Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Essay on Differences About Jesus in Islam and Christianity

Differences About Jesus in Islam and Christianity First off, by way of clarification, in the Christian faith, Jesus is considered to be much more than a Prophet. The Christian belief is that He was and is the Son of God. Moreover, Christ is considered to be superior to the Old Testament prophets (Hebrews 1:1-14). Jesus then commissioned His apostles to preach His words and doctrines (Matt 28:19,20). As such, the writings of the apostles, as found in the New Testament, are considered to be inspired. However, the offices of prophet and apostle as givers of special revelation are not considered to continue indefinitely. The Christian belief is that special revelation ended with the apostles.†¦show more content†¦Moreover, these doctrines are considered essential to the Christian faith (Rom 10:9,10; 1Cor 15:13-17). I am aware of the passage in the Quran that says that Jesus did not die on a cross (Sura 4:154-158) When I read the Quran the impression I get was that there is much agreement to be found between Islam and Christianity (such as in the teaching that there is only one God). However, there are some essential differences as well, namely the issues you raise in your questions. The Person, life, and work, of Jesus Christ is viewed considerably different in the Quran versus the New Testament. In addition to denying Jesus death on the cross (and by implication, the atonement and His resurrection), the Quran also specifically denies that Jesus is the Son of God (Sura 4:171; 9:30; 23:80). Meanwhile, the Bible specifically affirms that Jesus is the Son of God. In fact, near the end of his Gospel account, the apostle John wrote, And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30,31). And this leads to the last main point of difference that I will mention. In Islam, if I understand it correctly, one is saved by faith in Allah and by onesShow MoreRelatedCompare and Contrast Christianity and Islam921 Words   |  4 PagesContrast Christianity and Islam In Wikipedia religion is definedâ€Å"A religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to an order of existence.† There are approximately more than four thousand religion in the world. Christianity and Islam are part of the major significant religion. Christianity was founded by Jesus Christ approximately 2,000 years ago; Christianity is one of the most influential religions in world history. Christianity developedRead MoreHistory 53 Judaism Essay1737 Words   |  7 Pagessaid can be compared to what Jesus did and said? When did Jewish people transition from pastoralism to agriculture and from being nomadic to sedentary? 3 Id-Where and when did Zoroastrianism originate? How did it influence Judaism in terms of the figure of the devil and the idea of afterlife? List 4 ways in which it influenced all Western religions and explain why some people argue that Zoroastrianism provides the foundation for much of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. 4 Id- When and why wasRead MoreReligion Is An Important Part Of People s Everyday Life946 Words   |  4 Pagesthroughout the world, two of the major ones are Christianity and Islam. 32% of the world population are Christian and 23% is Islamic. These two have many things in common, but also have some very distinct differences. Both religions are monotheistic, meaning they believe in one god. The Christian god is called â€Å"God.† He is believed to have created the world and came down to earth in human form, Jesus. â€Å"Christ† in Greek mean â€Å"the chosen one,† meaning that Jesus was the chosen one to carry God s messageRead MoreThe Religion Of Islam And Islam1544 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"America and Islam are not exclusive and need not to be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles of justice and progress, tolerance and the dignity of all human beings† (Barack Obama). For many decades, in most cultures, religious practice has been a controversial issue, because each religion competes demonstrating that their practices are the true path to God. Religious tolerance is very important because followers should be free to choose their own religion. Some religionsRead MoreJudaism, Christianity, And Islam1052 Words   |  5 PagesAubrey Fletcher 3/9/15 Humanities Professor Michaud 417868 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam There are roughly 4,200 different religions in the world today, among them the largest are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three religions are more similar then one would think. Christianity is the largest religion in the world with 2 billion followers and are called Christians. Islam is the second largest religion in the world with 1.3 billion followers. They are called Muslims, which means â€Å"oneRead MoreSimilarities Between Christianity And Islam891 Words   |  4 PagesChristianity came about 2000 years ago and was founded by Jesus Christ. It is mostly practiced in the Western world with a population of about 2 billion people. The name Christianity came from a Greek word ‘Christos’ meaning Jesus Christ and was founded between 4 B.C. and 30 A.D, and consist of the 3 major groups which are the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox. Islam on the other hand was founded about 1400 years ago by Muhammad in 600’s A.D. The word Islam is derived from an Arabic word forRead MoreDifferent Religions, Different Practices, And One Aim Of Righteousness846 Words   |  4 PagesRighteousness For decades there have been many controversial arguments between the religions of Christianity and Islam. Many of the controversies have unfortunately resulted in hate crimes, discrimination and segregation. From the difference beliefs both religions practice to the languages they speak to one another, there has always been a conflict between both religions. What I question myself everyday about this controversy is: Why? Why all the violence towards one another when at the end of the dayRead MoreConflict Between Islam And Christianity945 Words   |  4 Pagesreal serious issue. Islam, and since its existence, has faced many struggles with many people who think of it as an outrageous religion that pushes people to kill, treat unfairly, and think criminally. However, Islam by name is a message of peace. The word Islam was taken from the word Salam, which simply means peace in Arabic. Additionally, the ideal of this religion is to worship one god –Allah– and believe that Mohammad is his messenger. Many of the legalizations of Islam call for concord andRead MoreThe Christian Bible and the Islamic Quaran994 Words   |  4 PagesSimilarities and difference exist between the two sacred texts of Islam and Christianity and although the Qur’an and the Bible are considered sacred text and their impact on modern society is ever present. Sacred texts are a collection of historical writings that date back thousands of years and are used by many traditions to have a special significance especially scriptures and holy books as they are often used to show hoe to live an honest and meaningful life. The Qur’an is the sacred text of Islam. It isRead MoreAbrahamic Religions : Judaism, Christianity, And Islam1407 Words   |  6 PagesAbrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam ​The Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three key Western Religions they all exercise monotheism, achieving peace though justice, God’s love and mercy, all three trace back to the prophet Abraham in some way, even though he was first mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. These three religions are very closely unified because they share many common beliefs and thoughts, and they all rely on holy books or scriptures as a life-guided

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Supporting Gay Marriage Lesbian Marriage - 2225 Words

Supporting Gay Marriage Lindsy and Beth, lesbian couple, have been living together for eleven years. Lindsy conceived two children from a sperm donor. Together, Lindsy and Beth turned their house into a loving home for their two children. One day, on the way home from the grocery store, Lindsy was killed in a tragic car accident. Before Beth could even grasp the situation, the children that she helped raise from birth had been taken away and placed into the care of Lindsy s parents, who never were a part of their lives because they did not accept Lindsy s homosexuality. In addition, the house that Beth and Lindsy lived in for eleven years was taken away from Beth. How did this happen to Beth? Well, if Lindsy and Beth could have been legally married like all heterosexual couples, Beth would have had custody of the children and would have kept the house. They would have received 1,049 protections, benefits and responsibilities that are extended to married couples under federal law (HRC). Lindsy and Beth are one example of same sex couples that live in 99.3 percent of all counties in the United States (HRC). It is estimated that 10 percent or 25 million people in the United States are homosexuals, and by law they do not have the rights that married heterosexuals enjoy. American voters have the power to change the law and prevent the sad story that Beth had to live, by voting yes on referendums in support of gay marriage, and no on bans of gay marriage. The openingShow MoreRelatedSupporting Gay Marriage : Supporting Lesbian Marriage2230 Words   |  9 Pages Supporting Gay Marriage Supporting Gay Marriage Lindsey and Beth, a lesbian couple, have been living together for eleven years. Lindsey conceived two children from a sperm donor. Together, Lindsey and Beth turned their house into a loving home for their two children. One day, on the way home from the grocery store, Lindsey was killed in a tragic car accident. Before Beth could even grasp the situation, the children that she helped raise from birth had been taken away and placed into the care ofRead MoreArguments Against Same Sex Marriage704 Words   |  3 PagesSame-sex marriage is a huge controversial issue still being debated in the world today. Many people believe that same-sex marriage is not justifiable but then many others believe that there is no problem with this circumstance. I believe that homosexuals and lesbians should be permitted to marry if they choose to. After researching this issue for two-weeks, I came across four different people, two against and two for the issue on same-sex marriage. They all have strong opi nions and arguments on thisRead MoreLegalizing The Same Sex Marriage1118 Words   |  5 Pageslegalizing the homosexual marriage. The social movement for legalizing the same-sex marriage in U.S. started in the 1970s. People who support homosexual marriage carried on their campaign arguing that banning gay marriage is a ‘discrimination’, which is similar to the prohibition of racial intermarriage that existed in past. Since lots of homosexuals all around the world insist their basic rights of marriage, there are plenty of serious debates going on about their marriage. Denmark was the first countryRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Affirmative Side1556 Words   |  7 PagesThat Same Sex Marriage Should be Legalized in the Philippines (Positive) Premises 1.) To exercise freedom of choice. 2.) To control population. 3.) To have an opportunity to adopt children from orphanage. 4.) To practice human rights. 5.) To prevent HIV disease. INTRODUCTION Same sex marriage is known as a marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or gender . It is one of the most controversial yet sensitive topics that have been discuss around the world. Politicians are havingRead MoreEssay about Gay And Lesbians Marriage970 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Gay and lesbians Marriage People question themselves all the time, what is love? There are numerous definitions of what love is but love in my opinion is when two people different feel connected doesn’t matter what race, nationality, or gender. Love lies within every human. Every human being should have the full right to love whoever they want. There should not be any discrimination against love. Love has many different form, some that people will never understand such as gay and lesbian love.Read MoreMarriage Should Be A Privilege For All962 Words   |  4 PagesAllanna Iverson Mrs. Trandall LA10 1 March 2016 Marriage should be a privilege for all Most people believe that they deserve the rights they are granted by the government. An upstanding citizen who pays their taxes, serves their community and abides by the law should be afforded the rights of an American. However, not all citizens are afforded equal rights. In the past, there has been many examples of discrimination. Women not being allowed to vote, blacks being segregated, and Japanese-AmericansRead MoreSame-Sex Marriage Issues Controversies Essay example1180 Words   |  5 Pagesnamed gay marriage â€Å"one of the key struggles of our time†. According to the website â€Å"ProCon.org† as of January 6th 2014, 17 states have taken the plunge and legalized same-sex marriage. Marriage is â€Å"one of the basic civil rights of man†. Yet, we are still waiting on 66% of our nation to do the right thing and legalize gay marriage. The ban on gay marriage has deprived gay, lesbian, and bisexuals of many benefits that come with being married. Also, it has been proved that banning gay marriage createdRead MoreGay Marriage Should Be Legal1574 Words   |  7 Pagesequal rights. Gays and lesbians are consistently denied rights that are typically taken for granted by the average American. Specifically, gay and lesbian couples are denied the right to marry even if they are outstanding citizens. They are held at an unfair disadvantage solely because of their sexual orientation. This discrimination must stop, because gay and lesbian couples are law-abiding citizens too, who should be afforded the same rights as heterosexual couples. Marriage is about love andRead MoreMedia Analysis of a Current Controversial Issue875 Words   |  4 Pagesmedia. Some nations like the US have legalized homosexuality and this is why there has been uproar after the president of Uganda signed a bill in parliament outlawing homosexuality. The media has always been blamed of being bias while reporting on gay marriages and homosexuality. The homosexuality group is a minority group that is always viewed very different by the society. Many forms of media are used to address these topic namely; the social media, television, newspapers, and magazines. The socialRead MoreThe Fundamental Right to Same-Sex Marriage Essay718 Words   |  3 PagesThe legalization of same-sex marriage has been a controversial issue for years. Arguments have risen between political and religious point of views over the controversial topic. While many believe it is morally and ethically wrong, there are others who believe it is emotionally and socially acceptable. More than half the country legally denies the right to marry between lesbian or gay couples. When denying same-sex couples to marry, the government is degrading the rights of citizens and is encouraging

Monday, December 9, 2019

The Anthropology of Terrorism free essay sample

It has been eleven years since these attacks, and our country is still at war, and we use terms like â€Å"acts of terror† to justify our invasion of their civilian space. Personally, I do not care much for conspiracy theories, but I was interested to know a little bit more about the Islamic culture that these â€Å"terrorists† stem from. While the majority of the population of Iraq and Afghanistan are practicing Muslims, they can not all be defined as â€Å"terrorists. In all actuality, a lot of them may define Americans and other westernized countries with seemingly unlimited war powers as â€Å"terrorist† groups. There are many differences from the American view of acts of terror, the Iraqi view of acts of terror, and the view of how those who commit crimes of terror see their own actions. I think it very important that American civilians, especially those who are not well educated on our foreign policies and the current war situation, take time to see how Ir aqi civilians and the Muslim population view the September 11 acts of terror, and the subsequent war compared to those who chose to commit these acts. We will write a custom essay sample on The Anthropology of Terrorism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I think that most would be surprised when they find that the Islamic religion does not actually promote those extensive â€Å"acts of terror† that they do not support the extremist groups like Al Quaeda, and that our presence in their civilian areas, like market places may not be necessary or productive for their day-to-day routines. In order for many people to understand these differing viewpoints on terrorism, I think it is important to focus on how different people may define an act of terror. In December of 1994, the Unite Nations General Assembly Resolution 49/60, Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, describes terrorism as: â€Å"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them. Later, in 2004 at UN Security Council Resolution 1566 a definition is given, stating acts of terror are: Criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act. The United Nations adds to the definition again in 2005 at a panel, stating the definition of terrorism as: Any act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non- combatants with the purpose of intimidating a population or compelling a government or an international organization to do or abstain from doing any act. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United Nations has no official definition of terrorism, because some would argue that there is no real distinction between a â€Å"terrorist† and a â€Å"freedom fighter. Therefore, the United Nation’s descriptions of the term are vague and always include that terrorism is â€Å"intimidating† or that it â€Å"provokes terror† on a group of people. The first description listed comments on the justification of these acts, which most others do not. Now, I would like to point out the differences in he definitions that are released by the Arabic Community and the united States . In 1998, the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism was implemented by the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior and the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice in Cairo, Egypt. They defined terrorism at this convention as: Any act or threat of violence, whatever its motives or purposes, that occurs in the advancement of an individual or collective criminal agenda and seeking to sow panic among people, causing fear by harming them, or placing their lives liberty or security in danger, or seeking to cause damage to the environment or to public or private installations or property or to occupying or seizing them, or seeking to jeopardize national resources. â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) The United States has many different definitions of terrorism in almost every government organization’s code. In Federal Criminal Code Title 18 of the United States defines terrorism and lists the crimes associated with terrorism. In Section 2331 of Chapter 113(B), defines terrorism as: †¦activities that involve violent†¦ or life-threatening acts†¦ that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State and†¦ appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and†¦(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States†¦Ã¢â‚¬  FBI definition of terrorism: The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. The definition of terrorism used in the United States Army Field Manual FM 3-0, form 2001 is: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear. It is intended to coerce or intimidate governments or societies [to attain] political, religious, or ideological goals. The Dictionary of Military Terms used by the Department of Defense defines terrorism as: The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological. (â€Å"Various Definitions of Terrorism†) I think the difference in the way our governments define a term that the United Nations finds so debatable shows a huge cultural difference in where the priorities for our countries lie. Obviously, since the September 11 attacks, the United States has spent an extensive amount of time coming up with more and more to add to the definition of terrorism and have worked to almost make ourselves seem like more of the victim. Our Federal Code includes mass destruction and assassination, but states that it primarily occurs within the United Stated jurisdiction. This is open to interpretation, as is all code, but it basically means that we are always the victim of acts of terror and can hardly ever be accused of committing the crime. However, in the FBI definition, it says that terrorism is using violence and force to coerce a government and its civilians of political and social objectives. Are we not using force and asserting ourselves on the Iraqi government, and every other government that we have been at war with? Has it not all been for a political gain? Then the military definitions add that actions can only be defined in that way if they are being committed for political, religious, or ideological reasons. However, I think that most Americans, if asked would only include religion in the definition. We have been trained to think that way, to only see terrorism as acts of Jihad, extremist Muslims. Americans, since I can remember have always been extremely proud. We are all truly blessed to come from a country that has a strong military backbone, free, accessible education, a comparably thriving economy, and the opportunity for social mobility. That being said, the majority of Americans are very ignorant and one-sided on a lot of political issues. Most are content with obtaining the easily accessible information from the news or internet and word of mouth. Most do not take the time to educate themselves on social issues that they comment on daily. This is why people are so opposed to those who practice Islam using their first amendment right to freedom of religion, especially in the south where most are extremely prejudiced. The news and the coverage of the September 11 attacks and the war are to blame for this phenomenon of fearing those who are different. In Packaging Terrorism: Co-opting the News for Politics and Profit, Susan Miller criticizes the way the media chooses which stories to run. â€Å"Threats, danger, fear. These words grab the attention of the readers and that’s what the media want. Your attention. Be afraid. Be very afraid. † She shows that there are many more options of global stories that our local news stations could run, but those that involve Americans or anything involving conflict in the Middle East, or even stories of al-Qaeda action in other countries, will get higher ratings as â€Å"Big Stories† over stories like the huge crisis of bombings in Mumbai in 2006, which is a place and event that Americans, in general, have no solid connection to. However, our society is also very vain, and there are even international events that are very important to us and the action in the Middle East that constantly get trumped by â€Å"larger† domestic stories. A 2006 suicide bombing of the Golden Mosque, which was close to triggering an Iraqi civil war was overshadowed by the Winter Olympics that year. A 2005 bombing was completely overshadowed by the kidnapping of Natalee Holloway in Aruba. The American people are more likely to be interested in our domestic actions than the stories of foreign events, especially when these events seem to run together and are so similar every time they are covered. One thing that is extremely controversial in covering those true acts of terror is the fact that most terrorists really want the attention on them. If someone is taken hostage and taped, or there is a huge event, like the 9/11 attacks, those who commit these actions are doing so for the attention, and for the media to show these events to the public, some can argue that those who share the news are just giving them what they most desire: to have all eyes on them. There is also an opinion, however, that if this footage is shown, it will show Americans the true brutality of the people who our military is fighting against, and that it will show that there truly is a threat, encouraging Americans to further support our military and create a unifying experience that promotes patriotism. This was shown in the case of the kidnapping of reporter, Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002 by al-Qaeda operative Khalid Shiekh Mohammad. The video of his execution was made available to news networks, and a portion of Pearl speaking was shown on CBS. The full video shows his throat being slit and his severed head held up with a voiceover speaking out against the â€Å"enemies of Islam. † After much debate of whether or not the video should be seen by the public, whether it would violate the rights of Pearl’s grieving family, and whether the American people should be allowed to be exposed to witnessing a person’s murder, Peter Kadizis and Stephen Mindich of the Boston Phoenix posted a link to the video with a note above stating, â€Å"This is the single most gruesome, horrible, despicable, and horrifying thing I’ve ever seen. . That our government and others throughout the world, who have had this tape for some time have remained silent is nothing less than an act of shame†( Moeller). While our media is the largest source of information for Americans and is the largest reason that Americans have an instilled fear of anyone of the Islamic religion, the USA Patriot Act passed in 2001 as a response to the terrorist attacks is one of the triggers that set off this fear, and is a constant reminder of the attack. This Act was instated based on the theory that if there is a threat to national security, the public is more willing to allow for harsher policies and increased restrictions of civil liberties. The Act includes reduced restrictions in law enforcement agencies gathering of intelligence within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. Even though support for the Patriot Act has decreased, though not dramatically (from 60% classifying it as â€Å"necessary† in 2001, to a 39% in 2006), President Barack Obama signed a four-year extension of the act to include, searches of business records that would assist in an investigation undertaken to protect against international terrorism, and surveillance of lone wolves,† individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups. (Borgeson, Valeri). This, eleven years later is an act that is still perfectly in tact, and is still restricting our rights. It isn’t the most invasive law, but it does hang over the heads of those who do business internationally and those who immigrated form other countries, because they are constantly under the threat of being watched and studied by the government. Since Americans have media coverage and restrictions that help to shape the idea of terrorism and the way we perceive terrorism and acts of violence, it is only logical to realize that the Iraqi people, have their own way of defining Terrorism in their country. It is important to realize, when analyzing their views, that the United States have been seen as a threatening force to them for the past eleven years by imposing on their land and declaring warfare on their former leader and having our military staying within their civilian quarters. Though Iraq has been liberated for the past five years, American troops were just recently sent home, and they are suffering from terrorist attacks against them from other outside forces as well. Most of those who practice the Islamic religion believe that warfare should only be used to suppress rebellion or to defend against imposing armies. They do not believe in starting wars, because the punishment is not in their hands, violence should only be used for protection. Yousuf Baadarani, a popular writer defending the Islamic culture, states in an interview with Asia Times states, â€Å"Since Islam forbids terrorism, than no terrorist could be labeled Islamic. He would have had to abandon the Islamic path to become a terrorist† (Abedin). Jihad is only supposed to be used to protect the Islamic religion against those who attack it, not to create terror in those who do not practice Islam. This counters a popular theory Americans have that all Muslims are destined to commit acts of terror and that they are instilling values that promote suicide bombings and murder of those who do not practice Islam. Al-Qaeda was born out of Osama Bin Laden’s leftover defense force he gathered together for the Saudi Kingdom, but it was rejected after they allowed US troops to use Saudi Arabia after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Al-Qaeda means â€Å"the basis† or â€Å"the base. † It is extremely difficult to find out the members of this organization and to figure out who is behind certain attacks. The chain of command is extremely difficult to follow. It has one goal: â€Å"to hit the West wherever and whenever it can, in order to further polarize the Muslim and Western worlds and effect an eventual victory of the Islamists, who claim leadership over the Muslim world†(Reuter). This terrorist group- and there is no debate from anyone as to whether or not they are a terrorist group- has committed too many suicide bombings and killings of innocent westerners to name. They are the group behind the infamous September 11 attacks, and are the ones who created all of the fear of terrorism in the United States. This group of people is founded on a basic principle: hate for all Westerners, and the desire to completely sever ties between those who practice Islam and Westerners. This is not a group based on jihad; the exception to the Islamic law against violence, which should only be allowed when defending the Islamic religion. It is simply a hate group against Westerners that wears a mask of religion. In conclusion, there is a lot that is not perceived correctly when it comes to the idea of terrorism. Every citizen of Iraq is not a terrorist, and neither is every member of the Muslim community. A select few extremists have ruined the reputation of a religion in the United States, with the help of the media and politics. I hope that every American citizen at some point realizes the difference between the terrorist attacks of September 11, and the Iraqi family that walks down the street. It is important to me and our country that people see that most Muslims do not support al-Qaeda and that the group of extremists is not practicing their religion properly. I hope that people will start to realize the importance of getting information from other sources than the popular media and that some will start to look up more information on important domestic and international events. Most of all, I hope that I have been able to properly compare viewpoints on terrorism in different parts of the world accurately.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Real Estate Investment Trusts Essays - Real Estate,

Real Estate Investment Trusts Derrick Robicheaux Auditing 11:00-11:50 Accounting for REITs A real estate investment trust, or REIT, is a company that buys, develops, manages and sells real estate assets. There are three types of REITs; they are equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. An equity REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate properties; it does not own or originate real estate loans. It may also develop properties. A mortgage REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages real estate loans; it does not own real estate properties. It may or may not originate commercial and/or residential loans. A hybrid REIT is a corporation that purchases, owns and manages both real estate loans and real estate properties. It has the qualities of both an equity and mortgage REIT which is why it is referred to as a hybrid. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of a REIT is that they are required to distribute at least 95% of taxable income to shareholders. REITs allow participants to invest in a professionally-managed portfolio of real estate assets. This is important because prior to Congress's creation of REITs only extremely rich individuals were able to benefit from ventures in the real estate market. By pooling assets together in a manner similar to that of a mutual fund, REITs allow the everyday investor the chance to invest in real estate properties. The main benefit of a REIT is that it is exempt from double taxation. The normal corporation is taxed on earnings, and then when dividends are paid, the individual receiving the dividend is taxed. REITs can deduct dividends distributed from taxable income. This results in only one level of taxation. The main disadvantage of a REIT is that since nearly all earnings are distributed as dividends, the trust must find capital to reinvest into the business from other areas. These funds are usually raised by investments in the market, and through the capital gains realized from the sale of the REITs assets. The second method by which REITs procure capital to reinvest into the business raises an accounting issue regarding the classification of assets. Currently, the buildings and property that REITs utilize to raise income are classified as property, plant, and equipment. However, it can be argued that these assets should be classified as inventory. The accounting definition of property, plant, and equipment specifies those properties of a durable nature used in the regular operations of the business. These assets consist of physical property such as land, buildings, machinery, furniture, tools and wasting resources. With the exception of land, most assets are either depreciable (such as buildings) or consumable (such as timberlands). These properties do reasonably fall into this category, especially in the cases where the REIT is involved in managing the property and receives revenue from rents. The definition for inventory relates to asset items held for sale in the ordinary course of business or goods that will be used or consumed in the production of goods to be sold. It can also be reasonably justified that these assets fall into this category, this is the nature of REITs, to buy and sell real estate. This is a gray area in which reasonable people can disagree. It is my opinion that these assets should be classified according the company's honest intent for its use. Many REITs own and operate apartment complexes and have no intent to sell the property, but are content to manage the units and collect rent. In these types of cases the property is not being sold but leased. Therefore, PP&E would be the appropriate classification, similar to the method that car rental agencies use. But, if the company intends to improve and sell the property then the property should be inventory. This method would be similar to method by which securities investments are accounted for. Depending on the company's intent, securities can be classified as held-to-maturity, available fo r sale, or marketable securities. Since all these properties are currently classified as property, plant, and equipment, the issue of depreciation becomes important. If these properties were classified as inventory, then all maintenance and repairs would expensed as incurred, and no depreciation would be recognized. However, as property, plant, and equipment, maintenance and

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Best tips on analytical essay writing

Best tips on analytical essay writing Analytical essay You should not confuse an analytical essay with a summary. They may have some features in common. However, it is necessary to distinguish between these two works. Nevertheless, it may be easy in theory, but when it goes about practice everything becomes very confusing. If your paper reminds you a report, it means that it summarizes the presented facts only. An analytical work is more specific than a summary. Thus, it performs detailed analysis of a book, for example. It explores the way a book is produced. Moreover, close attention is paid to the use of stylistic devices and methods of describing events and characters. It is necessary to find out how to write an analytical essay in the right way before you start preparing it. Thus, keep in mind the following: An analytical paper can be organized in different ways. In any case, it should include three major parts: an introductory section, main body, and concluding unit. Below, you will find a detailed explanation of how to construct each part of your analytical essay. Thus, if you do not know what to start each section with, take a close look at the useful tips mentioned below. You will learn how to write a clear outline and create a logical structure. Introductory Paragraph In order to interest readers in analytical essays, writers should produce a great introduction. You are not an exception. Therefore, you should do it as well to grab readers attention. Note that the introductory section should present the examined topic effectively. Furthermore, it should include a well-written thesis statement. Do not forget to write a few sentences explaining how you are going to develop the key idea and support your thesis.Capture readers attention from the very beginning.At this stage, you need to introduce the explored subject. It is very important to use effective technique to present the topic attractively. However, first, you need to find a comprehensive analytical essay definition to understand clearly what the key features of this paper are. When introducing the topic of your work, you should use different expressions that will appeal to readers. Therefore, you may hold a dialogue with readers or provide reliable statistical data. Note that it should be wri tten in a couple of sentences. They should make a smooth transition to the thesis statement.Writing a thesis statement.You need to strive hard to produce a superior statement. It should present the central point of the paper. By the way, if you write a rough analytical essay outline, you will not forget to cover all the aspects of your work.Research methods.Write a few sentences telling readers what approach you are going to take to analyze the matter. Note that the above-mentioned items are a firm basis of the body section. Main Body In this part of the paper, you should present and discuss the ideas about the analyzed issue. When writing an analytical essay, you need to remember that its body usually consists of three paragraphs. However, you are free to create more to explore the subject fully. Therefore, you may write four or five paragraphs. The most important is to develop the key point in the right way. That is why you need to provide enough arguments to support the main idea of your paper. On the other hand, you may put forward a few ideas and discuss them step by step.Write a topic sentence.Remember that each paragraph should start with a topic sentence. It should inform readers about the main concepts to be discussed in the paragraph. In this way, you will easily define analytical essay direction. Now, take a look at the following example to understand how to write a topic sentence: Harry Potter is ready to fulfill prediction and sacrifice his life to save the magic world.Make a statement.It should divide a topic sentence into pieces. For instance, the sentence mentioned above can be divided into several segments, i.e. statements. For instance, Harry Potter was the one to fulfill prediction, he was ready to die, his death would matter a lot. Note that the variety of analytical essay topics is huge.State facts.You should present straightforward facts to support your statement. Otherwise, your claims will be considered unsubstantiated. Therefore, you may cite examples taken from the text to illustrate the discussed points.Establish direct connectionThe presented arguments should be closely related to the topic sentence. Explain readers in detail why you have provided particular facts. Now you know how to start an analytical essay and develop it. The last step is writing a conclusion. Concluding Paragraph This part of the paper should restate the chief points concisely. You may relate the discussed topic to real life. It would be also good to cite a quotation to end an essay reasonably. If you make an appropriate analytical essay format, you will succeed in organizing your work. Analytical Essay The increasing level of industrialization and other human activities around the globe have caused the pollution of the environment. The largest part of environmental pollution affects water and air. The combustion of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal play an instrumental role in contributing to environmental pollution. It especially occurs due to the fact that they contain heavy metals, including lead, sulfur and mercury. Human beings must be ready to deal with environmental pollution to avoid conditions, such as mental retardation, acid rain, reduced visibility, shortness in breath, stunted plants and damaged leaves. Current essay analyzes The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water by Charles Fishman presenting his main argument. The Main Argument Presented by the Author The main argument presented by Fishman in the book is that water is an essential element in the lives of human beings. However, many people tend not to pay much attention to water conservation and preservation due to the common belief that water will always be available for their consumption at any given time. Accordingly, Fishman (2012) goes ahead to introduce the fourth state of water, molecular water that exists about 400 miles down the ground. He insists that molecular water is the key source of water that is used by human beings around the planet. Fishman also reiterates that human beings have to change their approach to harvesting and using water in their lives. They should start harvesting rainwater for their use to ensure that enough resources of water are conserved. According to Fishman (2012), water should also be kept clean through innovative technologies that have been advanced by companies such as GE, IBM and Royal Caribbean to ensure it is available for the future popul ations. Overall, Fishman argues that human beings have to realize their relationship with water, hence they are not careful when harvesting and using it. In What Way Did the Book Speak to You or Inform You? The book spoke to me in the most effective way. It informed me of the idea that human beings can never live without water. There is always a growing demand for water due to the increasing population around the globe. In line with the book, I was able to understand that water forms a significant part of our lives. However, we need to start appreciating this fact to ensure that we handle the water we have in the most appropriate manner. Innovative handling of water is indicative of our respect for this vital resource that exists on our planet. More so, the book informed me of the view that the contemporary world is a lucky place to live in due to the technological advantage it has over other civilizations. Fishman (2012) reiterates that the current world is better placed in terms of handling and managing the little water resources that are available to it. For instance, we should take advantage of the available technology to ensure that the limited water resources are maintained at any given time. In tandem with the book, I have understood the view that the world has a complex relationship with water and should do everything to ensure that all resources are secured for future generations. The book also provided the view that water should be treated like food resources. Human beings have complex relationships with food and have been om the frontline in terms of developing genetically modified foods to supplement the supply. The same approach should be adopted when dealing with water resources in our environment. Scarcity will never occur in cases where such approaches are embraced by global actors. It is a strong message that would automatically lead to action in terms of water conservation and modification. Technology focused on water conservation will also be enhanced with the strong idea communicated by the book. How the Work Connects with the Course Discussion, Lecture Material, Documentaries, and Articles Used in Class Fishmans work connects directly to the course discussions. Firstly, the book connects directly to the class discussion in terms of explaining environmental pollution. The course discussion entailed an intensive discussion about environmental pollution and some of the key factors that are likely to lead to the environmental pollution. For instance, there was a discussion on the effect of burning fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas on the overall environment. The book captures such idea in a similar manner when talking about the effect of environmental degradation to water resources. Fishman (2012) is of the view that water resources could diminish in the result of careless usage and the failure of individuals to take care of the little water resources they might be having at their disposal. Additionally, the course discussion presented a view that carbon monoxide leads to environmental pollution, hence limiting the opportunities of individuals to live a normal life. The book also upholds a similar idea by encouraging humans to manage their environment by avoiding the flow of such gases into the environment. The books idea on environmental pollution relates directly to the ideas presented in the course discussions. More so, the information on the effects of environmental pollution relates directly to what has been presented in the class discussions. In the book, Fishman (2012) opines that the lack of effective environmental management would lead to the depletion of water resources, hence leading the planet to a crisis. Water scarcity will lead to a crisis, as individuals will be limited in terms of their operations considering the fact that water is life. Similarly, the course discussions affirm that environmental degradation will always have negative consequences on both human beings and other living things. For instance, many plants will not be able to grow normally and human beings will experience breathing problems due to the presence of gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon monoxide. Therefore, both of them highlight the effects of environmental pollution on human beings and other living organisms. There should be no assumptions that the current resources can never be exhausted around th e world. The book suggests that everyone has a responsibility to realize their relationship to water and take measures that would lead to its effective usage and collection in world. Conclusion In conclusion, Fishmans book The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water provides the key idea surrounding the secret to conserving water resources to avoid its shortages in the future. It affirms that water should be used carefully with the available technologies to avoid scarcities in the near future. Every human being on the planet is obliged to take care of water starting from sewage water. The book presents information that human beings have a complex relationship with water, but do not understand the best ways of ensuring that such relationship is sustained into the future. The supposition to it is the use of technology and innovative ways, such as the collection of rainwater. The book also connects to the course discussions when it explicates the overall topic of environmental pollution and its prevalence in the contemporary world. Extensive environmental pollution is hurting most of the common resources, such as air and water that human beings are supposed t o be enjoying. Reference Fishman, C. (2012). The big thirst: The secret life and turbulent future of water. New York: Simon and Schuster.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Set Up an Amazon Author Central Page in 3 Simple Steps

How to Set Up an Amazon Author Central Page in 3 Simple Steps How to Set Up Your Amazon Author Central Page Indie authors know the pressure of having to set up profiles on every new platform that pops up, promising to help you market and sell your books: Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, oh my! It definitely adds up. But there’s one major tool that - if you haven’t already signed up for - you absolutely shouldn’t overlook: Amazon Author Central.What is Amazon Author Central?Amazon Author Central is a free tool that authors who have published a book through Amazon can sign up for   - whether they’ve published in print or ebook through Kindle Direct Publishing, or an audiobook through ACX. You can think of an Author Central account as your own private headquarters at today’s largest book retailer.Two of the significant updates that have been announced so far include:The ability for authors to manage their books and profile on all the different Amazon marketplaces from their one account - so they won’t need to log in and out to all of the internatio nal sites.It will also give users access to Amazon Author Insights: a hub of articles with tips on writing, publishing, and marketing.Have you tested out the beta program? Have you already used Author Central to optimize your Author Page? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Organisational change 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Organisational change 2 - Essay Example one were to google-search the phrase â€Å"what is change?† close to 20 million book entries would align themselves in his computer screen as if one could have the luxury to get to the 20-millionth entry. But indeed, as Stickland (1998) observes as early as in his writing time, change would be a subject that could swiftly expand in treatment and in scope due to the speed with which it would show itself in human activity. In the two decades preceding Stickland’s book publication, the word â€Å"change† has more than doubled its appearance in literature titles (Stickland, 1998). Most book publishers and authors, it is observed, get deep into serious treatment of the subject of change, its nature, its effects and anything it can do, yet miss out on its definition. In fact, Ly (2009) notes that change is a â€Å"phenomenon for which there is no agreed-upon definition.† It is just like saying it is just there; it just happens. It assumes the characteristic of time, that the more people attempt to define it, the more it confuses, making description the easiest way towards understanding. But of course, a few authors made some sincere attempt to define it, if only to have some sense of it. Ly (2009) was resourceful enough to feature some of them. Hanelock defines change as any significant difference in the status quo. Linquist refers to it as a modification of, deletion of, or addition to attitudes and behavior. Morgan defines change as a process or condition of being different between time 1 and time 2. Of course, the most common reference for definitions, Webster, calls change as an act of becoming different. (Ly, 2009). And if man sees change as part of himself and his evolution, never has change been more obvious, pronounced and ubiquitous in organizations than now because of the constantly varying character of the environments they are in. Zimmerman (2011) notes very profoundly that in view of these highly charged surroundings, organizations need to change

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Banking Crises in UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Banking Crises in UK - Essay Example By doing so, banks are actually diverting their resources to potentially unproductive activities as the regulatory compliance may not directly provide the desired benefits in terms of monetary return. The emerging trends in the regulations in the financial as well as corporate markets are increasing in numbers and intensity as the increasing mismanagement and corporate scandals have forced regulatory authorities to look for the legal frameworks which help achieve the organizations more transparency as well as flexibility in their approach and responsibilities towards all the stakeholders in the firms. Some of the external events like the 9/11 incidents also played a major role in bringing in the new regulations into place so that traditional business channels specially the financial institutions are not being used for potentially harmful activities including terrorism. It was because of these reasons that regulations like BASEL II, Sarbanes Oxley, and The European Commissions Financial Services Action Plan were enforced to rationalize and revamp the existing regulatory framework. Thus the challenges are various to the banking sector as a whole and to the UK financial sector especially as London is now largely being considered as the international hub of the financial activities all over the world. In order to The essay will look into the present crisis banking sector is facing currently all over the world and UK especially. External environment for the UK Banking and Finance Companies In order to analyze the external environment for the UK Banking and finance companies, it is very important that we need to take a very comprehensive view of the factors involved into the overall banking scenario in the world. The globalization is taking its roots on more firm basis and it is because of this reason that the economic resources are being shifting from the more developed countries to the emerging economies such as China, Brazil, India and Russia. The emergence of the BRIC has therefore effectively shifted the economic resources and with it the economic activities therefore now since most of the activities are being performed in those geographical locations therefore like all other businesses, the banks are also shifting themselves to these locations to concentrate on the market development and penetration into these countries. (Hale, 2004). Thus the trends in globalization are forcing banks and other financial institutions in UK to face challenges from the banks working in those areas as most of the international syndications are being done by the regional banks in those regions and the overall market share of the UK Banks is shrinking. Further to this, banking sector over the period of time has seen a period of consolidation allowing a wave of mergers and acquisitions. Banks, over the period of time has improved their competencies by acquiring and merging with more efficient banks in order to gain more and more market space. Further Information technology is a new and emerging trend in the market which suggests that the banks are increasingly becoming more competitive in this area.(Grealish,2004) One of the most important challenges that are being faced by the UK Banks is the fact that the impact of US subprime mortgages is going to hit or have already hit the UK banks. The subprime mortgage crisis which has started into US is slowly being engulfing

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Population Management Strategies Essay Example for Free

Population Management Strategies Essay China has one of the largest population densities in the world. In Russia there is a decline in population which is observed to increase drastically. In Western Europe as well, the population decline is as a result of the social and economic lifestyle that the natives lead. Varied measures are therefore taken against the population growing trends. This study compares and contrasts the population management strategies of the above mentioned nations (Gordon, 2005). 2. 0 Population growth in Russia Presently, there is a remarkable decline in population and this is a major problem in Russia. Russia’s population is estimated to be 143 million, however, in every year there is a turn down of about seven hundred thousand people; calculations indicate that this decline is about one hundred people dying every hour; this has led to predictions that the country’s population by the year 2050 could be as low as one hundred and twenty million. It could also have an economic and geopolitical impact (Gordon, 2005). a) Causes of the population crisis The observed high mortality rate, short life expectancy and an increasing number of deaths from causes that are not natural; are the major factors contributing to the population decline in Russia. Russia’s number of deaths per 1,000 people is at 16, compared to Western Europe which is 5. Out of the 150,000 people who die in natural deaths, 46,000 are suicidal cases, 40,000 killed in road accidents, 36,000 murdered and 36,000 are as a result of alcohol poisoning. High abortion in Russia contributes to the low birth rate. However there is a great decline in abortion since the Soviet times when abortion was utilized as a method of birth control (Gordon, 2005). The official statistics survey indicates that there are 1. 6 million abortions in Russian women, which is higher than the birth rate. Generally, there is a low birth rate in the country attributed to high rates of alcoholism and economic hardship. Currently, Russia’s birth rate is 1. 34 children per woman of fertile age, which is less compared to the required 2. 14 children per woman. Additionally, the estimated life expectancy in Russia is about 58 years for men and 72 for women, thus thirty percent of the men population do not reach the beginning of their pension age (Gordon, 2005). Russian experts also suggest that the depopulation in the country is due to political and economic upheaval experienced in the country in the 1990s. Due to bad planning and implementing of liberal economic reforms, social insecurity was evident among the nationals and thus they sought to have fewer children. The rate of foreigners moving into Russia is low; little relocation is observed within the former republics of the Soviet Union. However the rate of movement of nationals outside Russia to Western Europe and other places is high and it’s usually for search of a better economic situation (Gordon, 2005). b) Management strategies In 2005, there was an increase in the number of births which was due to a large number of girls born in the 1970s-1980s who could bear children by then. Thus the birth rate can be stimulated, the maternal and infant mortality rates reduced. By enhancing the reproductive health and quality of the population, the population growth can be boosted. A new demographic development concept is essential for it will outline the national goals such as average increase of life expectancy in the nationals and increase in birth rate. Russia has a chronic occurrence of cardiac and oncological diseases. The average life expectancy can be boosted by six more years if an initiative is taken to reduce deaths that arise from such disorders (Gordon, 2005). 3. 0 Population growth in China and management strategies China is among the world’s top nations that experience a very large population with a relatively small youth cohort which is attributed to the People’s Republic of China’s one –child policy. Except for the population policies implemented in China in 1979, the current population in china would be reading at 1. 7 billion. It is recorded that china’s population in 1953 was 582 million; however by the year 2000, the population was twice as much, estimated at 1. 2 billion (Peng, Guo, 2000). The first leaders in China believed that a large population was a great investment, yet, as the population grew rapidly it became a liability and this led to a mass campaign effort for birth control by the Ministry of Public health; though this was in vain. Again, a rapid population was experienced after the interval of the ‘Great Leap Forward’. In the 1960s, emphasis was laid on late marriage and in 1964; birth control offices were established in the central government and at the provincial level, contraceptives were used in family planning. This campaign was seen to be successful until the Cultural Revolution era (Peng, Guo, 2000). In 1972 and 1973, birth control resources were distributed countrywide. At administrative and in various collective enterprises, committees were launched to ensure implementation of the birth control programs; both rural and urban areas were covered. Mao Zeodong who was behind the family planning movement died in 1976, and the government failed to acknowledge that economic growth and improved living standards are affected by the population growth. However, in the 1970s the fast growing population of China prompted the government to establish a limit in the number of children born; the highest suggested family size was two children in cities and three or four in the countryside (Peng, Guo, 2000). Since 1979, the one-child policy that was widely in use. The policy had different guiding principles on national minorities and only one child was permitted to the married couples. The policy helped China to achieve its goal of stability and a fertility rate that was greatly reduced; an average of 5. 4 children per women was reported. Those who observed the one child program were rewarded by getting a one-child certificate that permitted them to get cash bonuses, better childcare, longer maternity leave and good housing allowances; and they were to pledge that they would not bear children anymore. The population in the rural areas however, determined the efficiency in the policy implementation program; since they accounted for 60% of the total population (Peng, Guo, 2000). Studies indicate that coercive measures were used in order to make the one-child policy a success. The assumed methods included psychological pressure, use of physical force, and in some cases forcing abortions and infanticide. However, the government officials insisted that the family planning process was on voluntary basis and measures applied in implementing the programs were persuasive and economic based (Peng, Guo, 2000). Between 1970 and 1980, there was a drop in the crude birth rate from 36. 9 per 1,000 to 17. 6 per 1000, which was due to â€Å"wan xi shao† birth control campaign,-late marriages, longer intervals between births and fewer children. In addition, the social and economic changes that had taken place, amongst which was the high level of employment of women in rural and urban areas and low mortality rate in infants, may have contributed to the aforementioned. Nonetheless, in the countryside, people valued large families, especially sons, for assistance in the fields and support during old age. This seems to have applied to the rest of China as a whole; there is a gender imbalance in China; the 2000 census report showed that 119 boys born of every 100 girls. The government was thus forced to ban the selective abortion for female fetuses in July 2004 (Peng, Guo, 2000). 4. 0 Population growth in Western Europe Since the 1960s, there is a substantial decline in Western Europe’s population which is accredited to low fertility rates. By 1999, the total fertility rates had dropped so much; an average of 1. 45 was recorded in the fifteen European Union countries. A total fertility rate at 1. 5 is presently experienced by eight out of fifteen of the western European countries. However, there are immense disparity among these countries in terms of timing and the level of when the decline started as well and in the rate and decline duration. Socioeconomic and demographic factors have contributed to the differences in pattern of West European fertility levels. There are concerns pertaining to the imbalance of the population age structure, ability to maintain European welfare state systems and consistency in social affairs. This has les to the implementing of family policies in order to safeguard the nations’ populations (Caldwell et al. 2006). a) Management strategies i) Maternity protection: this was a step towards creating an opportunity for women to give birth because of the demand from employment, differences in gender and equality; protection of labor and regulation. The Western European countries thus introduced compulsory maternity leaves for women who are working. Other countries such as France introduced a policy in support of women in reconciling employment with motherhood. In Scandinavia, greater emphasis was put in leaves and protective labor legislation. The recommended maternity leave period is 14weeks; however it varies between 20weeks in Italy and 16-18 weeks being the common length in other countries (Caldwell et al. 2006). ii) Parental leave: the government has amended the parental leave regulations and different parental-leave schemes have been implemented. These leaves are available only to parents and they vary from one country to another. The benefits also vary significantly; in some countries they are either unpaid or given a low pay (Caldwell et al. 2006). iii) Childcare services: at the beginning of industrialization, childcare services were instituted to cater for the orphans and children who were unattended due since their mothers were working. However up to the 20th century, childcare services changed to charity education to promote social and individual development. The catholic institutions were pioneers in provision of this kind of service. Presently the services offered differ athwart the nations (Caldwell et al. 2006). iv) Child benefits: this system came up as wide array of policy intentions. Its major role was to cater families in need for instance widows who had children and divorced or single mothers. However these support systems vary in terms of services offered across the countries (Caldwell et al. 2006). 5. 0 Conclusion In Russia and Western Europe, population decline is the major crisis which is as a result of varied factors. Russia’ decline is caused by inappropriate standards of living and in Europe, the level of industrialization that has created working opportunities has denied women the chance to bear children, hence population decline. In China, the challenge is high population that is caused by uncontrolled popular growth. The future population in China is likely to face gender imbalance and besides it has an increasingly aging population. There is a limitation in the way services are offered in the family systems. A cross-national variation in family policies’ provisions and modalities is evident in Europe. Hence it is difficult to look into the effects of family policies on individual childbearing behavior in order to make a comparison between the countries. Some countries share fertility advances, and family policy systems. The countries in West Europe are clearly divided (Caldwell, et al. 2006). References: Peng, X. , Guo, Z. (2000): The Changing Population of China, ISBN 0631201920, 9780631201922, Blackwell Publishing. Caldwell, B. K. , Caldwell, P. , Caldwell, J. C. , Caldwell, P. Schindlmayr, T. McDonald, P. F. (2006): Demographic Transition Theory. ISBN 1402043732, 9781402043734, Springer Gordon, E. E. (2005): The 2010 meltdown: solving the impending jobs crisis. ISBN 0275984362, 9780275984366, Greenwood Publishing Group

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Sophocles Oedipus the King and Cocteaus The Infernal Machine Essay

Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine relate the same story, yet from quite different angles. Sophocles' play is written in heightened language and spends 1,530 lines on an hour of time. On the other hand, Cocteau's characters speak colloquially, and his 96 pages cover 17 years, putting much more emphasis on the events prior to where Sophocles begins his play. Sophocles and Cocteau present Oedipus' character in different lights, and through these characters express contrary themes. Sophocles' proud yet wise Oedipus reveals that a human's future is determined by his actions, while Cocteau's haughty yet immature Oedipus suggests that mortals' fates are completely predetermined by the gods. In both plays Oedipus appears to have extreme pride; while Sophocles' clever Oedipus has reason for his pride, Cocteau's foolish Oedipus is arrogant without cause. Sophocles' Oedipus solves "the (sphinx's) riddle by (his) wit alone."(Soph .O.T. 397) The Sphinx sits on the road to Thebes and kills anyone who can not answer her riddle until Oedipus appears, solves the riddle, and saves Thebes. It is at this point that he becomes King of Thebes and rules his people well. He does not know that he has killed his father, the former king, and married his mother. When his presence in Thebes causes a plague to strike the city, he sincerely seeks out the cure for his city's plight. <block quote>I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, that is as sick as I myself. Your several sorrows each have single scope and touch but one of you. My spirit groans for city and myself and you at once. You have not roused m... ...sary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine and other plays. (Bermel, Albert.). New York: New Directions. Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sophocles. (1991). Sophocles I: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Grene, David.). Chicago: University of Chicago.   Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi       Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine Essay Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine   Ã‚  Ã‚   Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Cocteau's The Infernal Machine relate the same story, yet from quite different angles. Sophocles' play is written in heightened language and spends 1,530 lines on an hour of time. On the other hand, Cocteau's characters speak colloquially, and his 96 pages cover 17 years, putting much more emphasis on the events prior to where Sophocles begins his play. Sophocles and Cocteau present Oedipus' character in different lights, and through these characters express contrary themes. Sophocles' proud yet wise Oedipus reveals that a human's future is determined by his actions, while Cocteau's haughty yet immature Oedipus suggests that mortals' fates are completely predetermined by the gods. In both plays Oedipus appears to have extreme pride; while Sophocles' clever Oedipus has reason for his pride, Cocteau's foolish Oedipus is arrogant without cause. Sophocles' Oedipus solves "the (sphinx's) riddle by (his) wit alone."(Soph .O.T. 397) The Sphinx sits on the road to Thebes and kills anyone who can not answer her riddle until Oedipus appears, solves the riddle, and saves Thebes. It is at this point that he becomes King of Thebes and rules his people well. He does not know that he has killed his father, the former king, and married his mother. When his presence in Thebes causes a plague to strike the city, he sincerely seeks out the cure for his city's plight. <block quote>I know you are all sick, yet there is not one of you, sick though you are, that is as sick as I myself. Your several sorrows each have single scope and touch but one of you. My spirit groans for city and myself and you at once. You have not roused m... ...sary of Literary Terms, 7th ed. New York: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1999. Cocteau, Jean. (1963). The Infernal Machine and other plays. (Bermel, Albert.). New York: New Directions. Ehrenberg, Victor. â€Å"Sophoclean Rulers: Oedipus.† In Twentieth Century Interpretations of Oedipus Rex, edited by Michael J. O’Brien. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Jaeger, Werner. â€Å"Sophocles’ Mastery of Character Development.† In Readings on Sophocles, edited by Don Nardo. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1997. Sophocles. (1991). Sophocles I: Oedipus the King, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone (Grene, David.). Chicago: University of Chicago.   Sophocles. Oedipus Rex. Transl. by F. Storr. no pag. http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/browse-mixed new?tag=public&images=images/modeng&data=/texts/english/modeng/parsed&part=0&id=SopOedi      

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Descartes Meditation Essay

Descartes holds that you are more mind than body. Do you agree? What sort of priority does he intend? † In the Meditation Two: Concerning the Nature of the Human Mind, Descartes describes himself â€Å"as if I had suddenly fallen into a deep whirlpool† (pg. 492), expressing the need to work his way up and pick up where he left off the day before. He basically exclaims that he will put off all doubts and â€Å"suppose that everything is false (492)†. In this meditation he plays on the concept that the mind is greater than the body. In some respects’ I do agree with what Descartes is saying about dualism concept and how we are â€Å"thinking things (493)†. I believe the mind is more important in some manner than the body because the power the mind has to think, reason, create, dream, imagine, believe, memorize, react, desire, feel, and the ability to know and have endless ideas. Descartes agrees that he â€Å"doubts, understands, affirms, denies, wills, refuses, and that also imagines and senses (494). †In this section I do agree with Descartes on his view of this â€Å"thinking thing†. The mind is so incredible that we humans can’t grasp the intricate complexes that the mind has. When Descartes describes the wax example I was rather confused but after critiquing the concept I have come to realization that it does make sense. I think Descartes was desperate to find away, some way to describe the importance of the mind and using this illustration was a creative way to do so. So he describes this piece of wax how it’s hard and cold, malleable, has a slight honey flavor (494). Then he describes what happens to this wax when it goes through the different temperature cycles and how the structure of the wax changes etc. So we know that when the piece of wax is going through those physical changes it still remains to be the same piece. So seeing that we understand that the hard piece of wax and now melted piece of wax have the same properties’ must not just come from the senses because all of the sensible properties were changed. As Descartes describes that â€Å"the sense of smell, sight, touch or hearing has now changed; and yet the wax remains (495). † So from this one may think that the imagination is what this piece of wax is, but Descartes exclaims, â€Å"Therefore this insight is not achieved by the faculty of imagination. Instead he concludes that â€Å"I (Descartes) perceive it through the mind alone. † Learning this illustration is shows the importance of the mind and the corporeal body. That the body can take on many different changes, yet the mind is beauty behind everything. I can’t say that I agree with everything that Descartes is trying to express, but I do agree with the fact there are hard concepts to grasp and understand. We each have unique mind, and understanding the mind will take time and will take patience.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Seminar

Professor you started by saying we will be discussing what we have learned throughout the term units one through 9. Also you told the class that you would like us to turn in our unit 9 assignments by Friday, any time by Friday night so you could have the weekend to grade and return back to us. You had a trouble accessing the unit 8 drop box, so you informed everyone who has submitted their assignment that they should email the assignment to you instead, but everything should be working ust fine.We started the seminar with the handout and PowerPoint. Unit9 handout what is this course all about. Some questions raised is how does these skills play out in the legal field, you answered it by saying we really need is a mythological. Step one in the legal field you must always define the facts, someone might come to you asking for advise, you must always define the facts when facts are presented, get facts complete and correct about what has happened. Second step is who are the clients, who do I represent. Step three what is the objective, which is to when on behalf of my client.Step four what are the claims. Step five; you must map the fact against the statutes and common law. Step 6, do the research, step 8 is go for the win, you present your facts and findings. Everything we have learned in the past nine units is what the big picture is in the long run of the legal field. There are three Distinct type of writing; HRAC historical, legal memorandum, brief. We went on to the PowerPoint, which focuses on the legal memorandum. In a legal emorandum you must always keep in mind the analysis, can you win. e discussed using the Legal memorandum on unit 9 assignment, you have us the opportunity if those who want to do a legal memorandum will get an extra 5 points. Putting together a memorandum, Step 1 who are you representing, step 2 what is a win, step3 capture all the facts and discard all irrelevant facts. Step 4 is to do the research, research anything we can get our han ds on. Step five would be to back track and make sure you covered any and all facts possible. Key sites everything. To pile for the client, what is good and what is bad.Step 8 is to do a discussion based on all the information given. You stressed how you would prefer the class to try the legal memorandum that you have discussed in the power point do to it be the way it will be done in the legal field. In the legal field, law firms don't go down the list. the 5 points. For the conclusion portion you stated that is may be 0k, to state that there can be a low chance that the law firm may when the case, do to sufficient evidence, or we ould state that we have a high chance at winning, of course every case is not winnable.Based on the law, that is what are conclusion is based on. A classmate brought up the question of statute of limitation to which you replied that we should assume that there are no statute of limitation that was a really great question. our final exam will cover everyth ing that we have learned from unit 1-9. I understand that this will be our last seminar professor, and I can't stress enough how much I appreciate you feedback and help with regards to turning in my work. I thank you.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Shutter Island Movie Review

Shutter Island Movie Review Introduction In the movie, ‘Shutter Island’ Martin Scorsese who is the director has mysterious modelled a gloomy as well as devious psychological tease in the most accepted traditional way. The movie depicts the psychology of nursing practice showing how mentally disturbed patients in the hospital can disappear without the knowledge of nurses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Shutter Island specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, the movie draws the viewers back to the time during the second world war when Teddy Daniels alongside his new colleague are send out to carry out investigations on dubious disappearance of patients from asylum meant for the criminal cases related to psychology (Townsend, 2009). There arises the challenge of security and health care service delivery to mentally ill criminals as well as the ability of the nurses to deal with search cases. Shutter Island and Psychology Nursin g Practice As opposed to most of the films of the twentieth century on psychological illness, the shutter island is devoid of the new psychological nursing practice. This gives a clear description of a dim psychological disorder where the disorder is equivalent to the incurability and the risk whilst the sick is equivalent to the monster. Therefore the director of the movie cannot be compelled of an agenda that is liberal. The Shutter Island instead simplifies the fact that the asylum entertains violence .This is supported by the assertion of Leornardo who indicates that the psychologically challenged criminals do not deserve ‘calm’ (Townsend, 2009). The play rotates around a precious as well as a rare chance on the shutter island to trying to figure out whether mind therapy can uphold the defences of the world war two survivors who are devoid of sight, is traumatised, and who has also gone an extra mile to invade the asylum murdering his wife for having murdered the ch ildren. This is a dark plot full of complexities and it gets more paranoid as the film goes by. It twists together themes about the Hoovers, psychological trials, institutions as well as the Nazis which call for some efforts by the institution holders. As the film progresses, most characters tend to be biased towards the mental health leader. The characters look at this leader as a protagonist psychotherapist. This makes them to assume the fact that their leader is a corrupt leader The lead psychiatrist does not concur with lobotomy (psychosurgery) as well as the advent of new prescription for instance chlorpromazine. For instance, the Germany psychiatrics arc can be dated back to Nazi experimenter and then down to pragmatic lobotomy. Ben Kingsley On the other hand founds his knowledge in psychiatry to the experience he acquired while dealing post traumatic stress patients who were depicting nightmares.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The lead psychiatrists practice however, does not yield any fruit. This rises a bit of alarm to the current psychology of nursing practice which does not work for most of the mentally challenged patients. Such unsuccessful procedures performed by the lead psychiatrists depict a lope hole in the psychology of nursing practice. It also questions the optimism of psychotherapy putting a more sceptical and cynical point of view to the psychologically challenged patients. Conclusion In conclusion, the film is well directed, and carefully brought out with fine work in health institutions details of the current health care institutions as well as the security aspect embodied. Those characters that had had an opportunity to work in health care institutions identify with the asylum in the island. The people can agree that the challenges experienced on the island are as a result of the conflicting needs of both health care serv ices and security. Never the less, the film ends such that most of its viewer’s ends up with distorted and compromised sympathy to the psychology patients. This calls for those in psychology nursing practice to accept and embrace advent of new treatments to help save the mental cases. Reference Townsend, M. (2009). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing:Concepts of care in Evidence-Based Practice (6th ed.). Philadephia: F.A Davis.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Last Chance to Join the Freelance Writing Course

Last Chance to Join the Freelance Writing Course Last Chance to Join the Freelance Writing Course Last Chance to Join the Freelance Writing Course By Ali Hale This is your very last chance to join the freelance writing course. We’re going to be closing the doors at midnight (GMT) today, Friday 6th May. We’ve already got an amazing group of students signed up (over 200!), but there’s still room for you to join us too. Heres what one student said about it: What you supplied has far exceeded my expectations both in content and value for money. I congratulate you on a job well done. (Margaret Huggins, Australia) If you’d like to make a full-time living – or a great part-time income – from freelance writing online, then come on board. You’ll get in-depth lessons on everything you need to know, plus an exclusive forum where you can get all your questions answered. We’ve even got a 60-day money back guarantee: you can take the whole course and, if you decide it wasn’t right for you, just let us know and we’ll give you a no-hassle refund. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive lessons each week for the duration of the course – and you’ll get lifetime access to all the materials, so you can revisit them whenever you need to. Click here to read all the details and join us!. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:What Does [sic] Mean?40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†Conversational Email

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Beer Consumers Decision-Making Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Beer Consumers Decision-Making - Case Study Example To be sure, beer is the dominant alcoholic drink among liquors. But despite a growing population of legal-age drinkers, spirits sales grew by 3% in 2003 while beer sales slipped by nearly 1%, according to Impact Databank (2004). With this concern, this is doubly difficult for beer companies because getting in front of consumers when they're young can shape habits for a lifetime. And out-on-the-town young adults drink more than older consumers who've slowed down. Bigger bar banners and broadcast TV buys aren't enough to reverse this trend. The new drinkers' media consumption is more fragmented than that of their forebears, and they're tougher to reach. Also, marketers must be careful not to use media or imagery that could skew towards under 21 age group. For instance, Coors Brewing Co. drew criticism for a tie-in with PG-13 rated "Scary Movie 3." Coors had expected the film to be rated R, like its two predecessors Marketers are trying to be more creative with on-premise promotions and choosing which media to use for ads. A classic example is Sidney Frank Importing Co.'s "Jager Girls" who show up at bars and press shots of Jagermeister liquor on patrons (Arndofer, 2004). The key to building a brand is to understand what consumers need from it, then to encourage those specific thoughts among them. The methods of doing this are diverse. There are the specific target audience, preferences, and of course the price. Recently, consumers have also been concerned about calories they get in a beer.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Youth on the Move. An Entrance Review Program Essay

Youth on the Move. An Entrance Review Program - Essay Example They tend to think of their families, of their jobs (for those who are working on a part time basis) and other financial matters. With this reason, a number of non-government organizations have been trying to look for possible solutions on how to assist these aspiring high school or college students. "Youth Sessions: An Entrance Review Program" can play a very important role in the achievement of these goal. This specific program deals more on the incoming high school and college students. This specific program aims to offer series of review sessions with the incoming high school and college students. More specifically, this program is aimed at: These students are those who, because of financial difficulties, were forced to stop from schooling. Now that they are about to continue their education, they really need this review session so that they may be updated with various school lessons. This program will also serve as a review for the lessons that they might have forgotten.. 2. Assisting the students who have just graduated from primary school or from high school. These students are those who have just graduated from primary and/or secondary school and are aspiring to go to a reputable university but will need to pass the entrance exam first. Methods and Strategies The role of this program is to provide a series of review sessions that will tackle the four major subjects in school - Mathematics, Science, English or Language and General Knowledge. A total of eight (16) teachers who can work on a part time basis will be the most important tool in this program. Two teachers will be teaching one subject matter everyday (one every half of the day). So, eight teachers will be teaching in the mornings and eight teachers in the afternoon. Each subject's session will last for one hour a day and will be done every Saturdays and Sundays and will run for two months. The days are chosen purposely so as not to affect the regular teaching schedules of the teachers. This also to accommodate the aspiring student-participants who are working on weekdays. So in a year's time, there will be 6 entrance review sessions. The teachers (because this is an NGO project) will be informed before hand that they will be doing this, not because of the salary, but because they are willing to help the youths. Nevertheless, these teachers will still be given transportation, food and other utility allowance. Meanwhile, the teaching materials - markers, white boards, pens etc. - will also be provided. These are the most basic teaching materials that will be shouldered by the program. Since the agency has already a room and LCD projectors that can accommodate a good number of students, the venue and the screens will not be a problem anymore. This program will also be providing lecture kit/manuals for each of the students which has a target number of 20 students per teacher per session. So, there will be 80 students for every 2-months review session. And a total number of 360 students will be reviewed in a year. The qualified students who can avail of this program will be base upon the economic status of the family. The facilitators will be verifying (from the records that the students will be presenting) if their family is really below the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Mayor John Lindsay's Time in the office Research Paper

Mayor John Lindsay's Time in the office - Research Paper Example He was competing with two other political rivals also struggling for the office of Mayor. He defeated A.D. Beame, the then comptroller and W.F. Buckley, Jr who were contesting under the banner of Conservative party. When John Vliet Lindsay got the office, the condition of the city was not good as far as the commodities of life were concerned. The city was dumped in serious fiscal and economic upheavals that it was very difficult for any one holding the office of the Mayor to help the City out of this abyss. The outgoing Mayor, Mr. R.F.Wagner, Jr had left a deteriorated economy where the jobs, especially for the uneducated class were disappearing and the migration from the city was at peak. The people were in a very tough condition and the administration has nothing to heal up the problems of the people. The people were thus in coercion and were helpless and have no other option then to leave the city and settle somewhere else. The middle class families were moving to suburbs to live with contentment. The industrial sector was going down, the public sector was in skirmishes and the workers of the public sector had won the right to unionize. Keeping in mind all these aggravated problems it was very tough for John Vliet Lindsay to hold office and control. ... The city was hit by crisis over crisis and this was not only due to the predecessors’ policies but the ill policies of Lindsay gave impetus to these crises which shook the walls of the city. Some of the issues relating to problematic concerns of the city are as under. Labor Issue: When Lindsay took the charge on his very first day, the transport workers staged a protest and shut down the whole city including the subways and bus services. They set an ultimatum of 9 days to meet their demands but the poor policies of the Mayor neglected the ultimatum and did not negotiate with the transport workers. The refusal of the Mayor resulted in three more days of strike and lasted for 12 days. Even then when the negotiations went successful, the leader of the transport workers Mike Quill in a press conference made mockery of the Mayor by saying that negotiating with the Mayor is not a hard task. After such an outrageous protest by the transport workers, Lindsay turned a deaf ear to such protests and in a press conference remarked that New York City is a fun city where nothing happens badly. This point of view was quoted by many newspapers in sarcastic and sardonic points. The country crept on moving in to the abyssal plash and the corporate headquarters started moving out of the city. Still the resonance of the debacle of the corporate sector was in sounds that the Mayor blasted the scene of New York City with another development (Pileggi, 1969). City’s School System Decentralization: According to Pileggi (1969), in the year 1968, the Mayor allowed the decentralization of the city’s school system granting three local school boards under the complete control over other schools. This was a thing of concern for the teachers as now they

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Beam Energies Treatment for Lung and Larynx

Beam Energies Treatment for Lung and Larynx Larynx Error Plan Errors: Beam energies for larynx treatment are not correct both fields have 10MV instead of 6MV Field sizes are not right The Right Lateral (RLat) field is too big resulting in shielding errors The Left Lateral (LLat) field is too small and is just skimming the anterior portion of the patients shell The number of fractions on the plan is one (1) instead of 20 daily fractions. The global maximum dose is 110.98% (given as 6103.7 cGy) and is largely outside the Planning Target Volume (PTV), meaning the plan is too hot The 108% region is a hot spot as it exceeds the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements (ICRU 50 62) maximum value of 107% The LLat field wedge is too thin 1o, so not helping with uniform dose distribution of the plan, hence the right skewed isodoses and the 108% hot spot The plans maximum spinal cord dose of 5112 cGy, exceeds the maximum dose constraint value for the organ of 5000 cGy. Multi-Leaf Collimators (MLC) use on the plan There is not much conformality to the PTV anteriorly from the RLat field There is insufficient shielding of the neck anteriorly Some MLC are not pulled up properly as they are on the field edge which is better shielded by the Primary collimators The RLat field is over-wedged (60o), resulting in the 108% hotspot region The RLat field is not placed optimally re-collimator angle in order to better avoid the spinal cord The Dose Volume Histogram (DVH) data/graph/chart is insufficient as it is only for the spinal cord excluding for example the PTV information The isocentre could be placed more centrally for the plan Criteria use to evaluate the suitability of the treatment plan This is a conventional parallel-opposed field arrangement, which is suitable for head and neck treatment of the larynx (Barrett and Dobbs, Practical Radiotherapy Planning, page 171). Since this is an error plan, the fields do not match in size though they are parallel opposing. The radical dose prescription is 55 Gy in 20 daily fractions of 2.75 Gy over 4 weeks (Barrett and Dobbs, 4th Ed., page 175). This would apply as a prescription for a T1-2 N0 glottic larynx tumour with a volume of 26-49 cm3 (RSCH, St Lukes Radiotherapy Clinical Protocol, Head and Neck Larynx). Use is made of isodose charts, PTV coverage as indicated by the D95 (95% isodose line), maximum PTV dose (Dmax), maximum spinal cord dose, dose volume histograms (for PTV and spinal cord), and departmental protocols to evaluate the suitability of the treatment plan. The Quantec/Emami et. al. (2013) document of Tolerance of Normal Tissue to Therapeutic Radiation provided the dose constraints for the organs at risk e.g. the spinal cord. NICE guidelines only stipulate an offer of choice of trans-oral microsurgery or radiotherapy to people with newly diagnosed T1b-2 squamous cell carcinoma of the glottic larynx. The plan is optimised by use of beam modifying devices like wedges and MLC (Barrett and Dobbs, page 171), and checking the effect using the planning software. Solutions to eliminate identified errors: The beam energy needs to change from 10MV to 6MV in the field properties of the planning software. This will ensure adequate coverage of the PTV as a significant part of the larynx is very close to the skin. A less energy beam offers less penetration and lower build up depth (for skin sparing effect) for dose deposition. The RLat field size can decrease slightly anteriorly, while the LLat field size can increase slightly to ensure adequate anterior coverage. The fields could also be more symmetrical. The LLat wedges orientation needs to change so that the Thick end is Anterior as per the setup information (Toe in). The number of fractions is should change to 20 from the current one fraction. This would give the appropriate dose prescription for the plan of 55Gy/20#/4weeks/2.75Gy per fraction The current plan is too hot, so the beam weightings need adjusting downwards until the plan conforms to the ICRU limits of maximum 100% + 7% (= 107%), and the lower limit of 100% 5% (= 95%) of the proscription dose (ICRU). This process can also improve by correcting the wrongly orientated LLat wedge and using a better wedge angle on it, as well as adjusting down the angle of the over-wedged RLat wedge. Correcting the 108% hotspot region is through adjusting the wedge angles, re-orienting the LLat wedge and adjusting the field weightings. The thin 1o LLat wedge angle needs changing up to 30o for the wedge to have an effect on the isodose distribution, on top of reversing its orientation. This would help in creating a uniform dose distribution for the plan and a reduction/elimination in/of hotspots. According to the Quantec/Emami et al. (2013) guidelines, the spinal cord is to receive a maximum core dose of 50Gy, but the current plan is exceeding this limit. Adjusting theÂÂ   collimator angle for the fields to be parallel to the spinal cord will help avoid treating this critical organ This is also aided by reducing the field weightings, adjusting the wedge angles and orientation of one of them, adjusting the field sizes posteriorly. The MLC leaves need to close where they are open outside the treatment field edges. There is a leaf to shield the anterior corner of the neck but is pulled back, so needs to be part of the configuration. There are five (5) pairs of almost central leaves, that are on the field edges inferiorly and superiorly, they need pulling back by 0.5 cm from the field edge so they do not interfere with primary collimation (Royal Surrey County Hospital (RSCH), St Lukes Radiotherapy Clinical Protocols). Adjusting the RLat field size anteriorly will aid in correcting the shielding of the neck and improve conformality to the PTV. The RLat field wedge needs reducing to at most 30o to aid uniform dose distribution and reduction of hotspots. Changing the collimator angle of the RLat field so that it is parallel to the spinal cord, will avoid treating through this critical organ. This will result in reducing the spinal cords maximum dose for the plan to within the organs maximum dose constraint value of less than 50Gy, thus aiding in optimising the plan. The DVH information of the plan should include the PTV data and line plot to enable plan evaluation of its suitability. Making the isocentre more central may improve the uniform dose distribution of the plan. Suitability of Plan and Alternative beam arrangement According to De Virgilio, A., et. al. (2012), there is currently no set therapeutic gold standard for the treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. This contributes to a lack of consistency and inhomogeneity in treatment planning. The plan under consideration is a 2D conventional plan, which in itself is suitable with the exception of the errors, but is not optimal. The identified errors are correctable and the plan optimisable. In remaining with the conventional plan, a third anterior low-neck field with a light weighting (3DCRT) is an option to improve dose distribution and eliminate hotspots. However, this would require the addition of electron beams to match the photon fields, according to Herrassi, M. Y., Bentayeb, F, and Malisan M. R. (page 98-105). Another option is to use Intensity Modulated RadioTherapy (IMRT) with 3 or 5 beams, or Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) with one arc, (Matthiesen C, SinghÂÂ   H, Mascia et. al. (2012)). IMRT offers more conformalit y in regards to carotid arteries as stated by Gomez, D., Cahlon, O., et. al. (2010). Portaluri, M., et. al (2006), suggest that 3D Field-in-Field techniques are a valid alternative as they offer the best global performance when considering PTV coverage and parotid sparing. Conclusion The task was instrumental in reinforcing the importance of understanding the process of treatment planning, and how to check the suitability of the plan before its approval. There is not much information to work with in suggesting alternative beam arrangements. Useful information could have been correct TNM classification, appropriate oncological classification taking into account the anatomic-embryologic and functional complexity of the larynx. There were glaring errors in the plan, and as an exercise, they were useful in sharpening treatment planning knowledge. IMRT is the preferred treatment technique that is efficacious especially for parotid gland and carotid artery sparing. Lung Plan Errors: Beam energies should all be 6MV, some are 10MV on the plan There are too many fields for the plan The LLat beam is going through the contralateral lung The field placement of the right posterior oblique (RPO) is not optimal as its MLCs are shielding part of the PTV contributing to the inadequate 95% dose coverage of the PTV. The global max value of 109% exceeds the ICRU guidelines, meaning the plan is very hot in places. There is an 80% hot spot on the chest, which is very hot for the area close to the skin There are many wedges on this plan resulting in hot and cold spots and a high dose gradient in the PTV. The Right Lateral and Anterior fields are over-wedged, resulting in the 80% and 109% hot spots. The RPO and LLat field wedge angles are not conventional (50o and 33o respectively, when considering the standard wedge angle specifications of 15o, 30o, 45o and 60o. The Lateral fields (Right Lateral and Left Lateral), are too big in relation to the size of the PTV, resulting in unnecessary irradiation of healthy tissue. The current plan exceeds the spinal cord core dose (maximum 50Gy), as interpreted from the DVH data. There is less than 95% PTV coverage laterally , resulting in a max dose to the PTV of 5304 cGy, which is very much less than the expected 6080 cGy (95% of 6400 cGy). Criteria use to evaluate the suitability of the treatment plan Barrett and Dobbs (page 252), acknowledge that there are a number of challenges to covering the PTV fully and remaining within the ICRU constraints, while maintaining acceptable toxicity levels at the same time. A three (3) field conformal plan is normally used for stage I or II non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A compromise on choosing the best plan is mostly dependent upon the location and size of the PTV, and its closeness to critical structures, like the spinal cord and oesophagus. The plan should try to minimise dose to the contralateral lung as much as possible by using anterior oblique, posterior oblique and lateral beams. Beam modifying devices such as wedges compensate for obliquity at the chest, with MLC shielding conforms each beam to the shape of the PTV (Dobbs and Barrett). Use is made of the Quantec/Emami et. al. (2013), document on Tolerance of Normal Tissue to Therapeutic Radiation in checking dose constraints to organs at risk e.g. brachial plexus, oesophagus and spinal cord. Plan evaluation also uses isodose charts, dose volume histograms and departmental protocols to establish the suitability of the plan. NICE guidelines for Radiotherapy with curative intent for Non-small cell Lung Cancer stipulate that the patient should have good performance status (WHO 0 or 1). It says, CHART should be offered first, but if unavailable then conventional radiotherapy of 64-66 Gy in 32-33 fractions over 6 ÂÂ ½ weeks or 55 Gy in 20 fractions over 4 weeks is the next option. This plan is for 64 Gy in 32 fractions over 6 ÂÂ ½ weeks, so meets with this criterion. Dobbs and Barrett (page 253), mention that careful evaluation of the plan using DVHs is especially important when considering keeping the V20 below 32 per cent (the volume of lung receiving more than 20Gy of the dose). Solutions to eliminate identified errors: Barrett and Dobbs (page 255), point out that beam energies above 10 MV should be avoided due to greater range of secondary electrons in lung tissue, which result in a wider penumbra and thus more radiation to normal tissue. Beam energy of 6MV is adequate, while use of 10MV is for separation at the centre is greater than 28 cm. (Dobbs and Barrett, page 252). As no mention of the separation, it is appropriate to use 6MV on all the beams for this plan instead on mixed energies. This is a conventional plan, and the common number of beams 3 instead of the current 5. The many fields have not helped in conforming the plan to the PTV and improving the dose distribution, but have contributed in unnecessary irradiation of normal tissues. So, removal of the anterior and left lateral beams, would bring the plan back to a conformal 3 field plan. The right posterior oblique field would need setting at around 215o-225o in order to cover the PTV better and its MLC not to shield the PTV as at the present. (RSCH and London Cancer centre protocols). The left lateral field is treating through the contralateral lung, which is operationally against ICRP (2007), ICRU and IR(ME)R 2000 guidelines of keeping dose as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) to patients, employees and the general public. The corrective measure is to remove the left lateral field from the plan. The gantry angle for the right posterior field is not optimal and moving it to around 215o-225o range would improve coverage of the PTV and avoid the spinal cord, even though the MLC is shielding the cord (ideal) in the current setup but also part of the PTV that is not ideal and compromising the 95% coverage of the PTV. The global maximum value of 109% exceeds the ICRU target of maximum 107% within the PTV. Removing the anterior and left lateral fields, and adjusting the over-wedged posterior and right lateral field wedge angles to either 15o or 30o depending on the uniformity of the dose distribution within the PTV, will rectify this issue. The remaining field weights will need adjusting as well to fully optimise the plan. Moving the RPO beam angle to between 215o and 225o, as well as reducing the wedge angle to 30o and removing the anterior beam from the plan will correct the 80% hotspot region. Removing the anterior field will effectively eliminate the 80% hot spot region on the chest. Removing the left lateral field and wedging the right anterior oblique field will help in reducing or eliminating the 109% hot spot region in the PTV. These measures will also result in more uniformity in dose distribution when combined with adjusting the weights of the remaining fields. The current plan has many wedged fields (some over-wedged), which is rectified by removing the anterior and left lateral field from the plan, adjusting the right lateral wedge angle to either 15o or 30o, and that of the posterior field from 50o to either 15o or 30o and inserting a 15o or 30o wedge on the anterior oblique field. This should improve the uniformity of the dose distribution within the PTV. The non-conventional wedge angles of the posterior and left lateral fields (50o and 33o respectively), have not improved the dose distribution in any noticeable way, as there is still a high dose gradient in the PTV. Reverting to the standard angles and using either 15o or 30o at most, would improve the dose distribution of the plan. The two lateral fields are too big; therefore adjusting them posteriorly would improve the PTV coverage of the plan and less irradiation of normal tissue. The left lateral field however needs taking off the plan altogether. The current plan shows excessive dose to the spinal cord and according to the Quantec/Emami et. al. (2013) document, the maximum core dose to the spinal cord should not exceed 50Gy. Moving the right posterior field angle to 215o-225o range and removing the anterior beam will correct this anomaly The less than 95% coverage of the PTV is achieved by: positioning the posterior field optimally (between 215o and 225o), so that the MLC will not shield the PTV but still manage to shield the spinal cord; adjusting the field sizes of the oblique fields; applying 15o or 30o wedge to the right anterior oblique field andÂÂ   adding MLCs to it so that it conforms the PTV better thus improving the dose distribution to the plan; and applying MLCs to the right lateral field to conform the PTV better. Suitability of Plan and Alternative beam arrangement This plan is not suitable for patient treatment in many respects, as highlighted by the errors identified. Improving it is by reverting to the conventional three field/beam plan, with two right oblique fields and the right lateral field as the third one (Barrett and Dobbs, page 252). Other treatment techniques, e.g. IMRT (with emphasis on carotid sparing), helical tomotherapy, VMAT have been found to offer better results on dosimetric comparisons. However, a multi-modality approach could be the best approach when considering new data coming from immunology, molecular biology and genetics on top of the usual surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment options (Franco, P., et. al. (2016)). Conclusion This exercise highlighted the importance of quality assurance and having several layers of checking the suitability of treatment plans that are eventually used on the patients.