SWOT Analysis of Organization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

SWOT Analysis of Organization - Essay Example Opportunities are those external environmental conditions favorable towards the organization. This can help the organizational to achieve its objectives. Whereas, threats are also external factors which may act as a preventing measure against achieving organizational growth. SWOT analysis is a technique that helps in identifying key factors. It also helps the organization in developing plans to tackle such scenario in future. Apple, Inc. is one of the oldest companies in field of designing and manufacturing computers. In the present day, they also manufacture and design mobile phones, portable music players, and also related accessories. Apple, along with their manufacturing part also provides Macintosh operating system software, internet software, multimedia software, business application software and also wireless connectivity services. The motto of Apple is ‘Think Different’. It was founded in the year 1976. It’s headquarter is situated in Cupertino, California. Apple’s operation focuses mainly on software products, computer products and communication products. Its retail business generation is carried forward through 215 retail business stores and also their dedicated website. Apple always backs innovation and its strengths have been the creation of integrated products and along with the development of user friendly software. The high quality of the product makes a big positive difference for Apple. Unique design, stylish looks like iPod Nano, light weight materials are all diverse feature of Apple. Ease of use is also a bright feature of Apple. Aggressive campaigning and commercials are also part of Apple’s strengths. Apple has a competitive advantage by embedding a closed community. Apple has other strengths as well like strong and healthy balance sheets, integration of their entire solution, innovation like iPod, iPhone,

The Future of Criminology Essay Example for Free

The Future of Criminology Essay Over the past several years criminology has made leaps, bounds, and advances to enhance capturing criminals. Due to the increasing technology at the fingertips of criminals and terrorists law enforcement has been forced to step of their resources and intelligence. The government is constantly faced with new methods people have created to commit crime. Technology is infiltrating every aspect of the criminal justice system, from the investigation to the prosecution of crimes and even to attempts to predict them. What steps is law enforcement and the government taking to ensure our safety and to catch the criminals and terrorists? Biometrics After the attacks on 9/11 the government discovered America was not truly prepared for anything. America lacked the technology and resources to stop terrorist’s attacks. Suddenly, the United States government became acutely aware that it didn’t know exactly who was passing in and out of the country. After 9/11, the U.S. Congress decided we must have some way of securing our borders. What did the government do to try to protect the nation? They looked into security measures such as biometrics. â€Å"Biometric is the most secure and convenient authentication tool. It cannot be borrowed, stolen, or forgotten and forging one is practically impossible. Biometrics measure individuals unique physical or behavioral characteristics to recognize or authenticate their identity. Common physical biometrics include fingerprints, hand or palm geometry, retina, iris, and facial characteristics. Behavioral characters characteristics include signature, voice, keystroke pattern, and gait. Of this class of biometrics, technologies for signature and voice are the most developed† (Biometric Security Technology, n.d.). Today, our identities are verified almost exclusively by things that you carry with you and things you remember.  Driver’s licenses social security cards, birth certificates and passports are common documents people carry with them, and passwords and PINs are common security measures people remember. Physical identification is easy to fake, and passwords are easily cracked by hackers, who then have nearly unfettered access to our credit cards, bank accounts, and personal data. People make fake driver’s licenses, social security cards, birth certificates and even death certificates. Hackers only need limited information about a person to steal their identity. It is mind boggling to think what little data criminals need that can turn a person’s life upside down in a matter of seconds. Something needs to change and biometrics could be that change. Biometrics are a fundamental shift in the way people are identified. Unlike traditional identification which individuals must either remember or carry with them, biometrics is the individual, it is a part of who you are so to speak. Fingerprints, voice analysis, iris patterns, vein matching, gait analysis, and so on. Such traits are unique to an individual and often, though not always, incredibly difficult to fake. â€Å"United States government has poured money into research, development, and acquisition of biometric identification systems. The Department of Homeland Security has spent over $133 million on biometrics since 2003, and the Defense Department is predicted to spend $3.5 billion on the technology between 2007–2015. The Federal Bureau of Investigations has rapidly expanded its fingerprint database and is currently developing a more sophisticated system that will add iris scans, palm scans, and facial recognition to the mix† (De Chant, 2013). Just because biometrics cannot be lost or misplaced does not mean they cannot be misused. Privacy concerns loom large with biometrics. A biometric security measure by itself is not threatening, though they are easily linked to other, potentially sensitive information, and that’s when people grow uneasy. Biometrics are a part of person and not something that can easily be discarded like a Facebook page or a password. This causes a lot of anxiety for some people. The government would have part of everyone on file at their disposal and would it always be used correctly or will American’s become violated by this extra power the government would have? There is already a lot of mistrust in the government it would be difficult to get the American nation as a whole on board with the government having access to our fingerprints, retina’s, faces, and palms. There are people  even in our criminal justice system that abuse their power and give out information that should not be given to certain people, who is to say that same would not happen with should vital information as biometrics. Spyware As rates of cybercrime continue to increase exponentially, law enforcement agencies will have to enhance their cyber-defenses to effectively fight online attacks. New technologies promise to play an important role in this battle for cybersecurity. The war on cybercrime and cyberterrorism has given a major boost to the IT and security industries. In the coming years, the fields could experience even greater growth, possibly generating hundreds of billions of dollars in the US alone. Cyber criminals can be computer geeks looking for bragging rights, to businesses trying to gain an upper hand in the marketplace by hacking competitor websites, from rings of criminals wanting to steal your personal information and sell it on black markets and even spies and terrorists looking to rob our nation of vital information. In this day and age of advanced technology, we have become accustomed to all the benefits that computers give us in terms of convenience. While most of us would never want to g o back to doing things the old fashioned way, it is very important to be aware that anyone can become a victim of cybercrime. â€Å"To effectively detect and deter cyber criminals, it is vital for our law enforcement agencies and our legal community to look beyond our nation’s borders and work with their international colleagues in order to have a global framework of cybercrime statutes. One of the new devices to help detect cyber criminals is a Wi-Fi Investigator. The Wi-Fi Investigator is a tool designed to help law enforcement officials specify locations in order to apprehend suspect devices, including laptops and smartphones. Another featured gadget produces powerful magnetic pulses in order to instantly erase sensitive data in the event of a security breach† (Brown, 2010). Another useful tool for law enforcement is the Global Positioning System or GPS. This is used to help track criminals on probation and parole. This can also be useful in court to show a suspects whereabouts during trial or in tracking down a kidnapped victim. The GPS has become a vital part of an investigation and something that some investigators may even rely on. The same can be said for cellphones since most of them now days are equipped to tell your location as well. Tools and devices are not the only thing that is  used to try to deter cybercrimes, there are laws in place as well. Recently, President Obama calls for a new law for cybersecurity. â€Å"The new cybersecurity effort came a day after Mr. Obama called for legislation to force American companies to be more forthcoming when credit card data and other consumer information are lost in an online breach like the kind that hit Sony Pictures, Target and Home Depot last year. Concern about cybersecurity has increased after the hacking of Sony in December, which the United States government says was the work of the North Korean government. The president said that breach and an attack on the United States Central Command’s Twitter account proved the need for an overhaul† (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). The cybersecurity measure Mr. Obama envisions would encourage companies to share threat information such as Internet Protocol addresses, date and time stamps, and routing information with the Department of Homeland Security, which would swiftly pass it on to other government agencies and industry groups voluntarily formed to share such material. Companies would get â€Å"targeted liability protection† for doing so, as long as they took steps to protect consumers’ personal information (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). â€Å"President Obama also called for law enforcement tools to combat cybercrime, including to prosecute the sale of botnets, computer networks created to carry out cybercrime, and to give courts power to shut down those involved in denial of service attacks and other fraudulent activities† (Hirschfeld Davis, 2015). Fighting cybercrime is not just the responsibility of the government it is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone at any time can be attacked by a cybercriminal there is no limits when it comes to cybercrime. The government and law enforcement does their best to protect everyone but it is difficult to protect against someone you cannot see. There is still concerns that maybe technology is trying to take over good old fashion police work such as patrolling and even investigating itself. Is the government looking for the quick technological fix rather than to invest in what it takes to get communities to collaborate on their own safety? The problem is an over-reliance on technology with too little recognition that policing is primarily a people business. Law enforcement and local communities often see technology as a panacea to make communities safer without asking the hard questions. While technology is good to have and it does help to solve some cases it will never replace a police officer. People  find safety and security when they actually see someone protecting them. People need that reassurance. DNA Collection â€Å"The Federal Bureau of Investigations maintains a national DNA database known as the Combined DNA Indexing System or CODIS. The pilot program for what became CODIS started with fourteen state and local laboratories. Today, there are over 180 public law enforcement laboratories that use CODIS. The FBI Laboratorys CODIS program allows federal, state, and local crime laboratories to store, search, and share DNA profiles electronically† (The DNA Act, 2015). The practice of taking DNA samples from convicted criminals is now largely uncontroversial. The courts have routinely upheld laws that authorize DNA collection from both current and former convicts, and the resulting databases of DNA have become powerful tools to analyze forensic evidence collected from crime scenes. The databases help to clear innocent suspects and redirect law enforcement officials away from unproductive investigations. They also help to convict guilty criminals and clear the wrongfully convicted. A trend that is causing significant debate is gathering DNA samples from people who are arrested but not convicted (Berson, 2009). â€Å"About 20 states and the federal government have passed legislation that requires DNA collection upon arrest. This legislation has raised concerns that crime laboratories may be unable to manage an influx of samples from a new source and that preconviction DNA collection may violate Fourth Amendment privacy guarantees. Some people worry that collecting DNA creates the potential for abuse of genetic information stored in databases. Others point out that the federal and state privacy laws and penalties that apply to crime labs are stringent far more stringent than the rules governing private entities that collect blood and saliva for medical or insurance purposes† (Berson, 2009). Although some states limit preconviction DNA collection to violent offenses or sex crimes, other states include all felonies, and some extend the requirement to misdemeanors as well. States legislation requiring preconviction DNA collection varies. Variations include the types of crimes for which samples are collected, applicability of the law to juveniles and procedures for deleting profiles. Some state laws have faced Fourth Amendment challenges in court. â€Å"The Fourth Amendment ensures that [t]he right of the people to be secure in their  persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized† (The DNA Act, 2015). This is where the government will continue to have problems, most American’s live by the Amendments that the United States was founded upon. The Amendments were put in place to give the government limits and when it comes to mandating DNA the government appears to have reached its limits. Conclusion In conclusion, the government and law enforcement have many challenges to face and overcome in the new age of technology. Technology also makes it easier for criminals from around the globe to connect and partner with each other to pull off financial frauds, and the anonymity of the web can make it more challenging to locate and stop online perpetrators. There are legal obstacles as well as ethical obstacles that the government and law enforcement must overcome. At every corner there is a potential for a crime to happen whether it is a person’s credit card, a computer, a bank, a smart phone or even a car. Cybercrime is a growing field and one that is hard to combat with all the technology. The problem the government is facing is what is considered too invasive and what is going too far to protect our nation? References Berson, S. (2009). Debating DNA Collection. Retrieved from http://www.nij.gov/journals/264/pages/debating-DNA.aspx Biometric Security Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.peterindia.net/BiometricsView.html Brown, K. (2010). The Future of Cybercrime Detection Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.pctools.com/security-news/future-cybercrime-prevention/ De Chant, T. (2013). The Boring and Exciting World of Biometrics. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/tech/biometrics-and-the-future-of-identification/ Hirschfeld Davis, J. (2015). Obama Calls for New Laws to Bolster Cybersecurity. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/us/obama-to-announce-new-cyberattack-protections.html?_r=0 The DNA Act. (2015). Retrieved from

Leadership in Mentoring Nursing Students

Leadership in Mentoring Nursing Students Management has been existed in our society since human beings began in the form of social organisation to achieve their goals, have become a significant part to our society and human activity. Management and leadership are clearly different, management is do things right and leadership is do the right thing, but both are equally important (Bennis, 1997). Therefore, the effective leaders and effective managers are required by the organisations, teams or groups to achieve the expected goals. Bennis (1994) defined management as a process of getting things done through others. This definition emphasizes that a manager to manage and organize a planning, assessment and assist the activities of others or subordinates. Bateman and Snell (2007) stated that four management functions: planning, organising, leading, and controlling are very valuable for professional practice. McKenna et al (2004) assert that effective leadership in practice is crucial for professional development and patients care enhancement. According to Marquis and Huston (2003), leadership is a process without threats and violence of empowering belief, persuading, moving and influencing another toward an objective. Dessler (2004) also defined leadership as a person influences others to willingly work toward a predetermined goal. However, Mintzberg (2004) assert that there are many views and definitions of leadership and makes leadership is complicated and confusing. Stanley (2009) defines and explores the health practice leadership as unifying people around values and then constructing the social world for others around those values and helping people to get through change. Leadership impact our daily and futures lives and very important in my clinical area to create an environment thats positive for relationship building and conducive to effective professional practice. Health professional such as nurses and AMO requires a strong, knowledgeable and consistent leader in quality professional practice environments to provide quality health services. Therefore, to achieve the requirements of professional practice and consumers requirements and expectations, its important for health professional to integrate leadership in health professional practice (Sofarelli and Brown, 1998). I will discuss and explore the theory of leadership in this paper when mentoring and encouraging staff and Assistant Medical Officer (AMO) to their career development, including further learning and leadership methods at Plaster Unit, and will implement this idea in my placement and appropriate use for my new task as a leader. My hospital is among the most famous teaching hospital in Malaysia which conduct education programs for medical, nursing and allied health science students. With over 11 years working experience and was promoted to Senior Assistant Medical Officer at Plaster Unit, Orthopaedic Department since January 2011. I have been appointed by head of Orthopaedic Department as manager, clinical instructor and mentor of Plaster Unit for new staff, medical and nursing students, particularly related to Plaster of Paris application. At the same time, I need to train and facilitate the department staff and newly AMO to update skills, knowledge and develop their further learning including mentoring programs. As a manager and instructor at Plaster Unit, I may be writing policies, assess, implement and promote policies, I might challenge the policy appears to be sensible and evaluate the policies. Good leaders were made rather than born. Good leaders must have the desire, willpower, and develops through lifelong learning process of educational, training and experiences (Jago, 1982). Taylor (2009) state that today health care operates in a rapidly growing environment where changes in leadership to be the main criteria for career development. Many different leadership theories have emerged and made based on previous theorists, but there are 8 major leadership theories; Great Man theory, Trait theory, Contingency theory, Situation theory, Behavioural theory, Participative theory, Transactional theory and Transformational theory. Burns (1978) have identified two types of leadership theories; transactional and transformational. Burns (1978) describes the transactional theory: leaders are just sitting towards the result, followers are directed to perform tasks and be appreciated by money or reward if the task is accomplished. In transformational theory, leaders see the relationship is very important, especially between leaders and followers. Mentoring relationships can develop the highest level of relationship between managers and subordinates (Graen Scandura, 1987). According to WhettonÂÂ   Cameron (2002), studies have shown that mentoring relationships have been increased career satisfaction, resiliency to stress, professional practice success and developing motivation. The initial concept of transformational leadership was introduced by Burns (1978); leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of moral and motivation. Bass (1985) explains that the difference between transactional and transformational leadership is the ability of transformational leadership to motivate others to achieve goals more than what they wants. Transformational leadership has influenced me and mentoring program in plaster unit, it has motivated me and students to believe the vision and implement it to achieve goals. To be a trusted mentor and as a motivation , I am constantly learning and using advanced knowledge, my experience and skills to develop them as a successful professional through mentoring program. Transformational leadership occurs when leaders changes followers in three ways: the followers trusting the leader, performing behaviours that contribute to successfully of organisation objectives and get motivated to work at the highest level (Bass,1985). Schunk (2005) assert that motivation is a critical component of learning and professional development. I always have been motivated by the head of department and AMO supervisor to constantly improve the knowledge and skills, a nd this similarly methods are applied in mentoring program to the students and staff under my supervision. Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Further research has identified the type of leadership that is more specific, but a preliminary research by a team of researchers led by Kurt Lewin in 1939 is influenced and established the three main leadership styles; Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez-Faire. Autocratic leaders make decisions independently and are usually seen as controlling, bossy and dictatorial. Autocratic leadership best used in situations where lack of time to make decisions or leader is the most knowledgeable. Lewin et al (1939) found that the Democratic leadership is most effective leadership style. Democratic leaders offer guidance, participate in groups and encourage participation in the group, but retain the final decision-making process. Subordinates feel more involved in the group planning, more creative and motivated. While, researchers found that Laissez-Fair leadership is the least productiv e, where the Laissez-Fair leaders offer little or no guidance to subordinates and let them make their own decisions. Laissez-Faire leadership effectively used in situations that have members who are highly skilled, knowledgeable, motivated and able to work on their own. According to Lewin et al (1939), different leader lead differently, they can choose which style where appropriate and depending on the situation. Democratic leadership have been adopted in our department and mentoring program, all are encouraged and freely to give opinions and recommendations through department meetings, regular meetings and during weekly clinical area visits. I and AMO supervisor always offer guidance, participate in groups and encourage all AMO to involve in weekly discussions; it makes them feel involved in decision-making in Plaster Unit. Many researchers have shown that effective communication is closely related to the organisational successful and most important process of the management to run smoothly, to share information, decisions making and enhance the productive relationships with patients. According to Barret (2006), effective communication skills makes an effective leader; effective communication skills will build, enable and create understanding and trust that will encourage their subordinates to follow their leader. I believe that effective communication will help member to build trust, respect, facilitate learning, to understand the issues and make decisions for effective change and achieve goals. Shamir et al (1993) asserts that transformational leadership using communication to create a positive atmosphere and beneficial changes to their follower. When mentoring, I always encourage maximum interaction between mentor and learners to create more communication. Communication will be more effective if lead ers/mentor can be credible by his followers/mentee to create a positive ethos, because credibility is very important to inspire confidence and encourage followers to listen. Kouzes and Posner (1993) states that the most important things others follow someone is persons credibility. In summary, lifelong learning is very important for professional practice development, and better services to patients. Mentoring is a successful strategy to increase students academic success and professional careers (MacCallum Beltman, 2003). As a mentor and manager of Plaster Unit, I need to supervise, teach, provide skills and knowledge to newly AMO and students, and ensure the mentoring program is successful as expected objectives. Therefore, the skills of persuade and influence others is essential to gain trust and be accepted by students. Kram (1985) has outlined three key aspects of mentoring; mentoring-relationships, guidance for learning and mechanisms to achieve significant leadership development. Leadership development has become increasingly important and strategic imperative for private or public organisation (Leskiw and Singh, 2007). At my placement, mentoring program through transformational leadership has been recognized by the head of department and hospital management to produce a dedicated staff and good leaders, to provide quality services to our patients which are priority of our tasks. We believe that transformational leaders have competencies and expertise to constantly keep our department competitive. According to Raggins et al (2000), studies have shown that mentoring provides many benefits to facilitate the career development of employees. Advice, support and encouragement can be delivered by experienced professionals for the less experienced professionals through a mentoring program. Transformational leadership will be activated, and a positive work culture and subordinates career development can be promoted if leaders or manager served as a mentor (Scandura Williams, 2004). Bass and Avolio (1993) believes that vision communication and an emphasis on achieving organisational goals by building self-c onfidence of followers are among the major behaviour of transformational leader. Bass (1990) assert that the concept of transformational leadership and mentoring approach are same, both influences the career development, commitment, performance and satisfaction. However, according to Sosik and Godshalk (2000), when compared to transactional leadership, transformational leadership mentoring supervision is better and more effective. Bass (1990) explains that there are four main characteristics that distinguish transformational leaders from transactional leadership: Transformational leaders are characterized by idealised influence or charisma, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration. Mentoring will be more effective if those four characters of transformational leadership are present on mentor (Scandura Wlliams, 2004). Banerji and Krishnan (2000) asserts that charisma characteristics are the most important of transformational leadership. House (1977) explain that charismatic leaders have the characteristics of ability to communicate, inspire and motivate the employees, communication skills, self-confidence, ability to interpret and implement the organizational vision and ability to be enthusiastic to daily works. Therefore, I believe that transformational characteristics are important to achieve the department vision and self-improvement. Jung et al (2009) states that the characteristics of transformational leadership are often associated with many positive organizational outcomes and related to overall effectiveness of leadership. There is substantial evidence that transformational leadership will enhance the quality of health-care services to patients and reduce the negative impact on health professional, increase staff creativity and department innovation. As manager of plaster unit, I expect this leadership transformational benefits will make us more creative and able to adapt their skills and knowledge to the services and the best clinical outcomes for patients. In conclusion, this paper has highlighted the important issues of leadership that is needed for future practice development and how has affected the mentoring success. As health professionals who are concerned with career development and provide the best service to patients, it is important to explore and learn deeper about various leadership styles. Transformational leadership theory is advocated by many leadership thinkers as the best leadership approach to in the organization that allows employees to achieve their full potential (Taylor, 2009). Integrating mentoring and transformational leadership are crucial for health professional to get more effective leadership training (Scandura Williams, 2004). Therefore, organisations need to more improve mentoring and leadership training that will facilitate the development of transformational leaders and capable mentors.

A Photographers Focus Essays -- Pictures Violence Ireland British Ess

A Photographer's Focus On March 20, 1972 at 11:45 a.m. an anonymous phone call was made to police headquarters in Belfast, Northern Ireland warning of a bomb in crowded Church Street (Fisk 2). At 11:52 a.m. a second emergency call reached police headquarters confirming the threat of a bomb (Fisk 2). The police made efforts to evacuate the street as quickly as possible. Then, at 11:55 a.m. headquarters received a third emergency call warning of a bomb, but this time the caller gave the location of the bomb to be in the adjoining Donegall Street (Fisk 2). Three minutes later a 100-pound gelignite bomb exploded in Donegall Street killing six people and wounding 147 others (Fisk 1). The bombing was a terrorist act by the Irish Republican Army (IRA), whose mission is to drive the British out of Northern Ireland. It was in the ensuing minutes of the explosion that Derek Brind of the Press Association probably arrived at the gruesome scene: nearly a hundred young girls â€Å"lay on the street or in the shattered doorways screaming with pain and shock† (Fisk 1). As he approached the site, he spotted a British paratrooper holding â€Å"a young Irish girl in his arms to comfort her† (Dewar 62) and snapped this photo: What makes this, or any photograph, so unique is that the viewer actually sees what the photographer saw when he or she took the picture; we too, see the paratrooper clutching the wounded girl in his arms. What we don’t see, however, is what takes place around the picture. The photographer chooses where we look and in doing so, decides what deserves attention and what can be left out. This selection process is entirely subjective, and as such, it is a reflection of the photographer's perspective—not just literally, but figurat... ... we too, begin to become aware of the cruel nature of mankind. This is what Derek Brind saw in the violence in Northern Ireland and this is what he tried to convey through this image. Hence, what may appear to be a photo about how loving and caring fellow man can be, is really a criticism of the inhumanity of man. This is the photographer's message as reflected through his choice of focus in the image. Works Cited: Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. Penguin Books,1972. 7-33. Dewar, Michael, Colonel. The British Army in Northern Ireland. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1996. 57-79. Fisk, Robert. â€Å"Six killed, 147 injured by bomb after misleading calls.† The London Times. March 21, 1972: A1-A2. Pratt, Mary Louise. "Arts of the Contact Zone." Ways of Reading. Ed. David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. 5th ed. Boston: St. Martin's, 1999. 582-596.

Doctrine of Double Effect: Consequentialism Essay

The Doctrine of Double Effect states that it is a morally relevant difference between those bad consequences we aim and intend to bring about, and those that we do not intend but still foresee as a likely outcome of our actions. Under certain circumstances, it is morally acceptable to risk certain outcomes that would not be acceptable to intend. Though it is always wrong to kill innocents deliberately, this doctrine says, it is sometimes permissible to allow certain actions to occur understanding that some side effects will be negative. Considering that some side effects involve death, we need to consider the question of whether it is ever morally permissible to use people as a means to one’s end. Warren Quinn attempts to present a deontological way of viewing the Doctrine of Double Effect. The configuration of Doctrine of Double Effect prepared by Quinn makes distinctions on moral assessments. In proportion to consequentialist moral theory, the distinction the Doctrine of Dou ble Effect comprises between intended and merely foreseen consequences does not matter for moral evaluation with the exception of factors that are consequential for production of better outcomes. In Deontology edited by Stephen Darwill, Deontology is a element of ethical teachings centered on the idea that actions must be guided above all by adherence to clear principles. Thomas Nagel suggest that the core idea in deontological thinking is the Doctrine of Double Effect and the innermost idea is one ought not in one’s actions aim at evil and in this way to be guided by evil (177). Quinn suggests that there are two major problems dealing with the rationality and discrimination between cases when it comes to the Doctrine of Double Effect. In the following exert from Deontology, Quinn gives examples of contrasting cases from modern warfare: In the case of a strategic bomber (SB), a pilot bombs an enemy factory in order to destroy its productive capacity. But in doing this he foresees that he will kill innocent civilians who live nearby. Many of us see this kind of military action as much easier to justify than that in the Case of the Terror Bomber (TB), who deliberately kills innocent civilians in order to demoralize the enemy. Another pair of cases involves medicine: In both there is a shortage of resources for the investigation and proper treatment of a  new, life-threatening disease. In the first scenario doctors decide to cope by selectively treating only those who can be cured most easily, leaving the more stubborn cases untreated. Call this the direction of resources case (DR). In the contrasting and intuitively more problematic example, doctors decide on a crash experimental program in which they deliberately leave the stubborn cases untreated in order to learn more about the nature of the disease. †¦Guine a Pig Case (GP). Another pair of medical examples is found in most discussions of Doctrine of Double Effect. In the Craniotomy Case (CC) a woman will die unless the head of the fetus she is trying to deliver is crushed. But the fetus may be safely removed if the mother is allowed to die. In the Hysterectomy Case (HC), a pregnant mother is allowed to die. In the Hysterectomy Case (HC), a pregnant mother’s uterus is cancerous and must be removed if she is to be saved. This will, given the limits of available medical technology, kill the fetus. But if no operation is performed the mother will eventually die after giving birth to a healthy infant. (Darwell 195) In the above case I obviously see that there is a significant difference between the cases. The fetus is not yet a person, and the mother has a right to seek defense from anything that is hazardous to her health. Quinn makes the distinctions that the doctor in Craniotomy Case does not intend to actually kill the fetus; he probably would be happy if it survived. In this case it is little difference between the Hysterectomy Case and the Craniotomy Case. Quinn produces a projected way to revive the Doctrine of Double Effect. He recommend that the Doctrine of Double Effect should be reiterated in the following way: One to make possible a differentiation between agency in which injury comes to a quantity of victims, at least impart, from the agent’s deliberately connecting them in something in order to further his purpose specifically by way of their being so involved and harmful agency in which either nothing is in that way intended for the victims or what is intended does not contribute to their harm. The overhaul of the Doctrine of Double Effect will produce the result that in the Terror Bomber and  Craniotomy examples, the agency involved is the less customary kind, whereas in strategic bomber, Diversion of Resources , and cancerous uterus, the agency is involved is more acceptable kind. This works alongside with the original understanding of the Doctrine. The majority of military actions would be morally out of the question if the killing of civilians were absolutely forbidden. When factories, naval dockyards, and supply lines are bombed, civilian carnage is inevitable. In these cases, the philosophy of the Double Doctrine of Effect comes into to play. When it comes to this, there is a huge and undeniable gray area; for instance, could it be permissible to bomb a hospital in which Osama Bin Laden is lying ill. In the doctrines most precise form, it holds that if an action has two effects, one good quality and one unpleasant, then the action is morally permissible. The following questions must be asked: is the action good in itself or not evil; is the good effect the only one aimed for; the good follows as immediately from the action as the evil effect, and the reason for performing the action was as important as that for allowing the evil effect. Are the consequences good on balance? It is important that it is; the goodness of the goo d must outweigh the evil of the evil effect. Walzer goes as far to say that the actor should seek out ways to lessen the evil effect, accepting risk to his or her self. â€Å"There is obviously leeway for military judgment here: strategies and planners will for reasons of their own weigh the importance of their targets against the importance of their soldiers’ lives. But even if the target is very important, and the number of innocent people threatened relatively small, they must risk soldiers before they kill civilians† (Walzer 157). Still if the noncombatants are in harm’s way due to direct actions of the enemy, or due to the adult noncombatants own choice, the agent is duty-bound by jus in bello’s highlighting on distinction to alter his campaign from those otherwise recommended, if those tactics will foreseeable result in noncombatant casualties. Could one claim that the bombing campaign America set out over Kosovo did not meet the Double Doctrine Effect? Yes, the campaign failed to meet Walzerâ €™s extra requirement because pilots flew high to guard themselves and dropped bombs imprecisely, which resulted in greater civilian casualties. In Just and Unjust Wars, Walzer claims, â€Å"Double effect is a way of reconciling the absolute prohibition against attacking non-combatants with the legitimate conduct of military activity† (153). These non-combatants are placed in the category of innocence. Indeed, it is unjustified to kill the innocent, but these victims aren’t entirely innocent. It can be said that they are beneficiaries of oppression; they enjoy the contaminated fruits. In certain cases, it could be understandable but not justifiable. Those who are opposed to this notion would claim that the children among them, and even the adults, obtain every right to look forward to a long life like anyone else who is not actively participating in war. This is the whole notion of noncombatant immunity, which is not only crucial to war but of any decent politics. Anyone who renounces this policy for a moment is not simply making excuses for terrorism, but they are joining the lines of terror’s supporters . The act of terror incorporates the deliberate killing of noncombatants as a means to an end; therefore, it is not accepted by the Doctrine of Double Effect. â€Å"The question of direct and indirect effect is complicated by the question of coercion. When we judge the unintended killing of civilians, we need to know how those civilians came to be in a battle zone in the first place. This is, perhaps, only another way of asking who put them at risk and what positive effects were made to save them† (159). Do intentions really validate this doctrine? Could it be possible to leave out the intentions and simply judge the rightness or wrongness of an act by its consequences, the way a consequentialist would do? Consequentialist will only choose to perform actions with the best consequences, which ignores our prima facie duties to others. In this case, the answer would not be sufficient enough for the Doctrine of Double Effect because this doctrine encompasses deontological constraints. Quinn shows in the following account how the doctrine reflects a Kantian ideal of human community: This ideal is given one natural expression in the language of rights. People have a strong prima facie right not to be sacrificed in strategic roles over which they have no say. They have a right not to be pressed, in apparent violation of their prior rights, into the service of other people’s purpose.  Sometimes these additional rights may be justifiable infringed, especially when the prior right is not terribly important and the harm is limited, but in all cases they add their own burden to the opposing moral argument. (207) The Doctrine of Double Effect gives each individual value, which is not based on the majority of people. Gives individuals rights against being used as means to any end. In the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagaski, Between 120,000 and 250,000 civilians were killed. The decision to use this deadly weapon for Americans was allegedly not for revenge but to bring an end to this dreadful war. I would like to believe former president Harry Truman was under the impression that the evil performed would not surpass the greater good that would come out of the action. At that time it was believed that the Japanese were fighting an unjust and aggressive war. In the following exert in Just and Unjust Wars, Walzer has part of commits made by Truman after the decision to drop the Atom bomb in the following: â€Å"We have used [the bomb] against those who attacked us without warning at Pearl Harbor, against those who have starved and beaten and executed American prisoners of war, against those who have abandoned all pretense of obeying international laws of warfare. We have used it in order to shorten the agony of war† (Walzer 264). The shortening of the agony of war was the justification of the use of the atomic bomb. President Truman claimed that the alternative, an invasion, would have cost countless American lives. In his justification, he shows evidence that he believes American lives are more important than the lives of others; I definitely do not believe this is the way the Doctrine of Double Effect was suppose to be executed. Now if he was specifically to state that one half of a million American lives would have been taken if the war was not stopped, he then can claim the net savings from the terror amounted to around a quarter of a million lives. In the case of valuing American lives more and theirs less, it looks somewhat obvious that the Doctrine of Double Effect was not used properly. Under any circumstances, the use of such a lethal weapon against Americans on American soil could never be justified. Many moral philosophers are not pleased with the Doctrine of Double Effect; Jim Holt gives an account of some of their objections in the following: If you ask the terror bomber why he is killing civilians, he will say, â€Å"to win a just war might even say that he does not need the civilians actually to be dead, but only to be thought to be dead until it is over to demoralize the other side. If his victims could be miraculously brought back to life after the end of the struggle, he would not object. In this sense, he does not really intend their deaths†¦. If I can kill Saddam Hussein only by shooting him through innocent human shield, do I intend harm to the innocent shield or not? (Holt) Is the difference among directly intended effects and inevitable effects a contrived one? The point he is trying to make is that the incidental fatalities of a calculated bomb are just as dead as the intended victims of a terror bomber. This objection brings up another point made by Quinn in relation to the closeness of these situations. â€Å"†¦it surely matters how close the connection is between that which is, strictly speaking, intended and the resulting foreseen harm. If the connection is close enough, then the doctrine should treat the harm as if it were strictly intended. And the reply might go on, the connection is close enough in the cases I have used to illustrate the doctrine’s negative force (196). In reference to the meaning of closeness, an illustration of closeness was supplied through an example of a glass. Someone could violently heat a glass just for the purpose of hearing the noise made from the initial impact. In cases involving force against something as fragile as a glass, the shattering is to be expected immediately after the action. These two actions form a causal relationship, so the connection seems intangible opposed to conditional. It is morally acceptable to risk certain outcomes that would not be acceptable to intend. The Doctrine of Double Effect has prima facie reasoning in its make-up; therefore, it has a strong responsibility to do what is morally acceptable to our own standards. Proponents of Doctrine of Double Effect coincide more with deontological views opposed to consequentialist theories. Even though the Doctrine in some cases allows  harm among individuals, they recognize that in real life cases there are events that have sufficient reasoning behind them. Though it is always wrong to kill innocents deliberately, this doctrine says, it is sometimes permissible to attack a military target with the understanding that some civilians will die as a side effect. Even a dog knows when it is intentionally or accidentally kicked; therefore, We can not deny that intentions are of some importance. The question is whether or not the difference can be held up as morally acceptable. â€Å"For causal critics of the doctrine sometimes seem to suppose that its defenders must be ready to allow killings or harmings simply on the ground that the agency is indirect. But nothing could be further from the truth. The doctrine in no way lessons the constraining force of any independent moral right or duty† (203). The Doctrine of Double Effect is centered among the impression of acceptable actions. The quest of good is less appreciated where a significant harm is intended as a means than where it is merely foreseen. The deontologists grasp the idea that one or both of the distinctions between doing and allowing and intended and merely foresee effects scientifically affect what morality approves and condemns. Lying on this outlook, it is of importance morally not just what outcomes we bring about or fail to bring about, but the structure of our agency in this regard. The deontologist theories conflicts in the company of the act consequentialist, who holds that one morally ought always to do an act that leads to an outcome that is not worse than the outcome that would be reached by any other act. Quinn gave an excellent account of the deontological view of the Doctrine of Double Effect, but his theory has flaws. What if the American government for an upright decent reason terrorizes the city of Berlin, and they can do this effectively by dropping bombs over Toronto? Our government does not strictly intend to include the people of Toronto for the reason that their attachment does not advance our objective; if all of the residents were out of town and survived, and our purpose still would have been served. In his reconstruction of the Doctrine of Double Effect, Quinn excludes our acts as indirect agency; therefore, the slaughter of the inhabitants of Toronto is  parallel to a merely foreseen consequence. I don’t believe this exemption is one that he anticipated to make, but it is a loose end that needs further explanation. Works Cited Darwell, Stephen. (2003). Deontology. Malden, MA: Editorial material and organization. Holt, Jim. Terrorism and the Philosohers. Can The Ends ever justify the means?2 June 2004.http://slate.msn.com/?id+2064544. Walzer, Michael. (1977).Just and Unjust Wars. A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations. 3rd ed. Basic Books..

Ultimate Frisbee Essay

My feet left the ground. My arms extended. My entire body was parallel to the ground for what seemed to be an eternity. Nothing was going through my mind except one overpowering thought: catch the Frisbee. It was not just a Frisbee however. It was the game winning goal. It was redemption for my previous mistakes. It was reward for all of my tireless work. It was the gateway to eternal bliss. Catching this pass was a necessity.? I called out,† I’m open† to Greg Rupp, the thrower on my team, as I finally shook off the smothering blanket of defense wrapped on me by Justin Burns.This slight crack in an otherwise impenetrable defense flashed before his eyes. Within a split-second, his right foot stepped heavily on the firm ground and his torso pivoted launching the disc, with all his might, into oblivion. Greg immediately shouted †sorry† for throwing the disc way past me and way past my reach, but I was not going to give up. There might not have be another o pportunity. I saw this one and I was determined to reach it. ?Flying past Justin Burns and the rest of the other defenders, I dug my toes into the ground and lunged with all my strength on every step.My ankles were sore from playing for so many hours, but that was not going to stop me. My ribs hurt from colliding with Morgan Mansfield during the previous game, but that was not going to stop me. My wrist hurt from slamming into the ground at the beginning of the game, but that was not going to stop me. My sprit however was more powerful than all of physical limitations combined. As the space between me and the disc shortened, my passion and determination grew larger. After I was almost within reach, I realized what had to be done. To snatch the disc from its natural path, I needed to dive and fully extend my body.The small plastic disc comprised of all my dreams and desires was floating right in front of me. I swung my arms to generate more momentum and I slammed my feet into the gro und like two pistons launching a projectile. Every ounce of my energy and soul was poured into this thrust. Before I could think of the consequences, I was already flying through the air. In the air, it did not matter that my body ached. It did not matter that I haven’t caught a pass the entire game. It did not matter what I got on my math test. It did not matter that the fall might hurt. All that mattered was catching the disc.With my adrenaline fueled hawk eyes, I saw the ridges on the disc spinning in a clockwise direction. I reached my hand out, with my thumb under the disc, clenching first with my index finger and then wrapping the rest of my fingers around the smooth curve of the disc.? Everything I dreamed and fantasized about was now resting in my hand. It was still not safe however. The ground had a hunger that only broken dreams could satisfy. As the wrath of the cruel turf approached, I raised the disc high above my head feeding my body as fodder to the savage unyi elding terrain.A bed of hot coals could have broken my fall, and I still would not have felt the pain. The glory of catching what was thought to be uncatchable completely overpowered any slight injuries. This glory rushed into my body and soul as a primitive roar rushed out. My teammates and even the players on the other team ran over to congratulate me on my game winning grab. Kings couldn’t have felt as empowered as I felt. ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even though the adrenaline wore off and the grass stains came out of my shirt and the injuries healed, the memory of this amazing experience stayed with me.But to me, this memory is more than just a good catch. It was the most enlightening experience in my life. This catch, as well as every other aspect of Ultimate Frisbee, has taught me that with diligence, tenacity and focus, there is nothing that is unattainable. To me, Ultimate Frisbee is not a game. It is not a sport. I do not play it. I do not like it. Ultimate Frisbee is a way of life. I eat, sleep and dream about it. I love it. It does not take over my life. It is my life. Only with this type of devotion and dedication, can the unreachable be reached.

Executive summaries - Emphasis

Executive summaries Executive summaries No matter how well structured and well written your report is, some clients will feel they only have time to read the executive summary and this is particularly true for senior management. So it is absolutely essential that you put a lot of thought into its structure and content: * Make sure the summary can stand alone and that it contains real information, including hard facts and figures. * If your report includes recommendations, make it clear what these are and include their implications, values and costs (if applicable). * Stick to a maximum of two pages. * Use headings and bullets (but not too many), and perhaps a carefully selected graph or pie chart, to get your main message across.

A Runners Guide to Writing

A Runners Guide to Writing Writers, Even though it may cut into your writing time, picking up a running habit can help you become a more motivated, disciplined, and well-paid writer. Heres my advice for running and writing: 1. Just thinking about it doesnt get you anywhere. With both running and writing, you have to actually do the work, and not just think Boy, I should really do some work today. In both running and writing, its easier to keep up your pace and good habits when youve got plenty of momentum. If you need a little help getting started, Fitness Magazines Running 101  guide is a great place for beginning runners to get their bearings. 2. Consistent work is required to make progress. You are never going to beat any personal bests when it comes to running speed unless you run on a regular basis. Likewise, you arent going to finish that novel without putting in regular effort. If you go too long between sessions, itll almost feel like you have to start from scratch. 3. It doesnt have to be a solo pursuit. Some athletes prefer to run alone, but others prefer to run with a group. Likewise, while writing does require some degree of isolation, you can find the support you need to keep you motivated through social connections. Try doing a work-in-progress readings at your local bookstore, or workshopping your piece with a local writers group. 4. Youll hurt yourself if you go at it too hard. Run too long or too hard, and youll risk an injury. Carpal tunnel jokes aside, this applies to writers as well, who can burn themselves out when working under a tight deadline. Even marathon runners take a break the day after a race: If you can bang out 40 pages in one day, thats awesome, but give your brain (and your fingers) some time to recuperate afterwards. 5. Do it, rain or shine. Once you have a streak going, you wont want to break it. A little rain shouldnt stop you from running, and it will even make you feel happy on a dreary day. Likewise, forcing yourself to write a page or two on a day when you mental weather is a bit gloomy is a great way to feel like youre in control of your future as a writer. Once youve developed discipline, its almost like the work does itself. Ill always remember the day I went out on a casual jog, looked down at my phone, and saw Id run a 10k without even trying to. Likewise, with disciplined writing habits inspired Picked up a running habit? Write about your experiences for one of these fitness magazines: Runners World Submission Guidelines TrailRunner Magazine Submission Guidelines Canadian Running Submission Guidelines Womens Running Submission Guidelines Womens Adventure Submission Guidelines

Internation Economic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Internation Economic - Essay Example 4.The United states has experienced a Balance of payment Trade deficit since 1982. You are a member of the Council of economic advisers to President and you role is to advise the President, who is very concerned about the rising EURO and the Trade Deficit, on how he can reduce or correct the Trade deficit respond to the Euro. What actions would you recommend and why? The US trade deficit shows that the country is importing more than its exports. Any act of balancing the trade deficit through increased exports that match with the imports will take years to yield the desired results. One of the easiest ways to ease out is through favorable changes in the currency exchange rates such as the Euro. A rising euro means that the United States is able to export more than previous levels. As such, the trade deficit has come down since 1996 compared to previous years. Therefore, it is advised to maintain the favorable variations in currency by looking into the factors that affect these exchange rates and utilizing them for the benefit of the

Class Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Class Discussion - Essay Example The only way to eliminate the problem and develop financial globalization is by creating a common worldwide currency (Mohan 39). This paper will discuss why a global economy requires a global currency. The movement of capital and goods across country borders is accompanied by inevitable transaction costs and commissions (Bonpasse 189). Having a single currency minimizes on these costs and improves trade efficiency. Increasing volumes of trade and investments across borders creates a strong partnership between exporters and importers around the globe. Both parties would be beneficiaries of a common currency. Two or more countries trading in the same currency are likely to conduct trade up to three times more than if they were using different currencies (Bonpasse 204). Globalization of currency makes the world an optimal currency area as economic integration makes countries react and adjust in similar ways in their responses to external trends. The closer the trade links countries have , the more related their business cycles are. Therefore, currency convergence may lead to an increased flow of international trade. Multiple currencies also imply uncertainties, because traders are not always quite sure what foreign goods will cost, or what foreign buyers will be willing to pay for their products. At the same time, as globalization grows and volumes of international transactions rises, both independently and in comparison to the world output, the cost of having multiple currencies also goes up (Bonpasse 241). As posed by a research conducted in the United States, most national currencies are a trend of the twentieth century, and international, cross border currencies are the best solution for the future (Hausmann 96). The researcher provides that in the broader perspective, farmers in Africa will be able to get equal pay for their produce as farmers in America, and laborers in Asia will also receive the same pay as their peers around the world. A positive effect of having a global currency is the reduction of the gap between the rich and the poor. There is evidence pointing towards the forces driving the globalization process, in relation to wealthy countries, indicating that they are narrowing the per capita income gap between themselves and the globalizing nations (Aart 103). For instance, India, Bangladesh and China were among the poorest nations in the world a few decades ago, but they have significantly influenced the narrowing of worldwide inequality, thanks to their economic expansion (Aart 104). In an era when international interdependence and integration in trade and economy are on the increase, a standardized and universal system of currency will be among the various complementary measures that will assist in simplifying and facilitating interaction and understanding among the nations (Mohan 76). A single, common currency would serve like a global language, enhancing communications around the world traders. It would eliminate the cur rent difficulties presented by speculation, instability and uncertainty. It would also provide a strong foundation for installing and growing a global economy. It would significantly reduce the cost and risk of doing business internationally. Within the present trading system, more than one trillion dollars are traded every day as investors seek to get best returns with the least risk involvement (Mohan 89). This movement of

Effective Team Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Effective Team - Assignment Example During the course of project, many problems and conflicts surfaced as the team progressed through its four development stages as described by Tuckman’s model (Beyerlein and Johnson 2000), which were not beyond expectations. However, these were dealt along as the team developed more cohesion and understanding of the common goal but still the opinion is that these problems could have been avoided and effectively managed as highlighted by (Kayes 2004). Throughout the task, group remained engaged in number of activities that played vital role is team development and are discussed throughout the report. This project report is an aim to comprehensively elaborate significance of reflection in learning and evaluates how experiences are transformed into genuine learning (Kolbs 1984). Secondly, this report narrates process of building a group of individuals into a team and difficulties faced during this progression. It also encompasses the significance and critical role of different con cepts and theory elements that influence this process. Problem and Context After the group was formed, I was much skeptical group future as to what form would it take, how we are going to interact and what would be the course of action towards desired goals. A good explanation for this could be that team was in its initial stage of forming as described by Bruce Tuckman in his model of team development (Beyerlein and Johnson 2000) since members were trying to get know each other and develop relationships. McManus (2000) distinguished group from a team in that team has a strong commitment, high degree of cohesiveness and accomplishment to each other and towards common goal than in a group because teamwork promotes creativity, problem solving, effective decision making and improved communication (Chaney and Lyden 2000). During initial sessions, I found that there were member who were not concerned deeply with purpose and goal of the team as they were often found busy in dealing with pe rsonal social issues which they thought were of more importance to them. Even at times, they were not prepared for what meeting were all about and had no agenda to talk about. At early stages, team did not seem much organized and interactive as members were shy and reluctant in sharing experiences and knowledge. I was of the view that these issues would induce many problems during the course of task completion and would make it difficult for team building and cohesion. Although team project went much better but often task-based conflicts arose when one member’s job depended on other member’s input or cooperation which (Bartos and Wehr 2002) stated as interdependence conflict. However, main cause of interdependence conflict was being unable to effectively communicate one’s part to another member which (Shapiro 2004) called communication breakdown conflict. Competitive conflict was exhibited by one of team members who always tried to prove himself better than othe r team member and tried to find his own way through the process if not agreed upon (Rahim 2011). However, overall the project was a huge success and a great effort to understand the team development process in practical scenario and

The Gospels--Mark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Gospels--Mark - Essay Example Some of the seeds fell on rocky grounds, others on fertile soil, some on the footpath; some fell on bushes and thistles. In this allegory, the sower represents Jesus while the seeds represent good news and the soil represent different type of people who hear the word and their responses to the gospel. The seeds that fell on rocky represent those who hear the word gladly while those that fell on footpath represent people who hear the word but does not safeguard since the devil snatches the word from them. Seeds that fell on good soil represent people who hear the word, believe in it and live according to its teachings. Those that fell on the bushes and thistles represent people who hear the word and they become believers for sometimes, they mix their faith with worries and riches of this world hence their faith never matures because it is interfered with. In Mark chapter 8 verses 27 to 38, he records the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say I am? In this incidence, Peter was able to identify Jesus as the true son of God and the only Messiah. One of the version that explain unpardonable sin states that God formed man from dust of the earth. This was God’s doing, but not man’s, and so due to this earthly sinful condition; man has natural alignment towards sin. Even after being saved or becoming a Christian, one is heavily inclined and influenced by this earthly nature. On the other hand, evangelists assert that those people who have rejected Jesus Christ for the last time have committed unpardonable sin. Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind and the waves on the seas by commanding it to be quiet and still. In this incident, he showed his power over the wind and the waves or nature. On the other hand, disciples were perplexed on what Jesus had done in that they concluded that he was God and Man. During the transfiguration, when Jesus was praying, his face changed, and his

Deductive and Inductive Arguments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Deductive and Inductive Arguments - Essay Example A deductive argument is said to be unsound if its premises are not logically correct, but then they can be founded upon to form a correct conclusion. For instance, the following premises; Mary is 37 years old, Mary is caring then the conclusion from the premises is Mary is a mother. The argument is unsound since the premises are generalized and thus will not form a good basis for making an informed conclusion. The premises since they are general in nature cannot be said to be logically correct since they are not specific to be based for making informed conclusions hence the argument is unsound. Inductive premises are not always correct the person in the argument will take them as they are to influence a certain conclusion that is desirable (Iep.utm.edu). The nature of the premises in inductive arguments determines whether the overall conclusion of the argument is weak or strong. For instance; the policemen said Peter committed the murder, so Peter is the murderer. This argument is weak because its based on a section of the overall evidence and thus, cannot be depended upon. On the other hand, if we have premises like these; eyewitnesses said they saw Peter commit the murder, fingerprint evidence from the body of the diseased together with the weapon are identical to Peter’s and Peter confessed to the police to have committed the act, so Peter committed the murder. The argument above is strong since it incorporates a number of evidence that precisely implicates Peter to the murder beyond reasonable doubt. Therefore, from the aforementioned definitions and illustrations it is evident that the deductive arguments are more compelling than the inductive arguments because their conclusion are correctly premised logically and morally as opposed to the inductive arguments, which are often incorrect and depend upon the perception or intention of the individuals to form a conclusion that

Racial hostility within the media Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Racial hostility within the media - Dissertation Example Various researchers have pointed out that media has played an important role in terms of shaping the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of people towards members of minority groups. In the United States of America, it was perceived that the media played a significant role in emphasizing the historical oppression and oppression of the African-Americans in relation to their White counterparts. In view of the same, researchers showed that the White Americans tend to have a complete lack of understanding towards the African-Americans. It is in this particular context that the researcher looked into the experiences of Michelle Obama during her husband’s presidential campaign in 2008. ... gainst a white oppressor† Generally, the racist comments were caused by the fact that Americans are not used to the fact that a Black Woman would take her place as the country’s first lady. Respondents in this particular study noted that the country is yet to be accustomed to such fact, thus they was not willing to accept Michelle Obama, thus the racist comments. Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study The media is known to be a very powerful institution that has been established within a democratic community. It aims to transmit and communicate cultural ideas, images, myths, and sequences of events (Nairn, Pega, McCreanor, Rankine, and Barnes 2006). Media discourse remains to be a significant means of reproducing shared beliefs and fundamental values of the society. Hence, the media plays a relevant role for exchanging opinions, knowledge, and information. The media, per se, have become a major instrument with which countries can establish and publicize its ideal s as they are expected to express a wide range of viewpoints, remain as objective and neutral as possible, and provide access to various groups, regardless of gender, racial background, religion, social class, and sexual orientation, to name a few (Wetherell and Potter 1992). Print and electronic media has made a significant impact on the daily lives of communities and its members as the television, radio, and print media, among other types of media, present the components out of which individuals can establish identities and make sense of themselves (e.g. meaning of one’s own gender, ethnicity, and national identity). Moreover, it enables the society to differentiate and understanding what it means to be â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† (McQuail 2000). At present, although the media is expected to reflect

The Gospels--Mark Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

The Gospels--Mark - Essay Example Some of the seeds fell on rocky grounds, others on fertile soil, some on the footpath; some fell on bushes and thistles. In this allegory, the sower represents Jesus while the seeds represent good news and the soil represent different type of people who hear the word and their responses to the gospel. The seeds that fell on rocky represent those who hear the word gladly while those that fell on footpath represent people who hear the word but does not safeguard since the devil snatches the word from them. Seeds that fell on good soil represent people who hear the word, believe in it and live according to its teachings. Those that fell on the bushes and thistles represent people who hear the word and they become believers for sometimes, they mix their faith with worries and riches of this world hence their faith never matures because it is interfered with. In Mark chapter 8 verses 27 to 38, he records the confession of Peter at Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say I am? In this incidence, Peter was able to identify Jesus as the true son of God and the only Messiah. One of the version that explain unpardonable sin states that God formed man from dust of the earth. This was God’s doing, but not man’s, and so due to this earthly sinful condition; man has natural alignment towards sin. Even after being saved or becoming a Christian, one is heavily inclined and influenced by this earthly nature. On the other hand, evangelists assert that those people who have rejected Jesus Christ for the last time have committed unpardonable sin. Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind and the waves on the seas by commanding it to be quiet and still. In this incident, he showed his power over the wind and the waves or nature. On the other hand, disciples were perplexed on what Jesus had done in that they concluded that he was God and Man. During the transfiguration, when Jesus was praying, his face changed, and his

Racial hostility within the media Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Racial hostility within the media - Dissertation Example Various researchers have pointed out that media has played an important role in terms of shaping the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of people towards members of minority groups. In the United States of America, it was perceived that the media played a significant role in emphasizing the historical oppression and oppression of the African-Americans in relation to their White counterparts. In view of the same, researchers showed that the White Americans tend to have a complete lack of understanding towards the African-Americans. It is in this particular context that the researcher looked into the experiences of Michelle Obama during her husband’s presidential campaign in 2008. ... gainst a white oppressor† Generally, the racist comments were caused by the fact that Americans are not used to the fact that a Black Woman would take her place as the country’s first lady. Respondents in this particular study noted that the country is yet to be accustomed to such fact, thus they was not willing to accept Michelle Obama, thus the racist comments. Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study The media is known to be a very powerful institution that has been established within a democratic community. It aims to transmit and communicate cultural ideas, images, myths, and sequences of events (Nairn, Pega, McCreanor, Rankine, and Barnes 2006). Media discourse remains to be a significant means of reproducing shared beliefs and fundamental values of the society. Hence, the media plays a relevant role for exchanging opinions, knowledge, and information. The media, per se, have become a major instrument with which countries can establish and publicize its ideal s as they are expected to express a wide range of viewpoints, remain as objective and neutral as possible, and provide access to various groups, regardless of gender, racial background, religion, social class, and sexual orientation, to name a few (Wetherell and Potter 1992). Print and electronic media has made a significant impact on the daily lives of communities and its members as the television, radio, and print media, among other types of media, present the components out of which individuals can establish identities and make sense of themselves (e.g. meaning of one’s own gender, ethnicity, and national identity). Moreover, it enables the society to differentiate and understanding what it means to be â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† (McQuail 2000). At present, although the media is expected to reflect

Social constructivist model Essay Example for Free

Social constructivist model Essay This theory is based upon the idea that children are ‘empty clay tables’ (Tabula Rasa) and that they are capable of being moulded and shaped by adults. It was first developed by the philosopher John Locke (1632-1704). People who work in this way are known as ‘behaviourists’. Transmission model sees people as passive and that they learn through experiences. The transmission model concentrates on nurture and not nature; it is split into two main components, learning theory and sociallearning theory. Classical conditioning: Pavlov (1849- 1936) worked with dogs, he fed them when the church bell rang or a light was flashed. The dogs salivated when they were fed; eventually they salivated at the sound of the bell or when a light was flashed even if no food was given. This is called the conditioned response. Operant conditioning: skinner the psychologist (1904- 1990) developed Pavlov’s work more and concentrated mainly on modifying and shaping behaviour. He did the same thing by feeding animals but only rewarded them with feed if they did as he asked. This acted as positive reinforcement. So he did the opposite if they did not do as he asked he would give them electric shock which acted as negative reinforcers. This theory accepts basis of learning theory but emphasises that children learn behaviours through watching adults and imitating them, especially those close or important to them. Children can also learn by imitating other children. A well known social learning theorist was a man named Albert Bandura (1925- ) he found that most behaviours are learned through observation. For example aggression, sex roles or sharing. The social learning theory emphasizes the fact that adults need to show acceptable behaviour towards children as they will model their behaviour e. g. if and adult shouts and gets angry at another adult then children are likely to model this behaviour towards others, and vice versa.

Financial Analysis Report Hyatt Finance Essay

Financial Analysis Report Hyatt Finance Essay This report is prepared to analyse the financial statements for Hyatt Hotel Corp. I have analysed three years Balance Sheet and Income Statement for the year 2009 to 2011. An introduction has been provided with the key data of Hyatt, its geographic spread, market, brands, strategy and a brief history is covered. Income Statement Analysis is performed followed by various financial ratios, profitability ratio, solvency ratio, liquidity ration and activity ratios has been calculated and compared for the years 2009 to 2011. A discussion on how well the Hyatt has performed with in the industry has been provided. Its performance is benchmarked with two other industry leaders, Accor Hotels and Marriott Hotels. Some of the issues identified are discussed in conclusion. All the findings are supported with data available from the financial statements. Balance sheet analysis is done and various ratios have been discussed in details. Hyatts performance is evaluated for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011. At the end a conclusion is made followed by some recommendations to buy, sell or hold on the investment is provided. HYATT was established in 1957 by Mr. Jay Pritzker, after acquiring Hyatt House Motel located near Los Angeles International Airport. Hyatt became a public company sector company in 1962 as both Pritzker brothers Jay Donald expanded the family business into North American Management Hotel ownership country. Hyatt became the global hospitality leader after its Launching of innovatively designed Hyatt Regency Atlanta in 1967. Hyatt is now named as Hyatt Hotels Corporation after Hyatt International Hyatt Corporation was conjoined in to one company and operating for Pritzker Familys interest (Hyatt 2013). Hyatt believes in expansion, innovativeness diversification this represented by its 9 competitive brands owning 500 properties which are globally spread around the world into 46 countries. (Hyatt 2013). Each brand is designed uniquely to offer a distinguished experience of Food Beverages, ambience and services to the guests. It is their attitude and personalized touch that makes the stay memorable. Park Hyatt which is known for its luxury sophistication has a spread of 30 hotels in major gateway cities of America, Europe, Africa Middle East, and Southwest Asia Asia Pacific. ANDAZ as the name suggests has a unique design and at the same time has insights of local neighbourhood. The company has 9 hotels under this brand. Grand Hyatt has huge infrastructure and spectacular design, with innovative concepts of food and beverage. It is preferred brand for grand weddings, convections and meetings. Hyatt brand has 28 properties. Hyatt Regency is aimed for business travellers convention travellers, equipped with most of modern technologies and guest friendly atmosphere. Hyatt Place is ranked no. 1 select service brand by Business Travel News 2012 Survey, it has a wide range of 172 properties in United States and Costa Rica. Hyatt House was formerly known as Summerfield Suites and is designed in residential size to make the guest feel at home as it offers extended stay in all their 54 properties. Hyatt Resorts are all located at the vacation destinations thus they are well known as beach resort, mountain resort, dessert Resort etc. they are most conveniently constructed with all the leisure around to make the tour relaxing and adventurous. Hyatt Vacation Clubs are time share properties which offers ownership to the members to enjoy access to any Hyatt Vacation club in addition to their home destination, Hyatt entered into vacation ownership in 1994(Hyatt 2013). Hyatt has partnership with 19 diversified non profit organisations and contributes them in their various activities; this is a part of their social responsibility. Hyatt has identified specific market segments and their competitors in order to make their services the best and customer friendly, like introducing Web Check in for any Hyatt properties, various spas and leisure activities at tourists and business properties, has identified requirements of amenities by guest feedback and introduced it. The company understands that customer satisfaction is totally dependent on employee satisfaction in a service industry and their asset is their work force, therefore Global Hyatt was awarded as 2011 Best place to work. Hyatt has also been awarded as Best Elite program in Asia-2012 for boosting their guests loyalty through Gold, Diamond and Platinum memberships. This strategically planned program offers complimentary stays and services; this ensures higher frequency of their guests. One of i ts major introductions of competitive strategy is ANDAZ which is an eco friendly brand and an intelligent innovativeness to decrease the carbon footprints. Hyatt accomplishes it mission and goals by Diversity and Inclusive Framework for building and focusing on their work place, work force and market place (Hyatt 2013).Hyatt has 60 individual spas with the original concept of healing with water and it introduced its spa in 1972, in Indonesia. This is a strategy of diversification and expansion. Hyatt plans to introduce an Eco Track web based tool for monitoring Hyatts environmental impact by gathering monthly data of their environmental goals, it aims to start full fledge by 2015. This would include reduce energy consumption, water consumption, green house emission and waste sent to the landfills in comparison to 2006 levels. Hyatt Union Square in Manhattan along with restaurants of One Five hospitality group is in pipeline for April 2013, besides that Andaz Tokyo, first Andaz Hotel in Japan is to open in 2014. Park Hyatt Mallorca is the first Hyatt hotel in Mallorca, an island in Mediterranean for which Hyatt has entered into an agreement with Spanish real estate company. Moreover Hyatt plans for expansion and growth in the competitive hospitality industry by diversification and innovativeness (Hyatt 2013). Income Statement Analysis How has the group performed? In last three years of Hyatts performance (year 2009 to 2011) review I can state that its sales has been increased each year, the increase is not constant but each year has shown overall increase from the previous year as shown in Appendix-I Profit Loss Statement of Hyatt. The % movement (sales) of year 2009, 2010 and 2011 is 6, 5 and 11 respectively. From the last three years of review, it can be said that the performance indicators are showing a positive upward trend for the company (Hyatt 2013). The percentage movement of rooms in the year 2009 was not very promising for the company but the positive trend of sales improved the room % movement for the year 2010 and 2011 as 4.1 and 8.5 respectively. The average occupancy data supports the increase in sales for years 2009-2011. For the said period average occupancy is 65.7, 70.9 and 72.5. (Hyatt 2013) REVPAR defined as revenue per available room has shown an upward increase from year 2009 to 2011 ($103 to $122) refer to the values in Appendix-I Profit Loss Statement of Hyatt. The companys revenue has been on steady increase as per REVPAR. The average room rate (ARR) often known as average daily rate (ADR) has been on increase in the last three of review. The ADR or ARR for the said years are $157, $163 and $169 for the year 2009, 2011 and 2011 respectively. The % movement increase for the years 2009 to 2011 is 4% to 7.6%. The company has seen a growth of REVPAR despite some of its properties were under renovations during the period 2009-2010 as mentioned in the annual report of the company. From its North American Management and Franchising, the companys revenue has increased due to the increase in franchisee and other fees increased due to improved profitability across the portfolio. Hotel industry/companies are evaluated in terms their ability to generate profits on sales, known as profit margin. Poor pricing and sales volume can bring down the profit margin. The gross profit for the last three years of the company has increased from $579 to $741 thereby increasing the gross margin % from 17.4% to 20%. This shows that the company has been performing well and its management has control over its expenses. The net profit has fell sharply in the year 2009 which is -$43. This sharp fall was due to the high operating expenses and low operating income, added to it was low equity earnings and high interest expenses. Net profit shows a rapid upward trend in the year 2010 and 2011 i.e. $66 and $113. This was due to the high operating income at hand and low interest expenses. This indicates that the company has recovered from losses and looks more promising in the year 2010-11. The net profit margin of the company has increased from negative to positive value showing profitable growth earnings for the company. The net profit margin for the last three years is -1.29%, 1.87% and 3.06%. Benchmarking of the Company (Hyatt): The benchmarking of the company is performed with two of industry leaders named Accor Hotels and Marriott Hotels. Various financial ratios are compared for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Profitability comparison of two industries: ROA: Hyatt has shown a better return on assets or in other words a better profitability of hospitality industry (-0.65) as compared to Accor (-2.3) and Marriott (-5.3). The performance of Hyatts has been steady and its profitability has increased in three years term to 1.53%. In the year 2011, Hyatt is under performing as compared to Marriott but better than Accor which has ROA of 0.60% as shown in following graph: Fig 1 In the year 2010, Accor has a very high ROA followed by a sharp fall in year 2011, which indicates that very high fluctuations of ROA possess a higher risk of instability of the company. ROE: Another key ratio is return on equity which compares the net income of the companies with owners investment. Hyatts ROE has shown a gradual increase for the last three years. Compared to Accor and Marriott in the years 2009, it was the best investment company in hospitality. In 2010, Hyatt has shown a gradual increase of 1% on ROE as compared to Accor and Marriott which has shown a very sharp rise of 100% and 29% respectively. A company with a higher ROE is a better investment than one with a lower ROE since it has a stronger ability to generate cash flows internally; however, this is not completely accurate. Looking at the Accor and Marriott for the year 2010, they show a high ROE values, but the following year they have shown a greater investment risk as compared to Hyatt, the graph below represent the same. Fig 2 EBIT: Lower EBIT ratio means the company is less capable of meeting its liabilities. If the ratio is 1.5 or less, then it is considered a high risk and its ability to meet its interest expenses may be questionable. As compared in 2009, Hyatt is not performing well as compared with Marriott whose EBIT is 3% as compared to Hyatts -0.09; however, in 2011 the situation is upside down. Hyatt is performing well as compared to Marriott. The EBIT of Hyatt is -2.49% whereas Marriott stands on -12%, refer to the graph below: Fig 3 After analysing various financial ratios between three groups of hotels, I have analysed that, Hyatt has performed better and shown constant improvement in recent three years, whereas Accor and Marriotts have shown huge up and downs throughout, which describes these groups have less stability. Balance Sheet Analysis The total assets of Hyatt have shown an upward movement for the year 2009 to 2011 from $7,155 to $7,507 or in other words, the percentage movement of total assets has a sudden rise from 1% to 5% for the year 2009-2011. This is due the fact that the total non-current assets have increased from $5,146 to $5,916 even though the current assets have decreased from $2,009 to $1,591 for the said period. Looking at the current assets trend the financial perform has taken the downward trend from year 2009 to 2011. This downward trend of current assets has raised the questions about how quickly the company can meet its liabilities if the need arises? Combined with the non-current assets of the company the overall movement is upward. The reason for the increase in total assets is the year 2011 is due to the high increase in property equipment assets; refer to the Appendix-I Balance sheet of Hyatt. (Hyaat 2013) Current ratio of the company shows its liquidity power, in other words, liquidity ratio analyse the company ability to carry out its short term obligations. For companys liquidity ratio for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011 are 4.06, 3.63 and 2.8 respectively. High current ratio in the year 2009 and 2010 indicates a high risk as management was not investing the companys assets productively to grow the revenue in 2009-10. This also means that the company has too many idle assets not being invested. Total current liabilities has increased from year 2009 to 2011 from $495 to $568, this is mainly due to the Accrued expenses increase for the year 2011 from $188 to $306. The total current liabilities movement has taken a sharp dip from 20% to -5% and then rise to 15% for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively. This also led to the net assets for the company decreased from $5040 to $4828 from year 2009 to 2011. The inventory turnover rate of the company has risen from 25.1 in 2009 to 42.5 in 2011. This growth was appreciated by the shareholders because it implies that company has become more capable of efficiently turning its inventory into sales in these three years. Companys earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) increased quickly in the last three years (from $5 to $142), which finally resulted in a big increase of profit margin in 2010. Return on assets measures how much profit a company can squeeze out of its assets. A higher return is preferred. The situation of the company is much better in the later years as compared to the starting years of analyses. Its return on assets ratio has increased year by year in the last three years. The ROA % has increased from -0.6% to 1.5%. Return on equity ratios are used to interpret a companys ability to generate earnings from its investments. (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). ROE% for the company has shown a steady increase from -1% in 2009 to 2% in 2011, the profit margin% increased to 3.06% from -1.29% (because companys net income had become positive) respectively(Hyatt 2013) Debt ratio measures how much debt a company has in its total assets. A lower debt ratio can be interpreted as the company being capable of carrying its liabilities since there are enough assets (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). Companys debt ratio increased from 42% to 55% thereby meaning that the companys ability to satisfy its liabilities has decreased. The financial leverage of the company is the ratio of its total liabilities and total assets. The lower the ratio is, the better the company is performing and has a lower risk of failing down or becoming bankrupt. The leverage ratio for the company has shown a decline from -29.6% to -35.7% from year 2009 to 2011 which shows a lower financial risk for the company. Interest coverage ratio determines companies ability to pays interest on outstanding debts, here company has shown constant downfall in interest cover from -0.09, -2.91 and -2.49 for year 2009-11 respectively. Here companies ability to meet interest expenses are questionable, company is in burden by debt expenses (Andrew, Damitio, Schmidgall 2007). Conclusion The Hyatt has shown an increase in its performance and reviewing its last three years of Income Statement and Balance Sheet it is evident that this group is doing better than its other two competitors in hospitality sector; however, there are some issues with its investment policies. Its management did not invest its assets efficiently which led to a higher current ratio in the year 2009-10 exposing the company as high risk to meet its liabilities. This behavior is also supported by return on assets ratio. In the later year, the company has shown a decline of leverage ratio, putting the company into better financial shape and making low risk company in its sector. To sum up, there was a significant increase in companys financial statement in 2011. Compared to 2009, its revenue and net income increased sharply, while its total assets grew by $7507 million dollars. The equity of company decreased to $4828 million, while there was an increase of the total liability to $2679 million. According to the previous analysis of Hyatt Hotel Corporations financial performance from 2009 to 2011, it is clear that company has experienced a sharp increase of its revenue and net income in 2011. One of the main reasons is that the occupancy rate and room rate increased. Overall, trends are looking decent and I would recommend buying the investments in the company.

The Gap Between Reading and Writing :: Education, Reading, Writing

There are many forms of assessment but writing is the primary basis upon which a child’s work will be judged and Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) made emphasis that teachers should focus on writing because reading and writing are intertwined and is used to construct meaning (pg. 338). It becomes important for teachers to teach writing because it is a form of expression of self. We learned in earlier chapters that readers construct meaning as they read likewise Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) informed that writers construct meaning as they create text (pg. 338). Fortunately, there are a numbers of strategies for children with reading and writing problems. I agree with Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) when they made mention to the fact that children tend to enjoy writing when writing is relevant to their own lives (pg. 341). Therefore I would implement independent writing to get my students instructing them to write about themselves in the area of family, food, culture, or music. At other times I would also allow them to choose their own topics. Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) referred to this strategy as an effective way to promote writing (pg. 341). Encouraging students to share their work builds self-esteem and give them confidence to want to write more. These activities also improve reading skills. They need to organize thought and think about the information they need to include in their writing. Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) advised that it is important to check if thoughts are communicated properly, are the tho ughts in order and if grammar and punctuations are used effectively (pg. 343). I have seen students using the teachers’ writing as help for their own work therefore I would also use model writing to promote writing. Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) pointed out that as students get more knowledgeable they rely less on the teachers input (pg. 344). To differentiate the connection of reading and writing first involves looking at the readiness and interest of students. The skill level and background information along with topics that will peak interests and increase motivation are essential to reading and writing. I would pay close attention to the topics I select for my students. I agree with Jennings, Caldwell and Lerner (2010) on their observation that students are more eager to write when they choose their own topic that is of interest to them.

Christianity & the Revolutionary War :: essays research papers

Christianity and the American Revolutionary War Harry Stout points out in the lead article, How Preachers Incited Revolution, "it was Protestant clergy who propelled colonists toward independence and who theologically justified war with Britain" (n.pag). According to Cassandra Niemczyk in her article in this issue of Christian History "(the Protestant Clergy) were known as "the Black Regiment" (n.pag). Furthermore, as the article Holy Passion for Liberty shows, "Americans were quick to discern the hand of God in the tumultuous events of the times" (n.pag). Mark Galli, the editor of this issue says "many devout believers were opposed to the war, and not necessarily on pacifist grounds. Most colonial legislatures exempted pacifists, such as Quakers and Mennonites, from military duty although they were still fined to underwrite the expenses of the war" (n.pag). Stout goes on to say " Pacifist opposition to the war was concentrated in Pennsylvania. Quakers, Mennonites, and Amish refused to fight, and for their refusal were suppressed and humiliated like the royalists" (n.pag). Often the pacifists served in hospitals, tending to both British and American wounded. From these readings one can discern that Eighteenth-century America was a deeply religious culture. Sermons taught not only the way to personal salvation in Christ but also the way to temporal and national prosperity for God’s chosen people. Timothy D. Hall a professor at Central Michigan University in The American Revolution and the Religious Public Sphere gives us this overview: "Religion played other important roles in mobilizing support for Revolution regardless of whether it was evangelical or not. Colonists often encountered Revolutionary themes for the first time when local ministers announced the latest news from the pulpit or when parishioners exchanged information after Sunday meetings. Ministers occupied an important place in the colonial communications network throughout the eighteenth century, especially in towns where few people had access to newspapers and official information was dispensed from the pulpit or lectern. Sunday afternoons provided a convenient time for men who had already gathered for worship to form militia units and drill, and many ministers used their sermons to motivate the minutemen. Israel Litchfield, a young Massachusetts minuteman, recorded that his local minister keyed Biblical texts and sermon themes to the great events of 1 775. In Virginia's Shenandoah Valley the Lutheran minister John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg concluded a Sunday sermon of 1775 by throwing back his ministerial robe to reveal a military uniform, rolling the drum for Patriot recruits, and leading them out for drill.