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Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Hariharan N The Musical Genius Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hariharan N The Musical Genius - Essay Example This gave way to many concerts, television performance and even TV serial such as â€Å"Junoon†. In 1994, he received the Best Album of the Year Award for the song Abshaar-e-Ghazal. In 1998, he was awarded as the â€Å"Best Male Playback Singer† by the Tamil Nadu State Government Film Awards for his song â€Å"Mere dushman mere bhai†. All of the awards however were nothing compared to the milestone that he achieved in the year 1996, the time when his fusion album ( Indian-English ) â€Å" Colonial Cousins† made him a celebrity. It was a collaboration between Bombay-based composer/singer Leslie Lewis and him. It was popular due to the fact that it : "Colonial Cousins" became the first Indian act to be featured on MTV Unplugged and also won the pair a string of national and international awards, including the MTV Indian Viewers Choice award and US Billboards award†( Hariharan mysticamusic.com ) The popular album showcased Harahan’s musical prowess as a co-writer , musical scorer and artist. This is a hard combination to beat even amongst young artists of today where singing is the only forte one has. What was outstanding about Harihan is that he was able to â€Å" scale the song Hamsathwani raga in three octaves, hitting the lowest and highest notes with equal facility. His other songs like â€Å"Feel Alright â€Å" is a perfect example of fusion wherein he was able to sing the English lyrics yet in typical Indian folk style.

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Value of Early Marriage in Islam Essay Example for Free

The Value of Early Marriage in Islam Essay Because of Islams great love for marriage, it has strongly emphasized that people get married as soon as possible. This is more so for women, and the Prophet (s) and Imams (as) have strongly emphasized that it is the responsibility of a father to ensure that his daughters become married as soon as possible. This is in order so that the woman may not fall into fornication as a result of not being able to marry, and that this very important part of her life become dealt with as soon as possible. We see this reflected in the following ahadeeth: 1.It is a blessing for a man that his daughter does not menstruate in his home.1 2.The Prophet (s) said in a khutbah: Jibrail came to me from the Subtle and Aware one [Allah (swt)], and said: Indeed, virgin girls are like fruit on a tree. When you take the fruit from a tree, then you do not have to fear that the sun will spoil it or that the wind will scatter it away. Similar is the case when a women is taken in the way that they are taken [meaning marriage]. There is no remedy for this problem except that they take a husband, and if they do not, then one will have to fear that they will become corrupted. Beyond this, Islam also believes that women have a stronger sexual urge then men, and that this urge should be satisfied at an early age. There are many narrations, from both Sunni and Shia sources, that state that women have nine times as much sexual desire as men: 1.Imam Ali (as) said: Allah the Mighty and Glorified has created desire in ten parts; nine of these parts are in women, and one part is in men. Had not Allah (swt) given more power to her modesty than over these parts of desire, then every man would find himself with nine women attached to him. 2.Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: Indeed, Allah the Mighty and Glorious has given women the patience of ten men. If a woman is fighting with you, then it is because she has been given the desire of ten men. 3.Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: Women have been blessed with ninety nine percent of desire, however Allah has placed modesty over them. As such, when a girl is young, this force will be even stronger in her, and so it is more important that she not fall into sin. If a father is to be considered the guardian of his daughter, then it is one of his duties to make sure that she does not fall into sin by using his age and experience to help find for her a proper husband at an early age. It is even said of slave-masters that they should either marry their slave girls or find husband for them, and that if they fornicate, the sin will be on himself. However, Muslims have tended to forget this teaching of the Prophets (s) and Imams (as). The growth of a middle-class throughout the Muslim world has led families to become more concerned with their daughters education and work then with their spiritual life, and fear that if they marry their daughters at an early age, the girls will not be able to complete their education. Even if this were true, it would still be inexcusable to make it difficult for young girls to get married, for then one will be putting pressure on them to fornicate. The fact is that it is not true that girls will somehow fail in life if they marry at an early age. A woman can balance the demands of her marital life and her educational/professional life, and should be allowed and encouraged to do so. It is important, as well, that as girls enter adolescence, that Islam is not being used as a barrier upon them enjoying their life and fulfilling themselves sexually. When Muslim families put pressure on their daughters not to marry and seek to isolate them from this blessing of marriage, it is only natural that many young women will turn against practices like hijab and other aspects of Islam. Lack of satisfaction in the area of sex will lead to depression and frustration, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Parents should not only allow their daughters freedom in this regard, but should actively encourage them. The fact is that young men and women will usually get together anyways, and a young woman may very well connect with a young man whose morals and character are less than satisfactory. By families openly involving themselves in this aspect of their daughters life from an early age, they can not only help their daughters to quickly find what they need in terms of their love life, but also help to guide their daughters to a marriage that will be beneficial for her, both emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When the parents refuse to help, however, then they are leaving their daughter to her own devices in finding a path to dealing with her sexuality. She may restrain herself until her family allows her to marry, or she may not. But at that stage, the family will not play any role in that decision one way or the other. It is also the obligation of the family to make it easy for a husband to marry his daughter, and not place the kind of absurd demands upon a prospective husband that are made now. Filled by love of dunya, many families will only marry their daughter to a rich man with a PhD or several degrees in engineering or what have you. This, even more than the restrictions they place on their own daughters, creates a terrible barrier on a young woman getting married, as it makes it impossible for her to find somebody similar in age. Enormous dowries are another source of fitna in this regard, and this practice has been condemned in the ahadeeth: 1.The Prophet (s) said: The best of womenare those who ask for low dories. 2.Imam as-Sadiq (as) states: The blessed of women are those who ask for small living expenses, and the evil of them are those who are demanding in terms of living expenses. The practice of large dowries is even more haram, however, because it is almost always done for the sake of show inside the community, which is a form of shirkthat is most condemned in Islam. We see that, tragically, many families are willing to sacrifice the happiness of their daughter during her adolescence for the sake of their appearance in the community. It is interesting to note that most cases of huge dowry, the daughter had no interest in a large dowry. She would ask for something extremely small, or even want to wave it altogether. But then the family steps in and demands thousands upon thousands of dollars in dowry, and then forces the daughter to make a decision between her husband-to-be and her family. Usually she will choose the family, especially since the family will make all manner of threats about what will happen if she goes ahead with a marriage they dont approve of (Your uncle in Pakistan will kill himself, your father will lose his job, etc., etc., etc.) Nothing could be more reprehensible than for families to blackmail their daughters in this way, and it is a terrible cause of fitna amongst the youth. We see that someulama in Iran today, such as Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini, have been very strong in condemning this practice, for they have seen how harmful it is to the spiritual state of the youth. Many famlies are under the deluded impression that if they make it impossible for their daughters to marry that the girls will simply sit tight until the permission and possibility of marriage comes. Certainly many do; but of course, as is human nature, many dont. It is entirely possible that the sin of fornication may fall upon the heads of the people who prevented the young from marrying, rather than the young themselves. There is a story that a man was brought to Imam Ali (as) to be punished for fornication. He asked the man if he had been able to marry, and the man said that nobody would allow him to marry, nor did he have the money to purchase a slave girl. Imam Ali (as) then let him go. The authenticity of this story is not verified, but the import remains: that a society that makes it impossible for the young to satisfy themselves sexually is responsible for the fornication that inevitably results. If the young cannot receive the blessing and assistance of their parents in this regard, then it is their duty to rebel against these pressures. We have discussed, elsewhere, the fact that it is not obligatory for a mature girl to seek the permission of her parents to marry, but merely recommended. A system of culture and overly conservative jurisprudence has combined to place barriers on the young, and the only way to break through this is for the young to, quite simply, rebel, and take the matter of marriage into their own hands. It is the right of every mature and sound-minded person to marry, and marriage is one of the greatest blessings of Islam. If the older generation are not willing to accept this fact, than it is upon the younger generation to break the chains that have been set upon them.

Saturday, October 26, 2019

The Pigman :: essays research papers

The Pigman   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The topic I chose to write about is lonely. Many characters in The Pigman are lonely. Some of the characters in the story that are lonely are John, Loraine, Mr.Pignati, and Bobo. My definition of lonely is to be by ones self. Another definition of lonely is being forgotten, left alone. An example of lonely is â€Å"The boy was left alone in the park.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story, the most lonely character was Mr.Pignati. He was lonely because he had no children and his wife recently passed away. Mr.Pignati always went to the zoo. The reason he went to the zoo was to see his best friend, a baboon named Bobo. Bobo was lonely to.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Loraine was lonely at times to. She was lonely when she first moved there. No one would talk to her and she started to get upset because of this. Then one day John had to sit next to her on the bus and he started laughing. Loraine told him to shut up and this is when they became friends. They started the L&J fund together and this is how they met Mr.Pignati.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At one time they took the other baboon out of his cage. He got so lonesome one week he wouldn’t eat. Bobo got very sick. Mr.pignati would always visit him to make sure he was getting better. Loraine and John would also go with Mr.Pignati to visit Bobo. Bobo got pneumonia and died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They started out not very trusting Mr.Pignati, but then they found out he wasn’t such a bad guy. They started to visit him more often and became good friends with him. They went shopping and to the zoo and played memory games with each other. They went roller balding together and Mr.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Aids essay

Nowadays, with the developed industrialization there are a lot of dangerous diseases which have influence on the people. There are the cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s etc. One of them is AIDS – the serious disease. Unfortunately, day by day the number of people who are infected with Aids is increasing. Infected people are very weak to fight off other infectious disease and soon they will die. AIDS is one of the dangerous diseases, so the people need to know about how to prevent it.Acquired Immune-Deficiency Syndrome, popularly known by its abbreviation AIDS is a fatal disease as it attacks and destroys the immune system of the body. It is caused by a virus called Human Immuno Deficiency Virus or HIV in short. HIV damages body’s immune system by destroying white blood cells which help us to destroy invaded pathogens. When HIV enters a white blood cell, it may remain dormant. However, once it is activated, it infects another cell to produce many new HIVS. After a certain period of time, the white blood cells are destroyed and leading to a loss of function of the immune system (Y.K. Ho,2004). The first ever case of a person with AIDS was detected in America in 1959 which later emerged as a dreadfully widespread disease in the 1980s in countries like France, , Belgium, Uganda, Zambia Tanzania, Zimbabwe etc. Moreover, AIDS was first clinically observed in 1981 in the United States. [The initial cases were a cluster of injecting drug users and homosexual men with no known cause of impaired immunity who showed symptoms of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), a rare opportunistic infection that was known to occur in people with very compromised immune systems.Soon thereafter, an unexpected number of gay men developed a previously rare skin cancer called Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Many more cases of PCP and KS emerged, alerting U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and a CDC task force was formed to monitor the outbreak. In the early days, the CDC did not have an official name for the disease, often referring to it by way of the diseases that were associated with it, for example, lymphadenopathy, the disease after which the discoverers of HIV originally named the virus.They also used Kaposi's Sarcoma and Opportunistic Infections, the name by which a task force had been set up in 1981. At one point, the Center of Diseases Control coined the phrase â€Å"the 4H disease†, since the syndrome seemed to affect Haitians, homosexuals, hemophiliacs, and heroin users. In the general press, the term â€Å"GRID†, which stood for gay-related immune deficiency, had been coined. However, after determining that AIDS was not isolated to the gay community, it was realized that the term GRID was misleading and the term AIDS was introduced at a meeting in July 1982.By September 1982 the CDC started referring to the disease as AIDS. HIV is a fast spreading disease in the world which if—not controlled—can take an epidemic proportion. According to the data and statistics of World Health Organization, global summary of the AIDS epidemic, 2009, the number of people living with HIV is around 33. 3 million and AIDS death in 2009 is around 1. 8 million. The highest numbers of AIDS cases are found in Mumbai in India which is known as die AIDS capital of the country and is closely followed by Chennai, Thiruvanandiapuram, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Kolhapur.Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Delhi too have a number of HIV cases being reported in die recent years. As per die common myth, HIV infection is not contagious as is measles, chicken pox, tuberculosis, cholera, plague, smallpox etc. The infection mainly spreads through a sexual route or blood to blood contact. HIV spreads mainly through sexual relationship-whether heterosexual or homosexual with an infected partner, transfusion of HIV infected blood and blood products, use of infected syringes or needles and is passed on by an infected mother to her unborn child.It is therefore, foolish to believe that HIV spreads through mosquitoes, embracing, holding, touching or kissing each other, shaking hands, coughing, sneezing, spitting, sharing of public toilets or swimming pools, sharing meals or eating from the same plates, or sharing clothes, bed sheets, or attending similar schools or working together. There are many causes to explain why people got AIDS and there are also some serious effects. The first cause can be because they did not recieve enough information about specific illnesses like AIDS.So to help us to prevent AIDS: we need to educate the children carefully. It is because AIDS has existed since many years ago. Although many scientists have tried to discover the treatment against this terrible disease, they have not found some patent treatments yet. Scientists caution that a safe, effective vaccine against HIV may be at least a decade away, mainly because, like the influenza virus, HIV mutates (changes structure ) quickly, producing different strains. An ideal vaccine must be able to stimulate neutralization of both â€Å"free† viruses and those hidden within lymphocytes, such s T-helper cells. Researchers in various countries have developed and are testing a few preliminary vaccines. One sub-unit vaccine, made from virus coat material (a glycoprotein) genetically cloned in an insect virus (the baculovirus, which attacks moths and butterflies but no humans) has been shown to stimulate an immune response in experimental animals. Another preliminary vaccine, produced by cloning modified Vaccinia viruses, containing a portion of HIV envelope, is about to enter clinical trials in New York. But to date no vaccine tried in animals or humans has been shown to prevent AIDS.The best way to avoid AIDS is to regard it as a highly lethal disease and practice commonsense prevention. Avoiding infection is in one’s own hands. People can protect themselves. To halt its spread, people are enco uraged to obtain and apply accurate AIDS information to their living styles and sexual habits in order to reduce the risk of getting or transmitting the virus. Sadly, health promoters claim that â€Å"reaching the many who don't want to know† is no easy task. Health promoters suggest that educators must learn how and when to communicate AIDS information – in the right way at â€Å"teachable† moments.Many Public Health Departments are now taking the lead in disseminating education about AIDS with large scale public awareness programs. On the other hand, there are many ways to reduce AIDS, but the primary way is have a protective sex. One of the examined showed that consistent condom use reduces the risk of HIV transmission by approximately 80% over the long term. When one partner of a couple is infected, consistent condom use results in rates of HIV infection for the uninfected person of below 1% per year.There is some evidence to suggest that female condoms may provide an equivalent level of protection. Application of a vaginal gel containing tenofovir (a reverse transcriptase inhibitor) immediately before sex seems to reduce infection rates by approximately 40% among African women. By contrast, use of the spermicide nonoxynol-9 may increase the risk of transmission due to its tendency to cause vaginal and rectal irritation. Circumcision in Sub-Saharan Africa â€Å"reduces the acquisition of HIV by heterosexual men by between 38% and 66% over 24 months†.Based on these studies, the World Health Organization and UNAIDS both recommended male circumcision as a method of preventing female-to-male HIV transmission in 2007. Whether it protects against male-to-female transmission is disputed and whether it is of benefit in developed countries and among men who have sex with men is undetermined. Some experts fear that a lower perception of vulnerability among circumcised men may result in more sexual risk-taking behavior, thus negating its p reventive effects.Women who have undergone female genital cutting have an increased risk of HIV. Programs encouraging sexual abstinence do not appear to affect subsequent HIV risk. Evidence for a benefit from peer education is equally poor. Comprehensive sexual education provided at school may decrease high risk behavior. A substantial minority of young people continues to engage in high-risk practices despite knowing about HIV/AIDS, underestimating their own risk of becoming infected with HIV.It is not known if treating other sexually transmitted infections is effective in preventing HIV. To conclude, AIDS is a very dangerous diseases, so it needs to be controlled.. We must go to all extremes in preventing this virus from spreading much more that it already has. If you could spread it then you need to be tested, educated, isolated and treated. We must do all that it takes to prevent someone else from being infected. References Aids. In Wikipedia. com. Retrieved from http://en. wiki pedia. org/wiki/HIV/AIDS

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Distracted While Driving

Distracted While Driving Virtually anyone who has a driver’s license has been introduced to the idea that distracted driving causes accidents. However, the consequences of distracted driving are far more than just predictable and often taken lightly. Predictable events can be avoided. Since these are predictable events they are preventable. The choices that drivers make affect more people than they may realize, thus making them responsible for the consequences that result from those choices.On a daily basis more than 15 American deaths and another 1,200 injuries are attributed to drivers that are distracted while driving on the very roads most of us use every day (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 7). Distractions can be controlled at a minimum by drivers that make the choice to drive responsibly. There are three types of distractions that have been labeled as the â€Å"triple threat† to driving; Visual distraction, manual distraction, and cognitive distraction ar e the makeup of this triple threat (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 6).Paying more attention to texting than to crossing the street or driving a car portrays a visual distraction that can result in dire consequences. Texting has proven to take at least part of the driver’s visual focus away from the task of driving in order to read or send a text message (Gardner, page 1). Contents of text messages usually require the driver’s visual focus, even if for just a few seconds. The visual awareness is negatively affected when this happens because the driver is no longer watching the road and cannot react to unforeseen events in a timely manner.Elevated risks of being in an accident that involves texting while driving presents a serious public safety hazard. â€Å"This problem may become more severe as more texting teens become licensed drivers, and more adults add text messaging to their battery of cell phone communication abilities† (Gardner, page 1). The mor e attention that is paid to texting means that more attention is being diverted from performing activities that require visual perception, and which can escalate to manual distractions (Gardner, page 3).One or both hands off the wheel of a car while driving is most often related to multi-tasking, and is considered a manual distraction that is categorized as a â€Å"preventable† contributor (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 6). Preventable driving behaviors that include dialing, talking and listening to cell phones contribute to road hazards at alarming rates. Delays in reacting to potential hazards while driving caused by preoccupations with mobile communications result in accidents that are often times more severe to the drivers and passengers involved in the accident.Additional contributing factors to manual distractions are the use of GPS navigation systems, eating, drinking, and bending down to grab something off of the floor or inside a handbag while driving. Mult i-tasking while driving is often dictated from our hectic lives at the cost of injury to ourselves or to others in correlation with both manual and cognitive distractions. Cognitive distractions occur when a driver’s mind is not focused on driving.Listening to a favorite radio station, talking to another passenger, and being preoccupied with issues pertaining to work or family formulate a distractive environment for a driver. Drivers who talk on cell phones are four times more likely to crash than non-distracted drivers (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 7). This means that driving while talking on a cell phone is as risky as driving while drunk. Cognitive overload is described as being out of sync with the rhythm of the road and the rhythm of talk (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 7).There are five tips on how to avoid common driving distractions: turn off your cell phone, use a hands free device only in cases of emergency, make sure all passengers have a safety belt equipped, eat before or after you drive, and program your GPS before you leave your driveway or parking lot. If you have to deal with any of these or other issues while driving pull over to the side of the road to address the given situation. Following these steps can assist in preventing the loss of life due to distracted driving.The cognitive distractions caused by the use of mobile phones while driving usually cause vehicular accidents to be more severe, however there are steps that can be taken to improve both personal and public safety; it’s up to us to take those steps (Professional Safety, page 1). Visual, manual and cognitive distractions that occur simultaneously while driving are a recipe for vehicular related fatalities involving American teenagers, and often times unsuspecting victims as a result (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 6).Hand-held cell phones involve visual distraction while dialing, manual distraction while holding the phone, and cognitiv e distraction throughout the whole use of the device (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 7). Informing old drivers and introducing new drivers to the dangers of being distracted while driving may raise support in preventing the use of hand held devices while driving. If our society does nothing to stress the importance of awareness while driving, the fatality statistics will only become more severe each passing month.It can be very tempting to answer the cell phone, respond to a text message, reprogram the GPS, and perhaps even grab that bite to eat on the way to work but is the risk worth the cost? Resisting the temptation and focusing on the road will enable a driver to react to unexpected events and maybe avoid a collision with another unsuspecting driver. Personal responsibility ultimately is the solution to distracted driving and contributes to saving lives. â€Å"Just as it is no longer socially acceptable to drive without a seat belt, or drive drunk, it must no longer b e acceptable to text while driving† (Gardner, page 10).Driving is a demanding visual, manual, and cognitive activity that has no room for multi-tasking in it without risk to someone’s life or injury (Harvard Men’s Health Watch, page 7). References Distracted driving: Fast lane to disaster. (May 2012). Harvard Men’s Health Watch, 16(10), 6-7. Distracted Driving Problem Extends Beyond Texting. (February 2012). Professional Safety, 57(2), 24. Gardner, L. A. (November 2010). Wat 2 do abt txt’n & drv’n (aka: What to do about the problem of texting while driving? ). CPCU Ejournal, 63(11), 1-13.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Sonnet 116 Analysis

Sonnet 116 Analysis Sonnet 116 is one of the most famous poems in Shakespeare’s â€Å"Sonnet† collection. The popularity of this poem can only be matched by that of other poems such as sonnet 18 and 130. Sonnet 116 is often referred to by its first line, â€Å"Let me not to the Marriage of True Minds†.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sonnet 116 Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The type of love that is defined in this poem has been replicated in various poetic works. In this poem, Shakespeare paints the picture of what constitutes an ideal love. The poem talks about a love that never changes, never admits inferiorities, never fades, and goes beyond death. This poem represents Shakespeare’s innermost beliefs about love. Shakespeare’s description of love in this sonnet is often quoted by other numerous works of literature. The love defined in this poem has often been thought to be an acc urate representation of true love. According to the speaker in this poem, love that is immortal, permanent, and never changing qualifies to be termed as true love. The last line of the poem captures this sentiment using the words that â€Å"†¦no man has ever loved† (Shakespeare 14). Shakespeare subdivides his poem in a manner that covers his core beliefs about love. This subdivision makes it simple for the poet’s message to be understood. The first part of this poem addresses the unchangeable aspect of love. The second part of the poem addresses the permanent nature of love by likening it to a â€Å"guiding star unshaken by tempests† (Shakespeare 6). The third subdivision of this poem argues that the nature of love is not subject to the passage of time. This means that love is not supposed to change as time passes. The subdivision of the poem into opinions about love helps simplify this poem. This arrangement is also used to build momentum for Shakespeareâ €™s message (Vendler 56). Shakespeare uses a strong first line to convey his innermost feelings about love. The first line in this poem is Shakespeare’s declaration about his intentions not to interfere with the union between two lovers. In the first line, the speaker declares that â€Å"Let me not to the marriage of true minds† (Shakespeare 1). It is the poet’s belief that nothing should come between two people who are in love. The powerful message in the poem’s first line is matched by a strong closing line. In the last line of the sonnet, the speaker reckons that if love ends, it never existed in the first place. The message found between the opening and closing lines is able to maintain the poem’s original momentum.Advertising Looking for research paper on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another sign of Shakespeare’s deep understanding of true love is the recognition of true love’s biggest enemy. According to the speaker, love’s biggest deterrent is the passage of time. To emphasize the importance of this recognition, the poet capitalizes one line in the poem. The ninth and the tenth lines in the poem say that â€Å"Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks/ Within his bending sickle’s compass come† (Shakespeare 9). The ninth line in the poem capitalizes the word ‘time’ to indicate that Shakespeare considers time an important aspect in the dynamics of love. According to Shakespeare, time is love’s greatest enemy. In the tenth line, the poet used the word sickle to underline the destructive nature of time. Just like death carries a sickle waiting to pounce on life, time scouts around waiting to pounce on love. Shakespeare argues that true love cannot be overcome by the element of time. In addition, true love cannot be ‘fooled by time’ or be me asured by the passage of time. Shakespeare’s understanding of true love is that it is eternal and it is not affected by passage of time. The language and the style used in this poem only enhances Shakespeare’s message of love. The poet uses imagery and metaphors sparingly and stays true to his love message. Even when imagery is used in the poem, it only serves the purpose of enhancing the message of love. The most prominent imagery in this poem is the sickle of time. On the other hand, the most prominent metaphor in this poem is that of â€Å"love as a guiding star† (Nelson and Cling 16). This metaphor overstates the poet’s views about the importance of love. Considering this is a standard poem, this is very reserved use of stylistic devices. By abstaining from heavy use of stylistic devices, Shakespeare is able to convey the deep nature of the love he is talking about in the poem. Even the poem’s structure is used to underline the message of love and its deep nature. The poem flows from start to finish and makes use of rhyme patterns in the process. The primary rhyme in this poem is quite strong while the secondary rhyme pattern bears the weaker rhymes. The last line in the poem indicates how much faith Shakespeare has with this message. In the last line Shakespeare, declares that if his claims were wrong, he would refrain from writing. Moreover, Shakespeare declares that if this message is wrong all his other messages are also wrong.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Sonnet 116 Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Nelson, Jeffrey and Andrew Cling. Loves Logic Lost: The Couplet of Shakespeares Sonnet 116. Quarterly Journal of Short Articles, Notes and Reviews 13.3 (2000): 14-19. Print. Shakespeare, William. Shakespeares Sonnets, London, United Kingdom: Oxford UP, 1936. Print. Vendler, Helen. The Art of Shakespeares Sonnets, New York, NY: Harvard University Press, 2007. Print.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Definition and Examples of Descriptive Grammar

Definition and Examples of Descriptive Grammar The term descriptive grammar refers to an objective, nonjudgmental description of the grammatical constructions in a language. Its an examination of how a language is actually being used, in writing and in speech. Specialists in descriptive  grammar  (linguists) examine the principles and patterns that underlie the use of words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Kirk Hazen notes, Descriptive grammars  do not give advice: They detail the ways in which  native speakers  use their language. A descriptive grammar is a survey of a language. For any living language, a descriptive grammar from one century will differ from a descriptive grammar of the next century because the language will have changed. (An Introduction to Language. John Wiley, 2015) Descriptive grammar, Edwin L. Battistella notes in Bad Language,  is the basis for  dictionaries, which record changes in  vocabulary  and  usage, and for the field of  linguistics, which aims at describing languages and investigating the nature of language.   The term descriptive is a little bit misleading, as descriptive grammar does provide analysis and explanation of the languages grammar and not just description of it. Contrast Descriptive and Prescriptive Grammar Contrast the type with prescriptive grammar, which  notes how something should or should not be used, what is right and wrong.  Prescriptive grammarians (such as most editors and teachers) attempt to enforce rules concerning â€Å"correct† or â€Å"incorrect† usage. According to Donald G. Ellis, All languages adhere to syntactical rules of one sort or another, but the rigidity of these rules is greater in some languages. It is very important to distinguish between the syntactical rules that govern a language and the rules that a culture imposes on its language. This is the distinction between descriptive grammar and prescriptive grammar. Descriptive grammars are essentially scientific theories that attempt to explain how language works....People spoke long before there were linguists around to uncover the rules of speaking....Prescriptive grammars, on the other hand, are the stuff of high school English teachers. They prescribe, like medicine for what ails you, how you ought to speak.  (From Language to Communication. Lawrence Erlbaum, 1999) Examples of the Difference To illustrate the difference between the types, for a descriptive grammarian, the sentence I aint going, is grammatical, because its spoken by someone using the language to construct a sentence that has meaning for someone else who speaks the same language. However, to a prescriptive grammarian, it most certainly isnt a grammatical sentence, because, as the adage says, aint aint a word... (though it is in the dictionary). And just having the word  aint  in the dictionary exactly illustrates the difference between the two types- descriptive grammar notes its use in the language, pronunciation, meaning, and maybe even etymology, without judgment. Its prescriptive grammar that says that the term  aint  shouldnt be used, especially in formal speaking or writing. For a descriptive grammarian to say that something is ungrammatical, the sentence would need to be something that a native speaker just wouldnt put together. For example, someone speaking English wouldnt put two question words at the beginning of a single sentence. The result would be unintelligible as well as ungrammatical. In that case, the descriptive and prescriptive grammarians would agree.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Puzzled how to write a character sketch Ask us!

Puzzled how to write a character sketch Ask us! Complete Guide on Writing a Character Sketch We all want our written works to be not only engaging but also full of life and vivid. It is a great intention, but not every student knows how to achieve such an important goal. Most of them are not aware that a wrong approach may only harm the story, especially if you don’t know your characters well enough. In most of the cases, outstanding stories are character-oriented and experienced writers know it very well. If the characters are boring or even absent, the story will not be interesting at all. So if you want to succeed, your characters should have the leading role, showing the story what direction to go. To achieve this, you must know your character from A to Z. And the best way to know the character is to start with writing a character sketch. Character Sketch Definition A character sketch is a brief and comprehensive description of a person that aims to introduce the reader to certain attributes of a character: whether it is physical appearance, behavior under different circumstances, thoughts and experiences that impact actions in future. In other words, it is a description of a character, which is needed for the success of the story. Your main goal is to provide the audience with a clear image of the character, which is necessary for your story. Description of the chosen character should answer all of the questions that the audience may have. Including: What are the physical features of the characters? What is the story behind the characters? In what psychological state the characters are? What are their goals, emotions, and fears? How do they communicate? What are their main life aspirations? How can the story benefit from such information? These questions are not compulsory but yet very advisable if you want to understand your characters. There is no single and accepted pattern of writing a character sketch because everything depends on the goals you are pursuing and the format of the story. However, below we will explain what to include to your sketch and what things to avoid. Just answer a series of questions about the character, and you will get all the data you may need! What Are the Physical Features of the Character? When you think of your character, physical appearance may not be the first thing that comes to your mind although you need to have a clear image of how your character looks like. Any time you make a new acquaintance you notice a few details (if the stranger is not wearing a mask): face, height, hair, body type and attire. Imagine that you need to tell your friends or relatives about a special meeting. How would you start? For example: Hello Anna, today I met a man at the gas station. He looked so handsome in plain jeans and a t-shirt with a superhero logo. He is very tall and has curly brown hair just like Uncle Sam! I guess he is a doctor because there was a big folder with medical histories in his hands.   Probably he was leaving the hospital. In the example above you have told Anna (your friend or sister) about man’s age, his body type, possible occupation and also noticed a resemblance with your Uncle Sam. You may have talked to him, but you will most likely remember the physical appearance and details of clothes, and not his name or the way he talked. If you meet that man at the hospital or any other place, you can just start the conversation: Hello, I guess I saw you two days ago at the gas station. You were wearing a funny t-shirt and held a pile of medical histories. As you see, physical appearance and attributes can create a broader picture of the first impression. So if you want to skip this important stage to dive into the character’s psychological world at once, you risk of losing a big part of the story. Appearance and emotions are inseparable, and you need to give readers a chance to imagine how the character looks like in order to understand the story better. Describing appearance is one of the first steps in creating a character sketch. What’s Your Character Busy with? Your readers will always be interested in what your character is up to (unless he dies in the first chapter). This aspect is as important as describing physical appearance. The audience should know what the character is busy with when you introduce him for the first time. Providing such details helps readers to evaluate other important aspects of the story: time and setting, location and much more. Let’s imagine that your character is a medical intern and he sleeps on a shift. The reason may be that he had a rough night, arguing with his girlfriend or he is simply lazy. Of course, you will want to tell the reader why your intern is asleep in the workplace. Will he be fired? What will the consequences be? As you see, such details may give your story further direction. Your character’s sketch should also reflect the actions or inactions of the person and how they impact the plot. A sleepy intern will surely be a bad example for others. You can draw a picture of how his alarm clock wakes him up, and he rushes to admission’s desk. Remember, your sketch should contain a detailed description of the character’s actions. That is exactly how the plot evolves. Why is your character sitting over textbooks late after midnight? Why is he constantly distracted by smartphone notifications during a date? Your description needs to explain the actions of the character. In such a way you will help the audience to understand what part the character will occupy in a bigger story. What Are His/Her Emotions? Every character has a certain emotional state. Of course, emotions may vary, and every person may go from positive to very angry in a matter of seconds. However, such a switch is usually caused by different experiences. You may stick to several dominant emotions that determine your character’s outlook on life. Are they positive? What things make them happy? Do they often experience anxiety? Do they feel themselves a part of the community? What fears do they have? Are they playing by the common rules? When you need to describe the emotions and behavior of the character further in the story, you can refer to your sketch and person’s dominant emotions. Now, when you add emotional state to your character’s sketch, you should be sure that these details are relevant to your story. Make sure that you are not simply stating emotions that people feel but also showing the reader by inserting dialogs, actions, and thoughts of the character. For example, if your character is happy and positive, he won’t be angry with a broken tire. He will just come up with a solution and will go on through the day. Referring to dominant emotions is a great way to develop the plot and to make your story interesting and engaging. Does Your Character Need a Name? Even if the character appears only episodically, he will need a name. If you decide to write a sketch, it means that the character is important and you definitely need to give him a name. In addition, your readers may need to refer him further in the story. Don’t worry, you may change that name in the future, so there is no need to spend days on choosing a proper one. However, there are multiple online catalogs, which may greatly simplify the process of choosing a name. Some websites offer users to choose a name depending on gender, ethnicity or even time period. You can also choose a meaningful name that will contribute to the story. In addition, you can always give your character a nickname that will explain the background of the person or some of the hobbies he has. The Story Behind the Character As you remember, character sketch aims to guide the reader through a bigger story. That is why you need to create details that will give your readers background information. At a certain point, your plot may require such information: character’s birthplace, childhood experiences and how they influenced adult personality. You may not need such information more than once, but it will surely help you to create a true story. If your goal is not to generate tens of unanswered questions, it is better to be ready and give all the answers that readers may need. If you find it challenging to create a background story of the character, you can think of a person you know that is similar to the character you are describing. It may be a friend or a family member that will inspire you and will help to create a true story of the past. Your main goal is to make such a story believable. For example, if the character doesn’t like people, he was probably hurt in the past and now is trying to distance from others not to experience that pain again. The audience is always willing to know what experience and situations made characters to get where they are now. At first, it may be quite challenging to write a character’s sketch, but it will become much easier if you practice. In case you don’t have time, don’t worry! There are professional writing companies that are ready to help. Important Details Even if you think that your character sketch is ready, there may still be pieces of important information that can occur when working on a bigger story. When they appear, don’t forget to write them down and add to your character sketch. In most of the cases, stories write themselves, so you won’t simply be able to work on all of the details before writing the story itself. The next time an interesting detail or fact comes up you only need to write it down. You can easily forget them, and it will only harm the story, so don’t trust your memory and keep all the thoughts on paper. What may these details include? For example, things that distinguish your character from others and how these differences lead to an argument. The same applies to similarities of the person to others and how these similarities contributed to creating better communication with other characters of the story. Remember, you should always include maximum details, because they will enrich the story and explain readers the motives of various characters and their impact on the plot. Things to Keep in Mind A character sketch is a sort of a guideline of the story. Its main goal is to help the author to understand the character in order to introduce them to the audience. Not all of the elements of the sketch will be included to the story, but you still need to make sure that it contains all of the necessary details, like gender, age, body type, height, birth country, dominant emotions and so on. You should also keep in mind that some of the elements of your sketch may be transmitted through the actions.   You may not simply declare that your character loves reading but tell how he postponed a date to finish reading an interesting novel. Or how he spent two days of vacation in a local library instead of sunbathing on the beach. As a result, you will create a character that will develop the story and will help it to evolve. You will understand the character, his actions and what consequences those actions may have. Remember, the main purpose of a character sketch is to create a comprehensive, character-based and reliable story that the audience will admire.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Final - Essay Example The main aim of the imperialist policies in the British Empire was to assist in the acquisition of many foreign territories. These territories would therefore provide raw materials and the market for the British manufacturers. They also established trade monopolies that would ensure that their export exceeds imports. They believed this would provide foreign income to expand and maintain the empire. After successful wars with the French, Spanish and the Dutch in the seventeenth century, Britain was successful in acquiring most territories in the Caribbean, St Lawrence basin in Canada, parts of Africa for slavery acquisition and the coast of the North America. They developed interest in India and the British government took over the East India Company. Britains control extended to neighbors of India, including Burma and Afghanistan. After the end of the Napoleonic wars in1815, Britain became more powerful. At this time, they acquired Dutch South Africa but were challenged in India due to the eastern and southern expansion of the Russian empire. During this period, the traditional rivals of Britain had been diminished in power and size and so Britain remained the leading empire in Europe. However, the old mercantile empire weakened due to certain factors during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Some of the factors were freeing in slaves held in another part of the empire and colonial associations for greater commercial and political independence. British Empire had several motives in penetration in India. The British investors ventured into certain parts of India in search of opportunities that had significant profits. British intellectuals, including Christian missionaries facilitated the movement that sought to bring western technological innovations and intellectuals to Indians. The Christian missionaries translated the bible

Friday, October 18, 2019

Ethical dilemmas and the law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ethical dilemmas and the law - Research Paper Example Michael had full knowledge that his childhood best friends were the ones being prosecuted for a wrongdoing, but in spite of this, he had acted as prosecutor to the case as if he had actually defended the victim although he did not. In the first place, there was already a plan on Michael’s part to use the case to chase the remaining jail guards, who had molested and tortured them, while they were incarcerated at the Wilkinson Home. As a prosecutor, Michael was obliged to present evidences that will prove John and Tommy’s involvement in the crime. It was Michael’s responsibility to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his were friends were not innocent, and that he, as a prosecutor, will not tolerate a wrongdoing even if it had been committed by someone close to him. However, this was not the case because Michael was certain of his conviction to help his friends, whatever it takes. Crucial decisions that take into account the due process of law need to depend on et hical considerations (â€Å"The importance,† 2004, p. 4). Prosecuting lawyers should have their own set of ethical standards to avoid instances, when a defendant will be convicted of a crime he or she never committed (Tucker, 2012). While these ethical considerations or standards are applicable to the job of a prosecutor, it may become different if the prosecutor uses his position in the case to let the defendant escape the punishment of law or to reverse the case in favor of the defendant’s party.

Research Essay is an essay based on the cyber forensic

Research is an based on the cyber forensic - Essay Example nked with the enhancement of these composite devices (in the existence of exclusive and proprietary resolution), repeatedly have a say in their nonexistence. Like protection expertise, cyber precaution actions and competences also require to be polished to contain the exclusiveness and fine distinction related to management systems (Rowlingson, 2004). As a basic constituent to incident response potential, Casey (2004) argues that cyber forensics allow for the compilation, assesment, scrutiny, and reporting of event information. Cyber forensics is the use of scientifically verified techniques to collect, develop, deduce, and to apply digital proof to give a convincing depiction of cyber crime tricks (Saks & Koehler, 2005). Cyber forensics also comprise of the act of making digital information appropriate for addition into a scandalous investigation (Rowlingson, 2004). Nowadays cyber forensics is a phrase used in combination with regulation enforcement, and is taught as lessons in numerous colleges and universities in the world (Saks & Koehler, 2005). Computer forensics, for some time, has been majorly wellknown, and has grown into an information expertise facility that is quite familiar amongst present day information protection plans (Boddington et al, 2008). The aim of cyber forensics is to prop up the fundamentals of troubleshooting, scrutinizing, recuperation, as well as safeguarding sensitive information. Furthermore, in the incidence of a scandal being performed, computer forensics is also a way to accumulating, scrutinizing, and storing data as proof in a lawsuit (Casey, 2004). While scalable to several information expertise fields, particularly contemporary commercial architectures, cyber forensics are taxing when being practical to cotemporary environments, which do not encompass modern information technologies, or are planned with technologies, which do not present ample data archives or appraisal capacities (Rowlingson, 2004). Moreover, Cohen (2006)

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Essay

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Tax - Essay Example The first thing you need to know is that irrevocable trusts are treated as independent legal entities that own their assets. It is also important to know that in the course of establishing an irrevocable trust is likely involve unexpected tax consequences. Some of the tax consequences are likely to be unfavorable. Since you would like the income from the trust to be paid to your two grandchildren for 20 years, such payment would be accompanied by income tax. In this regard, you will need to complete Form 1041 and file it to report the trust income. This would be required if the trust earns over $600 in the course of tax year. Nevertheless, the income from the irrevocable trusts would be taxed in the same approach as individuals. You, as the trustee, will also be required to file and deliver copies of Schedule K-1 to each of the two grandchildren, who are the beneficiaries, in their first distribution during the tax year (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). There is also the issue of gift tax. In this regard, the transfer of your assets to the irrevocable trust is accompanied by gift tax liability. The only exclusion is a case of $13,000 per annum on each of the beneficiaries. If the gift exceeds $13,000, it is subjected a maximum tax rate of 35%. In such a case, you would be required to file the gift tax by filing Form 709.This would however be necessary if you owe the gift tax. It is important to note that your grandchildren, as the beneficiaries, will not be liable for the gift tax (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). Another case of possible tax liability is estate tax. Estate tax would be imposed after your death. This will be done on the portion of your estate that surpasses the gift tax exclusions in the same year of your death. Your executor after then would be required to file Form

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe Research Paper - 1

Postwar Urban Development in the Golden Horseshoe - Research Paper Example Even though there were challenges in the urban development of Golden Horseshoe during the postwar period, there is a key contribution of demographic policies, which facilitated the rapid urban growth. Urban developments and expansion are due to planning policies, which are vital because they ensure that there is no exploitation of natural resources in the area. Urban housing is very strategic in the development process. Creation of a good security network should be embraced. Back ground information Postwar period are always difficult times in history of many countries. It is the most dangerous, when the resources and population are reduced during the war. In this respect, policies that conform to population trends are instrumental in planning any urban developments agenda. Demography reflects all the changes that occur in population growth. It covers some specific geographical location, gender concerns, age, education attainment, household income, and other valuable personal belongings. This research focuses on the housing developments policies, population variations, suburbanization, and impacts of immigration policies on the urban development and finally, the rise and dominance of the metropolis within Ontario. Population Increase and its Effects The Golden Horseshoe population is dense which makes up one fourth of the total population in Canada. The total population of the Greater Golden Horseshoe was 8.1 million individuals according to census results of 2006 (MacFarlane 65). By the year 2031, the population is projected to grow up to about 12 million (MacFarlane 66). This shows that the expected growth rate per year is about 12.5 %.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Essay

Tax-Planning Client Letter on Irrevocable Trusts, Gift Tax, and Estate Tax - Essay Example The first thing you need to know is that irrevocable trusts are treated as independent legal entities that own their assets. It is also important to know that in the course of establishing an irrevocable trust is likely involve unexpected tax consequences. Some of the tax consequences are likely to be unfavorable. Since you would like the income from the trust to be paid to your two grandchildren for 20 years, such payment would be accompanied by income tax. In this regard, you will need to complete Form 1041 and file it to report the trust income. This would be required if the trust earns over $600 in the course of tax year. Nevertheless, the income from the irrevocable trusts would be taxed in the same approach as individuals. You, as the trustee, will also be required to file and deliver copies of Schedule K-1 to each of the two grandchildren, who are the beneficiaries, in their first distribution during the tax year (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). There is also the issue of gift tax. In this regard, the transfer of your assets to the irrevocable trust is accompanied by gift tax liability. The only exclusion is a case of $13,000 per annum on each of the beneficiaries. If the gift exceeds $13,000, it is subjected a maximum tax rate of 35%. In such a case, you would be required to file the gift tax by filing Form 709.This would however be necessary if you owe the gift tax. It is important to note that your grandchildren, as the beneficiaries, will not be liable for the gift tax (Clausen, Givner, Kavagh, kaye, & Kinyan, 2014 ). Another case of possible tax liability is estate tax. Estate tax would be imposed after your death. This will be done on the portion of your estate that surpasses the gift tax exclusions in the same year of your death. Your executor after then would be required to file Form

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Literary Analysis Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Literary Analysis - Term Paper Example They were called Gothic because most of them took place in gloomy, medieval castles built in the same Gothic style of architecture prevalent during that time. Such buildings had many secret passageways, dungeons and towers that provided ideal settings for strange happenings. People were looking for an escape from their dreary lives and this stories which combined romance and horror provided this. Edgar Allen Poe became an American master of this form. His story a Cask of Amontillado is one of the finest stories in the genre. The theme is plainly revenge. The plot of the story is a simple. Montresor, an Italian noble, has a grudge against his friend, Fortunato. He lures him down to the catacombs and wine cellar with the promise of a tipple of a rare wine. Fortunato is drunk. Mentresor chains him to a wall in a small enclave and then begins to brick up the enclave. Fortunato begs for his life, but to no avail. The story is told from the point of view of the murderer, Montresor, some time later. He is revealing his dark secret, but is not especially remorseful. He feels that Fortunato got what he deserved in the end. He feels that his revenge has been satiated. Indeed, what is perhaps most impressive is the romantic style found in Poe’s work. This immediately evokes a time and place and puts the reader or viewer on the edge of his or her seat. These days it has come to mean, dark and steam-filled cities with ornate gargoyles carved into cornices of buildings. Poe is able to create a sense of terrible foreshadowing throughout the story even though we expect what is going to happen. We feel sorry for the luckless Fortunato, but also repulsed by him. These feelings are carefully elicited by the masterful writing. The idea of single-minded revenge is clearly communicated. One of the great things about this story is that it shows there are universal themes found in all cultures. Stories and poems bring us together and lead us to embrace our common

Monday, October 14, 2019

Aesthetics of Knowledge Maps Essay Example for Free

Aesthetics of Knowledge Maps Essay If â€Å"a picture is worth a thousand words†, what is the worth of each word? Does the value of the aesthetic decrease through this transition? The human brain is trained to believe that there is a word to describe aesthetic, being able to put a label or description on all of this information. Why must we even classify a photo’s meaning through the written language? Visual information cannot be fully described through language or non-visual semiotic systems, because it is irreducible. Information is an artistic and aesthetic concept; to understand our world we must include the notion of information and how we as humans can make a representation of the world in our minds. Visual artifacts contain information. We store information visually, we analyze information through a visual means, and we understand information better when it is represented visually. The word ‘tree’ represents a tree as an aesthetic, an encompassing notion versus a specific image of a singular tree. There is a broader spectrum for understanding when something is visual. Depending of what language you speak, the framework of our semantic foundation, the meaning of a word varies drastically. People that speak different languages all see something in a photograph or painting and could tell you what it is they see, but the differences in our semantic thinking, language of words classifying information, will make it different. When a human is in early development stages as a child, the first initial way to communicate for them is visual information. Before children learn to read and write they draw, watch television, look at picture books. Then they are given teachings of communicating visuals to word. During the Paleolithic Period, 40,000–8,000 BCE, nomadic people painted in caves as a wondrous early way of communication, sharing information with others. An incredible example is the Hall of Bulls in the Lasceux Caves located in France in 15,000 BCE. These humans could not read or write and yet the visual information they represented with these paintings is breathtaking. They didn’t need 1,000 words to describe what they saw until the information age. Stories throughout time have been told naturally with visual information. Information has a history, yet unlike regular history, it is unbound by Euclidian space. It is not a physical being that has but one description. However, now information is all put into word. Without an extensive vocabulary there is little chance you could ever be able to express notions as clearly as if you were to simply communicate with visuals. Reliance on visual’s word to form the structure of all of our communication means thinking; visualizing information and mapping thought processes. Knowledge deals with matter of facts; laws of nature and society deal with energy processes and determine knowledge and facts. Information is prior to laws and knowledge; information is structured, relational, stored and transmitted, aesthetic. Information is configurations, organization and formalization. Mapping concepts structures our knowledge and makes us able to generate hypotheses. The organization of thoughts and concepts in this way brings the opportunity of serendipitously learning.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Organisational Culture and Structure on Business Performance

Organisational Culture and Structure on Business Performance The success of a business depends on its management. Without management it is not possible to run or manage a business or anything else. In regard to managing businesses and associated behaviour the field of management behaviour has originated. Management behaviour is about making decisions. It helps people and businesses to concentrate on their goals and business objectives (Baligh 2006). Nowadays almost all businesses are involved in the practice of management behaviour that will be discussed here in this paper with the consideration of its different aspects. The paper will include an analysis of the effects of structure and culture on business performance. Additionally, it will also include a discussion of changes that have occurred in management in last 40 years and that may occur in next 40 years. In the end, the skill set required by an individual to operate at management level will also be discussed. Organisational structure and culture are significantly related to each other and make effects on business performance. For understanding the effects of culture and structure on business performance it is essential to understand organisational culture, structure and business performance (Ryall Craig 2003). Organisational structure is a formal system of work roles and authorities relations that determine how associates and managers work together with one other. It is a pattern of relationships among different organisational positions. With the help of structure it becomes easy to define the process of management (Clayton Fisher n.d.). It also assists with a framework of order and command that directs mangers in planning, organizing, directing and controlling different organisational activities. Organisational culture refers to the values shared by organisation managers and associates. It includes shared assumptions, beliefs, values, norms and language patterns (Ryall Craig 2003). In addition to structure and culture business performance is the ability of a firm to attain its goals by making an effective use of its resources. All these aspects are interrelated to each other and also include several factors that affect individual performance in the workplace (Orna 1999). Structure and culture are the key elements in an organisations success. If an organisation operates by concentrating on these aspects, it becomes easy to attract consumers and increasing competition. Whether a firm is small or large in its size, its effectiveness depends on how it is structure (Daft 2009). This organisational structure gets developed under the influence of the culture that in turn influences a firms ability to implement changes effectively. If a firm is able to maintain an effective culture, it becomes able to develop well-planned organisational structure that makes it easy for business managers to implement changes and attain success. Organizational structure exercises within an organizational culture, but it is interrelated (Ryall Craig 2003). Organizational culture pertains to a broader view that includes number of small organisational issues and aspects (Harris Hartman 2001). On the other hand, organisational structure refers to the infrastructure, and the number of methods and practices employed within that infrastructure (Clayton Fisher n.d.). All the methods and practices assist an organisations culture to operate with the competence and consistency. In modern era organisations are evaluated on the basis of their culture and structure that need to be managed critically. Structure is an integral part of an organisation culture as it primarily deal with the establishment of culture that in turn motivates employees to work effectively in the direction of organisational goals (Orna 1999). If a firm is not able to integrate its structure with culture it would not become able to encourage its employees to take initiatives and implement changes successfully that are critical for its effective performance (Baligh 2006). Organisation culture involves several issues like how management works, which particular obligations supervisors have and how a complaint or issues can be passed through different organisational levels. All these issues related to culture are directly associated to how a firms organisational structure works. In addition to this, there are also several other issues related to culture that can only be resolved through an effective organisational structure (Clayton Fisher n.d.). For effective performance of business it is vital to resolve these issue as otherwise it would not be possible to attain determined profit goals and objectives. Another significant way to describe the interrelationship between structure and culture and their effect on business performance is to identify that how structure works. Organisational structure allows formation of different interrelated groups that are allowed to operate smoothly with specific role and authorities (Orna 1999). This framework or teams allows effective communication and coordination that builds a healthy culture and motivates employees to work in the direction of organisation goals attainment (Jumpponen, Ikà ¤valko Pihkala 2008). Structure defines the roles and responsibilities of every individual and their interrelation to serve customers. This clear roles and responsibilities increases effective communication and coordination between organisation tasks and jobs that facilitates in developing a positive culture in which everyone works with association and participation (Clayton Fisher n.d.). All these aspects significantly help managers in attaining organisation mission and vision. Changes occurred in Management over the last 40 Years According to senior level employees who are about to retire, it is believed that over the last 40 years several changes have occurred in management and this could be interpreted with the help of evolution of different organisational and motivational theories used by organisations. Previously in regard to management, organisations used to adopt scientific and bureaucratic approach that in present has been replaced by system theory and contingency approaches (Luthans 1998). Previously all organisations used to motivate its employees on the basis of Maslow-Need hierarchy that in present is replaced by McClelland theory and several other theories. Before 40 years, all employees were only responsible for handling their specific tasks but nowadays situation has changed a lot as in present employees are responsible for planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling (McKenna 2000). In old times, it was not essential to play multi-purpose role that in present has become critical for effective management. In past, almost all organizations used to Webers concept of bureaucratic structures but the increased complexity of multinational organizations has now created the requirement of a new structures like functional, project management, matrix and virtual (Luthans 1998). In addition to structure, several other new aspects have emerged in regard to management like different strategy levels, system approach to decision-making, socialization, departmentation, and different leadership theories etc (Harris Hartman 2001). All these concepts were not there in past for managing businesses but now scenario has changed completely as every business has its own specific needs and requirements and all of them select different management approaches according to their suitability (Jumpponen, Ikà ¤valko Pihkala 2008). In past almost all firms or businesses used to operate with empirical or case approach but now it is not the situation as firms operate with different approaches as competition has increased a lot and it has become difficult to attract customers. In regard to increased competition, the companies are making use of different management approaches. Some present firms are using system approach that considers organisations to be open system whereas some of them are making use of operational approach that endeavours to develop the science and theory of management by drawing upon the concepts, knowledge, techniques from other fields (Luthans 1998). In between these two approaches there are several other approaches that were used throughout last 40 years. In this way, it can be said that the business environment has changed significantly from the time when present senior level managers started working (McKenna 2000). All present senior level managers commit that they have seen several changes in the process of management but all these changes are based on the altering situations, trends and emerging technologies (Harris Hartman 2001). Changes likely to occur in Management in coming 40 Years In regard to the discussion of the changes occurred in management in last 40 years, it can be stated that it is also likely to change in next 40 years. In present almost every aspects of business and its management are changing that will also continue to alter in coming years. An individual who is about to start his career in present 21st century is exposed with significant challenges and is likely to confront several other key changes (Pappas 2006). In present employees are required to play several roles like interpersonal, information and decision making roles but in coming time employees will be required to operate in virtual environment. Presently employees are making use of advanced systems, discussion, meetings to collect information and perform their duties but in future they could do all these things in a virtual environment (Luthans 1998). As well, employees who are about to start their professional career will also confront changes in their roles, levels of management, communication, business strategy, approaches to management and tools used to manage business related aspects (Jumpponen, Ikà ¤valko Pihkala 2008). The pattern of communication and business management followed till now will substantially changes in coming 40 years. From last half decade the electronic mail has emerged as a key element of corporate communication but in coming years it will also change. In coming years, the management of communication will also change in regard to the change in organisational structures and cultures (Harris Hartman 2001). The employees will be exposed to make use of powerful information-management and collaboration tools that are likely to emerge. With these tools, employees will become able to link associated messages and track message flows more expeditiously (Pappas 2006). As well, it is also believed that the automatic language translation will take foot hold and interconnected messaging will appropriate young employees and managers with a facility to check e-mail, mobile messaging, voice mail, and fax machine from an only inbox (Fast Forward: 25 Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business 2003). In regard to the changes in communication and business management, it can be said that in coming 40 years most of the employees will depend more on computers rather than their own evaluations or perceptions. More and more softwares will be employed for different jobs and roles that will increase human capabilities (McKenna 2000). In next 40 years, it is likely that the firms and its employees will growingly make use of artificial intelligence to solve different business problems and the pattern of doing work will also change as everyone will be allowed to operate in a virtual environment (Fast Forward: 25 Trends That Will Change the Way You Do Business 2003). Skills Set Required to Work at Management level Working at management level is not as easy as it seems because it involves different skill sets and an ability to involve in team work and group. Nowadays managers are responsible for different roles that cannot be fulfilled if they operate on their own without communicating and coordinating with others. A manager is responsible for performing five functions that are planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling (Drucker 2007). In addition to this, a manager is also required to interact with many people both within the organisation and outside the organisation and hence perform interpersonal roles (Montana Charnov 2000). For effective interactions and management it is vital to have an ability to communicate, understand, listen, interpret, convince and lead others. If an individual have all these skills and abilities then he can effectively interact with organisations internal as well as external customers and associates. With these skills, a manager can easily play interpersonal roles that may be of figurehead, leader and liaison (Drucker 2007). With the above discussed skills a manager also become able to perform his informational (recipient, disseminator, and spokesperson) and decision roles (entrepreneurs, disturbance handle, resource allocator and negotiator). In addition to these skills several other skills are also required by an individual to operate at management levels that are as follows: Technical Skills: Technical skills pertain to the ability of an individual to perform specific activity. In order to perform specific activity an individual should have all-essential knowledge of methods, processes and procedures as otherwise it would not be possible to carry out given task or duty (Atwood 2008). This could also be understood with the help of examples of some positions like engineers, accountants, computer specialists and project managers who have necessary technical skills for their specialized fields. These skills are essential for an individual to operate at management level as he may also be given responsibility to manage and evaluate others. Without technical skills, it would not be possible for an individual to operate at management level that includes functions like planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling (Pride, Hughes Kapoor 2009). Human Skills: Human skills required by an individual to operate at management level are also known as interpersonal skills. It refers to the ability of an individual to work well with other people in a group or team. It refers to the ability of an individual to direct, motivate and communicate with people to help them to attain given objectives (Drucker 2007). These skills are highly important for a person in regard to the creation of an environment in which everyone feels comfortable, free to communicate and share their opinions. This kind of environment can only be create when a manager have human skills. With human skills, a manager can help its employees throughout their interactions with supervisors, peers and people outside the work like customers, suppliers and public. These skills are imperative for an individual to operate at all management levels of an organisation (Montana Charnov 2000). Conceptual Skills: Conceptual skills mean the ability of an individual to think and conceptualize abstract situations. It refers to the ability to comprehend and match up all essential corporate objectives and activities. These skills are critically required when a person is employed at top management level as top managers are highly required to predict changes and see big picture in regard to future (Montana Charnov 2000). Top managers are required to interpret present internal and external changes and trends for the identification of future business strategies. Without conceptual skills an individual cannot operate at management level as it is essential to identify meaning and develop business strategies accordingly (Drucker 2007). The significance of this skill set can also be understood in regard to present competition that requires managers to make appropriate interpretations and appropriate business plans and strategies accordingly. Design Skills: In addition to technical, human and conceptual skills an individual who is going to work at management level is also required to have design skills. Design skills refer to an individuals ability to identify solutions of problems in a way that can significantly benefit organisation. Having the design skills is essential for individuals that are going to operate at management level as at this level there is a critical need of solution rather than just identifying problems (Montana Charnov 2000). Until or unless an individual is not able to propose solutions of different organisational problems with his design skills, he would not be appropriate to work at management level. Conclusion With the help of above discussion, it can be said that management behaviour is an important practice that should be followed by all organisations for attaining an assured success. With the considerations of management related aspects like structure, culture and their interrelationship, affect on business performance a firm can become able to attain high profits and increased performance (Montana Charnov 2000). As well, the evaluation of changes occurred in management in last 40 years and the changes that can occur in coming 40 years is also quite effective as it directs present companies with all essential changes that they should follow for attaining their aims and objectives. Additionally, the identification of skill set required for an individual to operate at management level is also critical as with this a firm can hire or develop employees accordingly. An appropriate skills set is essential to effectively work at management level.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Victorian Clothing :: European Europe History

Victorian Clothing Through out history people have been influenced by many things in society, art, music, and role models are all some of examples. One of the biggest things that makes us who we are and that we can use to tell other people what we are all about is clothing. Lawyers and doctors don't wear jeans and t-shirts. Instead they may sport a coat or shirt and tie. You don't see many garbage men wearing suits and tuxes. It was the same way through history as it is today. Clothing is, many times, very much over looked. Clothing in the dark ages where tainted with black and gray colors. Very plain and blunt styles were used, as different to the Enlightenment era where colors were first used and showed up in some clothing. During the time when Queen Victoria was ruling, France and British were very elegant yet plain in the same sense. Women wore dresses with dull colors yet were big and bulky. One of the most popular eras for clothing, even today, is the Victorian style. Victorian style is a combination of both light and dark colors that are put onto expensive fabrics and usually given an elaborate design. The main contrast between Victorian clothing and Queen's style was the amount of skin showing on the women's dresses and clothing. The Queen did not permit any skin being shown save the face and neck. Women were expected to ware gloves and dresses or aprons that went down past their feet or ankles. The men wore a button plain button down shirt. Most men would wear a dark vest with two or three buttons on it and button one or two. On the bottom they would ware black or gray pants. This was one of the first times it became rather popular to ware a hat outside. The hats were usually light colors, maybe a tan or light blue color. The women wore dresses and even long skirts or dresses of different colors and styles. The milk maid style is very popular. The women would sometimes were dresses with aprons over them. The aprons were not like the ones we have today. Instead they are very intricate with designs and come in many colors. The colors were usually soft and casual yet when put with the very beautiful designs they were quite a sight. The women, like men sometimes wore hats or, in some cases, bonnets.

Friday, October 11, 2019

ICT and Business Development

ICT and Business Development In line with the main priorities set by the URBACT Information Society Network, this theme focuses on business development and the role of ICT as a means of tackling economic restructuring and promoting employment and in doing so fostering social cohesion and economic inclusion. The purpose of this brief document is to act as a guide for colleagues when preparing material or presentations on this topic and to provoke discussion on the issues raised in it. Business Development and its relationship to ICT?Business Development is the process of improvement that enables a business to become more efficient, profitable, and thereby creating or safeguarding jobs. Business development therefore does not only concern marketing and sales departments, but all parts of a business which constitute its value chain and requires effective communication and co-operation within a company. Over the last 20 years ICT has increasingly been identified as a major contributor to the process of business development and improvement and it has been identified that â€Å"ICT †¦. is responsible for around half of productivity growth in modern economies.It drives improved efficiency and better services and products across the entirety of the private and the public sectors. † (Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for Information Society). What has been the impact of ICT on Business? The use of ICT and technology has affected every aspect of business, transforming not only the way that business is conducted but also creating new business sectors and jobs. The creation of companies like Google and e-Bay which did not exist 10 years ago, was only made possible by advances in technology and the changes that this has created in the way that people ehave (currently Google is valued at ?44billion – Source BBC 5th June 05). Some examples of the nature of this change include: Marketing: The use of websites has allowed companies to develop new and cheaper ways of reaching new markets, offering customers the opportunity of buying goods and services whenever they want and often at reduced cost, whilst also enhancing the level of customer service. This has been coupled with the expansion and use of e-mails which again has been used by business to market their goods and services directly to potential customers, as well as communicating with existing customers and suppliers.Increasingly the marketing campaigns of businesses include the use of technologies such as Contact Management Systems that allows them to co-ordinate, monitor and report on various aspects of their marketing campaigns in new ways making these campaigns more targeted and effective. Finance: Practically all companies now use software programs e. g. Sage or Excel to manage their accounts. This has allowed them to look at financial information when required, monitor and respond to their customers purchasing patterns by e. g. offering discounts an d overall improve the management of their finances.The result of this has been for many companies a reduction in their accountancy fees. Out of office working: For many businesses the need for staff to be away from the office attending meetings etc. or to be based in another geographical location has grown alongside employee demands for more flexible working patterns. However effective communication and ability to access information etc. remains critical to the productivity of these staff members. Therefore through the use of technology many companies now use a range of technologies to enable this.These include mobile phones, e-mail, broadband, laptops, etc. Thus ensuring that companies are able to be flexible and adaptive depending on their business needs. Networks: Virtually all businesses now have or have access to a computer. The existence of two or more computers in an office almost always leads to the creation of a network. The main advantage of doing so is that resources can be shared e. g. printers, internet access, files/information can be managed and shared amongst workstations and the security of information can be better managed through a network.Increasingly networks are not just confined to the office but are being adopted so that they allow home/remote working that supports changing business needs. This transformation has really taken place over the last 20 years and continues to transform the way business is done. No business today can ignore the use of technology as its effective use helps businesses to remain competitive and profitable, thereby creating or safeguarding jobs. The role of the Public Sector? What is the case for Public Sector intervention if this is already happening?Talking specifically about SME’s, the final report (Feb. 2004) of the European Go Digital Awareness campaign 2001-2003 shows that â€Å"to help SME’s to â€Å"Go Digital† is still a policy challenge† as SME’s remain sceptical about ICT and e-business. This is mainly the result of: †¢Their experience of procuring technology has often left an impression that the wrong decision was made as the expected benefits from using new technology have not materialised. This then affects businesses willingness to further invest in technology and therefore threatens their further competitiveness. The creation of new businesses especially in new industries requires that the right support and business environment are present.For example the presence of Science Park’s, Universities, and Research Centres etc. can help the spread of an innovative culture amongst businesses. In the absence of proper support and the right environment areas/regions risk losing the jobs and prosperity brought by the creation of new businesses. †¢Procuring technology in itself is not a route to successful business development but requires that staff have the right skills to implement and use it effectively. Many of the new technologi es and emerging or existing businesses are increasing dependant on the presence of a relevant technological infrastructure to support business development e. g. Broadband access. The lack of this infrastructure can undermine business development, therefore damaging competitiveness and jobs. The issues above although not exhaustive are indications of market failure and therefore a challenge to the public sector in defining a role and developing projects/iniatives to address them.Without effective action areas/regions risk falling behind and therefore losing out in terms of: †¢Developing new businesses in new business sectors made possible by advances in technology; †¢Ensuring that businesses by effectively using technology are competitive both locally and globally; †¢Ensuring that businesses have the necessary information and support to develop into new markets; †¢Enabling businesses to become more flexible and responsive to the demands of their customers and thei r staff; †¢Developing a workforce with the necessary skills that are demanded in the present and future labour market.How did you develop your project? Once you have identified a problem or issue then the next stage is to plan actions to overcome or redress these issues. This starts with the planning stage which is a critical component to the success of any project, starting with identifying the need for the project, and includes project time scales, project design, project finance, project partners and resources, project organisation and management etc. What were the key factors in achieving this and what barriers did you have to overcome to do so?Main outcomes of the project to businesses? Over the course of any project measuring its success is a necessary part of project management, reporting and measuring impact or change. What therefore were the main outcomes of the project and how were they measured? ?Increased or improved use of ICT helped to expand business activities? ?Increased or improved use of ICT resulted in the development of new services and/or products? ?ICT usage has helped to create new networks – inside and outside the company? The adoption of ICT solutions has lead to the restructuring of working and communication methods in the enterprise? ?New models of working and/new jobs emerged? ?The implementation of e-work helped to integrate people who have been excluded from â€Å"traditional† jobs in the company before? ?The business now understands better the need for staff training? ?Additional jobs and/or the maintenance of exiting ones as a result of the projects work? Lessons learnt?During the course of any project the experience of delivery often throw’s up many unforeseen issues, especially when you are dealing with technology, which are a result of internal and external factors. This then leads to lesson’s learnt which can range from better ways to manage a project through to innovative approaches to prov iding support etc. These lessons learnt are not only of value to the project staff but also for others interested in developing or currently running similar projects.

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Medical Field

Chiropractic surgeons perform procedures you may have heard of such as heart bypass surgery, heart valve repair/replacement and an also be involved with operative procedures to treat ailments such as lung cancer and emphysema, and chest trauma. .NET- Or tautology's, concentrates on the ear, nose and throat. .NET surgeons treat a diverse range of problems from hearing loss to tumors, thyroid disorders and even cosmetic procedures such as rhinestones (surgery on the nose). They are concerned with some of the most important sensory areas and help patients with problems hearing, smelling, tasting and speaking.General Surgery- General surgeons broadly speaking deal with the abdominal organs and the torso. Surgeons usually develop a sub-specialty of this wide ranging area of surgery, such as trauma, collaborate, upper Castro-intestinal, habitability, breast or endocrine surgery. General surgery is one of the most common specialties. Neurosurgery- Disorders that affect the nervous system, i ncluding the brain, spinal column and cord and other nerves throughout the body, are often treated surgically by neurosurgeons.They frequently operate on conditions like brain tumors and aneurysms, head injuries, severe back injuries and other spinal defects or diseases. Ophthalmology- Ophthalmologists examine, diagnose and treat medical and surgical robbers of the eye. These can include eye injuries, infections, tumors and cataracts. Oral and Monomaniacal Surgery- This specialty, sometimes known as oral and ‘Max fax' surgery, requires both a medical and a dental degree from university. MOBS focuses on the mouth, Jaws, face and neck and surgeons deal with Injuries, diseases and defects of these areas.Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery- These specialists deal with the restoration and development of bones, joints and muscles and sometimes concentrate on a particular area such as sports injuries, upper limbs, hips and knees or feet and ankles. There are more trauma and orthopedic surg eons than most other specialties. Pediatric Surgery- Infants and children can often require specialist surgical treatment, usually provided by pediatric surgeons, who deal with neonates through to teenagers and frequently treat cases such as congenital abnormalities (present at birth), trauma, cancers and urological problems.Plastic Surgery- Plastic surgeons work on all parts of the body with the primary aim of restoring function and appearance. They repair and reconstruct damaged skin and tissue. Sometimes their work can be cosmetic, or aesthetic, and performed on patients who choose to have procedures to enhance heir appearance. Urology- This specialty concentrates on the urinary tract of men and women and on the reproductive system of men. Some of the disorders and Vascular Surgery – This specialty concentrates on the vascular system (arteries and veins). The specialty evolved from general and cardiac surgery.Some of the disorders vascular surgeons deal with include deep v ein thrombosis, varicose veins and Lymphoma. Surgery is an extremely rewarding but competitive career choice. Training to become a surgeon can be a long and challenging process, and surgeons need to be very driven and passionate in order to succeed. A surgeon's time is not Just spent in the operating theatre working on anesthetized patients; they also spend a great deal of time in outpatient treatment rooms assessing and preparing patients for surgery, and on hospital wards seeing patients before and after surgical treatment.Good communication skills are essential, as surgeons must build good rapport with patients as well as work effectively with other hospital and medical staff (such as nurses, physicians and anesthetists). To become a successful surgeon, you will need to enjoy learning and be prepared to learn new skills and techniques throughout our career. You will also need to be a good teacher, and be able to share your skills with younger and less experienced surgeons as you progress throughout your career.In short; surgeons work hard, but the work most often improves, enhances or saves other people's lives, which as you can imagine is incredibly rewarding. After University Beyond your years at medical school, you can look forward to many further years of training to become a surgeon! Immediately after finishing medical school, all graduates are required to work for two years as foundation doctors, which involves ark in a hospital, and sometimes in a GAP surgery doing several different rotations, in both medicine and surgery.Most foundation doctors will have decided by the end of their foundation years which specialty they wish to pursue and at this stage will begin applying for training posts. After completion of two to three ‘core' training years, and having successfully passed the MRS. examination, surgical trainees then begin several years of working and training to acquire all the skills necessary to pass their surgical fellowship examination s (FRI.) and become a consultant in their specialty.

Early history of Islam Essay

Islam is a religion base upon the surrender to God who is one. The very name of the religion, al-islam in Arabic, means at once submission and peace, for it is in submitting to God’s Will that human beings achieve peace in their lives in this world and in the hereafter. The message of Islam concerns God, who in Arabic is called Allah, and it addresses itself to humanity’s most deep nature. It concerns men and women as they were created by God–not as fallen beings. Islam for that reason considers itself to be not an innovation but a reassertion of the universal truth of all revelation which is God’s Oneness. Moreover, beginning as the faith of a small community of believers in Arabia in the seventh century, Islam quickly becomes one of the main world religions. The core of this faith is the faith that Muhammad (c. 570-632), a respected businessman in Mecca, a commercial and religious center in western Arabia, received revelations from God that have been conserved in the Koran. The heart of this revealed message is the confirmation that â€Å"there is no god but Allah (The God), and Muhammad is the messenger of God. † The term Islam comes from the Arabic word-root s-l-m, which has a common reference to peace and submission. Particularly, Islam means submission to the will of God, and a Muslim is one who makes that submission. This submission or act of Islam means living a life of devotion and practice as defined in the Koran and participating in the life of the community of believers. The core of this Islamic life is typically said to be the Five Pillars of Islam: openly bearing witness to the basic affirmation of faith; saying prescribed prayers five times a day; fasting during the month of Ramadan; giving a tithe or alms for support of the poor; and making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once throughout the believer’s lifetime, if this is possible. In addition, Muslims believe that Islam is the essential monotheistic faith proclaimed by prophets throughout history. The Koran is not seen as presenting a new revelation but rather as providing a complete, precise, and therefore final record of the message that had previously been given to Abraham, Jesus, and other earlier prophets. As the basis for a historical community and tradition of faith, nevertheless, Islam begins in Mecca with the life and work of Muhammad in the early seventh century. Islam possesses a religious law called al-Shari’ah in Arabic which govern the life of Muslims and which Muslims regard as to be the incarnation of the Will of God. The Shari’ah is contained in principle in the Koran as elaborated and complemented by the Sunnah. On the basis of these principles the schools of law which are followed by all Muslims to this day were developed early in Islamic history. This Law, while being rooted in the sources of the Islamic revelation, is a living body of law which caters to the desires of Islamic society. Islamic laws are fundamentally preventive and are not based on unkind punishment except as a last measure. The faith of the Muslim causes him to have respect for the rights of others and Islamic Law is such that it prevents misbehavior from taking place in most instances. That is why what people consider to be unforgiving punishments are so seldom in need of being applied. Furthermore, the spread of Islam was not restricted to its amazing early expansion outside of Arabia. During later centuries the Turks embraced Islam serenely as did a large number of the people of the Indian subcontinent and the Malay-speaking world. In Africa as well, Islam has spread during the past two centuries even under the strong power of European colonial rulers. Nowadays Islam continues to grow not only in Africa but as well in Europe and America where Muslims now comprise a prominent minority. References: Exploring the Ancient world Cultures, Retrieved on November 29, 2006 at http://eawc. evansville. edu/ispage. htm Historiography of early Islam, Retrieved on November 29, 2006 at http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Historiography_of_early_Islam