Ray Bradbury Essays - Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Literature

Ray Bradbury "It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning." The above quote is from Fahrenheit 451, my favorite science fiction novel of all time, by Ray Bradbury. The quote describes the main concept of the book and is very appealing because it gives so much visual detail to the scene. This story is set in a future where all books and other written materials are forbidden. The main character's (Guy Montag's) job is to burn books and the houses which the books are hidden in. He never questions his actions until he meets someone who tells him how it was in the past when people didn't live in fear and could read whatever they wished. Then he does everything he can to prevent books from being burned and starts wanting to learn more and more. I thought that this novel exercised great social commentary on society as a whole. It shows how important books are to us all. It also shows that some people feel that knowledge is a threat to power and rule. Reading is a freedom everyone should be able to enjoy. Ray Bradbury is an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22, 1920. His work has been included in the Best American Short Story collections (1946,1948, and 1952). He has been awarded the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award in 1954, the Aviation-Space Writer's Association Award for best space article in an American Magazine in 1967, the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. His animated film about the history of flight, Icarus Montgolfier Wright, was nominated for an academy award, and his teleplay of The Halloween Tree won an Emmy. Some of Bradbury's most famous books over the years are The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, No Man is an Island, The Golden Apples of the Sun, Dandelion Wine and of course Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury's writing has been honored in many ways, but probably the most unusual was when an Apollo astronaut named the Dandelion Crater on the Moon after Bradbury's novel, Dandelion Wine. Besides his literary achievements, Ray Bradbury was the idea consultant and wrote the basic scenario for the United States Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. He thought up the metaphors for Spaceship Earth, EPCOT, Disney World, and he contributed to the birth of the Orbitron space ride at Euro-Disney in France. He was creative consultant for the Jon Jerde Partnership, the architectural firm that blueprinted the Glendale Galleria, The Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles, and Horton Plaza in San Diego. Ray Bradbury is now living in California and is still writing and lecturing.

JOURNAL ENTRY - CH. 1-3 Essays - To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem

JOURNAL ENTRY - CH. 1-3 Essays - To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem JOURNAL ENTRY - CH. 1-3 What'sHappening MyThinking Ch. 1 Scout the narrator remembers that her brother Jem got his arm broken when he was thirteen. Luckily, Jem's arm doesn't interfere with his mad football skills, so he doesn't really care about it much. From the children's point-of-view, their most compelling neighbour is Boo Radley, a recluse whom none of them has ever seen. They make plans to make Boo Radley come out. Ch. 2 Summer's over, and Dill heads back home to Meridian. Jem takes Scout to school . Scout's teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, is new to teaching, new to Maycomb, and mortified that Scout already knows how to read and write. Ch. 3 Jean Louise catches Walter Cunningham in the schoolyard and beats him up because she got in trouble because of him, but Jem stops her. Jem invites Walter to come home for lunch with Scout and him. Scout really doesn't like school so she goes home and makes a plan to run away. Scout's brother Jem, broke his arm when he was thirteen. They make a plan for Boo Radley to come out who is their most compelling neighbour which none of them have ever seen. In chapter 2 Jem takes scout to school and Miss Caroline Fisher Scout's teacher is mortified knowing that Scout already knows how to read and write. Scout doesn't like going to school so she plans to run away. KeyQuotations Themes NewVocabulary Type of reading: Resistant reading or dominant reading? Reader'sreaction/opinions supportedwithevidence from thetext Whythey'reimportant/What'stheauthor'smessage? What is the purpose of the text? Mythinking/interpretations about themeaningor significance. Textreference/Inmyhead reference WhatIknowaboutthe word/howit connectstothetext Why?

CCI - Capturing learning from innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CCI - Capturing learning from innovation - Essay Example Today in the fast pacing world, organizations having innovative approach towards business and keen and committed efforts towards change and innovation are only able to cope up with the furious competition and achieve business goals. In this technology and cost motivated international market, it is inevitable to change and this should be conveyed to the employees by showing management commitment to foster an environment of creativity and openness. Creative and sincere ideas from the employees should be welcomed and implemented. Train, train and train! Employees should be rewarded with extensive trainings to keep them up with the current technologies, skills and business performance strategies. Relevant training makes sure the employees fit best in the changing business environment and responsibilities. A schedule should be chalked out by management for implementing change; but, in the mean time, management shall make itself ready to alter this time line and schedule in case if modifications are inevitable before implementation. It is best when change is constant and continual, but it should be

Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy Utopia Essay

Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy Utopia - Essay Example Its massive growth accompanied with the explosion of the city and the growing gap between the rich and poor made it seem like the industrial system was heading off the deep end. As a social remedy, muckrakers exposed the social ills that capitalism was creating and in turn became one of its saviors. One of these writers was Edward Bellamy who published Looking Backward, a novel in which Julian West, a man from 1887, awakens to find a utopian socialist society juxtaposed against the harsh world from he came from. This book, depicting the evils of capitalism, also offered solutions that helped mobilize groups to help their common man. The progressive reform movements of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century were the response to the problems in American industrial society criticized by Edward Bellamy in Looking Backward. Capitalism, Bellamy argued, was the root of all problems in American industrial society. He pointed to competition, corruption, and most of all the inequitable distribution of wealth as being responsible for the poor living conditions of most people in the early nineteenth century. In the latter part of the book, West goes back to the Boston of the past to see a world marked by clear distinctions and divisions between the rich and the poor. ... Similarly, the stories of Horatio Alger gave the poor a sense of false hope that they could escape the chains of poverty and become rich and powerful. These parables were not true given the fact that the upper class did almost everything possible to keep them as poor as possible in order to profit personally. John Rockefeller realized that by reducing wages and working conditions, his own pocketbook swelled to a tremendous amount. Child labor and terrible working conditions were of the two most notable results of capitalism and self motivated profit. Likewise, Cornelius Vanderbilt and Andrew Carnegie created monopolies and trusts that squeezed out competition from the market to be able to control and set a high price for the consumer. While Bellamy identified competition as one of the most negative aspects of capitalism, the "robber baron" or "captain of industry" alternative was no better. (Manuel, 215) The distinction was where the profit went to. In the early nineteenth century, the private individual reaped the profit while in the utopian world of the future; the profit was every ones to share. . In return for twenty five years of labor in the Industrial Army each American receives an equal share of the nation's production every year of his or her life. Service to society guarantees full support by society. When West goes to talk to his fiance's family about the problems of society he proclaims, "Do you not know that close to your doors a great multitude of men and women, flesh of your flesh, live lives that are one agony from birth to death" (Bellamy, 210) By throwing him into the street, the family tries to eliminate anything that might threaten their system of

Individual Portion of Group Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Individual Portion of Group Project - Assignment Example Year 2011 Profit Margin = (864 / 13,198) * 100 = 6.55% Question 29 a. Days in Inventory = (Average Inventory / COGS) * 365 b. Year 2012 Average Inventory = (1,365 + 1,174) / 2 = 1,269.5 Days in Inventory = (1,269.5 / 8,763) * 365 = 52.88 days c. Year 2011 Average Inventory = (1,174 + 1,056) / 2 = 1,115 Days in Inventory = (1,115 / 8,046) * 365 = 50.58 days Profit Margin Profit margin is one of the most important financial metrics that helps to evaluate the profit making ability of the company. It measures the capacity of the company to control its direct and indirect costs. The ratio is normally classified as a profitability ratio and calculated as: Profit Margin = (Net Income / Net Sales) * 100% Kellogg’s net profit margin improved in 2012 by 20 basis points. The company contributed 6.77c in 2012 as compared to 2.55c in 2011 to the net income for every unit dollar sales made. The improvement in the margin was due to the company ability to control its indirect expenses in 2012 . The company was able to reduce its selling and administrative expenses by 100 basis points despite an increase in the sales figure. However, the increase in the net profit margin could have been higher if the company had been able to control the growth in the direct costs. The cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales increased by 70 basis points; which ultimately reduced the gross margin of the company. Another entity that reduced the profitability of Kellogg was the high interest expense. The company is highly leveraged and pays a massive amount as interest each other. In 2012, the company paid $261 million as interest expense as compared to $231 million in 2011. (SEC 2013) The increase in the profitability will have a positive impact on the Kellogg operations. It will allow the company to retain more of the earnings and invest in the company operations. This will allow the company to expand into the new markets each year and increase the profits of the company in the foll owing year. Similarly, the increase profitability impacts the investors psyche – they are more prone to invest in the company with better margins and payout ratios. The management at Kellogg needs to effectively control its growing direct costs. The resulting decrease in the cost of goods sold will increase the profit margin. Likewise, it needs an effective and efficient inventory management system that will allow the company to reduce its inventory costs as well. Similarly, the company needs to efficiently reduce its selling and administrative expense which will again directly affect the profits. Kraft is one of the biggest competitors to Kellogg in the food products industry. Kraft contributed 9.0c in 2012 as compared to 9.5c in 2011 to the net income for every unit dollar sales made. Although, Kraft’s net profit margin declined in 2012 by 50 basis points; it still has a better net profit margin compared to the Kellogg. (MSN Money, 2013) The main reason behind the hi gh margin is the company’s ability to control its direct costs as well as indirect costs. With higher margins and profits, the company reinvests a massive amount to expand and test the new markets. Similarly, these margins allow the company to maintain an effective advertising plan to stay at the top of the consumer’s mind. (MSN Money, 2013) Works Cited Bloomberg Businessweek. "KELLOGG CO (K:New York): Stock Quote & Company Profile."

Tata Group

Tata Group Tata Group Introduction Tata Motors, the number one automobile company in India, holds a position of prestige also in the international market. Apart from India the company has its operations is many international markets such as South Korea, Thailand and Spain. It was established in India, in the year 1945; and with the passage of time the company grew larger and larger to become a part of the global arena (Tata Motors, n.d.). Among other factors, a well balanced human resource management is one that helped the company to attain such heights. Tata Motors is a subsidiary of Tata Groups. The parent concern is a well diversified business group which has existence in engineering sector, energy sector, chemical industry and hospitality as well as financial service sector. Tata group is a century old business established in 1874 by Jamsedhji Nusserwanji Tata (Goldstein, 2008, p.6). Tata Group is a conglomerate like many others in developing nations. The diagram provided below will better illustrate the structure on which the company operates. At present the chairman of Tata Group is Ratan Tata, who is the grandson of the founder of the Tata Group. The changing business strategy has compelled the company to shift its management focus from traditional to more contemporary style. This change is adopted to make the company more competitive in the long run. This report gives a fair idea regarding various factors related to the human resource management. These factors include human resource planning, job evaluation, motivation, rewards, criteria for redundancy etc. The report includes relevant theories and their possible application in the context of Tata corp. Task 1 Since its inception, the company was able to develop a strong bondage with its employees and the HR department considered the employees as a strategic partner of the company. Though the nature of business changed from a family owned business to a conglomerate managed professionally by the corporate, but the traditional HR approach is still prevalent in the company. According to the higher management, the company is planning to introduce major changes in its HR practices (Tata-a, 2010). As per the company information, the HR department is taking due care to make the policies more transparent by making it more flexible to suit the changing needs of the employees (Tata-b, 2004). In Tata Ltd, the HR department needs to handle all the necessary activities associated with developing an effective human resource force. Hence the list of the activities range from recruitment selection, remuneration related activities, human resource planning, performance appraisal, human force development, grievance handling and many other such vital activities. Different persons involved in the HR department have different role to do, as for example the responsibilities of line managers in HR practices is to motivate the employees to achieve their target and to put their utmost effort to attain excellence in their performance. For many years the company was practicing traditional management style but to attain competency in international market Tata Ltd decided to change its human resource planning. The company plans to expand its business because the economical conditions are ideal for expanding business practices; hence the company needs to hire more human resource. For making the remuneration policy competent to the industry standards, HR department of Tata Ltd needs to collect information regarding the benchmark level in local market and then to set the pay appropriate to the present market condition. According to Michael Armstrong and Angela Baron, job evaluation is â€Å"a systematic process for defining the relative worth of jobs within an organisation† (Armstrong, Baron, 1995). In simple words it can be said that job evaluation is the process of describing and analysing the positions and making comparisons among duties of different employees in terms of individual responsibilities (Goel, 2008). The main objective of job evaluation is to determine employees wages based on their relative jobs or work in the organisation. It clarifies the responsibilities, authority and functions of employees. It is crucial to remember that it is the process of evaluation of job, not of the person who is doing the job. There are two factors that need to be considered during the process of job evaluation. These are internal equity and external equity of the job. Internal equity is referred to the value of job compared to other jobs in the organisation, whereas external equity of the job is referred to the jobs value in the external market (Bogardus, 2004). To determine more accurate pay structure for the employees, the HR department will have to conduct an in-depth job analysis. First and foremost the manager will analyse the respective job responsibility which the employee needs to fulfil, then they will have to find out the skill and knowledge required for fulfilling the job responsibilities (Gerhart Rynes, 2003, p.84). It is a known fact that if the HR department hires highly skilled employees, the cost of pay will also be high. Hence the HR department prefers to hire semi-skilled employees and then provide training so that the employees are able to gather the required skill and knowledge for fulfilling the respective job responsibilities. The company believes in rewarding the employees for motivating them. Since the time the founder of the company realised the importance of its human resource, he provided a fair chance to its employees to be strategic partners. In 2000 the company announced Performance Ethic Program (PEP) for rewa rding the high performing employees (Tata-c, 2003). Rewards and motivation are interrelated. This relation can be better explained by describing motivational theories like Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. According to Maslow there is a hierarchy of five different needs. These are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation needs. Various physiological needs include hunger, thirst, sex, shelter etc. Safety needs are referred to the needs for protection from various emotional and physical harms. Social needs include needs for affection, acceptance, belongingness and friendship. The fourth need which is the esteem need is referred to the need for autonomy, self-respect, achievement, recognition, status etc. Finally the need for self-actualisation is referred to the drive of becoming what an individual is able to become. Each and every person has any one of these needs. A person, who has fulfilled all his physiological needs, would now look for meeting the safety related needs. Generally in an organisation like Tata Corp. empl oyees are expected to meet their physiological and safety needs easily. As a result they would try to meet either safety needs or esteem needs or self-actualisation needs. If rewards that are given from the organisation help employees in fulfilling their needs then they will be definitely motivated. A middle level manager who has already fulfilled his first three needs will certainly look for meeting the other two kinds of needs. He will look for more recognition and status. He will try to achieve all the objectives in his professional life. If the organisation can help him in this process then that help will be considered as a reward. The company can give him more opportunities, responsibilities and more right to make decisions. On the other hand a top level manager is expected to fulfil the needs for self-actualisation. He will be keen to become what he is capable of. The best way to motivate him is to provide him all the opportunities from organisations side and help him in achie ving his personal goals and objectives. The management not only provides monitory but also provides many non-monitory rewards to the employees to enhance their performance and motivation level. Thus it can be said that the HR department of Tata Ltd follows ‘Maslow need theory to motivate the employees. The company thereby follows a Balance Scorecard to appraise employees performance. Task 2 As compared to the other car manufacturing companies, the recruitment policy of Tata Ltd is quite different. For example GM, one of the market leader in car manufacture industry follows a more contemporary recruitment polices whereas in Tata Motor the influence of family owned business culture is distinctly visible. During the recruitment process preference is given to the internal source of recruitment. In GM the recruitment and selection follows a well mapped process of interview and it is more structured but in Tata motor the employees have to go through a chain of event and the interview is often quite lengthy. This is because the management follows both structured as well as unstructured mode of interview. In GM the employees have a well structured exist policy which reduces time lag. As the turnover rate is moderate, the management prefers to finish all the formalities as fast as possible. On the other hand in Tata Corp the employees generally maintain a lifelong relation; hence the HR department maintains a rudimentary and traditional exit policy. Taking into account the comparison between the HR policies of Tata Motors and GM, it can be concluded that Tata Motor needs to introduce certain changes in their selection process. The company should attract more potential employees who are eager to learn and become a valuable asset for the company. Hence the company needs to restructures its selection process and if required the recruitment activity can be outsources to save valuable time of the HR department. There should be fair criteria for selection regarding redundancy. Criteria for both mandatory and voluntary redundancy need to be capable of justification and must have proper objectives which should be aligned to the overall organisational objectives. There should not be any biasness in the selection criteria in the form of gender, pregnancy, marital status, family status and disability. Redundancy criteria can be influenced by the factors like performance appraisals, efficiency at the work, tenure of the employment and attendance record (CCH Asia Pte Limited, 2009). Conclusion When compared to the industry standards, the HR policies of Tata Motor are not up to the mark. Nevertheless they are efficient enough to encourage the employees to put their level best and work hand in hand to achieve corporate goals. The company however, is not complacent with it and are making efforts to restructure the organisation and change their recruitment and selection policies to achieve corporate excellence. It needs to give more importance on factors such as job evaluation process and criteria for redundancy. Reference Armstrong, M. Baron, A. 1995, The job evaluation handbook, CIPD Publishing Bogardus, A. M. 2004, Human resources jumpstart, John Wiley and Sons CCH Asia Pte Limited, 2009, Termination and Redundancy Practices in Asia, CCH Asia Pte Limited Gerhart, B. A. Rynes, S. 2003. Compensation: theory, evidence, and strategic implications. SAGE. Goel, 2008, Performance Appraisal And Compensation Management: A Modern Approach, PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd. Goldstein, A. January 2008. The Internationalization of Indian Companies: The Case of Tata. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). [Pdf]. Available at: http://www.ciaonet.org/wps/casi/0001617/f_0001617_830.pdf [Accessed on April 02, 2010]. Tata Motors. No date. Profile. [online]. Available at: http://www.tatamotors.com/our_world/profile.php [Accessed on April 02, 2010]. Tata-a. January 2010. Finding the right formula. [online]. Available at: http://www.tata.com/media/interviews/inside.aspx?artid=HQqRi4Xvg5A= [Accessed on April 02, 2010]. Tata-b. September 2004. All in a days work. [online]. Available at: http://www.tata.com/careers/articles/inside.aspx?artid=u7jLneDv8kE= [Accessed on April 02, 2010]. Tata-c. 2003August 29, 2003. Tata Steel ranks sixth on the list of top ten employers in India. [online]. Available at: http://www.tata.com/company/releases/inside.aspx?artid=O/xJuBV1UVY= [Accessed on April 02, 2010].

Classical Period of Music Essay -- essays research papers

The Spirit of the Classical Era : The Classical Era saw the convergence of two opposing schools of thought in society. The first was the leftover from the Baroque Era, which said that the nobility had absolute power of society. The second was from the middle class, who said that the nobility had gone too far with their power and should give some of their power over to the middle class. The result of this was many opportunities for composers. Not only could they have theirtraditional occupations as servents to various noblemen who served as their patrons, but they could also make a fair living performing their work at public concerts, an innovation of the time. This uprising from the bourgeousie was happening all around the world. The American and French Revolution showed that the little people of the world were not going to stand for being trampled underfoot and the Industrial Revolution allowed for a power transfer from the nobility to the middle class, who controlled the mines and factories. Thinkers of the Classical Era despised complexity and detail. They preferred beauty in simplicity and form. The Classical Era represented a throwback to ancient Rome and Greece. The String Quartet: The string quartet represents one of the first musical forms that could be described as chamber music. In this style of music, the composer deals with a small group of instruments and the emphasis is on the blend and interplay between the players. A string quartet usually consists ... Classical Period of Music Essay -- essays research papers The Spirit of the Classical Era : The Classical Era saw the convergence of two opposing schools of thought in society. The first was the leftover from the Baroque Era, which said that the nobility had absolute power of society. The second was from the middle class, who said that the nobility had gone too far with their power and should give some of their power over to the middle class. The result of this was many opportunities for composers. Not only could they have theirtraditional occupations as servents to various noblemen who served as their patrons, but they could also make a fair living performing their work at public concerts, an innovation of the time. This uprising from the bourgeousie was happening all around the world. The American and French Revolution showed that the little people of the world were not going to stand for being trampled underfoot and the Industrial Revolution allowed for a power transfer from the nobility to the middle class, who controlled the mines and factories. Thinkers of the Classical Era despised complexity and detail. They preferred beauty in simplicity and form. The Classical Era represented a throwback to ancient Rome and Greece. The String Quartet: The string quartet represents one of the first musical forms that could be described as chamber music. In this style of music, the composer deals with a small group of instruments and the emphasis is on the blend and interplay between the players. A string quartet usually consists ...

Rabi’a Al-Adawiyya

Rabi’a al-Adawiyya is recognised as the first female Saint of Islam due to her major role in the early maturation of Islam, specifically, the expansion of Sufism. It was she who focused on a rigorous asceticism that required complete abandonment of ones worldly pleasures in order to detach one from the fear of hell and enter the passionate love and devotion for God. Her belief in this notion â€Å"Muhabbah† (Divine Love) and her dismissal of materialism became a strong prestige throughout her teachings and poetry. Additionally, her incomparability from the traditional female ideology of the time period challenged the specific roles of gender as delineated by Islam. It latter became widely accepted within the Sufi movement that women had gained a greater role within the religion due to Rabi'a's actions and influences. The Sufis are not an ethnic or religious group, but a mystical movement that is found all over the Islamic world and that still has a deep influence on the varied populations of the Middle East. Sufism searches for a direct mystical knowledge of God and of his Love. Its goal was to progress beyond mere intellectual knowledge to a mystical (existential) experience that submerged man in the infinity of God. Sufism had an important part in the formation of Muslim societies as it educated the masses and met their felt needs, giving spiritual meaning to their lives and channeling their emotions. The goal of the sufi's is to reach a strong amalgamation with Allah (their god) through love and true faith. ‘Mahabba' or Love as it is known, is a noble state that God has bestowed as a quality belonging to the creation, through this love, he has has touched that who seeks him. Rabi'a al Adawiya, believed that God's love is at the core of the universe and that we need to feel that love in all we do. Walking through the streets she was seen carrying a bucket of water in one hand and a burning candle in the other. When asked why, she said: â€Å"I want to set fire to heaven with this flame and put out the fire of hell with this water so that people will cease to worship GOD for fear of hell or for temptation of heaven†(stated in myclasses notes). With the divine love that she felt towards her God, she obviously felt the comfortability that she would be able to change the fates of men, meaning that with the bucket and he torch of fire she would extinguish the burning flames of hell and light the way to heaven. Her prayers became widely used among Sufism today and is one of the way that her prayer had contributed to Islam. In particular an excerpt of her poem â€Å"My Greatest Need is You† is an example of how she was able to bring forth this pers onal connection when she states â€Å"O Allah I can't live in this world/Without remembering you† Through this example, the poetry of Rabi'a was highly important as it allowed the individual to identify with her teachings on a more personal, thus portraying the ultimate significance she had on the religion itself. Rabi’a’s use of simple language and the very prominent concept of Heaven and Hell in Islam are extremely helpful in understanding the focus of her work. She uses a very simple structure and does not hide her meaning behind metaphors. Overall, her work is short, but sweet and succinct. Rabi’a’s goal as a Sufi was to give up worldly want, remove the fear of hell and the desire of Heaven all for the love of God. The main idea in both of her poems is that God is all one needs. This idea is presented in selection 47. Give the goods of this world to Your enemies Give the treasures of Paradise to Your friends- But as for me- You are all I need (Upton, 47, lines 5-7). These lines communicate Rabi’a’s beliefs plainly. Worldly possessions are what keeps one’s spirit limited to this earth, and thus cannot achieve oneness with God. The person is too caught up with material things to gain the ideal closeness with God. Paradise is something ordinary believers are after, seeing that as the end, but in reality the love of God is what they should be seeking. Her unambiguous writing style makes these ideas available to everyone. These ideas advocated by Rabi’a are not necessarily esoteric, but things that all believers should know and follow. (stated by Rabi'a Al-Adawiyya's Poetry: A Tool of Communication. The Writing on the Wall) The first Sufis were ascetics meaning the self disciplined themselves and meditated on the Day of Judgement. They were called â€Å"those who always weep† and â€Å"those who see this world as a hut of sorrows. † They kept the external rules of Shari'a, but at the same time developed their own mystical ideas and techniques. As Sufism isn't a variant of Islam, it is a part of Islam by a way of approaching the entire religion as a whole. As Cambridge professor Margaret Smith explains, Rabi'a began her ascetic life in a small desert cell near Basra, where she lost herself in prayer and went straight to God for teaching. (By Kathleen Jenks, Ph. D. ) Rabi'a was In the branch of sufism that is known as Divine Love, from several ways of practising the religion. Within the Sufi traditions, the recognition of this truth has encouraged the spiritual maturation of women in a way that has not always been possible. As the mystical side of Islam developed, it was Rabi'a, who first expressed the relationship with the divine in a language that refers to God as the Beloved. Rabi'a was the first human being to speak of the realities of Sufism with a language that anyone could understand. Though she experienced many difficulties in her early years, Rabi'a's starting point was neither a fear nor desire, but only love. The influence that Rabi'a had to the adherents of Islam was her concept of divine love and for one to become completely unselfish in order to amalgamate with Allah. With the reward being â€Å"his garden† but instead she makes mention that she only choses his love and to become one with him. Rabi'a al-Adawiyya played a vital role in the development of the Islamic religion as a whole as she selflessly and utterly amalgamated solely to Allah. Her way of ascetic and simple lifestyle became a guide of Muhammad’s message: to live simple with the focus on Allah rather than luxury. This teaching is reflected through the ascetic ethics of Islam, where they believed they could attain a spiritual connection with God while still alive through secluded prayer and utter devotion and true faith. Her devotion to Allah was reinforced through her her practice of Salat; one of the five pillars, a religious ritual that is undertaken by adherents five times a day. Likewise this obedience was again established by her refusal of several marriages. Being single, Rabi'a caused concern for some Muslims, as Islam places much emphasis on family as the key block in society. When asked why she did not marry, Rabia replied â€Å"The marriage knot can only tie one who exists. Where is existence here? I am not my own I am his and under his command. You must ask permission from him. Reaffirming her commitment to God, stating that no man shall come between her and her faith. The faith that Rabi'a had together with her absolute amenability to Allah, the adherents of Islam can clearly depict a lifestyle that will structure their lives in a positive manner in order to reach a spiritual enlightenment. The influence of Rabi'a towards the religion not only affected its system by her being a women, b ut it showed the possibility of God being present through love instead of commands, allowing the religion to grow and for the Sufi movement to germinate in the hearts of its adherents.BIBLIOGRAPHY 1- King, R, Mooney, J, Carnegie, E, Smith, H, Johns, A, Johns, D, Pattel-Gray, A, Hollis, S, McQueen, K. (2008). Cambridge, Studies of Religion, Stage 6. Cambridge university press. London. 2- Morrissey, J, Mudge, P, Taylor, A, Bailey, G and Rule, P. (2005) â€Å"Living Religion 3rd Edition†. Parson Education. Melbourne. 3- Kathleen Jenks, Ph.D, 17 September 2009, Graphical Regions, Pacifica Gradute Institue, viewed on 23rd May 2011, http://www.mythinglinks.org/NearEast~3monotheisms~Islam~Rabia.html 4- Widad El Sakkakini, 1982, First Among Sufis: The Life and Thought of Rabia al-Adawiyya, The Octagon Press, Great Britain. 5- Margaret Smith, Rabi’a: The Life & Work of Rabi’a and Other Women Mystics in Islam Oxford: Oneworld, 1994. 6- Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, translated by Willard R. Trask New York, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1959. 7- Azzad Muna, June 13, 2002, Rabi al-Adawiyya, Gopshop, viewed 17th May 2011, http://www.paklinks.com/gs/religion-and-scripture/43432-rabia-al-adawiyya-basri-earliest-femalemuslim-mystic.html. 8- Mr.Jier, 2010, HSC Year – Topic 3 – Islam Depth Study – Rabi'a and Ethics, myclasses, viewed 24th May 2011, http://www.allsaintscasula.catholic.edu.au/myclasses/Class,102612021849191.

Univeral Cultures essays

Univeral Cultures essays A culture is a way of life of a group of people through their symbols, norms and beliefs that they accept, generally without thinking. They are passed by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. Humans are also diverse and change when concerns of life spring up that change human cultures. Even though culture is unique and universal to man it however can be variable. Culture is universal all human groups create a design of living that includes either material and non-material culture. Material culture refers to physical objects and resources people use to define their culture that is to say the homes they live in, the cars they drive, their schools, and clothing they wear. On the other hand non-material culture refers to the physical ideas people have, religion , language, and norms. Cultural differences manifest themselves in different ways. In the first place, there are symbols these are words, gestures or objects that carry a particular meaning which is only recognized by those who share a particular culture. These symbols are easily developed and sometimes copied while others disappear. Additionally, norms are the means through which values are expressed in behavior. Everywhere in the world there are rules that make it possible to get things done. Norms can be broken down to four basic types; folkways or customs, mores which control moral and ethnic behavior, taboos which is a norm that society holds so strongly that violating it results in extreme disgust and laws, they are written down and are enforced by official law enforcement. Lastly. there is beliefs these are ideas viewpoints and attitudes of a particular society. These beliefs are the glue that holds cultures and families together. Due to the different global economies through out the world people leave the comfort of their culture and society for a better way of life. When immigrants come to the United States, they may experienc ...

5 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Martin Luther King, Jr.

5 Life Lessons You Can Learn from Martin Luther King, Jr. There is so much we can all learn from Martin Luther King, Jr, and not just on the day off we get once a year to commemorate his life! But it might not have occurred to you to adapt some of his deep wisdom to your own life and career. Here are 5 powerful lessons from Dr. King that could help you live better, do better, and go further.1. Ask why.And more importantly, ask â€Å"why not?† If someone tells you something is impossible, ask this very important question to figure out why they are so convinced, and whether you might be able to offer a solution no one else had seen. When looking for answers to some of the biggest questions of a generation, Dr. King turned to other sources for inspiration. This  teaches us the answers to our problems will often come from unexpected corners, and how important it is to learn from other people and other cultures as much as we can.2. You can’t change change.Change is constant. Dr. King was initially hesitant to join in the 1963 Mar ch on Washington, but he adapted to the evolving movement and ended up leading one of the most moving and effective platforms for social change. Be adaptable. Realize that change is inevitable. All you can control is what you do in the face of it.3. Find where you can give, not just receive.Dr. King once said, â€Å"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’† In stressful times, it becomes very difficult to focus on anyone but ourselves. But this is a moral requirement, and increasingly more so in our interconnected, fast-paced world. When you’re in a rut, focus on helping people- you’ll be surprised at what a difference that can make.4. Tune out the critics.As long as you’ve chosen a path that’s good and a cause that you are passionate about, and as long as you’re pursuing both with integrity, honesty, and concern for others, then you’ll need to tune out the haters now and then . People will always be critical. Rejection will always happen, particularly in the course of a career. But if you know you’re doing the right thing, you should keep doing it.5. Leave a legacy.Think about what sort of mark you want to leave on the world. Is the work you’re doing going to make a difference to the next generation? Even if you can’t make an impact on the same scale as Dr. King, you can figure out ways to leave your workplace, industry, etc., a little better off for your having been there.

An analysis of the consumers consumption motives of luxury fashion Dissertation

An analysis of the consumers consumption motives of luxury fashion branding in China - Dissertation Example But, there is an exogenous variable known as economic recession which has decreased the demand of luxury goods across different nations of the globe and majority of the countries of the world are still struggling with sluggish economic growth. Now the fact is that during the time of economic prosperity, people may indulge themselves in luxury purchase but during the time of economic uncertainties, people view luxury purchasing in the ground of utilitarian principles. Hence, the timing was right to conduct research on luxury item purchase decision of Chinese customers. Important fact is that China is an emerging country which is showing constant GDP growth rate for last couple of years hence the research findings will help future luxury marketers to design brand strategy to lure Chinese customers. ... The researcher used convenience sampling in order to select respondents while validity of the research result was also being checked in context to evidences of secondary data. The researcher has stressed on qualitative analysis of data without using any statistical techniques in order to maintain integrity of the data. Majority of the respondents pointed out that they purchase luxury fashion brands for increasing social status among peer group while others pointed out that they believe luxury products offer unmatched quality to them. However, the researcher has not analyzed the data with combination of inferential and descriptive statistics which have significantly blurred the data interpretation in this paper and this is the major limitations in this research. Future researchers should stress on this limitations and analyze the research variables with the help of more comprehensive statistical techniques. Table of Contents Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 7 1.1 Background 7 1.2 Research Prob lem 9 1.3 Rationale of the Study 9 1.4 Research Aim and Objectives 10 1.5 Research Questions 10 1.6 Outline of the Study 11 Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 11 2.1 Present Economic Scenario of China 11 2.2 Consumer Behaviour towards Luxury Fashion Products in China 12 2.3 Hofstede’s 5-D Model Using the Culture of China 14 2.4 Purchasing Power of Chinese 16 2.5 The Concept of Luxury 17 2.6 Luxury Fashion Brands 18 2.7 Dimensions of Luxury Fashion Brands 19 2.8 Asian Luxury Fashion Brand Market 20 2.9 Luxury Fashion Brand Market in China 21 2.10 Consumption Pattern in China 22 2.11 Role of Gender in Chinese Consumption Pattern 22 2.12 Role of Income in Chinese

'Majority rule is the right response to resolving disagreements in Outline

'Majority rule is the right response to resolving disagreements in society.' Discuss - Outline Example Government is an institution majorly formed to create stable society for the people that it governs. The people are however a complex group with widely varying wishes, needs and ideas as such the government must always turn to majority rule. The government cannot in anyway please everyone all the time. It must focus on making most of the people happy in order to gain stability faster (Web, N.d). Right is conformance with justice, law or morality. It is fair and effective. Rights can also be defined as entitlements to perform certain actions, or to be certain in states or entitlements that others perform certain actions. They dominate modern understandings of what actions are permissible and which institutions are just. They structure the form of governments, content of laws, and distribution of freedom and authority. Thus to accept a set of rights is same as to approve a distribution of freedom and authority and hence to endorse a certain view of what may, must and must not be done ( Wenar, 2010). Many theorists agree that A’s claim-right gives B a second order reason not to act on some first order reason. To go by this route we would need to tamper the conclusiveness of the conclusive reasons implied by assertions of rights to accommodate the fact that some rights have priority against others, and if any, few rights outweigh absolutely all non-right considerations in all circumstances (Wenar, 2010).This paper will focus mainly on the principle of majority rule and the rights of the minority. The main arguments are that majority rule is the right response to resolving agreements and supermajority rule is a better response to resolving disagreements in the society. Majority rule is right to resolving disagreements because it provides utility and fairness. Utilitarian argument The principle of utility states that in any circumstance that action ought to be done and that institution ought to obtain all the alternatives available, produces the greatest net ba lance of happiness over unhappiness when we sum up all happiness and unhappiness over all sentient beings from now in to the future (Cohen, 2002). The main feature of utilitarian political feature is that it calls for the maximization of happiness summed over all and not any particular distribution of happiness and subject to the constraint of everyone is above a certain minimum level. Thus from this emphasis on aggregation, utilitarianism requires that we trade off the burdens on some people and benefits to other people. The utility principle reduces highly contested and vague issues of right and wrong to problems that can actually be addressed through public methods of observation and calculation rather appeals to equally vague and contested intuitive ideas. Because of the gains in analytical tractability one may be able to secure greater public agreement about what is at stake in a political dispute and how to resolve it. Hence this principle represents one way to treat people as moral equals and it assigns the happiness of each affected party equal weight in determining what ought to be done. In actual sense the principle of utility represents a refinement of the intuitive idea that conduct and policy are right just in case they have the overall consequences or best results (Cohen, 2002). Egalitarian argument Egalitarian view that equality is the special sense of comparative equality but the prioritarian view that