Martin Luther Essays (1160 words) - Lutheran Theology,

Martin Luther Martin Luther Martin Luther lived from 1483-1546. Luther was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben in the province of Saxony. His protestant view of Christianity started what was called the Protestant Reformation in Germany. Luther's intentions were to reform the medieval Roman Catholic Church. But firm resistance from the church towards Luther's challenge made way to a permanent division in the structure of Western Christianity. Luther lived in Mansfield and was the son of a miner. He later went on to study at Eisenbach and Magdeburg. After studying at these institutions he moved on to study at the University of Erfurt. Luther started out studying law, but then went on to enter the religious life. He went into the religious life due to the fact that he felt that he would never earn his eternal salvation. He didn't feel that all of the prayer, studying and sacraments were enough. Therefore, Luther felt that he would never be able to satisfy such a judging God. Not being able to satisfy this God meant eternal damnation. After entering the religious life he later became an Augustinian monk and entered the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt in July of 1505. While in this monastery Luther became a well known theologian and Biblical scholar. In 1512 Luther earned his doctorate in theology and became a professor of Biblical literature at Wittenberg University. Luther took his religious vocation very serious. This led him into a severe crisis in dealing with his religion. He wondered, "is it possible to reconcile the demands of God's law with human inability to live up to the law." Luther then turned to the New Testament book of Romans for answers. He had found, "God had, in the obedience of Jesus Christ, reconciled humanity to himself." "What was required of mankind, therefore, was not strict adherence to law or the fulfillment of religious obligations, but a response of faith that accepted what God had done." In other words he realized that religion is based on love and not fear. Basically, he realized that everyone is burdened by sin because it happens as a result of our weaknesses. He concluded that man could never earn his salvation by leading a blameless life or by performing holy acts. Instead, man's salvation was a divine gift from God resulting from faith in Jesus, especially the saving power of his death and resurrection. This was known as the protestant doctrine of "justification by faith alone." The fact that Luther believed this, lead him into his first confrontation with the Catholic Church in 1517. All of this influenced Luther to write his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517. The leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo X, was trying to raise money in order to build St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. To raise money the Pope offered the sale of indulgences. Basically, these were donations of money that would give partial forgiveness for people's sins. So, on October 31, 1517, Luther posted these Ninety-Five Theses or propositions on the door of the Wittenberg Catholic Church. These Ninety-Five Theses denied the right of the Pope to sell indulgences for the forgiveness of sins, among other challenges. His authorship of the Ninety-Five Theses would make Luther the leader of the religious movement or reformation towards Protestantism. Pope Leo X forced Luther to appear before Cardinal Cajetan in Augsburg. Here the Cardinal demanded Luther to take back everything that he said in his Ninety-Five Theses. Luther said that he would if his Theses could be proved wrong by use of the Bible. Later in 1521, Pope Leo X issued a "Bull of Excommunication" towards Luther. Emperor Charles V was expected to enforce the Excommunication. Charles V formed a "diet" in the town of Worms and asked Luther to attend this meeting so that he could be examined. Once again Luther was asked to take back everything that he had said in his Ninety-Five Theses. Luther refused again and was outlawed. Anyone could kill Luther and they would not have been held accountable to the law for punishment. Luther decided that it would be best to relocate under these circumstances. He had a friend that was an elector of Saxony that helped him escape. So, Luther disguised himself and went off to hide in the castle of Wartburg. While he was in Wartburg he began translating the New Testament into German. At that time the emperor was occupied with a war waging in France. This distraction helped Luther return to his work with aid of his followers in Wittenberg. Some of his followers went too far carrying out the

Against Health Maitance Organizations Essays - Managed Care

Against Health Maitance Organizations Essays - Managed Care Against Health Maitance Organizations Throughout history, America has always strived for freedom and quality of life. Wars were fought and people died to preserve these possessions. We are now in a time where we may see these ideals crumble like dust in the wind. Health Maintenance Organizations, HMOs are currently depriving millions of people from quality health acre and freedom of choice. This is occurring because people who are enrolled in HMOs are unable to choose the doctor that they want. Also patients lose the quality of care because HMOs interfere with the health care providers decisions. The Health Maintenance Organization has been proven to sometimes interfere with physicians exercise of sound medical judgement and avoid covering necessary medical care, causing members to either pay out of their own pockets or go without (Schlossman). This means that the insurance company does not really care about you. The insurance company only cares about how much money it has to spend on you as a person and if you need a type of special care that cost money either you can pay for it your self or just go without the care that is needed. This interference often compromises the patients ability to have freedom of choice in selecting a provider and to get the best quality for their health care needs. This freedom of choice is the ability to choice the doctor that you want as a doctor. Yet instead HMOs pick the doctor for you. All over the United States HMOs have denied patients the medical care which they need. In Charlotte, North Carolina, for example, a boy named Ethan Bedrick was born with cerebral palsy. His doctors said that in order for him to be able to ever walk, he would need extensive therapy. Yet according to HMO policy, patients are only allowed a maximum of fifteen therapy sessions per year; therefore, his health plan said NO. The HMO said no when a little boy said please help. This proves why HMOs frequently deprive patients of the optimum quality of life. This little boys future of being able to walk was crushed by an insurance company that was so money grubbing greedy that it could not stretch the rule for this case. Since the boys therapy is not being paid for the HMOs gets a bonus in their paycheck. They took the money that was supposed to go to the therapy and put it into their pockets. An epidemic has occurred in most senior citizens lives. Since January 1, 1999 440,000 senior citizens have lost their HMO privileges. In essence, HMOs decided to arbitrarily eliminate the senior citizen plan. The sad reality is that many members who subscribed to these particular HMOs for its senior citizens package are out of luck and without medical coverage. For many people over the age of 65 who once had HMO benefits are now scrambling to find a new insurance. There are people like Allen Martin from New York, who is over the age of 65. Due to a severe disease his kidneys do not work. As a result he needs dialysis, (which is when the waste material is flushed out of the body) three times a week. This process is extremely expensive costing hundreds of dollars each time and what was once paid for by the HMO, but now he has to find some way to pay for it on his own. In many cases doctors are unable to tell a patient the limitations of their particular HMO and how it interferes with the ability to provide good medicine. This is called the gag rule. These gag rules do not allow the doctors to say anything bad or against HMOs. Also the rules restrain doctors from telling the patient certain things that HMOs do not pay for such as special procedures that might benefit the patients condition. Doctors who work with HMOs have to sign a contract. This contract states that a doctor is unable to tell patients certain things. Yet in frequent cases doctors have felt limited by their contract with HMOs. This is because they want to tell patients important facts, but are unable to because of the contract. If the doctors break

A Study Of Lyme Disease In New

Jersey Essay, Research Paper Introduction Merely by populating in the universe, human existences are susceptible to disease. Many diseases # 8212 ; for illustration, grippe and TB # 8212 ; are spread when bacteriums or viruses pass from one individual to another. Other diseases are acquired genetically from one? s parents, such as cystic fibrosis. Some diseases, such as bosom disease and osteoporosis, develop as worlds age. Others worlds get from the environment ; illustrations are lead toxic condition and tegument malignant neoplastic disease due to exposure to the Sun. Finally, there are diseases that can be transmitted from animate beings to worlds. Lyme disease is one such disease. Cases of Lyme disease, which is transmitted to worlds and pets by the bite of a tick, are steadily increasing in countries such as the Northeast part of the United States. At present, there is no vaccinum for worlds ; the best manner to forestall Lyme disease is to take safeguards against being bitten by a tick and leting the tick to stay af filiated to the tegument long plenty for the infection to be transmitted. History The narrative of Lyme disease in the United States began in 1975, when two female parents, Polly Murray and Judith Mensch, alarmed by the great figure of instances of joint redness in the their communities of Lyme and Ease Haddam, Connecticut, contacted public wellness governments ( 7:5 ) . The wellness section contacted Allen Steere and his co-workers at Yale University, in New Haven. Steere believed the eruption may supply a hint about the infective agent or environmental toxin that was responsible for arthritis ( 2:26 ) . One early observation made by Steere was an association between the arthritis and a anterior tegument roseola. A connexion was so made between this roseola and a similar 1 called erythema migrans, which comes from the bite of the sheep tick, Ixodes Ricinus and is often found in northern Europe ( 7:5 ) . After field surveies and patient studies were carried out the research workers released three indispensable findings which subsequently led to the find of the infective agent. First, the disease was seasonal, happening most normally in the summer and much less so in the center of the winter. In geographic countries such as Connecticut, these findings suggest that the virus was either a summer virus or an infection carried by and insect or a tick ( 7:35 ) . Second, the disease did non distribute from one individual in a household to another. Summer viruses were normally spread from individual to individual, particularly those populating in the same family. When a summer virus was eliminated, the focal point shifted to the engagement of arthropods ( 7:37 ) . Third, the disease was much more prevalent on one side of the Connecticut River than the other. Since the Connecticut River bisects the province, this became an of import factor in happening the cause of the disease. The research workers found a good correlativity with the frequence of a certain tick now named Ixodes scapularis. When furthered questioned, the affected people remembered being old bitten by a tick ( 2:27 ) . At foremost, the infective agent bring forthing Lyme disease was thought to hold been either a virus, protozoon, Fungis, or bacteriums. Among the possible agents, bacterium was the highest on the list. European doctors had been handling patients with medical specialties that were effectual against bacteriums. However, these findings were non originally accepted in the United States. It was merely after some of the patients in Steere? s survey were successfully treated with antibiotics, which are effectual against bacteriums, but non against viruses, protozoon, or Fungis, that bacterium was determined to be the infective agent ( 14:1015 ) . The specific bacterium was found by Willy Burgdorfer, an expert on a assortment of tick-borne diseases. While working at Montana? s Rocky Mountain Laboratories, Burgdorfer received a cargo of ticks from New York. After looking at the contents of the ticks through a microscope, Burgdorfer found a wavy signifier of a spirochaete that had neer been seen in the Ixodes group of ticks before. After finding that the same spirochaetes were present in ticks taken from Long Island and New Jersey, the freshly named Borrelia burgdorferi was confirmed as the bacterium that caused Lyme disease ( 1:47 ) . THE VECTOR The tick that transmits Lyme disease is called Ixodes scapularis. In the northeasterly and north-central United States it is frequently called the? cervid tick? because it is found so often on cervid. The southern signifier of I. scapularis is normally called the? black legged tick. ? The southern signifier of the species poses less of a menace of infection. Fewer of the southern ticks are infected and they tend to feed on other carnal hosts instead than worlds ( 2:43 ) . The ticks that transmit Lyme disease by and large live about two old ages. I. scapularis larvae, which are non much larger than the period at the terminal of this sentence, hatch in the summer from eggs laid by the grownup female that spring. They normally feed on a field mouse or other gnawer host that summer and into the early autumn. The larvae so alteration into nymphs the first twelvemonth ; these nymphs base on balls through the winter without feeding. the undermentioned spring and summer the nymphs provender on a gnawer or other little animate being. At least three out of four Lyme disease instances in the United States are from the bite of a nymphal tick that occurs sometime between May and August. Most of the bites go unnoticed because the nymphs are so little # 8211 ; about the size of a poppy seed ( 2:45 ) . In the 2nd twelvemonth, the nymph alterations to an grownup after feeding. The larger ticks, particularly the females, are more likely to be noticed by people. I. scapularis grownups bite cervid and other big mammals, such as worlds. The grownups feed subsequently in the twelvemonth than the nymphs and larvae and may stay active even as temperature bead to merely above nothing in the late autumn. Lyme disease infection happening in the autumn, particularly in the nor-east, can normally be attributed to the bite of an grownup ( 2:45-46 ) . Reservoir The Lyme disease spirochaetes can stay active and even multiply inside a tick? s organic structure, but rarely are they passed from an grownup female to her offspring. In order for the spirochaetes to distribute in nature, an septic tick must feed on another animate being, thereby go throughing the spirochaete from that animate being to other feeding ticks. Many types of mammals and birds are capable of hosting the bacterium and of go throughing it on to other ticks, therefore finishing the vector-reservoir-vector rhythm. Because about 99 per centum of the larvae of I. scapularis do non transport the bacteriums even if their grownup female parent of male parent did, the larvae must get the bacteriums by feeding on an septic host. In the instance of cervid ticks this host is normally a wild field mouse, called Peromyscus leucopus. In some parts more than half the mice are infected with Lyme disease bacteriums, therefore supplying a uninterrupted reservoir of the spirochaetes for many ticks. In bad countries for Lyme disease, such as New Jersey, the opportunities that a larva will go septic is as least one in four ( 13:36 ) . Symptom The first mark of the disease in 60 to 80 per centum of the instances is a roseola # 8211 ; a ruddy splodge or bull? s oculus form, frequently no more than 2 1/2 inches across. If left untreated it may, in two hebdomads to a month, expand to four times that size. The roseola does non ever occur at the site of the bite ( 11:9 ) . Often it is found at the axilla, inguen, or the dorsum of the articulatio genus. However, in many instances of Lyme disease no roseola occurs ; therefore it may be necessary to look at other factors before doing a diagnosing ( 16:41 ) . Other common symptoms include icinesss, febrility, weariness, and other flu-like symptoms ( 1:47 ) . If left untreated, the disease spreads to other P humanistic disciplines of the organic structure, and frequently consequences in more joint, tendon and musculus hurting, partial facial palsy, and bosom palpitations ( 8:11 ) . Chronic symptoms can develop if the disease goes untreated for months or old ages, and leads to severe arthritis and neurological jobs ( 5:29 ) . Diagnosis The best manner to get at or except a diagnosing of Lyme disease is to analyze three facets of the patient. The first is to find if the patient exhibits any of the above symptoms. The 2nd is discover whether or non the patient is at a high hazard of undertaking the disease. This factor takes into history the environment in which the patient lives, works, or enjoys his recreational activities. It may besides include whether or non the patient has a pet that may hold brought the ticks into the house ( 16:41 ) . The 3rd factor to see before naming Lyme disease is to execute research lab trials. The Second National Conference on Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease recommends a two-test attack to find an active disease or a old infection. A doctor should execute a sensitive enzyme immunochemical assay ( EIA ) or immunofluorescent check ( IFA ) . If a patient trials positive on an EIA or IFA so the doctor should follow up with a standardised Western immunoblot ( 15:937 ) . Treatment In its early phases Lyme disease can easy be treated. Clinical surveies have shown that a 10 twenty-four hours to three hebdomad class of antibiotics is about 95 percent effectual in extinguishing the disease ( 14:1015 ) . Amoxicillin and Vibramycin are the two most prescribed antibiotics. They replaced the earlier interventions of penicillin and Achromycin because they are more easy absorbed by the enteric piece of land and require less frequent dosing ( 9:1 ) . Erythromycin, which is less effectual than penicillin or Achromycin, is now merely used in the intervention of immature kids, pregnant or nursing adult females, and those people allergic to penicillins ( 2:166 ) . If left untreated and allowed to come on to a ulterior phase, Lyme disease may necessitate to be treated with endovenous antibiotics. The success rate at this phase drops significantly and frequently patients will go on to see chronic symptoms ( 2:167 ) . Prevention It is of import to be cognizant if you live in or are going to a high hazard country. Ticks thrive in wooded, shaggy, grassy home grounds, and peculiarly in shady and damp countries. Measures to forestall Lyme disease include have oning long arms and bloomerss when out-of-doorss, inserting bloomerss into socks, and utilizing repellants # 8211 ; permethrin ( sold as Permanoe ) on vesture, and diethyltoluamide ( DEET ) on exposed countries of tegument. The most of import agencies of bar is a complete review of the organic structure at the terminal of every twenty-four hours spent out-of-doorss. A tick must be attached to the organic structure for a lower limit of 24 hours in order to convey the disease ; hence if a tick is found upon review it is non excessively late to forestall the disease from being transmitted. If a tick is discovered embedded in the tegument it should be removed instantly by hold oning the organic structure with a brace of all right tipped pincers and drawing gen tly until the tick comes out ( 4:31 ) . Statistical ASPECTS In 1995 ( the last complete twelvemonth for which figures are available ) , there 11,603 instances of Lyme disease reported in the United States by 43 provinces and the District of Columbia. The overall incidence of the disease was 4.4 per 100,000 people. This was the 2nd highest one-year figure reported since the disease was first tracked in 1982, nevertheless it was an 11 % lessening from the 13, 043 instances reported in 1994 ( 10:274 ) . Despite the national lessening, the incidence of Lyme disease in New Jersey has increased steadily since 1992, from 688 instances to 1,704 in 1995 ( 6: T-3 ) . An overall incidence of 21.1 per 100,000 people was reported ( 10:274 ) . Hunterdon County leads the province and is 2nd among the 3,300 counties in the state in the figure of instances per 100,000 occupants. In 1995, Hunterdon reported 565 instances. Morris County was 2nd in the province coverage 232 instances ( 6: T-3 ) . FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF LYME DISEASE IN NEW JERSEY The three chief factors lending to the incidence in New Jersey are the sum of cervid nowadays in the province, an increased interaction between people and cervid, and an addition in the figure of doctors naming and describing Lyme disease. The figure of cervid in New Jersey continues to turn every twelvemonth ( 17:41 ) . This population detonation means that there are more cervid for the ticks to feed on and infect. This straight relates to the addition in interaction between people and cervid. As people move into more wooded countries, they are more likely to come in contact with cervid and their home grounds. This provides an chance for the ticks to attach themselves to dress or be found in families ( 13:37 ) . The 3rd factor can be attributed to an addition in consciousness among physicians to name Lyme disease. After a significant sum of media attending given to Lyme disease in the late 1980? s and early 1990? s, physicians all of a sudden began naming the disease in more patients. As an consciousness of the symptoms and hazard factors of Lyme disease increased, doctors were better able to do a more accurate diagnosing. They were now naming Lyme disease in patients that had antecedently been untreated ( 3 ) . Decision It is inevitable that the instances of Lyme disease will go on to increase in New Jersey until more people become cognizant of the earnestness of the disease. In recent old ages, the media has been instrumental in supplying the public with pertinent information refering the symptoms and hazard factors involved in the disease. At present, there is no vaccinum protecting worlds against Lyme disease. The best manner to protect oneself against undertaking Lyme disease is to forestall a tick from holding the chance to convey the infection. 1. Accerrano, Anthony. ? Tick, tick. ? Sports Afield. Aug. 1996. 44-47. 2. Barbour, Alan G. , M.D. Lyme Disease. Baltimore: John? s Hopkins University Press, 1996. 3. Fernandez, Bob. ? New Jersey County Suffering from 2nd Highest Rate of Lyme Disease. ? Tribune News Service. 28 Aug. 1994. 4. Gubler, Diane J. , et Al. ? A Field Guide to Animal-borne Infections. ? Patient Care. 15 Oct. 1994. 23-37. 5. Hearn, Wayne. ? Lyme Disease Back With a Few New Ticks, Er, Tricks. ? American Medical News. 22 Jul. 1996. 29-30. 6. ? It? s Tick Time. ? The Record. 23 Jun. 1996. T-3. 7. Lang, Denise, and Derrick DeSilva, Jr. , M.D. Coping With Lyme Disease. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1993. 8. ? Lingering Lyme Disease. ? Science News. 7 Jan. 1995. 11. 9. ? Lyme Disease: Treatment Controversies Continue. ? Health Facts. Jul. 1995. 1-2. 10. ? Lyme Disease # 8212 ; United States, 1995. ? The Journal of the American Medial Association. 24 Jul. 1996. 274. 11. Miller, Sue. ? Lyme Disease Update. ? Country Journal. Jul.-Aug. 1994. 8. 12. Murray, Polly. The Widening Circle. New York: St. Martin? s Press, 1996. 13. Nelson, Peter. ? Deer Watch. ? National Wildlife. Oct.-Nov. 1994. 34-42. 14. Pfister, Hans- Walter, et Al. ? Lyme Borreliosis: Basic Science and Clinical Aspects. ? The Lancet. 23 Apr. 1994. 1013-1017. 15. ? Recommendations for trial public presentation and reading from the Second National Conference on Serologic Diagnosis of Lyme Disease. ? The Journal of the American Medical Association. 27 Sept. 1995. 937. 16. Stewart, Kay B. ? A Quick Expression at Lyme Disease. ? Nursing. Aug. 1994. 41. 17. Sudo, Phil. ? The Bambi Boom. ? Scholastic Update. 16 Apr. 1993. 18.

Human resource management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Human resource management - Coursework Example This would include human resource planning, recruitment, selection and training in organizations. The recruitment and selection process would depend on the kind of establishment that is set up. This must be accompanied with the right kind of training and development programs to equip candidates with the requisite skills and expertise. However, training programs must b customized to meet the individual training needs of employees. Training might be internally conducted by the organizations catering to their own needs and skill requirements. However, there are a large number of training institutes in the region offering wide variety of training for organizations. Off the job training is most widely used by the private sector firms in UAE. In UAE, organizations are encouraged to practice group activities and team work. Thus training might be imparted on group problem solving activities. Organizations can also undertake high level skill training for their workforce. The key role of HRM is ensuring employee performance and productivity. This includes identifying the key components of candidates’ performance. It is important that the performances of employees are monitored by their immediate supervisors, peers, colleagues, subordinates and themselves. This is useful in making a complete review of their performance in the organization. A crucial component of performance management system is performance appraisal system. The appraisal system is considered to be most crucial for encouraging individual performance and raising their level of satisfaction too. The competitive structure of the UAE labour market and the cut throat competition existing between organizations calls for strict performance appraisal system. Under the system employees would be compensated or rewarded according to the evaluation of their performance. Employee performance must be aligned and rated against organizational goals and

Evaluation of Websites Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Evaluation of Websites - Research Paper Example The ability to develop good quality content and deliver them is the main driver of marketing values. The content should be exceptional and stand out in a platform that already has hundreds of other content. Vodafone.com is committed to helping the users access credible and professionally written information about the mobile telecommunications industry. It provides a single platform where users can also view the company products and any services that are being offered by the company. The title is informative as it only lists the name of the service provider so that users can have a clue of what the website is about. Vodafone is a global brand and the name can be recognized in many places across the globe. It is also unique and easy to understand. Most of the articles on the website are from the Vodafone team and no single author has been listed. Due to this, there are no email addresses that can be used to contact the authors of the articles in case of any query. To make the website a ttractive, there are various illustrations. However, the dominant feature all through the website is the brand color which is red and appears in all the web pages. This makes it attractive and appealing to the viewers. The layout of the home page gives the users access to information from various sources of information and this makes it very informative. On the introductory page, there are link to articles that summarize the function of the website and make the users aware of what the website is all about.

The Definition of Reality Essay Example for Free

The Definition of Reality Essay The quote which Christof made in the movie â€Å"The Truman Show† depicts the narrow-mindedness of the human brain the inability to search for the truth. Humans get used to the idea of a particular habit of living, which disables them from reaching the ultimate truth. Therefore, reality is the achievement of the questioning of the world around us to find the perfect truth which should be accepted, to live without the conflict that our world presents itself with. In numerous situations in life, people confirm to the ideas prevalent in their society. Whether it is a certain ideology, fashion style, religion or anything, people usually take it upon themselves to follow it, even though it might not make sense. They climb onto the bandwagon with everyone else, thereby conforming to the popular ideas. However, if one pondered about such ideologies, one would find loopholes, errors and petty misunderstandings within such worldly ideologies. Reality, however, does not and should not have any sort of fallacy. Reality is like the diamond, glittering between the darkness of the other rocks it is buried with. If one scoured the whole place meticulously and with the correct mindset, one would notice the glimmer of the diamond. Reality, thus, is individuality, which makes one appreciate uniqueness and consider ideologies without throwing one’s sense away and following the widely held idea. Gaarder depicts such a situation in his book â€Å"Sophie’s World†. Most people conform to society and slide down into the rabbit’s fur, making themselves comfortable without using their brain, while the best way is to cling on to the edges of the rabbit’s fur, seeing, questioning, interrogating and actively reading through the world’s mysteries to reach that shimmering diamond of reality. Reality is freedom. Because reality is the ultimate truth, it will set one free. Truman is trapped in Seahaven Island because he does not the truth. Born and raised in Seahaven, he knows nothing else. He does not know actual reality, therefore, he is confined. Up until in the movie, Truman had been accepting the world with which he was presented. And that is what all human beings do which is why each and every one of us is trapped in a world that we accept unconsciously. Once we break the barriers of such confinement and realize that it is ultimate truth that we were seeking the whole time and that helped us from such entrapment, we are left with the glittering diamond of reality. Similarly, the people who have slid down the rabbit’s fur have confirmed themselves to the cozy and warm interior of the world they know, accepting, with blind faith, the surroundings they are surrounded with. Truth or reality is the only way towards the questions that has haunted the human race for centuries. Who are we? How was the universe created? Who or what was the cause for creation? What is the purpose of our lives and our universe? An endless stream of questions runs on and on. In the â€Å"Truth Project†, Dr. Tackett explains the fallacy of searching for the answers to such â€Å"universals† in the particulate and natural world around us. Reality is the answer to the universal questions through the acceptance of divinity, authenticity and common reasoning. With the assumption of the existence of God, it is unambiguous that He is the basis for reality- the point that philosophers and cultures from centuries ago have been trying to prove. The idea of divinity of a Supreme Being controlling is the ultimate truth and reality of our existence. Such an idea is of more worth than diamond, gold or silver put together, and thus one would achieve the epitome of reality and truth when he realizes it. Many people state and strongly believe in a multi-faceted reality, in which reality is the perspective of each and every person. In other words, reality is relative, and takes different shapes and forms with each person. This would mean that truth is defined as however each person defines it- truth is relative. However, this is just a notion of the modern ages. It is widely accepted that truth and reality are absolute- there can only be one. By stating truth as relative, according to ‘allaboutphilosophy. org’ people are engaging themselves in a petty fallacy of circular reasoning. They reject the absolutist nature of reality by stating that reality is relative, wherein they are stating an absolute statement, which contradicts their relativism. Reality or truth is absolute- there is only one real way. Many paths may look similar, however- and that is where critical thinking plays a huge role- one must critically examine all the nuances and scrutinize all the â€Å"fine print† before walking down that path. The assumption of a living and supreme God being the reality of our purpose and creation is an ideal that many people refute- atheists, humanists etc. The proof of the suffering in the world and the seemingly cruel and selfish reality of the world- which they perceive because of their narrow-mindedness—seems to present to them evidence against the existence of the supreme being. However, C. S. Lewis and his arguments for the real existence of God prove otherwise. Of course, reality would be worthier than diamond itself, but for this essay’s sake, we would make such an extended analogy. Reality is the ultimate truth that should be seeked by each and every one in their life. The various positive definitions of reality serve to motivate anyone to search for the truth through critical thinking and determination to appreciate the world’s ultimate truth and the struggle to get to that particular destination.

Teaching in the Nude :: Personal Narrative Essay Example

So there I was, standing in the locker room. There were eight four-year olds (boys and girls) the two teachers (both women, around the age of twenty five) and me. It was a Wednesday, which means it is a swim day. As everyone around me began shedding his or her clothes, I felt my heart skip a beat as I wondered where I was going to change. "Um, do I just take off my clothes and change right in front of the children?" I asked, sheepishly. "Well, unless you plan to swim in your clothes, I think it would be a good idea to take off your clothes!" was the Danish response. They were not used to my cultural views on nudity; but I was. Well, seeing as I did not want the children to think I was strange, I took a deep breath and stripped down. Standing there naked, for the first five minutes was the hardest thing I had ever done - or so I thought. Here in Sweden, when changing in the locker room, it is proper etiquette to wander around in the nude. One's towel does not serve any other purpose besides drying one off - it is not a cover for one's nude body. This was a big step for me. It is the American way to use your towel as a shield from exposing your naked behind to others. Well, not here. So, I proceeded into the shower chamber (naked) along with my naked class of children and the two naked teachers. The shower chamber consisted of a long corridor of waterspouts - there was no place to hide! I had to grin and bare it, literally! After our six to ten-minute communal nude shower, we finally put our bathing suits on and went swimming. I thought I had accomplished a great feat! I, the modest American, stood naked in front of the whole class and the teachers. Yay for me!! But, to my surprise, I was mistaken. After our swim, we entered the naked chamber once again. Our bathing suits and towels were hung up, and the naked party began! We all showered again (the Danes are really clean people!), and as I grabbed my towel and began to dry off, I received strange looks. "Am I not supposed to be getting dressed yet?

Cultural Analysis of India

India’s ancient civilization reveals marvelous facts about its heritage. It indicates as to how kingdoms ruled and how people went about life in a logical way. Dance and rituals were always a part of Indian culture and this was the chief mode of entertainment. It is a land of aspirations, achievements and self reliance. Since medieval times, their chief occupation was agriculture which shows how they rely on their own occupation to produce their means of living. Brief information of India’s Geographic setting India along with Pakistan and Bangladesh constitutes a geographical unit. This geographical unit has distinctly stood apart from the main continent of Asia – the reason being that Himalayan ranges are present in the North side while seas cover the other three sides. Thus it can be seen that the country was always isolated from the rest of the world but as a matter of fact it always tried to keep in touch with the outer part of the world. The vastness of India has resulted in a variety of conditions both geographical and sociological. All these vast and varied resources have been ultimately been utilized for economic self-sufficiency and independence. Social Institutions. In India, the family culture is all about love and patience. A girl weds into a family and adjusts herself seamlessly to the rituals, routine and cuisine. Association with religious beliefs is also followed by families. Families are also getting nuclear owing to independent lifestyle preference and also the concept where in both husband and wife is working and has demanding careers. However certain families observe a matriarchal concept – i. e. the groom resides in the house of the bride and follows a tradition as per the bride’s ancestors. Indian families are very accommodating and willing to accept change. Religion India is one of the most religiously diverse nations in the world, with some of the most deeply religious societies and cultures. Religion still plays a central and definitive role in the life of most of its people. India is the birth place of Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and more. These religions are a major form of world religions next to the Abrahamic ones. Today, Hinduism and Buddhism are the world’s third and fourth largest religions respectively. Clothing In some village parts of India, traditional clothing mostly will be worn. In southern India the men wear long, white sheets of cloth – over these men can wear what they like. Women wear a long sheet of colourful cloth with patterns. This is draped over a simple or fancy blouse. This is worn by young ladies and woman. Little girls wear a long skirt worn under a blouse. Significance of Indian Jewelry Indians have been using jewelry for adornment since centuries. The significance of jewelry in the country is evident from the fact that on many occasions, jewelry forms a part of gifts. In India, jewelry is considered auspicious for women and even the poorest will have some kind of jewelry with them. Jewelry design is so versatile in India that it varies from state to state. If some jewelry is so much popular in one state, it might not necessarily be popular in another state. However, some basic jewelry is common among all the women across India. Bridal jewelry like maangtika, earrings, nose rings, necklace, mangalsutra, bangles, etc make up basic jewelry which adorn women in India. Incidentally, even today, gold is the metal most widely used for bridal ornaments and over the last decade, these are increasingly being studded with diamonds.

Classical View of Modern Society: A Comparison

As we approach the third millennia, the world grows into complexity. The world is now on the modern era with different changes from its cultural and intellectual movements. The world is facing a modern enlightenment. Nonetheless, there were also some improvements on how the modern society works but there were also a lot of varied and complex problems and challenges that emerge.Although, many people still believe that man can solve these problems and overcome these challenges thru meaningful analysis and introspection. Some search the answer from the theories of classical philosophers. They believe that this world will not be on what it is now without these people. Yet, the question still lies on their validity of the assertion s of the philosophers. Are these assertions ad theories relevant and appropriate in the modern times?However, we and these philosophers have varied experiences. Yet, their in depth knowledge of society bids us to believe them and study them. Like Marx, who died a hundred years ago, still had many followers. Marx on his early age had observed the plight of the masses against the bourgeoisie in the capitalist society. He, just like Friedrich Nietzsche, believed in the reconstruction of the society and in redefining the role of an individual. He argued that man’s will was not due to his like or to his needs, rather, society dictated him on the things that he should like or he should need.Society and man interacted, so according to him there is a need that a society, in which a man lived, should be fair and would be the instrument on predisposing justice on all the people. Marx further asserted that not a man could claim that his existence is largely due to himself, but rather all people existed because of mutual relationship and interdependency. He believed that all humans are interconnected in various ways, such as a social network, that whatever one does would surely affect others.However, through out his life, Marx had commented on the ambiguity and the disorderliness of the society. He had seen and observed the resistance and struggles between the different classes or strata of the society. He had observe that people with equal classes such as the bourgeoisie formed an alliances with each others to further their ends. Marx had observed that somewhat there is a line or an immense gap that had divided the people from intermingling with each other.He asserted that there was a categorizing force that bonded people with equal social status. As a result, the proletariat class was oppressed and injustice was done to them. Oppressions, according to Marx, might trigger bloody civil revolutions, and unrest in the society would prevail. In order to prevent this from occurring, Marx proposed a communist society, as what he described in his book together with Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto.Engels, a co-author, deemed that the The Communist Manifesto was exclusively the product of Marx’s brilliance, and the book was Marx’s. In the book, Marx and Engels first summoned up history. In their exposition through the dialectic philosophy, they both expressed that in the world there existed two opposing forces[1]. They had described that there existed those who oppressed and those that were oppressed. The main point on which the The Communist Manifesto revolved was the establishment of a communist society.A communist society, as what both described is a liberated society were people are all treated equally. Moreover it is a society that does not discriminate nor classify people because social status is no longer in existence. Moreover, communism proposed a society wherein people will no longer acknowledge his or her possessions rather his or her properties belong to everyone. Marx and Engels further stressed the need for centralization and organization of all the properties and efforts of the state for a common ground.The book proposed equal sharing and division of labors, equal all otment of profits and income. Moreover, in the long run, Communism also believed in the diminishment of the state and its ruler because Marx believed that if an ideal society (communist society) existed, the people would no longer be in need of a facilitator or an organizer to dictate or facilitate living. According to them, the state would only serve as a guide meanwhile that a communist society is not yet achieved[2].Meanwhile, another notable German philosopher was Max Weber, who unlike Marx traced the origin of capitalism and its role to the society. If one would read the title of Weber’s work and not the text, one may laugh because one cannot relate easily capitalism and the protestant ethic. However, Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism was a huge success because he had found sensible reasons on how the protestant ethic might have contributed to the origin of capitalism.Weber, who was considered one of the fathers of modern sociology, was ver y different as compared to Marx. Marx, although a Jewish, denounced the belief in the inexistence of God. He asserted that god does not shaped man according to his form, yet man conceptualized the absolute as a model- who is perfect and divine- due to his quest of attaining also that same stature. On the other hand, Weber had researched a lot on how religion had affected the life of man. He had wrote more descriptive and analytical essays after the The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. He had shown the effects of religion to the communal and shared cause of a society[3]. He had discussed that religious background define the wants and the needs of each person.For example, he had found out that the Hindus and the Buddhist were religious groups who taught that life is all about gaining material wealth or money. Yet they had other goals, like unity to the divine and freedom from the repeated cycle of rebirth. These assertions were parallel to the basis on how he analyzed th e origin of capitalism. Weber asserted that he did not claim that all the reasons of the birth of capitalism were mainly due to the protestant. He just cited some evidences that verified and attested his claim. The Calvinist, a protestant sect, according to him had that attitude of pursuing material wealth and worldly success. This was because- according to him as Calvinist believed-was the manifestation of God’s grace to the Calvinist.The Calvinist believed that God showed many signs in this earthly being of what will be their destination in the afterlife. Calvinist believed that if God made them rich, there is a large possibility that they will not suffer eternal damnation in the future. So in connection with this, they find ways on how to improve their status in life usually wanting to beat their fellow Calvinists in terms of material wealth[4].  Ã‚   So Weber asserted that this kind s of attitudes triggered the start of capitalism. Weber also considered the fact that th ere was also other factor which determined the start of capitalism. However, Weber considered religion to be a very immense factor in shaping society. These considerations lead him to immense study about different religions and their roles in different society.Unlike Marx, Weber in his economic theories still saw the importance of social class and did not promote its abolition. Weber believed that man’s work and capabilities were different and varied from each other so he stated that each man’s achievement and wealth will surely be different from each other. He rejected the ideas of Marx, saying that such an ideal society is not achievable.   It was very clear in the opening of his essay, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, that he favored capitalism.However, Emile Durkheim, a modern sociologist, in his book the The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, argued that there are existing social facts that determined society. These social facts according to h im were not related to an individual but were in existence and affect the entirety of life of an individual and the society as a whole. He is considered the father of modern sociology because of his endeavor to tackle society as purely sociology and away from psychology and philosophy. In his book, he described that religion is one of the social facts where an individual cannot go away from.In an individual’s search for identity and his role in the society, he is often confused with ethics and morality. Often, an individual was mystified on making decisions whether to do the good or to the bad. So Durkheim considered morality and ethics as one of the social facts that needed particular attention because most of an individual’s action was derived from them. In his book, he had expounded the role of religion on binding the individuals. He also described the collective morality that an individual received as he is affiliated to a certain religious group.He further his exp lanation saying that a religion was not simply based on the discernment of the right from the wrong, yet individuals learned the sacrosanct and the right by participating in worship and other religious activities. He described that these religious activities were the ones that defined the morality of an individual.Moreover, Marx, Weber and Durkheim seemed to have complementary views with regards to society and they have different ways on how they described its evolution and growth. However, all of them presented their ideas with concrete evidences and all of them deal with reality. However, Marxist view of society was very ideal and was very hard to attain. Specifically his propositions with regards to the abolition of the state and the thing which he said as common cause, those things were not achievable due to the existence of greed and self indulgence of an individual.However, Weber described that individual’s variety is the linking force that binds individuals. He discuss ed that there is no need to abolish the social leveling of individuals for abolishment will be an injustice to the capitalist or to those people who worked so hard in attaining their social status. Moreover, Durkheim agreed with Weber. Durkheim argued that education is the key in removing the self-indulgencies of an individual. He further asserted that education will limit the possession of an individual. Durkheim believed that proper education and discipline would hammer commitment and would foster the obligation of an individual to the society.   Durkheim’s assertion was well fitted and his arguments are most valid in terms of describing the modern society.BibliographyBottomore, T (ed), Karl Marx, 3rd edn,Blackwell, Oxford, 1979.Geras, Norman,   The Controversy about Marx and Justice, in A. Callinicos (ed.), Marxist Theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford,1989.Kà ¤sler, D, Max Weber: An Introduction to his Life and Work, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1988.Là ¶ with, K, Max Weber and Karl Marx, Allen & Unwin, London, 1982McLellan, D, Marx Before Marxism, Macmillan, London, 1970.Marx, K, ,F Engelsb& M Malia, The Communist Manifesto. Signet Classic, New York, 1998.Weber, M, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Routledge, New York,1992.[1] T Bottomore, (ed), Karl Marx, 3rd edn,Blackwell, Oxford, 1979 pg.9. [2] Kostof, p. 18. [3] M Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Routledge, New York,1992, pg.3. [4]D Kà ¤sler, Max Weber: An Introduction to his Life and Work, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1988, pg 22.

The Plasma Membrane essays

The Plasma Membrane essays The plasma membrane consists of 40 percent of lipid molecules and 60 percent of proteins. It plays a very important role in living organisms, in which one of its main functions is to act as a barrier between the internal and the external environment of each cell. Not only that, but it also controls the chemical reactions of a cell. In 1935, Davson and Danielli suggested that 40 percent of the lipid molecules are arranged in a lipid bilayer. Each phospholipid molecule consists of a glycerol molecule linked to two long chain fatty acids and a phosphate group or phosphate head. The lipid bilayer forms due to the hydrophobic and the hydrophilic nature of the phospholipid. The polar head or phosphate group is hydrophilic or water loving and the two fatty acid tails are hydrophobic, or water hating. The bilayer is therefore arranged in order for the fatty acids to exclude as much water as possible their structure. With improvements in technology (improvements in electron microscopy), a more detailed structure of the cell plasma membrane was laid out. The two scientists, in 1972, by the name of Singer and Nicolson, suggested that the membrane is a fluid structure and is always moving. They put forward the idea of the fluid mosaic model of the membrane. This suggests that there is a lipid bilayer, however, apart from that there is a mosaic or an irregular distribution of different sized proteins that span the membrane as well. There are three different types of proteins that span the cell surface membrane. The first one is the extrinsic protein. This protein is situated only on one side of the membrane. The intrinsic proteins or channel proteins span the whole membrane, covering both the sides of it. The third protein is the Glycoprotein. This protein has a different structure compared to the i...

Competitive positioning strategy and generic recommendations for Essay - 1

Competitive positioning strategy and generic recommendations for management 1042 - Essay Example This is because the Bowman’s strategy close helps companies to identify their unique competitive positioning based on their products or service and the pricing model they want to use with these. In a more practice term, companies are found to gain the best form of advantage with their competitive positioning when they are able to have a tangible competitive positioning action plan. This action plan may be composed of several practical tasks to be performed, including market profiling, customer segments, competitive analysis, among others. The world can now be referred to as a global village for several reasons. One of the most reasons is the fact that businesses can now move very easily from one point to another in attempt to expanding their market presence. But as companies move from one point to the other to do business, it is always important that they will appreciate the fact that there is competition within the places they go, a reason of which they must strategically place themselves in a way that makes them take all needed advantage on the market. Brown (2008) indicated that in any competitive market, the only guarantee for individual companies to succeed is for them to have a competitive advantage that is lasting. But for such an enviable competitive advantage to be developed, it is very important that a company will know what it has within its means and how it is positioned in the larger market that serves as an opportunity for improving its value (Porter, 1996). Baumeister and Leary (2005) noted that customers today are highly enlightened about value creation, a reason for which they would select value as the best force factor for doing business with one company and not the other. This is where competitive positioning becomes an important phenomenon for the companies. This is because competitive positioning has been explained to be the process of identifying a company’s value

Article Evaluation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Evaluation - Article Example Hudson is affiliated with the School of Applied Social Sciences from De Montfort University, Leicester while Singh is also associated with Applied Research Centre Health & Lifestyle Interventions of Coventry University, Coventry. The study addressed several problems facing patients with less severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They specifically investigated the patients’ experience and understanding of COPD symptoms, current self-care activities, and the importance of family perceptions in managing COPD. The main subject of the study consists of patients with COPD, how they manage the condition, the challenges they encounter and the importance of having the support of family members (Apps et al., 2014). The aim of this study is to understand the experiences of individuals with less severe COPD and the challenges they face while undergoing self-care. The study population comprised of participants who had a positive diagnosis of COPD and had not been rehabilitated for pulmonary complications in the past year. They were also required not to have any neurological, cognitive or locomotor problems. The study design was cross-sectional, and the authors analyzed the data using thematic analysis, which permits identification of patterns of the data and better descriptions (Apps et al., 2014). The results of the study identified difficulty in breathing as the major symptom that the patients underwent. Also, the patients in their early stages of the condition had problems getting support from their family members since the symptoms are not visible from outside. Most patients did not know when to start engaging in the self-care procedures, and what to expect as the conditions increased in intensity (Apps et al., 2014). The results are clear since they give in detail what the patients’ experiences were, and the challenges they face while undergoing self-care. The results have also addressed the