The Shack by William P. Young - Book Review

'The Shack' by William P. Young - Book Review The Bottom Line The Shack by William P. Young has become a phenomenon. This book originally written by Young for his kids was rejected by mainstream and Christian publishers alike. Young and friends started their own publishing house to produce it, and now there are more than one million copies in print and it has topped bestsellers charts for weeks. The Shack does not have amazing character depth, and the dialogue sometimes seems forced; however, it is a thought-provoking book that is a worth reading as an entry into thinking about suffering and Gods role in the world. Pros The Shack delves into some of lifes biggest questionsThe Shack is easy to readThe Shack provides an artistic avenue for understanding Christian truths Cons The dialogue is forced some parts are cheesy - This isnt great literatureThere are some theological holes Description The Shack is published by Windblown Media.Published: May 2007253 pages Guide Review - The Shack by William P. Young - Book Review The Shack by William P. Young is a story about Mack, a man whose daughter is kidnapped and brutally murdered. A few years after her murder, Mack receives an invitation from God to meet Him at the shack where they found his daughters bloody clothes. Mack goes and works through the meaning of suffering as he spends the weekend with the Trinity, uniquely portrayed (God the Father is a large black woman, for instance). Why is The Shack so popular? Is it actually a must read? To the first question, I can only say that I think The Shack is asking some of the most important questions people can ask, and exploring the answers in a way that is very accessible. While reading, I understood its appeal these are the very questions that I wrestle with in my heart, and Young works through them in a very comforting way. As to whether The Shack is a must read, Id say, that depends. It sort of reminds me of the words, I love you. There is nothing especially unique about them, and they are extremely overused. From certain people or in certain situations, you are likely to dismiss or even be infuriated by hearing them uttered. Of course, from the right person, hearing them can be one of the most powerful experiences of your life. So with The Shack. This is a decidedly Christian answer in a somewhat shallow story with forced dialogue. Its not the best writing in the world, but I can easily see how if you read The Shack at the right moment, it has the power to change your life. I know Im still thinking about it, and I received enough gems from the novel to recommend it to others.

Free Essays on Ernest Hemmingway’s Tragic Vision Of Man

Ernest Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, shows what has been called by many his "tragic vision of man." Hemmingway’s view of life is that it is ultimately ironic. By accepting his world for what it is, and in finding out how to live in it, he has formed a tragic but glorifying vision of man. Hemmingway explains that, "we are part of a universe offering no assurance beyond the grave, and we are to make what we can of life by a pragmatic ethic spun bravely out of man himself in full and steady cognizance that the end is darkness." In more simple terms, we are born, we learn how to live, and we die not knowing what is next. This is what is so ironic about life. We are born to die, and along the way many more ironic things happen. In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is Hemingway’s tool in proving his theory. The old man hooks an enormous marlin after eighty-four days of catching nothing. He uses every bit of his knowledge and strength to finally catch and kill the fish. After three days of battle he is able to pull the fish alongside the boat and tie him up. During the long voyage home, sharks follow the trail of blood from the marlin and eat the great fish. Santiago does all that he can to stop them, but it is no use. It is over. This shows us the qualities which define man’s place in a world full of violence and death not known to him. This story gives the experience of Santiago its significance as Hemmingway’s concept of life. His tragic vision of man. Hemingway says about the story. "It is enough to live on the sea and kill our bothers." In realization that he has gone out alone and too far, the old man has ruined himself and the great fish. The old man reflects Hemmingway’s theory that in his individualism and pride, man goes beyond his limits in the world and inevitably brings violence and destruction upon himself and others. But in doing this, San... Free Essays on Ernest Hemmingway’s Tragic Vision Of Man Free Essays on Ernest Hemmingway’s Tragic Vision Of Man Ernest Hemingway’s Tragic Vision of Man In The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway, shows what has been called by many his "tragic vision of man." Hemmingway’s view of life is that it is ultimately ironic. By accepting his world for what it is, and in finding out how to live in it, he has formed a tragic but glorifying vision of man. Hemmingway explains that, "we are part of a universe offering no assurance beyond the grave, and we are to make what we can of life by a pragmatic ethic spun bravely out of man himself in full and steady cognizance that the end is darkness." In more simple terms, we are born, we learn how to live, and we die not knowing what is next. This is what is so ironic about life. We are born to die, and along the way many more ironic things happen. In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago is Hemingway’s tool in proving his theory. The old man hooks an enormous marlin after eighty-four days of catching nothing. He uses every bit of his knowledge and strength to finally catch and kill the fish. After three days of battle he is able to pull the fish alongside the boat and tie him up. During the long voyage home, sharks follow the trail of blood from the marlin and eat the great fish. Santiago does all that he can to stop them, but it is no use. It is over. This shows us the qualities which define man’s place in a world full of violence and death not known to him. This story gives the experience of Santiago its significance as Hemmingway’s concept of life. His tragic vision of man. Hemingway says about the story. "It is enough to live on the sea and kill our bothers." In realization that he has gone out alone and too far, the old man has ruined himself and the great fish. The old man reflects Hemmingway’s theory that in his individualism and pride, man goes beyond his limits in the world and inevitably brings violence and destruction upon himself and others. But in doing this, San...

Proposal for the Formal Analytical Report Essay

Proposal for the Formal Analytical Report - Essay Example cked it can and will grow into a situation that can threaten the abilities of local firms and banks to make a profit due to the decreased trust with which they view the money that comes to their hands on a daily basis. Accordingly, this proposal will work to outline the ways in which banks as well as other firms can institute a series of practices and procedures which can help ebb the tide of counterfeiting as it is currently being experienced in and around the area of Penn State University. The study will have the compound effect of being able to provide local business and banking with appropriate measures which can be implemented to protect against such fraud/counterfeiting, as well as providing a list of specific criterion which should be followed in order to minimize the occurrence an effects of such actions. Likewise, I will offer my plans for developing possible solutions to this problem, discuss my qualifications for conducting the research, and will provide a schedule on whic h I will base my research activities. During the past month and a half there has been a rapid uptick in the number of fake bills being passed in and around Penn State University. This has been occurring at a variety of locations that do not seem to be related other than that are all places of business that handle cash on a daily basis. As such, the issue bears a tangential relation to business and economics due to the fact that retail establishments and individuals are required by law to remit counterfeit money to the requisite authorities without any reimbursement for the face value of the counterfeit bill they obtained as a result of legitimate service, good or other business activity. In this way, the economic loss forms a type of double loss that must be absorbed by the business entity in question. Likewise, although the economic impact of recent rise in counterfeit bills will not have the effect of crippling the local economy, the fact of the matter is that necessarily

Main differences between perfect competition and monopoly market Essay - 1

Main differences between perfect competition and monopoly market structures - Essay Example The sellers have the aim to provide the products and services as per the highest quality standards and at a minimum price as compared to the competitors. Since all the sellers have the same objective, it creates the scenario of perfect competition where the buyers have the highest bargaining power (McNulty, 1967). In a perfectly competitive market, it is very difficult to choose between the products and services sold in the market. The firms tend to maximize profits under the strict conditions of a perfectly competitive market where the buyers and the sellers are aware of all the information of the market. The barriers to entry and exit from the market is very less. The returns to the investments do not have large scope of enhancement in future (Marshall, 2006). The monopoly market structure resembles the form of market where a certain product or services is manufactured or supplied by a single firm. The monopoly market signifies minimal competition among the firms operating in the market. The buyers also have practically no options to avail substitute products and services. In a monopoly market structure, the business is the price setter and has the ability to charge high prices (Mankiw, 2011). The customers in a monopoly market has the lowest bargaining power as there is no availability of substitute products and services.The government encourage monopoly in certain sectors in order to provide economic benefits to the people by reduction of the market risk. The barriers to entry into the monopoly market is very high. In a monopoly market, it is observed that only one firm tends to dominate the market supply. The price discrimination is observed as characteristics of the monopoly market as the sellers vary the price of the products in comp arison to the quantity of the products (Hall and  Lieberman, 2009). In several jurisdiction, the monopoly form of market structure is prohibited in

Experimental film&video Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Experimental film&video - Essay Example But before I go to that specific scene, there is a need to at least describe the preceding scenes to set the premise and provide a holistic review of that specific segment of the film. The scene starts with the title honeymoon which implies that Akmatov succeeded in seducing Anna with his money and the two got married. Anna, dressed in white with a band of flowers around her head was shown smiling as she beckons someone to her side. Anna was lying on her back on what looked like a couch or a bed filled with pillows. This was followed by the shadow imagery showing a man flirting with a woman. The man was trying to tickle the woman with his playful fingers. The close up shot of Akmatov reveals the identity of the man who was with Anna. After their foreplay, Akmatov dove into Anna’s bosom. The scenes that followed showed a cannon barrel firing several shots, a woman who fell flat on her face and a close up shot of Akmatov wiping his mouth in sheer satisfaction. This series of frames depicts consummated sexual intercourse between Anna and Akmatov. The cannon barrel represents the dominant male sex while the fallen woman represents the submissive female sex. The picture of Akmatov wiping his mouth represents sexual satisfaction and satiation. After their honeymoon, Anna remembered her duty to save the world. But she cannot do that with Akmatov around so she had to strangle and kill him. He killed Akmatov so that she could go the core of the earth and become the new and better heart of the world. The message is loud and clear. Eliminating commercialism and greed for wealth is the only way to clear the path for saving the world. Too much industrialization has polluted the earth and depleted its resources. Too much commercialism fuels industrialization. And too much greed for money pushes man to commercialism even at the expense of the planet that supports every form of life on

Human Population Growth And Its Effect Environmental Sciences Essay

Human Population Growth And Its Effect Environmental Sciences Essay Population growth can be defined as an increase or decrease in the population size of living species including human beings. Human populations are also subject to natural process of birth and death. There has been a rapid increase in the worlds human population over the last few decades (UNFPA, 2011). Unless urgent steps are taken to control population, serious problems can arise like environment damage and limited availability of food resources. Continuous population growth can be problem and therefore it is important to understand how we can manage population growth for the benefit of all. Human beings have tried to make food resources available for all the population in many ways. Starting from the industrial revolution, advances in modern medicine, and green agriculture revolution have all made us self sufficient so far. However such technology development cannot go forever and therefore unless we manage population a day may come when all resources will be finished. At present there are two school of thought for the theories on population growth. The first is the pessimistic view developed by Reverend Robert Malthus, a British scholar who believed that the resources available will not be sufficient for human beings if human population is not controlled. The other theory is the optimistic view developed by Julian Simon who believed that humans can manage the issue of population because of their knowledge and skills. Therefore this paper will discuss these two theories for population growth and their effect on the resources and environment of the earth. II. Factors affecting population growth The population growth is determined mainly by birth rate, death rate, and migration patterns (immigration and emigration). For instance the population in the developed countries like Europe and America is growing at rate of only 0.1% per year while in developing countries the growth rate is over 1.5% per year. (Wright and Boorse,2011) (UNDP). In developing countries where manual labour is still considered main source of labour, children form part of the labour force and therefore families tend to have more children. Similarly when the pension system is not good, people tend to raise more children to look after during old age. Wherever women are more educated and take lead role in household income activities, there tend to be less number of children raised. In areas where traditions, culture and customs are respected population tend to be higher due to less use of contraceptives. III. Impacts of population growth Although it may be difficult to measure the carrying capacity for humans on earth (Cohen, 1995) scientists have estimated the carrying capacity at around 7.7 billion people (Van Den Bergh and Rietveld, 2004). It is now estimated that the world population will be around 9.1 billion by the year 2050. The very high population growth has raised concerns that the planet may not be able to sustain such population in the long run. Increasing population will mean increased demand for food, water, and other resources such as fossil fuel. The impact of population growth can be seen by everyone who care for the world that we live in. Over the last few decades there has been large scale destruction of the tropical forests mainly to make land available for agriculture and for urbanization. In order to produce enough food to meet the demand of growing population, forests have been cleared to undertake farming. Due to increased industrialization and urbanization, there has been great increase in th e pollution of air, water and the environment of the planet. Growing population will result in the depletion of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels (Hubert, 1982); deforestation and loss of ecosystems; and emergence of new diseases. It will also lead to more starvation, hunger and unhygienic living conditions in poor countries. IV. Factors affecting environment Environment means our surroundings in which all the things, living or non living, which includes atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (solid earth), biosphere (all living organisms), and geosphere (rocks and regoliths). Numerous factors affect our environment which includes anthropogenic activities such as urbanization, industrialization, deforestation, overpopulation, and use of fossil fuels. Natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, cyclones, landslide and floods can also negatively affect the environment. V. Relationship between environment and population growth Humans are an integral part of the eco-system of nature and there is close interconnection between human beings and environment. Ever since life existed humans have been depending on their environment for food, shelter, and other necessities. There is an inverse relationship existing between population growth and environment as overpopulation will lead to adverse effect on the environment. As human population increase, there is also increase in the demand for food and other energy sources. It is essential that the population is maintained at a level so that the natural resources are sufficient to meet the requirement for survival of all living beings. VI. Neo-Malthusian or pessimistic views on population growth Malthusian theories or pessimistic theories on population growth was derived from the ideas of Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus, a British scholar who wrote series of essays on the principles of population. There were six editions of his An Essay on the Principle of Population (published from 1798 to 1826) in which he said that if the human population growth is left unchecked the food supply will not be sufficient to meet the needs of humans. He proposed the idea that while human population grew exponentially, the food resources grew only arithmetically. He also believed that population will be controlled naturally by disease, famine and mortality. This was called as the pessimistic model of population growth. Malthus believed in using preventive checks such as abstinence, delayed marriage and restricting marriages in order to control population growth. Some people criticized Malthuss theory based on the fact that there has been an enhanced agricultural production and reduced human fer tility over the past few decades since the publication of his theories. However, many still believe in his theory that if left unchecked, population growth can pose serious problems for resource availability (Cristina, 2010). Neo-Malthusianism These are groups who also believe in the theories of Malthus and encourage population control programs for the present and future benefit of human beings. The Neo-Malthusians view however differ from Malthus in their belief on the use of contraceptive techniques for the birth control measures. The neo-Malthusians or the pessimistic view had more concerns about the effect that population growth would have on environmental degradation. While they supported the theories put forward by Malthus, this group of people strongly supported the idea of actively controlling population growth in order to prevent adverse impact on the environment. This pessimistic group are concerned about the effect overpopulation may have on resource depletion and environmental degradation. There has been a general revival in neo-Malthusian ideologies from the 1950s onwards especially after the publication of series of books by some Malthusian supporters such as Fairfield Osborn (Our Plundered Planet), William V ogt (Road to Survival) and Paul Ehrlich (The Population Bomb). Although many critics of neo-Malthusianism criticize the revival of this theory based on fact that the green revolution has led to sufficient food production, Pessimists such as Paul Ehrlich believe that unchecked population will ultimately lead to serious problems in the future (Ehrlich, 2009). Neo-Malthusian or the pessimistic view is more about the positive checks but Malthusian said that there is balance between both positive and negative checks. Technological or Optimistic views on population growth. The optimistic model of population growth was proposed by Julian Simon who in his book The Ultimate Resource (1981) argued that as resources become scarce the price goes up which in turn creates incentives for people to discover new source or find alternatives for the resource. Simon also claims in his book that the natural resources are infinite based on the justification that innovative methods can be used to make natural resources available. Increasing population growth and reduced resources make people to create innovations and inventions to produce more food and all basic needs. The optimistic view said that science and technology can overcome scarcity problems. Esther Boserup (1910-1999)-Danish economist said necessity is the mother of invention. So, humanity will always find a way to overcome their problems. The optimistic view also said that more people means more alternatives to find new materials and discover ways to do things. Discussion It can be seen from the above paragraphs that population growth can impact on the state of environment of our planet. Of the two theories on population growth, I support the neo-malthusian theory of pessimistic views based on the following justifications. Deforestation for agriculture If the human population growth is left unchecked, a day might come when the earths resources will not be able to sustain the requirements of human beings. As overpopulation will demand increasing food, energy, and other resources, humans will engage in activities that will directly affect our environment and ecosystem. For instance, about 160,000 square kilometers per of tropical rainforests are cleared for agricultural use thus resulting in loss of habitat for the biodiversity (Laurance, 1999). Such loss of forests will contribute to global warming and other negative effects on environment. Urbanization/industrialization In order to meet the growing demand of increasing population, humans have been using technologies such as industrialization for enhanced production of food and other needs. Increased industrialization and urbanization results in air pollution, noise pollution, and water pollution which are all detrimental to our environment. Increased urbanization will also mean clearance of forests for construction of roads, buildings etc. which further adds to pollution. Depletion of non-renewable natural resources and emission of green house gases Uncontrolled growth of population will lead to rapid depletion of non-renewable natural resources such as fossil fuels which are used as source of energy. The burning of fossil fuel i.e. carbon based fuels, mainly wood, coal, oil and natural gas produces significant amount of CO2 which is one of the main green house gases that contributes to global warming (International Energy Outlook, 2000). The green house effect maintains the earth at comfortable temperature range but if there is excessive release of CO2 and other harmful gases from the industries and factories, the green house gases gets easily out of control and will lead to so many problems like continental drift, climate change, natural disasters and variations of suns out put. Loss of biodiversity and habitat Due to growing population, especially in the rural areas of developing countries, people practising shifting cultivation undertake slash-and-burn techniques which results in the extinction of native flora and fauna. It has been reported that nearly 140,000 species are lost every year due to deforestation activities (Pimm, Russell, Gittleman and Brooks, 1995). Therefore, if population growth is not controlled, increasing human activities will further result in destruction of the habitat and loss of biodiversity. In Bhutan, human-wildlife especially human-elephant conflict is increasing and this is mainly due to the loss of habitat for the elephants due to increasing human population and activities (Kuensel, 19 May 2012). IX. Solutions There is a need to find solutions to decrease the problems associated with overpopulation and environmental degradation. The governments around the world should have policies to decrease the population growth rate by increasing use of birth control measures. The governments should also frame good policies to protect forests and environment and prevent loss of natural habitat. Innovative ideas and research should be done to increase food production without disturbing the environment. The governments should increase funding for education and awareness of especially the poor people for them to protect and take care of their environment. X. Conclusions In conclusion overpopulation can lead to problems in the form of depleting natural resources, environmental pollution and degradation, and loss of habitat. Therefore, urgent steps need to be taken to manage human population growth to a level that can be managed well. The theories founded by Reverend Malthus can be still followed because the natural resources available now may not be sufficient in the future if we do not control human population growth. XI. References Cristina Luiggi. (2010). Still Ticking. The Scientist 24 (12): 26. Hubbert, M.K. Techniques of Prediction as Applied to Production of Oil and Gas, US Department of Commerce, NBS Special Publication 631, May 1982. International Energy Outlook 2000, Energy Information Administration, Office of Integrated Analysis and Forecasting, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C. (2000) Joel Cohen, How Many People Can the Earth Support? (New York: Norton, 1995) J. Van Den Bergh and P. Rietveld, Reconsidering the Limits to World Population: Meta-analysis and Meta-predictions, Bioscience 54, no 3 (2004): 195. Kuensel, 19 May 2012, Page 22. Laurance, W. F. 1999. Reflections on the tropical deforestation crisis. Biological Conservation 91: 109-117. Paul R. Ehrlich; Anne H. Ehrlich (2009). The Population Bomb Revisited. Electronic Journal of Sustainable Development 1(3): 6371. Retrieved 2010-02-01. S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347350 (1995). Sahney, S. , Benton, M.J. Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2010). Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica (PDF). Geology 38 (12): 10791082. doi:10.1130/G31182.1. Tilman D., Fargione J., Wolff B., DAntonio C., Dobson A., Howarth R., Schindler D., Schlesinger W. H., Simberloff D. et al. (2001). Forecasting agriculturally driven global environmental change. Science 292: 281284. doi:10.1126/science.1057544. PMID11303102. United nations Population Fund, 2011 (http://www.unfpa.org/swp/ ) Wright and Boorse. (2011). Environmental Science.

Conflicting Visions :: Politics Political Essays

Conflicting Visions Generally, people share common goals. Most of us want: poor people to enjoy higher standards of living, greater traffic safety, fewer wars and more world peace, greater racial harmony, cleaner air and water, and less crime. Despite the fact that people have common goals, more often than not, we see them grouped into contentious factions, fighting tooth and nail to promote differing government policies in the name of achieving those commonly held goals. Often the policies may be unproductive and often have the unintended consequence of sabotaging the goal. Almost always the conflict is centered around the means to achieve goals rather than the goals themselves. A good example of conflict surrounding means is found in the periodic debates over minimum wage and tariffs. Many people profess concern for the welfare of low-skilled workers. To achieve their goal, one group adamantly demands that Congress legislate higher minimum wages. Another group professing the identical concern, are just as adamant in demanding that Congress not legislate higher minimum wages. Similarly, one group of advocates for greater employment opportunities might lobby Congress for higher tariffs and stricter quotas on foreign imports. Another group of people sharing the identical goal will fight against tariffs and quotas and lobby for fewer trade restrictions. How is it that people who share identical goals come to advocate polar opposite policies? One possible explanation is that they are dishonest and simply promoting their personal interests. Their political strategy is to express concern for the unskilled and greater employment opportunities simply as a ruse to conceal their true agenda: higher wages, profits and monopoly wealth. The more interesting question is why do people, who are assumed to be honest, intelligent, selfless and not motivated by a hidden agenda, arrive at polar opposite policy proposals as a means to achieve commonly shared goals, that may indeed produce polar opposite results? Part of the answer is that they share different visions of how the world works. Consider the effects of different visions by going back to a time prior to Pythagoras' and Ptolemy's proofs that the earth was round. Imagine two honest and intelligent people in 1000 B.C. One person's initial premise is that the earth is flat. Based upon that premise, he would argue strenuously it is not possible to sail west from Greece and reach the Orient. The other person, whose initial premise is that the world is round, would argue just as strenuously that it is possible to reach the Orient by sailing west from Greece.

Film Analysis Essay on Crash (2004)

The movie â€Å"Crash† – from director and producer Paul Haggis – pictures one day in the lives of various characters in Los Angeles, all of them from different social and racial backgrounds but nevertheless connected and intertwined throughout the story. The movie’s story is being told in a mostly chronological way, except that it puts one scene to the very beginning of the film and then cuts back to the day prior, indicated by the visual text â€Å"yesterday†.In this first sequence, detectives Graham Waters and his partner Ria have been rearended when they arrive at a crime scene, leading to a fight between Hispanic Ria and the accident responsible, furious Chinese Kim Lee, involving race-related insults towards each other. Breaking through the temporal order and showing everything that has happened prior to this fight gives the explanation why Kim Lee is so furious and why she was in such a hurry, as her husband is in hospital for being run over by a car.This strategy of playing with the viewer’s opinion and sympathy about the single characters is one that is central for the movie. Therefore a lot of prejudices are implicitly and explicitly presented through the narrative and the movie’s surface. Anthony and Peter for example are being pictured as two young adolescents just leaving a diner and discussing the (non-)discriminating treatment of the waitress. In Anthony’s opinion even other black people are racist towards Afro-Americans and that white people are scared of them although they are not even dressed like â€Å"gang-bangers†.This gives the impression of young people being worried and angry about ungrounded racial discrimination. Then the dialogue suddenly changes, both of them pull a gun and they steal the car from Rick and Jean Cabot – the two white people they just accused of having prejudices about them – leaving the viewer with a sudden change in the characterization they were given before. The movie continues like this when it shows the Hispanic locksmith Daniel Ruiz – mean-looking, tattooed and with a shaved head.Jean Cabot’s assumption about him being a Gang member who will sell the keys to their house as soon as he is out the door is consistent with his outward appearance. It is not until later in the movie, when he arrives at home taking loving care of his daughter, that the first impression is negated and turned into the opposite. Most of the characters in Crash turn out to be different than the first picture that is drawn of them all the time turning the story towards unanticipated events and revealing important information bout character backgrounds. Beyond that, it is important mentioning the complex net of connections and entanglements that occur between the characters and their stories and events. There is Jean Corbet, accusing her locksmith Daniel Ruiz of being a gang member, whose daughter is almost shot by the Persian sho p owner Farhad, whose daughter works in the mortuary where Detective Graham Waters dead brother is identified as Peter, who stole Jean Corbets car, making her change the locks in her house in the first place.This list of connections could be continued with for another while, as there are more characters involved with even more links between them. This motive of connection is also shown by the cuts from one scene to the next via an audible and/or a visual connection. For instance when Ria storms out of Graham Waters apartment and slams the door after her, the film cuts to Officer John Ryan lying in his bed – suddenly being woken up by his Crash – 2004 Identity and Diversity in American Film Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 Miriam Keller – 05/30/2012 groaning father.To the viewer it looks like he is wakes up from the slamming door, although there is no diegetic connection. Another example is the cut from Anthony and Peter just having stolen the black navigator, t o the crime scene of the shooting between two drivers. As the car with Anthony and Peter drives through the picture it cuts to a police car passing by in exactly the same camera-shot and revealing the crime scene behind it. Match-cuts like this are a reoccurring stylistic element, emphasizing the just specified net of entanglements.The central topic of racism and prejudices in the movie Crash is shown from various different angles, pointing at the complexity of this issue. It states that nothing and no one can be easily characterized and the importance of looking at the bigger picture instead of pigeonholing someone. All the different characters with their intertwined stories make it clear that everyone is connected and the range of influence of one person’s behavior is further than one would expect.

Aviation Safety

Aviation Safety Introduction Carelessness can be defined as ignorance or incorrectly assessing a risk. According to NTSB (2003), it is important to carefully follow maintenance and inspection procedures in order to avert aircraft related accidents, safeguard company property, and save life. By and large, most aircraft emergencies and fatal accidents are as a result of mistakes that occur during the process of maintenance and inspection.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Aviation Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Looking at the number of accidents witnessed annually in the sector, it is quite obvious that the training offered to mechanics during their formative stages is not yielding the expected results. Apart from the aviation industry, many other accidents can also be attributed to human error. This paper presents a discussion on mistakes that occur during maintenance and inspection and how they affect the operations of air carriers as well as consumers. Maintenance Related Concerns As can be deduced from past studies, human related errors are to blame for the high number of accidents occurring due negligence, and failure by aviation maintenance technicians to comply with stipulated maintenance standards and procedures (CAA, 2002). Statistically, associated number of accidents has continued to increase and this can be linked to issues such as technical engine failure. Sadly, the repercussions are serious and lead to deaths and severe damage to property and human life (Dillingham, 2010). Similarly, the reputation of the air carriers has been dwindling due to such accidents. Because of the complex nature of the problem, it has been a challenge to come up with concrete solutions. Consequently, the situation has continued unabated. Regardless of whether maintenance related aircraft accidents are new to the aviation industry, the awareness of the need for aviation safety implies that should be thorou ghly investigated. Presently, the increase in the number of accidents due to poor maintenance and inspection is a major concern to many stakeholders (CASA, 2012). It is, therefore, important to shift focus from investigating the performance of flight crews and to concentrate more on establishing where the problem lies within the maintenance and inspection units. Apparently, this has been largely ignored in a number of past investigations. In areas where the possibility of errors is quite high, the task of aircraft maintenance and inspection can be extremely complex and quite varied. One of the greatest concerns is that aviation maintenance technicians often have to work under very strict deadlines. Although these technicians understand the importance of meeting scheduled departure times, it is unhealthy for them to be made to work under pressure.Advertising Looking for research paper on aviation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn M ore To ease the pressure on aviation maintenance technicians, it is necessary for air carriers to employ additional staff and to designs flexible working plans for the maintenance crew. Among other benefits, this will reduce fatigue and grant them an opportunity to rest and embark on their duties when they are very fresh and feeling energized. Another concern that has been raised is that aircraft maintenance technicians are required to take care of very old aircrafts (Holanda, 2009). In general, this is can be very exhaustive, creates a stressful work environment, wastes so much time, and is quite involving. The demands on aviation maintenance technician increases further as new aircrafts are added to the fleet. The need to take care of old as well new aircraft poses challenges to the maintenance crew and requires familiarity with both technologies. A very highly skilled workforce is thus critical if air carriers are to effectively deal with emerging maintenance issues (CASA , 2012). Besides having a strong educational background, wide experience is a distinct added advantage for any aviation maintenance expert. Fortunately, there is an increased recognition of the significance of human factors in aviation safety. Subsequently, safety and effectiveness of aircrafts is now closely associated with the performance of aircraft of maintenance technicians. Human Error and Aviation safety According to Conquest and Beckett (2003), the effect from technical failures is quite negligible in comparison to that from human error. As such, it is imperative to ensure that the needs of aviation maintenance technicians are fully met. In a recent exercise carried out by Boeing Commercial Airplane Company, three things that lead to accidents include the fact that flight crews fail to adhere to procedures, the existence of maintenance and inspection errors, and design factors. Human Error in Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection Generally, human error in the aviation industry becomes obvious when aircraft failures that are linked to the actions or non actions of aircraft maintenance technicians happen (CAA, 2002). However, the failure experienced may be due to other factors and not necessarily because of the inability of maintenance technicians to deliver effectively. It is also possible that during a maintenance exercise an anomaly may be undetected, leading to aircraft failure and subsequently, an accident. To a large extent, many past accidents have been linked to human errors as major contributors (Conquest Beckett, 2003). While in some cases, accidents can directly be attributed to human error, the same may not be said of certain accidents where poor maintenance is seen to have partially contributed to the occurrence of an accident.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Aviation Safety specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In a list published by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Aut hority, the major problems resulting from unprofessional practice during maintenance include poor installations of aircraft components, use of unauthorized aircraft parts, poor electrical wiring, unsatisfactory lubrication of movable parts, and fastenings that are left incomplete. According to CASA (2022), there are numerous issues that can lead to maintenance errors. While some are easily noticeable, others may completely be hidden. To address these issues, it is imperative for the air carriers to require all aviation maintenance technicians to strictly follow outlined maintenance procedures while performing maintenance tasks. Aviation maintenance technicians must be made to understand the importance of being extremely vigilant. Any form of negligence must be avoided at all costs and stakeholders must steer away from actions or non actions that can be detrimental to the effective performance of an aircraft. Where an aviation maintenance technician deliberately acts in a manner like ly to create problems for the aircraft and the air carrier company, he or she must be subjected to some form of punishment. In order to effectively deal with problems created by human error, concerned persons must diligently carry out thorough investigations and interpret findings in a way that will benefits the carrier company as well as general public. Contributing human factors or any individual involved must be identified and appropriate measures should be taken to avoid a repeat of the same at a later time. In various past studies, it is evident that while organizations can be a source of accidents due to negligent acts, they can also help to prevent the occurrence of accidents and save human life. However, the ability of organizations to address safety issues in their operations depends so much on the technology available to them. While organizations with improved technology are better placed to effectively deal with identified safety concerns, those without such technology su ffer serious challenges and are unable to address safety problems even after they have been detected.Advertising Looking for research paper on aviation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apparently, the promotion of safety as well as prevention of accidents in the aviation sector is rarely looked at as a human problem that must be dealt with by ensuring that aviation maintenance technicians are well prepared. Better results can, however, be realized when the training offered is accompanied with strict follow ups to ensure that trainees effectively utilize the skills learnt. Obviously, the rising number of accidents point to the fact that aviation maintenance technicians are not putting skills learnt to good use as it is widely expected. Because of carelessness, technicians have ended up causing serious irreversible damage to humanity and air carrier companies. It is also very important for top management in organizations to ensure that staff members are serious about their work. Without some form of reinforcement from senior personnel in the organization, the problem will continue uncontrollably. Strong support from the top is, therefore, a key requirement. Ordinari ly, errors do not happen in isolation. They occur within the context of organizations which can either resist or promote them. Ideally, this implies that organizations have the liberty to decide how to deal with safety concerns that affect their day to day business operations. On the one hand, they can choose to let things get worse, and hence cause more problems for themselves and the general public while on the other hand, they can decide to implement strict measures that will see an end to laxity and alleviate any problems in future. It is, therefore imperative for the organization to have very strong and reliable leadership at the top to avoid the promotion of mediocre standards. Departures from approved procedures must be avoided at all costs and senior managers must see to it that all aviation maintenance technicians perform their functions as expected. Refusal to follow outlined guidelines as well as logging requirements to perform maintenance tasks is unacceptable and must n ot be entertained by anyone in the organization. Human Error in the Maintenance Environment Typically, unique characteristics are bound to shape human error within the maintenance environment (Huang, 2009). To a great extent, this is thought to be completely different when compared to other operational departments of an organization. One of the biggest challenges faced by aviation maintenance technician is that unlike problems seen in other departments, maintenance related errors cannot be identified at the time of occurrence. In some cases, the aviation maintenance technician who makes an error may fail to realize it as it may happen long after the maintenance has taken place. Ordinarily, detected human errors associated with maintenance only become obvious when an aircraft malfunctions and it is generally not easy to identify the real cause of the error. Errors are thus discussed with regard to failures encountered with aircrafts. According to Goldman et al. (2002), communication is a very important factor to consider in aircraft maintenance. In most cases, communication breakdown among stakeholders leads to unexpected repercussions. The huge amount of information created must be properly disseminate to the right recipients and where possible properly stored for future reference. Besides, it is important to ensure that any information sent out is in a form that can be effectively understood by whoever receives it. Ineffective communication to the maintenance crew, for example, can have a very damaging outcome. Communication must be put in the simplest possible form and the use of technical jargon must be avoided so as to ensure that the recipient understands the communication relayed. When maintenance problems are encountered, communication must be sent to the manufacturer before it is late, to get the correct remedy. If ignored, this could lower the performance level of an aircraft and in some cases lead to unnecessary expenses. Although communication betwe en airlines is never easy to do, it is necessary and the maintenance crew must be encouraged to get involved. Lack of or poor communication within the organization’s maintenance unit can also be very dangerous (Goldman et al, 2002). For there to be unity, and for everyone to move towards the same direction, there must be smooth communication. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the unit head to keep the communication fire burning within the organization. Whenever issues are encountered, these must be dealt with immediately so that people can move on. Any complicated issues can, however, be escalated to senior managers in the organization for further attention and advice. In a worse case scenario, a breakdown in communication can easily lead to delays in delivery of critical services and this can in turn affect the general operation of the airline. In the event that such misunderstandings affect the customer, the biggest loser will be the company. Conclusion Given the tigh t link that exists between human error and aviation safety, it is certainly not easy to effectively deal with the resultant problems. Although well structured training programs and strong leadership can be of great help, good will from the aviation maintenance technicians is vital. Without whole hearted support from these technicians, any efforts to deal with aviation safety will bear very little or no fruit at all. As has been explained in this paper, detecting human errors in the aviation industry is not easy. Errors tend to be detected long after they have happened and usually, they tend to occur in the absence of the aviation maintenance technicians. Analysis is thus based mostly on assumptions rather than on concrete evidence. This notwithstanding, organizations must take all the necessary precautions to guarantee the safety of their staff members, customers, and aircrafts. Proper guidelines and procedures must be put in place and the maintenance crew should be equipped with cr itical skills to help them carry out their tasks. Dissatisfaction among staff and lack of concern will lead to serious damage and must be addressed fully. Aviation maintenance technicians and by extension, all other employees, must be treated with respect. They must all form an opinion that the organization has their interests well catered for. When all is said and done, it is the organization’s reputation that is at stake. Other important considerations are effective communication at all levels and well organized of trainings for aviation maintenance technicians. However, as noted earlier, it is imperative to devise follow up programs that will make it possible to reinforce the skills learnt during the training. It is of no use for people to receive world class training but fail to utilize it effectively. References Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). (2002). Human Factors in Aircraft Maintenance and Inspection. Web. Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). (2012). SMS for Aviati on – A Practical Guide. Web. Conquest, T. Beckett, B. A. (2003). Aviation Safety: Better Guidance and Training Needed on Providing Files on Pilots Background Information. Collingdale, PA: DIANE Publishing. Dillingham, G. L. (2010). Aviation Safety: Improved Data Quality and Analysis Capabilities are needed as FAA Plans a Risk-Based Approach to Safety Oversight. Collingdale, PA: DIANE Publishing. Goldman, S. M., Fiedler, E. R. King, R. E. (2002). General Aviation Maintenance Related Accidents: A Review of Ten Years of NTSB Data. Web. National Transport Safety Board (NTSB). (2013). Mechanics: Managing Risks to Ensure Safety. Web. Holanda, R. (2009). A History of Aviation Safety: Featuring the U. S. Airline System. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse Publishing. Huang, J. (2009). Aviation Safety through the Rule of Law: ICAOs Mechanisms and Practices. Frederick, MD: Kluwer Law International.

Why Study World Religions Essays

Why Study World Religions Essays Why Study World Religions Paper Why Study World Religions Paper PHL230 Religions of the World I think that it is important to study world religions because it can help people to become more tolerant of other’s beliefs and more compassionate to other people’s causes. With so much war and misunderstanding in the world based on religious viewpoints, it is important to take the time to find out where and why people believe the way that they do. While I find that most people in the world follow a religion based on their geographical location, this is not the case in the United States. Because the US is a country where people from all over the world can come to live it is a place where many different religions are practiced. It is important, especially for people in this country, to study world religions in order to know how to relate to others who live here. Religion has an influence on many aspects of life from politics, education, and the arts. It is important that we study all religions so we get a better understanding of how and why it influences these things. I think the greatest reason to study world religions is for appreciation. I think that studying these religions I have gained a better understanding of people in other areas of the world. I also find that I see many similarities, as well as some differences, in religious ideas and rituals. I think that how we started our studies in this class, with indigenous religions we learned the basics of beliefs and where they originated. I think that because the essence of animism’s â€Å"everything is alive† theory we start to see how people first connected with God and nature. I think that most religions believe that God, or whatever they call him in that religion, is everywhere, that His hand was in the creation of all living things and that there is a purpose for everything. I also find it interesting that although most indigenous people never came into contact with anyone else, and lived in different regions of the world, many of the beliefs are similar. I understand more now how indigenous people could believe that violent weather can be perceived as a wrath from a god because of mistreatment of nature. I think that this is something that can be thought of in today’s world because of global warming. We have mistreated the land for so long and it seems to be taking revenge on us with various weather patterns. Even though in today’s world we see this as just an environmental thing, indigenous religions would see it as a god’s wrath because of the poor treatment of the land. I enjoyed learning about Hinduism and the aspects of karma and samsara I found to be the most interesting parts of the Hindu faith. I think because of the Hindu belief in these things they work towards living a more moral and respectful existence. Karma is the notion of moral consequences that are carried along with every act. (Molloy 87) Samsara is the wheel of life. It is a circle of constant rebirth, suggesting that the world is full of change. (Molloy 87) Because the Hindu believes that the things they do in life have consequences in their reincarnation it makes them try to live better so that their next life may be in a higher position. I find it interesting that in this religion what happens to the person in their next life is up to that individual himself, and it is up to that person to find their own path to their enlightenment. Hinduism is said to be a religion of one truth and may paths. This is something I also found to be different because in my religion of Christianity what happens to you after death is based only upon your belief in Jesus being your savior. The other religion I feel I became more knowledgeable about because of the studies in this class is Buddhism. I had no previous knowledge about this religion other than it existed. The most important concept I feel that I learned from Buddhism is part of the three marks of reality. These are made up of, change, no permanent identity and suffering. In no permanent identity each person and each thing is changing and made up of parts that are also constantly changing. It means that people have no permanent soul or no self. (Molloy133). In suffering it is the fact of life that when life is lived conventionally it can never be fully satisfying because of change. (Molloy pg 134) The mark of reality I found the most interesting is change. The concept of change in Buddhism has us look at life as it really is. Things change gradually and we notice the changes over time. We don’t expect change but nothing ever remains the same. Molloy132) When I learned this I looked over my life and have to admit, that much has changed over time. No matter how we try and keep things the same it is impossible. Children grow up, our body ages, our relationships change. Even things in the world things are constantly changing, landscapes change naturally from things like the tide or erosion, and seasons come and go. In Buddhism the belief is that we are responsible for accepting this and not trying to change the outside world but we need to change ourselves and the way we experience the world. Molloy 134) In studying the world religions I learned that there are similarities; they all seem to have a similar moral code. The basic concept of all religions is to treat everyone with kindness. Ahimsa, â€Å"do no harm†, is a fundamental practice found in religions like Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. This is similar to the â€Å"do unto others† concept in Christianity. People should be kind to people as they want people to treat them kindly. I feel that prayer or meditation relate in a way to each other in different religions. Meditation in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism are a way people can achieve inner peace and improve themselves as human beings. I find that prayer also can bring peace to a person. Prayer in religions like Christianity and Judaism is the way people speak and become closer to God. So in both prayer and meditation people improve themselves and achieve an inner peace. One difference that I learned in the course would be the concepts of time as they relate to religions. Religions such as animism, Hinduism and Buddhism have a cyclical view of time. This means there is no beginning or end but everything goes in a cycle. In Hinduism this is seen in the concept of samsara you are born, live, and are reincarnated so time is always going in a circle of life. In a religion like Christianity, there is a beginning and an end to time. The belief is that one day Jesus will return and then the end of the world where non believers will be sent to hell and the believers will ascend to heaven will happen. Another difference I learned about is in the amount of gods there are or the lack of any god in some religions. In Christianity, Judaism and Islam there is one God and God alone is worshipped. In a religion like Hinduism there are several deities that are worshipped. In Hinduism there is the Brahma, god of the universe, creation. Vishnu is the god of preservation in the universe. Shiva is the god associated to destruction. There are also several other gods in Hinduism like Devi, Durga, Kali, Krishna, and Vishnu. A religion like Daoism has no definite god only a belief of the Dao which is nameless and everything is a manifestation of the Dao. (Molloy 221) I would say that by studying world religions I did come away with many things I had not thought of or knew of before. I think it was beneficial for me because it gave me a better understanding of how people in different regions of the world think. Religion has an effect on many aspects of a person’s thinking. I think because of this, myself being a psychology major, the study of world religions has been very beneficial for me. I will know how to better relate to people of other cultures and schools of thought better because of my study. : Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the Worlds Religions, Tradition, Challenge, and Change 5th Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010.

Construction technology Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Construction technology - Coursework Example e however very complicated in residential areas where several requirements have to be considered and put in place to ensure that the people residing in these areas are well catered for with regard to their needs. These needs will often include comfort and aesthetic requirements among other needs. The environmental concerns are as well a dire factor that has to be taken into consideration in order to avoid its pollution and mishandling in various ways opposed to the regulations put forth by the environmental watch bodies. For this reason, one has to ensure that the available space designed for developmental purposes are well established and planned in order to cater for all these needs and concerns. Changes in the use of the formally planned region often call for fresh planning and construction ideas which would call for the demolition of the pre- existing structure to create space for the new structures which comes with its own requirements, different from the previous ones. Effective planning areas such as the lounges, car parks, pavements as well as other important regions in any residential region have to be well established to promote their aesthetic value, longevity/ duration of stay as well as the reduction of flooding problems especially on car parks (Allen Burton & Pitt, 2001). This can effectively and efficiently be won by using the soft designing features such as planting of trees, meadows, shrubs and other related live protections around the delicate and stringent areas. This paper will look at the planning mechanisms to be employed by the residential housing developers at a site located in Chester-Le-Street, Durham formally owned by a transport company. The paper w ill also look at the various ways of effectively planning the region taking into consideration the need to avoid pollution and flooding in the residential areas besides observing the aesthetic value of the place. Given the limited scale of the space available for development purposes and the

Generalized Framework For Mining Web Content Outliers Research Paper

Generalized Framework For Mining Web Content Outliers - Research Paper Example With the advent of social networking web sites, micro blogging as well as an increase in usage of the net over mobile phones added an avalanche of data over the web, which varied in context and attracted all sorts of interest groups. This constant increase in information has created a great need of fast, relevant and mature content search methods that can sift through information, understand and generate search results in the shortest possible time. This requirement resulted in the development of revolutionary search engines like Bing, Google, etc. These search engines not only perform rapid searches over provided query from the user, however, they also maintain huge repositories of data classified into specific categories. There are several challenges that exist within such classification processes, and which can cause imprecise search results if they are not dealt with properly. Several methods have been proposed to match the most relevant web content with the user's query, however , this is a matter of debate that whether search engines should only generate the directly matched results or also provide some relevant results? Both methods have their own significance and a mixed kind of approach is in practice by different search engines. Google's page rank method got great popularity and has been modified by others for different purposes, for example the importance or relevance of a page is not measured for the top query results generation however several other kinds of processes are associated with this page ranking method. For instance, the computational advertisement industry has grown to a $20 billion industry this year and is expected to go further and big search engine groups are leaders in this industry so far. Advertisements are supposed to be placed on relevant pages so that they are viewed by the relevant i.e. targeted customers, which not only increases the revenue for their customers in terms of return of interest, however, moves towards personalize d or behavioral targeting. Out of several