Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Personal Narrative of (In)Civility Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Narrative of (In)Civility - Personal Statement Example Although I have been through many experiences of civility in my life, I would, here, narrate an experience when a person acted uncivil toward me. This experience is important for me as I learnt a very good lesson which benefitted me many a times after that. I was driving with my dad to the beach on a hot summer day when our car got stuck in traffic. It was a holiday and, thus, most of the people were out. Our car was at a signal. On green light, the driver in front of our car did not move. My dad has always been very against rudeness but, still, he kept his nerves. We got out of the car, and went to the driver. I saw that he was trying to grab his cell phone from the back seat that his kid has thrown there. â€Å"Excuse me! The signal is green from ages. Will you mind moving? The whole traffic is waiting for you to move on, and you seem like not caring at all,† my dad asked him. â€Å"Yes, I will mind moving until I grab my phone. You’d better stay back,† he repl ied with much arrogance. â€Å"How rude that is!† dad exclaimed, â€Å"Don’t you know you are bugging others in the line?† â€Å"No, I don’t!† he shouted at dad, â€Å"I’ll move, just go, I know I don’t have to stay here forever, as I am not that free as you are. Hey Jimmy, did you find the damned phone?† This time he shouted at his kid, who looked puzzled and was at the verge of crying. The signal had already turned red again. I felt bad as I was very excited about getting to the beach as soon as possible. My dad wanted to end the situation without any quarrel. He is basically a very polite person, who never gets rude to anybody without reason. But he looked annoyed, and this annoyed me. I wanted to punch that man right in his face. He really wanted some lesson. But I kept silent, and let my dad talk. â€Å"Hey man,† Dad said loudly this time, â€Å"I won’t allow you to be rude to me. Move your car right now. Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢m getting late.† Everyone was giving horns and shouting at us to move. I could see all other drivers staring at us. The man had found his phone by then. He grabbed the phone while still shouting at his kids. He gave us a wave with his hand with a look as if trying to tell us to shut up. I heard him say, â€Å"Piss off, you old man!† â€Å"What did you just say?† Dad asked. â€Å"You would know if you were travelling with little kids in the car, you old man!† shouted the man while trying to concentrate upon his keys. That infuriated my dad, but I held his arm and told him not to indulge in quarrel. I could sense him getting furious. The man turned his ignition on, and moved away with a jerk staring at us which was even more exasperating. We could also see him staring from his back view mirror. However, we, at once, got into our cars and moved away from the scene to unblock the traffic behind us. We, then, talked about road sense and driving tips. I c ould see that my dad was trying to make me learn how to be conscious on road. We reached the beach, but we were no more enjoying. It was as if something had taken our excitement away from us. That was definitely the negativity of that man’s rude behavior, which kept bugging us the whole day. We tried to have some fun, and that we did, but we could have enjoyed much more if we had not encountered that rude man. When we got home, my mom could sense that something was wrong. I stayed quiet, but dad told the whole story to mom, who also felt annoyed and angry at that man’

Monday, October 28, 2019

Challenges and Achievements Essay Example for Free

Challenges and Achievements Essay Have you ever watched in disbelief at other peoples achievements, thinking to yourself how were they able to get there? The Answer is exactly the opposite of the following statement There are no challenges so difficult, no goals so impossible, as the ones we set ourselves Its because they themselves set their goals and as a result made it happen. The goals that we set ourselves may surely be very hard to achieve sometimes but still possible. on the contrary, the challenges that happen to us unexpectedly or from the outside world which are way more impossible to overcome. Every year the famous Olympics are being held were the most talented athletes from all over the world come to show their abilities and get the most honorable medal one could get. Right after the Olympic season the Paralympics start, were all the disabled athletes are being given the chance to shine. And its astonishing how people in wheelchairs, without arms and without legs are ambitious to show that they can be something and be counted within the Olympics despite their disabilities. Even One athlete without any legs was actually running beside all those who had normal functioning legs, and he actually won. Reading it in the headlines of the morning newspaper, just made me truly believe that there are no goals a person sets himself that are impossible. In addition my own personal experience with challenges prove that whatever a person wants to achieve, he will, even if it sounds impossible to others. In order to complete my B.A I had to pass the math CLEP test. i was always bad in math and numbers are really not my specialty, but I knew Im surely no less capable then all the others that passed the test. All my friends told me how hard it was even for them and how impossible its going to be for me but my score proved them wrong. Read more:Â  Personal Challenge Essay Of course I worked really hard and studies for hours, but in the end I did it. A person knows himself best, he knows his abilities and strength so when he sets himself a goal, with working hard he will eventually get there. On the other hand challenges that come to us unexpectedly are way harder to overcome than our self-made ones. Prove to that are all the many challenges of sudden disasters, like this years hurricane sandy or major poverty, or sudden loss of a family member. People who were affected by the hurricane have lost their possessions, house and stabilization. In addition to their everyday challenges they have this, which will take them many years to recover from. Those are challenges that are hard to pass, and when one compares those to passing a math Clep, those seem way tougher. People often set hard-to-reach goals and sometimes they fail or succeed in pursuing those goals, but nonetheless there possible. Additionally i do think, though that for many, the most difficult challenges come from outside the individual, from the outside world and nature. Besides, without any challenges we wouldnt be able to achieve so many great things. So lets embrace our challenges, work hard and prove that whatever we want to achieve, we can. The next time i have a challenge to face ill think of that athlete who made it to the top despite all odds. After all nobody said you cannot learn from others in order to achieve the impossible.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Analysis of the Impact of Oil Prices on the Global Economy Essay

1. Introduction The price of oil becomes the bone of contention recently. Oil price seems to be hitting new highs with the regularity of a metronome. It is a bad news for customers who have to pay more on it. More frightening still, this situation may get worse before it come back to normal. No one can exactly predict when the pendulum will soon swing back again since all uncertain factors existing. From the supply side of view, the OPEC is the main producer, being prepared to add or subtract production to balance demand. Moreover, Russia is another major producer of oil in the world. They usually produce more when demand more and subtract when demand reduce to control the price of oil. Anyway, speculator is another factor we have to consider in short run. From demand side of view, every country is trying to reduce the consumption on petroleum, the government use tax strategy to control the oil price. Further more, government strategic oil reserves have to be considered as a factor which causes oil supply shortage. Next, let ¡Ã‚ ¦s discuss in detail how the demand and supply relation affect the price of oil. 2. Microeconomic Analysis 2.1 Analysis of Market Form There are not so many oil producers in the world; the countries that produce most of the world ¡Ã‚ ¦s oil have formed a cartel, which called Organization of Petrolum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Those countries controlled about three-quarters of the world ¡Ã‚ ¦s oil reserve. Within the OPEC countries, they tries to raise the price of its product through reducing in quantity produced and OPEC tries to set production levels for each of the member countries. From this point of view, oil market belongs to oligopoly which only a few sellers offer similar or identical products. In this form, the producers produce a quantity of output greater than the level produced by monopoly and less than the level produced by competition. The oligopoly price is less than the monopoly price but greater than the competitive price. Therefore, supply and demand theory can be applied in oligopoly form of market. 2.2. Supply and Demand Analysis 2.2.1 Oil Supply Analysis Supply refers to both the ability to sell and the willingness to sell by the producer. Actually, many factors can determine the quantity and individual supplies ¡Xinput prices, technology, expectations. The quantity supplied rises as the price rises and f... ...by tax. When the oil price goes up, the government will tax more on fuel, vice versa. Therefore, it will benefit the domestic consumers. Other factor is the Iraq influence, political unrest can leave the world without enough oil to go round. 3. Conclusion There are too many uncertainties existing in the world oil price. According to the analysis, the price may keep going up due to the shortage of supplies and increasing of demand without considering the speculators factor in short-run. In long-run, the oil price will definitely go down. On the other hand, the price may be peaked already. This will result of the speculators unloading their oil inventories, causing prices to fall sharply. Reference: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://blondesense.blogspot.com/2005/04/crude-futures-crudely-exploited.html 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  kjhj 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A titanic struggle between supply and demand, http://www.occupationwatch.org/analysis/archives/2005/04/a_titanic_strug.html (visited on 29th, April) 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oil and the Economy, http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/speeches/2004/20041021/default.htm 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Time for OPEC to plump up its cushion, http://www.economist.com/agenda/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3759213

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Employment Laws and HRM Strategy Essay

Describe the scenario that you have selected and its corresponding employment laws. The human resource scenario the writer selected is the need for seasonal employees who may be from another country. Employment laws for the state of Mississippi will be a base used to solve this issue. Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws from the Employment Law Handbook insures that seasonal workers are provided with a minimum wage, meals and breaks, vacation, sick leave, severance and holidays. Mississippi currently does not have any state laws requiring or regulating these requests. Mississippi uses federal guidelines as a base for establishing employment laws. The federal law as of today requires a minimum wage of 7.25 dollars. The federal law for overtime is also followed by Mississippi. Meals and breaks according to federal law are not defined. Breaks taken by an employee that are less than twenty minutes must be paid and lunch breaks thirty minutes or more do not need to be paid as long as an employee can do whatever he or she likes during this period according to the Department of Labor. Vacation leave is determined to the employer since Mississippi legislature does not have any established guidelines on this matter. Sick leave, Severance pay and holidays are all determined by an employer in the state of Mississippi due to established laws in this state (Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws, 2012). In August of 2012 Mississippi held a committee meeting on immigration reform. Governor Phil Bryant wanted to reaffirm a law preventing undocumented immigrants from recovering public benefits. The Mississippi Senate will have to take into consideration the United States Supreme Court rulings and federal appeals when drafting Mississippi legislature for immigration laws. The Mississippi state immigration law would have to comply with E-Verify laws and constitutional laws are not violated. President Barack Obama passed a deportation deferral to immigrants earlier this year but states can pass their own immigration reform laws such as Arizona and Alabama (Cherry, 2012). The United States Department of Labor established an act called The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act or (MSPA) in order to protect these types of workers. The act protects employment related migrant and seasonal workers. The MSPA ensures that each nonexempt farm contractor and agricultural seasonal association disclose their terms and conditions of employment to each migrant worker. The terms and conditions of employment must be explained to the migrant and seasonal worker at the time of recruitment (Department of Labor, 2012). The job must description must also explain worker protection, amount of wages due to a migrant worker and provide an itemized statement of earnings and deductions (Department of Labor, 2012). The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection Act also guide housing and transportation. The federal guide line ensures that housing and transportation provided meets federal and state guidelines with proper licensure and insurance which is enforced by the wage and hour division. The federal guidelines require records must be kept for at least three years which includes name, permanent addresses and social security numbers (Department of Labor, 2012). The Fair Labor Standards Act or (FLSA) requires that workers on large farms are paid minimum wage but they are excluded from overtime premium pay. The FLSA prevents children under the age of sixteen from working during school hours and working certain jobs deemed too dangerous. Children that are employed on their families’ farm are exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act (Department of Labor, 2012). The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) require employers that want to use foreign temporary workers with H-2A visas get a labor certificate from the Employment and Training Administration. The certificate ensures that there are not enough able, willing and qualified United State workers available to do the work. The Immigration and Nationality Act standard of the H-2A program is enforced by the wage and hour division (Department of Labor, 2012). Recommend a plan to manage the HRM situation within the confines of the law. Justify your approach to your scenario to HR management. The human resource management plan the writer recommends would be based on performance. Job performance and task performance represents what an employee contributes to an organization that employs them. Migrant workers would benefit from this type of grading system if the work performance is factory based. Task performance is the product of employees performing actions leading to the production of raw materials into goods and services. Studies have been performed to show job performance management provides feedback and measurement improves employee performance leading to better organizational performance (Stewart, Brown, 2011). The writer believes migrant workers may show citizenship behavior. Employees often show citizenship behavior by going the extra mile for the company, volunteering for special projects, following organizational procedures even if they are not convenient for the employee and defending the business where the employee works (Stewart, Brown, 2012). The writer would focus on counterproductive behavior before it starts. Counterproductive behavior is behavior from an employee that is harmful to a business. An employee can exhibit two types of counterproductive behavior: 1) production deviance 2) property deviance occurs when employee sabotage equipment, destroys materials and products and misuse expense accounts. The counterproductive behavior can also be extended to gossiping about coworkers and showing favoritism. The writer would create a manual of policies and procedures explaining how this behavior is prohibited and have disciplinary consequences set in place if this behavior is exhibited. The writer would not use performance appraisals as much. The main goal would be to give feedback to an employee and listen to any problems they may be having. State how a competitive advantage may be gained by ensuring HRM practices meet the necessary employment laws. A competitive advantage can be gained by ensuring human resource strategies are followed. A company must have an employee handbook, benefits package, job descriptions and a payroll system in place to ensure human resource strategies are at an advantage to the company. The steps above can be followed also to keep in compliance with legal employment issues. Laws and regulations are important to ensure equal rights to disabled worker, employment eligibility for migrant workers with the use of an I-9 form, drug screening and work place harassment. A competitive strategy can lead to effective human resource department and a successful business (Managing Employees, 2012). Speculate what might happen if the situation was not handled in accordance with the appropriate employment laws. A business that does not follow employment laws can face state and federal criminal charges. A business can avoid costly law suits by following laws to ensure employees are treated fairly. A company’s compliance can save money that would be used to repair a damaged reputation. Specific laws protect employees from immutable characteristics such as sex, race, age and religion. Characteristics such as tattoos, nose piercings and long hair are not covered by federal and state laws. State laws can set a basis by not discriminating against marital status or sexual orientation and may not conflict with federal laws. The writer speculates that if state and federal discrimination laws are broken a company can face many damaging hardships (Stewart, Brown, 2012). References Cherry, Daniel (2012). Lawmakers Gearing Up for Immigrant Reform Battle Retrieved from http:www.mpbonline.org on November 18, 2012 Stewart, G., Brown, K. (2011). Human resource management (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons Managing Employees (2012). Retrieved from http:www.mississippi.org on November 18, 2012 Mississippi Wage and Hour Laws (2012). Employment Law Handbook, Retrieved from http:www.employmenthandbook.com on November 18, 2012 The Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Protection, (2012) Department of Labor Retrieved from http:www.dol.gov on November 18, 2012

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Peer Gynt

Peer Gynt Response Paper The story of â€Å"Peer Gynt† helps explore the state of mind of the self throughout the adventures of Peer Gynt, it also projects the human soul beyond the limits of time. In Peer's words â€Å"I don't know what I'm looking for† (Ibsen ) show that he is a young man experimenting with life by taking on various roles and disguises. In this respect, the story of Peer Gynt can be read as a psychological drama. However, the presence of figures such as the trolls, the Boyg and sphinx illustrates that the play is also mythological. â€Å"Peer Gynt† is as well characterized by religious concerns and it is also metaphysical to some extent.This is pointed out through the way Peer lives through his dreams and attains salvation through Solveig. The first part of the play is Peer in his own society, an outcast, who needs to escape from a society that is restricting him. Weaving of tales is very important in this play since it is through his dreams th at Peer will become emperor of the world. Only Peer knows how to create an imaginative world. To get out of his present state of poverty, Peer Gynt resorts to tale-telling to uplift himself and his mother from the cruelty of society. People become what they are because of society and the way it functions.The international travels of Peer shows a man who yearns for freedom from home, and pursues his dreams of power, sexual fulfilment, never growing old. These are the dreams of most people. Peer Gynt's physical journey is also his mental journey through which he enters a process of discovering the human self. Peer's quest is not so specific and in his pursuit he ultimately comes face-to-face with the search for identity. Peer steals away Ingrid during her wedding ceremony, only to abuse her and discard her. After this pitiful act he is forced to flee the village.This leads Peer to descend into the world of the trolls, where he finds the Green Woman, the Troll King's Daughter. Descent in the world of the trolls, for Peer Gynt is the descent into an irrational world where only desires matter. The fact that Peer Gynt tries to to love the troll maidens so as to enter the troll kingdom shows that he is losing his bearings. There is a kind of beast or not civilized feeling which is represented through the trolls. Their world is the exact opposite of the world of morality. In act 2, we find Peer is simultaneously in the human world and the supernatural world (Solveig and the trolls).Ibsen's dramatic psychology also centers upon the figure of the troll who are extremely self-centred. In most humans there is a troll, and that Ibsen's play masterly shows this. This quote from the Boyg ,† He was too strong; women have saved him! † (Ibsen ) represents the better part of Peer's nature takes up to him when Solveig comes to him. Peer Gynt as a self can only trust his own goodness when that goodness is reflected in someone else. The fact that he goes to help his mom through death shows the positive aspect of his nature. As his mother dies, Peer, across language, takes her through an imaginative world by weaving a tale of beauty.The complex bond between mother and son is there through imagination. The bonds with his past are severed with the death of his mother. Solveig and Ase are symbolical of human ties which make Peer Gynt and they save his soul many a time. However, Peer enters the lowest pits of mental, physical and spiritual degeneration when he takes up the sea journey. Peer fills the air with exaggerated stories and complete untruths. The fourth act which opens in Morocco is dramatically highly entertaining and it introduces themes which have to do with international problems.It makes visible the gradual want of Peer Gynt to become the emperor of the world. He comes out as a cynical businessman. From the peak of success, he encounters opposition, greed and treachery. He falls to the depth of the materialistic business man (slave trade) which makes him lose his soul. Peer Gynt simultaneously enters the world of pyramids and the netherworld he has created by entering the asylum. It represents the irrational uniqueness he wanted to attain. The beauty and sanity of the world he left behind now become more apparent. As Peer journeys through a landscape of his own disordered and crazy imagination.Peer’s, progress through the world becomes a spiritual regression. Spiritual exhaustion becomes a manifest as paralyzed moral will, non-commitment to a set of values, as self-alienation, depersonalization. Duplication and regression are the conditions the spirit is doomed to if it accepts the troll condition of â€Å"to thyself be enough† instead of the human â€Å"to thyself be true. † (Ibsen ) The shock to see mental isolation of individuals, of death propels Peer Gynt to move upwards. They put him back on the route to return. Being true to yourself is to seek for autonomy.We must note the fact that when he is robbed of all his property, Peer prays to God for help and his yacht mysteriously blows up with all on board. This evokes a feeling of mysticism. Through the quote â€Å"My world is ugly and happiness over,† (Ibsen ) Peer looks back upon his wasted life and peels an onion, he lets each layer represent a different role he has played but finds no core. Peer finally discovers that his ‘true self' dissolved due to his self-seeking and ruinous lifestyle. By deserting family ties, Peer Gynt entered the worst stages of moral and physical decline.It is well known that it is relationships which make the identity, the self. Peer Gynt existed more genuinely in Solveig's imagination and it is because of her faith, hope and love that he does not go to hell. Redemption comes through the love of Solveig which has endured and remained pure and untainted. Around Peer Gynt, who is a mythical figure in Norway, is a world and its people and also native myths, politics and religion. The play is a huge journey which has psychology but it also explores other edges of life. Bibliography Ibsen , Henrik. Peer Gynt. Mineola : Dover publications, 2003. eBook.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Microeconomic Principles essays

Microeconomic Principles essays In studying economic activities and concepts, there are two dominant modes of thought that come to the forefront; neoclassicism or the mainstream view and Austrian economics. These two schools of thought have points of contention on many different issues and theories found in the analysis of economic events. Several literary works have been written detailing the differences between the two approaches, although they have been subject to much criticism by the Austrian school. The major distinctions outlined by many authors include: praxeology, indifference, cardinality, continuity, probability, mathematical analysis, and public goods. Praxeological analysis is the basic foundation for the entire Austrian approach to economic observation. Human action is the most important and defining concept in Austrian economics. Human beings act, and the choices they make are based on motives or not-yet realized parts which explain the behavior and thoughts that they exhibit. This basic notion allows for the Austrian school to build an approach based on human action, and the means they use to get to an end. Neoclassical economics differs in the sense that they seek to explain human action in terms of value and choice with their foundation firmly embedded in utility. In short, neoclassical value theory not only stresses that what we feel determines how we behave. It presupposes that there are constant relationships between our feelings on the one hand, and our behavior on the other hand that can be studied and described by the neoclassical consumer theory. (Hulsman, 5) The Austrian school maintains that neoclassic ec onomics waste their time in calculating maximization and equilibrium to describe human behavior. They contend that there are no laws that govern what any one person will do in a given situation. Indifference is a simple concept that has brought about many heated debates in economi...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on The Runaway Universe

Donald Goldsmith graduated from Harvard College in 1963. He continued his education at UC Berkeley, where he earned a PhD in astronomy and where he later became a professor. Over the years, he has taught astronomy courses at many world-renowned institutions, including Stanford University, Cornell University, and University of California at Santa Cruse. For his achievement in popularizing astronomy, Goldsmith received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Astronomical Society, and the Science-writing Award from the American Institution of Physics. Goldsmith has written and edited over fifteen books. Some of his most famous works are: Worlds Unnumbered, Supernova! , Voyage to the Milky Way: The Future of Space Exploration, Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar planets, Einstein’s Greatest Blunder? The Search for Life in the Universe, The Astronomers, Space Telescope: Eyes above the Atmosphere, Nemesis: The Death- Star and Other Theories of Mass Extin ctions, and Mysteries of the Milky Way. For many years scientists have been attempting to discover the secrets of the universe. For as long as recorded history, human curiosity has been concerned with what the universe is like and how it began. In his book Runaway Universe, Donald Goldsmith describes observations of distant supernova and teams of astronomers who compete to find ways to attack mysteries of the universe, including the bending of light by gravity, the formation of galaxies billion years ago, and the faint after growth of the creation. The Runaway Universe is an intriguing story filled with captivating information about the discoveries of the great astronomers of the twenty century. The book also addresses the current main problems of cosmology and opens a window into the future of the universe. Throughout the book, Donald Goldsmith emphasizes the historical development of astronomy and examines evidence submitted by the leading groups of scien... Free Essays on The Runaway Universe Free Essays on The Runaway Universe Donald Goldsmith graduated from Harvard College in 1963. He continued his education at UC Berkeley, where he earned a PhD in astronomy and where he later became a professor. Over the years, he has taught astronomy courses at many world-renowned institutions, including Stanford University, Cornell University, and University of California at Santa Cruse. For his achievement in popularizing astronomy, Goldsmith received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Astronomical Society, and the Science-writing Award from the American Institution of Physics. Goldsmith has written and edited over fifteen books. Some of his most famous works are: Worlds Unnumbered, Supernova! , Voyage to the Milky Way: The Future of Space Exploration, Worlds Unnumbered: The Search for Extrasolar planets, Einstein’s Greatest Blunder? The Search for Life in the Universe, The Astronomers, Space Telescope: Eyes above the Atmosphere, Nemesis: The Death- Star and Other Theories of Mass Extin ctions, and Mysteries of the Milky Way. For many years scientists have been attempting to discover the secrets of the universe. For as long as recorded history, human curiosity has been concerned with what the universe is like and how it began. In his book Runaway Universe, Donald Goldsmith describes observations of distant supernova and teams of astronomers who compete to find ways to attack mysteries of the universe, including the bending of light by gravity, the formation of galaxies billion years ago, and the faint after growth of the creation. The Runaway Universe is an intriguing story filled with captivating information about the discoveries of the great astronomers of the twenty century. The book also addresses the current main problems of cosmology and opens a window into the future of the universe. Throughout the book, Donald Goldsmith emphasizes the historical development of astronomy and examines evidence submitted by the leading groups of scien...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

About the Author Examples (That Youll Actually Want to Read)

About the Author Examples (That Youll Actually Want to Read) About the Author Examples (That You'll Actually Want to Read) We’ve all heard the clichà © that writers have big egos - so it makes sense that there’s a section in every book where you’re required to talk about the author (meaning yourself).That said, it’s crucial to get the About the Author right. Whether it appears on the back of your book, your Amazon Author page, your social media or all of the above, you should make every sentence count (and tailor it depending on where it will appear). For non-fiction authors, who you are can be more important than what you write about. For indie fiction writers, this is an opportunity to let your growing readership get to know you.If you're here to learn the ropes, we’ve already published an extensive guide on how to write one. In this post, we'll be looking at 13 About the Author examples to further illustrate what works (and what doesn't). Writers, writing about themselves? These About the Author examples will show you how.   About the Author Examples: FictionFor fiction writers (especially self-published ones), who you are matters little in comparison to the quality of the story you've written - and an attention grabbing synopsis. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take full advantage when you’re encouraged to talk about yourself. Here are some examples of how to pull it off without soliloquizing.1. Veronica Roth, Divergentâ€Å"Veronica Roth is the New York Times bestselling author of Divergent, the first book in a trilogy that she began writing while still a college student. Now a full-time writer, Ms. Roth and her husband call the Chicago area home. You can visit her online at www.veronicarothbooks.com or on Twitter (@VeronicaRoth).†Why it works: Is this the flashiest bio in the world? Of course not. But that’s exactly why it works. Each word builds on the last, adding new information to her story: her name, her qualifications, her books, their history, her home li fe, and, finally, her online presence. It’s short and simple†¦ but then again, a bestselling author can afford to be.2. Glynnis Campbell, Danger’s Kissâ€Å"Glynnis Campbell is a USA Today bestselling author of swashbuckling action-adventure romance. She’s the wife of a rock star, and the mother of two young adults, but she’s also been a ballerina, a typographer, a film composer, a piano player, a singer in an all-girl rock band, and a voice in those violent video games you won’t let your kids play. She does her best writing on cruise ships, in Scottish castles, on her husband’s tour bus, and at home in her sunny southern California garden. Glynnis loves to play medieval matchmaker, transporting readers to a place where the bold heroes have endearing flaws, the women are stronger than they look, the land is lush and untamed, and chivalry is alive and well!†Why it works: Glynnis Campbell isn’t a household name - but this w ill definitely make her readers remember her. Why talk about your books themselves, when you can make your whole life sound more interesting than a romance novel. This is the ideal approach for emerging genre authors who have plenty of exciting material, but might not be able to carry a bio off the strength of their work alone.3. Jomny Sun, Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Tooâ€Å"Jonathan Sun is the author behind @jonnysun. He is an architect, designer, engineer, artist, playwright, and comedy writer. His work across multiple disciplines broadly addresses narratives of human experience. As a playwright, Jonathan has had his pieces performed at the Yale School of Drama, and in Toronto at Hart House Theatre and Factory Theatre. As an artist and illustrator, he has had his art exhibited at MIT, Yale, New Haven ArtSpace, and the University of Toronto. His work has appeared on NPR and BuzzFeed, as well as in Playboy, GQ, and McSweeney’s. In his other life, he is a doctoral student at MIT and a Berkman Klein fellow at Harvard.†How would you write your bio? Short? Sweet? Side-splitting? We want to know! Show us in the comment box below.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Hip Hop and Lyrical Intent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Hip Hop and Lyrical Intent - Essay Example The lyrical content of many rappers is highly controversial: songs can often seem very materialistic, racially degrading and misogynistic. Hip hop artists like Kanye West, who are very blatant about their social views and their desire for change, are admittedly difficult to find in mainstream rap. Other artists like DMX often produce songs that are superficially violent and demeaning, but the lyrical content can actually be quite revealing of the modern state of black America. Regardless of controversy, hip hop lyrics have been able to unite American blacks and help them establish a group identity that is essentially the foundation of the continuing civil rights movement. Through this unique use of language, hip hop artists are responsible for not only the unity of American blacks over the past several decades but for the association of many other American minority groups with this common cause. Although it is the lyrical content of hip hop songs that makes them controversial, the interpretation of such songs is completely reliant on the viewpoint of the audience. African-American writer and essayist Gloria Naylor agrees that "words themselves are innocuous; it is the consensus that gives them their power" (238); one of her main ideas concerning black American language is that to a small black audience, certain themes and words are expected and understandable. When the audience is made larger and incorporates people that are not black Americans, these themes and slang words seem insulting because they are not a part of normal language for such people. Certainly this theory can be applied to hip hop, since the genre often uses words that are completely reliant on context to be interpreted many different ways. The use of racial slurs by white people is universally insulting however when used by minority groups is often considered a symptom of social unity. Kanye West uses the term "niggas" as a way not only to embrace the word as a part of black American culture but also to highlight the ambiguity of the term: originally used by white people in reference to their black slaves, "nigga" worked its way into the black lexicon and became a way for blacks to label themselves and their counterparts. Given the origins of the word, "nigga" is ambiguous in that it represents slave ownership and degradation of black Americans while simultaneously being used as a unifying force within the black culture. Kanye's song "Jesus Walks" talks about the negative aspects of black urban society and uses the word "nigga" not only because it is a term used by blacks to label themselves but because it emphasizes how many white people view blacks: Where restless (Niggas) might snatch your necklace And next these (Niggas) might jack your Lexus These lyrics portray two simultaneous themes: first, a not uncommon reality to blacks living in segregated neighborhoods, and secondly the stubborn views that many white Americans have of black society. The song puts a spotlight on the cycle that is black urban crime and white authoritarian prejudice: by doing this he wants black people to fully understand their own identity and behavior and to try to rise above what history and modern

Friday, October 18, 2019

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce Essay

To what extent did French avant-garde groupings in the 1880s coalesce around exhibitions - Essay Example The phrase ‘modern art’ first used by Joris-Karl Huysmans in a book title to delineate the subject matter of several paintings represented in the book in1883. The Anglo-Irish novelist, George Moore followed this in this book, ‘Modern Painting’. It was about this time that the critic Theodore Duret, who used it of certain young painters, introduced the term avant-garde (Wood 1999, pp. 7-33). Subsequently, modernity became the focal point for artists and critics, alike. How Impressionism triggered avant-garde groupings The period of 1860-1880 witnessed an undeniable transformation in the aesthetic perspective as the focus of paintings shifted to the depiction of everyday reality and fashions (Wood 1999, p. 113). Determined to present illustrations of contemporary life in both, urban and rural areas, the Impressionists pioneered this change by creating snapshots of everyday life. The war developed new urgency and hope in the progressive artists born in the 1880 s. There was unanimity amongst the generation that Europe had been endowed a second chance; Salinger 1957, 117 Wood 1999, pp. 28 Wood 1999, p. 113 thereby, a new order should be established (Hungerford 1989). Impressionism, a revolutionary movement in painting followed by music, emerged at the end of the nineteenth century in France. Impressionist paintings can be traced back to the period of 1867-1886 to a party of artists with common approaches, philosophies, and methodologies in art (Huyghe 1973, p. 90). They tried to translate their observations into the paintings by attempting to recreate the manifold and animated results of sunlight and shadows from direct and reflected light. One of the most integral development out of this style was the reproduction of objects out of discrete flecks and dabs of matching or contrasting colours to evoke the broken-hued marvels and distinguishing hued created by sunlight and its reflections (Callen 1982, p. 187). Lastly, conventional formal com positions were replaced by more casual and less artificial disposition of depicted objects. The Impressionists in portraying landscapes, houses, trees, and even urban streets employed these novel-painting techniques (Callen 2000, p. 245). As the mid 1880s approached, the Impressionists began to dissolve as every painter craved to pursue his personal aesthetic interests and principles. Nonetheless, in its short-lived existence, it categorically revolutionized art, paving the way for postimpressionist artists like Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat to be free from all traditional western paintings and methodologies and interpretation of subject matter. Aftermath Impressionism was the first avant-garde in art, which paved the way for contemporary or modern art. Undeniably, the impressionists motivated novel Hungerford 1989, 73 Huyghe, 1973, 90 Callen, 1982, 187 Callen, 2000, 245 approaches, perspectives, notions amongst subsequent artists (Ward 1996, p. 168). It was the resu lt of their relentless struggle and perseverance, that the Salon’s official foothold in the world of art was questioned. Undoubtedly, painters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissaro, and Degas encouraged new art movements, for instance, Post-impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism (Rewald 1978, p. 312). In 1886, following the official death of Impressionists, post-impressionism was born. Before these movements, the Impressionis

Examining the Effectiveness of Self Directed Work Teams Assignment

Examining the Effectiveness of Self Directed Work Teams - Assignment Example In our day to day life, we undergo several tasks. We plan our task and try to implement it in an efficient manner. Thus we take several important decisions every day. But, what about our status while at our workplace? Do we have enough freedom to take our own decision there? Such questions have paved way for the development of â€Å"Self-directed work teams†. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we do in a team. Working in a team is basically built in with us. But still, there are certain important strategies which influence the rise or fall of a team.  The team, by itself, is a powerful force. A team behaves in a peculiar manner which moves toward a specific goal. The performance output given by a team is always ahead of that given by an individual. Generally, a team comprises of many people focussing on a specified target. The individuals in a team will be having individual skills. Thus a team is a collection of strengths and a good range of abilities. Because of this reason, i n a team, for every situation, there will be at least a person who can deal with it. Also in team flaws or pitfalls can easily be spotted and corrected. As there are many persons focussing on the same target they will be very cautious about every move and hence the mistake done by an individual will be easily found by another one. (Scholtes et al. 2003, 1) In an efficient team, the ultimate responsibility is rested on everyone’s shoulder. And the team is structured in such a way that whoever having strength in a specified area takes more responsibility in that area. One more interesting fact about a team is â€Å"Motivation†. A powerful motivating force is created amidst a good team. It never let its teammates go down. Also, it makes the team members feel proud to be a part of such a team. (West 2002, 9) Teams, also have another face for it. That is â€Å"Team conflict†. Conflicts are often mistaken within a team which is a bitter fact to be accepted. But confli cts too could turn desirable, provided the team members look into conflict as an outcome of indifference in their thoughts or views.     Ã‚  

Thursday, October 17, 2019

What People feel when they see Advertisements on Television and Social Essay

What People feel when they see Advertisements on Television and Social Media - Essay Example Advertising industries across the world, however, see social media advertising and television advertising as two different platforms. However, social media and television have a connection when it comes to advertising. Social media influences television into the kind of advertising they have and the time for every advertisement (Campbell et al., 2011). Consumer behavior is the primary purpose of the differences in social media advertising and television advertising. Social media is a community, in general, and the people in social media should feel the presence of any company, organization or product that surrounds them outside social media. It is the same for television as people also surround their lives on TV when they are not working. These people that use television and social media have a particular kind of feeling towards social media and television advertising (Louis, Kerr, & Drennan, 2010). The research proposal is going to focus on the feeling of these people and how they r eact to social media and television advertising. Today’s society has people on social media and television thus advertising for products and services should be on social media. Chi (2011, p.46) describes social media as an association in the middle of brands and shoppers, [while] offering an individual channel and coin for client-focused systems administration and social interactions. The tools that businesses use to communicate with customers have significantly changed, and it is easier for the companies to reach now their customers.

Demand for personal guns as fear of crime increases Essay

Demand for personal guns as fear of crime increases - Essay Example Tourists or travellers cannot walk alone during night time in Bahamas because of the possibility of robbery and other massacres. Sexual assaults are one of the major criminal activities in the streets of Bahamas in general and in the beaches in particular. â€Å"Crimes ranging from theft of lawn furniture to home invasions occur, even within gated communities† (The Bahamas 2008 Crime & Safety Report, 2008). Governments failed to give enough protection to the life and properties of Bahamian people or the tourists and the need for a personal gun for self defence is important in the Bahamian society. This paper briefly analyses the need for the possession of personal gun and the trends in gun market with special emphasize to Bahamas. The current trends in gun market are not good for the gun manufacturers, especially in US. The 9/11 incident has created immense demand for the personal guns for the self defence purpose. The trend continued till 2008. But the election of anti-gun liberal Obama as the American president has created concerns among the gun users and manufacturers about stiff laws and the gun sales has come down drastically at present in America. The chart given below shows the US handgun market from 1990 onwards. It is evident from the chart given above that the demand for personal gun has picked up from 2001 onwards. It is because of the fact that the US public were aware of the needs of personal guns after the 9/11 incident. People have realized that their protection and safety cannot be guaranteed by the governments and it is wise to keep some self defending measures all the time. The demand for personal gun has shown an upward trend till 2008. But after that the serious financial crisis forced the public to rethink about the expenditure for personal protection and the sales statistics given below shows that the the economic crisis combined with the

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

What People feel when they see Advertisements on Television and Social Essay

What People feel when they see Advertisements on Television and Social Media - Essay Example Advertising industries across the world, however, see social media advertising and television advertising as two different platforms. However, social media and television have a connection when it comes to advertising. Social media influences television into the kind of advertising they have and the time for every advertisement (Campbell et al., 2011). Consumer behavior is the primary purpose of the differences in social media advertising and television advertising. Social media is a community, in general, and the people in social media should feel the presence of any company, organization or product that surrounds them outside social media. It is the same for television as people also surround their lives on TV when they are not working. These people that use television and social media have a particular kind of feeling towards social media and television advertising (Louis, Kerr, & Drennan, 2010). The research proposal is going to focus on the feeling of these people and how they r eact to social media and television advertising. Today’s society has people on social media and television thus advertising for products and services should be on social media. Chi (2011, p.46) describes social media as an association in the middle of brands and shoppers, [while] offering an individual channel and coin for client-focused systems administration and social interactions. The tools that businesses use to communicate with customers have significantly changed, and it is easier for the companies to reach now their customers.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Social Science(What is patriarchy How might it operate within the Essay

Social Science(What is patriarchy How might it operate within the contemporary family - Essay Example Interestingly, power has as many different meanings as there are theoretical perspectives. Ferguson (2006) presented two main theorists in the power debate, namely Max Weber and Michel Foucault. Each of the two is in direct opposition to the other. Weber believed that ‘power is hierarchical, that there are individuals in control and others who take instructions from those in their ‘line of command’ (Fergusson and Hughes, 2006, pp.26). Obedience is not automatic, only where authority is perceived as legitimate authority would one be willing to comply with the commands. Weber termed his concept of power as bureaucratic power where there is a central source of authority which others would comply to providing that the one in authority functions without prejudice. Notably no special knowledge or skill is required all that is needed is the ‘institutional position’ (pp.31). Allen (2004) notes that the ‘legitimate basis of patriarchal authority is notably different to Weber’s bureaucratic authority. Weber, himself, presented two distinct differences in patriarchal domination and bureaucratic domination. Firstly, Weber notes that ‘where bureaucratic domination is based on an official’s commitment to a sense of impersonal duty, the former relies upon the personal authority of the male head of the household.’ The male head of the family possesses authority based on ‘natural and enduring’ personal relations (pp.31). Thus, the second difference is that ‘patriarchal authority is rooted in traditi on passed down from one generation to the next and bolstered by filial bonds. The obedience of the wife and children to the male head is said to derive from dutiful conduct rather than from a set of rules established on an abstract, rational basis’ (pp.31). Foucault, on the other hand, viewed power as ‘never in any one person’s hands.’ Power is seen not as ‘any obvious willed manner, but something within our psyche which

Monday, October 14, 2019

The Awakening Essay Example for Free

The Awakening Essay Kate Chopin wrote for a reason and with a sense of passion and desire. She lived the way she wanted to and wrote what she felt, thought, and wanted to say. Kate wrote for many years and her popularity was extreme until critical disapproval of her novel, The Awakening, a story that portrayed women’s desires of independence and control of their own sexuality. Most men condemned this story, while women applauded her for it. Kate wrote with a sense of realism and naturalism and she created a voice that is unique and unmatched. The voice gave a view of the female role in society and contributed to the beginning of the later feminist movements. In 1915, Fred Lewis Pattee wrote, some of Chopins work is equal to the best that has been produced in France or even in America. She displayed what may be described as a native aptitude for narration amounting almost to genius (qtd. in Amazon. com â€Å"About the Author†). Kate Chopin was a 19th century American author who cared about women and their rights. She was a bold writer who had a huge impact on how the world should treat women. On February 8, 1851, Katherine O’Flaherty was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Kate was born to the parents of Thomas O’Flaherty and Eliza Faris. Her father was a wealthy Irish immigrant and a successful businessman. Sadly, Kate’s father died in a railway accident when she was only four years old. Kate’s childhood was influenced mostly by her mother and great-grandmother. Kate spent much time with her family’s Creole and mulatto slaves, becoming familiar with their dialects. She attended Sacred Heart convent where she was a very poor student, but an avid reader. At the age of eleven Kate’s great-grandmother as well as her half-brother died. These two deaths caused Kate to seclude herself in the family attic to study more books (Authors and Artists par. 5). Kate’s schooling was irregular and she herself attributed her education more to her reading, than to the education she received at the Sacred Heart convent. At the age of seventeen she graduated with a passion for literature and storytelling. She spent two years as a belle in St. Louis society becoming aware of feminist social issues (World Biography par. 2). â€Å"She began to smoke cigarettes and wrote a feminist fable, ‘Emancipation. She read and admired the works of Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, George Eliot, and George Sand† (qtd, in Bloom 10). Kate preferred to spend time alone reading instead of attending socials all night. Although Kate spent a lot of time reading by herself, it did not stop her from writing what she saw in the world around her. In June 1870, Kate married a cotton trader and Creole named Oscar Chopin. Together they moved to New Orleans. While Oscar worked as a cotton factor and began handling sales, finances, and supplies for other plantation owners, Kate lived her care-free life (Authors and Artists par.7). Kate began to write about what she saw. She adopted two strange habits for women; smoking cigarettes and walking unaccompanied through the city. Kate took on the demanding social and domestic schedule of a Southern aristocrat. These memories would later serve as material for her short stories (World Biography par. 2). In 1880 Kate and her family were forced to moves to her father-in-law’s home in Cloutierville, Louisiana’s Red River bayou region. Here they became active members of the Creole community. Sadly in 1883 Oscar died of swamp fever, forcing Kate to take over. Kate came in contact with every part of the community, including the French-Acadian, Creole, and mulatto croppers who worked the plantation. These impressions later influenced her fiction (World Biography par. 2). After Oscar’s death Kate found herself stuck having to handle five children while $12,000 dollars in debt. Kate managed to run the family business until 1884 when she moved back to St. Louis. When she returned home she began writing about her life in Louisiana and this is when her career began. Kate settled in with her mother and began to write. Within a year Kate’s mother died and Kate was left in a state of depression. Following the deaths of Oscar and Kate’s mother, Kate was consulted by a doctor. He encouraged Kate to write (World Biography par. 3). Many of Kate’s friends also found her letters entertaining and encouraged her to write short stories. She began to write about the Louisiana past. After being rejected many times Kate got her short stories published in the most popular American periodicals, including America, Vogue, and the Atlantic (World Biography par. 3). Kate’s reputation grew because of her early success with Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie. Her first novel, At Fault, was published in 1890 in her home city. Nine years later Kate’s first poem, â€Å"If it Might Be,† was published. Kate wrote over one hundred short stories during the 1890s (Bloom 10). Kate was very successful, but she became known only as a local color writer and her qualities were overlooked. This did not stop Kate from writing. Kate wrote only one or two days each week and even then she only wrote in her living room while her children played. Kate also had a salon in St. Louis where she hosted St. Louis celebrities (Authors and Artists par. 15). This is where Kate wrote many articles, short stories and periodicals, including Atlantic Monthly, Criterion, Harper’s Young People, St. Louis Dispatch, and Vogue (Feminist Writers par. 1). Kate’s first collection reflects her skills as a local colorist and center on the loves of the Creoles and Acadians in her Parish. Many of Kate’s stories addressed many themes, including women’s emancipation and marital discord (Authors and Artists par 10). â€Å"Considered one of the foremost Southern regionalist writers, Kate Chopin’s fiction details the culture in which she lived during her childhood and marriage† (qtd. in Feminist Writers par. 2). Kate published her final novel, The Awakening, in 1899. The Awakening is known as her masterpiece and is a seminal work in American feminist fiction. Fiction was Kate’s greatest strength (Authors and Artists par 18). In her stories of Bayou Folk, A Night in Acadie, and The Awakening Kate writes about the sexual, racial, and moral background of polite southern Louisiana life (Feminist Writers par 2). The Awakening received many negative reviews because of the way Kate portrayed women and their desires. With the rejection of A Vocation and a Voice and the harsh reviews of The Awakening Kate’s career slowly began to end. Kate slowly began to abandon her career. After the publication of The Awakening Kate was rejected from certain social circles in St. Louis. She was also later rejected to getting other books published and the criticism caused her writing to slow down (Feminist Writers par. 6). In 1904 Kate became very ill; however, she was still interested in the World’s Fair in St. Louis. After a day of exhaustion Kate collapsed with a cerebral hemorrhage. Two days later, on August 22, 1904, Kate sadly passed away (Authors and Artists par. 23). Today Kate is known through her interpretations of the Creoles in her collections Bayou Folk and A Night in Acadie, and her second novel, The Awakening (American Biography par. 2). It took half a century for people to grasp what Kate Chopin had accomplished with her work. Kate was once just considered an author of local-color fiction. Today she is recognized for her examination of sexuality, individual freedom and the consequences of action (Authors and Artists par.10). Kate was familiar with the newest developments in science and literature, and her aim was to describe man’s â€Å"immutable impulses. † Kate wrote with balance and maturity, showing that women should have the same rights as men. Today Kate’s stories have become favored subjects among women critics. Kate’s work also has been recognized by critics in countries ranging from France to Japan (Authors and Artists par. 25). Because of The Awakening Kate abandoned writing because she faced critical abuse. Today this novel has grown to be respected and recognized as a masterpiece. Today, The Awakening has become required reading for any student studying the history of women’s cultural oppression (Feminist Writers par. 2). Many authors today have helped show that Kate was a significant figure in American fiction, particularly feminist literature (Authors and Artists par. 2). Kate Chopin is known as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction. Kate grew up in a world where women were seen as very little importance. She wrote to change that. Kate wrote with passion and a sense of realism. She proved to the world around her that women were just as equal to men. Conclusively, Kate Chopin is known to be the first feminist writer and a woman ahead of her time. Even though during her time she was looked down upon for the things she wrote, she is celebrated and acclaimed by people around the world today. Kates writings provided her with the means to live how she wanted-both mentally and physically-rather than play the role society expected of her. Kate Chopin proved to women they had a right to express themselves however they wanted to. This is why Kate is known today as one of the most important women in 19th century American fiction.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice

Factors That Affect Clothing Choice Introduction: Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The type of clothes we choose to wear depends on who is wearing it, as a result it becomes a reflection of his / her perception of themselves. Social identity and self-image plays an important role in society determining certain standards of beauty. A strong interest in fashion is because it is a way for teenage girls to shape their identities. Clothing today ha becomes an integral part of self-realization of every person. The choice of clothing is as important as identification thorough the colour of hair, height, skin and gender. Barnard, Malcolm (1996) argues that there is a strong link between women and fashion and describes it as curious cultural profile and that clothing today is a media of information bout the person wearing it (p. 21 and 175). The clothes we choose to wear tell a lot about ourselves which in fact also shapes our identity. Clothes reflect personal and social identity of people, their values and beliefs. Many young people expresse their identity through clothes and social images. Hip- Hop and rap were social movements which influenced fashion trends and priorities of youth. Today young teens do the same their identity is classified through groups for example a person dresses in vintage style of clothing has created their own style such as dressing in vintage clothes which becomes their own identity via the influence of the social movements. The media does influence and promote women and men to believe that the culture standards for body image are ideal. Therefore the phrase, thin is in and the prefect bodies are two eye-catching headlines that are in so many womens magazines. As a result this exposure, the thin ideal has lead many young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem..The media has a significantly growing role in how women and girls see their bodies and personalities today. By using procovocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television or music video, the media gives a distorted picture of the ideal womans appearance. Media has greatly influenced people into the trap of what is in style and what is not. Teenage girls are affected by compulsion to receive a degree of thinness that they see in models (Cussins, Marie Anne, 2001). Over the years the media advertising models have been getting thinner and thinner, making women more dissatisfied be cause they want to look like that girl in the advertisement. The media have developed the ideal body shape in the hope that it will create more sales of the product that they are trying to sell. But the advertisement and media industries are not caring about how a person feels in trying to achieve the ideal body. By promoting the ideal body the media contribute to eating disorders such as bulimia, anorexia which has influence todays youth. The media is the most contributing factor to this problem. They have developed the so called ideal image of what a person should look like but its all false advertisement. You never see a fat person on TV advertising a beauty product or a new clothing line. When you flip the pages of magazines all you see is the ideal image of a thin women advertising the new Victoria Secrets new collection. Why dont the media use people of all sizes in their advertisement to fill up the needs of all people? Fashion magazines , many young girls see tin models like Kate Moss who is one of the many top models that represents the perfect body image that many young girls are striving towards. Unfortunately may teenage girls dont understand that looking exactly like their favorite model is unrealistic. Many of these images in magazines of models are retouched before they are printed out, the fashion clothes are often duct taped to enhance fit, many blemishes are covered or altered, there is at least two inches removed form the thighs, and the average fashion model weighs 23-25% less than the average woman. All this in order to create that ideal or perfect body image that everyone is striving for and sadly dying for. This compulsion to be thin has led many young girls to have a negative body image that dangerously leads to eating disorder in order for them to achieve their desire for thinness. The media has a social responsibility for how women and girls see themselves, as well as the opposite sex and how an ideal woman today should look like. The false and unrealistic images in most of the different media projects do have negative and harmful impacts, both mental and physical, especially on women and as well as on young adolescents. Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Factors that Affect Clothing Choice Fashion today is a continuously changing trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. Nevertheless, it is necessary to say that at this very moment fashion has a deeper influence on the life of people and possess more than frivolous reasons for its existence. This essay investigated and looks at how identity influences our choice of clothing and how fashion has changed males and females perception of what we should look like and the media. To address this topic the essay will first look at identity and its link to our choice of clothing. Furthermore, the essay will then look at body image and its link to fashion and then discuss how it has changed how we perceive we should look like and thirdly the link between media influence and its impact on fashion. Finally the essay will provide both a negative and positive view of fashion on today teen. The clothes we wear say a lot about who we are as a person and as a result it becomes a reflection of his or her perception of them. In todays society identity and how we perceive ourselves has a major influence on what we perceive to be beauty. Fashion has a major influence on teenage girls today and due to this interest teenage girls find a way to shape their identity. Today clothing has become an important part of self- realization of every person. Guy, Alison Banim, Maura ( 2000) argue that women and teens today have a certain connection to their clothes and conducted research where they categorized them into three views of how women perceive themselves; The woman I want to be, The woman I fear I could be and The women I am most of the time . Many women and young teens express their identity through clothes they wear and social images. Social movements such as Hip-Hop and rap have influenced fashion trends and the priorities of people. Today young teens and womans identity base d on what type of social movement group they identify with whether it be rock culture or Hip-Hop. We dress according to what group we classify ourselves in and that plays a huge part in the making of our identity and makes up our style in fashion. Wilson, E( 1987) states that women identify with what they wear as it creates a new look and new self and this allowed women to be more creative ( pg 317). Furthermore many women today have a certain level of relationship with their clothing which allows them to be more creative and adventurous. Fashion has evolved so much that its constantly pushing the boundaries and its putting yourself out there. This same theory is applied to woman and teens today that are constantly putting themselves out there and shaping identity according to what groups they identify with. Body image plays a huge part todays society. The medias direct influence on men and women that culture standards of body image are ideal. The use of phrases such as thin is in and prefect body are one of the many eye-catching headlines that are commonly seen in womans magazines. As a result this exposure the thin ideal has lead vast majority of young girls in triggering eating disorders, depression and lack of low self-esteem. Hence media has a significantly growing influence on how woman and girls perceive their bodies and personalities today. The use of provocative and inappropriate images of extremely underweight models in magazines, television and music videos the media give a distorted picture of an ideal womans appearance. Willett, Rebekah (2008) conducted a study on 12-13 year old girls as they explore decision they made about body image. She argues that girls today are unsatisfied with what they look like with what they want to look like that they compare themselves with the ideal image (pg. 427). By promoting this ideal body the media has a large contribution to eating disorders among youth. As a result many teenagers lack self-esteem and confidence. Furthermore, media has completely re-defined what we are meant to look like today, when curves were seen as the new ideal figure. Hence today when the new figure is ideal thin, you wont ever see a fat, big person advertising a beauty product or a clothing range. Looking at magazines today all you see is an ideal image of a thin woman or model advertising a new collection of clothing. Why cant the media use all sizes of people in advertisement? This is because the media and the fashion industry promote the so call ideal image as being the new self: what teens today perceive to be like. Fashion magazines today see thin models like the famous Kate Moss one of the worlds top super model that represents the ideal perfect body image which many teenagers are aspiring to be like. Consequently many of these teenagers fall into this trap and dont understand that looking like their favourite model is unrealistic. This is not only unrealistic but also a issue in itself where many of these teens starve themselves which leads to eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia which also leads to depression. This affects not only their mental state but also physically. Many teens dont understand that the images they see in magazines of celebrities, models are retouched before they are printed out, the clothes they wear are duct taped to enhance fit, while many blemishes are covered or altered, thats not all they remove two inches from their thighs and the average model weighs 23- 25 per cent less than any average woman. Therefore all this is done to create an ideal or perfect body image that every young teen aspires to look like. This impulse to be thin leads many girls to have a negative body image which leads to many health problems such as eating disorders in order to achieve their desire for thinness. As a result the media carries a responsibility for how women and girls perceive themselves as well as the person of an opposite sex and how an ideal woman should look like. But w hat many young teen and woman fail to see it that beneath all that thinness lies self doubt and low self esteem. Many teens fail to see that they way they are whether it be fat or curvaceous they are beautiful. But the influence of media has redefined beautiful as the skinny and ugly a being curvaceous. Therefore this negative use of media influence has caused many young teens to look up to the ideal image.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Physics of Sailing :: physics sail boat sailing boating

A boat floating can be greatly appreciated, especially if you are in the boat at the time. But what keeps a boat from sinking? Physics can explain these concepts. There are many forces that act on a sailing ship to put it in motion, but the buoyant force is what is required to keep the boat from sinking. A buoyant force is the normal force that pushes up on the boat supporting its weight in a fluid. The buoyant force "equals the weight of the fluid displaced by the object."(pg.427, Serway and Jewett) This concept is Archimede's Principle. The pressure on an object in a fluid varies with the depth of that part of the object in the fluid. B=(P b – P t)A = (Ï  fluidgh)A = Ï  fluidgV B=Buoyant force P b=pressure at bottom P t=pressure at top A=area of bottom face Ï  fluid=fluid density g=gravity h= height V=volume of fluid displaced by object (formula from pg. 428, Serway and Jewett) "The fraction of the volume of a floating object that is below the fluid surface is equal to the ratio of the density of the object to that of the fluid."(p.429, Serway and Jewett) V fluid/Vobj = Ï  obj/Ï  fluid Vobj=volume of the object Ï  obj=density of the object Buoyancy of the craft is created by the shape of the hull, but also with buoyant materials in specific places. Air tanks, buoyancy bags, and polystyrene blocks are all used to add buoyancy to a boat. The figure below shows how the buoyant material should be distributed and the effects if it is not. figure from The Handbook of Sailing The distrubution of buoyancy is key to having the boat float properly. Bernoulli's principle is that the air moving past a foil, an object that has one curved side and one flat side, will take longer to move past the curved side than the flat side of the foil. This will cause the flat side to have higher air pressure and to exert a force on the object. The force cause a planes wing to lift and a sail to push a boat. "With the wind pushing on one side of the sails and the water pushing on the other side of the centerboard, the boat moves forward." (p. 35, Dellenbaugh) The angle at which sailing is important. A 45 degree angle to the wind is the most effective angle. Wind is what propels a sailing ship so weather has a large impact on the craft. Certain weather conditions are not suitable for sailing or specific crafts.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Romulus My Father Notes for Belonging

* Study Questions * * Chapter 1 * 1. Romulus has a crisis in identity. He feels he is accepted in society due to his skill in blacksmithing trade. Although accepted, he does not feel he belongs due to his culture and heritage. His character is tied up with a strong moral code, in working hard, pride, communal strength and contributing to society but has no confidence in identity and how he fits in. He â€Å"Always considered himself a Romanian. † And felt he belongs to that part of his heritage. He carried this culture through to Australia and keeps these character traits, which could be the reason he is separated socially.He is a religious man that takes education seriously and in the highest regards. He always knew poverty and hard work for the community rather than money, which is why he was able to work so hard as a blacksmith for no pay. This shows his strength of character and good work ethic. He felt attached to Europe and therefore detached from Australia. In retrospec t he was accepted by many people due to his hard work but still didn’t ‘belong’. * 2. Retrospective, hard working before and after school. Romulus prides himself on character.The luxury that he didn’t get his son now is able to enjoy. Also not having a childhood because he worked the whole time. Raimond was able to become a writer and enjoy more creative things in life. He had free time where as his father didn’t. His dad grew up with little money and had to work for all the money he needed where as Raimond didn’t have to work as much. Most importantly however, Raimond was able to enjoy a sense of belonging when he was growing up to his father and family. Romulus was unable to enjoy any real sense of belonging whilst growing up.Raymond would not have the same work ethic as his father; His dad thought that everything would revolve around his work. He worked before and after school. Romulus is a pragmatist or a practical man due to his job to g et things done. This is because of his lack of childhood he has no humor, etc. Raimond was not made to contribute to the family and community as much as his father. He doesn’t always need to work for money; he came from a communist country so he worked for community. Education was very important to him and becomes apparent through his child.He was a very strong, integrity, incorruptible, non-negotiable, religious and inflexible man. * 3. In ‘retrospect’ or hindsight Raimond is able to show his perspective contrasting to his fathers perspective. â€Å"Childhood as we know it† positions the reader to realize that childhood is a small time frame and many do not enjoy it such as his father. It makes people realize how hard times were back then. * 4. The use of past and present tense enables the author to show his perspective of things and relate things to present day situations. This also positions the reader to understand hindsight and retrospectively. 5. He was a working class opposed to middle class. This is because he is a blacksmith and works hard long hours to get money and gets by with minimalistic things. Romulus believes that she is snobbish and her activities such as going to the theatres were mistakenly snobby. Christine’s parents were able to accept him even though there was a distinct difference in class because of Romulus’ availability to clothes through the black-market. He was able to get food and clothes from the money he made. The money he earned allowed their relationship to be socially acceptable. * Chapter 2 * 6.The labels ‘immigrant’, ‘foreigner’ and ‘new Australian’ are used to set a tone of alienation. It creates a clear separation between the Australians and the â€Å"Bolts†. Romulus felt no anger or â€Å"no resentment or indignation, or any other response which depended on the assumption that he was owed something better. † He was able to reconc ile the terms above by having no negative feelings. He also held onto his â€Å"young dreams of a new life and so he saw his two years of bondage as a short interim,† * 7. (p. 13) Baringhup: hay day late 1800’s. Cheeses were famous won many prizes. Small town. 00 kids at school. Flourishing community and therefore belonging to community. 1950 became a ghost town. Rather sentimental, gaiter feels bad that the community has diminished. The juxtaposition between the two paragraphs of the heyday compared to the ghost town of 10 houses and convenience store. Camp swelled in gold rush. When they weren’t working, little to do. Movies on sat night and occasional dances hosted. Immigrants didn’t like the eucalyptus. * 8. The landscape became symbolic of Romulus’ sense of alienation because of the idea the Romulus feels like a stranger due to the environment.He doesn’t recognize the harsh and perceived blandness of the Australian scenery. He has a bur ning desire for the European atmosphere shown, â€Å"He longed for the generous and soft European foliage. † Romulus finds the gum trees, â€Å"Symbols of deprivation and barrenness† (p. 14) This shows him being alienated and feeling foreign due to the landscape and he feels that he would look â€Å"directly to the foliage and always turned away offended. † (p. 14) It is Romulus’ memories being based around the diverse and beautiful European environment that is one of the reasons he feels lost and separated in Australia. 9. Romulus establishes a sense of community in his new environment with the other Romanians, Hora and Mitru. â€Å"He asked the man who greeted any new arrivals whether there were any other Romanians. † In searching for them it shows his need to find a sense of belonging. â€Å"He sought them out and they became friends quickly,† depicts the idea that they all needed a companionship and somewhere to belong amongst the foreig n surroundings. This idea that it an essential part to the human spirit is demonstrated through the use of the concise phrasing and wording of this bonding.The lack of detail in this part shows that immediately they sorted out to find somewhere to belong and then after that was settled, other factors were now able to take place. This is reinforced by the principles of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It is through the searching for common people that Romulus shows his spiritual needs to belong and connect. * * Chapter 3 * 10. The landscape illustrates a feeling of belonging or alienation to a place. â€Å"A dead red gum stood only a hundred meters from the house and became for my mother a symbol of her desolation. This shows how the countryside invokes ideas of desolation and alienation into his mothers mind. The use of symbolism and irony of the Australian tree that is renowned for lasting through harsh conditions contrasting with Christine who has a mental breakdown and has to back away from many commitments and is viewed to have very little character and any sagaciousness towards going through a tough time. The peppercorns â€Å"were planted as though to mediate between local and European landscapes. † Shows that there is not only despondency with the outback but also a consciousness of belonging.These two quotes create a stark juxtaposition from the gum trees to the peppercorns, which reminded his father of home. This inkling is backed up with the description of Frogmore. The farm being a simple place with no electricity or running water, rats and snakes living under the house and 6-7 pounds for workers in the area creates the primitive existence. This contributes and reinforces the concept of isolation and desolation through surroundings. The use of the descriptive and almost poetic language emphasizes these points. Also Raimond retrospectively looks back at how his mother felt.These points demonstrate tensions between the desire to belong and alienation. * 11. Christine was always troubled and spoiled which lead to her suffering isolation. She stemmed to self-harm, then sort out reconciliation. She did this by looking for company or someone to belong to. She had an affair with Mitru, which didn’t last long. Due to her alienation, she felt deprived and overdosed on sleeping tablets. â€Å"She was alone, small, frail, walking with an uncertain gait and distracted air. † Shows how the separation has affected her. The use of visual imagery shows how small she is compared to the vast environment. †¦She appeared forsaken. † As though â€Å"†¦she had returned from the dead. † The use of Religious and biblical allusion create a mellow dramatic setting. People view her as a drama queen. Raimond writes the book in hindsight in a sorrowful manner. As though to give the reader the interpretation that he feels sorry for her and what she had to do. He tries to understand her feelings of isolation a nd seclusion. He tries to be sympathetic towards her in retrospect, even though at the time, she was widely considered pathetic. * 12. Romulus, as an immigrant from a European background, finds it hard to ‘fit in’ among Australians.This could be due to his character and strong moral codes, but also due to him just being different. Him being afraid of the snake, and â€Å"unused to the tinder-dry conditions† caused Romulus to set fire to a large proportion of the property. â€Å"My father was the focus of their hostile attention. † This goes to show that they do not accept him at this point in time and therefore does not belong to either the people or the environment. They all believe he is too different. This is juxtaposed with the change in shorter paragraph structure to emphasis the change in opinion.People â€Å"attributed his survival to my father’s prompt and sensible action. † This shows how he is not completely outcast and he does belo ng to certain parts of the society despite his differences and misunderstandings with some locals. * * Chapter 4 * 13. Hora’s connection with Romulus illustrates a deep sense of belonging and their combining for an enterprise. Hora however, does not respect Christine. There is a contrast between belonging with Hora and Romulus and his alienating attitude to Raimond’s mother. â€Å"He and Hora, together,† gives a hint of the bondage and belonging to one and other. They had quarreled and they quarreled,† deeply juxtaposes the idea of belonging and indicates a stark reality of separation and disconnection. â€Å"Heightened his impatience with my mother. † Shows that Hora has little respect for Christine. The constant argument between them also goes to show that he has such little respect for her. The emotive language used in â€Å"my mother was stricken with remorse,† helps to bring out the irony in the statement. The mother had not cared about her husband, was selfish, flirtatious with other men, exaggerated, had a false note and was incapable of sympathizing with another person yet she had â€Å"remorse†.We can see further disrespect through the use of prosaic and factual language: â€Å"Hora disliked her and did not respect her. † Also through the use of symbolism such as with the oranges, eggs and milk. They are symbols of looking after and a sense of responsibility, also the relationship tension between him and Christine. However a connection to Romulus and Raimond is shown through respect in contrast to disrespect with his mother. He goes to the effort to get oranges â€Å"each week he carried groceries, fruit and anything else we needed† p. 45 â€Å"my mother was unmoved by his efforts† p. 45.The eggs are a positive symbol of belonging, responsibilities from belonging, carrying the family, respect for Romulus and therefore belonging to family. It also is a symbol of livelihood. The milk s hows responsibility of wanting Raimond to eat right and again respecting Romulus’ ways. â€Å"Carried†¦in a heavy sack on his back† symbolizes him carrying the weight and responsibility of belonging to the family on his back. This is the upmost respect for Romulus, doing it whilst despising Christine in the process. Hora carrying them It is through these statements that we can clearly see the contrasting respect for Christine to Romulus. 14. ‘Pass auf mein lieber Fritz’ exemplifies the connection between Hora and Raimond. This represents Hora’s sense of responsibility and mark of respect to Romulus. â€Å"Our previously affectionate relationship,† shows a strong connection between the two. Although it changes slightly due to disciplinary action, he still is a ‘father figure’ and they find a feeling of belonging to each other. The use of a cliche â€Å"when I was sailing close to the wind,† emphasizes the belonging and respect that Raimond has for Hora, that he would never try to cross the border line.The relationship serves a purpose of showing belonging to each other but not belonging with place. Their close attachment through alienation, because they feel so left out, they form a close relationship with each other. The close bond between them is symbolic of him belonging to the family in replace of Romulus as a â€Å"step in father†. This close relationship is shown. * 15. Like most Europeans sets Romulus apart from Raimond because of the strong moral codes. The razor is important because it shows how strong Romulus’s moral code is. Raimond lied about steeling the razor.Romulus gets more ‘angry’ about him lying about it rather than steeling it as well. This shows the strength in his moral code and overreacts with a vicious beating of Raimond for a corruption in his character. We see the repetition or theme of character appearing in this part of the chapter. This focu s of character emphasizes the disconnection, difference and contrast between Romulus â€Å"like most Europeans† and Raimond. As Raimond didn’t see himself as European he feels the isolation and separation in pressure on strength of character.Romulus also feels disconnected as Raimond says retrospectively, â€Å"He feared that I would be like my mother. † This shows that Romulus feels Raimond is closer to his mother than him and could maybe belong better with her. The â€Å"cut throat razor† shows the difference in times as Romulus values the razor for its â€Å"craftsmanship† and aesthetic value. Raimond however, feels that it could be used to cut wood and doesn’t value it as much and therefore throws it in the river. This again shows the lack of belonging Raimond has to his fathers European background.Retrospectively he looks at them belonging to each other and he has utmost respect for his father even though at the time there is more tensi on and disconnection. â€Å"I knew my father valued truthfulness above most things,† This sets high moral codes which may have led to him not belonging due to the higher than normal standards and values set. Through this we can see Raimond and Romulus are separated through this strong moral code even though they may appear to belong. * 16. The relationship between father and son is strongly depicted through the Spartan description of Frogmore life.There is a change in language, the Spartan lifestyle shown by simple, banal and prosaic sort of language. This is a symbol of a beginning to belong to each other and possibly the environment. This contrasts with the next passage, which is crammed with rich and emotive language. This also shows a sense of connection and belonging to education and the belief in learning they posses. Romulus’ leg is mended and he is able to go back to his trade, being a blacksmith. This creates a sense of harmony. Romulus becomes connected, not with community but with his son, trade, past and background.Descriptive language highlights the new sense of belonging. â€Å"This was better than the poultry farming. †, â€Å"Classical hammer beaten iron work†, â€Å"Took such pride†, â€Å"crafted so superbly†, â€Å"copious amounts of fruit†. These use excessive adjectives, over description and exaggeration to create an appearance of harmony and peace to the reader. This helps the reader to become more attached to their relationship after times of adversity. This is a happy time for Romulus and therefore a happy time for his son. Present participles have an emotive effect all creating a sense of belonging between father and son.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Belief in Allah

What is Belief in Allah and its effects The Islamic faith is based on belief in Allah. When a person believes that the heavens and the earth and the world around him have been created by Him, and it is He who is governing them and it is He who will one Day call all mankind to account, then this is the beginning of religious awareness. Quite obviously, it is necessary that people have a true conception of their Creator. For this, they must have knowledge of the rational grounds of His existence as well as knowledge about gaining His correct recognition (ma`rifat).In this article we shall dwell upon these twin issues. | We shall first take up the issue of the Almighty's existence. A logical starting point in this regard would be to analyze all human sources of knowledge. A little deliberation shows that, apart from Divine Guidance revealed to the Prophets, man has three sources of knowledge. We shall examine each one of them. a) Faculty of Intuition: Certain a priori information exists in every person's intuition: it pertains to the knowledge which is not learned through the senses but which is innate and inborn in an individual.This innate information consists of various concepts. For example the concept of contradiction is information present in our intuition. This concept, of course, is not a tangible thing. However, we apply this concept to a certain phenomenon and conclude that contradiction exists. b) Faculty of Sense Perception: Similarly, man receives knowledge through his five senses from the external environment. A person's senses are his receptors, which link him to the outside world. He sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes a thing and gets information about it.Moreover, this information gathered by the senses is transmitted to the later generations and such information becomes established history. c) Faculty of Reason: Now, the human faculty of reason collates the information that it receives through the senses with the innate information present i n human intuition. This internal analysis produces results, which, if proven correct, become facts and add to the treasure of human knowledge. One form of this analysis is called induction i. e. general laws are deduced by analyzing particular examples.Many conclusions reached in this regard are not tangible facts. In fact, these conclusions are supported by evidence that exists in the external world. Most scientific laws which have been discovered are of this nature. One does not see the force of gravity, yet undeniable proof exists of its existence. Similarly, it is a fact that the earth is rotating on its axis at a very high speed and also, at the same time, revolving round the sun. Obviously, these are things our senses do not register; yet this rotation and this revolution are irrefutable realities.The Oneness of Allah We sent no Messenger before you without revealing to him, â€Å"There is no god but Me, so worship Me (alone)†Ã‚  (Al-Anbiya  21:25). The Oneness of All ah, known as  tawhid,  is the first and paramount constituent of the Islamic concept, as it is the fundamental truth of the Islamic faith. It is also one of the chief characteristics of the Islamic concept because, among all the belief systems and philosophies currently prevailing among human beings, only the Islamic faith can be characterized as having a pure form of monotheism.This is why we have included â€Å"The Oneness of Allah† as one of the characteristics of the Islamic concept. The evidence of reason that Allah exists: all these created things, past, present and future, must have a Creator Who brought them into existence, because it is not possible for them to have created themselves or to have come into existence by accident. It is impossible for them to have come into existence by themselves because a thing cannot create itself; before it existed it was non-existent, so how could it be a creator?!And it is impossible for them to have come into existence by acc ident, because everything that happens must have a cause. Moreover, this creation is done in a wondrous and precise manner, and every created being is in harmony with the rest of creation, and there is a strong connection between cause and effect. All of this makes it impossible that this universe could have come into being accidentally, because what happens accidentally does not happen in a precise and perfect manner, so how could it remain so precisely balanced?If it is not possible for these things to have created themselves or to have come into existence by accident, then there must be One Who brought them into existence, namely Allah the Lord of the Worlds. Allah has mentioned this rational evidence and definitive proof in Surah At-Toor, where He says: â€Å"Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? † (Glorious Qur'aan: Surah At-Toor, 52: v35) All the basic principles of Islam are fully dealt with in the Holy Quran, and so is the doctrine of fai th in God, where of the corner stone is belief in the unity of God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic belief. Belief in Allah What is Belief in Allah and its effects The Islamic faith is based on belief in Allah. When a person believes that the heavens and the earth and the world around him have been created by Him, and it is He who is governing them and it is He who will one Day call all mankind to account, then this is the beginning of religious awareness. Quite obviously, it is necessary that people have a true conception of their Creator. For this, they must have knowledge of the rational grounds of His existence as well as knowledge about gaining His correct recognition (ma`rifat).In this article we shall dwell upon these twin issues. | We shall first take up the issue of the Almighty's existence. A logical starting point in this regard would be to analyze all human sources of knowledge. A little deliberation shows that, apart from Divine Guidance revealed to the Prophets, man has three sources of knowledge. We shall examine each one of them. a) Faculty of Intuition: Certain a priori information exists in every person's intuition: it pertains to the knowledge which is not learned through the senses but which is innate and inborn in an individual.This innate information consists of various concepts. For example the concept of contradiction is information present in our intuition. This concept, of course, is not a tangible thing. However, we apply this concept to a certain phenomenon and conclude that contradiction exists. b) Faculty of Sense Perception: Similarly, man receives knowledge through his five senses from the external environment. A person's senses are his receptors, which link him to the outside world. He sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes a thing and gets information about it.Moreover, this information gathered by the senses is transmitted to the later generations and such information becomes established history. c) Faculty of Reason: Now, the human faculty of reason collates the information that it receives through the senses with the innate information present i n human intuition. This internal analysis produces results, which, if proven correct, become facts and add to the treasure of human knowledge. One form of this analysis is called induction i. e. general laws are deduced by analyzing particular examples.Many conclusions reached in this regard are not tangible facts. In fact, these conclusions are supported by evidence that exists in the external world. Most scientific laws which have been discovered are of this nature. One does not see the force of gravity, yet undeniable proof exists of its existence. Similarly, it is a fact that the earth is rotating on its axis at a very high speed and also, at the same time, revolving round the sun. Obviously, these are things our senses do not register; yet this rotation and this revolution are irrefutable realities.The Oneness of Allah We sent no Messenger before you without revealing to him, â€Å"There is no god but Me, so worship Me (alone)†Ã‚  (Al-Anbiya  21:25). The Oneness of All ah, known as  tawhid,  is the first and paramount constituent of the Islamic concept, as it is the fundamental truth of the Islamic faith. It is also one of the chief characteristics of the Islamic concept because, among all the belief systems and philosophies currently prevailing among human beings, only the Islamic faith can be characterized as having a pure form of monotheism.This is why we have included â€Å"The Oneness of Allah† as one of the characteristics of the Islamic concept. The evidence of reason that Allah exists: all these created things, past, present and future, must have a Creator Who brought them into existence, because it is not possible for them to have created themselves or to have come into existence by accident. It is impossible for them to have come into existence by themselves because a thing cannot create itself; before it existed it was non-existent, so how could it be a creator?!And it is impossible for them to have come into existence by acc ident, because everything that happens must have a cause. Moreover, this creation is done in a wondrous and precise manner, and every created being is in harmony with the rest of creation, and there is a strong connection between cause and effect. All of this makes it impossible that this universe could have come into being accidentally, because what happens accidentally does not happen in a precise and perfect manner, so how could it remain so precisely balanced?If it is not possible for these things to have created themselves or to have come into existence by accident, then there must be One Who brought them into existence, namely Allah the Lord of the Worlds. Allah has mentioned this rational evidence and definitive proof in Surah At-Toor, where He says: â€Å"Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators? † (Glorious Qur'aan: Surah At-Toor, 52: v35) All the basic principles of Islam are fully dealt with in the Holy Quran, and so is the doctrine of fai th in God, where of the corner stone is belief in the unity of God. Tawhid is the most important Islamic belief.