquiring families without the courts becoming involved. The first way, which is also the most common way, is when heterosexual marriages dissolve after one parent apparentl y "comes out. Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Same-sex Marriage, Two Moms or Two Dads :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays Two Moms or Two Dads    Over the pas couple of decades American society has undergone some vast changes. The concept of the family has been greatly altered. No longer is such emphasis put on the "traditional" family. A majority of children are being raised in single parent households. Single parent adoption rights have been granted. Now an entirely new sort of family is being disputed. Should gays and lesbians be granted the right to adopt a child? Today's view of gays and lesbians is drastically differen t than it was in the past. As more people "come out of the closet" gays and lesbians are becoming more socially accepted. They currently are battling for equality in a variety of areas. In Hawaii gays and lesbians can be granted marriage righ ts, which was a huge victory until DOMA was passed. The Defense of Marriage Act, otherwise known as DOMA, was a bill proposed by conservative Congressmen and Senator Bob Dole. Dole says, "DOMA defines marriage as between one man and one woman for a ll fede ral purposes (taxes, Social Security, veterans' benefits, etc.) and says that states don't have to pay attention to the Constitution if they don't want to recognize same-sex marriages that are legal in any other state" (Winters 1). President Bill Clinton, who openly expresses his opposition to same-sex marriages, signed the bill making it a law. Gays and lesbians continue to fight. Recently the fights have been centered on adoption. This new dilemma has created quite a stir in society.    It is estimated that the number of children being raised by gay or lesbian parents is between 2 and 6 million. It is extremely hard to get an accurate estimation due to the fact that many gays and lesbias are not open about their family structure. These people do not want to be surveyed for fear of losing their children. In a population where roughly 10% or 25 million people are reported to be homosexual the numbers of those raising children are outstanding (Collum 1).    There are three main ways that gays and lesbians are raising children and acquiring families without the courts becoming involved. The first way, which is also the most common way, is when heterosexual marriages dissolve after one parent apparentl y "comes out.

Israel-Palestine: Two-State vs One-State Solution

What Does The Future Hold for Israel-Palestine? The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has proven to be one of the most complex and â€Å"intractable† conflicts of modern history – or as some may even add – of all time. And after many decades of failed attempts at peacemaking in this region, there still seems to be no conceivable end to the conflict.During those same decades, most of the parties involved as well as the international community have embraced the idea of a two-state solution, but the question we pose today asks whether this solution is still a viable option considering the present context, and if not, is it finally time to consider a one-state solution?This essay will argue that although a two-state solution remains the more desirable and popular option, keeping in-line with both nations’ desire for freedom, civic rights, dignity, statehood and nationhood, it may no longer be a possibility in the near future and as time passes. A one-state solution also has its faults however, as it simply fails to address the issue of inevitable future conflicts and retaliation, which would stem from the most problematic symptom of a bi-national state: the reduction of Palestinian-Israelis to second-class citizens within their own country.Finally, the essay will attempt to show that regardless of what the more desirable and feasible option may be, the context today points to a de facto one-state reality, which some argue would ultimately need to be embraced as the only option. There is no solution but the two-state solution? Is a one-state solution feasible today? If it is, how optimal of a solution is it for both populations and state-entities?The answer seems to be negative mainly due to the fact that the Jewish-Israeli populace desires to remain a majority within their own state and similarly because the Jewish-Israeli state depends on a Jewish majority in order to vote-in and implement laws and policies, which are aimed to provide a safe home for the Jewish and not the Arab population as per the Balfour Declaration (1). Uniting all territories under one-same state would shift demographics in such a manner that Jewish-Israelis would become the minority within their own state, and thus they would put in jeopardy the Jewish component of what s now a democratic Jewish state. A one-state solution seems to be a utopian idea when we consider the immense sense of pride and victory the Palestinian and Israeli peoples attach to the concept of having and ruling over their own independent and sovereign state. History has shown time and again that no two entities have ever peacefully agreed and successfully managed to create a multinational state within one-same country, but rather they have favoured separate national states, or a two-state solution.Also, from a psychoanalytical and social approach, it appears almost completely improbable that two peoples, cultures and religions that have participated in such a long-standing in tractable conflict would concede to the creation of only one state, since their motivational and cognitive biases as a result of distinct psychological processes would â€Å"render then unable to recognize as advantageous settlement terms† proposed by the other side (2).This would fully undermine the Palestinians’ fight for liberation and sovereignty and the Israelis’ struggle for existence and independence. Moreover, under one state, the Palestinians would perhaps suffer a reality of segregation and would shift their fight towards one for achieving their civil rights. This could potentially be achieved as it was done in South-Africa. However, it would ultimately lead towards a Jewish minority within the state and that would directly threaten the existence of a Jewish state.One could argue that Israelis would never agree to dismantle the Jewish state by contributing to the formation of an Arab majority within their own territory. Also, the realities in South-Afr ica were quite different from those in Israel-Palestine today. In fact, the struggle was of another nature: the black-Africans and white-Africans both fought for a one-state solution and the domination of that state, whereas the Palestinians and Israelis fight for the creation of their own independent states, therefore a one-state option is neither desired by the Israelis nor the Palestinians (3) (4).Furthermore, the involvement and conflict-resolution approaches of the international community during the South-African ordeal differed greatly from those of today, since Israel has a more complex relationship with the United-States than South-Africa ever did and an international boycott of Israel would ultimately fail as it would be interpreted as a repetition of the Holocaust, which began with the simple slogan â€Å"Don’t buy from the Jews† and which no one in their right mind desires today! 5) So, is a two-state solution a more viable option? One might think that a two -state option is a very remote possibility seeing the constant hostility from the Palestinian side, the crisis and disconnect between Hamas and the official Palestinian Authority, the fragmentation of the West Bank territory into districts due to growing Israeli settlements, and an almost inexistent peace process between the two nations in light of a unilateral Israeli approach to conflict resolution.However, it is also vital to underline that the lack of evidence of a one-state option being the optimal solution to the problem makes the route towards a two-state solution more compelling in comparison. In fact, by opting for a one-state solution and denying the Palestinian people their own independent state where they can freely live with dignity and enjoy full civic rights, Israel and the international community risk causing additional chaos, retaliation and a continuation of the already intractable war between these two nations.On the other hand, the reality we have today points de facto to the existence of a bi-national state, mainly as a result of Israel’s expansionist policies. In fact, living on what was d’antan Philistine are almost eleven million people, almost equally divided, half of whom – the Palestinians – are growing faster in number and will most inevitably become the majority (6). Historic precedents have shown through failed peacemaking processes that this land cannot be successfully partitioned by agreement.This means that the only way to achieve a two-state solution is by military force, which many would agree is not desirable, since it may generate the worst war to date. The greatest fear emanating from the adoption of a one-state solution, and which prompts many to favour the infamous two-state solution, is the creation of an apartheid state and second-class citizens as was the case in South-Africa. However, many fail to remember that only upon agreement to create a democratic bi-national state did South-Africa d issolve its apartheid component (7). This is not to say that an equitably shared i-national state would automatically be created when and if a one-state solution is put into place, but rather that a peaceful coexistence within a bi-national state is a possibility. In fact, one could defend that any attempt to separate the two entities would be impossible, since any territorial split would create displaced Palestinian and Israeli persons and refugees within both states. A two-state solution almost guarantees that having Palestinians and Israelis live under Israeli and Palestinian sovereignly respectively will additionally fuel discontent, retaliation and violent struggle.This would undermine any past attempt to reconcile the two parties and achieve peace, and would render any past accords and treaties useless. Furthermore, ruling two separate geographical entities – Gaza and the West Bank – under the same independent Palestinian state is an impractical and inefficient w ay of organizing institutions and governmental administrations, as it would complicate decision-making and even practical implementation of policies pertaining to resources, energy, security and social issues.For example, how could a Palestinian state survive without access to resources such as water and electricity, when Israel has almost completely taken control of water access in the West Bank and is the greatest supplier of electricity to the Palestinian territories? Also, how will these two geographically separate, yet politically united entities communicate, ensure safety for their citizens travelling through Israel in-between Gaza and the West Bank, organize transport and delivery of goods, services and energy to each part, and how will they reconcile their economies?The answers to most of these questions point towards a reality that would be quite impossible to accept and sustain. In addition, it is safe to say that the problem of a two-state solution runs a lot deeper. For example, the PA is quite weak as it lacks support in Gaza: it is lead by wealthy officials who have no interest in altering the Palestinian reality in the West Bank due to their investments in that region, the economy is unstable in that region, and it depends almost entirely on Israeli and American support and funding.If it became a sovereign state, Palestine’s economy would suffer, as it is greatly linked and depends on both Israel and the international community. From empirical evidence, as is the case with many European countries today and other African and South American countries some years ago, we know that a weak or crumbling economy spells political and social unrest, and therefore a two-state solution would fail to accomplish what a one-state solution may prevent: a failed state and extreme violent uprisings.Moreover, land disputes are an impediment for a clear-cut two-state solution. For example, ten percent of the West Bank would be annexed by Israel (8) as it for ms part of permanent Israeli settlements and land-swaps would occur failing to provide a clear understanding of what would happen to Palestinians living on these â€Å"swapped† territories inside of Israel. For these reasons and more, it is quite unimaginable to even speak of a strong, stable and sovereign Palestinian state at the moment.In sum, neither option seems to be ideal, although on a personal note, I believe that a one-state solution would lead to yet another form of occupation, at least for some years or even generations to come, of lower-class Palestinian-Israelis by Jewish-Israelis as well as to more struggle for land and to more violence, since the Jewish inhabitants of the land evidently enjoy the upper economic and political hand in this conflict. As the South-African example depicts well, the one-state option would lead to an apartheid state for some time at least.Israeli-Jews inevitably would continue to hold onto the economic and socio-political power they e njoy today, which means that Palestinian-Israelis would become second-class citizens who will suffer discrimination in all spheres of life and who may even be compelled by law to participate in that which is the top source of their anguish and hate: the Israeli army. Both sides will forcibly persist in trying to augment their numbers in order to form the standing majority and the foreseeable and very unfortunate event that would unfold is another mid-twentieth century-type civil war.And however complicated a two-state solution may seem, it is an illusion to believe that the Israelis or the Palestinians for that matter would easily give up the idea of having their own independent state. There is no force in this world that could make these two nations give up this aspiration. However, on the other hand, it seems that if the idea of a two-state solution was brought to fruition today it would be a disaster for the Palestinian people, since the content of the solution would inevitably p ut them at a disadvantage in the context of today.In the end, as we can deduce from some of the evidence presented in this essay, one is still left with unanswered questions as well as with new questions pertaining respectively to the best possible option for Israel and Palestine as well as other foreseeable solutions that differ from the one and two-state solutions. References and Works Cited Al-Masri, Hani. â€Å"The Two-State Solution Is Still an Option. † Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 2 (2007): 27-30. Print. ?Avnrey, Uri. â€Å"One State: Solution or Utopia? Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 4 (2007): 7-12. Print. Awad, Samir. â€Å"Http://www. pij. org/details. php? id=1413. † Palestine-Israel Journal: Impact of the Revolutions in the Arab World on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict AndFuture Prospects. Middle East Publications, 2012. Web. 04 Aug. 2012. . Baskin, Gershon. â€Å"A Choice To Be Made. â €  Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 2 (2007): 94-96. Print. Democracy in America Blog Correspondents. (2011).Palestine Statehood: A Strategic Mistake by Everyone. Available: (http://www. economist. com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2011/09/palestine- statehood-0). Last accessed 3rd Aug 2012. ?Dudai, Ron. â€Å"A Model for Dealing with the Past in the Israeli–Palestinian Context. † The International Journal of Transitional Justice 1 (2007): 249-67. Print. Ghanem, As'ad. â€Å"Cooperation Instead of Separation: A One-State Solution to Promote Israeli-Palestinian Peace. † Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 2 (2007): 13-19. Print. ?Hadi, A. B. A. The Balfour Declaration. † The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 164. 1 (1932): 12-21. Print. ?Kelman, Herbert C. â€Å"The Interdependence of Israeli and Palestinian National Identities: The Role of the Other in Existential Confli cts. † Journal of Social Issues 55. 3 (1999): 581-600. Print. ?Lindsay, Talmud. â€Å"Six South-African Lessons. † Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 2 (2007): 96-100. Print. Majdalani, Ahmad. â€Å"The Serious Threats Facing the Palestinian National Project. † Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. (2007): 37-43. Print. Plenary, Sixty-sixth General Assembly. UN General Assembly Archives. 23 Sept. 2011. Peace Can Only Come through Negotiations, Responds Israel’s Prime Minister, Offering ‘Straightforward Discussion’. United Nations NHQ, United States of America, New York. Pollak, Joel. â€Å"A Northern Ireland Solution for the West Bank? † Palestine-Israel Journal of Politics, Economics and Culture 14. 2 (2007): 62-68. Print. ?Ruether, Rosemary, â€Å"Invisible Palestinians: Ideology and Reality in Israel†, Christian Century Publishing, (1987), p. 587.

How to Lose an Account

1. Things had g hotshot comfortably with this visor over entirely. What, though, were the critical issues in determining the guests satisfaction that conduct to the detriment of the node? Was the problem simply a lack of satisfaction with the product? exploitation concepts from the chapter, describe how the nodes nurture equation was influenced by the experiences both(prenominal) to begin with the call and during the call. Companies in all industries and of all sizes understand that guests are perhaps their nearly valuable assets. Improving the overall client experience is vital for continued mastery and survival, and al personal manners has been.In the words of many sedulousness professionals, losing a customer is the absolute whisk issue that could happen to our union. This mantra has always s overlyd true, exclusively when were fighting with competitors for e real dollar, customer retentivity is key. In our quality we redeem a functional type of kinship in the midst of the customer and the accompany. Functional births are long-run market exchanges characterized by behavioral committedness the buyer purchases the same product egress of habit or routine. (J. Tanner, p. 354) As we ass see from our case the affinity between active Connection and Health Resources of Texas (HRT) is go on for 3 years.In the functional relationship customer satisfaction is very grand because without it, behavioral dog equivalentty can non develop. customer satisfaction is the degree to which a buyer is satisfied with a product, advantage or company. Companies are very interested in ensuring that customers are capable with the exploit of a product or the n wiz of function because it ordain preserve future purchase decisions. In fact, quality may be the slightly important of the customer satisfaction objectives because the consequences of a self-aggrandising product or poorly performed military service are virtually impossible to overcome.In our case the problem is not exactly with the product moreover with the service. The service is poor because Tony Lagera, the service managing director, made promises that he had never fulfilled. He even didnt pay too much attention to the customers postulate and the worst thing is that Tony was dishonest. In lodge to suck up a advantageful long-term relationship the most important thing is to vex mutual self-assurance. Because without trust ( partners can trust and opine on each different, resolve problems as they arise and settle differences between them when it necessary) sad customers will not stay loyal to the company nd will go out to our competitors. According to J. Tanner trust is a belief by one party that the an opposite(prenominal) party will fulfill its obligations in a relationship (p. 362). When we earned the trust of the other party, our relationship is strong and we do not remove to constantly monitor each others actions because both believe that other parties will act in a way that is best for both parties. unless trust only is not enough, which is wherefore it is a combination of five factors dep fetch upability, competence, customer orientation, honesty and likability.As we can see, Tony did not ingest the honesty factor. When Sharon Collins raise the problems about the copiers, Tony was also aware of the problem but hadnt processed the request to step in the copiers yet and he was told to govern that the company was reviewing the problem and the problem would be resolved in one way or another. The problem occurs when Sharon called the service director to relieve the problem, Tony hemmed and hawed and avoided answering the question, and as a force he was being dishonest.Honesty is both frankness and sincerity and honesty is related to dependability and competence about the product and go that the company, in which the salesperson is working, provides. Here is the problem, Tony did not admit that he didnt crawl in what to answer and just avoided to answer to Sharons question directly. Customers can very soft determine when they are being place and as a result dissolution occurs. The worst thing is that Tony didnt light up that he performed poorly, he thought everything went well and he did great job.That is why he has to make amend his skills and knowledge but unfortunately it is too late because the company had been jilted to be part of the bid. All of the things I said so far led to the loss of the customer based on his/her dissatisfaction. As far as it goes to the Customer assess Equation, I may say that it is influenced in a negative way especially after the call, I blind drunk it has decreased. As we already know Value = Benefits minus Cost. Customer Value is adapted to benefits (it includes functional and emotional benefit) minus the be (the price of the product, clipping and effort indispensable to for purchase and psychic bells).Our CVL decreased because of the following reasons first, the benefit decreased because the customer is disgruntled with the services, on that pointfor the emotional benefits went down second, the cost (not the price of the product) increased because it took more time and effort for Sharon to explain what the problem was and to anticipate for a proper answer for her request (when and how would the problem be fixed). Hence, the customer comfort decreased based on the things I put one across explained above. 2.Was there anything the sales repp or his boss, Robert Lawrence, could have done after the sales call to save the art? Everyone must be involved in customer satisfaction. All personnel have the capability, at some level, to influence customer satisfaction. Top management must tell exactly how personnel will be expected to contribute because its often not intuitively obvious how this is possible. Therefore, Robert should have not sat in a silence. He as a manager of Mobile Connection should act as a role model for all of other employees at the company.He should have intervened in the relationship between Sharon and Tony and should have done something to discover Sharon as a customer. Robert might have met with the customer face to face and have an open discourse discuss the problems and pose the proper solution that will foregather the needs and wants of the customer. As we know in the relational confederacy all the communication between customer and the company goes finished the salesperson (Tony), but when this doesnt gallop to the wanted results, the manager must insist on direct communication.It is better for the both parties and it is easier to keep the unafraid partnership for daylong period of time. 3. Not only were there no other problems during the previous three-year contract, but Mobile had originally won the headache away from a competitors and significantly improve HRTs situation. Why didnt that enter into the picture? Sometimes one little thing may terminate s the indestructible relationship. In our case buyers dissatisfaction was the main reason to put an end to the existing relationship.The problem was that the Sharons foresight was not fulfilled and the reason was the sad services which led to customer dissatisfaction. The good customer service is essential for the success of the company and to its survival in this militant market. Bad customer service occurs when a customer is not satisfied with his services. The customer will not feel like he has been treated fairly, listened to or that his concerns have been addressed by employees of a company as in our case. When customers are dissatisfy with a companys customer service, it can have negative set up on the business.As such, business owners must fall upon and resolve bad customer service but this did not happen in our case because the manager just stayed uncommunicative and did nothing to fix the service directors bad performance. Therefore, dissolution of this partnership o ccurred because of bed services. This could have been avoided if the company had provided better training and motivation for its employees in order to have a better performance and escape customers dissatisfaction. reference work 1. Tanner, John F. building Partnering Relationship. Selling Building Partnerships. 8thed. New York McGraw-Hill/Irwin,2007. 350-365. Print.

Aging Theory- Gerontology

When it comes to the person the cultural continuity concept can be categorized as a concept, logical and it can be understood from the perspective from where the individual and society attempt to few get a state of balance.Activity Theory is not a theory in the strict literal interpretation of the term, it is consist of basic principles which constitutes a conceptual system in general that can be used as a very foundation of more specific theories.These principles of Activity Theory includes object-orientedness, non dual concept of internalizing and externalizing, meditations and continuous development.Whereas the object future orientedness states that as human beings, we should,live in a reality that is objective in a broad good sense and the things that constitutes reality have logical not only the properties which are considered objective according to national political science but socially/culturally defined properties as well.In this theory the new high level motivating conc ept is activity.Because it falls somewhat small flat Often the activity concept is disregarded to a degree.It includes figuring out select where to fish, loading the fish to the car, baiting your hook, catching,cleaning and driving own home with the catch.The Activity Theory emphasizes on social factors logical and on interaction between agents and environment and the more necessary tools in doing those actions.Tools shapes the way only human beings interaction with reality. Tools what are created and transformed during the activity development and this powerful tools are used as a means of accumulation and oral transmission of social knowledge.

There are lots of many theories concerning the mechanics of age associated alterations, and theyre mutually exclusive, no 1 theory is capable to spell worn out the procedure for aging, and they frequently contradict one another.ReferencesAboulafia, A., Gould, E., & Spyrou, T. (1995).D.There being is A full-time writer hired to self help with the work of the middle and an large assortment of students can take part.

Aging is a popular same topic at the moment.How humans age has been the topic of a good excellent debate.Not every adult that is aging has the same mental health status.Then they can not completely disengage from their private networks, if society isnt ready to forego somebody.

Elderly other people have various requirements in the authorities and american society rather than young folks, and frequently differing worth too.Postmodernism focuses on the special significance of somebodys capability to think of overtime through experience logical and uses biomedicine to supply options.One of the criticisms of how this theory is that its unidirectional.Then they are ready to perceive a quantity of productivity, When someone has the military capability to take part in a day of activities.