Essay on Japans Economic Problems - 3970 Words

1. A Brief Introduction Japan was a country that defied all odds and became a world power after losing a devastating war. In the 30 years after World War II the Japanese economy grew at an incredible rate, so much so in fact that Japan became the second largest economy in the world. Japan managed to successfully enact an economic system wholly different than that of the United States and because of it Japan experienced incredibly rapid growth over a period of roughly 30 years. During that period of financial power, exports were booming, the standard of living was rising, and technology was thriving. This period of growth however, did not last; in the late 1980s the bubble burst. In 1991 and again in 1997, Japan’s stock index, the†¦show more content†¦The current outlook on the future of Japan is grim; Japan needs to alter their ways in order to get back on track and continue being a major economic power. Source: (Vogel, 2006) 2. A Unique Japan 2.1 Coordinated Market Economy A key concept embedded in the Japanese model (prior to 1990) is keiretsu. Japan had a coordinated market economy rather than a liberal market economy like the U.S. (Table I). This essentially means that Japan â€Å"fostered long-term cooperative relationships between firms and labor, between firms and banks, and between different firms.† (Vogel, 2006) This network of relationships, called a keiretsu, proved stable, with the bureaucracy protecting industry from international competition and maintaining many aspects of the private sector. The bureaucracy played a large role in Japanese economics. Some claim that â€Å"Japan’s elite bureaucrats were too powerful and too inclined to meddle in markets,† thus factoring into the economic crisis facing Japan today (Vogel, 2006). 2.2 Long-term Employment In Japan, long-term employment was the norm. That is, workers would remain loyal to the corporation they worked for, and unlike in the United States, very well might work for the same company their entire life. This gave corporations an incentive to invest time in their workers and thus foster their loyalty. These long-termShow MoreRelatedThe Causes and Effects of Global Recession.3720 Words   |  15 Pagesthe economic downturn deteriorates. In Europe, Germany, Italy, Ireland and Denmark they have all suffered two consecutive quarters of economic decline the first is the technical definition of a recession and secondly it was already present before. Japan joined the list as it surprised economists and reduced in size in the ending of the year. The UK economy shrank in the third quarter of 2008, and is expected to contract through most of 2009. Many are expecting a new world order with economic powerRead MoreEssay on Why Did Japan Turn to Militarism?749 Words   |  3 Pagesmilitar y expansion? The root of Japan’s militarism started out from the developments of the Meiji era that was established by imperial restoration after Edo period. The idea of the Meiji Revolution, to boost morale and to extricate Japan from the idea of Tokugawa feudalism, had been carried over to turn Japan into militarism. In 1930s, a lot of external and internal influences such as Western Powers, Japan’s victories of war in Asia, economic depression and Japan’s oversea expansion with the successfulRead MoreThe Bombing Of Pearl Harbor1559 Words   |  7 Pagesowned to become more powerful, in contempt of the end the Japanese lost and their cities were destroyed. Japan and the United States had different kinds of relations that could have lead Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor.The United States military and Japan’s relationship seemed to get worse after Japan sank the USS Panay even though Japan apologized for sinking the ship. Japan became aware of the 19th and 20th century that there was threats from the different nations influence became very loyal. DuringRead MoreStagnant Japanese Economy Essay1434 Words   |  6 Pagesoften having an unpleasant smell defines the word stagnant. The Japanese economy has been stagnant for about two decades now. There are many reasons for this ‘unpleasant smell’. Firstly, the fiscal policy in Japan, the surplus in savings, its once economic bubble power and the policy management in Japan put an end to any flow that there once was. Secondly, the Global flow and structural impediments are a cause of the lack of current. The liberal Democratic Party and Vested Interest Groups and alsoRead MoreTh e Bombing Of Pearl Harbor1566 Words   |  7 Pagesowned to become more powerful , in contempt of the end the Japanese lost and their cities were destroyed. Japan and the United States had different kinds of relations that could have lead Japan to bomb Pearl Harbor.The United States military and Japan’s relationship seemed to get worse after Japan sank the USS Panay even though Japan apologized for sinking the ship. Japan became aware in the 19th and 20th century that there was threats from different nations influence became very loyal. During 1939Read MoreEssay about Japanese Malaise793 Words   |  4 PagesTHE IMPACT OF SUPPLY-SIDE FACTORS ON JAPANESE ECONOMIC STAGNATION Japan’s ongoing economic stagnation for decades has provoked wider debate in the US. Along with the raise in unemployment rate and weak industrial production relative to other major industrial countries, the economic malaise in Japan was described as a lost decade. Studies have shown that Japanese economy suffers of severe problems that are not only cyclical but also structural in natureRead MoreAgriculture Is The Foundation Of A Country s Economic Strength1368 Words   |  6 Pages Agriculture is the foundation of a country’s economic strength. Growth of the agricultural industry increases national income, sustains the livelihood of growing populations, maintains a trade balance for all goods and encourages further motivation for the economic development in a country. The agricultural industry represents 32.4 % of global income. In the U.S, agriculture contributes 3% to national income and in Japan, 6% contributes to national income. Increasing U.S. agricultural exportsRead MoreThe Japanese Political System Essay1057 Words   |  5 Pageswithin a period of time to become an international economic supremacy and also an ally of the US. Starting in the 1990s, Japan’s economy experienced a major slowdown that caused many problems, but the country still remained its economic power that held a great effect to the world. In March 2011, thousands were killed and nuclear power plants were damaged by the strongest-ever earthquake came with an accompan ying tsunami. This catastrophe challenged Japan’s ability to deal with natural disasters and hobbledRead MoreJapans Economic History in the Last Forty Years Essay1306 Words   |  6 Pagesproduct and eventually reached number one by the late 1980s However, everything changed in the early 1990s, and Japan entered what has been described as its first lost decade (Kuepper, n.d.). Economists and historians have studied the causes for Japan’s stagnation over the past twenty years, but there are significantly different opinions regarding the issue. Most agree that the huge asset ‘bubble’ was the cause for the initial stagnation, but they disagree as to the reasons for why this persistsRead MoreThe NSI And Japans National System Of Innovation Model921 Words   |  4 Pagesbe looked at through the scope of the National System of Innovation approach, examining an overview of the NSI and Japan’s NSI, a triad relationship which consists of industry, academia, and government. Additionally, its strengths, weaknesses, and to what extent is this approach useful toward understanding differences in Japan’s rates of innovation between other countries. Japan’s National System of Innovation NSI focuses on the flows and relationships of knowledge and technology among people,

Blind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay - 920 Words

Blind Faith in Raymond Carvers Cathedral In the story Cathedral by Raymond Carver, the main character, goes through a major personal transformation. At the beginning of the story, his opinions of others are filled with stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice. Through interaction with his wifes blind friend Robert, his attitude and outlook on life changes. Although at first he seemed afraid to associate with a blind man, Roberts outgoing personality left him with virtually no choice. During Roberts visit, he proved to be a normal man, and showed the speaker that by closing his eyes, he could open his mind. The speakers prejudice was nearly overwhelming at the opening of the story. His being blind bothered†¦show more content†¦The color of Beulahs skin was not important to Robert, and therefore was not mentioned by the character. Until he met Robert, the speaker merely referred to Robert as the blind man, instead of someone with a name or someone with importance. He did not seem to understand why his wife had kept in touch with Robert, or how they became so close. He also seemed to feel that Robert was a nuisance to society, someone who could not take care of himself. The character spoke of the pity he felt for Beulah because Robert could never see what she looked like, read the expression on her face or receive the smallest compliment from her husband. When Robert arrived in his house, the speaker began his transformation. It began immediately upon seeing Robert with his wife, his eyes drawn to the smile Robert had placed on her face. The speaker witnessed the depth of conversation Robert had with his wife, as if he wasnt even in the room, and it seemed to spark some jealousy. Most of the changes that the speaker underwent in his understanding of Robert were because he realized that Robert was normal. The speaker was surprised to see a beard on a blind man. He had always thought dark glasses were a must for the blind, yet Robert wore none. He had read the blind didnt smoke, but Robert filled ashtray after ashtray in his home. The speaker watched as Robert ate, knowing where everything was on his plate, and beingShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s The Cathedral 863 Words   |  4 Pages One of the Raymond Carver story where we can find a lot of religion symbols; it is â€Å"Cathedral.† The story develops an ironic situation in which a blind man teaches a sighted man to truly â€Å"see† for the first time. Near the end of the story, Carver has these two characters work together on a drawing of a cathedral, which serves as the symbolic heart of the story. The cathedral represents true sight, the ability to see beyond the surface to the true meaning that lies within. The narrator’s drawingRead More A Blind Man’s Gift in Carver’s Ca thedral Essay891 Words   |  4 PagesA Blind Man’s Gift in Cathedral  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In Raymond Carver’s story, Cathedral, one man’s prejudice is overcome by another man’s gift. The husband in the story is given the gift of seeing a cathedral through a blind man’s eyes. The true gift comes from the cathedral, which represents the husband’s prejudice and the blind man’s open-mindedness. This gift is the revelation the husband experiences while he looks at the cathedral with his eyes still closed. According to Anatole Broyard CathedralRead More Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay6977 Words   |  28 Pages In quot;The Compartment,quot; one of Raymond Carvers bleakest stories, a man passes through the French countryside in a train, en route to a rendevous with a son he has not seen for many years. quot;Now and then,quot; the narrator says of the man, quot;Meyers saw a farmhouse and its outbuildings, everything surrounded by a wall. He thought this might be a good way to live-in an old house surrounded by a wallquot; (Cathedral 48). Due to a last minute change of heart, however, Meyers choosesRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1832 Words   |  8 PagesIn Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, a blind man guides the narrator towards an epiphany: he needs to see situations and people in a deeper way, rather than just from a materialistic point of view. In the beginning of the story, the narrow-minded speaker is originally opposed to having the blind man, Robert, stay in his ho me. Because the narrator realizes that there is a nothingness in his life, he eventually grows to admire Robert’s ability to have faith in people, relationships, and the world evenRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral2364 Words   |  10 PagesPastor Bonhoeffer once said, â€Å"Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging other’s, we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.† The way we treat people reflects on ourselves. The way the world judges and condemns each other is very true and an everyday reality for most. The same could be said about people who are limited by one or more of their six senses and are judged by the majority of the population who are not

Memorial Day Free Essays

Day is a day of remembrance for those who perished while serving In the military, a day to honor the soldiers who died while defending America. Our three day weekend in May is a wonderful time to get together with friends and family. To most of us, Memorial weekend it means no school/work and an extra day off. We will write a custom essay sample on Memorial Day or any similar topic only for you Order Now Memorial Day is so much more than a day off to have fun. Most students do not really even understand why they get school off; a lot of adult use this time for cookouts or parties. Memorial Day is a day where we, as Americans, should honor our fallen soldiers. Hardly anyone actually honors the soldiers by going to the parades/ceremonies In their communities. We owe It to the dead to honor their memory. The people who died for our Ideals and for their values were ordinary men and women who left the safety of their homes to fight to ensure Justice and protect our country. Brave Individuals gave their time, strength, and effort to protect our country and all that It stands for. In doing so, countless men and women who were treasured by many, eve lost their lives Their hard work and sacrifice for our nation is sometimes taken for granted: the heroic men and women who have died fighting for our freedoms must be remembered. We take for granted their sacrifices; we should take effort in reminding ourselves of the individuals who lost their lives for us. Memorial Day is a day to honor and thank all the American soldiers who have sacrificed their lives. As Americans, we should show respect for the fallen and honor them for their courageous acts of bravery. Although we may not realize it, freedom is tot free. Freedom comes with a huge price, sometimes that price being life. It is not easy to be willing to take your own life for not Just your own rights, but for the rights of a whole nation. Memorial Day is not a day to have fun and party, but a special time to remember those who showed such devotion to our country to give up their lives for it, a time to remember these heroes. Our dedicated soldiers deserved to be remembered. Our dedicated military force is the reason why we are able to stand here today with the redeems we have, and why we are able to live with so many liberties. Our rights should never be taken for granted; we should be thankful for those who have paid the price for them. We should give thanks to all the heroes for their sacrifices, spreading gratitude. Memorial Day should be a day to reflect and be grateful. We can express our gratitude by attending local parades or Memorial Day events and pray for the families of the fallen soldiers to really understand the sacrifices they have made for us and our country. Memorial Day By preferable 21 Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who perished while serving in Hardly anyone actually honors the soldiers by going to the parades/ceremonies in their communities. We owe it to the dead to honor their memory. The people who died for our ideals and for their values were ordinary men and women who left the individuals gave their time, strength, and effort to protect our country and all that it for granted; the heroic men and women who have died fighting for our freedoms How to cite Memorial Day, Papers

Coming to Terms with Americas Changing Families free essay sample

The paper examines the question of what constitutes a nuclear family in todays society. This paper discusses much of the controversy surrounding definition what is a nuclear family. This paper examines whether or not the family as we know it, has disappeared. The paper looks at the affect that the changing role of women in society has had on the family. The paper also looks at some other factors that have contributed to the redefining of the family, including divorce and the rise of single-parent homes, the increased visibility of non-traditional families and the role that the media has played in this question. `Why must working mothers shoulder all of the blame for the supposedly dooms day outlook that the world is going bad? This begins to sound like stereotypical scape goating. The 1992 election was a perfect example of this type of unsupported biased opinion. Dan Quayle openly condemned the fall from traditional roles by Murphy Brown as setting a bad example for our youth. We will write a custom essay sample on Coming to Terms with Americas Changing Families or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The subject of family values became one of the most heated debates of the campaign. Had Mr. Quayle actually read the statistics, he would have realized that marriage rate has gone up and down many times in the twentieth century and that we were not at low point when he made those condemning statements.`

American Dreams essays

American Dreams essays Million of Immigrants settled in United States, its diversity of different culture during 1900 1930. California is one of the highest Mexican Immigrants settled in this state. Almost all worked as agricultural wage laborers. Mexican Americans ancestry became object of one of the largest removal operations ever authorized by the United States government. Immigration and repatriation were interrupting the lives of the Mexicans and American Mexicans, as well as the other ethnic culture in the United States. Mexicans immigrants believed with the ideas that living in United States will bring the social and economic prosperity that they never had. Mexicans brought their ideas, cultural practices, and experiences to established the image of America Dream. Mexicans believed that by working hard as a farmer it would bring prosperity in their social and economic way of life. United States as the land of opportunity and security gave immigrants the ideas of American Dream, freedom, and uniqueness. With these beliefs, Mexicans did not realize that there was a hidden division along class, gender, ethnic, and racial lines over who had access to economic security and freedom. Mexicans realized that there was differences between the expectation of the of a brown Mexican field worker to the white American farm owner. Freedom to Mexican farm workers, destined to reach their goals in economic and prosperity by working for wages, putting aside savings to sent back to their family in Mexico, opened a small business or going to school. These ideas of freedom was different from white farm owners, who alleged that they should allow to hire workers for a cheap labor wages that would allow them to a big profit, which they believed that their rights to be as Americans. During the twentieth century, there were two descriptions of who was allowed to the American Dream prevailed. The first description that could have an access, unre...

Mary Rowlandson, essays

Mary Rowlandson, essays In the story by Mary Rowlandson about her captivity displays many things about experience. She viewed the experience as if she had went to hell and the Indians that held her captive were demons; Oh, the roaring and singing and dancing and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made the place a lively resemblance of hell. Her views on the Indians were in reflection of the views of those from Europe and from her colony. They all believed that the Indians were savages that had no purpose in life and being with them made you less god-like. Mary refers to the Indians as ravenous beasts, and barbarous creatures, showing her thoughts of them. Throughout the whole situation Mary believes that God is punishing her, and views the ordeal as a lesson to be learned. She is constantly referring passages from the bible in relation to the captivity. She also views herself as a more God-like figure than the Indians. Mary is very prejudice towards the whole situation, even when the Indi ans start to treat her with kindness. A person in 2002 would have handled the whole ordeal differently because even though prejudice still does exist in society, it is not as distinctive as is was then. The majority of Americans views every color of skin as an equal or close to it, and would have viewed the Indians, not as beasts, but just as criminals for kidnapping them. I do not think that anyone would enjoy being held captive, but the views are very different since the time of Mary Rowlandson. ...

Abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 17

Abortion - Essay Example n argue that abortion is performed (especially in pregnancy’s first trimester) when the fetus is incapable of independent existence and so cannot be regarded as a separate entity (thereby giving the mother the right to choose to terminate the pregnancy or carry it to term) (Currie, 98). This group also asserts that teenagers who become mothers (parents) have very grim prospects for the future and that abortion also importantly serves to reduce the crimes that stem from the need to provide for the child (and its mother) (Paley, 221). Moreover, proponents of abortion observe that is medical technology reveals before birth that the child will be deformed or grow up to be sickly, abortion becomes handy in helping alleviate the pain of watching the child labor through a miserable life. However, abortion cannot be validated by such feeble arguments. Life begins at conception, and so abortion is akin to murder, which is punishable by law (Williams, 65). It is also unfair to kill an unborn child simply because life’s odds do not favor the parent(s). If all expectant parents reasoned like this, most of us would not be alive today. Even so, adoption still remains a fair option that gives both the parents and the child a chance at life. It is equally essential to note that rape and poverty are not valid reasons to terminate a pregnancy because abortion only punishes the child who has done absolutely nothing wrong and deserves a chance at life like the rest of us (Tushnet, 124). The problem is not the child (pregnancy) but rape, crime, unemployment, poor economies, and so on. Furthermore, apart from the ageless mental scars obtained from abortion, such procedures can also render one infertile or cause cancers. This is not to mention the billions of women who have died after an abortion gone wrong since time immemorial (Berlatsky, 78). Innately, all persons are capable of realizing the ills of abortion and to rightly reckon that no amount of academic arguments can make it

Other Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Other - Essay Example However, Tough’s portrayal of Geoffrey Canada’s passion to change the prevailing perspective that I share with millions of other people in America made me sit up in awe, curious to find out if his grand plans for Harlem’s children will work. His promising idea begins with very early interventions, even as early as from the womb, and to empower parents with the right skills to raise their children well. Canada is interested in combining educational, social, and medical services to help all children to grow up with the right foundations regardless of their family’s socio-economic status (4). He envisions that the only way to solve the problem of poverty in America is to â€Å"transform every aspect of the environment that poor children were growing up in; to change the way their families raised them and the way their schools taught them as well as the character of the neighborhood that surrounded them† (19-20). It would seem like a tall order, but com e to think of it, it does make sense to start a-fresh with people who are appropriately trained to combat poverty as they grow up to be intelligent, compassionate and productive citizens. My mindset before reading this book was that it is society’s fault that poverty is so widespread. The cause of the deterioration of morals is mainly due to people’s need to acquire their basic needs from a society that does not give them enough opportunities to live a high quality of life just because they are poor and uneducated. This book has caused in me a paradigm shift that problems should be addressed from the grassroots level, in this case, from childhood or earlier on. To be dependent on society or government would only be setting oneself for failure if one does not do anything out of his own initiative. Children should develop their skills early on so they can be self-reliant. Tough echoes this: â€Å"Skill begets skill; learning begets learning. Early disadvantage, if left

Google Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Google - Essay Example With Google, come a number of different Google domains as these provide for a number of different languages in which information from the world over is available with a single click of the mouse. There are plenty of resources from where different stock quotes can be had, addresses can be found, phone numbers could be tracked, maps could be found out and news headlines can be checked upon. Google provides for a number of different search platforms like the dedicated image search which finds out the most precise of images as requested by the user and then there are the Usenet messages which has more than 1 billion posts and the earliest one dates back to the year 1981 when Internet was not a known thing by all accounts. It is not necessary to make the homepage of a user’s browser with Google linked up rather Google offers a personalized toolbar that looks after the needs of the user, as and when he requires to be hooked up onto the Google website or one of its domains and find i nformation to satisfy his net experience. More than anything else, Google offers a Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) platform when the user is away from his computer and this links him easily with the Google services and different domains of which he is very fond of. The best thing about Google is that it is very easy to use and there are no manuals to understand what it is all about. The ease of usage and convenience is something that Google can relate itself with and its competitors really lose the battle when we compare all of these with Google on this front. Google’s utility has made it very common amongst teenagers, men and women and even adults. They know which website to enter when they need information or latest updates on a particular subject. It is indeed one of the best known brands that the corporate world of Internet has known. The best part about its

Automatic Fire Alarm System (A-FAS) Design

Automatic Fire Alarm System (A-FAS) Design ABSTRACT The safety of the environment and individuals is monitored and maintained by the important role fire alarm systems play. Although, the usability of many of the existing fire alarm systems is known by the users, however, they are produced with high cost thus not reasonable for the low-income users. The main objective of this project is to design a prototype of an automatic fire alarm system (A-FAS) with low cost. The A-FAS designed in this project contains two systems, the detection system and the alarm system. The detection system operates as the fire detector and consists of a smoke detector, heat detector and an emergency switch as a manual call point. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a microcontroller based fire alarm system. The detectors are placed in different zones and any signal from any detector at any zone will activate the alarm system. The alarm system consists of LEDs, LCD notification, buzzer and text message notifications. Furthermore, the system i s fitted with sensors at different zones to identify the presence of individuals, this feature aids the monitoring process of the system. The entire system is controlled by a microcontroller which is programmed using Arduino compiler. Upon completion of the prototype, the A-FAS detects smoke or any rise in temperature sensed by the detectors. Finally, when any of the sensors are triggered, the buzzer operates and the system sends a text message to the saved number. With the development of A-FAS, the safety of individuals and surroundings will be increased as the low cost of the system will promote users of all income levels to have one at their place or home. INTRODUCTION An overheated electrical appliance, a burning splinter or a burning cigarette or just about any of these can trigger a fire. Moreover, the presence of nylon settings and a sofa set which emanate poisonous gases if on fire, will render people helpless in a couple of minutes, before even realizing what is happening. ADT Security Service and the Chubb Alarm are the well-recognized companies that deal with security systems and have been the innovative leaders in security systems. The products offered by these companies vary from intruder alarms to highly sophisticated fire alarm systems. Furthermore, the systems built by these companies are high in cost and require a scheduled maintenance to be carried out by the companys specified authorities. Based upon the current existing high cost fire alarm systems that are available in the market, an automatic fire alarm system with low cost has been developed. The A-FAS consists of two subsystems; detection system and alarm system. The A-FAS detection system has smoke detecting capabilities as it incorporates an optical smoke detector. Moreover, it is interfaced with heat detector and an emergency switch. The system features counting capabilities based on infrared sensors to ease the determination of individuals in case of emergency. The A-FAS alarm system is associated with the detection system to ease the process of alarming individuals in the event of fire. The alarm system consists of LED and LCD notifications displaying the location of the fire. A buzzer is also incorporated in the system. The system sends text message alerts as it incorporates a GSM module. Finally, the main part of the A-FAS that controls the entire operation is the microcontroller. This thesis describes the design and operation of a microcontroller based fire alarm system that could contribute to saving lives and reduce property losses with low cost. Aim The main purpose of this project is to design and prototype an automatic fire alarm system (A-FAS) with effective and competitive usage and can be produced at a low cost. This system is designed to be easy to operate by any user and is user friendly. The A-FAS is also been designed using minimum hardware at the lower level of processing. The system is not restricted to the mentioned inputs and outputs, however, can be altered per customer needs without having to design a new system. Problem Identification The complexity of the existing fire alarm system in the market nowadays is too high in terms of design and structure. Due to the complexity of the system, regular preventive maintenance is required to be carried out to make sure that the system is operating well. Moreover, the scheduled maintenance adds to the cost of the using the system. Therefore, the proposed fire alarm system is designed with a low cost and can be used by any user for safety purposes. Project Objectives There are several objectives that are required to be accomplished in developing the A-FAS to determine the purpose and the direction of this project. This project aims to achieve the following objectives: To design a low-cost microcontroller based fire alarm system. To develop a prototype of the fire alarm system using smoke detector, heat detector, emergency switch and infrared sensors as inputs to the system. Moreover, using LEDs, LCD display, buzzer and text messages as outputs to the system. To develop a prototype with the capability of customizing the system to meet with the customer requirements with regards to the inputs and outputs, without having to redesign a new system. To develop an automatic fire alarm system to safeguard the user and their surroundings, while being user friendly to accommodate the need of the masses. Project Scope To achieve the above objectives, the project needs to be implemented as below: The heart of the fire alarm system is to be a microcontroller to control the entire operations involved. The fire alarm system is to count the number of individuals present in the locations where the infrared modules are installed. Capable of displaying the source of the alarm on the LCD display. Capable of sending SMS notifications via GSM module interfaced in the system. Project limitation Since the project is interfaced with a GSM module that needs a SIM card to send SMS notifications and thus the system is limited to the amount of credit available on the SIM. Moreover, the system includes infrared sensors that are used to count the number of people entering and exiting the zone and thus to make the system more sensitive and receive only the infrared radiation from the correct source, the infrared modules need to be placed with a minimum distance of 2 meters. Furthermore, to receive live data from the sensors to produce visual output to the user in terms of if any sensor is disconnected from the system, the system is required to have personalized sensors. System Overview Figure 1.1 defines the inputs and outputs interfaced to the microcontroller device. The A-FAS has the features of interfacing additional inputs and outputs based on customer needs. Color Type of sensor Infrared sensors Smoke detector Hear detector Emergency switch The A-FAS works in a loop checking all the input sources and acting accordingly. The smoke detector, hear detector and the emergency switch transmit a signal to the microcontroller once triggered, this notifies the microcontroller to hazard the surroundings via the output devices. A keypad is added in the system to allow the user to interface and monitor the system. The Atmega2560 microcontroller acts as the heart of the Fire Alarm System which controls the entire system. The signals being received from the sensors are being compared by the Atmega2560 to either hazard the surroundings for the existence of fire or to hazard the surroundings for the presence of a fault in the system. Moreover, the system can alert the surroundings via a buzzer and LED notifications as well as SMS notifications once the Atmega2560 microcontroller receives signals that there is fire present in one of the zones. Thesis structure This thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter explains the problem statement, objectives, scopes and limitations of the project. The second chapter in this thesis is the projects literature review, which is based on the detection components of the A-FAS, the ATmega2560 and a comparison between microcontrollers and microprocessors. Moreover, this chapter contains summary of several available inventories software available in todays market and previous projects developed by engineers. Furthermore, chapter three describes the phases involved in the development of the A-FAS. There are four phases involved in the production of the fire alarm system which include the research phase, the designing phase, development phase and the analysis phase. Chapter four of this thesis discusses the system design process involved and the hardware and software development. Moreover, chapter five explains the results of the system development of the A-FAS and its analysis based on the system operation and functions. Finally, chapter six concludes the project and the recommendation suggestions for the continuity of the project and future work. The sixth chapter aids to the continuity of the project by other individuals interested as they can refer to it to develop the system. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW As mentioned earlier in the previous chapter, cost factor plays a very important role in this project. Subsequently, to design a system with the objectives mentioned above requires research and studies that are described in this chapter. This chapter will include three subtopics, previous case study on fire alarm systems, hardware and software studies. Fire Alarm System: Related Work According to Bao Minzhong, Jianmei, Niihau Xiao and Wang [1], the function of the fire alarm system is to detect fire at an early stage providing sufficient time to produce high reliable judgment results. If the fire alarm system nosedives to notify the user in the presence of fire for the user to take appropriate measures, the system fails as alarm systems should cause the operator to respond. Moreover, Brown Campbell [2] suggested that for a system not to fail, it must require positive feedback from the operator. Nur Abd Aziz [3] proposed a fire alarm system consisting of three sensors, thermistor hear sensor, infrared sensors and infrared smoke sensors. The thermistor heat sensor was used to detect the rate at which temperature rises and high temperatures. The infrared sensors were used for intruder alarms to detect the presence or any motion, acting as a burglar alarm system. The infrared smoke sensors were used to identify fire in its early stages or smoldering. In the presence of fire, the water sprinklers are automatically switched on and the burglary alarm is activated. The known catalysts for fire is smoke, flame and heat but only smoke and smoke sensors have been applied and emphasized. Furthermore, when a fire occurs, the highly sensitive motion sensors will respond to normal environmental vibration which could be caused by moving cars or planes overhead. Furthermore, Chew and Ing Ming [4] proposed a similar system consisting of smoke detector, heat detector and a burglar alarm. In the event of smoke or a rise in the temperature, the system sends a signal to the microcontroller which in return operates a buzzer. Moreover, the microcontroller operates an auto redialing telephone programmed with specific number. This system. Moreover, the system is implemented with photo-electric sensor and inductive proximity switches. The photo-electric sensor is activated when transmitter cannot send light to the receiver. The inductive proximity switch is normally used for metal detection and activates when a metal is detected in the system. Once any of the sensors is activated, the microcontroller will sound the buzzer and flash LEDs. Chew and Ing Ming categorized the system proposed for industrial purposed. The complexity of this system contributes to the inability of installing such system at homes or offices. Detection components of the Fire alarm system Sensors are types of transducers that responds to a type of energy by producing another type of energy signal, usually electric [5]. Some of the sensors available include acoustic, biological, chemical and electromagnetic. These are used in many applications and are heavily used in the medicine industry and robotics as a source of detection components. The detection components of the A-FAS consist of smoke sensors, heat sensors and infrared sensors. Smoke Sensors Smoke detectors are devices designed to detect a fire while it is in its early stages or smoldering, duplicating the sense of smell. These devices have gained a wide usage in the residential and life safety applications. There is no debate that smoke detectors is the single most effective method of reducing fire damages and death. 90% to 95% of fire deaths occur in residential buildings (NZFS, 1993), targeting this will help accomplish the most cost-effective results. Studies of various types of smoke detectors, in particular photoelectric and ionization smoke detectors, illustrates that, one type of detector will be expected to perform better than the other, depending on the source of the smoke. Natarianni (1993) concludes that in flaming wood crib fires, the ionization smoke detectors activate before the photoelectric detectors. This conclusion is from simulated fires in hospital patient rooms. However, most importantly, both detectors activated before threatening the patients life. Moreover, a series of full-scale tests of smoke detectors installed in corridors and bedrooms of residential areas was conducted by Kennedy et al (1978). They concluded that inadequate warning in smoldering fires were often produced by ionization detectors. Subsequently, reducing the time available for escape once activated and the escape routes may be smoked-logged. Photoelectric smoke detectors contain a light emitting device, most commonly a light-emitting diode(LED), a smoke chamber and a photosensitive device that produced a monitored current from receiving light directly from the light source. The intensity of tech light reaching the photosensitive device is reduced by the smoke that enters the chamber. A drop in the intensity below a certain level causes a drop in the current produced by the photosensitive device, which is detected by the sensor control circuitry. Dropping the current below a preset threshold results in triggering the smoke alarm. Table 2.1 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of photoelectric smoke detectors. The complete specification of the smoke detector used in the A-FAS can be obtained in Appendix A. Table 2.1: Advantages disadvantages of photoelectric smoke detector [6]. Advantages Disadvantages Sensitive to visual particles of smoke. Provide early warning. Detects smoldering low heat fires. Detects presence of smoke, not toxicity. Can be installed in any of the following typical locations: Office areas Clean rooms Atriums and corridors Sleeping rooms Storage closets Early contamination by dust causing reduced sensitivity. Must be cleaned on a regular basis. Has a potential for high false alarm rate, however, lower than the ionization smoke detectors. Heat Sensors A heat sensor detects abnormal rate of temperature rise or high temperatures. There are numbers of various heat detectors available in the market, which include: Thermistor. Thermocouple. Resistance temperature device. Diode based temperature sensor. There are certain features to consider while choosing the best heat sensor for any use. These features are summarized in table 2.2. Table 2.2 Features of various heat sensors [7]. Thermocouple RTD THERMISTOR SEMICONDUCTOR High accuracy and repeatability. Fair linearity Poor linearity Linearity: 1oC Accuracy: 1oC Needs cold junction compensation Requires excitation Requires excitation Requires excitation Widest Range: -148oC to +2300 oC Widest Range: -200oC to +850 oC Widest Range: 0 oC to +100 oC Widest Range: -55oC to +150 oC Low voltage output Low cost High sensitivity 10mV/K,20mV/K Typical output The LM35 temperature sensor are precision integrated circuit temperature sensors, which will be used to develop the A-FAS. This sensor is fully rated from -55 Â °C to +150 Â °C and with the linear scale factor of 10mV/Â °C. It operates from 4 to 30 V, has less than 60 ÂÂ µA drain current and has low self-heating (0.08 Â °C in still air). The control circuitry or the interfacing of LM35 is easy due to the low output impedance, linear output and precise inherent calibration. The LM35 series is available in hermetic TO transistor packages, while the LM35C, LM35CA and LM35D are available in TO-92 transistor package. The LM35D is also available in an 8-lead surface-mount small outline package and a plastic TO-220 package. [8] (Reprinted from datasheet of LM35 [8].) The LM35 can function as a basic centigrade temperature sensor sense temperature between +2 oC and +150 oC and can function as a full -range centigrade temperature sensor sensing temperature between -55 oC to +150 oC. Figure 2.1 illustrates the circuitry for using the sensor for both functions, where +Vs is the voltage supplied to the sensor. Adjusting the output voltage of the sensor enables the temperature to be obtained in degree centigrade. Infrared Sensors: There are many sensors available for obstacle detection such as infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, camera and laser based sensor system (LIDAR). In this thesis, infrared sensors are used to accomplish the task of counting the numbers of individuals in the placed installed. Low cost with accuracy is one of the main objectives of this project, hence infrared sensors were selected for the design. These sensors are widely used for measuring distances and obstacle detection and have faster response time than ultrasonic sensors [10]. Moreover, power consumption of the infrared sensors is lower than that of ultrasonic sensors [11]. Infrared sensors are categorized as diffuse reflection sensors and retro-reflective sensors. The latter is mainly used in harsh environment conditions and has a larger detection range than the diffuse reflective sensors [12]. Infrared sensors utilize a light sensor to detect a selective light wavelength in the spectrum. When an object obstructs the sensor, the light from the LED is broken by the object and the signal is not received by the receiver. ATmega2560 Microcontroller As defined by James L. Atonakos [13], microcontrollers are souped-up microprocessors with built-in features such as RAM, ROM, A/D, Interval timers and parallel input and output ports. Atmega2560 (figure 2.2), is a powerful flash microcontroller that contains many features in a 100-pin package. The datasheet of the ATmega2560 is attached in Appendix B. The definition of a flash microcontroller is that it can be programmed and erased instantly without the usage of ultra-violet light. The Atmega2560 is an 8-bit microcontroller with a powerful execution of instructions in a single clock cycle leading to the achievement of 1 MIPS per MHz, allowing the designer to optimize power consumption vs processing speed [14]. The internal architecture of the microcontroller is shown in figure 2.3. The central processing unit (CPU) is the brain of the microcontroller that controls the execution of the program, therefore able to access memories, handle interrupts and perform calculations. The microcontroller unit (MCU) consists of 256K bytes of in-system flash, 4K bytes EEPROM and 8K bytes of SRAM, which are used for memory. Other features include [14]: 86 programmable input and output ports. Ultra-low power consumption in active and power down mode. flexible timer/counters with compare modes and internal and external interrupts. Code protection facility, which is one of the best in the industry. Comparison between microcontroller and microprocessor The fact that microcontrollers may have one or two operational codes for moving data from external memory to the CPU, whereas, microprocessors have many operational codes, is the best way to exemplify the contrast between microcontrollers and microprocessors. Microcontrollers have many types of bit handling instructions, however, microprocessors have one or two. In conclusion, the microcontroller is concerned with rapid movement of bits within the chip, whereas, microprocessors are concerned with rapid movement of codes and data from external addresses to the chip. Microcontrollers can function as a computer with the addition of no external digital parts, however, microprocessors must have many digital parts to be operational [15]. OrCAD Figure 2.4 shows the OrCAD software used for circuit designing, testing and circuit analyzing. Generally, OrCAD is a software used to produce printed circuit board (PCB) layouts. The circuit was drawn onto the PCB board using OrCAD Capture, where footprints for each component was researched. The design rule check ensures that there are no errors present in the circuit. Arduino IDE The Arduino IDE (Integrated development environment) is a platform application from ATmega microcontrollers. Figure 2.5 shows the Arduino version used to compiling the program. Arduino IDE is used for writing, debugging, and optimizing ATmega microcontroller applications for firmware product design. Arduino programs are written in C or C++ and the software comes with a library called wiring which makes may common outputs and inputs operations much easier. Fire alarm systems available in the market There are several types of fire alarm system available in the market today. The various fire alarm systems from different developers vary in terms of implementation and functionality. Research has been carried out to investigate the technology and features used to develop each of the systems and compared them with the proposed A-FAS system. Table 2.3 concludes the results on the research, [16] [17]. Table 2.3 Manufacturers products Specifications SECURE 6000 INTELLIGUARD 2900 Developer Chubb Alarm ADT Fire and Security Fire monitoring Available Available Security monitoring system Available Available Service and maintenance Provided Provided Main features Sounding the alarm at first sign of smoke Combination of interior motion, door and window. Controlled via a remote control Plugs into telephone line to provide back to back monitoring system. Connected to signal fire condition to ADT customer monitoring center. Computer assisted reporting. Expandable used microprocessor to offer extensive flexibility. Reduce false alarm since the system can locate the origin of the alarm. Cost $2,055 $1,800 CHAPTER III Methodology This methodology chapter describes the planning and research involved in the development of the entire A-FAS system. The progress of this project was due to the division of the work in four phases; research phase, designing phase, development phase and the analysis phase. Introduction The fire alarm system described in this thesis is divided in to two sections, which are the hardware and the software sections. These sections play a vital role in the effectivity and the functionalities of the system. In order to start developing the project, there are few procedures that must be considered. Thus, earlier planning is important in designing and developing the A-FAS. The related phases have been illustrated in figure 3.1. Research phase The first phase of this methodology deals with the systems literature studies, research and analysis. Problem identification is included in the research phase. Moreover, the system objectives are determined by observations and theoretical information obtained from internet sources, journals, books and magazines. During this phase, the system requirements are determined, which include the hardware and software interfacing. Furthermore, the research and analysis conducted on the existing systems available in todays market is included in the research phase, as well as reviews on previous projects developed by organizations or individuals. A few problems have been identified based on the current research that has been done, which include: Burglar alarms are combined with the fire alarms in the same system, leading to confusion and inability to identify the source of the alarm by the user. The systems available are designed for specific purposes, providing the user with no options of customization of the fire alarm inputs and outputs. The cost of the systems is too high for low income individuals to secure their lives and properties by purchasing one. Websites and documentations were the source of reviews on analysis activities conducted in this phase. The system planning and development scheduling were then determined in this phase which suited the chosen development methodology. Upon completion of this phase, the system scopes, specifications and Gantt chart were produced. Designing Phase The second phase of the system development is the designing phase. The main objective of this phase is to translate or transform the requirements and analysis obtained from the research phase into design specifications for system implementation and construction. This phase involves a vital task for the success of the automatic fire alarm system, which is the hardware design of the system. Designing of the A-FAS hardware system The A-FAS hardware design involves detection components and the microcontroller. The detections components which are the smoke detector, heat detector, infrared sensors and an emergency switch are connected to the microcontroller. The latter is the control unit identifying the source and location of the fire if any of the input detection devices is triggered. A text message will be sent and a buzzer will be activated for individuals to evacuate the premises. Smoke sensors The system has been implanted using a Mercure photoelectric smoke detector. The system has the capability of being interfaced with most of the market available smoke detectors. However, to interface the smoke detector to the microcontroller, the smoke detector circuit is required to be altered. The smoke detector then sends a signal to the microcontroller in the event of emergency. The photoelectric smoke detector used in this project is very effective and highly recommended by users, with a low cost. These devices offer high power dissipation capability and are ideally suited for hostile environments. Heat sensors The LM35 temperature sensor has an output voltage which is linearly proportional to temperature in centigrade, thus the sensor is suitable for the project. The sensor draws very small amount of current which makes it very low self-heating. Figure 3.2 describes th

Essay --

Pets are important members of the family. In more than 60% of households in the United States today according to Jill Weisenberger Rachel Bajema owns a pet. A veterinarian is a person qualified to treat diseased or injured animals. Pets of home owners are not their only patients. Vets can also look after zoo animals, livestock, and animals in sport. Vets can also help with animals’ diseases that can infect humans. A veterinarian job is very important. Animals are important to human life, both to share affection, and financial purposes, and a vets job is to make sure they are healthy and stay that way. What we call "veterinary medicine† has been around as long as people and animals have worked and lived together, according to â€Å"Care of pets, and a history of Veterinary medicine.† The veterinarian dates back from 4,000B.C up to 2,500. The earliest veterinarian work was found in China, Rome, Egypt, and Europe. People that study history have found Chinese writings about the diseases of horses, oxen, and buffalos that dates all the way back to about 2,500 B.C. In about A.D. 500 a Roman wrote a book on what veterinarians do to help animals. Nothing else was written after that until a thousand years later when another book was written. Yet, there were those like Romans that had to learn their skills by working directly with the animals. The first school that taught people about scientific veterinary medicine was in Europe in the mid-eighteenth century-less than three hundred years ago. It has become more famous as time went by. In the end of the nineteenth century, veterinary schools had been established in the United States and also in many other countries. In veterinarian medicine, there are two positions. One of the positions is... ...colonies and the use of high-density housing systems are also increasing the risk of infection and complicating the ability of veterinarians to detect infectious agents. That’s why veterinarians are very important, to animals and humans according to Bennett, Justin C, animal scientist. With put veterinarian’s many diseases that rodents transmit would be infecting humans. Becoming a veterinarian would be a lot of work. It would take a good few years, and training. However, becoming a veterinarian assistant, and studying to become a veterinarian, can help a lot. I can get work experience, and understand many things faster and easier. Being accepted into veterinarian school seems hard but not impossible. From this paper I learned that I have lots of math and science classes to take. How long it will take to become a veterinarian and what it takes to become one.

Phi-105 Week Five Checkpoint – Moral Character View Points

CheckPoint: Moral Character View Points PHI/105: Intro. To Philosophy Due Date: 10/05/2011 Instructor: Geth Allison Moral Character View Points Referencing week four discussion concerning moral character, one viewpoint my discussion group overall agreed upon including me is that habits develop from repeatedly doing something and can reflect on a person of good or bad moral character. For example, if a child was taught to say yes sir while growing up by the time he or she becomes an adult they have developed a habit of responding as yes sir without thinking twice because of saying it repetitively as they grew up, which can appear to be a reflection of a person with good moral character, although that is not always the case in my opinion. In contrast, a person of bad moral character also could have been taught as a child to respond as yes sir as they grew into an adult developing a habit, but overall his or her moral character is bad. In addition everyone agreed that habits, whether morally good or bad is formed from repetitiveness, which does not always result in the person being of bad or good moral character. On the other hand, quite a few classmates disagree on the viewpoint concerning habit and moral character being linked; as some of them argue that the two have no connection what so ever. In contrast, my perspective is that habit and moral character is connected to a certain extent based on the circumstances. For example, habits whether good or bad, are apart of every individuals moral character; I have a bad habit of purchasing shoes, although I do not need them, but I have a urge to purchase a pair or two if I go into shoe store. This is something I have been doing for as long as I can remember, but I must say it has gotten better because I intentionally stay out of the shoe store. Nevertheless, it is apart of who I am, that is, an individual with a shoe fetish, which I actually do not believe to be a bad habit, as most would say the opposite. But, â€Å"Does that make my moral character bad? † Not hardly; therefore I would say my viewpoint and those in opposition to it follows the modern form of ethical thinking because from a modern perspective the act of purchasing one, two, or how ever many pair of shoes repeatedly is not wrong it is something that I have a passion for, and does not result to anyone getting hurt.

101 Reflection and Intro to Report Professor Ramos Blog

101 Reflection and Intro to Report Intro to Report Reflection Reflect on the writing process for your first essay. Answer these questions: What did you do well in your essay? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your essay? Where did you struggle, if at all? Intro to Report Reports are as diverse as all the classes you will take. You can write a report on a lab experiment, conduct interviews and assemble into a report, and even research a topic and publish it for the benefit of everyone. Reports are a genre that you may be familiar with but not know it. Reports are what we have done since elementary school. Reports are produced by government organizations, websites, companies, universities, and even individual students like yourselves. A report can answer a question, explore a topic, review what is already known about a subject, or report new knowledge, to name a few. There are a few qualities that a report usually has: Presents information Uses reliable sources Aims for objectivity Information is clear and well structured For this assignment, I want you to choose a topic that interests you and you want to learn more about. It can be related to your major, future or current career, something you are familiar with, or something you want to know more about. You can research a problem that you want to know more about. We will learn to research the library databases in order to find reliable sources of information. Subgenres of Report The report can be in any style or format that you think best suits it. If you choose to do a PowerPoint, that is your report. You do not need to write a separate report, the PowerPoint should have all the information on it. Here is a list of possible choices: Research Report –What it takes to be a teacher PowerPoint –  Mexican-American Report Wikipedia  style entry Featured Article  in Newspaper Other, cleared by Professor The Conversation We have already learned two important concepts: Literacy Writing Process The third concept is the metaphor of the conversation. What we are studying now, has a long history. People have been writing and researching everything you can think of. For example, the conversation on how to speak well goes back a couple thousand years to Aristotle, Plato, and others that came before. Everything you will write about from now on, needs to be based in a conversation. A scholarly one, a scientific one, a popular one. To know what has been said before, you need to read and research. Entering the Conversation The introduction to the textbook, page 1, explains that the book relies on templates to help us do the basic moves of writing. The templates are guides that when used, help us to structure and generate our own writing. We will talk a lot about approaches to writing and how to think about writing, as well as use the templates provided, to help us practice the principles of writing. It is true, of course, that critical thinking and writing go deeper than any set of linguistic formulas, requiring that you question assumptions, develop strong claims, offer supporting reasons and evidence, consider opposing arguments, and so on. But these deeper habits of thought cannot be put into practice unless you have a language for expressing them in clear, organized ways. (TSIS) State your own ideas as a response to others. You are just entering a conversation that has been going on for thousands of years. You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to begin to understand what others have said before and how to find it. To argue means more than just stating your own position. To argue you need to enter into a conversation with others views. Then you can try to convince others of your position or just to see your position as valid. Burke’s â€Å"Unending Conversation† Metaphor Kenneth Burke writes: Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally’s assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress. Conversation and Report How is the conversation connected to a report? Brainstorming Let us brainstorm some ideas. We first need to choose a topic to write about. Build from lists Mapping ideas Freewriting Memory Prompts Search online for ideas Come up with at least two ideas that you want to write about. They can be general now, they will become more focused as you begin the research. Chp 5, â€Å"And Yet† Distinguishing What  You  Say from What  They  Say Chapter 5 (p. 68) introduces you to the term  voice markers  in order to help you distinguish the â€Å"I say† from the â€Å"They say.† This is a very important move since we are now including the â€Å"They say† in your writing. If you do not do this clearly, the reader will be confused as to your position and you may seem to contradict yourself. The templates help you with specific ways of signaling who is saying what, and to embed the voice markers. Being able to distinguish your own view from the common view is a â€Å"sophisticated rhetorical move.† Using â€Å"I† or â€Å"We† The chapter also covers using the first person in academic writing, â€Å"I† or â€Å"we.† You have likely been told to not or never use the I in college writing. The book argues that well-supported arguments are grounded in persuasive reasons and evidence, not in the use of or nonuse of pronouns. Free Write Take the topic you are thinking about researching for your report and write it at the top of a page. For the next five minutes I want you two write down everything you know about it. Do not edit as you write. Just keep writing and see where it takes you. Just keep writing. If you thought runs out, skip a line and start a new thought. Keep writing. Figure out what you know and what you need to research.

A short quiz Essays

A short quiz Essays A short quiz Essay A short quiz Essay In todays society, many are not aware that they fall In a category of personality regarding the self. The more one tries to answer the questions about their self, the more one beings looking further Into their self. From Walker Percy essay, A Short Quiz, the following paragraphs will include explanations of three of Perrys selves: the cosmological self, the role-taking self, and the scientific and artistic self. The cosmological self can be identified as one of the most common selves in todays youth. The self is either conscious of itself or only conscious of itself insofar s its identity with a cosmological myth or a classificatory system (14). In public media, many artist make appearances which leave a large Impact on people. Such include, first, Justine Bibber. He began singing In the corner of streets to catch the attention of those who walked by and ended up selling millions of records by the side of many other famous musical artists. Through the journey of finding his self, he brought along his fellow believers, or devoted followers. These followers felt as if identifying themselves as a believer, they would receive as well as give some sort of raise or recognition. Not only does the cosmological self apply to one person, but It also applies to a group of people. Take the Dodgers for example. The Dodgers are primarily famous throughout the Hispanic communities but also in California itself since that team has been placed there. As commuters are driving down the freeways in California, they are most likely to drive by a billboard with three large words printed across, Live, Breathe, Blue. Automatically, the word blue is affiliated with the Dodgers, being that their team color is blue. This billboard contrasts two important incepts, living and breathing, to the the color blue,which as discussed appertains to the Dodgers. The self ls_. _ only conscious of Itself Insofar as Its Identity with A classificatory system (14). In this way, people try to find themselves through the classification of others. And finally, the most common cosmological self, astrological signs. Various question the effect astrological signs have on the readers views of themselves. Astrological signs play a large role in many lives today. In a sense, it helps todays world to find themselves. The key phrase in that sentence Is in a ensue. The reality Is that astrological signs, as well as idols such as Justine Bibber and the Dodgers, are only used to fill up the empty space In ones mind which holds the definition of that persons self. The second of Percy selves is the role-taking self. One sociological view of the self is that the self achieves its identity by taking roles and modeling its own from the roles of others (15). A natural example of this is the relationship between a child and their parent. A childs first words generally originate from their parents speech. A arena may consistently ask the child If they want milk, a toy, or even their father. This occasionally results in the development of a childs first word. As a teenager, they begin to acquire some habits, good and bad, from their parents. This includes speech, organization, and work habits. As an adult, they may choose to raise their child in accordance to their parents early decisions. In all, a child imitating their parent Is typical in the role-taking self. A contrasting bond may take place in an employee to trainer setting. As there is no natural, or blood, relation In this type of mains the same. And finally, the role-taking self between a player and their coach. Not many people have the opportunity to experience the relationship between a player and their coach. It is what is commonly known as a love/hate relationship. The day a player win their match, race, or game, they are in love with their coach. But that love never last longer than two days when that player is back on the field or court wishing they had left the scene when they had the chance. Despite the adversities present in the role-taking self, it provides a template which one can always rely on. The third and final of Perrys selves is the scientific and artistic self. That self which is so totally absorbed in the pursuit of art or science as to be selfless. (16) To be selfless is to be concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with ones own. (ODD) There are two famous modern artists who fall into this category. The first is Stefan Joanne Germantown, openly known as Lady Gaga. She was rejected ma ny times before finally getting signed on a record deal which eventually led her to her millions. Her selfless led her to this point. She never gave up on herself because he knew that her music would change the lives of many. The second artist is without a doubt Mile Cyrus. In the pursuit of art, she has completely and utterly changed her whole lifestyle. She went from holding teddy bears and dreaming of rainbows to wearing teddy bears and visualizing rainbows. And last but not least the world famous Albert Einstein. His persistence can truly be marked as a perfect example for anyone fighting for what they know is right. Despite all the attempts to put him down and shut him up, Einstein continued to humbly research and discover wonders of the roll while locals roared about his obvious differences to normal society. True selflessness can be learned from the examples of Albert Einstein as well as Lady Gaga and Mile Cyrus in the scientific and artistic self. Muff have spent a lifetime with yourself, live in the century of the Self, and therefore ought to know yourself best of all (12). In his essay, Percy mentions that anyone can explore for their true self but no one will find it. The cosmological self, the role-taking self, and the scientific and artistic self all reflect Walker Perrys ideas on how people live and act in todays culture.

Strategy plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategy plan - Essay Example Rise Art is created by two close friends and it is inspired by the desire of art and knowledge. Rise Art assists artists to support and expand their functions in creative aspects. The organisation provides an online platform which can simplify the discovery of art to be easy and enjoyable. The art works which are traded by Rise Art are handmade and developed by the team. The organisation performs in conjecture with graduate degree programs in universities, schools, colleges, art galleries and museums in order to provide the customers with an access to incredible level of art (Rise Art Ltd, 2013). Research and Situation Creative industry plays a vital part in the growth of economy. It drives innovation, sustainability and prosperity of a nation. This creativity arrives from several sources namely arts, design, fashion, music and dance among others. The worth of creative industry is not purely practical in nature rather it communicates cultural value and social position of a nation. Si nce different people possess diverse imaginations and gifts, their creations are believed to have certain sensitive value. In the 21st century, these creativities such as designing, decorating or painting started to intertwine together with a range of modern business activities (Crown, 2011). In the UK, creative industry has contributed about ?36.3 billion Gross Value Added (GVA), signifying about 2.89% of total GVA in the year 2009. Among different segments of creative industry, publishing, advertising and television & radio provided the most support to the GVA of the UK. The creative industry also exported different services worth ?8.9 billion in 2009. This figure signifies the implication of creative industry in the UK (Crown, 2011). In the year 2011, there were about 106,700 creative organisations representing 5.1% of entire UK’s organisations. From 2009 to 2011, small growth was observed in the number of creative enterprises. Among other segments, music, visual and arts segments have replicated the utmost number of organisations in creative industry i.e. 1.5% of entire UK’s organisations. Apart from this, advertising, architecture, design and film organisations also represent considerable number of organisations in the UK (Crown, 2011). SWOT Analysis Before developing any communication strategy, it is essential to understand the key strengths and weaknesses of an organisation. Following is the SWOT analysis of Rise Art which would be helpful for developing communication strategy. Strengths Weaknesses Strong market of art Niche customer segment Online interactions Alignment with campuses, art galleries and museums Limited opportunity to make revenue Weak presence in online media Low brand reputation Opportunities Threats Involve the young consumer segment Drive promotional campaign to enhance fan and supporter base Use different public relations (PR) techniques to enhance brand image Competition from other art organisations Evolution in art c an generate confusion for requisite spread of messages Economic condition can reduce the spending of customers of art related products Goals and Objectives The key objectives of the communication plan are: To develop strategies for introducing Rise Art as one of the leading art organisations in creative industry of the UK To drive more traffic to the website developed by Rise Art by involving young customer segment To successfully implement PR strategy in order to enhance brand

Sex Tourism on the Kenyan Coast Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Sex Tourism on the Kenyan Coast - Essay Example The researches carried out on Sex Tourism makes us familiar with the roles of both sexes as sex workers and the tourists. Homosexuality which still has not been widely accepted in majority of the countries also is a part of it. We are also briefed about the rise of various products which is mainly due to sex tourism and also the various parts of the world where this practice is very active namely the events performed by the gays’ in places like San Francisco in the USA and in Sydney which is in Australia. The various aspects of human nature are also dealt with. The dark sides of our society like Child Prostitution, homo sexuality, and sexual exploitation of slaves as well as concepts like mail order brides are the most common subjects which are brought to the fore through the surveys carried out. The concept of sex tourism has been a matter of great interest and as a result more improved kind of surveys has been thought of to make us more familiar with this curse that is sprea ding at a rapid pace in the whole World. The modern authors have promoted new models to exploit the spread of sex tourism. Researches carried out on sex tourism and their results serve as a very good guideline for those who are in a way related with this issue such as the people who work in the tourism sector, students who are engaged in studies related to gender as well as the society. It also serves as a great medium for those who are involved in studies related to Woman. (Ryan, and Michael, 2001)

The Risk of Petrochemical Companies Research Paper

The Risk of Petrochemical Companies - Research Paper Example Contemporary industrial period greatly relies on the utilization of numerous capably hazardous chemical substances. Wastes of petrochemical companies are harmful. These risks could be divided into three criteria, namely, (1) ergonomic harm, (2) fires/explosion, and (3) environmental contamination. Apparently, the major problem is how to effectively decrease such potential hazards in petrochemical companies. Petrochemical companies belong to a chemical system dependent on the products of gas and oil, and related processing of natural gas and petroleum. Hazardous wastes, on the other hand, are those which create a considerable risk or possible danger to the health of living beings for these are naturally deadly, constant, and non-degradable. Hazardous wastes are basically toxic, reactive, corrosive, and flammable (Jasanoff 1994). Ergonomic harm is one of the risks of petrochemical companies. Ergonomics denotes the interface between human beings and the device and machine in the workpla ce. Workers in petrochemical companies are highly exposed to ergonomic harms, such as musculoskeletal disorders (common for workers of drilling companies), or diseases caused by toxic fumes or substances (Attwood, Deeb, & Danz-Reece 2004). Petrochemical companies are also prone to accidental fires or explosions due to their handling of fuels, such as hydrocarbons. Even though these accidents may be quite unusual, when they do happen the effects can be quite serious, such as financial damage, employee casualty, or public injury (Khan & Abbasi 1998). Lastly, petrochemical companies carry with it several environmental hazards, just like in China and Argentina wherein massive environmental catastrophes have brought about a cycle of damages to the health of the local population. Several of the materials most intensely demanded by people for their use are innately harmful. Petroleum, for instance, is an expedient energy source. This convenience, while making petroleum important, also is t he root of its risk. Numerous of the substances or materials used by the petrochemical industry are innately dangerous. Several of the procedures are dangerous as well. In order for petrochemical plants to operate with minimal risk, they should be properly planned and designed, and appropriate procedure and guidelines should be implemented in their operation and management. The safety of petrochemical plants has drawn a great deal of public attention due to a number of major accidents, several of which are identified as the following (Banerjee 2003, 2): the 1974 Flixborough explosion in which 28 were killed, 89 injured and severe damage caused to buildings, the 1975 Beek propylene release and refinery fire in which 14 were killed, the 1976 Seveso accident in which highly toxic substances were released to the environment causing contamination to wide areas with attendant health implications for the surrounding populace, the gas storage plant catastrophe near Mexico City at San Juan I xhuatepec (1984) in which about 500 people perished and extensive damage was done, the Bhopal toxic gas release (1984) in which about 3400 were killed and many more injured, etc. In every one of these accidents an explosion, a fire, or a

On-Boarding, Socialization, Retention and Down-Sizing Essay Example for Free

On-Boarding, Socialization, Retention and Down-Sizing Essay Chern’s has recently hired two new sales associates and have a need for an on-boarding and socialization strategy. Because organizations invest money in hiring new employees, the company has a need to get new hires off to a good start but need help doing so. Because turn-over’s occurs early, organizations can increase their retention rates by helping new hires adjust to their company and jobs. Out-boarding is the process of completing new hires employment paperwork, and providing them with all essential elements for their jobs. Companies also have the need to socialize their employees through planned and unplanned processes, formal and informal activities and experiences through which individuals acquire the attitudes, behavior, and knowledge needed to successfully participate as members in an organization and learn the organizations culture. On-Boarding and Socialization Strategies In order to incorporate Chern’s new hires into its organization several strategic programs, on-boarding and socialization have been recommended. Both of these programs are beneficial for Chern’s and its employees. This recommendation will help Chern’s employee’s transition into the company. The following strategies were recommended for Chern’s new hires; Orientation will involve employees learning about the company, its culture, values, goals, history, mission statement, business, chain of commend and products. Orientation will encompass the company’s policy and procedures as well as the process of filling out the proper paperwork required to work at Chern’s. Through the orientation process employees will receive the tools they need to perform their duties, such as uniforms if required, keys, identification cards, computers, an e-mail address, business cards, telephone number and a work space (office or cubicle). Orientation will provide employees with their benefits information (booklet), 401 k plan, and IIP and retirement plan. Orientation will also include learning how to use the company’s intranet where they can find information about the company (financial facts), products and number of stores and their locations. The orientation process will allow the new hires to meet their co-workers, supervisors and managers. Through orientation employees can understand their roles, and their expectations. Orientation will accelerate the new hires learning process of Chern’s organization. Socialization—will give the new hires the planned, unplanned, formal, and informal activities and experiences to acquire the behavior, attitude and knowledge needed to participate as a member of the organization and learn the firm’s culture. Socialization programs that are recommended for its new hire’s are: A Staggered Program This concept allows new hires to encompass information about Chern’s through a staggered approach, learning in increments instead of obtaining information all at once causing an overload. By learning in increments new hires will retain that information. Socialization activities can be performed through steps allowing new hires to interact with co-workers, supervisors, managers, and HR personal who are familiar with the company. Socialization can be in person as well as via online and classroom settings. Individual Programs gives new hires the flexibility of socializing in a one-on one setting with a mentor or an apprenticeship. By using a mentor or apprenticeship each new hire can learn what is required, their expectations, and job performance rapidly. They experience on the job training through hands on experience and tend to socialize and learn more easily. Formal Socialization Programs- will give new hires the opportunity to socialize with other entities outside of the company, an example would be a seminar where they can interact with other individuals on a professional level and learn new and innovating techniques, procedures and designed activities and materials. This process increase employees job satisfaction and reduce turnover. This gives new hires a chance to be proactive, ask questions, build relationships with others in the rganization and seek feedback while increasing job satisfaction and commitment. Sequential programsallow new hires to follows a range of steps such as step 1—learning about the company. Step 2 –learn policy and procedures. Step 3—learn about the job and its requirements and. Step 4 perform well a so on. Each step leads to opportunities and possible promotions. Fixed Socialization Programs gives new hires information about their probationary status (how long) and their performance statu s with their job. Serial Socialization incorporate new hires with mentors, these mentors guide the new hires through the steps needed to become successful on the job and serve as role models to the new hires. Each new hire will be expected to follow in their mentors footsteps. Investiture Programs- will give each new hire the chance to reaffirm their confidence in them selves and their job performances. This process allows supervisors, managers and in some cases senior management to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and characteristics of the new hires. Investitures programs also evaluates what new hires can do in terms of helping the company move forward and make money from their new innovating ideals (Phillips Gully, 2009). By making these recommendation Chern’s will continue to give its customers the service that lies at the heart of the company. Chern’s strategy can empower its new hires to excel in the company, while upholding its reputation for customer service, quality and selection. These recommendations will continue to give Chern’s a core value that is essential to its branding and culture, while contributing to its customers and building a long term relationship through shared value and customer care. Retention Plan A retention plan for Chern’s top performers is to create an environment, work style and management team that promotes, teamwork, cooperation and retention, which leads to successful delivery of products, customer services and values. Ultimately enriching the company, customers and workers. In order to retain its top performers Chern’s can initiate plans to keep top performers happy by offering great rewards that will be hard to resist. Generally the reason people stay with a company is often the same reason they became attractive in the first place. Implementing the following retention plan will keep Chern’s top performers with the company and reduce a need to hire new people. †¢ provide initiatives to establish and maintain the company’s goals. †¢ establish open communication between management, customers and staff. develop a working environment that encourages professional growth. †¢ match employees with challenging assignments that will lead to professional and career growth. †¢ create a climate of respect, fairness and trust with supervisors and customers. †¢ give employees work flexibility so that they can balance their work and life demands. †¢ provide competitive wages and benefits that are fair, introduce fitness and child care centers. †¢ give top performers bonuses when goals are meet, such as monetary, vacations or extra sick days. create a strong corporate culture for employees that they find attractive such as a mission Statement that appeals to customers and workers. This can help retain employees with the same or similar values. †¢ providing employees with support can also help retain employees, by monitoring their work load, managers can determine if they have the necessary tools to perform their jobs. Using these strategies will institute to recruit, retain and develop top performers.

Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow Is A Mystery

Yesterday Is History, Tomorrow Is A Mystery Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift that is why we call it the present. Author unknown. How much of your life is lost either dwelling on the past or worrying about the future? When your thoughts are imprisoned by the past or fearful of the future, you can miss out on one of lifes greatest gifts: that which is happening today and indeed this very moment. The reality is that when you are yearning for yesterday and either tempted or terrified by tomorrow, your ability to move forward will be confined by your inability to make the most of today. The key to throwing off your shackles is to put your effort into the present moment. Not only will you reap the rewards of enjoying a new awareness of everything around you, but also you will have a healthy and positive place from which to move forward in a constructive and fulfilling way. Mark 8: 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? The goal of the Christian life is living our life centered in the eternal presence of God. Living life at the Center is an axiom not fully appreciated as an underlying hope and reality of the Christian life. The center represents the driving force of ones life where the totality of our thought and life brings us into communion and union with the heart of God. It is nothing more or nothing less than our full devotion in knowing and seeking the life giving love of the resurrected Christ. It is something we seek out of obedience and not something we simply do for a spiritual experience. It is the desire to conform and be transformed by the one who is uncreated Spirit. The one our heart seeks is the trigger or prime mover of everything we now see and know in the world. When we seek the center we seek to know and be known by the great I Am, recognizing He is all sufficient, all knowing, and holds the mystery of creation and our life in His hands. In Christian theology the center is aptly described by the apostle Paul, who states I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. His practical experience reveals a relationship where the life of Christ has transformed his heart and resides in him. Paul no longer lives in his present state of reality, but in a new reality of the cosmic Christ taking control of his life. He no longer lives his life in his own power and intellect. He lives life filled by grace no longer with his limited knowledge but now filled with the knowledge of God. His heart moves closer each day to be like Christs heart. He declares as he dies to his own desires and passions his heart becomes more like Christs heart. Christs life becomes his life and now being centered in Him he is more and more transformed to become like Christ, act like Christ and talk like Christ. The heart of Jesus now lives and acts through Pauls heart and life. Paul now lives life centered in Christ. The core goal of living life at the center is to become like Christ in the renewing of our minds where in practice we are exchanging our minds for His mind and exchanging of our life for His life. It accepts and recognizes the need of exchanging our fallen character for His perfect character and to become completely centered in his will and his life. It moves us away from the corrupt power of this world where the illusions created by our temporary surroundings trap us. Life in the center untangles us from the mess and attraction of this world and lets us become immersed into the fullness of the spirit which connects our heart and immerses us in the source of all love. When we encounter the unfathomable love of Christ we find we did absolutely nothing to seek Him out. We are humbled with gratitude His divinely initiated love seeks our well being far more than we would ever or could ever desire Him. The daunting task of theology is honestly admitting how does finite man encounter/relate/explain infinite God? How does anthropocentric man, by definition a self consumed egocentric entity interpret God? So we must with full disclosure acknowledge at best our ability to explain the concept of God or the divine flows out of a very limited knowledge at best. However at worst the conclusions we draw testify to our fallen condition filled with arrogance and non-glorifying interpretations of God. Man begins any study and evaluation of God from the outside peering through an opaque glass. Man deluded by his own pride and arrogance never appreciates any of the eternal qualities of God. Instead of being humbled for he owes his life to something outside of himself he somehow wrongly and proudly concurs that his life is what is most important. Mankind reasons with feeble attempts to explain the unexplainable which reveals the stark condition of his being lost in a dark and dangerous world. The center which should be Christ has been turned inside out with God no longer at the center but man as the center of his life. The consequences of that blindness render man as a foolish beast proven out in the pages of history. Mankind as he moves away from the center lives a tragic fairytale existence. The further man moves away from the center (God) the more he thirsts and craves the things which never fully satisfy but actually destroy him. The struggle of any religious or spiritual encounter is the question of who is leading me and where am I being led. The tragedy of many who have been drawn by an all encompassing love toward the center find the ego quickly recovers from its initial loss of control and stops the progression toward the center and the divine life. So our encounter has given us a new awareness of life but results in no real transformation of our heart. We have given a mental assent to change and willingly conclude there is something we now see and sense that we couldnt see before this revolutionary change of view in our life. Now aware we easily conclude the heart of God seems to be a much more favorable place to live against the backdrop of our current broken promises in life. In reality we have for the first time been able to see something we have never seen before because now we also see with spiritual eyes. We now behold the glory of God and a plan for not only creation but our life. The historical Jesus becomes the cosmic Christ who is all in all. Our spiritual eyes now open we see life on a new level of awareness. We now engage on an untraveled journey of following God and discovering a place of worship where religious leaders and others teach us how to follow and imitate God. We have a deep desire to leave the outer edge of the circle and mysteriously move toward the center. However, once the movement begins toward the heart of God, all the external trappings of life outside the circle and the things of the world come back with a vengeance to regain control again. The journey to the center and the heart of Christ started when we spiritually saw a fourth dimension beyond what we can touch with our five senses. The journey into the heart of God is an experience in life we never thought conceivable. There is a hunger or itch that has been scratched created by the awareness of something far beyond what you simply taste, touch, feel, in our three dimensional world of height, width, depth, space and time. We are mystified we have found God so to speak and feel fortunate there appears to be a divine plan encompassing all of creation and we will enjoy all the benefits and culmination of that plan. The adventure toward the fullness of God has begun as we deem life has meaning as we no longer exist alone but in relationship and fellowship with the Creator. The struggle is finite man has begun the process of living in the presence of the infinite God. Once again finite man will never ever begin to comprehend or imagine or explain the incomprehensible, the unimaginable and the unexplainable. So the inflated arrogant ego or self quickly makes the indescribable God simply a god we are most comfortable with in our experience. God is relegated once again to our little box of interpretation or at best a good mathematical equation or as the agnostic no relevance at all. Ego edges god out of even existing from the beginning and continues that process every waking moment of our lives even when we have recognized the need to go to the center! My desire is that not only will you see life differently, but you will process life totally differently than you have ever processed it up to this point. I want to first give you a little test. Its a thinking and response test. There are no ground rules except read the word on the left and the word on the right as a pair. I simply want you to read the list of two words each at this point. Republican Democrat Liberal Conservative Vanilla Chocolate Islam Christian General Motors Mercedes Straight Gay Evolution Creation Doctor High School drop-out Buddha Jesus Protestant Catholic Pentecostal Baptist What is your first response to what you just read? Were they simply words or did they carry hidden meaning? Did you have any emotional response to any of the words in their pairing? Did you place any values on the pairing such as one being better or higher valued than the other word? Were some words more negative or positive than others in your mind? In being able to move to the center and the heart of God we must move beyond our normal way of processing life. We process most of life from a dualistic thinking perspective which in simple terms means the ego or the false self processes our existence from a self preservation mode which protects each and every one of us from any perceived harm to our security and existence. In being able to move to the center and the heart of God we must move beyond our normal way of thinking about life. We must learn to process life from a non-dualistic thinking perspective. Dualism sees things as either /or, right /wrong, good/bad/. There is not anything incessantly evil with this type thinking, it simply needs to be recognized as how we are wired, how we process life from our ego or the false self, the part of us that is you and me. Dualistic thinking involves the process of comparing everything by value, usefulness or non usefulness to our state of being. It must be understood it is the part of the self which plays god. It sees life from one perspective what is best for me and what is best for the preservation and security of my life. Dualism sees things which either benefits me positively or negatively. It places me in the position of being for or against something and judges things as right or wrong in relationship to what the false self concludes is best for me and only me. The best way to understand the false self and what dualistic thinking reveals is that our ego preserves itself by being in control and hates anything that threatens its loss of control. It is most dangerous and deceptive when we have a taste of the eternal and our false self aligns itself with the higher power or God. It then can judge others as being the right kind of believer or not. The ego moves quite naturally from a system of thinking based on atheistic belief into a bible believing way of thinking about God. We no longer have the atheistic ego (self) in control. We now have the spiritual religious ego (self) in control. It then can continue its dualistic thinking without any real heart change and control and judge others as being the right kind of believer in God or not. Once again take the paired words together and read down through the list. . Grace Works Hymns Choruses Immersion Sprinkling Liturgical Non- liturgical Male Leadership Female Leadership Alcohol Non-alcohol Non-instrumental Drums Living Bible King James Version Suits Sandals Gays Straight Once again did you have any emotional response to any of the words in their pairing? Did you place any values on the pairing such as one being better or higher valued than the other word? Were some words more negative or positive than others in your mind? It should be rather humbling at this point if we begin to understand we have had some conversion of our head about God, but not much conversion in our heart and life has taken place. Heart renewal begins to take place when we become non dual thinkers and processors. This type thinking and perceiving occurs when we see life not in parts, but begin seeing life as a whole. In non- dualistic thinking and processing life we see God as the source; everything in life flows out of God and everything that God does. Ego more often than not is more comfortable separate from god. So a new life brings about a new way of thinking. My life is to be lost in letting my life be centered and controlled by Gods will. Transformation takes place when the ego no longer compartmentalizes my interpretation of God to fit my egocentric needs and my limited understanding of God. Life change begins when I trust true knowledge comes from God as my source and I let His love be the driving force in my life. There must be faith in God and realize most of the time my interpretation of God is most of the times very ego centered and will remain ego centered usually with what I am most comfortable with for my life. The tragic ironies of the War between the States in the 1860s more Americans were killed in this war than all the other wars combined in America history. It was not only brother killing brother, but Christian killing other Christians over who was right in the name of God. My hope is we might be transformed by the love of God as we move to the center of His Will. This journey into the heart of God means we must go back when before the fall there was nothing right or wrong. God was not only the only source but he is the source of everything pure and holy. Traveling to the center we encounter an all consuming grace overflowing with love from God for us. Love transforms us and we realize the fullness of his spirit and presence is never found or maintained by some legalistic behavior pattern on our part. Love is greater than what I do or could ever do to maintain a relationship with God. My relationship is never based by what I can do but only what God has done for me. So how does non-dualistic thinking begin to process my spiritual life? I begin by letting go of my constant need to be right all the time and to be in control. I begin to let go of the need to impress others, to always elevate and compare myself as better than others all the time. Traveling to the center I find as the apostle Paul the grace to let go of my life to let the life of Christ consume my life. I find the true meaning of the cross that it not only represents the death of Christ, but death to my life and behaviors as well. I recognize as Dietrich Bonheoffer the fullness of life comes as grace bids me come and die. I must die to my way of thinking, die to my way of doing everything and come alive in Gods love and presence. In dying I come alive in the center of Christs heart and let His love, grace and mercy flow from me to others. The image I see of centering love for me is an arrow going from the heart of God to my heart and then proceeding from my heart into the heart of others. When people see me they see the heart of God manifested in my life. Thus the heart of love becomes the heart of love in me and others around me. To be centered I must be like minded with Christ, I must die and let go of the false self, the ego. I must understand the root of all my dissatisfaction revolves around the ego and the false self. The essence of all healthy religion is to become united with the divine, that my heart and my life might be centered in the divine which is Christ. In defense of our dualistic thinking we could not operate in this world without it. Every day we make decisions which are facilitated by this way of thinking. I have decisions to make every moment of the day whether to turn left, turn right, go straight ahead or stop. Chapter Two: TIME TRAP In simple terms man understands time has a beginning and end. Time begins for us the moment we are born and ends the moment we die. Time is both an enemy and friend. Time moves too fast when we are in the throes of romance or when we have some dreaded deadline to meet. It moves too slowly when waiting for some announcement of great importance. Time is an ever present aspect of our life. The stark reality for all of us is we are all present for a short moment and then in the twinkling of eye time is gone forever from this life. Time can also be a trap which clouds our outlook and attitudes about life. Time is understood as being in the past, present or the future. Our perception of time moves in a straight line toward an ending point. We struggle for meaning and purpose to our existence for time is limited. Time is to be lived with all the gusto for our life is like a vapor of water quickly vanishing in the air. Time is relative in relationship to the number of days in our life. A five year old child has a short number of days living in the past in comparison to the number of days potentially to be lived in the future. Likewise a hundred year old woman has lived most of her days in the past compared to the short number of days possible in her future. So in chronological time how much of your life has been lived in the past and how much time do you realistically have to live in the future? Whats your future number five years, fifteen years or fifty? How much time you have remaining in your life is a perplexing question? Let me pose an intriguing answer. Time if we possess any is measured only in the present or current moment. We may live our lives around the past or future, but they are only perceived dimensions of time. When Jesus says dont worry about tomorrow He understood that tomorrow is perceived in the future which may never take place. Jesus also knew for all of us there will be a time we will have no more tomorrows. Time is only a perception for past time is gone forever and future time is an illusion. If you dont mind the pun, the preoccupation of the perception of time in our past or future can be very time consuming. The truth is we have absolutely no control over the time we seem to possess. (If I told you today you have a blood clot in your heart and it will be fatal within 48 hours how does it change your perception of time. How much does your past time matter, likewise if you have 48 hours to live what future time even 6 days, 6 weeks, 6 months, or 6 years matter?) The false self however doesnt die easily it will continue fighting to the end denying its own impending doom. So we find man lives most of his life not in the present moment but either trapped in the past or living for an unknown future. Time trapped man tends to live life either looking in the rear view mirror trying to figure out where they went wrong, or what they should have or could have done better. Likewise if man is not trapped in his past he seeks a future where he finds a nebulas happiness and contentment. Man lives most of his life not in the present moment but projecting his life somewhere in the future. He has some unclear objective that when I make enough money I will be secure and happy. When I drive a certain kind of car or live in a certain type of house and neighborhood I will be accepted. You can understand (ego) time when we think in any qualifying thought I will be or would be happy. Those thoughts include things like when I get married or have a particular job or amount of money I will be happy, the list is endless. Let me challenge you with a concept you will never be any happier than you are at this present moment. You will never be any more contented than you are at this present time in your life. Peace and contentment is never found in past or future experience. The false self believes it controls time and of course everything else in life. YOU CONTROL NOTHING! If I asked, can you guarantee me you will be alive in a week, what would your answer be? Let me ask can you guarantee you will finish reading the next couple of pages or even the next two sentences without dying? No you cant if you are honest. However, there is an astronomical probability you will read the next couple of pages without dying. The reality however is that you dont know and cant control how much time you have or dont have. For that matter you may think you control your life and others, but you dont. It is only the false ego that believes that it can dictate your future and control the destiny of your life and others around you. YOU CONTROL NOTHING! So that being said, what impact would it have upon your life if you didnt have to worry about being in control of your life and everyone elses life? It would be liberating not to play god and give up of our perceived control of our self and others. What would it look like not to let your past determine your present contentment and outlook on life? What if you could turn loose of all of your regrets, mistakes, failures, broken dreams and turn loose of the unkind words or thoughts that grip your life? What would it mean if you let go of your future dreams (nightmares) and concerns you try to control? What would it mean to be fully alive in the present moment? If you were to die this second in what state of mind would your perceived reality be? Would you die at peace, contented, fulfilled, grateful and hopeful or die frustrated, bitter or angry at the world and yourself? I hope you can begin to see that you will never be anymore happy or contented as you are right now. Living in the past or living in the future can be a miserable way to live life. The only time is the present moment, nothing more, nothing less and truly it is all the time you have or ever will have. The way you live life today will probably be the way you will die with the same attitudes and thoughts you have today. Instead of being trapped in time I want us to consider living in the moment. It is something lost and no longer practiced by many within Christianity. It is a lost gift of spiritual discipline. (In eastern thought and religion it is called mindfulness, or being awake, fully engaged in living life in the present moment.) For the Christian it is experienced as walking in the spirit, praying without ceasing, or practicing the presence of God. It is an ever abiding awareness of the presence of God and the condition of our heart and life. It is life lived in the center of Gods will and is alive to everything that Gods life possesses for us every moment. So in the moment and centered in God I simply let go of all the painful thoughts and even the happy thoughts of my past. I have no control over what thoughts I think I simply turn over those thoughts to God and let them go into to the center of His infinite love and compassion. When my mind is centered in the heart and mind of Jesus I no longer need to categorize, control, hide or deny negative thoughts which cloud my life and future. I am at peace when my heart finds its way and is centered in the heart of God. I simply let the thoughts and voices which create feelings of guilt, anger and despair be turned over to God so they no longer have a grip on my life. I let the painful voices give way to the peaceful and grateful thoughts and voices of a transformed mind in Christ. As the apostle Paul once again concluded, I have been crucified with Christ I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. I am fully alive in the moment and I no longer let the false self be in control of my life and thoughts. I let the false self die and let all my thoughts be lost in God. Present with God I acknowledge all of my thoughts as the good, the bad and the ugly and let them float harmlessly into the pure love of God and let them be consumed in the will of God for my life. Chapter 3 Peaceful Mind, Peaceful Heart CLEAR THINKING PEACEFUL MIND, CLEAR MIND, CLEAN MIND, RENEWED MIND, NOISE Chapter 3 LETTING GO BEFORE WE DIE All of us will eventually let go of every experience, emotion or thought we know in this life. We will turn loose of our grip on everything in this present life we hold dear. We brought nothing into this world and will take nothing out of this world. We will let go of our need to be right about everything. We will let go of our need to be better, smarter, and superior and in control of everyone. We will let go of our need to win at everything. We will let go of our need of accumulating more and more stuff. We will let go of every person who has ever wronged us or offended us. We will let go of our need for recognition and applause. You and I will let go of everything the moment we die. So, if we are going to let go of everything when we die why do we have such a difficult time letting go of those things which seem to rob us of our peace today? In the New Testament Paul describes an inner struggle in his letter to the Roman church. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.Paul describes a battle raging for control of all our desires and deep feelings we have in our life. His understanding is we dont actually control our desires and passions they control us. This battle is within every one of us. It is an internal struggle of a force or entity opposed to Gods will and nature. It is a dominant power we cant see with our eyes, touch with our hands or taste with our tongue but we know it flows in our veins if we are honest with ourselves. It lays hidden deep in our soul and impa cts and controls all of our actions and behavior. Once again it is the false self and it has nothing to do with our body. It is that unseen part of us that makes us do what we do in our life. It fancies itself that it is in total control of our life. It acts out as if we are the master of our own fate and we can plan our own happiness and knows exactly what will make us happy. The deception is it falsely believes it can control our circumstances in life and find the success and fulfillment it desires. The false self only sees itself in the best light and desires only what is best for it. Its underlying characteristic is totally a self centered obsession with itself. Its primary objective is self preservation, and lets no one get in its way of having everything it desires and believes it deserves to be fulfilled. This force defines what we like, what we want, and what we think. It believes it must control the course of our life. It believes what it desires can make us happy, contended and successful. The lie of the ego is that it believes if given enough time it can bring fulfillment and happiness to our life. It survives by being right and superior to everyone around us. Likewise it never offends anyone, but is continually offended by others all the time. The ego is obsessed and never has enough stuff and believes if we only had more of everything we would be happier. So, more love, more money, a bigger house and newer car are the pathway of happiness. The greatest lie of the ego however is its denial of death. The ego because we can think and live and breathe conjectures and plots out that it will live forever in spite of the obvious fact we are dying the moment we are born. The ego replacing God never comes to grips with its certain destruction. It is unwilling to accept we are going to die and let go of everything we have ever thought, wished, done or regretted. We are going to let go of our grip on everything we thought we couldnt live without in this life. Everyone will turn loose some sooner than later and thats a guarantee. The move to the center and heart of God can only be accomplished by letting go of everything we hold dear in this life. The sooner we turn loose and learn to let go of everything now the sooner we will experience genuine peace and freedom. Jesus fully recognized the condition of mans life when he told the Father, not my will but your will be done. The false self leads man toward a path of destruction. Letting go and surrendering of our will and life to be consumed in a love we can trust far more than ourselves. The letting go process is a slow and agonizing process because I dont want anything to take my power, my will, or control of my life from me. The ego hates anything that says it must change for any reason. The ego will do everything it can to mask itself as long as it doesnt have to give up control. It will suffer, it will sacrifice it will pretend and will do our sorts of religious stuff. (1 Cor.13)It will go through all sorts of religious purity rites as long as it doesnt have to give up control. Letting go of anything is not the prescription for getting ahead in this life and enjoying life. Letting go is the last thing that the ego is willing or wants to do. It would rather let you die of drugs, your anger, and the stress of working to find significance and security than give up control. It would rather you go through three or four marriages, three or four jobs, three or four DUIs and not have to change or give up control. Here is the truly frightening thing concerning the false self. The false self would rather have us die in our hopelessness and pain than give up its power and control over us. It holds its grip on us till death. It will convince us we are right for being angry with the world, with others and God. The false self would rather us go to prison for life than let go of its anger and its resentment that it holds against others. The ego is unwilling to let God or any other powers have control of it. It fights to the very end and destroys itself. We must let go of what the false self desires to find life and peace. There is no change and peace for our souls as long as the false self is in control. There is no change of heart as long as the mind is controlled by our ego. There is no change until we understand we are totally powerless to do anything with the ego in charge. Jesus let go of life to do the will of father and said, not my will be done but your will be done. So letting go means letting go of the false selfs control and turning our will over to the will of God. So to find real peace and life and to be centered in the heart of Christ means you no longer have to be right all the time. What kind of immediate impact would it have on your marriage today if you didnt have to be right all the time? What impact would have on churches today? What impact would it have on wars with people killing and hating each other over who is right? Jesus didnt give the first commandment that you would be right about everything concerning your faith and your politics in your life. He said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with your entire mind and with all of your soul. Ever wonder why you dont get along with people. Try giving up the need to win all the time and trying to be superior to everyone and a few people may actually like you. Give of the need to have more and more stuff and you might actually recognize fewer possessions really are the path to a contented life. Let go of those who have offended you for you owe it to yourself. One of the last things to let go of can be combined as your resentments, your pain, your suffering. Most people reject God because of the question of why is there pain and suffering. At the end of life people are either generally grateful or resentful about life. Resentment is a condition of our heart which has the underlying belief life didnt go as I had planned it. Life never goes as the way we plan