Confucianism and Legalism

Confucianism and Legalism Confucianism and Legalism were two philosophies developed by scholars as solutions to a period of disorder in China. Confucianism and Legalism are similar in that both originated during the Chinese Classical Period; however, they are different in government because Confucianism focuses on having an orderly, respectful, and successful ruler, while Legalism focuses on having an forceful and omnipotent ruler.In addition, education is extremely important in Confucianism, as opposed to the Legalist belief that people should never gain much knowledge. Both Confucianism and Legalism were developed in China during the Classical Period as solutions to bring back peace and harmony to the area. After the decline of the Zhou dynasty, there was a breakdown of social order (The Period of Warring States), so Chinese scholars and philosophers looked for ways to bring back a state of order and peace.Two different schools of thought, Confucianism and Legalism, developed as wa ys to move China out of chaos and help it return to stability. Another philosophy, Daoism, is similar to Confucianism and Legalism because it was also developed during the Classical Period in China as a solution to the disorder. The styles of governing found in Confucianism and Legalism differ greatly because Confucian government focuses on leading by example, while Legalist government focuses on having an all-powerful government in order to make sure people do not disrupt society for their own gain.Confucians believe that a ruler must be orderly, respectful, and successful in order for his subjects to obey him. This idea is due to their belief in The Five Relationships, one of which is between ruler and subject stating that subjects shall obey their ruler as long as the ruler respects the subjects. Legalist and Confucian beliefs are different on this matter because Legalists think that a ruler can do whatever he wishes regardless of his subjects, while Confucians value respect and devotion throughout society.They believe that there must be an all-powerful and forceful government in place to control society. The reason they think this is because they believe that humans are selfish in nature and that their desires bring about chaos and disorder in society. The views of Confucianism and Legalism on education are very different in that education is very important in Confucianism, while Legalism tries to restrict learning as much as possible. Confucianism deems education as the most important thing a person can have.This is because the Confucian social order – differing from the Legalist social order that focused mainly on ancestry – was not specifically based on birth, but on education as well; the more educated a person was the higher their status could be. However, Legalists believed that anyone or anything that opposed the emperor must be controlled by censorship. Those who opposed the emperor were punished or killed, and works that expressed op position were destroyed. The reason for these actions is that the powerful emperor did not want his reputation to be impaired by other’s â€Å"selfish acts.Confucianism and Legalism are both similar in that they developed at the same time in China; however, they are different in that in order to control society Confucians believe in governing by example, while Legalists believe in governing by force and power. Additionally, Confucianism and Legalism differ in that Confucianism values education to the highest degree, whereas Legalism tries to limit the knowledge of society. Both of these Classical Period philosophies were built up in order to pose as solutions to a period of disorder in China.

Honesty †the Best Policy Essay

Honesty is the human quality of communicating and acting truthful and with fairness, as best one is able. It is related to truth as a value. This includes listening, reasoning and any action in the human repertoire — as well as speaking. Superficially, honesty means simply, stating facts and views as best one truly believes them to be. It includes both honesty to others, and to oneself (see: self-deception) and about ones own motives and inner reality. Western views on honesty  Since the quality of honesty applies to all behaviors, one cannot refuse to consider factual information, for example, in an unbiased manner and still claim that one’s knowledge, belief or position is an attempt to be truthful. Such a belief is clearly a product of one’s desires and simply has nothing to do with the human ability to know. Basing one’s positions on what one wants — rather than unbiased evidence gathering — is dishonest even when good intentions can be cited — after all even Hitler could cite good intentions and intended glory for a select group of people. Clearly then, an unbiased approach to the truth is a requirement of honesty. Because intentions are closely related to fairness and certainly affect the degree of honesty/dishonesty, there is a wide spread confusion about honesty–and a general belief that being dishonest means that one always  correctly understands if their behavior is either honest or dishonest. Self-perception of our morality is non-static and volatile. It’s often at the moment we refuse to consider other perspectives that there is a clear indication we are not pursuing the truth, rather than simply and exclusively at the moment we can muster up evidence that we are right. Socrates had much to say about truth, honesty and morality, and explained that if people really understood that their behavior was wrong — then they simply wouldn’t do it — by definition. Unfortunately, honesty in the western tradition has been marginalized to specific instances — perhaps because a thorough understanding of honesty collides with ideologies of all types. Ideologies and idealism often exaggerate and suppress evidence in order to support their perspectives — at the expense of the truth. This process erodes the ractice and understanding of honesty. To an ideologist the truth quite often becomes insignificant, what matters most are their ideals and what ever supports their desires to enjoy and spread those ideals. Human beings are inherently biased about what they believe to be good due to individual tastes & backgrounds, but once one understands that a decidedly biased approach to what is true — is inherently dishonest, one can also understand how idealism and ideology have poorly served the quest for an honest, moral society. Both honesty and morality require that we base our opinions about what is good — upon unbiased ideas of what is TRUE — rather than vice versa (determining what is true based on what we feel is good) — the way all ideologies would have us believe. The studies of Confucius about honesty Confucius recognized several levels of honesty, fundamental to his ethics: His shallowest concept of honesty was implied in his notion of Li: all actions committed by a person to build the ideal society – aiming at meeting their surface desires of a person either immediately (bad) or longer term (good). To admit that one sought immediate gratification could however make a bad act better, and to hide one’s long term goals could cloud a good act. A key principle was that a â€Å"gentleman† must strive to convey his feelings honestly on his face, so that these could help each other coordinate for long term gain for all. So there was a visible relation between time horizon, etiquette and one’s image of oneself even in the mirror. This generates self-honesty and keeps such activities as business calm, unsurprising, and aboveboard. In this conception, one is honest because it suits one’s own self-interest only. Deeper than Li was Yi or righteousness. Rather than pursuing your own interests you should do what is right and moral – based on reciprocity. Here too time is central, but as a time span: since your parents spent your first three years raising you, you spent three mourning them after they die. At this level one is honest about one’s obligations and duty. Even with no one else to keep you honest or to relate to directly, a deeply honest person ould relate to ancestors as if they were alive and would not act in ways that would make them ashamed. This was part of the moral code that included ancestor worship, but Confucius had made it rigorous. The deepest level of honesty was Ren, out of which flowed Yi and thus Li. Confucius’ morality was based upon empathy and understanding others, which required understanding one’s own moral core first, rather than on divinely ordained rules, which could simply be obeyed. The Confucian version of the Golden Rule was to treat your inferiors as you would want your superiors to treat you. Virtue under Confucius is based upon harmony with others and a recognition of the honest reality that eventually (say in old age) one will come under the power of others (say one’s children). So this level of honesty is to actually put oneself in context of one’s whole life and future generations – and choose to do or say nothing that would not reflect one’s family’s honour and reputation for honesty and acceptance of truth, such as eventual death. Partially because of incomplete understanding of these deeper notions of honesty among Westerners, in Asian countries it is common to refer to those who do not have them as barbarians. While sometimes Asian cultures sanction an almost intolerable degree of delay and ambiguity for Western tastes, it is very often to avoid lying, or giving a positive impression where doubt exists. These would be thought dishonest by Asians. Thus pressing for a decision on a matter where it is not yet possible to give an honest commitment or answer is seen as extremely rude – in effect, forcing someone to choose to be either rude or dishonest. Both being unthinkable in traditional culture, one thus delays. A Buddhist teaching on honesty Thanissaro Bhikkhu taught: â€Å"Real honesty is being honest about what your possibilities are, what your potentials are. Thats where true honesty lies. It stretches us. It’s not simply admitting where we are – that’s a beginning step, it’s not the end step. So be honest about where you are but also be honest about what your possibilities are. That keeps the challenge of the path always before us. †

Cat Food Industry In The UK

Cat Food Industry In The UK By using environmental analysis, it is possible for organizations to recognize existing opportunities and threats for companies, define strategies to best utilizing opportunities and also to minimize the bad consequences of threats (Arabi & Parsaeian, 2001). And the most important, the analysis can provide a rational future prediction as a base for future strategy adjustment. The company can forecast the consumer tends in next decade and rearrange its products in order to capture the volatile market share in a long-term perspective. The remote environment has the origin of factors that influencing operating environment. In industry-level analysis, it is necessary to analyze a macro environment of a company and access its performance of competitors responding to external elements. The object of this paper is to analyze remote environment and operating environment of cat food industry at United Kingdom. Part Two will be industry definitions. The industry background will be introduced in Part three at three levels, global market, Western Europe market and UK market. Part Four will be remote environment analysis by using PEST model, followed by operating environment analysis in Part Five by using Porter’s Five Forces Model. 2. Industry and Product definition200 211 Wikipedia defines Pet food as plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pet_food) Mintel defines pet food as any foods that are specifically formulated and marketed for pets, including treats (Mintel, 2009). In legislation, â€Å"pet food† means a feeding stuff for pet animals. To achieve the appropriate balance of nutrients pet food, manufacturers blend mixtures of ingredients including meat and fish, with vegetables, cereals, vitamins and minerals to produce foods that will satisfy the nutritional requirements of a pet(PFMA). It is typically sold in pet stores or supermarkets. And pet food is divided into three categories (Figure 2): dog foo d, cat food and other pet food (i.e. fish food, bird food). Pet Food sells in the form that either prepared or non-prepared. Figure 2 Pet Food Segment In this paper, cat food intends to be defined as food product specifically formulated for feeding of cats. For the purposes of this paper, some further definitions used by Mintel reports are as follows: Wet cat food ‘C including wet canned cat food with a moisture content of 60-85% and semi-moist food with a moisture content of 25-30% and includes complete foods. Dry cat food ‘C has a moisture content of around 10% and includes complete foods Treats and Mixers’C food supplement for cat. 3. Cat food industry Background 200 475 3.1 Global Cat Food Market Figure 3 (Source: Euromonitor International) According to data from Euromonitor, in 2009, the Global retail value sales of cat food reach US19.6 billion dollars, at a growth rate of 4%. Although Dog food continues to occupy nearly half of pet food and pet care market, cat food market ‘posted a comparable CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 5 % during the period 2004-2008’. This indicates that the economic downturn had slight impact on this industry. However, the rising rates of house repossessions contribute to the decline in the pet populations, especially in western economies. The recession caused the lack of consumer confidence which lead to backward sales of the whole cat food market at 2008, but the global market is still growing in 2009 as the ongoing trend of pet humanization that ‘consumers want value-added products that extend both the quality and length of the pet’s life’.

Determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Determinism - Essay Example Free Will, Soft Determinism, (In)compatibilism Some of the eternal normative questions such as that of morality too have shaped the major arguments of compatibilism. The problem is that without free will, it is believed that there cannot be any morality among the human beings. The issue is ultimately about human choice. The starting point of the debate is not that what the choice must be. On the other hand, the question here is about whether human beings have the choice of choice at all, especially in their crucial actions with regards to life struggles. Pippin proposes that â€Å"freedom is understood by Hegel to involve a certain sort of self-relation and a certain sort of relation to others; it is constituted by being in a certain self-regarding and a certain sort of ‘mutually recognizing’ state. This state of self-consciousness and socially mediated self-reflection, defined in a highly elaborate systematic way as a ‘rational’ self- and other-relation, c ounts as being free† (p. 194). It means that free will is not only constituted with relations to one’s self but also in relations to other as well. Free will, in other words, is constituted by a dialectical relationship between the individual and the society. Here, in Hegel, the conflict between free will and determinism progressively blurs. One of the most important questions that need to be addressed reflexively is the problems of whether determinism is inconsistent with free will. But, one could argue that there is no given inconsistency as such between determinism and free will based on his/her lived in experiences alone. If the actions of a person are completely determined by rational factors, we must be in a position to correctly predict that person’s future course of action as well. No determinists have ever come up with a mechanism to do so whatever determinism they preach in theory. According to Steward, â€Å"it appears that it is a matter of luck in s ome sense that we ever manage to decide things, but this luck does not appear to prevent those decisions we do manage to make from having been truly up to us. And this means that we must be cautious, in turn, about the demands we impose on the libertarian. In particular, we must not insist that the libertarian story entail that luck be entirely absent from the arena of action† (p. 169). The dialectics between chance and necessity of course have a crucial role in understanding the interactions between free will and determinism. God or the ultimate determinism must itself be seen as an expression of the free will of the universe. Pippin suggests that â€Å"treating Geist itself as a kind of norm; a collective institution whereby we (remaining the natural organisms we ontologically are) hold each other to a responsiveness to and directedness by reason, and thereby realize spirit as ‘freedom† (p. 204). It is the universal and human beings’ hold with it determin es our free expression of the will. The free will does not exist independently. It materializes itself only in the given conditions. To argue that human beings are completely governed by their decisions is completely wrong. Even our own decisions do not determine our own behavior or a particular course of action. It is one of the strongest assertions of Steward is that â€Å"decisiveness is an executive virtue we do not all possess – so vacillation – even vacillation that is ultimately fatal to treasured aims - does not constitute the sort of behaviour we cannot make

Further Education in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Further Education in UK - Essay Example Some FECs are funded directly; others receive money indirectly through a franchise agreement with a higher education institution, or as part of a consortium. Contact details and links to further information on FECs providing HE courses are available through the HERO web-site. The following list gives the 135 FECs that we are funding directly I am proud that my first White Paper as Secretary of State should be on the issue of education for our 14 to 19 year old.(http://195.194.167.100/unicoll/FE/). The reforms set out for further education are very much important. They are vital to UK economy equipping young people with the skills employers' need and the ability to go on learning throughout their lives. Reforms are vital for social justice giving us the chance to give break through the historic link between social back ground, educational achievement and life chances that have determined UK citizens as a nation. And most of all these are vital to each and every individual young person, whatever the needs of the young people or whatever they want to be. Young teenagers are tomorrow's leaders, entrepreneurs, parent and community servants, so we should take a special care for the children in the age group of 14 to 19; it is the age period when one needs guidance and help for selecting one's career. Build a system of 14 to 19 education that will do just that. A system that we can be proud of. And one that gives every young person the opportunities they need and deserve. Every child and every teenager has equal worth. We owe it to them to give them the chance to show what they can do, to make the most of their talents, to reach their potential. And the key to doing that is to design a system around them based on high standards, on choice and on meeting individuals' needs and aspirations. To deliver that system will take determination. It will take commitment. It will take the hard work of teachers, lecturers, other education professionals, employers, parents and all who work in or with our schools and colleges. It will require breaking down the artificial barriers between academic and vocational education. It will mean building on all that is good in our system and reforming what is not working. Building from the excellent work of Sir Mike Tomlinson and his Working Group on 14-19 Reform and from the work of the successful school and college partnerships we are already seeing in local communities. It charts a 10-year reform programme and the milestone s needed to achieve it. But more than those details and those milestones, it sets out a vision of what we want for children and teenagers what we want them to learn, the skills we want them to acquire, but above all the values we want them to have. The purpose of the education system is to help each and every individual reach their potential. (http://www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/14-19educationandskills /pdfs/14-19WhitePaper.pdf) School pupils in this age group and (probably) sixth form

Mangerial skills and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Mangerial skills and communication - Essay Example Furthermore, our society depends on the goods and services provided by the organizations these individuals manage. Each of us is influences by the actions of managers every day in different capacities, because we encounter organizations every day. Our experiences may be as students in a college, patients in a hospital, customers of a business, or citizens of a state. Managers play a vital and crucial role in almost every type of organization. All the organizations are guided and directed by the decisions of one or more individuals who are designated managers. In other words, managers can be considered as the backbones of every organization. In this regard, it is the responsibility of managers to manage their work, their employees and workers, in order to ensure successful proceedings in the organization. In specific, a number of factors are responsible for the effectiveness of a manger. Particularly, interpersonal skills play a vital and crucial role in the efficiency and efficacy of the managers. In this paper, we will try to focus on couple of interpersonal skills that can facilitate the worki ng of managers in an efficient manner, especially the communication competence and intercultural communication. (Williams, pp. 31-32, 2001) It is very important that the term interpersonal skill should be understood and discussed in the paper, which will perform as the basis of our study. In this regard, during social communications and interactions, communicative algorithms play an important role that have been referred as interpersonal skills, which facilitate and impact significantly on results. Within business organizations, social communication and interactions is the major tool that is utilized by managers to operate and manage the employees in business organizations. In other words, interpersonal skills can be referred as an art that is used at the time of interacting with one another. It has been

Homework CH. 8 & CH.9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Homework CH. 8 & CH.9 - Assignment Example This practice was originally practiced by all Muslims when at war or on a long journey to avoid illicit sex. However, it was found to disenfranchise the women and the children born out of the marriage after the man had left even if he paid all the dowry and penalties of divorce. This is a big deal in Islam because inheritance rights have the capacity to influence ones fate in the now and in the hereafter. The other modern problem between the Shiites and the Sunnis is the practice of medical interventions, which are considered unlawful such as abortion and family planning including newer forms of treating sterility. The Shiites have democratic privileges of choosing a spiritual leader called an ayatollah that has the power to make edicts just like in the papal system. There is also lot mysticism in both religions and the elevation of religious martyrs into sainthood. Both religions have a strong dose in terms of its affinity for liberation of its peoples even endorsing violence as the need arises. They also have many sacred objects and shrines to which their faithful pay pilgrimage. They both believe in sacred intercessors among their faithful who had shown exemplary religious fervor. They are all monotheistic religions. They have the Old Testament (Protestantism), the Torah (Judaism) and the Taurat (Islam). They all believe in a hell and a heaven as well as a judgment day. They all believe in a creator God who rules over the universe. They are all eschatological in nature. He was the senior companion and father-in-law of Prophet Muhammad. He was the first to truly believe in the prophet and led two major successful invasions against other caliphates as well as battles in the name of Islam. He was very influential then and now The social power from the Sunnis came from shared practices and strict adherence to religious practices such as

Justification Report for Barnes & Noble Research Paper

Justification Report for Barnes & Noble - Research Paper Example This report provides an evaluation of the environmental impact of paper bags and plastic bags. Through this evaluation I will come to a conclusion on the kind of actions, the company Barnes & Noble must take to ensure favourable publicity from environmentally conscious actions. The main points expressed in the report are: †¢ Plastic Bags are harmful to the environment because they are non biodegradable and generate huge amounts of litter. †¢ Plastic Bags are toxic to animals and marine life. †¢ Paper Bags, though biodegradable and recyclable need a lot more resources than plastic bags to be produced. †¢ The impact of both plastic bags and paper bags is thus, negative. †¢ The solution is to use reusable bags. †¢ Barnes & Noble must charge a nominal amount for plastic bags, and then donate the proceeds to charity. †¢ By publicising this, Barnes & Noble will get favourable publicity and consumer behaviour will be affected because they will use more reusable bags. †¢ Barnes & Noble can also sell branded reusable bags thereby ensuring more publicity with minimal investement. Introduction This report seeks to examine whether paper bags should used over plastic bags at Barnes & Noble, the largest bookseller in the United States.1 The question is whether the environmental concerns that exist for plastic bags are absent in paper bags and what position should Barnes & Noble choose to improve public relations through environmental activism. Plastic bags and paper bags both leave an environmental footprint but the key question is which one affects the environment more. Problem Statement Paper bags are widely seen as better than plastic bags since they are supposed to be biodegradable. However, for a company like Barnes & Noble to switch to paper bags and totally eliminate plastic bags requires significant investment and thus such an investment should be backed by verifiable fact. Thus, there is a need to study whether the costs of switching from paper bags to plastic bags are justified by the benefit to the environment which in turn will give favourable public ity to Barnes & Noble. I propose to evaluate the benefits that plastic and paper bags have over each other and propose a solution that will benefit the environment and Barnes & Noble. Method Used I did an examination of the various primary and secondary sources available to understand the environmental issues concerned with both plastic and paper bags. Based on those findings I proposed a plan of action that will give favourable publicity to Barnes & Noble along with being cost effective. Findings Plastic bags are ubiquitous in America today because they are cheap to produce, plentiful and easy to carry. They have also captured 80 percent of the grocery store market. 2The biggest threat that plastic bags pose environmentally is litter. The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States points out that 31 million tons of plastic waste was generated in 2010 and made up 12.4% of Municipal Solid Waste. Only 12% of this plastic waste was recycled.3 Plastic bag nuisance has become a big problem in places like Ireland, Bangladesh, Australia where they are either banned or heavily taxed. However plastic bags have huge economic advantages because they are far cheaper than paper bags. In fact, consumers and producers who earlier used to oscillate between paper and plastic bags have switched to plastic bags because of the economic advantages. 4 However, one city in the United States, that is San Francisco decided to ban plastic bags in favour of

Comparison of the foreign policy decision making by the United States Essay

Comparison of the foreign policy decision making by the United States and Germany on the example of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF - Essay Example 1. Foreign Policy Decision Making of the US 1.1 Constitutional Conditions By virtue of his constitutional prerogatives, as set up in Article II, Section 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, the President of the United States is the nation’s chief executive and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, as well as is granted the power to make treaties with foreign nations, â€Å"by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate†¦ provided two thirds of the Senators concur† (Clause 2). This postulate not only outlines the presidential powers in regard to foreign policy decision making, but also gives the Senate quite a passable share in that process by requiring Senate approval and confirmation of any treaty before it comes into effect. However, the President is allowed to enter into â€Å"presidential or sole executive agreements† concluded on the basis of his constitutional authority in regard to Article II, Section 1, Section 2, Clause 1 and Clause 2, as well as Se ction 3 of the Constitution (Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress 4). In addition to his control over the military forces, the President has the authority to deploy them at his discretion – in other words to wage war – while the Congress is empowered to declare war, and to raise and support armies, as well as to provide and maintain navy, which alongside the control of funding the military provides another way of keeping the executive branch in check (Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 8, Clauses 11, 12, 13). Under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, the Congress is additionally empowered to â€Å"make all Laws which shell be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers† (Clause 18), which clause enables the legislature to use any reasonable means to put the powers in question into action, and authorizes the Congress to enact legislation necessary to carry out the powers of the other branches as we ll (Constitution of the US, Article I, Section 8, Explanation). This division of the war powers had repeatedly been put to the test in Korea, Vietnam and other places, where the US were involved in a number of intense conflicts without any declaration of war. That had provoked congressmen’s concern and a national argument over the meaning of these powers and the erosion of congressional authority to decide whether and when the United States should be involved in a war. As a consequence, both the House of Representatives and Senate passed the War Powers Resolution (Public Law 93-148) which, although being vetoed by the President Nixon, was enacted in 1973. The resolution has been intended to guarantee â€Å"that the collective judgment of both the Congress and the President will apply to the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities† (War Powers Resolution, Sec. 2a), as well as to stipulate the procedures of consultation, reporting, congressional actio n, etc. in regard to the US involvement into such situations. 1.2. Participating Institutions As seen from above, the institutions all-important in the process of creation (decision making) and implementation of U.S. foreign

Mock Trial Closings Essay Example for Free

Mock Trial Closings Essay The closing argument is the last piece of a mock trial, essentially the last time you get to sell your case to the jury. During the closing argument, you are summarizing and putting together everything the jury has already heard during the trial. You are basically clarifying everything presented in the trial from showing the relevance of a particular witness to showing how everything you’ve presented comes together to prove your case. It is one of the most important parts of mock trial, mainly because the jury listens. It is the last chance to convince the judges of your case, to show you are more skilled than your opponent, and get the perfect 10 you’re hoping for because they are the last words the jury will hear from your team. It can make your case, or break it, thus delivery is very important. Writing the Closing Theme An important part of a great closing is the theme. It will tie your case together in a pretty ribbon that will stay in the juries mind. It will be the same theme from the opening, one that runs through your entire case, and in the closing reminding the jury of your case with the catchy phrase or sentence. Structure 1)Introduction: Begin with a short introduction that catches the jury’s attention. It should remind the judges of the big picture. If it’s a murder trial, talk about how tragic it is that this person’s life was taken away. If it’s a civil trial you can speak about how the person’s rights were violated. Also be sure to introduce your theme during the introduction. 2)Burden of Proof: Explain what your burden is and what your role is in relation to it. Tell the judges exactly how you’ve met the burden or how the opposing counsel has failed to met this burden. In addition, frame the burden of proof in your favor. 3)Law: Tell the judges about each element of the charge. Explain whether or not you have proved or disproved each element, or whether it is enough to prove or disprove any one element. Then make a roadmap. Tell the judge that to prove your burden/undermine your opponents case, you are to prove x, y, and z. 4)Argument: This is the meat of your case. This is where one by one you are going to signpost and tell the judge exactly what you are talking about. Example: â€Å"Now let’s look at X†. X, Y, and Z should not be your three witnesses but parts of the law that you need to prove or disprove. Remind your judges of testimonies/evidence from the trial that adds up to show X. Do this for all points. Its important to remember it should be based around the law. Don’t go witness by witness recounting the evidence. 5)Conclusion: Sums everything up. Restate how you’ve met your burden of proof through x, y, and z. Use your theme once more to tie everything together. Ask for a verdict. Remember to be this strong, convincing and memorable.

Strategic Planning For British Airways Management Essay

Strategic Planning For British Airways Management Essay The purpose of this paper is to evaluate an effective and efficient strategic planning for airline industry providing British Airways strategic plan. British Airways leading UK market as a leader of the airline industries. This paper evaluate the British Airways strategic planning including the strategic model, Enternal and external environmental enalysis,management risk and strategic v operational risk. This paper is done by secondary data collection process which is totally qualitative data base paper. Most of the information I got from British Airways own website (www.britishairways.com) and some are from some Book, Journals and Articles. Mainly for their (British Airways) business strategy planning they are following some strategic models like Porters five forces model, PESTEL analysis, and SWOT analysis etc. By those analysis organization can understand like British airways can understand that what is their external and internal condition and what is the strength for them ,what is opportunity and weakness and based on those factors they are trying to compete with their competitors and getting good market share in the tourism and hospitality industry. Contents 3 1.1 Objectives 5 1.2 Company Overview 6 1.2.1 Company Structure 6 1.2.2 Corporate Level Structure 7 1.2.3 Business Level Structure 7 1.2.4 Functional Level Structure 7 1.3 Current Strategies 8 2.0 Environmental Analysis(External Analysis) 9 2.1 PESTEL Analysis 9 2.2 SWOT analyses 11 3.0 Strategic Planning Model 11 S 11 Internal Strengths 11 Brand Image 11   Partnerships HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__29263_575820157HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__29263_575820157 Alliances 11   Financial size and stability 11   Terminal 5 11 W 11 Internal Weaknesses 11 Poor employee relations history 11   Reliability and trust 11   Innovation HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__29277_575820157HYPERLINK #__RefHeading__29277_575820157 change 11 0 11 External Opportunities 11 Quality System 11   Competitors forced exit 11   Competitors failing on delivering reliability 11   Emergence of new markets 11 T 11 External Threats 11 Open Skies Agreement 11   Environmental awareness 11   Global economic crisis 11   Lower cost competition 11 3.1 Porters Five Forces 12 4.0 Customer Analysis 13 5.0 Competitor Analysis 15 5.1 Strategic Groups 15 6.0 Internal Analysis 17 6.1 Value Chain Analysis (VCA) 17 17 6.2 Key Strategic Issues 20 7.0 Implementation 22 8.0 Managing Risk 24 9.0 Ethics 24 10.0 Strategic V Operational Conflict 25 11.0 Recommendation 26 11.1 Financial 26 11.2 People 26 11.3 Legal 26 11.0 Conclusion 27 1.1 Objectives The main objective of this paper is to develop the internal external environmental analysis and strategic planning with risk management and business ethics. Specific objectives are following, Evaluate the current strategic position of British Airways. Analyse the strategic Planning Models for British Airways. Analyse British Airways internal and external environment. 1.2 Company Overview British Airways is the UKs largest international scheduled airline. At the side of scheduled services, BA is engaged in the operation of international and domestic carriage of freight and mail, and the ancillary services (Datamonitor, 2008). In association with codeshare and franchise partners, BA fly to more than 300 destinations, and carried more than 33 million passengers, earning over  £8.7 billion in revenue in 2007/08 (British Airways, 2008). Employee headcount in March 2008 stood at 42,377 people (Datamonitor, 2008). Since privatisation in 1987, BA has continued to grow as competition in the market has risen worldwide. In recent times, BA has successfully been labelled the worlds first airline to take part in a scheme to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (2002) and to allow passengers to print online boarding passes (2004) (British Airways, 2008). In 2005, the company saw Willie Walsh become Chief Executive of BA (Flight Global, 2008), who to date has driven the company through the completion of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, amongst other new initiatives. Despite reported and imminent industry hits due to the global economic downturn, BAs future looks promising. As BA announces its aim of becoming the worlds most responsible airline in the latest annual report (British Airways, 2008), great importance lies in developing guiding principles and careful strategic direction to allow the achievement of this goal. 1.2.1 Company Structure When implementing strategy, people are crucial to the success (Johnson et al., 2008), therefore the structure within BA will now be analysed to ensure successful implementation. 1.2.2 Corporate Level Structure (Adapted from British Airways, 2008). At a corporate level, BA has a good structure already in place. There is a new Acting Customer Director on an interim basis, Silla Maizey (British Airways, 2008). She has introduced a new customer service team working with Heathrow Customer Services, designed to put customers first. Using the current structure to implement our strategy, it is recommended that a permanent and not acting director to be recruited. In terms of the technological strategy, no amendments to the current structure are necessary as BA already have systems in place to implement new technology. 1.2.3 Business Level Structure At a business level each department will need to ensure all staff implements the strategies that have come top-down from a corporate level and work within the organisations brand values. Each department must also tailor the corporate level objectives specifically to its own targets. This will help to build the brand, improve its customer relationship focus and achieve the stated objectives. 1.2.4 Functional Level Structure Every function must coordinate with each other to ensure objectives are met and an updated operations manual must be developed. Specifically for the relations strategy, detailed targets must be stated for both the marketing and HR functions with constant data capture and analysis to see whether the targets are being met. Sufficient training on the new onboard technology will be necessary on an ongoing basis to ensure that employees are fully familiar with the service. 1.3 Current Strategies The paper will be designed in consideration of BAs current strategies: Upgrade customer experience via the introduction of text and mobile services for business class customers. Modernise aircraft fleet and offer new services. Manage cost base. Increase corporate responsibility through environmental performance and partnerships. 2.0 Environmental Analysis(External Analysis) For success within the airline industry, an awareness of the external environment is essential. This section aims to highlight the position of the industry, in particular looking at competitors and assessing BAs capability to meet current and future challenges. 2.1 PESTEL Analysis (Source: Johnson et al., 2008, p56) Figure 1-Pastel Analysis Factors BA Implication Political 1. Heavy regulation (AEA, 2009). BA: Compliance is essential if BA wants to continue operations 2.Increased security due to past terrorist threats (DFT, 2008). BA: Sufficient security measures should be in place to ensure consumer confidence and competitive advantage is maintained. Economic 1.Global economic crisis:World growth is projected to just over 2  percent in 2009 (IMF, 2008). Pound weakens especially against the Euro. BA: Possible reduction in the amount of business travel as companies are cutting costs and using alternative means of communication such as teleconferencing. BA is vulnerable as a UK operating airline to a poor exchange rate. 2. Oil prices: declined by >50 % since their peak retreating to 2007 levels. Decline in fuel price = strengthening of the dollar (IMF, 2008) BA: Fluctuations in oil prices and exchange rates will directly affect BAs cost base. 3. UK consumer spending saw its sharpest decline for 13 years between July and September 2008 (Channel 4, 2008). BA: More intense competition Social 1.The UK has an aging population (see appendix 3) (National Statistics Online, 2008). BA:Potential opportunities for growth as older generations havemore time to spend on leisure activities such as international travel. 2. Increasing unemployment (Kollewe and Sager, 2008). BA: Increased bargaining power as an employer. Technological 1.A recent survey revealed that 34% of online consumers plan to use price-comparison sites more in 2009 (NMA, 2009). BA: Increased consumer awareness and therefore bargaining power. 2. Online booking services and check-in is becoming increasingly used by the airline industry. BA: BA must ensure that they remain up to date with these technological advances whilst avoiding becoming overly reliant, as this may isolate certain consumer markets (i.e the elderly) who dont feel comfortable using such technology. Environmental/Ethical 1.Noise pollution controls,and energy consumption controls (DFT, 2008). BA:New legislation (e.g. Climate Change Bill) enforcing tighter environmental regulation may increase operational costs each year. 2.Limited land and for growing airports Expansion is difficult at Heathrow as it would result in a loss in the Londons Green belt area. (BBC News 2006) BA:Limited capacity=>utilisation of capacity. 3.Consumers are becoming increasingly green and more aware of the environmental impact of their actions. BA:Failure to adopt an integrated environmental strategy could lead to a detrimental effect on the BAs reputation and income. 4.Cancellations of flights and loss of baggage (Channel 4, 2008). BA: Such ethical issues could have a detrimental effect on reputation if left unresolved. Legal 1.Collusion and price fixing. BA:Restriction on mergers will have an impact on BAs proposed alliance with American Airlines. 2. Recognition of trade unions and industrial action e.g. Cabin Crew strikes. BA:Good employee relations are essential if BA wants to avoid industrial action and interrupted operations. 3.Open Skies Agreement (AEA, 2009) BA:Opportunity for BA and its competitors to freely transport aircraft between the EU and US. 2.2 SWOT analyses Figure 2-SWOT analyses S Internal Strengths Brand Image   Partnerships Alliances   Financial size and stability   Terminal 5 W Internal Weaknesses Poor employee relations history   Reliability and trust   Innovation change 0 External Opportunities Quality System   Competitors forced exit   Competitors failing on delivering reliability   Emergence of new markets T External Threats Open Skies Agreement   Environmental awareness   Global economic crisis   Lower cost competition 3.0 Strategic Planning Model 3.1 Porters Five Forces (Source: Johnson et al., 2008, p60) It is important to analyse the competitive nature of the airline industry in order to assess the position of BA. The Five Forces tool will enable BA to make strategic decisions in order to increase profitability. Force Strength Competitive Rivalry BA caters for both long haul and short haul flights. Within long haul there is little differentiation between BA and their competitors, in terms of price and service offering. The short haul market is more fragmented with many small players. Direct competitive rivalry is fierce, e.g. Virgin has a website opposing the proposed strategic alliance between BA and AA No Way BA/AA (Virgin Atlantic, 2008). Consolidation of competitors has increased competition. HIGH Power of Suppliers Two aircraft manufacturers = High bargaining power. BA restricted by sole supplier of fuel to the airport. Priority of landing slots is given to historic rights of existing users (IATA, 2008). BA employees use collective bargaining through trade unions in order to increase their bargaining power HIGH Power of Buyers Low concentration of buyers to suppliers means they have little bargaining power. Increased internet usage has amplified awareness and interaction of customers (Keynote, 2008c). MEDIUM Threat of New Entrants Significant barriers to entry: such as the competitive environment, high regularity requirements and high capital cost requirements. Barriers to exit are in place which deters new entrants. The failure of recent airlines such as XL and Zoom is likely to deter new entrants (Times Online, 2008). LOW Threat of Substitutes There are few direct substitutes: Short haul flights: the Eurostar or a ferry. Long haul flights: no notable substitutes. LOW 4.0 Customer Analysis Over the past decade there has been increasing complexity in customer needs, as the customer has become more educated and demanding. Particularly, the following changes have occurred: A shift in demographics to older passengers (Keynote, 2008c). Increased global connectivity allowing the usage of internet and search mediums (e.g. comparison and review websites). Increased requirement for convenience (e.g. new destinations, quick check-in). Price has become more of a priority Segments have become more defined within their needs. Evidence that BA is failing to respond to the changing customer landscape includes: The amount of BA customers recommending their services reduced from 61% in 2006/07 to 59% in 2007/08 (British Airways, 2008). BA have been criticised for slow innovation (Doganis, 2006, Pg 165). Poor reliability and baggage handling (AQR) Failed attempts to target the price conscious consumer through low cost airline operation (Eirma, 2008). 5.0 Competitor Analysis 5.1 Strategic Groups Figure 3 Strategic Group Analysis (Source: Johnson et al., 2008, p73-77.) Figure 3 illustrates that BAs direct competitors are those who operate similar services and lie within the same strategic group. The competition is likely to be most intense within this group as they are seeking similar strategies. Lufthansa and KLM-Air France are the 2 leading European Airlines Member carriers in terms of passenger numbers, with 15.1% and 14.1% respectively of the total number of passengers carried. BA comes in third with 9.3% of the total (Keynote, 2008c). BA face competition from a small number of serious contenders in the UK, with the main contenders being Virgin Atlantic, and United Airlines in the Star Alliance soon controlling BMI (Euromonitor, 2008). Although they do not lie within the same strategic group as BA the advent of low-cost air travel has changed the face of the airline industry. Airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet have established themselves among the leading carriers in Europe, whilst the more established long-haul carriers such as BA have struggled to keep up with their counterparts growth rates. Moreover the economic downturn and sharp fall in oil prices has caused a price war between Emirates, BA and Virgin Atlantic on the London-Dubai route. Fares have dropped by 30% across the airlines. Thus competition still remains fierce. Based on the strategic group analysis it could be argued that there is a gap in the market for a low cost airline operating a high breadth of service however it is likely the reason no airlines have adopted this strategy is due to the fact that it would be destined to fail. This assumption could be supported by BAs failed attempt to enter this market in recent years (Telegraph, 2002). 6.0 Internal Analysis It is now essential to analyse the internal environment in order to formulate appropriate strategies. 6.1 Value Chain Analysis (VCA) BA have tried to control the system further by forward and backward mitigation. Through controlling many component supplies in-house, and through BA Holidays Plc, BA increases their reach in the value system to the supplier and channel value chains. Figure 6 Value Chain (Adapted from: Johnson et al., 2008, p110) SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE Structured hierarchy allows BA to make use of a multitude of specialist knowledge in order to gain competitive advantage over downsized firms. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Invested in the development of customer service training in 2007 attracting the best employees. Speak Up opinion survey encourages employees to provide feedback (British Airways, 2008). TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT BA has added value in this category over smaller companies due to slack resources that can be employed to innovate the service (e.g. individual LCD screens). PROCUREMENT Due to the size and historical business relationships and alliances, BA is able to leverage suppliers and through economies of scale make efficiencies where competitors may fail. PRIMARY ACTIVITIES INBOUND LOGISTICS Stock Control High quality training accredited by City Guilds (British Airways, 2008). Ongoing relationship with suppliers (e.g. Gate Gourmet. OPERATIONS Increased Baggage Security. Quick check-in services and secure online bookings with ability to pre-book additional services. OUTBOUND LOGISTICS Customer Service Large database of airport slots enable passengers to access the majority of destinations from preferred airport. MARKETING SALES Marketing communications to all stakeholders. Brand allowing for large budget to be spent in this field. POST SALE SERVICE Loyalty club card. Update communication on other services Whilst the Value Chain highlights the primary and support activities that add value to BA, there are a number of inefficiencies within these activities that arguably reduce the amount of value provided (see figure 7 and 8). Figure 7 Support Activities Value Loss SUPPORT ACTIVITIES Firm Infrastructure Large bureaucratic infrastructure decreases effective communication and increases inertia. HRM BAs employee opinion surveys attracted a mere 35% response rate in 2007 (British Airways, 2008). Due to high collective bargaining capabilities, BA has contended a number of highly publicised employee relations issues (e.g. Cabin Crew strike over pay, sickness absence, and staffing in 2007 (BBC News, 2007). Technology Development BA has failed to gain recognition for new innovation. Figure 8 Primary Activities Value Loss PRIMARY ACTIVITIES Inbound Logistics High solidarity between supplier employees and BA employees has created a history of negative industrial action. For example, in 2005, BA employees walked out for two days when Gate Gourmet employees were sacked (BBC News, 2005). Operations/Outbound Logistics TV documentary reported on Terminal Five operation difficulties, an emergency landing at LHR, poor baggage handling and flight cancellations (Channel Four, 2008). Marketing Sales A lack of innovation in their marketing communications (e.g. Virgin gaining value over BA). 6.2 Key Strategic Issues Analysis Tool Key Findings Strategic Implications PESTEL Global economic crisis. Higher regulatory requirements. Increasing environmental awareness. Decline in consumer spending. Increased use of the internet by customers. Focus on technological and environmental issues. Porters Five Forces High competitive rivalry and bargaining power of suppliers. Defensive strategies needed to protect market share. Customer Analysis Consumer trends in high convenience and high expectations of service. Ensure changing customer needs are understood and met Strategic Group Analysis Intense competition within strategic group and trend for consolidation. The biggest other threat comes from low cost airlines. Although low cost airlines are the biggest threat to BA, moving into low cost market is not deemed appropriate based on previous failed attempts. Airline Quality Review BA = poor baggage handling, poor on flight entertainment and low customer satisfaction. Service Quality needs to be improved to gain a competitive advantage GE Matrix Highest growth markets; Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe. BA has a strong opportunity for market development in Asia and Eastern Europe. The Value Chain BA adds value; financial size and stability, brand image, industry expertise, and partnerships and alliances. BA loses value to competition; employee relations and performance, marketing delivery, reliability, and slow innovation. BA needs to address the areas where value is being lost to avoid attacking competitor strategies. Resource Based View Strong resources including sole access to hub within largest UK Airport. Strong training competencies. Utilise BA core competences to gain competitive advantage. Financial Analysis Increased profits and lower operating costs. Lower gearing ratios and higher liquidity. Possibility of a loss in 2009 as a result of the economic downturn. Investment resources available. Increased scrutiny on strategic projects for risk assessment. 7.0 Implementation Based on the analysis of strategic options it is proposed that two strategies are implemented simultaneously. These strategies are a people processes focused strategy and technological advancement. Figure 12 details the objectives and performance measures of these two strategies. Figure 12 Strategy Overview Strategy Objectives Performance Measures People processes Aim: Improved stakeholder brand image profitability Utilise databases. Improve service delivery efficiency. Improve internal communication. Implement effective review monitoring. Profit margin increase of 2 3%. Increase repeat purchasing by 25%. Increase customer recommendation from 59% (2007/08) to 70%. Improve employee survey rate from 35% (2007/08) to 80% (Value Chain). Technological advancement Aim: Customer Loyalty Market Share Following succession with test internet implementation, roll out internet on-board internet access. An appropriate pricing strategy involving complimentary service for first class whilst targeting business class as the most profitable market. Continued market research to ensure that this is a valued service and seek opportunities for further development. Install equipment on remaining 244 aircraft. Increase business class market share by 10%. 80% of business class customers purchasing internet usage. Following RD implement 1 new technological service. In order for the chosen strategies to be successful effective implementation is essential to organise and enable success and to manage the changes that will impact BA. 8.0 Managing Risk Risk management helps the organization to identify and address the risks facing their business and trying to increase the probability of successfully achieving their businesses objectives. Types of risk business need to face: Strategic Compliance Financial Operational Three main risk factors affecting all airline are volatility in jet fuel price, foreign exchange and interest rate risks. Interest Rate Risk: BA utilizes swap agreements to manage its interest rate exposure. Foreign Exchange Risk: BA manages its Foreign Exchange exposure. Any surplus of foreign currency is sold at spot or forward for US dollars. 9.0 Ethics An ethics strategy should be concerned with ensuring that all corporate activities are ethical, legal, and within all regulatory guidelines.   An ethics program is more likely to be considered effective if it includes the following components: 1)  Statement of Values The creation and communication of a statement of organizational values is considered to be necessary guidance. 2)  Code of Conduct A code of conduct or an ethics policy that communicates a commitment to ethical behavior throughout the organization, and explains how these values are to be applied in representative situations. 3)  Executive Leadership and a System A plan and systems for the communication, monitoring, and enforcement of the Code of Conduct. Important consideration in this respect, include: Richard Bransons success in forcing British Airways into adopting a Code of Conduct is a warning to companies that do not have a code that they ought to consider adopting one and to those that do that they should make sure it works. Without an effective ethical policy, a company cannot be sure that ethical judgments made by employees are consistent with the strategy of the company and are made at an appropriate level within it. Ethics protects the reputation of the company. British Airways is a classic example, where large amounts of marketing investment in image were undermined by the publics perception of its actions. British Airways experience shows that management may be deluding themselves if they consider that all employees in a company will adopt their values and the strategic importance of ethicality by absorbing knowledge from superiors. 10.0 Strategic V Operational Conflict While strategic and operational planning both offer beneficial aspects, there are some key differences that should be understood. Strategic planning is the formal process of defining the requirements for delivering high payoff results, and for identifying what, and how, to get from current realities to future ones that add value to the organization. It is not rigid nor lockstep, but rather a self-correcting set of defining requirements and relationships for stating what is in terms of results, and moving ever closer to what should be the results and payoffs.   Strategic Planning is long term planning undertaken by senior management (i.e. the executives). It involves making decisions which will work toward reaching an organisations mission and vision statements. Operational planning is day to day planning undertaken by front line managers. They report to middle management and enact the leg work of the strategies developed by middle management to achieve strategic goals. 11.0 Recommendation Although strong and justified strategies have been created within the confines of the report there are a number of issues which BA should take into consideration when implementing the proposed strategies. These are considered briefly below. 11.1 Financial BA should not have much trouble in implementing these strategies. With an increasingly lower gearing ratio and better liquidity they should be able to secure some funding from financial institutions and obtain the rest from retained profits. However, with the current economic conditions, it will still be difficult to obtain funding and BA will not want to increase its gearing too much. 11.2 People The recommended strategy to improve relations will require full support from BAs workforce. As a highly unionised workforce, success in changing the employment relationship will be determined by BAs ability to work efficiently with each recognised union. In regards to implementing change, due to BAs history and size the company may experience organisational inertia or myopia. Again, improvements to customer relations may be hindered by an uncooperative workforce, highlighting the importance of ongoing training and support. Similarly, a technological stance will require BAs employees to develop service knowledge, and it is imperative for the organisation to support them in doing so on a continual basis. 11.3 Legal The use of Wi-Fi on planes is already allowed by the aviation regulators in the UK, Europe and Rest of the World. However, regulatory approval must be achieved before it can be implemented on planes flying to/from USA (Wlanbook, 2008; Row 44, 2008). The use of external legal consultants should be used when implementing both strategies to ensure that legal requirements are met, especially when performing internal and external surveys and the confidentiality of data. 11.0 Conclusion As a result of the external and internal analysis a number of strategic options were proposed. It was concluded that a combined strategy approach to improve service quality was deemed most suitable. Due to the current industry climate we have chosen a strategy to consolidate BAs position as market leader. Due to the scale and scope of BAs operations it was decided that the focus of this report would be on scheduled passenger flights. We would recommend further strategic analysis to implement SBU level strategies. Due to lack of primary research and restricted access to company information there may be limitations in our findings and recommended strategy, however we believe that if the general direction of our suggested strategic intent is followed it will lead to lead to success. Reference Johnson, G.and Scholes, K (2002) Exploring Corporate Strategy.6th Edition.London, UK Prentice Hall. Kathleen B Hass, Richard Vander Horst, Kimi Ziemski (2008).  From Analyst to Leader: Elevating the Role of the Business Analyst Management Concepts, 2008.  ISBN 1567262139. p94: As the discipline of business analysis becomes professionalized HYPERLINK http://www.theiiba.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Learning/Bodyo

Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria) :: essays research papers

Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria ) from an essay by Katrina Tram Duong, edited by S.N. Carson M.D. Necrotizing fasciitis, known commonly known as "flesh eating bacteria [infection]", occurs in a wide range of people 1. It occurs in the elderly, middle aged and younger patients. It occurs in athletes and debilitated individuals. It can occur in drug abusers with self inflicted wounds and healthy individuals with incidental injuries. It may occur in those with metabolic disorders such as diabetes and those with suppressed immune systems. It may occur in those with no underlying disorders and no known particular injury. It occurs under ordinary circumstances such as a seemingly harmless cut or scrape and in wounds resulting from major trauma such as an auto accident. There is no single way of contracting necrotizing fasciitis. One patient reported that he caught it while he was at the beach and may have scraped his skin. There are some cases that have been reported after bug or dog bites. We have also seen confirmed drug users who got the infection but declared they didn’t know how the bacteria could have entered their body. There have been numerous cases where injection of illicit drugs can produce infections that present with signs of a simple cutaneous abscess and yet unpredictably evolve into an extensive necrotizing soft tissue infection 1. Fig1. This is a picture of a leg with full blown necrotizing fasciitis, just prior to surgery. Note the discoloration. The skin feels crepitant and the area is extremely tender. A larger picture with detail is available by clicking this thumbnail print. Necrotizing fasciitis is a deep infection of the subcutaneous tissues that results in progressive destruction of fat and fascia. The progression is usually rapid and, as an example, this author has seen it spread throughout one leg in a little over one hour. Of course, this has an instant effect on the blood supply to these areas. Alternative names for necrotizing fasciitis are fasciitis-necrotizing; infection-necrotizing subcutaneous; subcutaneous infection-bacterial5. Untreated and unconstrained, it can destroy massive amounts of tissue and result in amputation and even death in a short period of time. Fig. 2. Another leg as above presurgical for necrotizing fasciitis. When first seen two hours prior, the discoloration was only present at the ankle. A larger picture with detail is available by clicking this thumbnail print. Necrotizing fasciitis is caused most commonly by Streptococcus pyogenes, group A streptococcus, which is the same bacteria that causes common strep throat 8.

The Ancient Greeks Belief in the Underworld Essay -- Greek mythology,

A dark, silent, formless void, a perpetual abyss without orientation, this is essentially what the Greeks believed was the origin of the world. The ancient Greeks while trying to further explain the world, invented beguiling myths (Evie). From these myths a world of human like gods and goddesses was formed (Evie). Through narratives, legends, and myths this world justified various abstract ideas, thus creating Greek mythology (Evie). A central element in Greek mythology is the underworld. The underworld is considered to be the place where one’s soul goes to after death. The underworld has played a vital role in Greek culture by serving as an incentive to live a virtuous life, which in turn has affected all aspects of Greek life. The world of the dead or the underworld was viewed as a subterranean realm (Joe). The ancient Greeks believed that almost all mortals would reside in the underworld after their death. Those fortunate few that did not either gained a place at Mount Olympus or became gods or goddesses themselves (Joe). The underworld was ruled by Hades although there were many other deities in the underworld. Hades acquired the underworld when he and his two brothers, Zeus and Poseidon, divided the universe (Joe). Zeus received the sky, Poseidon received the sea and Hades received the underworld. The underworld was divided into several regions. There were five subterranean rivers which flowed through the underworld (Joe). They were Acheron (Woe), Cocytus (Wailing), Lethe (Forgetfulness), Phlegethon (Fire), and Styx (Abhorrence) (Joe). All souls would have to travel through the five rivers before they were judged and sent to their final residing place to wander for all eternity. The underworld also consisted of two mai... ...ir gods and goddesses they would be virtuous. The stories and myths of the underworld and those unfortunate souls left to wander for eternity gave incentive to be righteous and please their deities. The Greeks would live their lives accordingly so that they may truly be at peace in the afterlife. To avoid being sentenced to wander aimlessly in the after life the Greeks took every possible precaution. The underworld in Greek mythology served to encourage the Greeks to live a righteous life. In the desire to please the gods and goddesses and to prevent eternal wanderings in the underworld the Greeks changed their lives. Within the changes to their traditions, practices, and daily lives, the Greeks altered their culture. The mythologies of the dark, ominous underworld created a thriving Greek culture with many of its only practices, traditions, and rituals.

Economic And Monetary Union Of Europe :: essays research papers

Economic and Monetary Union of Europe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main reason for creating a European Market was the growing international competitiveness. In the mid of the eighties the European countries recognized that in the long run the national economies alone won't be able to compete against countries like the US, Japan and the new industrial centers in East Asia. The biggest advantage of the European integration is the unique chance of causing significant economic growth in the member countries by abolishing all kinds of barriers e.g. customs controls, trade restrictions, liberation of the movement of capital, tax harmonization, and by the opening of the financial market, a common trade policy, a common service market, common legal protection of companies and so on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The two countries who support the European integration most (at least their governments) are Germany and France. One reason therefore might be that both countries have a dramatic increase in unemployment rate within the past few years. In Baden-Wà ¼rttemberg for example, the area where I am from, the unemployment rate has gone up from about 4% in 1992 to around 9% nowadays. Most likely Mr. Chirac's and Mr. Kohl's only solution concerning the unemployment is a fully integrated economy which for sure would create new jobs in Europe. The German population, however, is scared that a United Europe would create new jobs only in low wage countries like e.g. Portugal. Many think that a European market with no barriers would would even cause â€Å"job hollowing out† of Germany. Moreover the German population likes the strength of the D-Mark and is worried that a single European currency would be weaker. As a result of this many Germans change their money into Swiss Francs. So far Switzerland has done quite well by not taking place in all events available. One reason why they are better off is that they didn't take place neither in World War I nor in World war II and therefore didn't have to rebuild everything.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some people expect that in a Unified Europe the standard of living in the richer countries will decrease while the people in poorer countries will fare better. One professor of mine once said: â€Å"Somebody must pay for the European Integration. Most likely this will be the richer countries like us. It was the same with the German Unification†. This shows that even some very educated people in Germany are skeptical concerning the new Europe. The light poll at the last election of the European parliament seems to be showing that the German population is not that much interested in Europe. The average worker/person if living in Germany or any other European country is not

Impacts of a Borderless Society

| A Borderless Society| Impacts of a borderless society| | Courtney BrownSC300 – Big Ideas in Science: From Methods to MutationKaplan University| 3/12/2013| | When it comes to time of the day to sit down and eat a meal, there a couple of different things that I think of when I try to decide what to eat. The first thing is how hungry am I? The second thing is what kind of food do I want; chicken, steak, a sandwich? The last thing I think of is how long it will take me for me to cook the meal. However, the thing I never think of is where does the food I’m eating come from?I’m going to analyze one meal that I have eaten today, a cheeseburger and potato salad. When my family makes potato salad, it normally consists of potatoes, onions, and bacon. Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in the United States, contributing about 15% of farm sales (Jerardo, 2012). Over 50% of potato sales fare to processor for French fries, chips and other potato products (Jerardo, 2012) . Western states such as Idaho, Washington, and Colorado produce two-thirds of fall potatoes with Idaho and Washington accounting for over half of the United States total (Jerardo, 2012).Potatoes are usually grouped within two categories, fresh and processing. Processing potatoes then get broken down into, frozen (French fries), chips, dehydrated or canned (Jerardo, 2012). We always use the fresh potatoes when making the salad. United States farmers plant approximately 125,000 acres of onions each year and produce about 6. 2 billion pounds a year (National Onion Association, 2011). The top 3 producing states of onions are Washington (22,828 acres), Idaho-Eastern Oregon (21,000 acres) and California (17,850 acres) (National Onion Association, 2011).Approximately 170 countries grow onions for their own domestic use, however many are involved in international trade (National Onion Association, 2011). The top leading countries for onion production are China, India, United States, Turkey and Pakistan; they count for 8% of global onion production (National Onion Association, 2011). After researching, I believe that the only way to get onions is having them fresh in the produce section of your grocery store. Bacon is most likely my most beloved part of the potato salad. Who doesn’t love bacon, right?The two main methods of curing bacon are pumping and dry curing. Pumped bacon has curing ingredients that are injected directly into the meat to speed up the curing process and add bulk (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). Dry cured bacon has a premeasured amount of cure mixture applied or rubbed on the bacon surface. This curing phase takes up to 2 weeks to complete (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). They also produce organic and natural bacon (US Department of Agriculture, 2011). Iowa, carrying 29% of the United States market share (Perman, 2012).The burger can be made so many different ways from the toppings that go on it to what it is made out of. The meat of the burger can be made out of ground beef, chuck, and sirloin and so on. We purchase our beef from Wal-Mart stores but cannot find on where they retain their meat from. The biggest benefit of having this type of food market would have to be competition. In today’s world no matter what you do; you always seem to be in competition with somebody. If a person is in high school they are competing to get the best grades, if you are at your job you may be competing for a promotion.In the food market today, everybody is always looking for the best price and with so many different sources to get your supplies; every company is going to be looking to get your business. In return if people use their product for a decant amount of money and they are satisfied, they are going to tell someone about it then they will possibly gain another customer. One of this disadvantages of having a market like this is that because there are so many different sources for people to use, companies can f orget the consumer.Some companies maybe think that because they are selling their products for less money, that they can cut corners and not use the best supplies to make their products. This might tempt the consumer to go to another company and pay a little more but they will have a better product coming out of it. We are getting into a time where people are starting to pay attention more to how much they are spending, what they are getting out of spending that money and if it’s even worth paying for it.People everywhere are starting to either grow their own food or are starting to look for locally grown food so they know nothing is going to harm them; which the phrase â€Å"Think Globally, Act Locally† comes into play. This phrase is basically trying to convey that we need to start thinking about what we put into this world and how we take care of it. Although trading and selling goods with other countries is a good thing, staying local will cut down on pollution in the air. These days it is getting tough with the prices of everything rising so staying locally will also benefit the farmers in the area.Before this assignment I never really thought of the impact that my choices of where I bought my food can make. Even if just one more a person a day chose to buy something locally, I believe that they can make a huge difference globally. I live in a small town that doesn’t have many grocery stores that sell locally grown food. We do however have a farmer’s market that comes to town for about two months between September and November; so when that time comes everyone takes advantage.Unfortunately any other time of the year, we have to resort to going to Wal-Mart or target. I do believe that locally grown food is the way to go; there are so many benefits of it like being healthier for you and healthier for the environment and you know that the local farmers did not use any chemicals. I think that if one person everyday decided to buy l ocally than we can make the earth healthier. References Jerardo, A. (2012). Vegetables & pulses: Potatoes. Retrieved from http://www. ers. usda. ov/topics/crops/vegetables-pulses/potatoes. aspx National Onion Association. (2011). All about onions. Retrieved from http://www. onions usa. org/all-about-onions/where-how-onions-are-grown US Department of Agriculture. (2011). Bacon and food safety. Retrieved from http://www. fsis. usda. gov/factsheets/Bacon_and_Food_Safety/index. asp Perman, C. (2012). Bacon tourism: From the Davos of bacon to bacon mecca. Retrieved from http://www. cnbc. com/id/47537540/Bacon_Tourism_From_the_Davos_of_Bacon_to_Bacon_Mecca

Principles Of Personal Development Essay

1.1 Explain what reflective practice is It means focusing on how we interact with others. Thinking about how we could have done things differently, in a better way. This allows us to improve the action we take. 1.2 Explain the importance of reflective practice in continuously improving the quality of service provided see more:explain how standards inform reflective practice in adult social care It helps us to recognise what we do well so we can use these skills in other situations. It also helps to learn from our mistakes and to plan for future situation where we can respond better to changes. 1.3 Explain how standards inform reflective practice in adult social care By being fully aware of the standards we know exactly what to do in certain situations which also gives an opportunity to be always updated. Following the standards ensures to carry out work in the most professional way. 1.4 Describe how own values, belief systems and experiences may affect working practice My own values and belief may have a great impact on my work. It is always good to be open minded and most importantly respect other peoples opinion. Just because we have our own values, does not mean it is the right one. Always listen to the service user. If you think differently, you can always explain it in a polite way. 2.1 Explain how people may react and respond to receiving constructive feedback It can be upsetting when areas which need improvement are identified. If you get the feedback in a positive manner then you are more likely to accept it  and work harder to improve them. 2.2 Explain the importance of seeking feedback to improve practice and inform development Seeking feedback gives you an idea on what to improve. If you accept it then you can be motivated and more focused on it. It helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses which could be really difficult. It encourages you to perform better. 2.3 Explain the importance of using feedback in improving own practice It helps you to identify the training needs you might require and to correct mistakes. After you have done everything to improve on the areas where improvement was required, you will feel confident in your work environment. 3.1 Describe the components of a personal development plan Personal development plan is a tool to set a plan which helps creating self awareness and it will lead to achieve your goals. Components: Objectives – what do I want to be able to do better? Actions – what methods will I use to achieve the objectives? Success criteria – how will I measure my improvement? Achievement date – when do I expect to achieve my objectives? Implementation – how will I practise and apply what I have learned? 3.2 Identify sources of support for planning and reviewing own development We have got an appraisal/supervision system at our workplace but other sources can be: Team meetings and discussions Working alongside with colleagues and other professionals Trainings Asking question from colleagues and other professionals 3.3 Explain the role of others in the development of a personal development plan in identifying:a) Strengths b) Areas for development The supervisors role is to support and advise you in your work and to make sure that you know and understand your rights and responsibilities. A personal development plan identifies your training and development needs. Because the plan is updated when you have taken part in training and development, it also provides a record of participation. There is no single right way to prepare a personal development plan. There are plenty of different models and styles. What matters is what is in the plan It should include: different development areas the goals or targets you have set a timescale for achieving these goals or targets 3.4 Explain the benefits of using a personal development plan to identify ongoing improvements in knowledge and understanding The personal development plan gives you an overview of what you have accomplished but also allows you to identify areas that still need improvement. Because things are always changing with Health and Social Care your training and development needs have to be continuous so your skills and abilities are always up to date.

Board of Education

In the history of the contemporary United States, there has been no issue that has touched off more debate than the issue of discrimination based on the skin color of an individual. The fact that one skin color is superior to another has been the topic of many a political, social and at one point military struggle in the chronology of the United States. In one of the many Supreme Court cases that have dealt with the race issue, one of them became the benchmark of cases regarding such issues, Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education( 347 U. S. 483 (1954) (Find Law).In the deliberations that went on in the High Court, the Warren Court found that the Plessey vs. Ferguson decision (163 U. S. 537 (1896) (The Oyez Project), had no legal ambit under the laws of the United States (Nina Totenberg). The Plessey vs. Ferguson ruling of the Supreme Court (163 U. S. 537 (1896) (The Oyez Project) stipulated that the term of â€Å"separate but equal† as enshrined in the 14th Amendment of the Unite d States Constitution was adequately met in the decision (The Oyez Project).In the facts of the case, Homer Plessey was incarcerated for the offense of taking a seat in a tram car designated for white people in 1892 (Lisa Cozzens). Plessey was in fact technically a white person, having only an eighth part of him being black, and the rest white (Cozzens). In the case of Plessey vs. the State of Louisiana (163 U. S. 537(1896) (Cornell University School of Law), which the state argued that Plessey was black under their laws, Homer argued that the law for which he was jailed for was unconstitutional (Cozzens).Plessey further argued that the Separate Car Act was in direct infringement of his rights under the 13th and 14th Amendment rights (Cozzens). In the opinion of Judge Howard Ferguson, the law was constitutionally infirm if the train traveled across state lines (Cozzens). But in the case of Louisiana, Ferguson ruled that the state can regulate the operations of the trains that are in their jurisdiction (Cozzens). When Plessey appealed to the Louisiana State Supreme Court, the court affirmed the ruling made by Ferguson (Cozzens). Arguing before the United States Supreme Court, the Court again found Plessey guilty of the offense (Cozzens).In their decision, with Justice Henry Brown as ponente, the law that separated blacks from whites in the trains in Louisiana did not clash with the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery (Cozzens). In the ruling, the law did not espouse inequality; it just made a separation in the color of the skin of the two parties (Cozzens). But Justice John Harlan, who voiced the lone opposing vote, averred that the United States Constitution, did not classify men according to the color of their skin, and that all individuals were covered equally by the law (Cozzens).Harlan also drew on the decision of the Court on the Dred Scott case and said that the decision will be just as controversial (Cozzens). The Plessey case was at the crux of the matter in the arguments presented in the Brown vs. Board of Education issue (Totenberg). Before the initiation of the Brown legal action, the NAACP was getting favorable rulings with regard to its cases that centered on challenging school policies that segregated or even barred black students from some universities’ schools of law (Totenberg).In the 1950’s, the NAACP turned its legal crosshairs on the issue of segregation in the nation’s primary and secondary education system (Totenberg). With future Supreme Court Chief Justice manning the offensive for the NAACP, the group first tested the waters so to speak in a case filed in Clarendon County, South Carolina (Totenberg). The case however was remanded back to the lower courts (Totenberg). Analysts aver that the decision of the High bench was heavy with political insinuations coming on the heels of the year’s electoral exercise (Totenberg).With the Topeka, Kansas argument, it was joined by several other motions along the same argument (Totenberg). The Chief Justice at the time, Fred Vinson, had just passed away, allowing for the nomination of then California governor Earl Warren to the post (Totenberg). In the decision of the Warren Court, the practice of segregation of white and black children in the schools was unlawful (Find Law). In the decision, the practice of separating black from white children, if only guided by racial concerns, is abrogation of the rights of children of color of equal coverage of the laws as enshrined in the 14th Amendment (Find Law).In the court’s opinion, the â€Å"separate but equal† legal doctrine found in Plessey vs. Ferguson was deemed infirm in law (Find Law). The cases argued together with Brown all centered on the minority children seeking legal relief to their cause of admission into their local schools on a non-segregated mode (Find Law). In the history of the Supreme Court, the Court has ruled on at least six cases all discussing the â€Å"separate but equal† clause in Plessey (Find Law). In the cases of Cumming vs. Board of Education (175 U. S.528), and Gong Lum vs. Rice (275 U. S. 78), the doctrine itself was not argued (Find Law). In some of the more recent cases, the equal rights guarantee was breached in that white students were acquired with better benefits than their African American counterparts (Find Law). Examples of these cases include Sipuel vs. Canada (332 U. S. 631) and Sweatt vs. Painter (339 U. S. 629) (Find Law). In essence, the Court found that the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine found in the Plessey decision was not espousing equality, but inequality (Totenberg).The Supreme Court at the time was fully cognizant of the social and political ramifications of the case in Brown (Library of Congress). The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) had staged a calculated attack on the Plessey doctrine (Library). Aware of this scenario, the Supreme Court heard the case in as many years as times it heard the case, a total of three years (Library). In coming out with their decision, the Court had ordered that both sides prepare legal briefs in the case (National Archives).The briefs that the High Bench wanted each side to prepare was to focus on the opinions of the counsels if the Congress had this question in mind, the segregation of students in public schools, when they framed the 14th Amendment (Library). Several cases were in the list of cases cited by counsels in the argument of Brown (Library). The first case was the test case sent up by the NAACP, Briggs vs. Elliot (342 U. S. 350 (1952) (Library). In the particulars of the Elliott case, Harry Briggs claimed that the Clarendon County School Board, led by its President R.W. Elliott, violated their 14th amendment rights for affirming the school segregation policy (Library). In their arguments, they used the theory of noted child psychologist Dr. Kenneth Clark, who said that segreg ation affected the outlook of the child of African American children (Library). In the reargue phase of the deliberations before the court, future Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall concluded that the court can rule against their cause by declaring that African Americans were second class human beings in comparison to Caucasian Americans (Library).After waiting for close to half a year, the Warren Court, on May 17, 1954, rendered a unanimous verdict (Totenberg). It declared that the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine as applied in the area of public education was not sufficiently argued and overturned the Plessey doctrine (Totenberg). With this decision, Thurgood Marshall led the cause to destroy the legal structure that sustained segregation practices in the country (Michael Jay Friedman, p. 1). In the next year, the Supreme Court ordered that the implementation of the decision with all possible speed (Library).The Brown decision proved to be a turning point in the fight agains t segregation (National Archives). With this decision, it rendered the Plessey decision inutile and unconstitutional (National Archives). In the rendering the decision, the Court formally ended close to six decades of legally supported practices of segregation in the public schools systems (National Archives). So is this the final indubitable expression of equality? In the article of Owen Fiss, â€Å"Groups and the Equal Protection Clause†, he argues that there should be a new interpretation of the equal protection clause in the Constitution (Roberto Gargarella).In his interpretation, the individual protection ambit of the Amendment must be replaced with one that takes into consideration of the inequalities of a certain group (Gargarella). In the theory, the wisdom of the justices in the Supreme Court cannot produce the equality that a certain group merits (Gargarella). The contrast is that the framers of the fundamental law had the question in mind; they intended judges that will interpret the law as it applies to certain disadvantaged groups (Gargarella). Marshall contributed to the legal basis for the legal motions to be used by Martin Luther King, Jr.(Civil Rights Digital Library). The Brown decision did prove to be an effective tool for the demolition of segregation, but wasn’t the driver to effect wide scale change in the society (Friedman 5). Marshall helped King, Jr. by being their attorney in the famous Montgomery bus boycott issue (Friedman 8). Both Marshall and King espoused together the peaceful way to end segregation, Marshall in the courts, King through his peaceful non violent marches. Both men stand as vanguards of the freedoms and rights that many African American people enjoy today. Works Cited Civil Rights Digital Library.â€Å"Thurgood Marshall, 1908-1993†. Cornell University Law School. â€Å"Plessey vs. Ferguson†. Cozzens, Liza. â€Å"Plessey vs. Ferguson†. Find Law. â€Å"Brown vs. Board of Educatio n†. Friedman, Michael Jay. â€Å"Justice for all: the legacy of Thurgood Marshall†. Gargarella, Roberto. â€Å"Group rights, judicial review, and personal motives†. Library of Congress. â€Å"Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas†. National Archives. â€Å"Teaching with documents: order of arguments in the case, Brown vs. Board of Education†. Totenberg, Nina. â€Å"The Supreme Court and â€Å"Brown v. Board of Ed. †.

The Thoughts of Tao Te Ching

The thoughts of Tao Te Ching (Philosophy) The first thing that struck me about Tao Te Ching is Albert Einstein. I am a big fan of Einstein, perplexed by years of studying his scientific theories and thereafter forever being awed by his genius. As for Taoism, being of Chinese descent, growing up in the eastern world, I have constant exposure to the Taoist practices, culture, traditions, images and symbols. However, the irony is that I had never ventured further than just being a mere observer, a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees.When I began to read Tao Te Ching, I am intrigued by the concept of Tao and its similarities to scientific theories, Einstein’s theories and thoughts, in particular. In Chapter 1 of the Tao Te Ching, it tells me that the real Tao is not an entity and cannot be described in words or named. All that could be named are just illusions or mere manifestations as stated in chapter 1, â€Å"Naming is the origin of all particular things† and another line, â€Å"Caught in desire, you can see only the manifestations†.The â€Å"mystery† which is the â€Å"unnamable Tao† is reality as stated in this sentence, â€Å"The unnamable is the eternally real†. Then, it goes on to say that, â€Å"Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source†. I would interpret this as reality and illusion are both the same. Here, I draw similarity to Einstein’s quote â€Å"Reality is merely an illusion albeit a very persistent one†. Chapter 2 reads to me as Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. It says that what is defined as beautiful is possible only when compared to what is ugly.Likewise, what is ugly is only definable compared to what is beautiful. It gives other examples of paradoxical unity. Often what we see is relative to another that opposes: good and bad; being and non-being; difficult and easy; long and short; high and low; before and after. To me, it means that what we can see as real is defined by comparing to something that is opposite, without which, neither exists. One entity is relative to another. This is exactly what Einstein says in his Theory of Relativity. He says to imagine a passenger sitting in a high speed train hich is really going smooth, and looking out through the windows. The trees will appear to be moving, rushing by and the passenger does not feel that the train is moving. To an observer standing on the platform, the same train appears as speeding by, not the trees. Who is correct? Einstein says both are true. He goes on to explain that if a high speed train is travelling very smoothly and the windows are completely closed, the passengers inside could not tell whether they are moving. This is the part of the Einstein’s theory that is the basis of his famous formula of E=MC? which I find parallel to that of another line of this chapter which reads, â€Å"Therefore the Master acts without doing anything and teaches witho ut saying anything. † My interpretation of this is â€Å"Tao† advocates concentrating on ‘contradictions’ or â€Å"relativity† as the basis of reality and it is also the Master’s recommendation as the principle that governs the world. In other words, everything is interconnected and does not exist without each other, as there is no black without white; no short without long; and no being without non-being.Everything exists as relative to another just as Einstein said so. This interconnectedness and mutual existence appears to me as a key idea of Tao. I understand Tao to be not an entity or something tangible that we can grasp on. We can only know of its manifestations in Nature, in relation to one another – relativity. Through Tao, one can see that everything on earth and in the Universe is intertwined in a harmonious balance. One cannot survive without the other, just like a perfect ecosystem.It follows that a person who has wisdom or has Tao will not resist or try to control nature. He is at â€Å"One† with nature. I find this concept of â€Å"At One† and connectivity expressed in many chapters such as: Chapter 23 – be like the forces of nature, open yourself to Tao, you are at one with the Tao; Chapter 42 – but the Master makes use of it,†¦he is one with the whole universe and; Chapter 51 – Every being in the universe is an expression of the Tao.Last but not least, I find the best expression of my understanding of Tao in Chapter 39: â€Å"In harmony with the Tao, the sky is clear and spacious, the earth is solid and full, all creature flourish together, content with the way they are, endlessly repeating themselves, endlessly renewed. When man interferes with the Tao, the sky becomes filthy, the earth becomes depleted, the equilibrium crumbles, and creatures become extinct. †

I dont know a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I dont know a topic - Essay Example â€Å"Zephry† tells about a romance that the protagonist dreams of, though is not yet real. He dwells upon what would happen if heaven should deny him this love. As the poem starts off, this wanted love is beautiful, and the protagonist wants nothing more than to be loved by this being. He imagines how perfect it all would be. Then he realizes what life would be like if the other person did not love him back. At the end of the poem, he makes it clear that if he does not get the love that he wants, he will be nothing more than a slave to his heart and his need for love. â€Å"A Mad Heart† discusses the author’s need to obtain a certain cup, one that holds within it spiritual and religious truth and understanding. However, this need is felt more out of envy and lust, rather a need to simply have such a marvelous thing. The author, though, understands what it would be like if someone else had gotten the cup, and begins to realize that it is probably best that he not be the one to receive it. If he felt differently about the reason that he wanted the cup, it would make more sense that he would be the one to be given it. Without it, though, he learns that he needs to restrain such irrational feelings. â€Å"Last Night I Dreamed† is about the author being taken to heaven in the place of Adam, who is missing. In short, the author died, replacing the original man in heaven. The author was found amongst sin, claiming that he and God have an agreement that must be met. The poem contains on in a way that suggests the essence of life flashes before the eyes of the author, comparing a human life to that of a moth who has gotten too close to the light and now has scorched wings that no longer function as they should. After the author awakes, he realizes the importance of living a life worthy of getting into heaven. â€Å"All My Pleasure† tells about the author’s love for the woman he is with, and how he wishes it to not be taken. When he