By Margaret Craven Essay

This book is an inspiring experience to read is somewhat of an understatement. Though a very small book in terms of novels lately, this work is complete and in depth enough that nothing is left lacking. A young vicar, Mark Brian accepts an assignment to a remote Indian village in the Pacific Northwest of British Columbia. Kingcome itself seems to become part of the landscape instead of detracting from the natural beauty. The people, the Kwakiutl tribe, are as mysterious and reserved as the land they live in. Their walnut colored faces and sad eyes speak of secrets and silent thoughts that Brian can not interpret at first. He notes to himself mentally as if they always seem to be waiting for something but he can never quite understand what. They treat him with respect and distance, a quiet reminder that he is an intruder, whether welcomed or not. He is the â€Å"white man† and therefore, far beyond being able to understand their circle of life and how they view that life. In return, Brian gives them that right to distance and struggles to be as unobtrusive a presence as he can be. He sees this as a challenge that he has been sent to accomplish in order to better their lives and thus better his as well. His vicarage and church are in ramshackle condition, a far cry from any said civilized habitat he was accustomed to but upon receiving a post dated letter from his Bishop that he would receive a new â€Å"manufactured† vicarage, he sends a response declining the offer. He is determined to live as they live or as much as he can and open himself to their ways. It is not a feat easily accomplished. His strongest ally is Jim Wallace, a native designated to aid and help the young vicar. Yet, Jim and Mark are just among a whole cast of fabulous and amazing characters from Calamity Bill, a forester, and to old Marta who is wise beyond even her extensive lifetime. Mark experiences the faith that the people hold in Christianity while the underlying teachings of their native spirituality is always present. Unknown to the vicar is the fact that he is dying and though his Bishop knew, he learns to accept all facets of life, even death, through the pragmatic and beautifully simplistic acceptance of the Kwakiutl people. As to often when one race invades another, the conquering one imposes their way of thought and practices upon the other. One of the most startling evidence of government interference was the body of a drowned child that was required to lay in wait of burial for an undeterminable length of time. Stark decomposition had set in but still the Kwakiutl were forced to wait for the arrival of the Royal Mounted Police constable before the child could be buried. Obviously an accidental death, nothing truly needing an inquest, the constable showed little regard for the tribe and their customs by delaying his visit as long as possible. Mark Brian got his first taste of governmental beau racy with that act. Even he in his regulated position of the parish’s minister could not override the law and bury the child within a respectful time. The government also imposed their restrictions of the Kwakiutl by the banning of their great potlatch dances, something that had been an important custom among the Indians for as long as memory served. The people were still allowed to have potlatch dances, but on a much smaller scale and the sole reason being that the potlatch could deprive one tribe of sufficient substance and needs in order to satisfy their chief’s need to be generous. Though the Kwakiutl spoke very little of any criticism in the government’s interference, Brian sensed the deep resentment and silent anger that his charges felt to have their way of life altered so drastically. The one issue they were the most verbal about was the requirement to send their older children to a school in Vancouver which taught them the ways of the white civilization and insisted that it was the one true way to live. All the ancient ways of Kingcome were swept away and belittled by this school. When the children came home from school, they were impatient with the time set ways of the elders of the tribe and their families could see the desire in them to leave the village for good and become part of the outside world. It was certain doom for Kingcome, both as a village and as a people. It was an assurance that life as the Kwakiutl as they had been for centuries would fade away into history and cease as a separate nation. â€Å"Here in the village my people are at home as the fish in the sea, as the eagle in the sky. When the young leave, the world takes them and damages them. They no longer listen when the elders speak. They go and soon the village will go also. † (Craven 62) In my opinion, the book was wonderfully enlightening and deeply moving. As the time was spent with the people, Mark Brian did, as his Bishop hoped, gave a finer insight into the beauty of life and the deepset roots of people who were content with their world as it was. A rare happiness that though not clearly evident on the surface, it was a thread of strength that helped him face his own demise and still retain his faith in his own beliefs. I found no reason for changing the book or looking for any detraction or addition to as a complete work. It was a wonderful reading experience! Works Cited/Reference Craven, Margaret, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, Dell Publishing, 1973

Country Factbook Between Seden and Denmark on Organic Food Industry Essay

1. Executive summary The organic food industry is suitable for business investments in both Sweden and Denmark due to several factors. First of all, efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions facilitate business and provide location advantages. Moreover, studying the business/industry culture can be used to gain insights in the business environment of Sweden/Denmark in the field of organic food. However, the complex natures of harvesting organic goods make it impossible to indicate the best location for production, as this depends on the particular product being produced. As a result, demand and supply across Sweden and Denmark are met by means of a widespread retail sector, intra-industry trade and export. Only by making an estimation of sectorial breakdown and its counterparts an (somewhat) informed investment decision can be made. Either way, it is evident that organic food industry as a whole has gained popularity due to several reasons. One example is that CSR profiles of firms have become an customary element in the product purchasing decision in recent times. It can be said that recent developments in technological- (information technology revolution) and political nature (subsidies) have contributed to this trend, documents playing an important role in particular. Since culture consists of documents and culture is more available to document analysis today it has been our choice in our data collection method. In turn, for data analysis we have made use of coding, series of events and semiotics. It is these that have allowed us to assess macroeconomic performance of Sweden and Denmark as well as its historical developments, socio-cultural conditions and the nature of competitiveness in the organic industry field. Despite the fact that Sweden and Denmark share many similarities in each one of these areas there are some differences. However, these are considered to be subtle and highly context-dependent. Therefore, we would also not like to answer our research question, ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ in this section, but hope that you will find an answer what is best for you in the pages of the remainder of this report. Ultimately, we will provide major findings of comparisons and recommendations, based on our views and experience gained during our research. It might be possible to ‘’tweak’’ this information in such a way in making it applicable for your particular business scenario or business plan. 2. Introduction This section is meant to state the goal, relevance and purpose of our Factbook. Furthermore, it will give rise to our lead question, being ‘’How and why do the organic industry conditions differ between Sweden and Denmark? ’’ To boot, we hope to achieve appraisal and recognition for our deliverables from whom ultimately might use and/or buy our Factbook. Like the CIA Factbook, our focus is on the industry. However, it is important to note that we have tried to achieve more than the already existing Factbooks, as they are often too comprehensive or lacking in value. We have tried to overcome the first problem by linking theory to application and writing about it. In this, our main challenge has been to take into account all aspects that somehow matter for the bottom line, the profitability of an investment project. Yet, since profitability is a relative term it might be better to speak of opportunity costs. This terminology is crucial to understand for correct business decision making to take place and also forms the backbone for our final recommendations in our Factbook. Moreover, Pugel (2009) has showed that many industries incur rising, rather than constant, marginal opportunity costs. For instance, efforts to expand Denmark/Sweden organic wheat production would fairly quickly run into rising costs caused by limits on (1) how much more land could be drawn into wheat production and how suitable this additional land would be for wheat production, (2) the availability of additional workers willing and suitable to work on the farms, and/or (3) the availability of seeds, fertilizers, and other material inputs. As for the second problem, we focus mostly on institutionalism and culture as they are lacking in other country Factbooks. Examples of institutions that can facilitate business in Sweden and Denmark are efficient local intermediary firms and certain broader macro-level institutions, both being considered to be generally available location advantages (Verbeke 2010). Concerning culture, we are particularly interested in business/industry culture. This is based on logic that our analysis is mainly on the industry level. Furthermore, Hollensen (2008) has showed that business/industry culture of business behavior and ethics is similar across borders, i. e. expected to be the same for Sweden and Denmark. By learning about the industry culture the decision maker will be aware of important ‘rules of the game’ (Hollensen 2008). Concerning the purpose, this Factbook is meant to facilitate a document that will be considered important for decision makers, i. e. policy makers but especially business investors. From an investment perspective, several hierarchical modes (domestic-based sales representatives, mergers and acquisition, alliances, greenfield) are possible. However, retailer alliances and mergers and acquisition are most popular. To illustrate, in the case of Sweden retailer alliances control 90% of the food retail stores (http://www. snee. org/filer/papers/193. pdf). Furthermore, because the organic food market in Denmark and Sweden and Europe in general is rather fragmented, mergers provide benefits and interest to investors through economies of scale (http://www. nytimes. com/2011/05/24/business/global/24organic. html). Lastly, market growth, political support and complimentary resources in both Denmark and Sweden stimulate and attract business investors. These and other issues will be elaborated in the remainder of this report. All in all, we will provide the examiner with information of which we believe to be relevant for decision makers and can be used for deciding which company, or which industries of this company, to invest in. Hereby, we have tried to identify the major dimensions relevant to comparative country studies. These have been chosen carefully and matter for the organic food industry and a wide spectrum of business within this industry. In turn, these dimensions can be used to compare the countries Sweden and Denmark. Ultimately, the contents of this Factbook are meant to stay closely connected to the country set Sweden/Denmark and it’s organic food industry, yet still is general to the extent that it allows applying the information to a concrete business case. With the final product of our Factbook we hope to have provided the reader with a clear understanding of the conditional differences between Sweden and Denmark and as such an answer to our research question. Concerning the structure of the remainder of this paper, we will subsequently discuss: methods and frameworks, introduction to organic food sector, methods and frameworks, country comparison, major findings of comparison and recommendations and the bibliography. 3. Methods and frameworks 3. 1 Method for Factbook compilation As method for our Factbook compilation we have opted to first focus on the country and then on the region. It can be described as a region-based compilation (RBC) technique. For example, if you look at technology, technology is taking place in Eindhoven in The Netherlands and not in Delfzijl. If you are going to do something with energy then you end up in Delfzijl rather than in Eindhoven. However, making such a comparison for Sweden or Denmark in terms of organic food proves difficult. To explain, people that argue that organic food is simply being harvested on the most fertile agricultural land are likely to mix up terms. That is, fertility should be clearly set aside from productivity or even best land. Indeed, you can have a highly fertile area but deficient in its use do its limited crop sizes. Moreover, a certain area of agricultural land might be appropriate to harvest a particular organic product, but is less appropriate or least suitable for other organic products. Lastly, in general organic material levels go up as you go north. But productivity does not necessarily follow the same trend because the same shorter season and lower temperatures that helped build and maintain that organic material, limits growing seasons and crops growth. In order to prevent complexity we have decided to focus more on the retail sector of Sweden and Denmark than the production sector. The retail sector will include exports as over 70 percent of the exports of industrialized countries are shipped to other industrialized countries, and nearly half of total world trade is industrialized countries trading with each other (Pugel 2009). Sweden and Denmark are no exception, as they are known to have an established intra-industry trade relationship. Besides physical locations we also like to discuss official statistics as another compilation issue. The main issue is that official statistics often rely on incomplete information and therefore involve estimation. In our report we have made use of two types of estimation, sectorial breakdown and its counterparts. We have chosen to select these two types in order to facilitate the decision maker with a reflection opportunity of a wide variety of activities he/she might be interested in. Furthermore, in an attempt to ‘standardize’ statistics we will use figures of the Central Statistics Office (or a comparable source) as much as possible for both Denmark and Sweden. We believe it is advisable to use comparable or equal sources between the two countries as it strengthens the reliability of our research. Based on previous experience and narratives we believe the Central Statistics Office (also known as Central Statistics Bureau) is one of the most easily accessible and reliable sources to be found on the Internet. Furthermore, in order to prevent possible ambiguity we will use equal terminology for both countries as much as possible, including definitions of sectors and instrument categories. Moreover, we would like to briefly discuss the overall structure of the Factbook. First of all, the executive summary is meant to provide background information on the topic of organic food as an industry and can act as a quick-review guide of what the examiner is likely to expect in the report. In this, the executive summary contains several main ideas reflected in the report itself. Furthermore, the introduction discusses more distinct the Factbook and the underlying principles. Then, data collection and data analysis show arguments for the choices we have made in conducting our empirical research. As to the chapters that follow, these are simply a representation and a more in-depth analysis of what has been announced in the previous chapters and act as to share our findings in terms of describing legal, political, environmental, institutional and cultural dimensions. Lastly, we finalise our report by concluding with major findings of comparisons and recommendations. 3. 2 Prime theories and approaches There are different theories to be utilized for compiling this Factbook. One of the main drivers for organic farming is environmental reason, which are often associated with care for the environment. Moreover, it can be argued that the choice for buying ‘’organic’’ is also driven by social cultural reasoning, having this care for the environment being embedded as part of the culture. Indeed, this is mainly the case in the Western market where awareness towards environmental issues has risen in recent times. It is terms like corporate responsibility and sustainability that have become a part of the decision making process of Western consumers as to what to buy and to whom to buy it from. In this, environmental and socio-cultural values have become an important facet in the decision making process of the consumer in general, the organic food industry being no exemption. In an attempt to verify and examine these trends we will make use of theory of Schwartz (1999) combined with the theory of planned behaviour to determine if organic food consumption offers potential for business investment to take place. As we shall see later on, Schwartz his cultural values can be used to assess the main characteristics of the average Swedish and Danish inhabitant and how these assist in making inferences about core values, behaviour and its relation to the organic food industry. In order to find more specific similarities and differences we have made use of the framework as proposed by S. Ruiz de Maya et al. (2011), who offer us a theoretical approach to the organic food industry from the consumer side. It is this that provides us with socio-cultural factors and helping the investor to decide whether Sweden or Denmark is more ‘suitable’ to invest in, depending on a particular context. In addition, the PESTLE analysis will also be utilized in this report. It is important to note that we will not be focusing on the whole framework but on the political, social and legal factors provided. By examining the political factors we can determine how these influence the organic food industry. For instance, some administrations can be beneficial for the organic food industry. For instance, by stimulating farmers to dedicate more land for organic farming and usage of organic food in government institutions. However, in another term a different administration might not be so favourable to organic farming and food, which could lead to a different situation. For example, abolishing organic farming grants. As mentioned before, the social side of organic food consumption is important. Health and environmental issues have become more important for the general public. Furthermore, the investor should keep in mind that views concerning organic food can change. These factors can have an influence on the demand. Last aspect is the legal aspects. For example, determine the definition of organic food and who or how they uphold this standard. This factor is related to the political part of the PESTLE analysis. Legislation concerning organic food is important for the Factbook. There can be differences between Denmark and Sweden concerning organic food industry. 3. 3 Method for data collection and analysis. This section will discuss our chosen method for data collection and analysis. We will start by addressing the data collection technique, after which the data collection analysis approach will follow. First of all, it can be said that our study involves both qualitative research (a focus on text) and quantitative research (a focus on numbers). However, since institutionalism and culture are clearly more qualitative we have opted to focus on qualitative data collection techniques. In the end, we have made use of solely documents as a qualitative data collection technique. Although we would have liked to include interviews and fieldwork in our research, we experienced that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to carry out these activities successfully. First, we could not find any suitable individuals or focus groups being knowledgeable about our subject. Second, we do not believe ourselves to be proficient enough in fieldwork as to ensure reliable and valid results. Moreover, the duration of the necessary fieldwork was also expected not to fit within the given timeframe set to create the Factbook. In either case, there are some advantages of using documents as opposed to interviews and fieldwork. For example, documents are relatively cheap and quick to access (Payne & Payne, 2004). It is usually much easier to obtain data from documents than from interviews or fieldwork. Also, if there are many documents on a subject, which we believe to hold true for our case, triangulation is possible to study developments over time. In terms of sources of data, our research is limited to secondary data only. Indeed, we did not make use of any unpublished data being gathered directly from people or organizations. Instead, we have made use of published books, webpages, newspaper articles and journal articles. Somewhat surprisingly, we found that these sources were able to provide us with sufficient empirical data for our research, especially with regard to culture related aspects. Concerning the latter, we would also like to refer to Altheide (1996), who said that documents are studied to understand culture. He has pointed out that a large part of culture consists of documents. Furthermore, he has showed that culture is more available to document analysis today because of the information technology revolution. (Altheide, 1996). Finally, in order to assess the quality of the documents used, we have made use of four criteria as proposed by Scott (1990): (1) authenticity, (2) credibility, (3) representativeness & (4) meaning. Concerning the method for data analysis, we have chosen to make use of several approaches for analyzing qualitative data. Probably the one being used the most is coding. We have chosen this approach primarily because it is one of the easiest ways to analyse qualitative data. In addition, it offers many advantages. For instance, it allows reducing the size of the data and is useful for retrieving, organizing, and speeding up the analysis (Miles & Humberman, 1994). Although this method has been used throughout the entire report, it has been particular helpful in our literature review on the organic food industry, as making use of buzzwords has helped in defining the scope of our research. Moreover, it was found helpful for the executive summary and the introduction, as these are more restricted in terms of length. Here coding has acted as an instrument to make distinctions between either ‘too detailed’ or ‘too general’ more easily. Another data analysis approach we have made use of is series of events. We have made use of this approach as we considered it to be helpful to compare relevant historical developments for our industry. Listing a series of events by chronological time periods and subsequently assigning events to categories has helped to identify similarities and differences over time. As such, it allows us to pinpoint more precisely when historical developments have been most evident and how it has changed the view of the industry. Due to its very nature this approach was utilized in the historical developments section of our report. Lastly, we have made use of semiotics, which is concerned with the meaning of signs and symbols. For business and management research, semiotics is most useful in marketing, management, consumer research and information systems. This is because in these segments, signs are very important. For example, form of brand names and logos are considered to be highly important. In our view semiotics also play an influential role in the organic food industry. Currently, there is some debate about the future growth of the organic food industry; it either being with brands or retailer private labels. It has been argued that large food retailers are taking advantage of the ‘organic’ brand without making any of the associated investment. While the industry has been built by certification agencies and pioneering brands, their presence in terms of logos and brands is diminishing in supermarkets and mainstream retailers (http://www. organicmonitor. com/r0811. htm). As such, investment scenario’s in the organic food industry are less clear-cut than in the past and require careful examination of conventions governing the use of signs and sign systems. In our report, semiotics has been found crucial to explain the socio-cultural and market/industry conditions more fully. 4. Introduction sector/industry In order to provide the examiner with an introduction of the organic food industry, general trends, definitions and boundaries will be discussed. To boot, the European organic food market has a total revenue of $24. 7 billion in 2010, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8. 9% between 2006 and 2010 based on research of DATAMONITOR (2010). The European organic food market grew by 6% in 2010 to reach a value of 24. 7 billion and it is predicted that in 2015 the European organic food market will be worth $36. 8 billion, an increase of 48. 8% since 2010. According to UNCTAD, organic agriculture is defined as a holistic production management whose primarily goal is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil, life, plants, animals and people. Moreover, According to Chen (2009) organic products are goods that respect the environment and that are manufactured without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics or gene manipulation. By viewing the production side, organic producers should combines best environmental practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and application of high-animal welfare standards, providing higher quality products to respond to a certain consumers’ demand. Nowadays, the concern of Western society on how products may be profoundly harmful to the environment has led to a higher demand for organic products, sustainable business activities and stricter regulations from national governments (Gurau and Ranchod, 2005). Due to this increasing concern and higher demand in European countries, it can be argued that the organic food industry is becoming a more interesting and challenging sector for investors to invest in. Furthermore, organic food industry generates revenue as the second largest market within Europe and is continuously growing. However, some boundaries as to this sector do exist. Three main boundaries we found to be of importance are price premiums, quality and availability and time factor. Of these three, price premium is expected to be the most important. This is due to the fact that organic food more often than not requires another form of processing and is more difficult to conserve. Moreover, the costs of quality control are also expected to be higher as no pesticides are used as to protect large crops. As such, it is rational that the price is more expensive than conventional food products. In effect, consumers with lack of knowledge will reconsider buying organic products because of this simple fact. Considering quality of the organic products, consumers believe that by charging a higher price this is equivalent to a higher quality. This view is based on the rationale of human beings, sometimes depicted in phrases such as ‘pay more, get more’. Whilst this ‘rule’ not always holds true, our (inner) convictions and background study has verified that this is in fact the case in the organic food industry. An example of the organic food retail sector is that high priced restaurants tend to favour organic (natural) ingredients. Based on the above, the organic products will meet consumers’ expectation by providing the products above the conventional product’s standards, with a price tag to match its difference in quality. The last constraint we would like to discuss is availability and time factor. The availability of organic products do not vary as much as that of conventional products. As organic products are often less well exposed, they are more difficult to find in stores. This is an important consideration and largely influences issues such as sales expectations, storage costs and risk of decay. Furthermore, in the following part we will discuss and analyse how the conditions of organic food provide the investor with a broader view of the organic food industry. In this, we will consider four conditions as factors being relevant for organic food: political-, cultural-, legal- and labor systems. 5. Country comparison 5. 1 Macro-economic indicators A country comparison on macro-economic indicators can be considered to be beneficial for decision makers as it gives them food for thought on the expected macroeconomic performance of that country, i. e. the behavior of a country’s output, jobs, and prices in the organic food industry in the face of changing world conditions. This judgment call about performance is basically what drives most macro-economic analysis. It can be used to assess issues such as how well a country’s economy is performing and how close it is to achieving broad desirable objectives, such as stability in average product prices (no inflation) and low unemployment (Pugel 2009). The most relevant macro-economic indicators for the organic food industry are considered to be economic indicators and financial indicators. Demographic indicators do not seem important to us as research has shown that gender or age does not have any significant effect on whether people decide to buy organic food or not (http://newhope360. com/organic-consumers-share-values-not-demographics). In order to ensure reliability we have chosen to attain all figures of these indicators from one source, namely De Grote Bosatlas (2002). Fig. 1 STATISTIEK EUROPA (part 1) Fig 2. STASTIEK EUROPA (PART 2) From figure 1 we can infer that Denmark had a higher agricultural contribution in terms of percentage towards the GDP. Moreover, Denmark has a substantial higher percentage of agricultural grounds (62. 4% versus 7. 9%) Furthermore, Denmark has a higher contribution to GDP per capita. Besides, inhabitants from Denmark are slightly wealthier than those in Sweden, when looking at GDP. Lastly, Denmarks development of the GDP in 1990-1999 has risen more than was the case for Sweden. Then, from figure 2, we can infer that Denmark has a stronger economy than Sweden, but only by a small margin. Furthermore, inflation rate for Denmark is lower, yet also again only by a small margin. Moreover, Denmark has more government spending in terms of percentage of GDP. Concerning education, Denmark spends more in terms of percentage of GDP. Besides, Denmark inhabitants generally enjoy a higher purchasing power than is the case for Swedish inhabitants. It also shows that more Danish people are working in both the agricultural and industrial sector than Sweden, these tend to work more in the service sector. Lastly, Denmark has a lower percentage of the work force being unemployed. From this preliminary analysis we can infer that in terms of economic indicators investments in Denmark are likely to require a higher yield on an investment than were the case of Sweden. This assumption is made based on the simple fact that as for many elements Denmark performs better than Sweden on compared elements. The same holds true in terms of financial indicators. Although the data may be easily said to be ‘outdated’, we believe this is not quite the case. That is, our analysis on historical development has not provide any conclusive evidence as to not believe that the relationship of these economical and financial figures to be that much different as they are today. Yet, since we do not know when the actual investment is to take place it is always advisable to check the results of a more recent research. Although we would have loved to use a more recent version of De Grote Bosatlas ourselves, we could not find ourselves in the position to get access to one during the course of this research. Luckily, we were able to find a recent figure for gross domestic expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP that verified our assumption. [pic] From the figure above it can be concluded that Denmark spends between 1. 01% and 2. 00% of its GDP on R&D activities. Sweden on the other hand spends a little more with 2. 01% and above. This corresponds with our financial records of the Grote Bosatlas, where government spending in Sweden was higher than that of Denmark in general. Furthermore, since the R&D expenditures on R&D as a percentage of GDP are larger than that of most other parts of the world, we expect no real problems for investors in this area. Background information as to why Sweden and Denmark support expenditures on the organic food industry is discussed extensively in both the chapters about socio-cultural conditions and market/industry conditions. 5. 2 Historical developments relevant for the industry. The issues with the environment have many different facets. These range; from deforestation, loss of biodiversity, pollution and many others (EBS 295, 2008). The attitude concerning these issues by the general public can change over time. Values change over time and this applies for the public perception of organic food as well. Likewise, one could say that the organic food industry is driven in a sense of improving and protecting the environment. In addition, consumers also attitude towards the environment also contribute in how they value organic food. Furthermore, not only concern for the environment but also growing awareness by the general public concerning their food and the production involved. These issues related to food production range from; health, food safety and animal welfare. (Sippo manual, 2011) The origins for organic farming in both countries are similar. In the same manner consumers started become more aware of the environment. Farmers also become more aware and began with organic farming. Both countries have had organic farming since early eighties in the general concept of the term organic farming. If we take into account the establishment of organizations concerning organic food then Denmark was a few years earlier with the founding of Danish Association of Organic Farmers in 1981. The Swedish counter part is called the Ecological Farmers Association, which was founded in 1985. Both organizations are private initiatives of organic farmers organizing themselves. (http://www. fao. org) Since the 1990’s the governments of both Denmark and Sweden have introduced various regulations concerning the organic food industry. These regulations include assigning certificates that label products as organic. In addition, the European Union also implemented regulations concerning the organic food industry. Likewise, the organizations that control and label organic foods also found their origins in late eighties early nineties. In Denmark the first organic food legislation was implemented in 1987. The government assigns the O logo to organic food. (www. fvm. dk). This state approved logo is only given to products that are conforming to the standards of â€Å"organic† as stated by Danish regulations. In addition, in Denmark only state approved farms may carry the â€Å"organic† label. In Sweden the organization that is tasked with the certification of organic food is called KRAV. Founded in 1985, this organization was formed from the Ecological Farmers Organization in order to standardize the various interpretations of the term â€Å"organic farming† and bring both farmers and food producers together. (Gunnar Rundgren, 2002) However, it should be noted that the KRAV organization is a non-governmental organization. While, it’s Danish counterpart is part of the Ministry of Agriculture. 5. 3 Socio-cultural conditions Cultural systems From the point of view of the investor, it is important to know the differences and similarities between the two countries Denmark and Sweden. In this section, we will focus on this in terms of cultural assessment. In order to describe the cultural systems of both Denmark and Sweden we have made use of five cultural dimensions as proposed by Schwartz (1999): harmony, egalitarianism, effective autonomy, mastery, and conservatism. It is these cultural dimensions that will help to describe each countries culture and detect any important similarities and differences. The cultural values focus in the article of Schwartz is on the national culture. The national culture being introduced for heterogeneous nations refers primarily to the value culture of the dominant, majority group. In this case, Schwartz tries to interpret the value priorities that characterize a society by aggregating the value priorities of individuals (e. g. Hofstede’s framework). It is depicted that individual value priorities are a product of both shared culture and unique personal experience. Moreover, Schwartz has placed his list of researched countries into different segments (clusters). Denmark and Sweden put in the first group (cluster), Finland and Italy in another, Spain as a third group and Germany, Greece and the United Kingdom in a fourth group.

Reflaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Reflaction - Essay Example Thus, it argues that there is no need of getting pregnant and later on procure abortions. The point is, it all depends with the mother on whether to abort or not. Some mothers feel it is good to have children because this will bring them joy, health and respect too. On the hand, others feel it is better to end a just-begun life. According to Arcana (227) states that the idea of being able to make own decisions is very important and women who are able to bear children are valued. Beargman (47) emphasizes on gender whereby some people always mistake a boy from a girl because of some features which they posses. According to Beargman (49), one might be inspired to know who exactly these people are; boys or girls. The idea of possessing these features is not new because such people are not in a position to reveal gender identity even though it is not pleasing to them. Pascode (36) argues that, interracial marriage is unnatural and immoral. In this way, racism is promoted instead of being fought against. This point of interracial marriage is not persuasive since it argues that if interracial marriage is practiced, this will lead to same-sex marriage (Pascode 37). These types of marriages nowadays are not something surprising even though there are laws against this. One would be inspired to know the reasons behind these marriages. Beargman (124) argues clearly that, those people with different features unlike their physical appearance might have some complications in their bodies and they are not willing to reveal their gender due to the fear of going through discrimination or suffering. The idea of hiding their gender is not persuasive because one might develop complex problems and die. It is not the wish of these people to be this way and therefore, they should be cared and valued just like any other human being (Beargman

Accountancy and Finance, Designing a Balanced Scorecard Essay

Accountancy and Finance, Designing a Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example ns are not for profit making, it is important that appropriate good practices of financial management are maintained so as to ensure that there are adequate resources aimed at meeting the objectives of the organization and ensuring that they remain solvent while at the same time continuing to support the community. A scorecard is a combination of the four common measures (quadrants) that are directly associated with a company’s objective strategies (Pearson & Robinson, 2009). The Otago Museum in New Zealand was founded on the 15th day of September 1968, initially being located in the post office building in Denedin’s Exchange, a building which also accommodates the University of Otago. The 1877 saw the responsibility for managing the museum become vested with the University of Otago, an arrangement that lasted nearly 80 years and letter the transfer of the ownership to a trust board which was authorized to attract funding from various local authorities in the Otago region. Among the principle funders continue to be Dunedin City Council, Clutha District, Central Otago Districy Council and Waitaki District Council. This report will be designing a comprehensive balance scorecard (BSC) for the museum indicating clearly the strategic objectives of the museum, the strategic business themes supporting the objectives and the cause and effect relationship linking Balanced Scorecard (BSC)dimensions with strategic themes and the objectives. More often than not, an organization’s mission statement guides on how an organization needs to maintain a balance of the needs and the various expectations as appertains to the various stakeholders (Harel, & Boaz, 2008). However, most non-profit organizations like Otago museum do not operate in extreme circumstances hence can do for both the donors and their employees/volunteers despite the fact of the existence another restricting factor which can be done for the different groups, that one which falls generally within the purview

Myths to the Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Myths to the Renaissance - Essay Example The system was meant to check on excessiveness of a ruler. During this period, the empire was under Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus (son to Marcus Aurelius) and his adoptive brother and son in-law Lucius Verus1. He was a stoic philosopher2 who established himself as the more powerful of the two emperors. During his reign, the Roman Empire was full of all sorts of nefarious deeds. Led by the emperor himself, sexual sin was not a secret. In the film, we encounter concubines being depraved in his presence. He was a womanizer and a homosexual at the same time. The film gives us an understanding of the political system in ancient Rome. This was a political system structured a way that to reflect some sort of modern day democracy. It did not support tyranny. This was the main objective of the joint leadership by two consuls during the time of the ‘Republic’.3 The empire had other notable political entities apart from the monarchy. There was the senate made u p of senators, Plebian Tribunate and Comitia Centuriata. The entities, together with the two consuls constituted the form of political systems, which the Romans referred to as the ‘republic’. In the film, it is evident that the Roman Empire was ruled by militant monarchial leaders. ... He had an arena where he displayed his hunting skills. In this arena, euphemism is brought into play. The killing of ostrich by the emperor was meant to pass a message to the senators that the same could befall them if they disobeyed him. People who displayed reformist minds were assassinated by the regime5. The film depicts the Roman Empire as one full of people with greed for power. There area many instances where characters assassinate rulers to take power. It is claimed that the main character Commodus murdered his father to take power. Barely three months into his rule, there were plans to execute him too. After his death in the arena, the senate met and declared Pertinax the emperor. Some characters in the army could not warm to the idea of being led by a son to a former slave and ended up assassinating him. Tattooing was an in thing in the mercenary dominated Roman army. The deserters could easily be identified through the tattoos, hence are means of checking against deserters . The tattoos such as the one worn by Maximus in the film Gladiator were a reserve for the lowly regarded in society. In the army, they were meant for mercenaries, lowly ranked and miners during the reign of Emperor Constantine. The film portrays the tattoos as an epitome of paganism, superstition and marginalization in the Roman Empire. It was not just an ordinary practice but a law that was applied ruthlessly6. The film portrays a society that idolizes violent sports as a form of fun. Whenever the empire was peaceful, gladiators provided an alternative to war heroes for people to idolize. The gladiators were the heartthrob of many Romans girls. During the era in which the movie is based, the gladiators were a thorn

Success Factors Affecting the Spread of E-commerce Worldwide Research Paper

Success Factors Affecting the Spread of E-commerce Worldwide - Research Paper Example E-commerce involves different transactions that are business-to-business, business-to-customer, and customer-to-customer (B2B, B2C, and C2C respectively) (Khosrowpour, pp. 21-25, 2004). With all such transactions, e-commerce is â€Å"the sharing of business information, maintaining business relationships and conducting business transactions using computers interconnected by a telecommunication system† (Fingar et al, 22-26, 2000). In this regard, nowadays, business organizations are profoundly relying on the platform of e-commerce to carry out their business activities; however, some critical or key success factors are playing a crucial role in the spread and success of e-commerce globally that will be the major focus of this paper. However, before stepping into the discussion of success factors of e-commerce, it is very imperative to understand the basics of e-commerce, and this will be possible with a basic understanding of different transactions encompassing the arena of e-c ommerce. From this aspect, bookshop was the first form of B2C application in the e-commerce that involved internet as a platform to sell books that gave an opportunity to the book suppliers to avoid physical stockings of the books, and it gave added-value facility to the book lovers to browse and buy the books without walking up to the bookstores. Another example of B2C is railway reservation applications that have become a fundamental need of railway companies to sell their tickets on the internet. Besides B2C, E-Bay is the best example of C2C e-commerce that involves two stakeholders (buyer/seller); however, until now, C2C has been limited mostly to second-hand items, paintings, and antique items in which, two individuals carry out the buying and selling process with the help of a third party that facilitates the business activity. Last, but the most important form of e-commerce is B2B that constitutes the major share of e-commerce, and has been enjoying significant importance since the emergence of e-commerce globally.

Marketing Management. The issue of obesity in America Essay

Marketing Management. The issue of obesity in America - Essay Example The health and safety industry which manufacture exercise equipments is also likely to gain since there will be more people who will be seeking to purchase the equipment to engage in exercise. According to the survey on the trust of professional in America, it gives a good idea of those who are trusted most by the people and therefore the one who they would like to be associated with. For the purpose of marketing I would use the most trusted professionals like teachers and priest in order to associate the products with. This is because the trust that these people have on these professionals would be translated to the trust that they will develop on the products that are being sold. Therefore in order to market properly, I would target the input of the most trusted professional in adverting the products and services. This means that the consumer would end up buying the product based on the fact that it is associated with the most trusts persona since they will take them as their opinion leaders. The survey on the leisure activities gives the most preferred activity as reading and watching TV. In this case this data can be used to give a good marketing idea since it gives the most used and engaged in leisure activity. If most of the people engage in reading, then it means that books and other related material are likely to be in high demand. Therefore marketer can make good sales from this. It also means that marketer can also take a marketing approach in which they will try to associate their product with the leisure activity that is mostly used by the people. Ethical issues and overweight Here there is an ethical issue about the health of the population and the amount of profit that these food companies are making from the people. In this case MacDonald's and other restaurants have found that it is more profitable to offer people super size fries and drinks which contain more calories in order to make more profits. In this case they have been deceiving the consumers that they are getting more while in the real sense it is the restaurants that are making more.This has had an effect of increasing the number of overweigh Americans. The rate of growth of lifestyle conditions and disease can therefore be directly attributed to the action of these restaurants to bundle meals and make more profits since customer perceive that they are begin give a good deal on the meals. These restaurants have also targeted the most vulnerable groups which is the children and the young people who are not aware of the health effect of junk foods. They have started selling junk food in schools . The food industry has also been using huge amount of resources in order to advertise for these junk foods. This is aimed at attracting more people to the each processed and convenience food despite the health effects that is associated with the food. There is an ethical issue concerning the need for the restaurant to make huge profits and the health of the people. The effects of junk food are very well understood by all people. But on the other hand you have people who are pressed by busy routine schedules in their work. They have little time to prepare quality meals and therefore they are likely to eat what is provided by restaurants. Seeing financial attitude in a cloudy sky Market demand is a description of the consumption of a product or a

HRD Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

HRD - Essay Example One aspect that has to be considered is the utilization focused evaluation (UFE) approach that seeks to maximize ownership, understanding, and use of findings by the intended user (Stetson, 2). All stakeholders have to be involved in all stages of an evaluation, raging from sensitizing an outsider evaluator about the program context, improving accuracy of reported findings, and finally identifying any feasible recommendation that has to be implemented (Stetson, 3). Below is a case study of an evaluation process in Global Net Inc., a giant IT Organization. After visiting the human resources department for the intended interview, a representative from the department was obligated to answer to our questions and take us through the detailed intervention program. According to the representative, a program that had been reviewed in the last one year was the graduate recruitment program. The graduate recruitment program according to the representative was critical to the company; it is a strategic program through which the company outsourced quality graduates from leading universities to join the organization family. The graduate recruitment program according to the representative was strategically designed such that it included representatives from all departments who responsible for taking the graduates through a detailed and vigorous orientation program in two weeks; the program involves close observation of each graduate’s abilities, knowledge, ease to learn, and assimilate content, effective communication, and attitude, and a re port prepared on each graduate. The graduates who score the highest on both genders are thus selected to join the organization from the training school coordinated by the human resources department. According to the representative, the primary purpose of carrying out the evaluation was a demand by the organization departmental heads to evaluate the recruitment program and determine if it corresponded to the

Pastry chef jacques torres Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pastry chef jacques torres - Research Paper Example â€Å"Chef Jacques Torres†). He spent eight years under the guidance of French chef Jacques Maximin at Hotel Negresco. He used to attend the classes during his off time. After completing the classes, he was also trained at Cannes Culinary School. While he was working in the hotel, he had participated in various prestigious food events. He received various honors and awards such as he achieved gold medal from Japanese Pastry Chef Association as well as at French Championship of Desserts (Torres, â€Å"Jacques’ Early Years†). 2.0 Beginning and Earliest Jobs In France, Jacques Torres had worked in a bakery shop named La Frangiapane as a trainer. After completing his training for 2 years as a pastry trainer, he shifted his job in Hotel Negresco which was located at Nice, France. He worked there for 8 years. Subsequently, for a few years he had worked to earn his degree as Master Pastry Chef. In the year 1980, Jacques Torres was encouraged by the prestigious Ritz-Carl ton and motivated himself towards the US, first to Palm Spring followed by Atlanta. After that period he then moved to work as Pastry Chef in the kitchen of Le Cirque restaurant in New York. This was a reputed French restaurant (Culinary Schools. Org. â€Å"World-Class Pastry Chef: Chocolatier Jacques Torres†). He received honor of the Confederation of Japan. He then joined Ritz-Carlton hotels to work as corporate pastry chef. He also trained other chefs across the US. He used to conduct occasional classes of FCI during the year 1993 when he was working in Le Cirque. He taught classes twice a month and managed entire curriculum for improvement (Sailhac, A., â€Å"French Culinary Institute's Salute to Healthy Cooking†). In 1989, he was inveigled to Le Cirque. His regular job in Le Cirque was to serve celebrities, royals, clients and friends along with those who loved his creations. Success had come early for Jacques Torres due to his talent, dedication, and willpower to come up with â€Å"something new, something else, always, always†. It was always an assurance to offer sweet surprises from him. He offered ’champagne truffles’, ‘bars of chocolate’, ‘covered chocolates’, ‘items for weddings and events’, and also ‘Jacques Torres chocolates’ (Torres, â€Å"Great Chefs Jacques Torres†). 3.0 Current Business Jacques Torres was French chocolatier; he has become a well known chocolate entrepreneur after his extensive efforts in his work with restaurant industry. At present, the entrepreneur produces confections from chocolate crunch puffs to Champagne truffles. Nowadays, he makes both chocolate delicacies and produced chocolate from cocoa beans. He has created and sold his own line handcrafted chocolate as well as various others high-end confectionary products to his four factories and retail locations in New York along with retail enterprise in Atlantic City at Harrahâ€⠄¢s Casino (The Sun Winefest ’12, â€Å"About Jacques Torres†). He became owner of his own chocolate shops in the year 2000 by opening a modernized warehouse with a cobble stone street in DUMBO section of Brooklyn. Jacques Torres opened his second location featuring a state-of-the-art chocolate manufacturing plant. In this place, the customers can observe the process of transformation of cocoa bean to chocolate

Innovation, Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Innovation, - Assignment Example In fact, obesity is now considered to be an epidemic such that it has alarmed public health officials and policy makers to consider some methods to reduce the high rates of obesity (Pool, 2000). As a note, obesity is measured using the body mass index (BMI) of a person. BMI is computed by dividing the body mass (in kilograms) by the square of that person's height (in meters); hence the BMI is given in units of kgs/m2. A person whose BMI is below 18.5 is considered underweight; a BMI between 18.5 to 25 is normal weight or optimal; a BMI above 25 up to 30 indicates the person is overweight, and finally, a BMI of above 30 is accepted as obese, while anyone with a BMI of over 30 is morbidly obese (or a condition of morbid obesity, which means there is now a real danger of physical complications and even death). The American Medical Association (AMA) had recently declared obesity as a disease by itself that is now so prevalent worldwide (The Boston Globe, 2013). More people are also findi ng it more convenient to drive their own motor vehicles to work or to go someplace rather than take the public transport system, like the bus or the metro rail system. Moreover, there are now more senior citizens driving their own cars due to increasing longevity from better health interventions; people who are sixty years and above are considered as senior citizens by the World Health Organization (WHO) as older adults (WHO, 2002). Considering all these, it is fair to expect a demand and people will buy this new gadget once introduced to the market. What has to happen – the number of driver-related road accidents are increasing every year due to a number of factors, such as reckless driving (teen-aged drivers ignorant of traffic laws and ignore safety in proper driving procedures), driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), people who were drowsy or sleepy or worse, even fell asleep as they were driving, those who still drive despite being diagnosed with hyperten sion (high blood pressure) which can affect both their judgment and reflexes, and finally, people who suffered a stroke (heart attack) while driving such as those mentioned earlier (people who are at increased risk for strokes such as elderly drivers) or older adults in their sixties, seventies, and even in their eighties and nineties who still drive their own motor vehicles despite the increased risks for collisions and accidents. In the United States of America, which has one of the highest density of motor vehicles ownership, the number of accident statistics grouped by age brackets by the U.S. Department of Commerce showed the age group 25-34 years-old as having the highest rate of fatal accidents (19.8%), followed by the 35-44 years-old age bracket (17.6%), then next is the 45-54 years-old age group (16.7%), followed next by the 20-24 years-old age bracket (15.0%), and the youngest age group of 19 years-old and under (12.2%). For older drivers who belong to the 55-64 years-old age bracket, the accident rate per 100,000 licensed driver is 10.4%, followed by the next age group of 65-74 years old at 5.0%, and lastly, those who are 75 years old or above, at 3.3% (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2012); for these last three oldest age groups, their collective rate is at a cumulative 18.7% which is close to the

Problem gambling Essay Example for Free

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=2157962ou=1868624 http://www.problemgambling.ca/EN/Documents/FA_GamblingProblemGamblinginCanada.pdf

Maslow and Taylor Essay Example for Free

Maslow and Taylor Essay The maslow pyramid of needs symbolise a theory needs and motivations of the 40s by Abraham maslow this pyramid is divided to 5 levels, according to him the human being tries to satisfy one need in one level before they start thinking about the next one :the person start with the level at the bottom which is the bare necessities like food and the shelter when all physiological needs are stisfied the person steps up to the next level which is security (health, work, belongings) then they jump to the social needs where people need to be a part of a society a group a family where they can communicate and work as a team then the 4th need which is the esteem of thenselfs and people, people need to see that they are respected then the last one which is the self actualisation which measured by how people see themselfs and their success in challenges in their work On the other hand Taylor sees the work motivation differently and talks about it with a theory of scientific management : which is mostly based on motivation by pay because according to him workers dont enjoy their work thats why they need to be controled. for that managers should separate production into small tasks and workers should get the training for the task they are meant to do as they can work efficiently on their task , theses workers are paid according to the number0 of items they have produced on a period of time which motivate them to increase their productivity . in other words Taylor sees workers as machines and makes them over-exploited. The main difference between how maslow and taylor see the workers motivation is that the second thinks that money is the only motivation which we can see in everydays life that it is false, maslow separed motivation to 5 levels when the worker satisfies one level of needs he moves up to an other level and become more demanding this is why workers under taylorism went on strikes , because there is many factors apart from income that affects the workers motivation like the working conditions the recognisation of their work , the greatings of the manager

The Parental Influence On Children Young People Essay

The Parental Influence On Children Young People Essay Though parental liability laws are creating a great deal of controversy, there is little doubt that parents exert a huge influence on children and their behaviour. One research proves that alcoholics were likely to have parents who were alcoholics, while domestic abusers were likely abused themselves as children. Academic and research literature contains a wealth of information tying parental influence to childrens behaviour. In the area of peer influence, for example, Chen et al (2007) note that, in a study among California and Wisconsin high school students, it was found that parental influence on peer affiliation still is significant even as parental involvement in adolescents lives diminishes. But it isnt only growing teens that respond to parental influences. Infants, even very young infants, respond to parental stress and react to it (Molfese et al, 2010). In fact, it has been revealed that parental stress and/or reaction can actually have an impact on vocabulary and cognitive development (Molfese et al, 2010). On the other side weve seen literature extolling the positive benefits of tools such as parental training on the success of children. For example, Sheely-Moore and Bratton (2010) discussed how a family-oriented, strengths-based approach toward working with lower-income African American families helped raise childrens grades while lowering school discipline problems. The authors in this study pointed to the need of positive parental involvement on childrens academic achievement and socio-economic development, though pointed out that parental involvement can be difficult for those who live in poverty (Sheely-Moore and Bratton, 2010). Furthermore, it has been proven that parental influence also has an influence on driving among their teenage offspring (Crawford-Faucker, 2009). According to the National Young Driver Survey (involving 5,665 students in grades 9 through 11) parenting styles had a definite impact on choices the young drivers made (Crawford-Faucker, 2009). The authoritative parenting style combining emotional support with clear rules and monitoring had a definite (and positive) influence on driving-related behaviours and other attitudes among adolescents (Crawford-Faucker, 2009). These teens had a lower crash risk, experienced fewer crashes as passengers and were twice as likely to wear seat belts as a driver (or passenger) then were teens with uninvolved parents (Crawford-Faucker, 2009). Furthermore, this group reported less alcohol use (Crawford-Faucker, 2009). But harsh verbal and physical discipline isnt necessary the way to go, either. McKee et al (2007) studied harsh verbal and physical discipline and child problem behaviours in a sample of 2,582 parents and their fifth and sixth grade children. The findings indicated that the harsh discipline was associated with child behaviour problems, with one dimension of positive parenting parental warmth helping to buffer children from the more detrimental influences of the harsher physical discipline (McKee et al, 2007). In this section that parents have a huge influence on their kids, whether those kids are tiny, helpless infants or defiant teenagers. Children tend to mimic their parents, for better or for worse. Some years ago, the organization Partnership for a Drug-Free America aired a series of advertisements showing a father breaking into his sons room, drug paraphernalia in his hands. Where did you get this? the father thunders. Where did you get this and how do you know about it?I know about it by watching you! the son cries out. I watched you do it! The point of the commercial, of course, is that children will take their cues from their parents. If parents act in a responsible manner and own up to a mistake or problem situation, children will take that same cue. If, however, parents are carelessness and put the blame on other people for their own mistakes, children will do the same things. Discussion The issue we need to address here, however, is that this is not necessarily a black or white scenario. Tyler et al (2000) point out that the parental liability laws, in which parents are charged with the crime committed by their offspring, could end up penalizing the poor. In a poor family, both parents might be working leaving their children to their own devices, simply because they cant afford child care. Furthermore, if a child is delinquent, poor people (at least, in theory) may not be able to afford counselling to find out the problem. Few people want their children to be delinquent (especially lower-income people). But then again, even among poor families, we find out that not all children are delinquent. What is the difference between the well-behaved children of poorer families and those who act out? One word: Parenting. Even if there isnt a male role model in the house, many times, the matriarch of the family takes a strict stance among her offspring, raising Cain if the offspring get into trouble. Furthermore, there are resources for parents of lower income families to find help for their children if there are issues. Though going through governmental red tape can be a hassle to find a counsellor, a community agency or even religious organization official can be of great help in an area such as this. The point here is that there is really no excuse for the parent not to get help if the child acts out.What about if the childs mother is little more than a child herself? If this is a situation of a teenage mother who doesnt know how to parent, the situation changes a little, but not a whole lot. The teen mother still needs to be penalized, and then needs to be mandated to attend parenting classes. Failure to do so is the teen moms choice and if the teen mom doesnt attend classes, this tells the law enforcement officials that her defiance could be passed on to her children. Poverty isnt a good thing and it makes things very difficult, especially as it pertains to the parent-child relationship. But to use that excuse not to charge parents for a childs conduct is passing on responsibility. Such a situation may serve as a wake-up call for not only the child, but the parent who is involved with the childs upbringing. Conclusion Parenting is not an easy job and there is nothing more frustrating than hearing from the school or from the police that ones child is in trouble. Furthermore, there are those who point to the fact that trying to manage an unruly team is tough, and its not the parents responsibility if the teen gets into trouble.But this isnt true. Weve shown, through the literature, that parents have influence on their teenagers, even if their teenagers dont seem to be listening to them. Parents who keep lecturing to their kids about the evils of drugs and alcohol abuse are likely to have kids who grow up disdaining both of those substances. However, if kids see their parents freely addicted in alcohol (or drugs), the kids will ask themselves why not? and go ahead do the same thing. Parental liability laws arent meant to be malicious, nor are they meant to beat up on parents. What they are trying to do is to help parents teach their kids some responsibility. Even parents in poverty stricken families have a choice as to how they raise their kids. If they make the wrong choice, and the kids break laws as a result, the parents need to be held responsible.

The Confederate Flag Dispute Essay -- Confederate Flag Essays

The Confederate Flag Dispute The start of the Confederate flag controversy was due to the request of the NAACP to remove the flag off of South Carolina’s Statehouse. This request is based on the fact that they, the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag is one of hate and discrimination. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently whom are called the pro-flag groups. They claim that the flag is a sign of heritage and should stay on the Statehouse. Liberals tend to be in the favor of the anti-flag groups, and conservatives are more likely to be supporting pro-flag groups. Both sides use evidential logos to prove their arguments, and pathos to show how wrong the other side is. Eric Foner’s article â€Å"Rebel Yell† is an example of an anti-flag argument published in a well-known liberal magazine The Nation. In â€Å"Rebel Yell† historian Eric Foner first explains some of the pro-flag arguments in the introduction paragraph; then throughout his article he shows why claims like these are wrong. First He explains that slavery was a big issue in Civil War. Then he attacks the claim made by pro-flag groups that a large amount of black fought for the Confederacy, and lastly he shows how the Confederate flag is now connected with racial inequality. He points out that the Confederate flag is not only associated with slavery but in addition is now associated with racial discrimination. This article is a definition argument that defines the Confederate flag as a negative symbol; in it Foner mainly uses logos to show the meaning of the Confederate flag, pathos as a way of portraying pro-flag supporters as the bad guys, and his ethos to show his audiences he is well-informed of the pro-flag a... ...tion’s history will also be laid to rest†(par. 8). His logical arguments are strait forward and informative and when used with pathos as a pair is very effective. When pathos is not used with some sort of logos the effectiveness of the article quickly wavers and most of the agreeing audience will only be anti-flag supporters. This article being liberal seems to correlate with what the anti-flag side believes in. Anti-flag groups want to remove the flag because of its connection with racism, which has been part of America’s past. Liberals want to make changes for the betterment of society. If liberals see the Confederate flag as a negative symbol then they will want to remove it even though it’s a part of Southern history, is why liberals tend to support the removal of the flag. Work Cited Eric Foner. â€Å"Rebel Yell.† The Nation. 270.6 (February 14, 2000): 4. The Confederate Flag Dispute Essay -- Confederate Flag Essays The Confederate Flag Dispute The start of the Confederate flag controversy was due to the request of the NAACP to remove the flag off of South Carolina’s Statehouse. This request is based on the fact that they, the anti-flag groups, claim that the meaning of the Confederate flag is one of hate and discrimination. On the other hand, there are other groups that believe differently whom are called the pro-flag groups. They claim that the flag is a sign of heritage and should stay on the Statehouse. Liberals tend to be in the favor of the anti-flag groups, and conservatives are more likely to be supporting pro-flag groups. Both sides use evidential logos to prove their arguments, and pathos to show how wrong the other side is. Eric Foner’s article â€Å"Rebel Yell† is an example of an anti-flag argument published in a well-known liberal magazine The Nation. In â€Å"Rebel Yell† historian Eric Foner first explains some of the pro-flag arguments in the introduction paragraph; then throughout his article he shows why claims like these are wrong. First He explains that slavery was a big issue in Civil War. Then he attacks the claim made by pro-flag groups that a large amount of black fought for the Confederacy, and lastly he shows how the Confederate flag is now connected with racial inequality. He points out that the Confederate flag is not only associated with slavery but in addition is now associated with racial discrimination. This article is a definition argument that defines the Confederate flag as a negative symbol; in it Foner mainly uses logos to show the meaning of the Confederate flag, pathos as a way of portraying pro-flag supporters as the bad guys, and his ethos to show his audiences he is well-informed of the pro-flag a... ...tion’s history will also be laid to rest†(par. 8). His logical arguments are strait forward and informative and when used with pathos as a pair is very effective. When pathos is not used with some sort of logos the effectiveness of the article quickly wavers and most of the agreeing audience will only be anti-flag supporters. This article being liberal seems to correlate with what the anti-flag side believes in. Anti-flag groups want to remove the flag because of its connection with racism, which has been part of America’s past. Liberals want to make changes for the betterment of society. If liberals see the Confederate flag as a negative symbol then they will want to remove it even though it’s a part of Southern history, is why liberals tend to support the removal of the flag. Work Cited Eric Foner. â€Å"Rebel Yell.† The Nation. 270.6 (February 14, 2000): 4.

Masculine Identity in Hardys Novels :: Biography Biographies Essays

Masculine Identity in Hardy's Novels In Hardy's novels, masculine identity is explored, evolving from the solid, monolithic, patriarchal role of the mid-1800s, to less typical, nearly feminine styles of manhood. With the increasing power of women during the Victorian Era, Hardy creates men who are in a state of ambivalence about their sexuality; they either reach for the well-worn stereotype of the "manly" man, or they attempt to explore their own complicated emotions, sensitive to the needs of the emerging New Woman. Though action in Hardy's novels centers predominately around the female, life is often seen through the eyes of the males in his works. The "typical" male is often associated with money, power, and prestige, while the realists and chaste men are almost "unmasculine" in thoughts and action, and frequently fall victim to the New Woman. By depicting a man like Henchard, who goes from being an obsessive power seeker to one who is, in a sense, "unmanned," Hardy shows readers the male identity which he tends to favor. The state of the economy and the political events of the 1880s and 1890s were unstable, and in their public roles, men began to feel gradually overwhelmed. Their personal lives were even more chaotic, as women began to challenge "old ideas" with their new, feminist ones. The "Woman Question" was ubiquitous, and women were gradually given rights that they never before had; the Married Women's Property Act, two Matrimonial Causes Acts, and the Maintenance of Wives Act, were three laws which allowed for more equality in marriage. The introduction of birth control literature also significantly changed women's attitudes toward their sexuality and matrimonial duties. Federico maintains that as a result of these changes, ferment existed during the era. "Men meditated upon their patriarchal inheritance, and by the end of the century, contradictory middle-class attitudes still existed, contributing to the sketchy construct of Victorian masculinity" (Federico 18-19). Southerington has placed some of Hardy's male characters into one of four categories (although it is important to note that these groupings are permeable, and characters are not confined to any one category): the virile; romantic; realist; and chaste. Though virility in such men as Fitzpiers, Troy, Wildeve, and Alec d'Urberville was believed to be the "keynote to all that is best and most forcible in the masculine character" (according to Grant Allen in the Fortnightly Review, October, 1889), inwardly their egoist self-assurance was steadily eroded by perceived threats to their masculinity.

In Defense of the Study of Cryonics Essay -- Healthcare, Science

Ferraris, Corvettes, large estates, gold dusted ice creams, or even hundred dollar socks all have something in common: they are all luxurious desires. However is cryonics, the process of preserving one's body for the hopes of future medical treatments to save, a mere luxury? Can no one find a real need to utilize cryonics? Does cryonics have any intrinsic value to society as a whole? Many believe that cryonics is just an â€Å"indulgence [for] rich people† (Alcor). Cryonics, in fact, can do much more than fulfill one's self interest. Cryonics is the process in which anti-freeze like liquid is circulated through the body and then frozen in order to preserve a human body at low temperatures for an indefinite amount of time. The frozen body can then be brought back and worked on if medicine advances to the point of reviving a dead body. Cryonics, including the money and research gained through it, can help beyond the individual and all the way to the advancement of the field of medicine. The problem with cryonics, however, is not cryonics itself but the lack of knowledge of the benefits of it. Due to this lack of knowledge, many people develop negative views on cryonics which include the assumption that cryonics is primarily self-indulgent, as stated above. These negative views, which have been around since the very beginning, allow for the dismissal of cryonics as a luxury that can be defined simply as â€Å"the preservation of dead bodies† and, as a result, many are turned off by it and its principles (Alcor). If this problem persists, not only does the field of cryonics suffer, the medical field does to. By utilizing techniques found in cryonics, certain aspects of the medical field can advance at the same rate as cryonics. The solut... ...l, the public will gain knowledge that is often neglected when the opposition talks against cryonics: that of the benefits of cryonics. Additionally, negative views on cryonics will be amended through an increase of knowledge in cryonics and, ultimately, cryonics will gain more supporters. If a gain in supporters of cryonics occurs, more research and money can be put into advancing the techniques of cryonics. As a result of this, other disciplines of medicine, such as organ transplanting, can utilize techniques in cryonics and further develop their own methods to benefit society. Nothing should be judged without having all the information about it presented, cryonics is no exception. Make this education available, and much more comprehensive views will be gained. Don't you think it's time to stop focusing on the negativity and start learning about the benefits?

How the Nile Form Ancient Egypt

Throughout history, humans have interacted with their environments to meet their needs and to satisfy their wants. Water has always played an important role in a civilization’s ability to develop and thrive. People settled in the Nile River Valley to take advantage of the resources the water and land provided. The Nile River was an integral part in the development and growth of the ancient Egyptian civilization, and it was the foundation for Egyptian innovations and religion.Ancient Egyptians interacted with the Nile River through their gods and in addition to using the river as a means for travel and trade, the Egyptians used its gifts, or resources for farming, inventions and religious ceremonies. The Nile River was the key factor in the growth and development of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Egyptians relied on the Nile River for many resources and used it as a means for travel and trade. (Doc. C) The Egyptians used the papyrus that grew along the river to make pap er, which scribes used to record daily activities.This helped to develop their civilization because they could use hieroglyphics to keep written records and document important economic, government or social events for the officials and pharaoh. Most Egyptians lived near the Nile. They mostly lived at the Nile Delta. The Nile Delta had the most vegetation so farmers/peasants live there to work in farms. (Doc. A) It was where they could actually get there crops growing. The most important resources the Nile River provided the ancient Egyptians were water and silt.Annual floods provided rich silt for which the Egyptians used to cultivate their crops. They learned that they could plant barley seeds in the same spot every year, and it would grow again if there was enough water. (Doc. D ) Having a surplus of food led to specialization in ancient Egypt. The division of labor was critical to the development of the ancient Egyptian civilization because it provided the Egyptians with time to master their crafts and then trade. Egyptians used sailboats to travel up and down the Nile River to barter for goods and share ideas.  (Doc. C)The local trade routes and longer expeditions that Egyptians often went on created interdependence between themselves and neighboring communities. The development and growth of the ancient Egyptian civilization was the direct result of the Nile River; its most precious resource. The Nile River was a source of innovation and religion for the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Egyptians used other inventions to help them manage and use the Nile’s gifts. They created a calendar which helped them predict the floods. (Doc.  B)Being able to predict floods helped the Egyptians prepare for and manage the annual surge of water. Ancient Egyptians were innovators in math, science, medicine and architecture. It was their belief, however, that their gods were directly responsible for everything they had and did. The Egyptians invented the shad oof, but they believed that their god-king Osiris taught them how to lead the waters to the barley. (Doc. D) The Egyptians believed that Osiris was the one who had given them the fields and the knowledge of planting seeds. (Doc.  D)Finally, the ancient Egyptians strongly believed in life after death or the afterlife. The Nile River played an important role in the transportation of mummified Egyptian pharaohs or kings. Since they were buried on the west side of the Nile River, a funeral barge was used to transport Egyptian royalty to their tombs. (Doc. C) Ancient Egyptians used the Nile River as a source for their religion and inventions which helped them to develop, grow and thrive as a civilization. When the Nile rises, the land is in exultation. (Doc. E) Without the Nile River there would not be life in Egypt.Ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile River greatly, and their interaction with the river was evident in all aspects of their lives. The Nile River was directly responsibl e for the growth and development of ancient Egypt. Without the river, the Egyptians would not have been able to farm and provide a constant food supply. The surplus of food made it possible for the Egyptians to make advancements in math, science and technology, and it provided them with the time and resources to barter. This helped them to develop and grow as a civilization. The Nile River was also directly connected to the Egyptians’ innovations and religion.The shadoof, nilometer and calendar are great examples of inventions the Egyptians developed to maximize their use of the Nile River which helped in their development. Finally, the ancient Egyptians believed that everything they had, including the Nile River, was connected to their gods. Therefore, the Nile River played an important role in religious ceremonies in ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians’ interaction with the Nile River helped them to meet their needs and satisfy their wants, and it was directly respo nsible for their growth and development as a civilization.

Inside Islam notes Essay

Islam means Peace and Submission (The pause that comes from submission, the attention to deity that comes from peacefulness.) Allah Akbar means divinity is bully. Sunni = 85% of Moslem population Shia = 10% Sufi less than 5% Islam is non exactly a religion of the midpoint East largest population of Moslems is in India. Largest Moslem country is Ind iodinsia. Of same faith customs as both(prenominal) Christians and Jews Muslims & Jews atomic number 18 both monotheistic, dissent only on in the main messianic theology Places of worship differ yet can coexist Spain fostered tout ensemble three Abrahamic faiths during pre-Ferdinand and Isabella era (pre-1492) piece of music 2 of 9 Pre Muslim Mecca, Quraish common riches, Muhammads primeval years & first vision, Quran, 1st mainstay shahadah, and start of 2nd lynchpin appealingness http//www.youtube.com/ abide?v=KtFkhC7DIIoMuslims desc give the axeed from Hagar and Ishmael, who fled to the desert Abraham, gibe to M uslim legend, built Kaba Quraysh tribe controlled Mecca as trade metropolis. Later commit icons and statues of various tribal Gods inside Kaba so Mecca would scram eventide more(prenominal) important as a trip site. Muhammad was born several generations later in 570 AD into a wealthy family. His dada died, his grandfather sent him to live with trading caravans. As a young serviceman he became a talented caravanier, hook up with Khadijah Muhammad illiterate, so others recorded his recitationsQuran means recitation, a mix of poetry, stories, admonitions, advice and warnings. take apart 3 of 9 2nd pillar ( solicitation) go on, Muhammad gains followers, contravene with Meccans, Hijra, to Ummayad dynasty branch of tertiary pillar http//www.youtube.com/ abide?v=5h4bcCSsc9A&NR=1Muhammad gave sermons against polytheism to pilgrims arriving at the Kaba in Mecca was persecuted by Quraish Muhammad had no strong governmental ally, few followers initially. Journeyed to Yathrib (la ter take a crapd Medina, City of the oracle) to arbitrate dis devotee between city states. Became year 0 in Islamic calendar, 622 CE. Set up first Islamic community (Ummah)Meccans were enraged, attacked Medina to destroy Muslims. Battle of Badr, outnumbered by Meccans, yet Medinans won Muslims triumphed 630 AD Muslims returned to Mecca Cleansed Abrahams devoted temple (Kaba) of idols of pilgrims, kept the Kaba (lit. cube) as the profound nerve of monotheism Offered Meccans freedom for peace, many converted Arab tribes came to liquidate tri onlye to Muhammad and convert Umayyads 1st dynasty 750 inwardly a vitamin C of Muhammads conclusion Muslims controlled more land than the Roman conglomerateTurkey to constituents of China. Jews and Christians were exempt from transition to Islam 3rd pillar Charity is heavy emphasized in the Quran, even more than the subordinate status of women representative 4 of 9 3rd pillar, charity, continued quaternary pillar, Ramadan, Abbasid dyna sty Crusades Mongols http//www.youtube.com/ chink?v=ZKsm3O23Itg&NR=13rd Pillar Charity From everything you own you part 2.5% All money collected moldiness be given to those in postulate One must follow the closely during the month of Ramadan as the 4th pillar Fast lasts from sunrise till old Exceptions are make for the sick, weak, children, and the mothers who are expecting Its a time to intensify your efforts to defecate your relationship with God The festival of the great Eid (Lit. festival) of the breaking of the fast Shia split from the Sunni later the death of Hussein (680 AD) There was a discrepancy of how leaders should be put in settle Shia believed that leaders should be direct descendants of Muhammad Sunni believed leaders should be elected democratically8th century golden age in Iraq, Abbasid dynasty arose in Bagdad Abbasids valued learning, Greek philosophical system and natural science. Algebra invented, decimals, exponents. Medicine veritable, orthopedics, men tal unhealthiness treatment, surgery. Crusades Jerusalem is 3rd most sacred city for Muslims 1099 Christians slaughter 30k Muslims 1258 Genghis Khans grand word of honor & his Mongols plundered Bagdad fragmentise 5 of 9 Mongol era fifth Pillar, hajj in Spain, interfaith cooperation http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWJDY8AsFo&feature=relatedThe Mongol Khan becomes a Muslim,Lesser trip can be taken to Mecca at any time of the year (min 030) Hajj, the greater pilgrimage, occurs only once a year a. Ihram1 = 2 white cloths in which you will be buried are worn during Hajj, significance is equality, Ihram2 is in any case = amicable demeanor to accept all as brothers & sisters. b. Ablution (ritual washing) leads to first stage circumambulation 7 times God is the axis of ones life c. 2nd step is to work between 2 hills representing Hagars await for water for Ismael represents ones fight back in life d. Next sidereal day they travel to the plain of Arafat. Pilgrims walk in quiet appea lingness confessing sins at jump on of Arafat. e. Next, to Mina to throw stones at 3 pillars representing Satan, sins are forgiven f. Last event prayer service at KabaMuslim scholars preserved writings from hordes 711 CE Muslims sire at Gibraltar a. Called Moors, dwelled in Andalusia, cities of Cordoba & Seville b. Horticulture, math, navigation developedc. Muslim, Jewish & Christian scholars worked together became a source for the RenaissancePart 6 of 9 Spain, tuffet Empire ramble of women Colonialism http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6olUPtXRC6U&NR=1Reconquista, Christian re-conquest of Spain expelling Moors and forcing conversion or bulge of Jews 1492 the Moors were kicked out of Spain 1453 Greek Constantinople drop down to Muslim troops build changed to Istanbul = Islam in abundance sultan was the ruler of Islamic Ottoman society. Sultan means ruler Sultans Harem (Haram forbidden, taboo) group of concubines, in Western eyes they are dens of iniquity, but in Islamic practice they were centers of defense for women and sources for caucusing about political power Islamic polygamy all wives need to be enured equallyPart 7 of 9 Suez Canal France colonizes Algeria WWI colonialism Wahabism, jehad http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH2lGUr7eJ4&NR=1Colonial sense of transcendency disparaged Muslims France took over northern Africa and the northern part of the Middle East, discouraging Arabic expression and Islamic faith. England expanded into Egypt after creating the Suez Canal, in addition taking the Sinai Peninsula, Palestine, and Iraq. Ottomans sided with Germany in WWI, so England & France took Muslim lands when Germany lost (min 240) Muslim matrimony arose in Egypt in 1928Some Muslim states encouraged western style central authoritarian dictatorships Muslim Brotherhood resisted these. followers WW2 Muslims throughout European colonies rose up, demanding vent from the European counties. Mohammad ibn Abdul Wahab became a leader in the Islamic world, prea ching an ascetic, puritanical draw of Islam Created Wahabism, founded Saudi State, merging desert warrior purpose with puritanical reform. Very fundamental and cornerstone form of IslamWas supported by Saud family, who would become rulers of Saudi Arabia Oil gave Saudis great wealth allowing them to expand Wahabist beliefs. Giving the money to organizations has caused an even more floor group of beliefs to renegade Jihad = exertion. The greater international jihad is the struggle of ones will against ones passions and weaknesses, an inner struggle. The lesser jihad is a defensive war, using respectable war criteria. Some groups called for a radical Jihad war against western nations The end justifying the means leads to terrorism.Osama Bin-Laden in particularPart 8 of 9 Malcolm X Israel Iran security crisis, Iraq http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKHuc0ehFPcMalcolm X We (blacks) did not land on Plymouth Rock the stir was landed on us Walhid fluorine formed the Nation of Islam Eli jah Poole joined him changed name to Elijah Muhammad & took charge in 1934 Malcolm Little comprehend about Nation of Islam in Prison, changed name to Malcolm X Malcolm X What was your name to begin with you lost it?Malcolm X came back from hajj inspired to join Nation of Islam to conventional Islam Gunned down By 1975, Elijahs son brought about Malcolm Xs ideate changed name to World Community of Islam Louis Farrakhan continued in old ways of breakup Israel made a state in 1948. In 6 Day contend in 1967 tensions increased with Muslims 1978 Irans Shah fell to Shiite Ayatollah Khomeini US cast as dandy Satan Students took US embassy workers in capital of Iran as warranters for 444 days Sadat in Egypt kill he had signed a peace treaty with Israel. Saddam Hussein invaded capital of Kuwait in 1990 coalition lead by US stopped him, imposed no-fly partition offPart 9 of 9 felo-de-se bombing Islamic hell & nirvana wrap up http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTCPablawQ&NR=19/11 made peo ple aware not only of radical fringe of Islam, but also of the peaceful Muslim neighbors. Even in heaven one cannot see God Pleas for peace Few stable & sightly Muslim governments have replaced colonial governmentsPart 1 of 9 Intro and sanctioned facts http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAjsu1ATrts Part 2 of 9 Pre Muslim Mecca, Quraish tribe, Muhammads aboriginal years & first vision, Quran, 1st pillar shahadah, and start of 2nd pillar prayer http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtFkhC7DIIo Part 3 of 9 2nd pillar (prayer) continued, Muhammad gains followers, conflict with Meccans, Hijra, to Ummayad dynasty beginning of 3rd pillar http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h4bcCSsc9A&NR=1 Part 4 of 9 3rdpillar, charity, continued 4th pillar, Ramadan, Abbasid dynastyCrusades Mongols http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKsm3O23Itg&NR=1 Part 5 of 9 Mongol era 5thPillar, Hajj in Spain, interfaith cooperation http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXWJDY8AsFo&feature=related Part 6 of 9 Spain, Ottoman Empire place of women Colonialism http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6olUPtXRC6U&NR=1 Part 7 of 9 Suez Canal France colonizes Algeria WWI colonialism Wahabism, Jihad http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH2lGUr7eJ4&NR=1 Part 8 of 9 Malcolm X Israel Iran hostage crisis, Iraq http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKHuc0ehFPc Part 9 of 9 Suicide bombing Islamic hell & heaven wrap up http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=egTCPablawQ&NR=1