The Summer of My 15th Birthday

This summer was the best summer ever, because it was my 15th birthday. I celebrated on a cruise with 3 of my friends. When I got to the airplane I was very excited. Then I started to watch a movie on the airplane. The movie that I saw was one of my favorites Leap Year. When we landed to Miami, Florida I was more excited because I always wanted to go to Miami. When we got there my cousin picked us up on the airport. Then we went to the most famous place to have fun with friends called Lincoln Road. There we went to the apple store were my cousin works. Later we ate at a Cuban restaurant very delicious. There I order the most famous plate, which has â€Å"congri† rice with pork. Then we were so tired and went to the apartment. The next day we wanted to go to bay side. A very famous place in Miami with lots of stores. Like for example the one that all girls like, Victoria secret. There we ate at a famous restaurant called the Knife also very delicious. We stayed all day there and later went to a boat with music and had a lot of fun. The next day we had breakfast at IHOP. There I ate the best breakfast that is called the pancake combo. That has egg, 2 pancakes, bacon, and hash brown. Later after the breakfast we went to the most famous mall that has all kinds of expensive stores like Dolce and Gabanna, Channel, Louise Vitton, Carolina Herrera, Tiffany and Co., Etc. There I loved it because there it was all my favorites’ stores. From there we started to go to all Miami. The next day we went to the duck boat that goes in the road and then goes into the water. The tour goes to Palm Island and Star Island where the famous people live. The next day was the day to get on the cruise. I was very excited because I knew we were going to have lot of fun. We got in the cruise and first went to do the fun things like rock claiming, the flow rider and ice skating. In the flow rider I fell a lot but that’s part of the experience. When we got to the rock claiming was better because I’m good at it and I did all stages. Then we got to dinner, the next day we went to Haiti there we went to the beach went to a rollercoaster very cool and had a lot of fun. There we ate and the food very delicious. Later we didn’t have too much to do there so we went to the cruise. We stayed there just relaxing and getting some tan. That night we were walking the entire cruise to see it and look for the fun and cool places to go. The next day we were going to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. There we went to a cascade very cool that was slippery and we fell a lot of times but we all laugh we each other and didn’t care. The water was very cold but was a very fun experience. From there we went to a part where there was lots of little stores selling lots of cool thing from there of Jamaica. We went again to the cruise and the next day we went to Grand Caimans Island there we went to the beach and went on a banana boat. That was very funny we rented kayaks and just being in the beach and having some tanning. The next day we went to Cozumel, Mexico and there my father was very happy because his favorite beer is the corona. And there in Mexico were very cheap were at 1 dollar each. There we went to the beach and went snorkeling. We ate Mexican food and it was very spicy but also delicious. That was the last place we went. The next day we stayed all day on the cruise we went ice skating and my friend Bernadette fell, but very funny and I couldn’t stop laughing thank God it didn’t hurt and we all started laughing, that day was very funny she made my day. Bernadette and I every day went to an ice cream machine and at least we ate like 3 ice creams a day that was the best. The next day was the day we had to leave but this vacation was the best. I had a lot of fun and was the best birthday ever I loved it because I did so many things and went to so many cool places. I also had a very good experience in the places that I went, his is a vacation I’ll never forget.

The Forest Act

INTRODUCTION the term forest is defined as an area of land with at least ten per cent (10%) of tree crown cover, naturally grown or planted and/or fifty per cent (50%) or more shrub and tree regeneration cover and includes all forest reserves of whatever kind declared or gazetted under this Act and all plantations. The Forest Ordinance of 1959, is the law which governs the Forest Law of 2002, having the objective to effect governmental control for economic gain rather than sustainable development, as the concept of environment is not been taken seriously.HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF FORESTS IN TANZANIA Historically the forest act can be traced back as far as 1819 to 1919 whereby the state controlled forest estate was initially established under German colonial administration who were the first colonialist in Tanzania. The German’s administrator used different methods and tactics in preserving the forest such as forcing the residences near forest or in the forest places to evacuate d those places immediately and there were no remedies present for those who violated the decree intentionally.In 1921 after the Second World War Tanganyika was placed to the British Administration. The English supervision presented the Forest Ordinance which was based on that used in adjacent Kenya colony which placed restriction on access to and use of forest products. The spirit of the British colonialists to protect the forest and its resources were also seen in the Land Ordinance whereby it introduced protected areas; forests areas being part and parcel.Soon after independence, forests in Tanzania have been managed and controlled by the Forest and Beekeeping Division under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. This management has been characterized by extensive state control which does not involve the local community forests. The forest management was due to forest degradation and deforestation through illegal activities and increase of human pressure on natural resourc es. In Tanzania a vast forest area existed for instance in the 1990’s, the forested areas were ranging from 41-42 percent.It was observed that most of the forested areas were cleared for agricultural, overgrazing, wildfires, charcoal burning and overexploitation activities. During 1961-1997 it was discovered that over 10 million hectares of forest had been lost therefore in order to prevent this loss the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism made an effort and concentrated on active participation of the local community and stake holders. In 1990 the Forest Policy came into existence by virtue of the Forest and Beekeeping Division.Currently the Forest sector in Tanzania is controlled by three parallel structures which includes The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, The Regional Secretariat and the Local Authority. NATIONAL FOREST POLICY, 1998 The Forest Policy (NFP) of 1998 in Tanzania was the result of reviewing its Forest Policy of 1953. Generally, the objective of this policy was to enhance the contribution of Forest sector to the sustainable development in Tanzania and conservation and management of her natural resources for the benefit of the present and the future generation.This means that forests have to be managed in terms of socio-economic, ecological and cultural sustainability and with the principle of multi-functionality and equitable benefit and responsibility sharing. Also the Forest Policy also recognizes the role of the private sector in management of forest resources and the policy responsibility of managing forest resources will be left in the hands of specialized agencies and the private sector, central government responsibility will be managed.The Policy promotes tools to implement different communities based management regimes, ranking from Joint Forest Management to community management (Community Based Forest Management, Village Forest Reserve). The objectives related to forest policy OTo ensure sustainable development and equitable use of resources for meeting the basic needs of present and future generation without degrading the environment or risking health or safety. OTo present and control degradation of land, water, vegetation and air which constitute our life support systems.OTo conserve and enhance our natural and man-made heritage, including the biological diversity of the unique ecosystem of Tanzania. OTo improve the condition and productivity of the degraded areas including rural and urban settlement in order that all Tanzanians may live in safe, healthy, productive and aesthetical pleasing surroundings. OTo raise public awareness and understanding of the essential linkages between environment and to promote individual and community participation in environmental action.OTo promote international cooperation on the environment agenda, and expand our participation and contribution to relevant bilateral, sub-regional, regional and global organizations and programs, including implementatio n of conventions. OTHER OBJECTIVES The National forest policy is based on macro-economic, environment framework and social framework. In microeconomic framework has the objective, which lifts the national economy and facilitate wholesome growth, the policy has stated the following objectives: OTo combat poverty and deprivation in order to improve people’s path.OTo ensure macro-economic stability. OTo create an enabling environment for a strong private sector. O To reduce government involvement in direct productive activities. OTo improve efficiency in the use of public resources. FOREST ACT, 2002 The objectives of the Forest Act, 2002 as analyzed under the provision of Part II of the Act are: OTo promote, to enhance the contribution of the forest sector to the sustainable development of Tanzania and the conservation and management of natural resources for the benefit of present and future generations.OTo encourage and facilitate the active participation of the citizen in the sustainable planning, management, use and conservation of forest resources through the development of individual and community rights, whether derived from customary law or under this Act, to use and manage forest resources; OTo ensure ecosystem stability through conservation of forest biodiversity, water catchments and soil fertility; OTo delegate responsibility for management of forest resources to the lowest possible level of local management consistent with the furtherance of national policies; OTo ensure the sustainable supply of forest products and ervices by maintaining sufficient forest area under efficient, effective and economical management; OTo enhance the quality and improve the marketability of forest products and regulate their export; OTo promote coordination and cooperation between the forest sector and other agencies and bodies in the public and private sectors in respect of the management of the natural resources of Tanzania; OTo facilitate greater public awarenes s of the cultural, economic and social benefits for conserving and increasing sustainable forest cover by developing programmes in training, research and public education; OTo enable Tanzania to pay, fully in contributing towards and benefiting from international efforts and measures to protect and enhance global bio-diversity.The Act enables the State to fulfill its obligation to meet the standards determined by international instruments to enhance and protect global bio-diversity. Section 5 provides for ministerial responsibility and function of the director, where as Section 6 provides for the appointment and function of the officer. ADMINISTRATION AND INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISM OF THE FOREST ACT, 2002. THE INSTITUTIONS MECHANISM ESTABLISHED UNDER THE FOREST ACT, there are three major institutions created by the Forest Act, which are, the forestry advisory committee, Community forest management group for managing forest reserves, and Tanzania forest fund. NATIONAL FORESTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEEThis is a committee established under Section 10 of the Act, and the minister appoints the committee members, who function to advise the minister on; OMatters relating to issuance of concession and conditions as provided for under Section 20(11) of this Act; OMatters relating to declaration of a forest reserve as provided under Section 23(6) of this Act; OMatters relating to the management of forest reserve as provided under Section 27(5) of this Act; review of the forest policy; and OAny other matter, which the Minister may specify. COMMUNITY FOREST MANAGEMENT GROUPS Community Forest management group may be formed by any group of persons who are members of a village living in or near to a forest or group of persons who are managing a forest or part thereof or who are desirous of managing a forest reserve or part thereof. TANZANIA FOREST FUNDThis is another institution established under the Act, which deals with financial matter, in which the funds and its resources consist of fee payable, royalty payable, grants donations and bequests, any sum realizes by the sale of forest produce and income generated by any project financed by the fund, and such funds are managed by forest fund trustee appointed by the minister. The object and purpose of the fund is to meet the objectives of the Act as analyzed in the provision of Section 3. ADMINISTRATION MECHANISMS Part III of the Forest Act provides for administrative and institutional mechanisms. To start with administration, the Act provides that there is a Minister responsible for forest matters and that the Minister is responsible for policy formulation and for ensuring execution by official in the ministry such functions connected with the implementation of this Act.Apart from that, there is a Director of the forestry who is appointed by the President and bears the function of advising the government on all matters of management of the forests. On top of that the Director is required and empowered by the Ac t to make a determination affecting or likely to affect the rights of any individuals and give reasons for the decisions. There are other Appointed Officers who have the duty to ensure the efficient, effective and economical management and supervisions of forests as directed by the Act. These officers appointed by the Director include, licensing and registration officers, enforcement officers, inspectors and all of them are answerable to the director. Furthermore, there exists a Local Authority and Forest Management Authority.Power to designate any person to be an Authorized Officer has been vested to the Director and he also has power to delegate to such public officers, a local authority officer to perform any work imposed on him by the Act. CREATION OF FOREST RESERVE The Act provides for the creation of forests reserves as analyzed under section 4, which include national forest reserves, local authority forest reserves, village forest and private forest. The Act goes further in p roviding for the guiding procedures in declaring an area to be a forest reserve under Section 23, and provision of compensation in case of claims arising out of an area, which is declared a forest reserve is provided under Section 24(1) PERMITS AND LICENSESUnder Part VI provides for specified activities to be carried in national or local authority forest reserve subject to conditions as prescribed in the permit, which is sought in respect of Section 50, and grant of permit, variation and modification of the same is provided for under Section 53, Section(s) 54 and 55, provide for Surrender of permit and Revocation or suspension of the permit. ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES UNDER THE FOREST ACT GENERAL PRINCIPLES ORight to information, meaning that the director and all officers are required to ensure that members of the public are equally and adequately given information and guidance in connection to implementation of this Act ORight to appeal, any individual aggrieved by a decision under t his Act has a right to appeal in the High court SPECIFIC PRINCIPLESOPrinciple of local level governance, meaning that the right and duties of which villagers have to respect village land reserves and function of local authority in respect of village land forest reserve OPrinciple of prevention action, restriction on boundary vegetation, inspection of forest produce by experts, prohibition of marking by unknown persons, prohibition of export of forest produce without certification OPrinciple of restrictive measures, the Act provides for the restriction in the creation of new rights for forest reserves, were as subsection 5 of section 25, an investigation process can be allowed to enquire in a matter that has been reported to the minister or chief executive officer.OPrinciple of sustainable development, which ensures the ecosystem stability through conservation of the forest biodiversity, water catchments and soil fertility and facilitating public awareness so as to increase sustainab le forest cover by developing training programmes and education, as well as sustainability in connection to harvest of forest products. OPrinciple of inter-generational equity, the Act encourages and facilitate active participation of the citizens in the sustainable planning of the environment and forest reserves through community out reach OThe Act further looks at the concept of Environmental Impact Assessment, and the provision binds both the public and private local authorities . OFFENCES AND PENALTIES The Act also provides for various offences and penalties in general. These offences have been provided for under part XI, Section 84-100.Section 84 generally provides offense relating to forest reserve which includes entrance into the forest reserve, performing any act contrary to section 26, obstruct roads path or water course, damage forest reserve, grazing of livestock shall be guilt of an offence upon conviction liable to a fine not less than thirty thousands (Tshs) and not ex ceeding one million or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment. Section 85 offences relating trees not in forest reserve. A person may be held liable for the following action felling trees, cuts trees, loops damage, remove or sell any reserved tree or any party thereof unreserved land shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine of not less than fifty thousands (Tshs) or imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.Section 86 relating to wild plants, any person without lawfully authority picks pluck takes sample any part or any way or by any way interferes with or willfully and intentionally poison damage or destroy in any way wild plants or expose for sell or purchase export or attempt to expose shall be guilt of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine not less than two hundred thousand (Tshs) and not exceeding one million shilling or to imprisonment for a t erm not less than six months and not exceeding two years or to both. Section 90 provides for counterfeiting and similar offences, any person who counterfeiting alters obliterates or defaces any stamp mark, sign, license permit, certificate authority or receipt used or issued under this act shall be guilty of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to a fine not less than one million shilling and not exceeding three million or to imprisonment for not less one year and not exceeding two years or both. Section 91 on offences in connection with fires.Any person who without lawful authority lights or assists in lighting or uses rekindles or adds fuels or any fire or causes any of theses to fake place leaves an attended fires before such fire is thoroughly extinguished or fails to comply with lawfully order issued to him under and in connection with any of the provisions of part 9 of this act shall be guilt of an offence and upon conviction shall be liable to affine not less than f ifty thousands(Tshs) or not exceeding one million or to imprisonment not exceeding one year or both. Where any person is convicted of an offence against this act the Court may in addition to any other penalty provided for in this Act order cancellation of the permit for period that a forest reserve manager may see fit and upon damage of forest produce will pay compensation for the same subject to ten times the amount of royalties or fees which had the action constituting the offence. STRENGTHS OF THE FOREST ACTThe Act links the central government and the local community in the whole process of preservation and protection of the forest resources in order to ensure national development and this is done through public participation in decision making in forest management as portrayed under Section 42 through the Participatory Forest Management(PFM) and the Community Base Forest Management(CBFM) which involves village and local people of forest protection. also, the Act provides for Pri vate forests in which individuals who are the holders of the right of occupancy enter into covenants on land that without previous consent of the Director. The Act also establish the administration and institutional machinery in order to protect forest resources.Also it provides for Minister responsible for forest and Director of Forest Officers who are appointees of the Director and Forest Advisory Committee and the National Plants Protection Advisory Committee. The Act provides for participation of local communities in the management of their lands and, their rights on natural resources are clearly recognized as per Section 14, 32 and 40 of the Forest Act No. 14, 2002 which provides for village land forest management plans and rights and duties of villages in respect of village land forest reserve. never the less, the Act provides for trade on forest produce through establishing procedures necessary to conduct forests trade and forest produce.This led to ensure sustainable trade o f forest produce and forest conservation and a person need to have trade permit and license of conducting trade as stipulated under the Act. Moreover, the establishment of the Tanzania Forest Fund. The fund contributes towards on the conservation of the forest resources and the main purpose is to promote awareness and to ensure development and sustainable use of forest resources through public education and training and to promote the community forestry in the whole process of development through making grants and providing advice and assistance to group of persons. WEAKNESSES OF THE ACT There are some conflicts between the Forest Act and the Village Land Act regarding the procedures for the establishment of Village Forest Reserve.Section 32(2) and 33 of the Village Land Act provide for procedures such as application to the village council, signed by the party applying for the derivative right or his duly appointed agent or representative; accompanied by simple plan showing the loca tion and boundaries of the land and any other information which may be prescribed or which may be required by the village council, accompanied by any fees which may be prescribed; notified to the members of the village by any means of publicity which will bring the matter to their attention; whereas the Forest Act provide for concepts like private forests which includes forestry dedication covenants, application for concession, use of land as private forest land and concession. Also concepts such as forest reserves other than village and community forest reserve, village land forest reserves and community forest reserves which all provide for various procedures for each where in village land act it provides for the general procedures.Section 98 0f the Act provide that no matter or thing done by any authorized officer to perform any function under the Act, shall, if done in good faith in execution or purported execution of his function under this Act, render him personally liable for the matter or thing concerned. This means that the act did not provide protection to an individual member of the society rather it’s only the official who is protected. Also same section of the same act provide that any person is liable for any offence against the act but do not provide the meaning of any person and that makes authorities to become people who will be liable for any offence which will have unnecessary immunity. The director of the forestry has been vested with so much power which can make him abuse the power.Section 5(2) to (4) provide that director of the forest is appointed by the president whom will become an officer of public service, the director is to advise the government on all matters of management of forests and also to give reason to the person who is affected by the decisions of the director. Then if the director is the one to advice the government on matters relating to the forest then can give decisions which will be more favorable to the author ities and desire of the government regardless of what is really needed in forest development. The Forest Act empowered only the high court to have jurisdiction over the matters pertaining forest protection. ith the high court having the powers itself then there are some situations which people who affected by the acts done to the forest fail to submit their complaints to the court since they have no access to it. In Tanzania most regions have only one court; for instance in Iringa all district like Mafinga and Mufindi depends on the high court which is at Iringa municipal; With this regards then access to justice fails. CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS it is our recommendation that the law to relating to protection of the forest be modified so as to fit with the corent society were there defforestation of the lands is of great extend all over the world and Tanzania in Particular by imposing heavier punishment to those who harm the forests for the benefit of the current and coming gener ation.

"Escape"- by Nina Cassian

Escape- by Nina Cassian Essay Escape is a poem addressing the age-old, yet somehow more modern, issue of unhappy and detrimental yet addictive relationships. The form, showing the effects of this relationship and her awakening from it, along with the dark, sometimes even morbid, diction and imagery make the poem a very personal and touching one; subsequently it also helps the reader relate to his own experience, thus proving to be very effective. The diction and the literary devices generally set the mood in Escape; the poem begins with two rather shocking contradictions in which Cassian compares his love to a prison ( these two not being commonly associated in our society) and proclaims that His words and looks were like padlocks. To a certain extent, this immediately shows her addiction to him, at that time either conscious or subconscious, as, although she claims that he locked me in, she herself could not, or did not want to open these padlocks. Moreover, I think that they covey a feeling of claustrophobia for the reader, thus persuading him to immediately notice how harmful this relationship was for the poet. The description of how she lost her senses, becoming blind and mute, makes us understand her helplessness, her entrapment as without those vital senses there was little she could do to escape. Everything around her is distorted, as she is unable to tell a curtain from a river (therefore the indoors and the outdoors) apart. As the poem progresses, her senses become increasingly deformed and she creates a morbid, almost frightening image for the reader, by declaring that she could not see the difference between a bracelet and a muzzle, conveying the idea of death as a muzzle is associated with guns. Nonetheless, the poet seems to also be having a feeling of longing at the same time, as she mentions the call of the pomegranate seed or that kind invitation of frogs into the sunset which are reminiscent of the Romanian countryside, considering that those are her native lands. The concluding line of the stanza highlights the overall effect this transformation has had on her as she lost a lot of friends; the caesura underlines that this is the direct result of everything she has mentioned throughout the stanza. The repetition running throughout the first stanza emphasizes the extent of her desperation and change, as she repeats the idea that she could no longer tell apart things. Nonetheless, the repetition of dead in dead hair and dead nails probably show how she herself felt inside, like she was growing into a lifeless corpse while she was still actually young. This description also lies in line with the metaphor of this love being like a prison as I think we are encouraged to see her as a convict as well. The use of threatening, frightening verbs such as invaded or covered again reveal her helplessness and how lonely and scared she must have felt at one point. The form of the poem helps reveal how much effort it took for Cassian to escape, as after delivering her feelings during the relationship and its effects, she then suddenly wakes up from her haunting nightmare in the second stanza. I think that she wants to stress this feeling of a nightmare by describing what she felt when she touched herself as always tend to check ourselves when waking up from a nightmare to see if we are whole. Unfortunately, in her case her nightmare was a reality, so she notices how her cheeks had become hollow to the touch/my hands uneven and the shock of seeing herself this way persuades her to have the strength to free herself from all those horrible things. READ: Poetry Essay Compare with the speed of disgust. Moreover, the form takes another important role in the second verse as the short lines illustrate the speed of her actions to rid herself of the harmful effects of this relationship, from cut(ting) off the dead nails until break(ing) the lock/ and run(ning) out. I feel like the increasingly short lines convey a sense of urgency, as the quick pace makes it seem like she is really breaking out of a prison, thus making her metaphor highly effective. The imagery Cassian uses, whereby she compares this love to a prison, runs throughout the second stanza, the poem ending with this metaphor just as it began. After she finally gains strength and willpower to break the lock she realises that There was no guard. I think that this short sentence highlights the ambivalence of her feelings, as on one hand she must have been relieved to be able to free herself so easily, while on the other hand she may have felt some disappointment, as she was probably expecting him to care, to not simply let her go. The repetition of No one in the last 5 lines highlights her loneliness and desperation as nobody was there on either sides, her lover not caring enough to ask her to stay or to raise the alarm and her friends not greet(ing) her or supporting her once she got out of the relationship. The use of Not a soul again brings into question the idea of death which is expressed in the first stanza; she was probably hoping that a soul, or somebody, would revive her from being so lifeless and full of dead things but unfortunately this soul is absent. The idea that she ends the poem with only No one is an extremely poignant conclusion, highlighting the peak of her lonesomeness, towards which the second stanza was building. In my opinion, this creates a heartbreaking mood, making us feel even more sympathy for the poet.

Events Tourism Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Events Tourism - Coursework Example Festivals can promote the historical and cultural backgrounds of a country. With the help of festivals, the cultural identity of the local people gets highlighted and there is also a sharing of culture with people coming from other countries. Moreover, festivals provide the opportunities to develop the infrastructure of the city and can also be a source of employment. Since festivals help in promoting tourism, many other services connected with tourism get benefited like hotels, restaurants and transport system of the cities in which the festivals are held. Festivals with proper cultural events can be used by the local authorities as a marketing tool to uphold the cultural profiles of their cities and to establish positive images of their cities. It is important that public and private companies come forward to organize festivals in large scale in order to attract people from all over the world. This paper will discuss Kumbh Mela, which is a world famous Indian festival that is held every year in Prayag near Allahabad, and attracts hundreds and thousands of people from across the world. Kumbha Mela is considered as one of the major religious festivals in the world. It is a festival that attracts people from other countries thus this festival plays a huge role in promoting tourism in India since foreigners are equally attracted to the Kumbh Mela like the millions of Indian religious devotees. The foreigners come with cameras to capture the glorious moment and get overwhelmed by the gathering of millions of people in the name of religion. Kumbh Mela is a festival of Hindu religion. It is based upon a Hindu mythological story according to which Gods and demons agreed to share the nectar of immortality. However, the demons stole the nectar which was contained in a Kumbh which means pot. The Gods and demons then fought for twelve nights and twelve days for the nectar. This duration equals to twelve years for

Principles of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Principles of Economics - Essay Example Inflation has different components, phases and forms. For example, deflation and inflation are often defined in relation to the amount of general supply of money viz a viz the economys ability to generate goods and services This article will aim at discussing the causes, effects, impacts and importance of inflation in an economy There are various causes of inflation which have been put forward by various economists. The first type of inflation is the Cost Push Inflation. This type of inflation occurs when firms respond to the increase in production costs, by increasing prices in order to retain their profit margins. When general costs increase the firms have few options on how to absorb the costs from within, this situation forces the organization to pass on this cost to the consumers. The rise in prices may be triggered by several factors, these factors being an increase in the cost of imported raw materials. This may occur in countries which heavily rely on exports of such products. On the other hand, this may also occur by a fall in the rate of the pound in the international currency exchange a market which raises the UK price of imported products. An illustration of cost push inflation occurred when British gas and alternative energy suppliers decided to increase the prices of gas and electricity. This strategy made energy producing firms to charge different prices for the domestic and foreign markets during the period between years 2005 and 2006. The other cause associated with cost-push inflation is due to the increase in labor costs. When labor costs increase, the effects of this measure on the company production is passed over to consumers.   This cause is significant in those firms and organizations which are labor-intensive. Some industries may opt against passing this high cost to the consumer since they might be able to cover cost in other ways but in the long run they may be forced to increase

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

Ergonomics - Essay Example Standards† written by O’Neill (2011) detailed the specifications for seating conformance to include elements such as the chair to the used, the chair seat height, the seat width, seat pan depth, seat pan tilt, the seat pan-backrest angle, and lumbar support. The detailed specifications, based on O’Neill’s (2011) discourse are as follows: (1) chair shall support the user’s back and thighs and must have a backrest that reclines; (2) the chair seat height shall be adjustable according to the user’s need to as much as â€Å"a range of 4.5 inches between 15 and 22 inches† (ONeill, 2011, p. 3); (3) the seat width shall meet the specified width of at least 17.7 inches; and (4) there shall be a support for the lumbar, as needed. The visual or eye standards should incorporate distance between the user and the monitor display. According to the Department of Energy (DOE) (2008), in the article entitled â€Å"Creating a Healthy Workstation Environment: Workstation Ergonomics Made Easy†, the optimum distance between the user’s eyes and the visual display by operators in seating position is 600 mm (Department of Energy (DOE), 2008, p. 7). Likewise, it was noted that special computer glasses that would assist in preventing eye fatigue and vision problems for long hours of monitoring visual displays shall be considered. It has been emphasized that the effectiveness of performance on undertaking monitoring of visual displays is affected by lighting. In this situation, it was stipulated that the operator does the monitoring in a dark room. According to ergonomic standards, light requirements actually vary depending on the performance of tasks. Since the operator focuses on monitoring visual displays from the computer, which already self-illuminating, less light is actually needed; but, it would help to provide focused task lighting (â€Å"a separate lamp†) (Department of Energy (DOE), 2008, p. 21) to assist in other tasks and prevent creating a totally dark

Laws and Codes in Hebrew and Mesopotamia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Laws and Codes in Hebrew and Mesopotamia - Essay Example They had followed these laws for many years to dictate their way of life including marriage, children, worship, and family values among others. It is through these doctrines that the understanding to their concerns and values is derived1. Concerns of Hebrews and Mesopotamians The Hebrews and Mesopotamians concerns and apprehensions are based on their law codes from ancient times. In this respect, these cultures believed that disobeying the laws of the Lord would result to punishment. According to the First Book of Moses, called Genesis2it is written that from the start Adam and Eve were punished by God for eating fruit from the forbidden tree. This clarifies that disobedience of God’s laws and commands has serious repercussions to the society. Further, the book cites that the Hebrews and Mesopotamians were expected to live a life without sin. Sins and wickedness caused the people to lose favor with God just as it is written about the time of Noah. The people in the era of Noah sinned greatly against God and he had to destroy the entire world. Noah and his family together with the animals in the world were saved because he was the only person devoid of sin3. God’s curse was a concern for the Hebrews because it meant that the person would have to die. The laws and codes of the Hebrews declared that God would place a curse against people who wronged prophets ordained by God. They were expected to listen to the words of God’s messengers else, they had to suffer the curse. For instance, the First Book of Moses, called Genesis speaks of king Pharaoh who stole the wife of Abraham and God sent a curse inform of plague into his household. The Hebrews and Mesopotamians were also concerned about the worship ofidol gods. God had forbidden the worship of idols and required all the people to worship him alone. In the same manner, they had to deter from mentioning the name of God in vain since it is a way of ignorance of his words. This requires people to worship the Lord but not joke in his name for punishment would be placed upon them. These ancient communities were not expected to kill, steal, or commit acts of adultery within the society. Such grave sins were punishable through death and God’s anger would be upon those that disobeyed his commands. In addition, the Hebrew and Mesopotamian people were expected to respect each other and not steal each other house or wives. It was clear that any person that hit or disrespected the parents were to be put to death without any mercy4. The Values of ancient Hebrews and Mesopotamians The ancient Hebrews and Mesopotamians were people who worshipped God without ceasing. They did the worship through prayers, tithing, and thanksgiving festivals, which were conducted as often as possible. Through the book of Genesis, the Hebrews and Mesopotamians worked the entire week but on the seventh day, it was a day to rest and focused on worshipping the Lord. They cleansed their bodies by washin g their clothes and further, entered the temple to worship God. The altar was placed in the God’s temple as a place where they gave their offerings and sacrifices to the Almighty God. Through these offerings, the people received God mercy and blessing in their lives. For instance, the Book of Genesis speaks of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob who offered sacrifices, worshipped God, and in return received abundant blessings for them and their descendants5. The Hebrews and Mesopotamians established a covenant with God to remain true to his will. In this respect, they believed God as the sole provider, protector, and giver of life whom they depended entirely. A covenant was made between God and Israelites to circumcise their male children eight days after birth. This was to show that they belonged to God

Narcissistic personality disorder Research Paper

Narcissistic personality disorder - Research Paper Example Diagnosis There are no laboratory tests or medical examinations that can be undergone to determine if someone has narcissistic personality disorder. As such, narcissistic personality disorder is often diagnosed through the means of observing an individual displaying signs or symptoms, or else a psychological evaluation involving questionnaires and responding to certain scenarios during which signs of narcissism can be observed. Since many signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder can be found in other personality disorders, it is not uncommon that someone is diagnosed with multiple disorders, or even misdiagnosed if there is not enough evidence to prove a specific disorder. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health, the American Psychiatric Association has provided a list of criteria that must be met for a person to be properly diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. ... praised based on looks or talents by adults; severe emotional abuse as a child; an imbalance of excessive praise and excessive criticism; and overindulgence by the parents (Groopman and Cooper, 2006). When these behaviors are continued throughout the childhood of the individual and a failure on the behalf of the child causes a cease in the praise and admiration, narcissistic personality disorder can be exposed as they become an adult. Narcissistic personality disorder is a very rare personality disorder and is more common in adult males. As aforementioned, the cause of narcissistic personality disorder is unknown, but researchers have still compiled some risk factors that might play a role in an individual developing narcissistic personality disorder as they become older. A massive lack of praise during childhood or neglect or abuse during a young age are among the more common risk factors. As can be seen in the causes and risk factors, narcissistic personality disorder usually begin s while the individual is a child, but does not make itself known until they reach adulthood. Symptoms The greatest symptom of narcissistic personality disorder is overdramatic and overemotional behavior. â€Å"People with this disorder require attention and admiration and have difficulty accepting personal criticism (Sue et al, 2010)†. Some of the other more common symptoms connected with narcissistic personality disorder involve the individual believing that they are better than anyone else, thus acting accordingly and expecting an excess of admiration and praise from others. Suffers of narcissistic personality disorder over-exaggerate their accomplishments and their talents in an attempt to receive praise from others, though feeling jealous if they observe someone else being more

Western civilization. Ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle Essay

Western civilization. Ideas of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle - Essay Example Athens in olden times was an intellectual and artistic centre of the Greek world. The advanced thinkers came in and rejected the traditional explanations of the world of nature. The Greek thinkers started suspecting rational order to the universe.In such an atmosphere came the traveling teacher the Sophist. They were men whose responsibility was to train and educate the sons of Athens [1]. Amongst the ranks of Sophist came Socrates (c.469-399 B.C.), the most notable and wisest Athens ever survived. His most prized student was Plato (c.427-347 B.C.), who came from a wealthy and powerful family and devoted himself to teachings of philosophy under Socrates at a young age of twenty. Amongst Plato's prized student was Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) born in small Greek colony in Thrace and whose father served grandfather of Alexander the Great. He was interested in details of natural life. [2]Socrates was a classical Greek philosopher. He is the founder of Western philosophy, and has contributio ns in the field of ethics, epistemology and logic. His ideas and approaches strongly provide a foundation for the western philosophy. His most important contribution is his dialectic method of inquiry which is known as Socratic Method used in examination of concepts of good and justice. He is known as the father of politics, philosophy, ethics and moral philosophy. He taught his students to be concerned with their families, careers and political responsibilities and also with the welfare of their souls. He believed in immortality of the soul, and that virtue could be taught. Socrates argued that the moral excellence was a matter of divine legacy and not the 1) Steven Kreis, the history guide, Lecture 6: The Greek thoughts: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, 2000. http://www.historyguide.org/ancient/lecture8b.html 2) Dr. C. George Boeree, the ancient Greeks part2: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, copyright 2000, 2009. http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/athenians.html Parental nurture. His few believe were that no one desires evil, no one does wrong willingly or knowingly, all virtue is knowledge and virtue is sufficient for knowledge. This believes are characterized as Socratic paradoxes. He is himself referred as saying, "I know that I know nothing" [3]; he believed that wrongdoing was a consequence of ignorance. He connected the art of love with the love of wisdom i.e. philosophy. Socrates believed that the best way for the people to live was to focus on self development rather than material wealth. He stressed that virtue was the most valuable of all possessions [4]. Plato was Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues and the founder of Academy in Athens. He laid the foundations of natural philosophy, science and western philosophy. He taught philosophy, logic, rhetoric and mathematics. He often discussed the father-son relationship and the impact it had on son's life. Plato discovered that mankind is born with knowledge and it is present in human mind at birth. He argued that in daily lives we collect information from our experiences and gave great importance to the physical, mental and spiritual development of an individual. Plato introduced the idea that the mistakes were due to not engaging properly within justice, beauty and equality (he called them "forms"). In metaphysics Plato predicted a systematic rational treatment of the forms and their interrelation. In ethics and moral psychology he developed the view that the good life requires not just a certain kind of knowledge but also training to healthy emo tional responses and harmony between the three parts of the soul; reason, spirit and appetite. [5] Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a student of Plato and the teacher of Alexander the Great. His 3) Benjamin Jowett, The republic by Plato, book 1, 23rd September 2009. 4) Sarah Kofman, Socrates: Fictions of a Philosopher ,1998, ISBN 0-8014-3551-

Music theatre history Essay Example for Free

Music theatre history Essay Miss Saigon is the tenth-longest running Broadway Musical in music theatre history, according to Hernandez (2009). Such was its success that it has toured all over the world since its opening day in April 1991 (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). The plot of the play is simple enough, a Marine fell in love with a young Vietnamese call girl while in Vietnam, serving in the Vietnam war (Music Theatre International n. d. ). He fathers her child but does not discover it until a few years later when he has another family from coming back to America (Music Theatre International n. d. ). In the play, he was forced to choose between his legal wife and the woman he loves (Music Theatre International n. d. ). The composer of the songs in the musical is Claude-Michel Schonberg, the lyricists are Alain Boubil and Richard Maltby Jr. and the librettists are Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boubil (Broadway Musical Home n. d. ). My experience Over a decade ago, I was fortunate enough to watch a production of Miss Saigon on Broadway with the original casts. These casts were: Hinton Battle, Barry K. Bernal, Liz Callaway, Kam Cheng, Willy Falk, Jonathan Pryce, Lea Salonga. I understand that Salonga and Pryce are Olivier and Tony award winners for their performances as Kim (the Vietnamese girl) and the Engineer (the pimp) for this musical. Back then, I was so overwhelmed by the production. I thought the cast was fantastic; Salonga was so good, so very convincing as Kim. She had such a powerful voice, constant and unwavering, so pleasant to listen to. I was perhaps 10 or 11 when I saw that original production on Broadway, and it was an amazing experience. At the time, I could not fully comprehend the seriousness of the issues being tackled in the script. I just knew I liked listening to the songs and I bought a CD to remember the play. When I was vacationing in Houston, Texas last February, I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to see Miss Saigon again. I do not quite remember the Broadway actors who have played it, and to be honest, I have did not pay close attention, I simply wanted to see the reproduction of that Broadway play I remember from long ago. A quick search on Google tells me that this reproduction played at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts was directed by Bruce Lumpkin. Kim, is played by Melinda Chua, Chris (the Marine) is played by Eric Kunze and Joseph Anthony plays the Engineer (BWW News Desk 2010). Having listened to the original cast’s CD of the play, the new cast fell short of the vocal prowess I have come to love. As such, I was underwhelmed by the casting and their singing despite their respective accomplishments in their craft. Salonga was just too strong a performer for me and her voice was perfect, in my opinion. The songs â€Å"Sun and Moon† and â€Å"Last Night of the World† did not have the certain charm they used to have with that reproduction’s performance. What I am thankful for for this reviewing is that I fully understand now what Miss Saigon is all about. I remember the story from memory and I knew it had a tragic ending. However, this second watching of the film helped open my eyes to the grave issues involved in the play. First, it talked about the horrors that war can do, especially to the innocent. Kim was orphaned because of the war and being an orphan forced her to work in a night club where all sorts of horror can be imagined. A third world country like Vietnam, would not miss the chance to serve the enemy for some good money. One particular scene that was intriguing for me was during the opening acts when the girls at the night club were competing to be Miss Saigon, the winner will be auctioned off to a Marine and the winner of such contest begged the Marine she was auctioned to to take her back to America, where she can live a better life. The Marine there refused. It shows how America is such the dream land for the third world country people. America that was their enemy in the war, who was killing their men in its continuous search for imperialism. Kim, in that night club met Chris, another Marine. Kim and Chris spent the night together, Chris was touched by the innocence of Kim and he tried to give her money so she can get away from the night club. Kim did not accept the money, even for her fee for spending a night with Chris. She was a virgin and she did not accept the money because, essentially she liked the experience and perhaps because she was developing feelings for Chris. Basically, Kim and Chris fell in love but Chris had to leave but before leaving he promised Kim that he will come back and marry her. This of course, did not happen because of a series of events that thwarted their love. Chris married another woman and before the play ended, he was forced to choose between Kim and his wife, he chose his wife. Kim committed suicide and such was the ending to this wonderful musical play. Such love story was poignant, evoking feelings of melancholy. References: BWW News Desk. (2010). TUTS Announces Their MISS SAIGON Cast, Show Opens 2/9. BroadwayWorld. com – Dallas. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://dallas.broadwayworld. com/article/TUTS_Announces_Their_MISS_SAIGON_Cast_Show_Opens_29_20100115 Broadway Musical Home. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. broadwaymusicalhome. com/shows/misssaigon. htm Hernandez, E. (2009). Long Runs on Broadway. Playbill. com. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. playbill. com/celebritybuzz/article/75222-Long-Runs-on-Broadway Music Theater International. (n. d. ). Miss Saigon. Retrieved 21 July 2010 from http://www. mtishows. com/show_detail. asp? showid=000156

The Quran And The Bible Comparison Religion Essay

The Quran And The Bible Comparison Religion Essay All around the world, There are diverse religions depending on the kind of values, beliefs, culture, and practices with which the one of us has grew up. Those aspects have a direct relationship with the different religious books that represent the ultimate and most important reference that edify and enlighten these rules for any one of us. Accordingly, these books provide us also with instructions, regulations, and set of laws organizing our lives and paving us the way to stay in this world in the best possible manner. Having the chance to enroll in the class of World Literature was for me an opportunity to study and explore different important literature works which for sure helped to enrich, improve and develop my critical thinking abilities. Among the works that I have read are for instance, Gilgamesh that said to be to first ever great heroic narrative of world literature and that is originated back to the prehistory. The Iliad that I have seen as a movie and read and that is tal king about the great story of two great civilizations: the Trojans and Achaeans. In addition, and more importantly, the two literature works that I have enjoyed the most are: From the one hand, there is the Hebrew Bible which is the sacred writings of the Jews and it encompasses a rich variety of texts from different periods in poetry and prose. For instance, the Old Testament (Torah) is the holiest writing of Jews that means the law and instructions. Also, it is important to read this section of the Old Testament since even the prophet Mohamed showed respect to it. In addition, the torah dates to 1200 B.C when it was first spoken and 1000 B.C when it was first written (Benjamin R. Foster, 2009). Therefore, the Bible remains the ultimate source to study the Jewish civilization and people from different modes and perspectives and to communicate with them with best possible manner. On the other hand, the Quran is defined as the holy writing or book by all Muslims, it is considered as the authentic sayings of God that the prophet Mohammed received orally. Muslims refuse totally the idea that says that the prophet is the source of Quran, Mohammed for Muslims is just a messenger to whom God transmitted a message to deliver to the rest of humanity. The Quran is mainly the ultimate proof of gods mercy for us, for the whole Muslim community it is considered as the confirmation and the accomplishment of the previous holy books namely the Bible and the Torah. The content of the Quran doesnt address direct life issues but talks more generally about life values and principles, it talks also about different topics such as skies and earth, the environment, nature, different races, natural phenomena ethical issues, history of old people and their moral examples. The Quran occupies the most important place in the Muslims mind, this shows mainly in the fact that majority try to make their children learn the Quran by heart and understand the meaning of the words in it. The Quran wasnt revealed to Mohammed in one part but in different parts that took twenty three years in Mecca and Medina, it is composed of hundred and fourteen sections classified under different themes. The Quran is of high value for Muslims as it constitutes the one and only miracle of the prophet Mohammed represented in the oral revelation of gods words. Quran was translated to different languages in different parts of the world for understanding matters. However the only reference for Muslims stays always the Quran in Arabic because of the interpretations that may have a different meaning if translated. It seems for granted that many issues around religion have been exhausted and dealt with thoroughly to the extent that no further work on them would be given the interest it owes. Those issues have received much interest on the expense of the current issues that brainstorm the mind of writers and scholars. Every one of them tries his best to contrast and compare the principal aspects of different religions, namely Quran and the Bible. What really brought this topic to the surface and made of it the hot spot in media and theology studies are the recurrent events that have made of our planet a volcano-like crater. Samuel Huntingtons work The Clash of Civilizations could be considered as the drop that made the situation even worse and tense. In his book, Huntington points out that the world is heading towards a global clash between civilizations of which religion is the heart. Religion is, therefore, considered as the essence and the backbone of every civilization. In other words, relig ion is not only the law that people can watch to reach a better after life, but also it has always been a central means of organizing human life and dynamics. Thus my humble work will try to contrast and compare Quran and the Bible, though it is not a simple task as it sounds to be. My attempt will not cover all the specific distinctions, but rather would shed some light on the major concepts that are witness in both religions. It is true that both religions, Quran and the Bible, share many meeting points to the extent that both are labelled as the Abrahamic religions bearing in mind it is so difficult to compare and contrast them as in the Bible there is such a wide range of beliefs and practices among different wings of Christianity: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, churches, the Anglican communion, and the tens of thousands of Protestant faith groups. The same case applies to Islam knowing that there are four different schools -called Madahib: Malikki, Hanafi, Chafii and Hanbali. These schools are referred to as the Sunni Madaheb and they are methods or ways of interpreting of the religious materials in the three levels: beliefs, religious practices and law. To simplify the task, I will limit myself to three major aspects that can be tracked in both religions and to see how every religion views those subject matters and what version it gives to them. I will tackle the concept of uniqueness of God in both religions. Then I will try to cover the notion of revelation as well as the Ten Commandments and Quran. 1-GOD Herman Roborgh (2009), in his article Paradoxes of Christianity and Islam argues that The scriptures of both Islam and Christianity are full of paradoxes. Some readers of paradoxes simply emphasise only one part of the paradox and neglect the other. Critics of Quran and of Bible feast on one-sided interpretation of this sort. Other readers smooth over the apparent contradictions or are so dulled by familiarity that they do not even notice them. Accordingly, we can believe that there is a plain reality that no one can deny which is the agreement of both religions on the concept of the oneness of God and His power. This notion is referred to in Quran as Tawheed. In Quran God, could be translated as Allah, is the unique and supreme. He is the creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. God has 99 names all of which testify that He is the owner of the judgement day. He is the one that would describe or ascribe all existing things: God is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward; God is the Knower of everything (Sura 57:3). Meanwhile, Muslims are to consider themselves as the servants and friends of God since He is the almighty and has full knowledge of the secrets of the heart (Roborgh 2009). Therefore, He deserves to be worshipped and glorified alone and no one else should be worshipped or taken as an intermediate between the followers and Him. Muslims believe in one unitary and omnipotent God Allah. The ultimate purpose of humanity is submission to Allah in every aspect of life including faith, family, peace, love and work. Islam is strongly monotheistic and abhors both the attribution of divinity to any human and the notion that Allah might be divisible. It means that primary concern for Muslims must be to believe in the oneness of God and to avoid the attribution of any human characteristics to God such as mortality or family. This is strongly felt is this Sura They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God (Allah): there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him). Quran 9:31 As for Christians, God or Lord is unique. We can start with what The Bible dictates in (One of the Commandments) You shall not have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:3. This strongly shows that Christians are to believe in one God and not to involve another one in worshipping him. Yet, the main difference with the Quran is that the Bible believes that God has a son, according to the concept of Trinity which is the nucleus of the Athanasian Creed which states that: There is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the father, of the son, and of the Holy Ghost is one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. The father is god, the son if god, and the Holy Ghost is god. And yet they are not three gods, but one godà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Marmarinta Umar P Mababaya). Despite having and believing in one god, we can see that power, regard and endearment are divided on the three corners of the cross: Lord, Son and the Holy Spirit. This seems to be contradictory. Both religions view God as a central character, which personifies power, wisdom and knowledge; virtues that mortals are unable to fully reach. Passages from the scriptures demonstrate such a fact. D. Emmanuel (2008) argues that The awareness of God and the belief in his initiative to reach out to humanity appears to be at the heart of both Bible and Quran. God appeared to Adam and conversed with him person to person (Sura 2: 31; cf. Genesis). In Quran as well as in Bible, the power of God lies in one word Be. All His orders and wishes are executed merely by uttering this word. Muslims go further to say that be and it is is the secret of the beginning of the universe. The same notion is seen in The Bible. To illustrate we can mention the story of the creation of the universe. This story states that God created heaven and then created the earth but some time later God noticed that darkness was dominating all over and then the spirit of God said Let there be light, and there was light. 2- Revelation This leads us to talk about the second common point between Quran and Bible which Revelation of God. The Quran and Bible have given us many clues and details about the existence of a merciful and caring God. W. Rauschnebusch (2010) concludes that since the creation of the world, the invisible character of God, his everlasting power and godhead, has been discerned through his visible works. To put it differently, we can say that we feel the existence of god though we dont see Him and, hence, maintain a sort of connection with him via his creations that really keep us perplexed everyday. God has been addressing his messengers as well as all his followers in three different ways: first, that God has spoken to humanity as person to person; second, that his revelation was fragmentary in its contents and forms; and third, that revelations culminated in one who by his peculiar relations to God guarantees a perfection to which broken and incomplete revelations did not attain. Consequently, t o account for our weakness and blindness, God has reached down to us and has revealed himself to men. Both religions point out that God revealed himself to us and gave us knowledge of himself. The Quran claims to be the culmination of all the previous Revelations, and contains the fundamental teachings of all the previous Prophets and Scriptures. Referring to the previous Prophets and their Books, God says to the Muslims: These are they whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance. (6:91) A Messenger from Allah, who recites unto them the pure Scriptures, wherein are the lasting commandments. (98:2-3) (Khalid Saifullah Khan) Nevertheless, how revelation has taken place is the key difference that lies between Quran and Bible. Father Zakaria Boutros says that god delivers his godly message when a spiritual contact occurs between the prophet or messenger and God and that the Holy Sprit which is the spirit of god gives meanings and thoughts to mens spirit. Christians insist on the absence of an intermediary between god and men or the messengers unlike in Islam. Revelation in Islam is the Quran and its assembly. Sometimes God enters in a direct revelation with his prophet to transfer what is in godly thoughts and knowledge or he relies on an intermediary like angels. Nasr Abu Zayd (2010) points out that Muhammads first encounter was not with the Lord; it was with the angel. In this encounter, the divine is presented in an intimate personal. This mean that Gods revelations have taken many forms to approach His prophets and messengers. These forms or ways differs from the two Abrahimic traditions religions. The Quran, in one verse, pointed to the three ways of revelation saying: It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a messenger to reveal, with Gods permission, what God wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise {Consultation Chapter (Surat Ash-Shura) 51}. By the direct revelation we mean the insertion of the meaning or knowledge into the heart of the prophet. This is clearly noticed in the Hadith Narrated by Ibn Masoud from Ibn Hayan: the prophet, said: the Holy Spirit inserted into me a converse: No soul will die until it fulfils its sustenance. This concept is close to the Christian way of revelation since it doesnt implicate any kind of intermediary between god and his chosen prophet. The second type of revelation according to the Quran is behind a veil while addressing his prophets such as Moses. The third kind of revelation is sending an angel with a message to deliver. The angel in charge of this is Gabriel. Al-Bokhary Narrated from Aeisha that Al-Hares Ibn Hashim asked the prophet Muhammad: How the revelation comes to you, he said: sometimes he speaks to me and I recognize him, another time the angel comes to me in a human form speaking to me and I recognize what he says. All Muslim scholars agree on the fact that Quran is the speech of Allah be it in words or meaning. But this definition may lead us to overlook or exclude another type of text in Quran from being a part of Allahs revelation. It is the Hadith Qudssi which refers to the inspiration of meaning from Allah but the words are from the prophet Muhammed. This kind of revelation does not exist in Bible. This constitutes in itself a huge difference between revelation in Quran and that in the Bible. What is really typical is that during most revelations messengers and prophets were subject to some supernatural events and happenings that mankind is not used to. These events might have great psychological and physical complications. To illustrate, Moses lost consciousness when he entered in a dialogue with God on the mountain of Sinai. Another instance could be the weird cold the prophet Muhammad felt in a hot day when the angel descended to him with the message from Allah. Once back, he asked his wife to warm him up by putting more blankets on him. I also end this part about revelation with the quote of Montgomery Watt ;After all these considerations, what have Christians to say about the prophethood of Muhammad? For Muslims, Jesus is a prophet and is indeed something more than a prophet, since the Quran (4.171) speaks of him as Gods word which he put into Mary and a spirit from him. For Christians the question of Muhatnmads prophethood is difficult [Life of many Muslim people changed to better even in hard circumstances]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ These points lead to the conclusion that the view of reality presented in the Quran is true and from God, and that Muhammad is therefore a genuine prophet.( Niyazi BEKI 2005). 3-The Ten Commandments Sebastian Gunther, who is a pioneer scholar in the University of Toronto, draws the conclusion that the Ten Commandments are very fundamental for communities, societies and cultures of Judeo-Christian tradition. They are like the Magna Carta for social order. The commandments are not intended as concrete legislation (or laws) but as a formulation of conditions for membership in the community, to be enforced by God, not by any human authority. They are essentially categorical imperatives of universal validity, above time and independent of circumstances. The Ten Commandments comprise the most famous set of religious and ethical rules in the world. (Royal Ontario Museum) Here the need for this question rises. Does Quran have any account for the Ten Commandments? And are they similar to the ones in The Bible? As far as the Ten Commandments of Bible are concerned, they are divided into two groups of five commandments. The first five ones revolve around the relationship between God and his followers. Whereas the other five remaining commandments regulate the interactions between people themselves. Quran, on the other hand, does not contain any specific passages or ayah for the Ten Commandments, but on two different areas, Quran makes hints to the commandments when we come across the ayah when God reveals Himself to Moses in the mount of Sinai. In these verses we have the impression that God is recommending to Moses to abide by his dictations when dealing with the Jews. (142) And We appointed with Moses thirty nights and We completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights (143) And when Moses came [to Mount Sinai] to Our appointed time and his Lord spoke with him (144) Said He, Moses, I have chosen thee above all men for My Messages and My Utterance; take what I have given thee, and be of the thankful. (145) And We wrote for him on the Tablets of everything an admonition and a distinguishing of everything Surat Alaaraf. 7:142-5 (late Meccan period). Here we see that God has given Moses Tablets in which the commandments were written. They are sort of laws or contracts between Moses and the Jewish. It is of a paramount importance to mention that the Quran believes strongly that The Bible has been corrupt and that all its texts are not reliable sources since they have been modified and lost their divine originality as a consequence to many factors such as personal interest. Yet many happenings coincide to a great extent with what have been mentioned in Quran. Conclusion All in all, through this paper, I tried to compare and contrast some notions in Quran and The bible. Of course, it is hard to cover all the paradoxes and similarities between the two Abrahimic religions. For this reason and many others, I opted for three major points which are God, revelation and The Ten Commandments. I came to the conclusion that Quran and The bible share many common points much more than the differences they have. Both of them believe in the oneness of God and his supreme power. The also agree on a set of qualities and characteristics of God. God is the creator of the universe and the unique judge. The second point along which I contrasted both religions is revelation. Gods revelation to people is mentioned in both sacred books but what differs is the way of this revelation. The need to launch and maintain a communication between the creator and his creatures seems indispensable because prophets and people always need guidance from the one who knows everything- God. Last but not least, The Ten Commandments constitute the guide line or Magna Carta that regulate life for the Christians. Though they are not directly cited in Quran, there are some hints that could be interpreted as the Ten Commandments. My humble works seems far away from perfection, and further work must be carried to shed more light on this complicated issue. As a Muslim, I strongly believe that the reference text should be Quran which is the original version that has not undergone any kind of forging or modification unlike The Bible.

Admissions Essay - I Dont Want to Be a Doctor :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - I Don't Want to Be a Doctor I was talking to my sister on the phone, the little one, and she said, "I don't think I want to be a doctor." And I thought, "Oh, no." Now, you gotta understand, we're Asian. South Asian, actually. Sri Lankan, specifically. And the thing about Asians is, we're *all* supposed to be doctors. We all *are* doctors. My dad's friends are doctors. my mom's friends are doctors, my dad's *friends'* friends are doctors. and all of their kids are in med school right now, planning to be doctors. My middle sister is planning to be a doctor, fourth year Johns Hopkins, pre-med, volunteering at a local hospital, studying for the MCAT's. And I had thought the youngest was safely on the track, a few years behind, a freshman in college, pre-med, taking Biology, Chemistry, studying all the damned time, going to be just what the world needs, another Asian doctor. And you gotta understand -- I was happy about this. They'll be successful. They'll have money; they won't have to worry, They'll be able to pay the rent on time unlike their big sister who's dumb enough to try to make a living as a writer, but best of all it'll make the parents happy. After all -- *someone* had to to do it. Someone had to make the parents happy, and it certainly wasn't going to be me: black sheep, dater of white boys writer of pornography, destroyer of her parents' happiness. So the little one says to me, "I don't think I want to be a doctor." And I panic. And I ask why. And she says, this sweet kid says that she wants to make a difference in the world, do something good, unselfish, help people. I get the impression that she has vague ideas of working in a soup kitchen somewhere. She's eighteen, remember? Remember eighteen? And I want to cheer I want to stand up and say, "You go, girl!"

Racial Profiling by Police Essay -- Stop and Frisk

The Fourth Amendment protects the right of people to be secure in their persons, ‘ houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures†¦ (108). Under the Fourth Amendment the legal constraints placed on police and the rules they must follow for â€Å"Stop and Frisk† happened as a result of the â€Å"Terry v. Ohio â€Å"case (162). The constraints are that the police cannot stopped and frisk people without reasonable suspicion probable cause or a warrant. Before 1968 the police could search a suspect only if they had probable cause. After the Terry case the police may conduct a frisk search of a suspect’s outer clothing only if there was reasonable suspicion. The U.S. Supreme Court definition of â€Å"Frisk† is: a patting down of the outer clothing of a suspect based on the reasonable suspicion, designed to protect a police officer from attack with a weapon when making an inquiry. A â€Å"Search† is an exploration for evidence. Although frisk are restricted to a search for weapons that may pose an immediate threat to the officer’s safety, the Court concluded that cases as these are decided by their own facts; generally, however, police officers who see unusual conduct that leads them to conclude that criminal activity are involved and that the persons are armed and dangerous are entitled to conduct â€Å"a carefully limited search of the outer clothing of such persons trying to discover weapons† that may be used to assault them (163) Such a frisk are reasonable under the Fourth Amendment, and any weapons seized is introduced in evidence. Reasonable suspicion is when a police officer has good reason to believe that criminal activity may be occurring as in the case of â€Å"Terry v. Ohio† (162). The police officer observed thre... ...s under O’Malley (100,000) that O’Malley won by a landslide by the number of arrest made. On the other hand Mayor Rawlings engaged the targeted approached and went after violent and repeated offenders which resulted in a decrease in homicide to fewer than 200 in 2011. Racial profiling contributes to many frivolous minor infractions that burdens the prosecutors to bring these cases to court. The court are overwhelmed with trying these cases and that takes time away from the more violent cases As a result the correctional facilities becomes overcrowded which cost the state money. Policing must not be initiated by numbers, race, ethnicity or national origin. Racial profiling violates an individual’s civil right and if being done it violates the 4th Amendment right. â€Æ' Works Cited Albanese, Jay S. Criminal Justice. Upper Saddle River : Pearson, 2013. Print.

The Impression of Life on the Western Front in the Blackadder Goes Fort

To what extent does the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series give an accurate impression of life on the western front? In this essay I will be writing about life on the western front and the trenches in The First World War and how accurately the 'Blackadder Goes Forth' series portrays it. The First World War started on 4th August 1914 because the Archduke of Austro-Hungary, Franz Ferdinand got shot by a Bosnian named Gavrillo Princip. Austro-Hungary declared war on Bosnia and all the allies got involved and it turned into a huge World War which lasted longer than expected. The war then finished in 1918. Blackadder goes Forth was written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton in 1989. Both of them have historical backgrounds. Blackadder is a BBC comedy series set in the trenches of the Western Front in The First World War. It starred Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Tony Robinson and Stephen Fry. It was filmed in a studio in front of an audience. It was intended for an adult-thinking audience. It was made to entertain and also give the audience some historical knowledge about the trenches. I will be evaluating the last episode ?Goodbyeee? to see how it compares to real life on the western front. On the western front the soldiers had to build trenches to provide defence for the army and hold their position to show their opponents they weren?t going anywhere. The trenches were built in a crocked line next to each other because if the line was straight and a shell landed on it the explosion would kill and injure much more people then if it was straight. They had barbed wire and Sandbags at the top of trench to protect them from enemies coming in and attacking them. The trench had many layers and at the bottom there were dug outs were the sold... ...ries. There was lots of useful information to a historian about recruitment, the tactics and if they were changed the casualty rate could have decreased, and that there was a huge presence of death in the trenches. There was also some information about the weather and the trenches but it didn?t seem too wet and cold in the dug outs, which it would have been because of the awful weather at that time. Some things were imprecise about the trenches like there wouldn?t have been a sink, the dug out was too big and it looked too warm in there. The inaccuracy is because of the filming conditions and they wouldn?t have been able to fit a camera crew and the actors into a smaller dug out and they couldn?t have made it too wet as they were filming in a studio. I would still rely on the episode ?goodbyeee? to tell me what life was like in the trenches and on the western front.

Highway Marking Paints Essay

This report has been created as per the details of the letter received on 18th March from Morris Hordern, Senior Engineer of the Highways Department, and contains the results of the tests conducted by Proactive Consultants Inc. on all the available new highway paints. On the basis of our tests and in our professional opinion, Centrex’s new paint TL is the best option for highway marker painting. Highway Marking Paints 2 This project was carried out in order to test the suitability of the newly available range of highway marking paints which claim to be of better quality in terms of visibility, spraying characteristics and speed of drying. The marker painting was conducted between 12 a.m and 6 a.m. The following table documents the consolidated results of our study. The paints are lined up in the table on the basis of suitability, the best one being the first in the table. Paints that did not meet the minimum standards (as specified by ASTM D-711) of twenty minutes drying time, good spraying characteristics(as prescribed by Paint Manufacturers Association’s specification PMA-02-28H) and visibility of 7 and 6 after three months and six months of traffic wear respectively have been eliminated. Codes assigned to the paints on 25th March, 2010 (the start date of the tests) have been used to eliminate any chance of bias or manipulation. The tests were conducted on two stretches of highway- Highway 17 (concrete surface), 1.5 miles north of the intersection with Highway 43. Highway 43 (asphalt surface) 1 mile west of the intersection with Highway 17. Visibility has been rated as per the judgment of myself and 4 other drivers associated with Proactive Consultants Inc. Day visibility is judged from a distance of 500 yards (500 being a perfect 10). The points drop by two for every 100 yards less of visibility. These tests were conducted on 25th June, 2010. Night visibility is judged using high beam from a distance of 200 yards (visibility from 200 yards being a perfect 10). The points drop by two for every 40 yards less of visibility. These tests were conducted on 25th September, 2010. Based on our tests, the two best paints for highway marking are WC (which is Hi-Linear Products white paint- HILITE) and YR (which is Centrex Inc.’s new TL yellow paint) The two paint are almost equal in terms of quality. Centrex’s TL yellow paint takes 3 minutes less to dry, has slightly better visibility on concrete, after both 3 months and 6 months. The HILITE paint takes 3 minutes more than Centrex’s paint to dry has slightly better visibility on asphalt after both 3 months and 6 months. In my professional opinion, Centrex’s new TL yellow paint is the most suitable on for highway marker painting for the following reasons: 1) It is the strongest paint overall, better suited for highway marker painting than any other white or yellow highway paint, 2) Centrex is a company with which the Highway Department has been working and is thus a trustworthy source.

Advertising, through the ages has evolved to be a very powerful tool that can shape identities and personalities of consumers regardless of age, culture or sex

Advertising has, one way or another shaped my identity and personality. I also have to admit that because of my exposure to advertisement, I have achieved a certain status in my neighborhood.   I play basketball during my past time, and I became popular in town not only because of my skill but also because of the Nike shoes that I wear.Nike is the world's leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel.  Ã‚   I first heard of Nike when I was a kid, in T.V commercials of former basketball player Michael Jordan promoting the shoes.Being an NBA fan and a basketball aficionado, the commercials intrigue me into trying out the shoes he is endorsing.   The moment I bought my pair of Nike shoes and paraded it in school, I saw my classmates in complete awe after seeing me wearing the shoes for the first time.   I was bombarded with questions like â€Å"how much does it cost† or â€Å"where it was bought.†Also, when I play basketball using the said shoes, I also earned ext ra attention from the people who are watching the game because of my footwear.Aside from that I can feel that I can do things that Jordan does (high flying dunks, higher jumping ability) just by wearing the shoes he endorsed, especially when dunking the ball from the free throw line which was made famous by Michael Jordan during the slam dunk contest (though I have not yet accomplished it).When comparing it to other shoes, I can see that Nike has the edge because of its dimensions.   I feel that the shoes are lighter than other brands as what Jordan swears it to be.   During a game of basketball, which usually requires frequent running, I can feel that the shoes’ weight does not affect my speed.Another important feature is the durability of the shoes, in which it can last for years even if I frequently use it during basketball games.  Ã‚   Buying shoes that can be damaged easily can cause discomfort and even injuries.   I also feel that buying another brand will compr omise quality and that I may acquire an injury if my shoes, for example is below the standards that of Nike. With proper care, Nike shoes can be your companion for life.With its features and other types (running shoes, tennis shoes), all sports enthusiast will, like me, be forever loyal to the brand.   I can say that whenever I am wearing Nike shoes, I feel that I am better than other people, especially when playing basketball.   The shoes give my self-esteem a boost.Advertising, in reality is designed to attract people into buying particular products. But these days, consumers are very wise with regards to spending their hard-earned money. An advertisement full of fluff is easily recognized by them.Consumers know what they want and are not easily convinced especially when an advertisement is just luring them into spending. To meet their standards, advertising also stepped-up into the next level. It has become more creative, truthful and warm.My relationship with my Nike shoes i s growing strong. Michael Jordan may have influenced this â€Å"fetish† of mine. But in the end, I can say that my loyalty is due to the reason that through time, I have come to prove the things they say in the ads. And because of this, I give my loyalty only to Nike shoes and only to it.ReferenceSage, Alexandria (June 26, 2008). â€Å"Nike profit up but shares tumble on U.S. concerns†. Reuters. http://uk.reuters.com/article/companyNews/idUKWNAS924120080626. Retrieved 2008-07-10.â€Å"Jordan and Wilkins Battle for Dunk Title†. NBA's Greatest Moments nba.com (website)http://www.nba.com/history/1988slamdunk_moments.html   

Hopefully Looking Into the Future: Haiti

Hopefully Looking into the Future â€Å"Hope is the thing with feathers  /That perches in the soul  /And sings the tune without the words  /And never stops at all. †Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Emily Dickinson In Edwidge Danticat's anthology, The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, different voices of the Haitian dyasporas tell their stories on how they have hope. Whether it be a young child looking for motherly love, seeking to win a soccer game or on an even bigger scale, or getting politically active and hope that what you have done pays off.Though Haiti is often associated with negative stereotypes, whether it be associated with AIDS or â€Å"the Phrase† which was Haiti: The Poorest Nation in the Western Hemisphere (Dreyfus 57), Haitian Americans tend to look on the bright side and turn out to be very optimistic. They are not the ones to just give up, they have come too far. The hope Emily Dickinson's quote from her poem Hope is the thin g with feathers   describes, is what the hope Haitians have. It gets buried within a person, that never succumbs. Throughout many essays, this point is clearly supported.Though their country may not be at its best, throughout the essays, Haitians as well as this part of the Haitian dyaspora, look to move forward and become successful by the migration to the United States. In many instances throughout the compilation of essays and poems, Haitian Americans share their stories on how they have this sense of hope. In â€Å"Restavek† , by Jean-Robert Cadet, the boy, despite the maltreatment of Florence, hopes that deep down she loves him and cares for him. In reality all she really does is abuses and uses him for what he's supposed to be doing as a restavek child.Even til the end, when the boy knows how Florence treats him, he hopes that she had gotten him something for his ceremony. In â€Å"Bonne Annee†, Jean-Piere Benoit inserts a small anecdote that shows that,  "Haitians hope even when there is no hope† (34). Interestingly enough, Benoit cleverly includes the brief anecdote of the soccer game of Italy versus Haiti right after he mentions Bebe Doc taking over his father, but right before states that Bebe Doc had fled the country, as if to enhance the meaning of it.By putting it in this order, you see that Haiti can, even if they end up losing they do have the potential. Jean- Claude fleeing the country gives rise to new hope among many Haitians, both in the ten departments of Haiti and in the eleventh department. As Benoit describes that even † a blizzard in New York [†¦ ] does not prevent jubilant Haitians from taking to the snowy streets, waving flags, pouring champagne† (Benoit 35). Like the soccer game, they celebrated. Something good has happened, an occurrence that for Haitians does not come too often. hink this is perfectly sequenced in order to convey In â€Å"Adieu Miles and Good-bye Democracy†, Patric k Sylvain shows us that the hope he has in his country becoming a democracy is more important to him than his family. Even though he does give up his role as a father to take that of a political activist, he does question himself on whether he made the right decision and if he even made a difference in Haitian politics. All these different voices come together to express the potency of the hope of Haitian Americans.The hope Haitians have prevails over death. Although many Haitians seem to be very hopeful in life, there most certainly are those few that through death triggered hope, and ultimately resorting to suicide. In â€Å"Something in the Water†¦ Reflections of a Peoples Journey†, Nikol Payen tells us of a woman that could not bear with the suffering being on the boat with her infant and gave up on life, plunging into the ocean, never to be heard of again. Although she did not fight to continue, we have to understand the hardships dealt on a daily basis.The boy tell ing the author the story of the aunt that had jumped off the boat, gains hope from seeing this act. He resorts to trusting Payen and getting onto the ship, hoping that he would get a better ending than the aunt. In Marie Ketsia Theodore-Pharel's essay â€Å"Haiti: A Cigarette Burning at Both Ends†, the title alone gives the essay an ethos of lost hope, that no matter what Haiti will, in comparison to a cigarette, burn at both ends, choking any possibilities of having hope. In the end, Thurel died, simple as that. Mr.Thurel â€Å"had made the ultimate sacrifice†, his journey had ended, but his death triggered the author of the essay to think, and other could have been influenced too. Therefore his death had made an impact on people enough to maybe give them hope to do better, and not turn out haw he had. Theodore- Pharel is contemplating whether Mr. Thurel had died for no cause, and this makes her question her love for Haiti. Being given a hopeless title, but opening th e essay with an anecdote from her past that shows the story of a martyr that obviously impacted her, makes me think of the essay as being contradictory.Thurel's suicide, as the suicide of the woman on the boat, is because of the difficulties that they were dealing with in their lives. However, in Thurel's suicide we see more of him being somewhat of a martyr. Thurel said himself in this essay that he was to â€Å"offer myself in holocaust for the complete liberation of my country† (Pharel 83). He died for his country , as had past fighters: Dessalines and Christophe. Like they once did, he had hope for his country, and as did Sylvain, which was mentioned before.Hope does not stop at death, especially considering the fact that Haitians believe that a person does not really die, their soul lives on. And even after death, there is always hope for future generations. Many of the authors of these essays have grown up in the United States, coming from Haitian-born parents. These pa rents hoped for their children to be successful. They did not want their children to have to go through what they had been. These authors, now mostly accomplished , are the epitome of a Haitian American, or of the Haitian dyaspora.Finding â€Å"success in exile†, whether it be to learn a lesson as Sandy Alexandre did in Exiled when she was tricked by her mother to go to Haiti to teach her a lesson to respect her elders, or finding exile as a motivator to become successful (Dreyfus 58). Having been sent to to Haiti, Dreyfus realizes she has to be thankful for what she had, not just take it for granted, seeing that not everyone had the same privileges as she did back in her home in America. In â€Å"Home is†¦ Sophia Cantave, currently a professor at Tufts University, is perplexed if â€Å"perhaps my mother had given birth to me so that I could do all the things that she never did† (170). As an educated woman, she is proud of having succeeded, making her mom proud, yet she is disconnected from her mother, her native land. This hope given to future generations , of the children of Haitian migrants to the United States, is in a way disconnecting them from Haiti. Hope is an exuberant trait among Haitian Americans.Those that had grown up in a place very different from their mother country, as well as those still in Haiti and even in the journey to migrate faced many dilemmas. As Haitians, going from fighting France to win their independence and always having this background of a turbulent government, they will always turn to hope. All they can do is hope, hope for the best , as their ancestors had done in the past and as they continued to do so. And from that hope, become a proud Haitian, because despite their past, they overcame it. They are left alone in this new world, with only hope at their side to help them continue.

Ancient Chinese Dynasties Essay

There were many Chinese dynasties that rose and fell throughout China’s history. The history of China, in a way, is a history of battles and wars. These wars were so important that they changed the structure of Chinese culture both then and now. Three dynasties that rose and fell during ancient China were the Han, the Tang, and the Song. The rise and fall of these great dynasties form a link that runs through Chinese history. The Han period was one of the golden ages of Chinese civilization. The Han dynasty lasted from 206 B. C. to A. D. 220. It began when the prince of Han, Liu Bang, took the title Gao Zu and began to restore order and justice to his new empire. He lowered taxes and reduced the Qin emperor’s harsh Legalist policies. These policies created a strong basis for the Han dynasty. The most famous emperor, Wudi took China to a new level. During his reign from 141 BC to 87 BC, he strengthened both the government and economy. Economic expansion, strengthening the palace at the expense of the civil service, weakening the states hold on the peasantry and the rise of the rich and the gentry were all factors that led to the adoption of Confucian ideals. Han emperors made Confucianism the official belief system of the state. Under Wudi, China conquered many lands, expanding their power and influence. The Han Dynasty now controlled northern Vietnam and the Korean Peninsula. Wudi sent explorers toward Central Asia, eventually opening up the famous trade route known as the Silk Road. However, signs of decay began to appear throughout the dynasty which put an enormous burden on the economy. Weak emperors allowed canals and roads to fall into disrepair. Burdened by heavy taxes, and crushing debt, many peasants revolted. Thousands of rebellious peasants abandoned their villages and fled to the mountains. In AD 220 warlords overthrew the last Han emperor. After four hundred years of unity, China broke up into several kingdoms. The Han dynasty was over. After the Han dynasty collapsed, China remained divided for nearly four hundred years. It was not until the development of the Tang dynasty, in 618 that China was restored to its earlier glory. The tang was an imperial dynasty of China. Its territory was acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers and was greater than that of the Han period. Tang rulers carried empire building to new depths. Chinese armies forced the neighboring lands of Vietnam, Tibet, and Korea to become tributary states. It is estimated that the population had grown by the 9th century to about eighty million people. The Tang Dynasty was largely a period of progress and stability. They rebuilt the bureaucracy and enlarged the civil service system to recruit talented officials trained in Confucian technology. Chinese culture flourished and further developed during the Tang era. It is considered the greatest age for Chinese poetry. Tang emperors began to lose territories in Central Asia to the Arabs. Corruption, high taxes, drought and famine all contributed to the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. In 1907, a rebel general over through the last Tang emperor, which brought the dynasty to an end. The Song Dynasty lasted for more than three hundred years. It began in 960, when a educated general reunited most of China. The Song controlled less territory than the Tang dynasty did. The dynasty was constantly threatened by invaders in the north. Despite military obstacles, the culture brought rise to a new religion. Education expanded the growth of literature and the arts. Foreign trade flourished and Chinese cities prospered as centers of trade. Positions in government were no longer held by aristocrats and were instead given to people with experience and degrees. This made the government stronger and formed new concepts. Chinese wealth and culture lead East Asia even when its militaries did not. Most problems in this dynasty were due to military power. A combination of corrupt officials and weak emperors contributed to its downfall. China has a long and mysterious history of almost five thousand years. China can trace her culture back to a blend of small original tribes which have expanded until they became the great country we have today. Each rise and fall of a dynasty created new leaders, new laws, new rules, and usually new expansion. Chinese history is that of alternating periods of political unity and disunity. The rise and fall of many dynasties created a rocky path in Chinas history.