Football betting

Football betting has been legalized recently. Although someone says legalizing football betting will benefit Hong Kong, there have been both arguments for and against this practice so I am going to discuss it. Addiction to football gambling can cause a lot of problems. One of the examples is financial difficulties. Gambling needs money. If a person gambles in a long-term, he may lose a lot of money. Not every time you can win some money from it, you couldn't earn a lot. It would spend your time and money. It may destroy your financial plan for retirement. There would be problems on work or even unemployment. You use all the time for gambling, you don't have energy and can't concentrate on your work. You work badly and your boss will punish you. Therefore, you may think you have to carry more and more pressure. It makes you more emotional, worsen work will be more. At last, you may get fired from your boss. Gambling will destroy your family relationship. They will leave you because you ignore them. There is an advertisement is talking about a father has gambling addiction on football. He puts all the money on gambling. He never knows what has happened in his family, even though his child leaves home secretly. At last, he thinks gambling is more important than family relationship, he and his wife divorces. Football betting could cause emotion problems. Gambling addiction is a mental-health problem that is understood to be one of many kinds of impulse-control problems a person may suffer from. The person has broken the law in order to obtain gambling money or recover gambling losses. This may include acts of theft, embezzlement, fraud, or forgery. He would try to hide the extent of his or her gambling by lying to family, friends, or therapists. Despite the disadvantages mentioned above, some people think legalization of football betting has benefits to Hong Kong. Football gambling is supported because Hong Kong government can earn tax from the gambling. Government thinks that earning money from the public and use the money back to the public for the treatment and promotion is the best way. There may be illegal organizations would be caught by police. They don't need to hide secretly to do the gambling. People can publicly gamble for football and people who gambled can entertain themselves happier. Government established a charitable fund to finance gambling-related problems for the implementation of preventive and remedial measures, and selected Caritas and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals to run two counseling and treatment centers for providing services to problem and pathological gamblers. When gambling is legalized, there will be a rise for employment rate. This is because there will be more demand of staff need to help gambler when gambling is legalized. If gambling is prohibited in law, resulting staff being fired. After weighting both advantages and drawbacks of football betting, I think legalization of football betting may become a disaster in our society.

Abortion: Controversial Issues in Society Today Essay

One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I chose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mother’s womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. Most religious people believe that abortion should be completely banned. They agree with the idea that it is simply a type of murder and murdering a person is a crime and abortion is just a different type of killing. Some other, generally non-religious people believe that abortion should be not be banned and it should be a personal choice whether a women gets an abortion or not. There could be some cases where the women has no choice but to have an abortion and considering these circumstances some part of the population believe that abortion should never be banned. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, bearing in mind the different views on abortion I cannot agree with a particular one.I chose this issue for discussion to bring to light many of the hidden facts and arguments, of which people are unaware and not very sensitive today. Abortion is a controversial issue lacking of humanity and moral value because of the various motives behind it. Article 1 â€Å"The more you relax, the less pressure and pain you will feel,† she says. Dr. Oyer dilates Anna’s cervix and turns on the vacuum aspiration machine. She inserts a tube through Anna’s cervix, and a gentle whirring sound fills the room. She barely has to raise her voice to explain, â€Å"The cramping you feel is totally normal.† Anna lets out a few gasps before Dr. Oyer clicks off the machine, signaling the end of the five-minute procedure. By: Liz Welch for Glamour magazine. P.O.V-In this article the author tries to convey abortion as a simple convenient procedure ignoring the stigma attached to it. The stating of the process as a five minute procedure clearly shows the way society has altered the sensitivity of abortion. Article 2 The GOP:Party of Quacks. â€Å"Out of the various layers of falsehoods contained in Todd Akin’s now-notorious claim that â€Å"legitimate rape† cannot end in pregnancy, one that caused many eyebrows to raise the highest was his contention that â€Å"doctors† had told him that the female body has a way to prevent pregnancy from rape through a vague mechanism he described as â€Å"shut that whole thing down.† Surely no actual doctor would say such a thing, many of us thought. But we underestimated the right’s devotion to creating their own set of â€Å"facts,† backed up by their own â€Å"experts.† Just as conservatives have been able to pay handsomely for people with impressive-sounding credentials to spread lies about everything from global warming to weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so have they been able to build up their own little empire of medical doctors who will say any fool thing about women’s bodies and pass it off as science. If anything, the anti-choice movement was instrumental in shaping the conservative approach to science. Anti-choicers were among the first to realize that if the experts and the evidence counter your beliefs, you can simply make up your own claims and put them in the mouths of well-credentialed people. It’s just as good as the truth! Better, even, because it can be endlessly manipulated to meet new ideological goals.† By Amanda Marcotte. P.O.V: Amanda Marcotte is a Brooklyn based freelance journalist, grounded on the above article her main focus is on showing resentment towards the conservative party rather than the actual question of abortion. ARTICLE 3 MOSCOW ; â€Å"Every year, millions of Russian women undergo an abortion. Russia’s government is making free abortions available to women who fall into several newly defined categories, through their twenty second week of pregnancy. Critics of the free abortions blame Russia’s declining birth rate on cheap abortions. In the past six months, twice as many deaths as births have been recorded in Moscow. Of course it’s sad, said Vaganov. The whole story is sad, the number of abortions still being performed is sad, mortality figures are sad†¦. The thing is that you can just see more of what used to be hidden from the public eye he said. We are just trying not to hide the new realities of life, and we are not neglecting the old ones.; P.O.V; The journalist is trying to show that the united states is not the only one facing challenges in abortion and is possibly biased towards the united states. Source:Cable News Network, Inc.2011 Article 4. A pregnant leukemia patient who became a flashpoint in the abortion debate in the Dominican Republic died Friday morning, a hospital official told CNN. The 16-year-old, who had been undergoing chemotherapy, died from complications of the disease, said Dr. Antonio Cabrera, the legal representative for the hospital. Her case stirred debate in her country, as her life was potentially at risk because of anti-abortion laws in the Dominican Republic. Doctors were hesitant to give her chemotherapy because such treatment could terminate the pregnancy — a violation of the Dominican Constitution, which bans abortion. Some 20 days after she was admitted to the hospital, she finally began receiving treatment. The case sparked renewed debate over abortion in the Dominican Republic, with some lawmakers calling on officials to reconsider the abortion ban. From Rafael Romo, Senior Latin American Affairs Editor,CNN According to Article 37 of the Dominican Constitution, â€Å"the right to life is inviolable from the moment of conception and until death.† Dominican courts have interpreted this as a strict mandate against abortion. Article 37, passed in 2009, also abolished the death penalty. P.O.V: The author wants to identify the situations where abortions can be deemed necessary. He tries to convince the readers to see the two sides of abortion. He seems to support the notion of legalizing abortion in the Dominican republic. ARTICLE 5: â€Å"Legalized abortion is a national holocaust; an affront to our national character; a contradiction of established principles subscribed to from the beginning of Western Civilization; an insult to the principles of our Declaration of Independence; a bane of our national spirit; and a stench in the nostrils of Almighty God. That we have allowed it to continue for 37 years now stands as an indictment against this generation of Americans and bodes ominously for the well-being of our posterity.† By Pastor Chuck Baldwin P.O.V-The author is clearly against abortion .As a pastor he takes a religious stand on as he considers it to be unholy. Based on his article he tries to urge the readers to be against any form of abortion. CONCLUSION As said by former Surgeon General and a pediatrician Dr. C. Everett Koop, the most common reason for abortion is convenience. Only three to five percent of all abortions performed are for reasons of rape, incest, the possibility of a deformed child, or severe threat to the life of the mother. According to researchers at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, of those obtaining abortions in 1980, 30 percent were under age 20 and 79 percent were unmarried, which shows that abortions in the United States are most often sought as a â€Å"solution† to the problem of pregnancy outside of marriage. The major reason behind most of the abortions is mere inconvenience or unwantedness of the baby seems mean, insensitive and unreasonable .However the question of whether abortion is right or wrong will remain a controversial issue for everybody has their own point of view on the subject. The ultimate right of choice should lie with the woman who is undergoing the abortion. This remains one of the foremost arguments and is often stated by supporters to be as important as the basic right of survival.

Problem gambling Essay

Gambling is something that people are capable of enjoying once in a while, but for others it can turn into an activity that is hard to control. Gambling is the act of risking money, property, or something of value on an activity that has an uncertain outcome. This can include, lotteries and bingos, card games, going to casinos, buying multiple kinds of tickets, making bets, and games such as pool, golf, or arm wrestling. Gambling can be legal as well as illegal, any sort of gambling managed by the government or by regulations set by the government is legal, and any sort of gambling that is not managed by regulations is illegal. Gambling doesn’t have one specific cause, and the cause can be different for everyone. People who have bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease and restless leg syndrome have been observed to develop an addiction to gambling. Bipolar disorder because exorbitant spending is known to be a symptom and can take form in gambling. Parkinson’s and restless leg syndrome, because of the theory that the medications can increase the activity of dopamine in the brain as a culprit. Other causes can include, emotional conditions, schizophrenia, mood problems, antisocial personality disorder, and alcohol or drug addictions. People who have problems with gambling usually spend a lot of time doing so and don’t leave much time for family, friends, and important events. Bigger bets begin to get placed and they happen more often, which can lead to growing debts causing the person to borrow money from friends or family. Those with problems can’t fully stop gambling but would rather â€Å"cut back,† and can also become bad-tempered, depressed, withdrawn, or restless if they aren’t able to gamble. Gambling can have some very serious effects on the gambler, as well as those around him/her. Debt, bankruptcy, poverty, theft, prostitution, and suicide issues can all be side effects of gambling. Families with people those who have an addiction to gambling are more at risk of experiencing domestic violence and child abuse. And children of compulsive gamblers have a higher chance of developing depression, behavior problems, and substance abuse. There are many reasons for gambling and usually it is for fun or excitement, to escape or forget problems, to win money, or to feel challenged. In Canada, gaming is the largest  entertainment industry being the same size as movies, TV, recorded music, and professional sports combined. During 2007, 70.7% of adults gamble, and the most common gaming activities among Canadian adults are lotteries and instant-win tickets. About 3.2& of adults, and 2.2% of youth, are affected by moderate to severe problem gambling. A survey conducted in 2001-2006 suggests that the provinces, which have the highest rates of gambling, are Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and Quebec and New Brunswick have the lowest. Gambling can be overcome, as there are multiple ways to fix your problem. Many participate in gamblers anonymous or go to psychotherapy. Medications have been discovered which help reduce the urge to gamble, or thrill that comes with it. Financial counseling and self-help interventions are also ways to go about fixing your addiction. 70% of people who have gambling problems most likely also have another psychiatric issue; therefore they may need more than one type of treatment for their best chance to overcome their problem(s). My personal viewpoint on gambling is that, it’s not always a bad thing if you can keep it under control, and if it is legal. I think it’s a good way to have fun if you know your limits. If you have gambling problems it can become quite serious, which in that case you need to get some sort of help and realize it is not the best lifestyle. After doing this report I realize that it is an important issue that I was not fully aware of, and that it can be harmful to ones present and future just as much as alcohol and drug addictions. Bibliography http://www.onhealth.com/gambling_addiction/article.htm https://dl.cssd.ab.ca/d2l/lms/content/viewer/view.d2l?tId=2157962&ou=1868624 http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/Documents/FA_GamblingProblemGamblinginCanada.pdf

Management information system db5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Management information system db5 - Essay Example s is also valid because a similar trend occurred between the years 2005 and 2006 before regaining the increasing trend (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2011). The decision by the Attorney General’s to establish computer crime as a priority for the justice agency also means that the crime is becoming more significant than other types of crimes (Offices of the United States Attorneys, n.d.). Three different types of cyber crime that I am aware of are â€Å"cyber trespass,† â€Å"cyber theft,† and â€Å"cyber violence† (Cornelius and Hermann, 2011, p. 21, 22). Cyber trespass involves real or virtual access of a person’s computer, causing damage such as accessing information from the computer or introducing a virus into the computer. Cyber theft however defined unauthorized access and use data from a computer through the internet while cyber violence involves psychological damage or incitement into physical

System Safety Application to control chemical accidents in the Work Case Study

System Safety Application to control chemical accidents in the Work Environment - Case Study Example In this project paper, we look at potential risk to system safety and the techniques we can use to strengthen the system safety. Some of the areas will discuss is a maintenance project design, industrial accidents, the principles and techniques and how we can use them in a real world situation. System safety is crucial to every organization as it facilitates efficiency and effectiveness. It also ensures that the correct procedure is followed at each stage to avoid any accidents and adhere to the policies and regulations put in place by the state. Process system management ensures that highly hazardous substances are not released to the environment. This is accomplished by use of an outlined process to manage the energy sources and chemicals produced in the industries to reduce the occurrence of accidents. For this process to be effective there are several elements that are integrated, and they include training, prestart up safety review, mechanical integrity, process hazardous analysis, emergency planning mechanism and the most important employee participation among other elements. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established in 1910 is an organization set to help regulate the release of energy sources and hazardous chemicals in industries by use of standard procedure set in place. Standard procedure comprises of the audit program, operational procedures as well as design guidance (Australian Global Maritime Distress and Safety 2004). These methods ensure that the desired outcome to minimize incidents is achieved in industries. The process safety management is broken down into different 14 elements which include: The elements listed above are interdependent to mean that one element contributes to the outcome of another. They provide information to others elements and in return receive information from other elements to complete the process. All elements

Marketing plan for agricultural and extension education Assignment

Marketing plan for agricultural and extension education - Assignment Example Agricultural learning has been the key method for farmers to gain an understanding on the contemporary tools in producing agricultural commodities.Moreover,the United States legislators have created policies that will sustain and maintain the agricultural livelihood Weems and Weber (2007) implicated that the United States Congress enacted the Farm Bill every five years in order for the regulations and provisions of the bill to be in line with the current agricultural and nutritional state of the country. Consequently, this marketing plan is a proposal that endeavored on the effectiveness of Farm Bill within the United States. Hence, this marketing plan centers on ameliorating the food sustenance among all classes of American people through health education and providing suitable amount of unlimited healthy food resources (e.g., meat, milk, and fruits) with the help of national organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, Department of Agriculture and its subsidiary agenci es. II. The Marketing Competition Agricultural products refer to the cultivation and production of foods and fibers that are considered as the basic commodities for human sustenance. The importance of agricultural merchandises has raised the importance because these give the needs for both people in the present and also for the future. As a result, the agricultural competition around the world is also increasing in order to generate products exportation and importation for the sustainability of country’s economic development. ... Hence, this marketing plan introduces a list of alimentary products that are important in the human body, and these are bread, grains, rice, fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, meat and fish, and also pasta. Accordingly, the prices of these products should be able to allow low income American people to purchase and enjoy a healthy living with healthy food and lifestyle (Morris, Neuhauser, & Campbell, 1992; Stewart & Blisard, 2006). IV. The Distribution Channel Agricultural products should be distributed equally to the American population with a reasonable amount of price. These agricultural commodities should be freshly available among all American people through retail outlets, marketplace, and also directly to agricultural farmers. Moreover, these agricultural products should also be available to government agencies in order to distribute to those low-income American people (Weber & Becker, 2006). V. The Development and Maintenance Agricultural farming and livelihood sh ould be the top priority for development and maintenance in order to cultivate efficiently healthy agricultural products. Moreover, the knowledge and understanding of health foods should also be developed among American public, so they have the idea of the kinds of nutritious foods in order to avoid any health problems (Stewart & Blisard, 2006; Weber & Becker, 2006). VI. The Marketing Strategies Accordingly, media information and non-government organizations can be a useful aid for disseminating to the people the important knowledge and information with regard to having proper and healthy food intake. Hence, agricultural education can be one of the important factors in expanding the agricultural knowledge to the people.

HelloHealth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

HelloHealth - Essay Example Today, the organization has more than twice the rate of patients of a regular doctor’s office. Since there are four doctors, and each one is able to see more patients throughout the day than an average doctor without waiting times, the rate is twice as high, and still growing (Reporter’s Book Case Studies in Social Innovation and Creative Communities). Hello Health is a community of doctors that have made going to the doctor easy again. Instead of waiting in some emergency area in an impersonal hospital, Hello Health serves as the old-fashioned neighborhood doctor, adapted to todays lifestyle. Not only is this type of Health care accessible and affordable to all parts of society, but is also very individual and focused on each patient. The services of the four doctors who are involved in seeing twice as high number of patients throughout the day as an average doctor positively impact the city population and create new awareness for better health. The principles of Hello Health are to form a close and healthy relationship between patient and doctor and staying in constant communication, whether one is feeling absolutely all right or has some kind of health issue. The devices through which this is all made possible are the developed technologies of todays society. The internet and the cell phone serve as a means of making appointments and accessing ones records. The entire strategy behind Hello Health is meant to make life more convenient and affordable for both the patient and the doctor (Reporter’s Book Case Studies in Social Innovation and Creative Communities). Hello Health is known for its commitment to excellence, challenging work environment and to the community. This online clinic has a commitment to safeguard health concerns, provide best services to its customers, provide the best working environment for teamwork, creative thinking, respect, and open communication amongst

Comparative essay of Shakespeare Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative of Shakespeare - Essay Example However, this has not been the case, especially in Macbeth. King Duncan had sons who depicted contrasting relations with him. Some, like Donalbain, seem to love his father yet this is not for sure. Malcolm, on the other hand, keeps the relationship between him the father very formal. To him, the father is just a king. However, he does not let it show until his father dies. When King Duncan dies, his sons fail to show their bereavement. None of them shed tears before the public; not even crocodile tears. If they must shed any tear, then they would rather do it in private places. To them, it is just the death of a king. Before the people, Malcolm and Donalbain keep it formal as if to show the relationship with the father was entirely kingship. The sons show further that their relationship with the father was merely kingship by their actions after he has been murdered. The first thing they thought of was how to escape from the anonymous murderer. If they really loved the father at personal levels, they would investigate the homicide first, instead of saving their lives. By the action of escaping and neglecting the case shows that they care much. The sons of King Duncan gave the dynasty first priority. Even as they escaped, their main objective was to save the kingdom of their fallen father. This is clearly depicted when the revenge time came. Malcolm’s revenge on the murderer, Macbeth, seems less personal. He just wants to punish Macbeth for killing a king, not the father. And by revenging, his aim was to restore the throne of the long gone king; not to repay the death of his father. The brave Macduff is, by contrast, a defender of the parents. The relationship between him and the father portrays true love and protection. Even though Macbeth succeeded in wiping out the family of Macduff, he fought tirelessly before his abandoned mother for the honor of his father. In his relentless defense, he dies in the line of duty. However, his death

The Fragility of Doubt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Fragility of Doubt - Assignment Example When Sister James says that she can handle her class, Sister Aloysius makes her doubt herself by saying: â€Å"But perhaps you are wrong. And perhaps you are not working hard enough† (Shanley 18). She wants Sister James to doubt her performance as a teacher, so that she will never stop criticizing her abilities and so that she will continue growing as a teacher and as a nun. Sister Aloysius, furthermore, doubts those who violate moral codes. She has an instinct for detecting suspicious behavior. She could be right because Father Flynn has been defensive when asked about what he did to Donald Muller. Instead of simply saying he did nothing, Father Flynn answers: â€Å"Whatever I have done, I have left in the healing hands of my confessor† (Shanley 49). The way he gives vague answers confirms that he has done something wrong in the past and that he might as well have done something wrong with Donald too. Besides doubting others, Sister Aloysius shows her Socratic side when she doubts her teaching abilities. Socratic means she knows that she knows nothing. She reveals to Sister James that she has been married before taking the habit, but she admits that she â€Å"would feel competent to lecture tittering girls on the subject of womanhood† (Shanley 23). Sister Aloysius is aware of her weaknesses as a teacher, which is quite important because doubt can be used as a means for self-improvement. Like Sister Aloysius, Father Flynn also doubts others. He doubts his team of basketball players for not giving their best. He believes that they should set high social stands and excel in their performances.

Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Research Paper

Maya Angelou's I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings - Research Paper Example It is important to consider the roles of the females in her life as well as those of the males. She seems to gather her greatest resources from the female society of relatives and friends, and she likewise strengthens her strong female affinities as a result of the negative relationships and experiences she finds in most of the male characters. Knowledge is passed to Maya through the female mother figures in her life; this includes her mother, her grandmothers, and Mrs. Flowers. Her first and foremost female relationship, as depicted in Caged Bird, with her paternal grandmother, Annie Henderson, whom Maya and her brother Bailey call Momma. The young siblings are shipped to Momma, in Stamps, Arkansas, by their parents. It is she who raises them during their early childhood years in this rural southern setting of the early 1930's. Momma is known as a good-looking woman, but Maya sees her through different eyes. "I saw only her power and strength. She was taller than any woman in my personal world, and her hands were so large they could span my head from ear to ear" (46). Momma had been married three times. She had two sons, one of whom is Maya's father, Bailey, Sr. Maya accepts Momma as a mother figure and role model. She teaches Maya through her words and through her actions. Maya learns from Momma how racism plays a part in their lives and how to handle and recognize it (47). An important tribute in the book to Momma's strength is how she deals with the "powhitetrash" girls who come up to the store and taunt her. They mock her stance and her facial expressions, and then one girl does a handstand, and in so doing reveals her lack of undergarments. Momma stands her ground in the face of this insult, and though seemingly powerless, she finds her strength within her will. She wills herself to rise above the whole scene. Not unlike her slave ancestors, she sings and hums in the face of adversity (32,33) Momma tells Maya to wash the tears from her face. And as Maya complies she observes, ''Whatever the contest had been out front, I knew Momma had won" (33). Already, the author recognizes the power, strength, and spirit of her grandmother and appreciates her life and teachings. "Her world was bordered on all sides with work, duty, religion and 'her place.' I do n't think she ever knew that a deep-brooding love hung over everything she touched" (57). In her work, "The Grandmother in African and African/American Literature," Mildred Hill-Lubin discusses Grandmother Henderson and others like her. Hill-Lubin calls these women the "sheroes" of the time (p. 266). She talks about how the African family has suffered under the burden of slavery and colonialism. However, she feels that the reason for its perseverance and survival is the grandmother. The grandmother's role, function and importance can be traced to the revered status, position, and responsibilities which elders hold in West African society (Hill-Lubin 258). The grandmother often maintained a household which consisted of her unmarried or married children and of her grandchildren; in this way the resources were pooled. The 1930's was a period of rough times, and there wasn't enough money for individuals to live separately. Consequently, some would strike out on their own, as did Maya's parents, and the childrearing was left to the grandmother. She had to be tough and strong in order to pull things together in so many ways for the entire family' Both of Maya's grandmothers are "strong, independent, skillful women who are able to manage their

General Muslim Religion Essay Example for Free

General Muslim Religion Essay Islam is the world’s second great monotheistic religion (Armstrong, 2002). Islam, an Arabic word, comes from a root word meaning commitment or surrender: hence the foundation of Islam is submission to the will of the Only God, Allah. The word ‘Muslim’ also itself means ‘one who lives his life according to Allah’s will (Esposito, 2002). Allah also has laid down the five pillars of foundations of Islam which are: 1. Confession of faith (shahada): the basic idea of Islam which is submission to Allah’s will 2. Prayer (salat): An exercise done five times daily to remember Allah’s influence in a Muslim’s life 3. Fasting (Roza): In the month of Ramadan for a month 4. Almsgiving (Zakat): Annually by rich Muslims at the rate of 21/2% of wealth 5. Pilgrimage (hajj): Once in a lifetime What holidays or events are important to your religion and why? The Muslims follow the Islamic calendar which is based on the position of the moon and their holidays fall accordingly to it. This includes 1. New Year which for them is the first day of Hijra (migration) when we celebrate Prophet Muhammad’s departure from Mecca to Medina in AD622 2. 12th Rabi-ul-awwal that is the birthday of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) 3. Shab-e-Baraat (night of forgiveness): In preparation of Ramadan, Muslims seek to forgive old grievances against each other and beg for mercy from their Lord 4. Lailat-ul-Qadr (night of power) when the Holy Quran was revealed to the Holy Prophet. It takes place on the 27th of Ramadan. 5. Eid-ul-Fitr which takes place after Ramadan and is like Christmas to the Muslims 6. Hajj: The pilgrimage which constitutes the fifth pillar of Islam is one of the most important events in the Muslim calendar and takes place in the month of Hajj 7. Eid-ul-Azha: Another Christmas type celebration which celebrates the end of the Meccan pilgrimage and animal sacrifices are made during the three days How does your group handle conflict? What are some examples of conflict? If there are criminal or family conflicts, they can be resolved through Islamic courts which decide the cases according to Shariah or the Islamic law. These are practiced in almost al Muslim countries though such Shariah courts are disallowed in western countries and over there Muslims must follow the law of the country they are residents of. One of Britain’s MPs recently suggested that Shariah courts be allowed in Britain also but this created uproar by non-Muslims who were afraid of Islamization. Other then that, if the solution of an issue is not mentioned in the Quran or its explanation is murky, knowledgeable Islamic scholars gather together to find an answer to a certain problem and it then becomes a rule of the Shariah. This practice has been prescribed by Allah to keep Islam updated with emerging problems in this fast changing world. What is the focus of your religion? The focus of Islam for Muslims is again submission to Allah’s will. This can be done through reading, understanding and following the word of God, which Muslims believe to be the Holy Quran. They should also follow the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) called the Sunnah and only then can they live the life of a true and complete Muslim. For the Western world though, the focus of Islam has always been its fascist beliefs and what they consider to be its outdated traditions, not understanding that there is only a minority of Muslims who distort the name of Islam by interpreting it so harshly. Who are your current leaders? Who are leaders of the past? Like most religions, Muslims have also had pious men of God lead them by example. There have been a total of 124000 prophets sent by Allah though the Quran only mentions 25 of them. The first prophet was Hazrat Adam and the final and undoubtedly the greatest prophet was our last prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). Allah revealed in the Quran that no more prophets shall come after the Holy Prophet (PBUH). After the prophets, came numerous Caliphs or religious leaders. Currently, tough there are learned Islamic scholars in the Muslim world; there are no leader as such. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the words of Allah was the Seal of the Prophets. How do your members participate and what is expected? All Muslim males are required to congregate in a mosque for the five daily prayers, especially the afternoon Friday prayers (Clark, 2003). For Muslim women, assembly in mosques is not mandatory. Other then that, all Muslims are required to uphold the basic principles of Islam by fulfilling all their obligations. Are there any special requirements, such as fasting, personal sacrifice? Fasting is the third pillar of Islam and without fasting, a Muslim is incomplete. It is prescribed for Muslims in the form of a month long abstinence from food and drink, accompanied by intense devotional activity. Physical relations and swear words are also prohibited to be performed or uttered. Similarly, smoking, losing temper, telling lies and all negative activities are also discouraged. Fasting, as is made clear by Allah, is not to be taken as self torture but mainly a way for Muslims to learn about patience, fortitude and self sacrifice and also to realize the plight of the needy and poor. During Eid-ul-Azha, Muslims are also required to sacrifice goats in God’s way and share the meat with the poor. Where do you see your religion in 25 years? What changes have occurred recently? Keeping in mind the fast growing popularity of Islam, I see Islam in 25 years, as the world’s largest religion. This is because as the concept of religion is dying in the west and more churches are being converted to museums and restaurants, Muslims, now more than ever are embracing their faith with a greater fervency and non-Muslims are also converting to Islam which they accept as a complete way of life and not just a religion. Muslims have now grown more receptive to Western ideas and Ijtehad or consensus helps keep Islam updated with the modern world. How has the modern world changed the direction and or movement of your religion? The recent of War on Terror, which often tends to depict Islam as a rigid and extremist religion has resulted in more Muslims delving deeper to understand their religion (Lewis, 2004). This has led to increased knowledge of Islam and a growing number of Muslims defending their faith as actually a very flexible one. My religion’s name has been besmirched by a few misguided individuals who believe suicide bombings and terrorist activities are completely acceptable in the eyes of God which is not at all the case. Islam’s very basis is peace. Are there any other validated forms of the religion practiced? What are some of the factors that have contributed to changes in ideas or customs? The Muslim sect is predominantly divided into Sunnis (around 80%) and Shiahs. The major difference between them is the way in which divine guidance is discovered. Sunni Muslims take their stand on the consensus of the community making known the Sunna (Holy Prophet’s example) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Shiah Muslims look instead to inspired teachers and Imams who are descendents of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). Other sects include the Aghakhanis who are followers of the Aga Khan who considers himself a spiritual leader sent by God. His followers believe the five pillars of Islam to be non-mandatory, preferring to give charity to the poor instead. They don’t share the Muslim taboo associated with drinking. Many believe theses changes have occurred due to undue influence of the West. Other sects are the Qadianis and Bohris. Conclusion Muslims all over the world follows a religion known as Islam which is a monotheistic religion. The word Islam means to submit oneself to god. There are almost 2 billion Muslims around the world practicing the teaching of Islam making it the second largest religion of the world. The follows the teachings of Prophet Mohammad on whom a holy book Quran was revealed. The faith of a Muslim is based on five pillars of Islam that are tauheed, salaat, zakat, hajj, and fasting. References Book Armstrong. (2002). Islam: A Short History. Esposito, J. L. (2002). What everyone needs to Know about Islam. Clark. (2003). Islam for Dummies. Lewis. (2004). The Crisis of Islam.

Childhood Obesity In America Essay Example for Free

Childhood Obesity In America Essay More and more American children are becoming overweight or obese. Years ago an elementary classroom may have one kid who was overweight but today that has drastically changed. We have a whole new generation of kids who are consuming much more â€Å"junk food† and eating fast food 3 or 4 nights a week and they are not as active as kids used to be. These kids are consuming things like Monster energy drinks, Starbucks coffee, Mountain Dew, chips, candy bars and more on a daily basis. Many of them are coach potatoes, video gamers, social networkers, texters, etc. We need to get this new generation of children to become more active. They also need to be educated on how to be aware of what they are eating and teach them to eat the so called â€Å"junk food† in moderation and incorporate more nutritious foods in his or her diet as well as maintain an active lifestyle. Childhood obesity is on the rise due to the many changes in our society and we need to do something to prevent it before it gets out of hand. Keywords: obesity, children, overweight Childhood Obesity in America Childhood obesity is becoming a problem across the globe and has been declared an epidemic in America. Children are consuming more calories than ever and many are not as active as earlier generations. For the first time in the history of this country, young people are less healthy and less prepared to take their places in society than were their parents. Diabetes is on the rise, American kids are getting sicker, becoming sadder and getting fatter. (W. Sears, M.D., M. Sears, R.N., J. Sears, M.D., R. Sears, M.D., 2006) Many of you probably remember running around the neighborhood when you were younger playing things like tag, hide and seek, capture the flag and many other outdoor games. Then you would get called in to eat, only to go right back out to play until it was time to come in for the  night. Now days you are more likely to find children indoors in front of the television, on the computer, texting a friend or playing a video game, not to mention they may be eating an unhealthy snack, such as a cookie or a bag of chips. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12.5 million children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese. Obesity is a good indicator of unhealthy lifestyles, characterized by over-eating and lack of physical activity. Who is responsible for this you might ask. Is it the parents, the schools, fast food restaurants, technology, a down economy or even the food industry? We cannot single out and put the blame on any one of these. However, each one can be a contributing factor and the combination of them certainly could be part of the cause. Let’s take a look at how each of them impacts our children’s health. Let’s start with the parents. As I stated earlier, years ago children were outside playing much of the day. However, now parents are not letting the children out to play until they are much older because they worry about their safety. Part of the reason for this is that the world has changed. Ever hear the phrase â€Å"It takes a village†? Well years ago neighbors looked out for each other and their children. Now everyone minds their own business and keeps to him or herself. Even the cars going through the residential neighborhoods do not seem to be as cautious about watching for children. Maybe this has to do with the fact that children are not as often outside playing as they used to be. Families seem to be so much busier today than in the past. Most families are living on two incomes instead of one, which means there is not a stay at home parent making home cooked meals everyday. Not to mention families are having less and less meals together at the table. Instead parents are tired and are relying on quicker meals like frozen pizza’s, banquet chicken, corndogs, fries, hotdogs, macaroni and cheese, microwaveable meals, and even fast food. Many families are a single parent household and may be on a tight budget and may be purchasing the cheaper convenience foods that are typically less nutritious and have more additives and preservatives. Parents are not intentionally trying to make their children fat and/or sick. Most are trying to do the best they can and don’t realize the long-term effects of all the processed foods, especially combined with a less active lifestyle. What about the school’s role in all this? Kids spend a big part of their day at school and some eat breakfast and lunch at school. As a Licensed Family Child Care Provider, each year I have to take nutrition training through the USDA food program. After taking it one year and learning about high fat foods that are commonly served to children, I was looking at my son’s monthly lunch menu for the elementary school and noticed they were serving too many of these high fat foods in one week at lunch. In the same week the kids would be served chicken nuggets, pizza, and a breaded chicken sandwich. These foods are not bad if eaten on occasion and in moderation. However, what I learned in the nutrition training was that we should limit the amount of high fat foods served in one week. My daughter, who attends the high school, told me that everyday if the students don’t like the main option for lunch they could go and get a hamburger or hotdog with french fries as an alternative choice. Middle schools, junior highs, and high schools often have an a la carte line or snack bar at lunch, which consists of ice cream, cookies, juice, and other foods that are not very nutritious for a lunch. Some schools even have soda machines and snack machines. There have even been some schools that are cutting their physical education and sports programs. Technology plays a big role in the children not being as active as they used to be. There are no longer just Saturday morning cartoons. Now with channels like the Disney Channel and Cartoon Network kids can watch cartoons twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Today our children spend many hours on media devices, such as cell phones, Ipads, Kindles, and hand held video games as well as the television, computer, or other game systems such as Xbox. Many kids today would rather be inside on the computer or playing video games than out with a friend or being active. This morning I was at the doctor’s office to have my cholesterol checked. In the waiting room at my clinic they now have a TV up on the wall that is always playing something educational about staying healthy. Today as I was  watching it they were talking about how people who sit more than three hours at a time shave time off of their life. They said after three hours of sitting you should get up and move around for a while before sitting back down. According to this program we have enzymes in our body that help break down fat. However, when we are sedentary or sitting these enzymes are not able to break down the fat in our body. If that is true than these children who are spending hours on the computer, watching TV or playing video games are not burning as much fat as they could be if they took a break every now and then and got up and moved around for a bit before sitting back down. Another contributing factor to childhood obesity is the food industry. Why the food industry? I’ll tell you why. The food industry is packing more and more preservatives, dyes, fat, sodium, sugar and other stuff into our food to make it last longer and taste better, but what are these added ingredients doing to our children? They are literally turning our children into sugar and carb addicts. Products such as chips, cookies, candy and other junk food are being targeted towards our children. Watch a cartoon with your child sometime and pay attention to how many of these commercials you will see. You will be amazed. Something many of you might not think of is the down economy as another contributing factor. Many families are struggling and have had to make plenty of cutbacks on their spending. Yes, that sometimes includes cutbacks on food. It can get expensive feeding a family of four for a week. It is actually cheaper sometimes to buy processed foods and junk food than it is to buy natural and healthy foods. For example, it is much cheaper to buy a box of Little Debbie snacks than it is to buy a small bag of apples or carrots. During my own families rough financial times we discovered that feeding a family of four from McDonald’s $1 menu was not only more convenient but cheaper than cooking many meals as well. If everyone got 2 to 3 items it was less than $15 for the whole family. However, in the long run eating lots of the unhealthy foods and snacks is going to cost you more in healthcare and prescription medications from the consequences of eating an abundance of these foods. â€Å"A family with an obese child spends 30% more in health costs and 77% more in medication costs.† (Parekh, 2012, Prevention is Better than Cure, para 1). Also obesity in childhood often follows into adulthood, which further supports the importance of preventing childhood obesity. (Wang, 2011) Fast food is another big factor for some people. I am not saying you should never eat it at all but some families are eating the stuff three or more times in one week. When I was a kid I was lucky if I got fast food once every six months and that was a treat. McDonald’s seems to have taken the blunt for the fast food industry when it comes to the consequences of eating it too often. They have tried to make some changes like getting rid of the supersize portions and adding apple wedges as an alternative to fries in their kid’s Happy Meal. There even is a documentary that was made about the negative impact McDonalds and the rest of the fast food industry are having on society. The main character, Morgan Spurlock in the movie did a one-month experiment. He ate three full meals a day at McDonald’s, only ordered a super size meal when asked, and never ate food from any other source. By the end of Morgan Spurlock’s month long McDonald’s binge, he had become depressed and exhausted, he was experiencing dramatic mood swings, and his sex life had greatly diminished. He gained 25 pounds, his body fat percentage increased from 11% to 18%, his liver was showing notable signs of damage, and his total cholesterol increased from 168 to 225. However, because of Spurlock’s unrealistic extent of excess calorie consumption, the only thing that this really proves is that overeating is unhealthy. (2009) If eaten on occasion and in moderation as well as eating the right portion size it is not going to harm you and that movie can be misleading. However, it does show what can happen to those who eat it on a daily basis. Parents should limit their child’s meals at fast food restaurants and think of another quick healthy alternative for those other days they may be in a time crunch. Now that I’ve talked about some of the contributing factors of childhood obesity, let’s discuss the effects it has on our children’s health. Children are ending up with health problems such as, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and even type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes was previously referred to as â€Å"adult onset† diabetes because it used to be more  typical for adults over the age of 40 to get this type. (Schraffenberger, L.A., 2012) Some of these overweight kids are also dealing with being teased by other kids and being called fat. This is leading to more kids being treated for depression. If these kids, some as young as elementary age, are having these kinds of health problems, what does that mean for their health as adults? So what changes have been made to fix this problem of childhood obesity in America? There have been some laws that have gone into effect. One such law has affected me as a childcare provider. The law went into effect in October of 2010 and states that all children over the age of 2 must be served low fat 1 percent milk or fat free skim milk. This law also applies to the schools. The schools have always had minimum calorie guidelines but now there is a maximum calorie guideline the school has to follow as well. This went into effect in July of 2012. Some schools are making changes like taking their soda and snack machines out or having them shut off during lunchtime. Some have even put in new machines with healthier options. Our first lady, Michele Obama has been actively involved in trying to prevent childhood obesity and has even visited some schools that have changed their menus to implement healthier options. Another big advocate in preventing childhood obesity is Rachael Ray. She has started the yum-o organization, which is a non-profit organization. According to the yum-o website, the yum-o organization â€Å"empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking.† Wang (2011) explains that the U.S. obesity epidemic can have many serious health and financial consequences if it cannot be controlled, and likely minority and low-income groups are hit harder. Childhood obesity is currently higher than it ever has been and we can do something to prevent it. Parents can help by limiting their child’s screen time, eating more nutritious home cooked meals at the table (not in front of the television) and encouraging their children to be active. For families with busy schedules the parents can take time on the weekends to plan meals ahead of time for the upcoming week. They do not have to be elaborate and can even consist of soup, sandwich fruit and milk. (American Academy of Pediatrics)  The schools can limit the â€Å"junk food† they offer in vending machines and the a la carte line or replace it with healthier options and offer more nutritious meals with the appropriate amount of calories. They can also stop cutting their physical education programs, as keeping children active is very important in preventing obesity as well. Families who are struggling financially can buy fruits and veggies that are on sale or in season and make meals that are cheap yet healthy. Also we should have more restrictions on the food industry, such as maybe a warning label for parents on foods that are way too high in sugar, fat, or sodium. If we all work together to make as many of these changes as we can our kids will be much happier and healthier. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Obesity rates among all children in the united states. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/childhood.html Hassink, S. (Ed). (2006). A parent’s guide to childhood obesity. United States: American Academy of Pediatrics Parekh, N., (July 13, 2012). Childhood obesity prevention tips. Prevention is better than cure. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-7-2004-55178.asp Ray, R., (2012). Rachael ray’s yum-o cook feed fund. Retrieved September 30, 2012, from http://www.yum-o.org/ Schraffenberger, L.A., (2012). Basic ICD-10-CM/PCS and ICD-9-CM Coding, Chapter 6, Page 123 Sears, W., Sears, M., Sears, J., Sears, R., (2006) The healthiest kid in the neighborhood. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company Wang, Y., (2011). Disparities in pediatric obesity in the united states. Retrieved October 21, 2012, from advances.nutrition.org/content/2/1/23.full.pdf+html

Construction Developments in High Rise Buildings

Construction Developments in High Rise Buildings This paper has provided a broad overview of different historic developments for concrete high-rise buildings. The evolution of concrete skyscrapers from the first reinforced concrete high-rise, the Ingalls Building, which was 15 stories high to modern skyscrapers PETRONAS Towers is discussed. How new innovations in construction technology such as the advances, techniques that are used to improve quality have all contributed to the ease of working with concrete in high-rise construction is also briefly discussed in the paper. Supertall buildings are a relatively recent addition to the history of the cities around the world. Technology of the nineteenth century made their development possible. Steel, concrete and masonry materials have existed for a long time in the history of civilization but not in such a configuration. Masonry is the oldest material. Concrete in its present form is the youngest of these three basic structural materials of construction. Concrete, unlike any other structural building material, allows the architects and engineers to choose not only its mode of production, but its material properties as well. Much of the technological change in concrete construction was in the first half of the 20th century. Advances in formwork, mixing of concrete, techniques for pumping, and types of admixtures to improve quality have all contributed to the ease of working with concrete in high-rise construction. There were main four periods in the development of skyscraper which began around 1808 and ended in 1960s where structures were usually vertical and dominant. During 1970s the international modernism in construction started to rise and this introduced a renewed interest in silhouettes and symbolic potential. The most efficient construction coordination plan for a tall building is one that allows formwork to be reused multiple times. Traditionally, formwork was made of wood but as technology has advanced, the forms have become a combination of wood, steel, aluminum, fiberglass and plastic, to name only a few materials. Each set may be self-supporting with trusses attached to the exterior or may need additional shoring to support it in appropriate locations. New additions to the family of forms include flying-forms, slip forms, and jump forms. The PETRONAS towers are a good example of this latest period. The techniques improved continually till now when pumping of concrete is considered even for small jobs. In recent years, concrete pumping has reached new heights. The builders for the Jin Mao Building in Shanghai, China, boast of pumping high strength concrete as high as 1200 ft (366 m). For such great heights, a high-pressure unit is needed. Great thought must be given to the properties of concrete and how it will react when pressure is applied in a pipe. All these factors demanded innovations in concrete technology. Already a well-argued case between Architects and Engineers is to build a environment with minimal impact on natural environment and to integrate the built environment with ecological systems of the locality. This proposition of the skyscraper as an ecologically- responsive building might well appear to be a conundrum for some.Afterall; Skyscraper is the citys most intensive building-type of enormous size. The council on tall Buildings and Urban habitat in USA defines the skyscraper as a tall building whose built form that by virtue of its height requires its own special engineering systems. Designed by Argentine architects Cà ©sar Pelli and Djay Cerico under the consultancy of Julius Gold, the PETRONAS Towers were completed in 1998 after a seven year build and became the tallest buildings in the world on the date of completion. They were built on the site of Kuala Lumpurs race Because of the depth of the bedrock; the buildings were built on the worlds deepest foundations. The 120-meter foundations were built within 12 months by Bachy Soletanche and required massive amounts of concrete. Its engineering designs on structural framework were contributed by Haitian engineer Domo Obiasse and collegues Aris Battista and Princess D Battista. From this floor rose a 21-metre high retaining wall, with a perimeter length of over 1 kilometer. This concrete shell and the basement area it enclosed required two years of up to 40 workers on site all day and night. The final product is the basement car park offering a total of 5,400 parking bays on five levels beneath the podium wrapping the towers. As an added consideration, two different contractors were chosen for each tower to allow cross-monitoring of construction values and techniques with one coming to the aid of the other should problems arise. The construction of the superstructure commenced in April 1994, after rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design. Due to the nature of the project, being the first super tall structure of its kind in Malaysia and very limited experience with the use of high strength concrete, the contractors were required to demonstrate that the requirements of the project could be successfully achieved prior to actual construction of structural elements. The contractor Samsung-Kukdong-Jasatera joint ventures were to do it. The major engineering and structural design teams were a collection of eminent international companies and consultants including such notables as Cà ©sar Pelli Associates, Hazama Corporation, Adamson Associates Architects, Solà ©tanche Bachy, RSP Architects Planners Engineers, Samsung Engineering Construction, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Syarikat Jasatera Sdn Bhd., and several dozen other major international firms. Legions of support engineers and designers in an array of specific disciplines contributed over the course of the years. The site for PETRONAS Towers is the Golden Triangle. Around it radiates the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias capital. The jewel of this 100-acre site are the towers. Working within mixed-used development plan by U.S firm of Klages, Carter, Vail and Partners. The design drawings show a complex of buildings growing from an intimate relationship with the site, generating from its core. The concert halls provide an important gathering space. The number of designers, engineers, and building contractor management personnel that took part in the design process is about the same as the number of workers that actually built the towers. About 7,000 construction workers took place in the actual building of the towers, as there was a great concern for the congestion that would occur in the busy Kuala Lumpur city center. 7,000 design workers talking constantly among themselves for five or six years designed the building. It was certainly an impressive conversation. Although much of this talk took place directly between individuals, this project probably would not have been possible before the development of the Internet or sophisticated project and communication management software. Every phase of the process, from the drawings and engineering research down to the daily work orders was accomplished with cutting edge software that was in many cases as technologically innovative as other parts of the project. The high quality of the PETRONAS Towers is the result of the quality of the design team. Although Cà ©sar Pelli was the titular designer and he served as the lead visionary, the design contributors included Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir, businessman T. Ananda Krishnan, senior managers of the PETRONAS company, the Kuala Lumpur City Center planning manager Arlida Ariff, and many high ranking national and local politicians.. The design process itself was as much a marvel as are the physical towers visible today. When construction began the design did not call for the tallest buildings in the world and the entire foundation was moved after excavations had already begun. The parking garage was located up inside the towers in Cà ©sar Pellis first drawings and the powerful Skybridge was absent from the original 1990 Klages Carter Vail Partners plans for the Kuala Lumpur City Center development that first called for two towers. These and many more features of the project changed as the design for the project evolved continuously over the life of the project and the final result is a testament to the efficiency of the whole multi-year design process. The towers feature askybridgebetween the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world.It is not directly bolted to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking during high winds.The bridge is 170m (558ft) above the ground and 58m (190ft) long, weighing 750 tons.The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors desiring to go to higher levels have to change elevators here. The lifts contain a number of safety features. It is possible to evacuatepeople from a lift stuck between floors by manually driving one of the adjacent lifts next to it and opening a panel in the wall..During an evacuation of the buildings, only the shuttle lift is allowed to be used, as there are only doors at levels G/1 and levels 41/42; therefore should there be a fire in the lower half of the building, this enclosed shaft would remain unaffected. Firefighter lifts are also provided in case of emergency The PETRONAS Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until Taipei 101 was completed in 2004, as measured to the top of their structural components .Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The research and knowledge in concrete gained in the first half of the twentieth century benefit technologies today. This paper has provided a broad overview of different historic developments for concrete high-rise buildings. To summarize, the first users of concrete date before 1200 BC and include societies like the Phoenicians, Minoans, and Egyptians, to name only a few. The late 1700s and early 1800s found a renewed discovery of and interest in reinforced concrete as a building structure. Americans and Europeans used it in large warehouses, factory buildings, apartment buildings and homes. New delivery systems, changes in formwork, high-strength concrete and other admixtures were invented which improved concretes strength and workability. Structural systems which go beyond the traditional post-and-beam construction of the Ingalls Building and the introduction of high-strength concrete mixes have together allowed reinforced concrete skyscrapers to grow to heights of the PETRONAS. Little more than a century ago, reinforced concrete was invented. In that short period of time, reinforced concrete has gone from being a very limited material to one of the most versatile building materials available today. The first reinforced concrete buildings were heavy and massive. Valuable floor space was taken up by the massive concrete structural systems. Today, due to our increased knowledge and improved technology, reinforced concrete buildings can be tall, graceful and elegant. Due, in part, to the use of shear walls, innovative structural systems and ultimate strength design, very little usable floor space is occupied by the structure. HSC and lightweight structural concrete allow us to use smaller member sizes and less steel reinforcement. Because of the rapid developments of concrete construction and technology, with every passing year the use of concrete for tall buildings is becoming a constant reality. The mold ability of concrete is a major factor in creating exciting building forms with elegant aesthetic expression. Compared to steel, concrete tall buildings have larger masses and damping ratios that help in minimizing motion perception. A heavier concrete structure also provides better stability against overturning caused by lateral loads. New structural systems including the composite ones that are popular now have allowed concrete high-rises to reach new heights during the last four decades. Although steel will continue to be the structural material of choice for many tall buildings for its strength and ductility, we may expect to see more and more concrete and composite high-rise structures shaping the skylines of major cities of the world in the forthcoming years.

Use Of Symbolism In The Catcher In The Rye and The Great Gatsby Essay

Use Of Symbolism In â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby† There are many writers like James Joyce, Patrick Kananach and Thomas Moore who use symbolism to convey and support indirect meaning in their writings. J.D. Salinger and F. Scott Fitzgerald both use symbolism in similar ways. In both â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, the authors used symbolism to convey emotions and reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye†, J.D. Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting cap, the exhibits at the Museum of Natural History and â€Å"kings in the back row† as symbols whose meanings help tell the story. Holden’s red hunting hat stands for Holden’s disapproval of adult society and phonies. Although, Holden and his hat are out of place in New York, he loves this hat because it demonstrates his difference and independence from other kids his age. He becomes more and more attached to his hat because he feels like a catcher in the rye when he wears the hat. Holden cannot let go of his hat, like he cannot let go of his childhood. The Museum of Natural History is used to signify Holden’s fear of change. Holden enjoys looking at the mummies and the exhibits at the museum because they never change and are frozen in time. Holden realizes that he changes every time he goes back and sees the exhibits, but the exhibits do not change. He wishes that his childhood world would last forever like his exhibits. Salinger also uses the setting of New York City as a symbol. Although H...

Custom Written Essays: Contrasting Gertrude and Ophelia of Shakespeare

Contrasting the Ladies in Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   How can anyone view or read the Shakespearean tragedy of Hamlet without observing an obvious differentiation between the characters of the two female characters? And yet, not all critics agree on even the most salient features of this contrast.    Quite opposite the criminality of the king’s wife is the innocence of Ophelia – this view is generally expressed among Shakespearean critics. Jessie F. O’Donnell expresses the total innocence of the hero’s girlfriend in â€Å"Ophelia,† originally appearing in The American Shakespeare Magazine:    O broken lily! how shall one rightly treat of her loveliness, her gentleness and the awful pathos of her fate? Who shall dare to hint that she was not altogether faultless? One feels as if wantonly crushing some frail blossom in criticising so beautiful a creation, yet such is my thankless task. To my mind, Ophelia has been much over-rated by writers on this play of Hamlet, and when stripped of the glamor of Shakespeare’s magic verse and the lenient tenderness we give always to the dead . . .   she will be found a simple, shallow girl, pure and delicate as a snowflake [. . .] . (241)    Contradicting O’Donnell’s view is some evidence that Ophelia is not innocent in her relationship with the protagonist (West 107). Moral concerns are in the forefront of any discussion about dissimilarities between the queen and the lord chamberlain’s daughter. John Dover Wilson highlights moral differences in What Happens in Hamlet:    His [Hamlet’s] mother is a criminal, has been guilty of a sin which blots out the stars for him, makes life a bestial thing, and even infects his very blood. She has committed incest. Modern readers, living i... ...nd Notes on Shakspere and Other English Poets. London : George Bell and Sons, 1904. p. 342-368. http://ds.dial.pipex.com/thomas_larque/ham1-col.htm O’Donnell, Jessie F. â€Å"Ophelia.† The American Shakespeare Magazine, 3 (March 1897), 70-76. Rpt. in Women Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ed. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts. New York: Manchester University Press, 1997. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos. West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957. Wilson, John Dover. What Happens in Hamlet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Sustainability Essay -- Environment Human Nature Papers

Sustainability Sustainability is a term frequently used by our leaders (and planners) but is often not questioned or defined. The root word sustain implies that it means making something last. However, what does it really mean to sustain something and what is it that we are talking about sustaining-- nature, our environment, our world? These are all very abstract terms themselves. Around the time the term sustainability arose, scientists had discovered a series of threats to our environment and viewed these as a major problem to the endurance of human population. The question then became: "How can we sustain humanity in today's world?" The American Heritage dictionary defines sustain as "supplying with necessities or nourishment," which addresses the key point of sustainability: what are the necessities to ensure that human will be around for future generations? Another way to look at it, which is suggested in the publication Caring for the Earth (a joint publication of the IUCN, UNEP, and WWF-I) i s that sustainable development means "improving the quality of human life while living within the caring capacity of supporting ecosystems." It is perhaps important to note that this definition suggests that the quality of human life can only be improved if it is done with careful attention to its impacts on the environment both natural and social. A practical approach to sustainability does not place responsibility on one sector and not the other. The goal for all agencies and groups affecting society should be to work simultaneously toward the common vision of sustainability. This allows the various sectors to work effectively within their respected areas of expertise and spheres of influence, but specific to the purposes that ea... .... New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc., 1983 Elkington, John. Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of the 21st Century. New Society Publishers, Stoney Creek, CT, 1998 Hawken, Paul. The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability. New York: Harper Collins, 1993 Hawken, Paul and L. Hunter and Amory Lovins. Natural Capitalism. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1999 Hodgkinson, Virginia, and Richard W. Lyman. The Future of the Non-profit Sector. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1989 O'Neill, Micheal. The Third America: The Emergence of the Nonprofit Sector. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1989 Shumacher, E.F. Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered. New York: Harper & Row Inc., 1973 Shuman, Michael H.. Going Local: Creating Self-reliant Communities in a Global Age. New York: Routledge, 1998

Porter’s Five Forces Analysis done on Harley Davidson Essay

Harley Davidson remains as a dominant force in the heavy weight motorcycle industry; upholding 50% share in the heavy weight motorcycles. This year they celebrate their 110th Anniversary proudly as the only major motorcycle manufacturer to completely focus on motorcycles. (Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway, 2006) Other major players in the Motorcycle Industry are, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki that also have their other major product lines inclusive of cars, watercraft, musical equipment and etc. Assessment of Strengths and Weaknesses of Current and Potential Competitors Porters Five Forces Analysis Source: Vector (2012) Internal Rivalry The heavyweight motorcycle market is justly concentrated with four major companies manufacturing these vehicles. Harley Davidson being one of the most experienced within the industry, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha are the competitors that are all from Japan. Over the past few years many market for heavyweight motorcycles has increased annually, but experts are predicting even though the market is growing it will slow down in the years to come. (Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway, 2006) The Competitive challenge is high in motorcycle industry. Most of the time motorbikes are counted as a luxury product and pricing the products can be complex. (Oxbridge Writers, 2012) Harley Davidson offers spare parts, extended warranties, and innovative and environmental friendly motorbikes for their customers, this singularizes them from their competitors. Japan’s companies have marked their success by establishing a strong competitive place in the market using cheap prices as their strategy. This affects customers perception on Harley Davidson’s place in the market and their prices. However, those having a predominant place in this sport do have conflicting interests, i. e. Yamaha and Honda have diversified into musical instrument and other motor vehicles. . (Oxbridge Writers, 2012) This results Harley-Davidson in differentiating themselves as a loyal, specialized Motorbike Company and getting more customers. Harley Davidson has traditionally been the prevailing competitor in this market with taking over 50% of the market share. With time it has fallen to below 50 % due to other companies expanding their heavyweight motorcycle production and growing in the market, focusing on American Consumers. (Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway, 2006) This is because other products from competitors are becoming less distinguished and is similar to Harley Davidson Products. Recalling, back to the past it was easier to acknowledge Harley Davidson motorbikes for their unique style, but currently Japanese Manufacturers are merging popular designs to their products. As a result motorbikes from manufacturers are becoming more similar over time. This forces Harley-Davidson to focus more on their branding to maintain the customers. This can be an advantage to them, since Harley is known internationally for their brand, many people would prefer a Harley over a Honda or Suzuki. But can also be a downfall since Japanese companies has been improving their products with time. Threat of New Entrants This industry has a very high entry barrier, as it requires high capital to enter to the market. Similar to most manufacturing industries there are significant economies involved in building motorbikes. (NCCU, 2012) The manufacturing price of a similar product is extremely high in this industry even for a small scale. This is basically one of the main reasons there are only four major players in the industry. There are some small-scale motorcycle creators whose business s fully focused on reputation and appeal to motorcycle devotees, to build utterly customized bikes. They do not produce enough motorbikes to threaten the major players in the industry. They do not affect the position of Harley Davidson in the market but can be an added advantage since it increases interest of motorbikes in the public. Threat of Substitutes and Complements Heavyweight motorcycles are a luxury item for the majority of consumers, so there are very less similar substitutes for heavyweight motorbikes that could seriously affect the market and consumers. (Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway, 2006) The Japanese manufacturers focus their designs more on smaller, quicker motorbikes that is the closest substitute followed by cars and scooters. Heavyweight bikes portray a certain persona, which is a part of the buyer’s influences on choosing a motorbike. Smaller bikes are for different riding styles and purposes. They are designed for a different seating position unlike the heavyweight motorbikes. Passenger cars can be a substitute for heavyweight motorbikes but it is a weak substitute. (NCCU, 2012) Motorbike consumers rarely purchase Harley’s to fulfill transportation wants. Harley Davidson bikes are more of a luxury item than a necessity to travel. Motorbikes maybe easy to travel in heavy traffic and consume less gasoline compared to a car. If a consumer choses a motorbike for the above mentioned reasons, it would be more reasonable to buy a lighter motorbike, which would be easier to handle and fuel efficient than a heavyweight motorcycle. The most profound complement for a heavyweight motorbike is gasoline/petrol. If fuel prices were higher consumers would not consider purchasing a heavyweight bike, because most journeys taken by the bike on such a bike is highly discretionary and will be used for pleasure rather than for transport necessities. Nevertheless, most of the heavyweight bike consumers are willing to pay between $8000 and $30,000 for this luxury vehicle, they would not mind paying just a little extra for fuel. Bargaining Power of Suppliers According to Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway (2006), â€Å"Harley Davidson operates nearly every stage of the production of a motorcycle, taking raw materials such as steel and basic electrical components and shipping completed motorcycles to its extensive independent dealership network. Because there are many suppliers of all inputs that Harley Davidson requires for its manufacturing operations there is very little that any single supplier can do the exact rents from Harley. † This phrase proves that even if one supplier tries to escalate its profits/prices it would not be much of a deal for Harley to switch suppliers without interruption in production. â€Å"Preferred suppliers† approach reduced the number of suppliers Harley Davidson worked with and improved the quality of the suppliers as well; these long-term contracts and relationship protected Harley Davidson from supplier price increase. (NCCU, 2012) This also grew trust between the suppliers and Harley and their suppliers gained more profit as Harley improved their business. Bargaining Power of Consumers Similar to the Suppliers, Harley Davidson’s customers are of large population of individual consumers, making it difficult to badly affect Harley Davidson’s financial situation by refusing to corporate. (Melief, Bundgaard & Hathaway 2006) Even though Harley’s dealerships are individually owned and operated the companies’ customers are officially their licensed dealers. But the sheer number of dealers that Harley has all over the world makes situation for dealers not much better than individual riders. Harley needs their customers to buy the product in order to gain profit; since Harley is aging they also need to gain more new loyal riders. Each Harley Davidson purchase is by an individual; even though one person would not drastically affect the financial earnings of the company it is essential to sell the individual experience to each customer to reach more Markets and combine these sales to improve financial strength. (NCCU, 2012)

Review of Janet Abbate’s Inventing the Internet

Janet Abbate, Inventing the Internet, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1999, 258 pages Janet Abbate’s Inventing the Internet explores the history of the Internet as â€Å"a tale of collaboration and conflict among a remarkable variety of players. † (3) Abbate’s writing concentrates on the Internet’s development through social and cultural influences. The book explores the evolution of the Internet from ARPANET to global networks.The Internet’s expansion has existed within an interworking web of innovators; government and military, computer scientists, graduate students, researchers, cable and phone companies, network users, etc. The details given by Abbate affirm the book’s claim that the Internet was not born of a single originating event. It, instead, progressed over time through the junction of advances in technology and needs in society. The Internet is an ever-adapting system, which is fresh and changing a t escalating rates yet has a history that crosses over several decades.Born within paranoia surrounding the Cold War and growing through many different forms, the Internet’s history is laid out chronologically in Abbate’s six chapters. In this informative and methodical chronicle, Abbate tracks the important teamwork of the Internet’s creators and societal needs in a detailed and entertaining volume of history. Despite the revolution of the Internet bringing about doorways to assorted information, it has done a bizarrely deprived job of recording its own history. As the Internets’ creators get older, it is essential to capture their first hand accounts of the history they made.In her book, Inventing the Internet, Abbate saves the early history of the Internet. The book is divided into six segments. The first segment relays White Heat and Cold War: The Origins and Meanings of Packet Switching that is primarily about packet switching. The second covers the political and technical challenges involved in Building the ARPANET: Challenges and Strategies, concerning the creation and struggles of ARPANET. The third segment covers user communities and their affect on the ARPANET in â€Å"The Most Neglected Element†: Users Transform the ARPANET.The fourth considers the shift made, From ARPANET to Internet approaching defense and research. The fifth section covers The Internet in the Arena of International Standards. The final section, Popularizing the Internet, shows the beginning of the wide spread of the Internet but before Internet connectivity becomes popular at the personal level. All things considered, the book states the expansions in Internet history between 1959 and 1991, with some proceedings to 1994. The author’s study of the Internet’s genesis makes systematic links between the technological development and its organizational, social, and cultural environment.There are many available histories on the Internet, in print and online. Most are well-documented information on technology and its history. Some mention the fundamental concepts of communication, information, and knowledge. Abbate's work, however, goes beyond ordinary facts and her findings are most revealing. The beginning of the Internet is well known. It was a United States Defense research program named ARPANET. The internal structure of ARPA that reared the network development during its first years is not as well known.Inventing the Internet explains how the little agency was created in 1958 to respond to the Soviets' successful launch of the world's first artificial satellite. ARPA did not own a laboratory. ARPA’s role was to create centers in universities through the financing of research projects in defense-related domains. When ARPA decided in 1969 to connect the supercomputers scattered among university campuses, it had no political or financial difficulty attracting the best computer scientists from all over the United States.The originality of ARPANET is this basic freedom, in contrast to market laws and official control. Inventing the Internet highlights ARPA and its brilliance, which seems to violate both the hands-off approach and the state-intervention ideology. ARPANET was born in an atmosphere of total confidence within a community whose total purpose was to connect the computer equipment from as many universities as possible, while striking the least restricting of standards. Packet-switching technology was the tool hat seemed to execute the fewest constraints so ARPANET was based on packet switching instead of the circuit-switching technology that characterized all other telecommunications networks in the world. Along the way, users and other developers took computer networking in directions that ARPA did not intend. Users rapidly made e-mail the most successful network application. Other countries tested the Internet with varying protocols and applications. The community of scient ists hard-pressed the National Science Foundation into action that overshadowed ARPA's in the 1990s.As new applications and pressures arose, the United States government moved toward privatization of the Internet in the 1990s. This development and the commercialization of personal computers helped build an advantageous atmosphere for the introduction of the hypertext system and web browsers. The World Wide Web turned out to be available even to beginners. Abbate argues successfully that the origins of the Internet â€Å"favored military values, such as survivability, flexibility, and high performance, over commercial goals, such as low cost, simplicity, or consumer appeal† (5).On one good side of things, it was these features that offered computer networks their keen adaptability and quick reaction to the unexpected demands of users. Per the cons, suggests Abbate, they could have caused defiance of commercialization in the system as ARPA did not visualize charging individuals to use the system the way the phone company charges individual telephone users. Based on detailed research in primary documents and extensive communication with many of the principals in the story, Abbate's history delivers the most detailed and revealing account.She succeeds in showing that both its developers and its users socially constructed this evolving technology. How might one know where they're going, if they don’t know where they have been? It's someway comforting to learn that a technology that seems to be new and ever-evolving actually has a history crossing several decades. This history of the Internet, a technology that modern people use on a daily basis in various arrangements, is outlined so perceptively in Janet Abbate’s, Inventing the Internet.

Personal Philosophy Paper Assignment Essay

I think that individuals in a society should function in a way to help each other to sustain a community alive and well. In order to keep the flow within a society continuous, the individuals in the society should abide by the rules of their community, which are set to prevent disorder or avoid a halt a community’s progress, and in this way a society can go on with its processes. Individuals should respect each other, and the rest, within their community; it is on these bases that humans have evolved with the basic morals that we recognize today. However religions have improved and â€Å"streamlined† basic regulations of ancient communities, and those â€Å"dogmas† or rules, from whatever origin they’re from, are what influenced organizations to get to how they are today, like the Puritan, Anglican, and traditional British influences on the US Constitution. I believe that people should be educated especially if they are interested in receiving that knowled ge, preferably with vocational schooling or internships, just like the apprenticeships that were popular in Europe long ago, but as for less technical subjects or careers, the traditional lectures should be adequate, like it should be in a university. I think that schools should be free for those that would truly benefit and thrive in them, but they’re not. However some reasons why people do not support free college are not unjustified. Students who wouldn’t commit themselves to take advantage of that free education would be obviously wasting people’s tax money. But unfortunately I’m not sure that’s the only reason why college isn’t free, like it is in Europe and elsewhere. Along the lines of morals, I believe them to be as they are in the Christian tradition, but as for culture, since religion can’t explain that, I am left to decide myself what is better for me. I personally find the culture of 21st century America to be repulsive in some respects but worthy of credit in others, I find customs of other cultures to be interesting. Here in America, many are interested entirely in materialism in life and are often driven by greed and vain pleasure. There are too many that (specificall y and especially around the neighborhood and community where I live) steal, kill, fornicate, and commit all kinds of crimes and immoralities. One of the most heartrending things is the lack of spiritually zealous individuals, most are totally uninterested in what they participate in, and I think it has to do with the fact that they don’t know the history, the reason or rationality behind things. This is why I don’t have any close friends because none that I know of, or rather scarcely any fall into the categorizations that I respect. I have high regards for Sir Thomas More for keeping to his stand in the face of death and against the violation of what he held to be true and just. I also respect G F Handel for following through with his artistic passion, even when the situations where grim and difficult. There are several others, who I revere for their works and deeds, but I can’t make much use of these people’s legacies – I know I don’t have the capacity to accomplish feats at their level. I hardly have any skill, talent, or much else that is uniquely useful or applicable to anythi ng, and whatever qualities that I may genuinely have, they are of little use because I’m usually lacking in some other aspect that would otherwise allow me to accomplish a task effectively. I believe people in society do have responsibilities that are not written down, nor written out in some special contract, rather there are those responsibilities that are expected to be followed regardless of the circumstances. Raising a child to be compatible with social norms, communal requisites, and the law, is an example of these responsibilities, but of course there are other such responsibilities that are followed by people of all walks of life; but as everyone in this world had parents at one point in their life, the position as a parent is thus of upmost importance. Technically, as a parent or guardian you are required by the law to be the caretaker of your own son or daughter (i.e. not just expected), but the law doesn’t get too specific on other details, and as a result these seemingly minor but meaningful details often go unaccounted for. Because some people are unprepared to have children and they do unexpectedly, a â€Å"gap† is left in each individual thereafter, where ordinarily there would be certain skills that would help a person to be socially adept as well as have the ability to pass on those attributes or skills if that individual decides to have children of his/her own. Personally I know that I do have such a chink, and it is also present in both of my parents as well – my father grew up with about a dozen other siblings, and his father had to work in the fields from sunrise to sunset, while his mother had to do what else she could, such as tailoring or making dresses to raise some extra money, my mother on the other hand, grew up as if she was an orphan, her mother being the eldest of again about a dozen other siblings, my mother’s father having been lost to a casualty, her mother set out to find work, leaving my mother to live on her grandparents’ farm with her other uncles, au nts, and cousins, as if they were siblings. As you might expect, my parents grew up in poverty, never went to college, and had to find work in new frontiers, ending up in occupations unlike those of their own parents. I don’t think having children is wrong at all – far from that mentality – but I think that people should plan or be ready to have a child and provide them with all the nurture and attention they are supposed to give him/her, or else, a pattern of spiritual, mental, social, and emotional poverty could possibly repeat itself. If you ask me if I’d like to be employed in a trade like the one of my father, I would have to decline, because put simply, I have never even received any kind of preparation from my father (not that I need much) in the occupation that he is in today, and I don’t blame him. My father has always told me that he wants the best for me, and that he wants me to get a proper education in order to lead a better lifestyle than his own. However, I don’t feel as if I’ve been adequately prepared to achieve that.

Fra Lippo Lippi: Argument About Art

Then, you'll take Your hand away that's fiddling on my throat†¦ † (12-13). Why then Is the monologue delivered? It might be regarded as a sort of apologia , as his captors are not a little surprised by discovering their prisoners membership of a monastic order: â€Å"Though your eye twinkles still, you shake your head – Mine's shaved -? a monk. You say -? the sting's in that! If Master Cosmic announced himself, Mum's the word naturally; but a monk! † (76-79). However, beginning as such, Far Lollipop Lippies speech turns Into an emotional outpouring of his ideas regarding art and Its nature.He seems to find It easier to share his independent opinions with the guards, who are socially closer to him than either his Prior or his influential patron. It is a monologue of an artist hindered in his work by his customers, as he has to adapt his paintings to their tastes, however distasteful he finds it. By and by he expresses his views on the nature of art, it connect ion with religion and Its mission. His views defer significantly from the Church's doctrine that the truthful depiction of human body Is unnecessary and harmful, as art is to elevate human soul. Ding it to forget the earthly. For Prior the artist's truthful depiction of human body is â€Å"devil's game† (172). His main objection is that Lollipop's paintings â€Å"do to so instigate to prayer† (316), which should be the chief objective of art. The art should deal with the spiritual world, using material things as far as they reflect the spiritual categories: his demand to the artist can be reduced to â€Å"Give us no more of body than shows the soul† (188). Lollipop successfully builds his own philosophy of art, refuting the Prior's arguments.While the Prior Is hypocritical In his despise of body, Lollipop's art Is sincere In Its praise of God's creation. He supposes that there is nothing sinful in representing things as they are, eliciting in his viewers a thril l of recognition in something that is to be called realism centuries later. â€Å"The shapes of things, their colors, lights and shades, Changes, surprises, -? and God made it all! † (284-285) Thus it is no pointless imitation of nature, it helps viewers to see nature as created by God anew. Furthermore, it revives the soul and calls It towards God, helping to see HIS work In everyday things.The artist works ad ma]room del Gloria and tries to use his talent to help people in their search of God. Far Lollipop Lippies conception of art differs widely from that which is expressed by the Church in the person of the Prior. He insists that his art does serve God – better than it would if he conformed to the Prior's demands. Firstly, he feels that art, as the Prior sees it, is hypocritical. As it is, You tell too many lies and hurt yourself: You don't Like what you only Like too much, You ah Like want, IT glen you at your word, You find abundantly detestable. 261-264) But is does not he lead a hypocritical life either? Remember, he is a monk – and he is caught â€Å"at an alley's end Where sportive ladies leave their doors ajar? † (5-6) Even rough watchmen look disapproving and shocked. Lollipop Justifies himself. He points UT that he was an eight-year-old child when he was forced to take monastic vows by extreme hunger. He had to renounce either the world with its temptations or a piece of bread, and certainly he chose the former. I'm grown a man no doubt, I've broken bounds: You should not take a fellow eight years old And make him swear to never kiss the girls. 223-225) Secondly, Lollipop insists that his art does serve the Church. His opponents would like his paintings to set the objectives rather than reflect the current state of things, but the artist answers: †¦ Don't you mark? We're made so that we love hen we see them painted, things we have passed Perhaps a hundred times nor cared to see; And so they are better, painted -? b etter to us, Which is the same thing. Art was given for that; God uses us to help each other so, Lending our minds out. (300-306) First He points out that his works are not a mere meaningless imitation of life.They help people to understand, evaluate and appreciate things around them anew, to see them with other eyes, or Just to see what they have been blind to. As he sees it, such use of art comes directly from God, and he obeys Him and serves Him with his gift as well as he is able to. Next, he presents an apologia of the body. It cannot be detached from soul, as it is also a part of a human being. The world as a whole unites both the spiritual and the material, the heavenly and the earthly – it was so created by God.For me, I think I speak as I was taught; I always see the garden and God there A-making man's wife: and, my lesson learned, The value and significance of flesh, I can't unlearn ten minutes afterwards (265-269) The flesh is an integral part of a human being, it cannot and must not be ignored as God's creation. Thus Lollipop and the Prior's argument extends beyond the subject of art into a potentially dangerous area, broaching the subject of mandatory celibacy for clergymen. Lollipop doubts its Justice and expresses ideas which are to appear a few centuries later.He supposes that God's gifts should inspire Joy and gratitude rather than be rejected – and he expresses this in his paintings: Do you feel thankful, ay or For this fair town's face, yonder river's line, The mountain round it and the sky above, Much more the figures of man, woman, child, These are the frame to? What's it all about? Dwelt upon, To be passed over, despised? Or Wondered at? Oh, this last of course! -? you say. (286-292) He highlights the great alee AT a person, an Uninominal, as a material Ana spiritual wangle. Nature Is only a frame for a human being.Human body is made by God, and as such it is worth admiring and painting in all its perfection. It is Prior's d isdainful and pejorative attitude towards it that is sinful, as it is disdain towards God's own creation. Once again, Browning puts into Lipids mind the ideas of the following generations. Lastly, according to the artist, beauty itself does not wake only worldly feelings – it inspires people and awakens the soul: If you get simple beauty and naught else, You get about the best thing God invents: That's somewhat: and you'll find the soul you have missed, Within yourself, when you return him thanks. 217-220) Thus it serves both God and people. Thus it provides the victory of the spiritual over the material – the Church teaches us to aspire to. This conception is akin to Dostoevsky â€Å"Beauty will save the world†. Beauty is endowed by the artist with a power to revive the human soul – and what higher mission could art have? Here is its ultimate aim. It appears symbolic that Lollipop is caught at the alleys end. His own life look a blind alley: both in his life and in his art he is cannot follow his liberal ideas. In life, he is forced to do it secretly.In art, being extremely sensitive to criticism, he frequently has to conform, to adapt, to paint what is expected of him: So, I swallow my rage, Clench my teeth, suck my lips in tight, and paint To please them -? sometimes do and sometimes don't†¦ (242-244) But his masterpieces live and, having inspired Robert Browning to write the poem, continue to be wondered at and admired, which speaks for itself. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume E: The Victorian Age. 8th De. W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. Print.