Why an Organisation Should Consider Cultural Diversity in Business Operation Process Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Managing a diverse workforce in different countries is not an easy deal for organization management within the global hospitality industry. Generally, the organizations are trying to are trying to implement cultural diversity in workplaces in order to ensure a good relationship between the employees of different cultures within the organization. In addition to this, the management of several organizations consider workplace diversity in business operation process in order to improve the decision-making process as the adoption and implementation of cultural diversity in workplaces helps to enhance knowledge sharing process. In addition to this, effective implementation of cultural diversity management in workplaces can help an organization to reduce business operating costs regarding turnover, recruitment, and lawsuits. It helps to increase productivity and quality of customer service management (Groschl, 2011, p. It is true that the global hospitality industry can be regarded as se rvice providing industry in which effective customer service management process organizations been regarded as a major business growth driver for the organizations within this particular industry. Therefore, it is highly important for the organizations to motivate the employees of different cultural background organization to ensure conflict-free workplace environment. We will write a custom essay sample on Why an Organisation Should Consider Cultural Diversity in Business Operation Process or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page

Supply Chain Management Failure of Gm - 852 Words

General Motors 1. Describe three SCM practises use by GM that would have negatively impacted their return-on-assets. Define this impact in terms of specific ROA components (e.g. sales, assets)? The return on asset (ROA) is a percentage that measures how profitable a company’s assets in generating revenue. ROA can be computed as: Net Income / Mode of Total Asset. This number tells us what the company can do with what it has. Three SCM practices used by GM that negatively impacted their ROA are described below: Poor Inventory Management GM offered a vast range of vehicles, which resulted in extra production lines and GM had to keep a track of larger number of models, different manufacturing facilities and large number of suppliers†¦show more content†¦Also, their vehicles were less fuel efficient and were more expensive compared to Japanese vehicles - they were carrying not the type of vehicles that customers ideally look to buy at times of a financial crisis or rising petrol prices. As such, carrying higher inventory resulted in a lower inventory turnover ratio. GM also did not foster strong supplier relationships. This meant that even at times of lower demand, GM carried excessive raw material and spare-part supplies. This adversely affected the inventory turnover. GM had a higher cost due to its large range offering. A higher cost base meant less competitive in the market; in terms of pricing resulting in lower inventory turnover. Cash-to-Cash Cycle Time Cash to cash cycle time is the ‘time taken to convert a dollar of inventory into a dollar of cash’. GM experienced low rates of cash-to-cash cycle time due to the following reasons; 1. Low inventory turnover – GM took more days to sell their inventory since; * GM got their demand forecasts wrong * GM’s product mix was not ideal for the time of change * Pricing was not competitive since their cost base was too high 2. GM was taking more time to collect from the customer and their finance arm struggled to recover from huge losses on cars returned after lease. 3. GM could not practice JIT management practices, information management amp;Show MoreRelatedGeneral Motors : An Automobile Industry1470 Words   |  6 PagesBackground General Motors (GM) is an automobile industry founded by William Durant in the early 1900’s. GM’s market has grown to capture more than 20 other companies throughout its success as automobiles expanded to become a basic American need for transportation (GM, History Heritage). In addition, by the early 2000’s, GM was the largest manufacturer of automobiles and web-based communication, went on to buy Saab and created partnerships with other major car manufacturers, such as Suzuki and SubaruRead MoreSoybeans, Maize, And Rapeseed Essay1502 Words   |  7 Pageskept low. 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Suppliers are typically clustered near automobile assembly plants, because their business exists almost entirely to serve their large customers. Thus, changes to the global production networks must include the cooperation of key supply partners. In recent years, control over supply chains has tended to fall to multinational companies (Contreras, Carrillo Estrada, 2010). FordsRead MoreCompetitive Advantage Of The American Business Environment1313 Words   |  6 Pagesenvironment is diverse, complex, and very competitive. Organizations who want to build successful businesses need something that will set them apart from the others in their industry. According to the Institute of Management Accountants (1996), companies will survive and prosper when they supply what customers want to buy and when they survive competition. Business experts agree that having a sustainable compet itive advantage is the best way to do so. When considering which firms to invest in, investorsRead MoreAutomotive Supply Chains Risks and Mitigation Strategies1486 Words   |  6 PagesAutomotive Supply chains risks and mitigation strategies The auto industry has been a global business for a long time. This year has made it clear just how much a problem in just one of those regions, however, can affect everyone in the product chain (Miel, 2011)†¦ Lall (2009) classified supply chains risk into different types depending on their origins. These include demand risk, internal risk, and external environment risk. External Environment These risk elements are external to and uncontrollableRead MoreWolf Motors Success Story Essay819 Words   |  4 PagesWhat he worried about, as Wolf Motors grew, was the continued availability of the right parts and materials. This concern caused him to focus on the purchasing process and management of the service parts and materials flows in the supply chain. Wolf thought back on the stories in the newspaper’s business pages describing the failure of companies that had not planned appropriately for growth. These companies outgrew their existing policies, procedures, and control systems. Lacking a plan to update their

As evening approaches on the planet Eternia, the Masters of the Universe “guardians of good“ gathered outside of the Castle Grayskull Essay Example For Students

As evening approaches on the planet Eternia, the Masters of the Universe â€Å"guardians of goodâ€Å" gathered outside of the Castle Grayskull Essay As evening approaches on the planet Eternia, the Masters of the Universe à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" guardians of good à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" gathered outside of the Castle Grayskull. Their leader He-Man spoke to them from atop a turret of the castle. It is our duty to guard Castle Grayskull, and the secret locked inside, from the evil demon Skeletor! At the very mention of the Dark Lords name, the wind turned cold and black clouds hid the sun. Something is wrong, said Man-at-Arms, uneasily. Yes, Princess Teela agreed, there is something I dont like about this. You may like it even less in a moment, warned Stratos. Look! The Masters of the Universe glanced skyward. Skeletors evil magic had made a terrible storm. A whirlwind ripped Castle Grayskull from its foundation and carried it high into the sky, taking He-Man with it. I have to hold on! said He-Man as he his finger tips struggled for grip at the edge of the castle. But even the strongest man in the universe was no match for the fury of Skeletors storm winds. Crack! The battlement crumbled in He-Mans hand, and Eternias mightiest champion fell towards the ground far bellow. Putting his own safety aside, Stratos à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Prince of the Skies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" bounded into the air, flapping his mighty wings. Straining against the raging winds, he swooped high and caught He-Man just in time before he hit the ground. But the powerful winds were too strong for Stratos. The extra burden of He-Mans weight made it impossible for him to stay aloft. Both heroes were being sucked into the swirling vortex of the tornado. Leave me, Stratos! He-Man shouted as the storm blew them toward a rocky mountaintop. Save yourself while there is still time! The Sky-Prince shook his head. No, my friend, he said. The Lord of Destruction has not beaten us yet! Then hold tight, He-Man said as he drew his Sword of Power. With one mighty swing he drove the powerful blade into the side of the mountain where it anchored them safely until the raging storm had passed. Carrying He-Man, Stratos flew back to the Masters of the Universe. Teela breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness youre both safe, she said. Skeletor has stolen Castle Grayskull, He-Man replied grimly. None of us are safe now! Meanwhile, at that very moment, far away in his lair deep inside Snake Mountain, Skeletor and his evil ally Beast Man were standing at the edge of a dark, watery pool. The images of the Masters of the Universe were reflected in the pools magical depths. The first part of my enchantment went perfectly, sneered Skeletor. Now we must go to the Land of Shadows to complete the spell! With a wave of Skeletors evil staff, he and Beast Man warped to the Land of Shadows. This was the place Skeletor had chosen to be the new home of Castle Grayskull. The Lord of Destruction raised his arms toward the dark skies. To complete the theft of Castle Grayskull, he chanted an ancient spell. Storm winds howl, and storm winds shriekà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦bring me now, that which I seek! It worked! Beast Man growled, as the Castle landed. Castle Grayskull has been transported to the Land of Shadows! Of course it worked, you fool, the Dark Lord hissed. The Sorceress who lives in the castle and acts as its guardian was out on a mission. I seized the chance to steal the unprotected castle. But my work is not complete. He-Man will come looking for the castle. And when he does, h e will be mine! .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .postImageUrl , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:hover , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:visited , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:active { border:0!important; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:active , .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u5a12083dea354c88bf41f895d2daf60e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In Cold Blood: The Death Penalty EssayWhile Skeletor plotted the takeover of Eternia, the Masters of the Universe pondered their next move. I cant believe it, said Teela. Castle Grayskullà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦gone! He-Man drew his Sword of Power and spoke. Never has Eternia faced such danger. We must venture into the dreaded Land of Shadows à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" that region now controlled by Skeletor. At first I did not understand his reason for taking it over. Now I am certain he intends to make it the new home of Castle Grayskull. It is there we must go to find the castle! On Battle Cat, He-Man led the Masters of the Universe into the Land of Shadows à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" a land tu rned foul with Skeletors evil. Nothing grew here anymore. The once fertile land lay barren. On they pressed, deeper into the darkness. With each step the feeling of dread seemed to grow. Still they kept on searching for Skeletor and the stolen castle. The quest was long, for the Land of Shadows was vast. The Masters of the Universe faced many hardships and covered much ground before they finally found Castle Greyskull. But their biggest challenge still awaited them. Stand fast! He-Man commanded. Beast Man leads a demon army against us! The battle raged fiercely as Beast Man and the foul demons fought the mighty Masters of the Universe. Suddenly the air was split with the boom of thunder and the flash of lightning. Who dares to enter the Land of Shadows? shouted Skeletor from atop Castle Greyskull. You know who we are, He-Man shouted back, and why we are here, Dark Lord! Using his tremendous strength and agility, He-Man leapt atop the castle wallà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but Skeletor acted quickly. I have Castle Greyskull now, He-Man! the Dark Lord boasted. Soon I will unlock the secret within, and I will be Master of all Eternia! With that, he fired the laser cannon. He-Ma n ducked the laser. More than once you tried to discovered the secret of Castle Greyskull, said He-Man as he swung his sword of power. And more than once I have stopped you! You cant win, He-Man! I am the Lord of Destruction! And we are the Masters of the Universe à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" Defenders of Castle Greyskull! Said He-Man as his Sword of Power clashed with Skeletors staff. Skeletor suddenly lowered his Havoc Staff. Enough, he said. I surrender. Be careful, warned Man-at-Arms. This is some foul trick! No trick, the Dark Lord hissed with an evil laugh. Magic! An energy bolt flew from Skeletors Havoc Staff, heading straight for He-Man. He-Man blocked the mystic bolt with his Sword of Power and turned Skeletors evil magic against him! Engulfed in his own wicked spell, Skeletor vanished in a burst of blinding light as the Masters of the Universe shielded their eyes. With Skeletor gone, his hold over the Land of Shadows was broken. When his spell disappeared, Castle Greyskull faded from sight and returned to its original location. The sun came out and drove the demons away. The trees began to turn green, and the flowers began to bloom. Skeletor will move on, He-Man said. There will be other Shadow Lands. Maybe, Teela responded, but for now, the beauty has returned to this land.

Sensibilities and Hypocrisy in Victorian Fiction Essay Example

Sensibilities and Hypocrisy in Victorian Fiction Essay The Victorian era was one of strict sensibilities.   Religiosity prevailed, if only for form’s sake, and good manners were held in great esteemeven if they were only used as a public front.   Victorian hypocrisy was such that pianos were draped so that their legs would not show and while men might admire a woman’s breasts, the breast of the chicken was known only as â€Å"the white meat.†Ã‚   Many Victorians themselves were aware of this hypocrisy.   The two pieces of fiction that this paper will be used two examine reflect the hypocrisy as seen through the authors’ eyes.   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story The Minister’s Black Veil and Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde both demonstrate their authors’ awareness of how the exterior presentation of Victorian sensibilities mask the truth of the people who hide behind them. The Minister’s Black Veil The minister in Hawthorne’s story is outwardly a good and godly man.   He separates himself, however, behind a black crape veil.   The veil makes its first appearance shortly before a sermon on the subject of secret sin, and those sad mysteries which we hid from our nearest and dearest, and would fain conceal from our own consciousness (Hawthorne 27).   Hawthorne’s minister preaches about they hypocrisy of maintaining a hidden inner life and yet he hides his own inner thoughts behind his veil.   He is a hypocrite himself because he is supposed to provide his clergy with comfort, yet his veil not only [throw] its influence over his whole person, and [make] him ghost-like from head to foot (Hawthorne 28), it hangs between him and the congregation and keeping him from his job of providing them guidance and comfort.   Rather than providing them with comfort, he causes deeper gloom at a funeral and makes a wedding â€Å"dismal† (Hawthorne 30).   The revere nd can hardly be the man he wants purports himself to bea man of God and a servant to his congregationwhen he indulges himself in such a peculiar fashion.   The minister, then, represents the Victorian propensity to say the apparently proper thing and hiding a perhaps ugly truth behind an innocuous veneer. We will write a custom essay sample on Sensibilities and Hypocrisy in Victorian Fiction specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sensibilities and Hypocrisy in Victorian Fiction specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sensibilities and Hypocrisy in Victorian Fiction specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Stevenson, however, shows another side of hypocrisy.   While Hawthorne shows a bland and quiet hypocrisy that is dangerous for its ability to leave doubt about the truth, Stevenson shows the danger that comes when that hidden hypocrisy is allowed to force its way to the forefront.   Jekyll is like the minister’s veil.   He is bland and quiet, â€Å"smooth-faced,† yet with a â€Å"slyish cast† (Stevenson 12).   Jekyll is a perfect hiding place for the menacing nature that is Hyde who is that dark secret that the veil hid, the basic instinctive nature of humankind.   Hyde is truly hidden by Jekyll’s hypocrisy in his failure to acknowledge his inner demon and by Utterson’s failure to speak up when he discovers Jekyll’s secret.   Instead, he chooses to do what a proper Victorian gentleman would do in his position: he hides the unpleasantness that emanates from Jekyll’s situation in order to preserve the status quo at the cost o f the truth. Hyde is not only hidden by these men, he is also hidden by â€Å"an ivory-faced and silvery-haired old woman† whose evil face was â€Å"smoothed by hypocrisy† that is nevertheless veiled by â€Å"excellent manners† (Stevenson 16).   This woman is the truth of Victorian society unveiled.   She and Hyde are the male and female aspects of the brutal force of instinct, perversions of the bland and caring natures that Victorian society usually painted on housekeepers and doctors. Both of these stories reveal the hypocrisy of Victorian society.   Hawthorne’s minister shows the danger of hiding secrets, while Stevenson’s Hyde shows the danger of those secrets revealed.   Both, however, examine how the brutal inner force of truth can be hidden by the bland veil of deception. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel.   Twice-Told Tales, Rosemary Mahoney (ed.).   New York: Random House, 2001. Stevenson, Robert Louis.   The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.   New York: Dover Thrift, 1991. nbsp;

The Modern Age For Writing Took Place In 1915 And Ended In 1946. The T Essay Example For Students

The Modern Age For Writing Took Place In 1915 And Ended In 1946. The T Essay ime period encountered two World Wars, prosperity and the Great Depression. Writers were going to war, became vetrins, others were killed in war, but some writers became famous dead or alive. The war did change the style of writing for the writers. After the war the United States became in isolation. Wilson focused on the problems the US had during the time after the war. In the 1920s the time was called The Roaring Twenties. It was called The Roaring Twenties, because production was so high people were going out and enjoying themselves. The middle class was then formed and they ere the ones going out enjoying themselves. Moves came out lots of new inventions came out, and the Module-T was introduced. This was also the time when teens started to go there own ways and having fun and being very social. The middle class was seen as wealthy but most of their pocetions were on credit, a reason why the Great Depression hit the US so hard. We will write a custom essay on The Modern Age For Writing Took Place In 1915 And Ended In 1946. The T specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The Great Depression was the nest thing that happened in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Depression started a domino affect that started by the stock market crash, then people tried to get their money out of the bank, businesses lots or most of their investments and businesses had to drop their employees because of the lack of money people lost their money due to credit and no job, ext . . . In 1932 about 12 million people or about a quarter of the people living in the US was without a job. Throughout the depression the unemployed rate kept to increasing. The elections of 1932 Roosevelt became the new president and started something called the New Deal. The New Deal started to help the US get out of the Depression slowly. In the late 1930s World War II broke out, and the US would stay isolated and resume naturally until the Japanese surprised attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The US entered the war with the allies and they would fight for two years before beating Nazi Germany. The war ended after the US dropped two A-bombs on Japan. Peace and the atomic age had finally arrived. The writers during the Modern Age were influenced by the social impacted of the US. As World War I broke out there was meany books and stories wrote about war or about war like atmosphere. There were meany writers that went out to war and wrote about the war. There was people still writing about the new technology and new things being introduced during to time period. During the 1920s there were meany writers just enjoying themselves and the stories were usealy pleasant. Theyre where meany stories wrote about the feature and all the new produce that were coming out. During the Depression the writing style went down a bit. They started to write stories about hope and the way the hole US was just completely messed up. Afer the Depression writers went back to what they were writing about during WWI. WWII did bring the US out of the Depression and there were meany stories that had that in the plot or as a setting giving new hope and a new beginning.

Community Resource Paper Essays

Community Resource Paper Essays Community Resource Paper Essay Community Resource Paper Essay Community Resources 1. Fernandez Park 595 Tenent St. Pinole, CA 94564 Phone†¦ 510-74-2999 Website†¦ www. ci. pinole. ca. us/recreation/index. html Contact Person†¦ Joanna Hours†¦ 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday-Friday Fernandez Park has a youth center, swim team, school of performing arts, and a sports and fitness center. The city of Pinole wanted to create an environment where children could be constructive and have fun. These programs have fees that are based on family income. The city wanted to enhance the quality of life through diversified leisure opportunities. 2. All Nations Church of God in Christ 1225 York St. Richmond, CA 94806 Phone†¦ 510-232-8399 Website†¦ capc-coco. org/westcountyfaith. html Hours†¦ 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday Contact Person†¦ LaShaunda Walker or Tiana Clifton All Nations Church of God in Christ offer family, marriage, or individual counseling every 4th or 5th Thursday of each month from 1:00 PM to 8:30 PM. Youth groups and teen mentoring meetings are Fridays at 6:30 PM. Family support with financial or shelter needs are available as needed. Meals are served on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM. nd they serve free meals. 3. Contra Costa Child Care Council 3065 Richmond Parkway. Richmond, CA 94806 510-758-5439 Website†¦ www. cocokids. org Hours†¦ 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday Contact Person†¦ Brenda Contra Costa Child Care Council strives to make a difference in ensuring that children are nurtured, healthy and achieve their full potential. There mission to promo te and advance quality care and early education. They include infant/toddler, preschool and before and after school care, as well as, part-day and full-day Head Start and nursery schools in their definition of child care. They include child care centers, licensed family child care and licensed-exempt care in their definition of child care. They see all forms of child care as part of a continuum of education for young children, starting at birth and continuing into elementary school. 4. Richmond Health Center 100 38th St. Richmond, CA 94805 Phone†¦ 800-495-8885 Website†¦ www. cchealth. org Hours 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 8:00 AM to 8:45 PM, Tuesday, Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday Richmond Health Center provides routine and preventive health care service focusing on the whole person. They offer immunizations which are first come first served. They also offer Routine prenatal care for pregnant women. Women’s health like PAP Smears, breast exams, referral for mammograms for women over 40 years old, contraception including emergency contraception, pregnancy testing, STD testing and treatment, and HIV testing. They offer a range of other services for women, men and children. 5. Spectrum Center 16330 San Pablo Ave. San Pablo, CA 94806 Phone†¦ 510-724-4494 Website†¦ www. spectrumschools. com Spectrum Center Schools and Programs serve students with a variety of special needs, behavioral challenges and differing abilities. Spectrum programs are designed for students ages 5 to 22 with a wide array of special needs, including autism, emotional disturbance, physical challenges, behavior disorders and developmental delays. Spectrum Center offers flexibility and customization to meet the diverse needs of students, districts and families. They actively seek and implement best practices to promote optimal outcomes, and they continually adjust their programming as student population change. Curriculum-based measures and evidence-based programming provide the educational support needed to serve students with special needs. Spectrum Center earned the highest rating given by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and is a member of the California Association and Private Special Education Schools and Advanced. Reflection During my research I used the internet to get a lot of needed information. I live in the city where I got my resources from. I have had the chance to visit some of them in passing. One of the resources that I really liked was Contra Costa Child Care Council. This organization offer many resources for child care. When I moved to Contra Costa County finding inexpensive child care was a challenge. Child Care Council helped me pay for child care. They also had a referral list of providers. I would recommend Child Care Council to everyone who has under age children. I found this exercise useful because I am going to be opening a child care center soon. I will need to know about all resources in my area. This project allowed me to do some intensive research for my business. Looking for educational programs for children and health care in the city of Pinole was difficult. It saddens me that I was not able to find not one health care center that wasn’t private. The recreation center at Fernandez Park was the only reasonable priced program for children. I signed my daughter up for the after school program. The only thing that was missing within their program was tutoring. My next journey is to find a program that offers both tutoring and structured recreation.

Teaching of Ethics and Humanity in USA and Indonesia Essay

Teaching of Ethics and Humanity in USA and Indonesia - Essay Example This cultural value is highly evident in the education systems of the Universities in USA and Indonesia as they give very high emphasis to Human Values, Respect for others and Ethics in their education systems. Example, Seattle University practices the Jesuit Tradition which requires that the students should be made aware of the importance of what they need to do with the knowledge that they are in the process of acquiring. Similarly, Santa Clara University teaches moral thinking and decision making following the Utilitarian Approach, Rights Approach, Fairness Approach, Common-Good Approach, and the Virtue Approach. The Indonesian Universities teach Humanity, Respect for others and Ethics as well but the lessons imparted are more from the perspective of Religious teachings. As a matter of fact, Islamic and Buddhist education has prevailed quite strongly due to their strong influence on the society. Span and Quality of Education in USA is much better th... They prefer to expose their students to the real world challenges of the subject of choice. Example, the education in Finance & Accounting would not be limited to subject matter learning only but would also incorporate a number of surveys/researches required to be carried out by students even at the undergraduate level. When compared to education system in USA, the width & depth of education system in Indonesia is not comparable to the same in USA. Indonesia education system is based on improving subject matter expertise in technology whereby their applicability is sharply focused on the potentials of global competitive advantages that the country can derive out of such expertise. In this context, the teachers in Indonesia are definitely good experts but more focused towards the coverage of the subject than the applicability of the subject. Example, if the subject matter is networking the teachers would ensure that the entire concepts of network technologies are covered for the students at tremendous pace but fewer opportunities shall be opened to work on live networking projects. Expression of thoughts in USA is more freely allowed than in Indonesia (Thesis 3): USA believes in conversion of Tacit Knowledge into Explicit for the benefit of the future of Mankind. Hence, they tend to develop this culture in the educational system as well. The students in USA need to express their thoughts in class and in group discussions. Example, seniors discuss their internship experiences in open forums such that the juniors can avoid their mistakes when planning for their own internships. In addition to self expression, the Universities also give lot of emphasis in developing the writing skills of the

Digital graphics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Digital graphics - Assignment Example Additionally, there have been developments in printers since they were first created, where they were very slow and basic printers. They used to be expensive at the time unlike now, where one can purchase them easily. The only problem is that such printers take a long time to print and therefore, shows how much printers have upgraded but expensive. To add to this there are new printers that have come up and made currently, as well as increases speed of printing as well as lowers costs (Niemeyer, 2008, 23-144). Development of mobile phones also has a big effect on the design and creation of images. Latest mobile phones’ models have cameras, which can be used to take photos and transfer them to a computer using either Bluetooth technology or a data cable. In addition, some mobile phones have such as latest smart phones have inbuilt softwares that can be used to edit images. E-book readers have also had a great impact on the design and creation of images. E-books are now designed in such a way that they are compatible with both the computers and

Grapes of Wrath Book Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Grapes of Wrath Book Review - Essay Example The condition was so ghastly and it had ruined the crops and instigated massive foreclosure on the land. The time was harder particularly in Oklahoma. It was a faulty farming method and drought which resulted into wind erosion of the topsoil. Consequently the Great Plains in the region became â€Å"The Dust Bowl.† â€Å"The Dust Bowl was caused by agricultural malpractices as well as years of sustained drought and incessant strong winds.† (Bernd Steiner 2007) It was the worst condition especially for the tenant farmers. They had been pushed off their land, as they were not able to pay the rent to the banks. Many agricultural workers left for California in search of a rich and fertile land. The journey towards California is very long and gruelling. Grandpa of the family does not want to live his original place and he is constantly complaining bitterly. He dies during their journey. Sairy is sick and showed inability to move forward to the journey. Their dreams of good fo rtune get shattered as soon as they reached to California. The number of jobs was lesser than the number of farmers, i.e. 800 jobs against 20,000 people. The entire family experienced another adversity of life when they reached to California. ... Tom Joad is the protagonist of this novel. He is a man of thirty and has just come out of prison. He had been convicted for murdering a man during a fight four years back. He is good natured and a source of vitality for his family, apart from his 4 years’ stay in prison. He earns honour from his family as well as from the other workers whom he assembled together to form workers’ organization. Other characters include Tom’s parents Ma Joad and Pa Joad. Ma Joad is like a citadel of the family. Pa Joad though sensible and good natured, sometimes feels ashamed of his weaker position. Jim Casy is depicted as a former preacher and a staunch friend of Tom. Rose of Sharon is the eldest daughter of Ma and Pa Joads and she is depicted earlier as a romantic lady but then she has to face many troubles in her life. She faces harsh realities after the death of her new born baby, and the abandonment from her husband, she become quite matured and sensible. She represents the har sh life of the migrants. The character of Joad’s grandfather is sketched in a black shade. He is violent tempered and mean. This meanness is now limited to his tongue, probably due to his old age. He gets pleasure in tormenting others by his harsh talk. Unlike him his wife Grandma Joad is pious. Ivy and Sairy Wilson is a good couple who met the Joads during their journey to California. They helped them by lending their tents to the Joad family so that Grandpa could have got comfortable place to die. There was a good relationship and mutual cooperation between the two families. Other members of Joad family included Tom’s elder brother Noah, uncle John, and second younger daughter Ruthie and Winfield Joad. Muley Graves is another character who is the

Terrorism: Definition, History and Solutions

Terrorism: Definition, History and Solutions TERRORISM:  AN EXPLORATION OF ITS DEFINITION, HISTORY, AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS â€Å"Terrorism upsets people. It does so deliberately. That is its point, and that is why it has engrossed so much of our attention in the early years of the 21st century.† Townshend [1] Ask any ten individuals on the streets of London, Paris, Moscow, or New York for the top three issues facing the world today and one common response is likely to be terrorism. Inquire further about how the same people would define terrorism, when terrorism began, and how terrorism can be stopped and you will probably be faced with a myriad of answers, or maybe just looks of puzzlement. The range of responses (or lack thereof) from the public should not be surprising. Not even experts agree on responses to these seemingly fundamental questions on an issue of such importance to worldwide security, an issue that Thackrah suggests is â€Å"one of the most intractable global problems at the start of the twenty-first century†.[2] This essay begins by surveying the vast array of definitions for the term terrorism, providing some insight into the reasons that terrorism is so difficult for experts to define, and adopting a working definition for the term. The historical roots of terrorism will then be explored and results of a review of selected literature on possible solutions for dealing with terrorism will be introduced. Finally, a conclusion discussing the results of the literature review will be presented. Terrorism Defined What is terrorism? The definition assigned to the term very much depends on who you ask, although, as Hoffman writes, â€Å"few words have so insidiously worked their way in to our everyday vocabulary†.[3] Oots writes that terrorism has been defined in different ways by various scholars.[4] Hoffman suggests that most individuals have vague notions of what the term means, but cannot offer precise, explanatory definitions. The Terrorism Research Center claims that â€Å"[t]errorism by nature is difficult to define†.[5] Townshend writes that both politicians and scholars have been â€Å"hung up† in attempting to define terrorism in a way that distinguishes it from other criminal violence and even military action.[6] Complicating attempts to define terrorism, the meaning and usage of the term have changed over the years.[7] Complications aside, most people would agree that terrorism is a subjective term with negative connotations, a pejorative term, used to describe the acts of enemies or opponents. The term has moral connotations and can be used to persuade others to adopt a particular viewpoint. For instance, if an individual sympathises with the victims of terrorism, then the perpetrator is considered to be a terrorist, but if an individual sympathises with the perpetrator, then the perpetrator is considered to be a freedom fighter or is referred to by equally positive characterisations.[8] About this, the Terrorism Research Center writes: â€Å"One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.†[9] Whittaker distinguishes between terrorists, guerrillas, and freedom fighters in writing: â€Å"the terrorist targets civilians†; â€Å"the guerrilla goes for military personnel and facilities†; and â€Å"the freedom fighter conducts a campaign to liberate his people from dictatorial oppression, gross disarmament, or the grip of an occupying power†.[10] One author included over one hundred definitions for the term terrorism.[11] Another quoted over ninety definitions and descriptions.[12] The definitions range from those that are quite simplistic to those that are equally comprehensive. The following definitions are illustrative of the broad range of thought: Terrorism is â€Å"violence for purposes of creating fear†.[13] Terrorism is â€Å"politically and socially motivated violence†.[14] â€Å"Terrorism is political violence in or against true democracies.†[15] â€Å"Terrorism may be described as a strategy of violence designed to inspire terror within a particular segment of a given society.†[16] â€Å"Terrorism is the most amoral of organised violence†.[17] Terrorism is â€Å"a form of warfare†¦used when full-scale military action is not possible†.[18] â€Å"Terrorism is a method of action by which an agent tends to produce terror in order to impose his domination.†[19] â€Å"Terrorism is the systematic use of coercive intimidation, usually to service political ends. It is used to create a climate of fear.[20] Terrorism is â€Å"the threat or use of violence, often against the civilian population, to achieve political or social ends, to intimidate opponents, or to publicise grievances†.[21] â€Å"Terrorism is the use of coercive means aimed at populations in an effort to achieve political, religious, or other aims.†[22] Terrorism is â€Å"politically motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience†.[23] Whittaker explores the complexity of defining terrorism by furnishing a comprehensive list of terrorism criteria:[24] The violence or threat of violence inherent in terrorism is premeditated and politically motivated for the purpose of intimidating or coercing a government or the public in general. The strategy of terrorism is to instil fear and insecurity. Sustained campaigns or sporadic incidents are applied by terrorists in conducting their unlawful activities. Calculated use of violence is applied against civilian, non-combatant targets. Acquiring, manipulating, and employing power is at the root of terrorism. Revolutionary terrorism attempts to completely change the political system within a state; sub-revolutionary terrorism attempts to effect change without totally replacing the existing political system. Terrorism consists of carefully planned goals, means, targets, and access conducted in a clandestine manner. The goals of terrorism focus on political, social, ideological, or religious ends. This distinguishes terrorism from other criminal activity. Terrorism is conducted occasionally by individuals, but most often by sub-national groups. An important objective of terrorism is to obtain maximum publicity. Increasingly, terrorist â€Å"zones of action† are extending beyond national borders, becoming transnational in effect. The vast number of definitions proposed for the term terrorism might make one wonder if there could ever be agreement around a common definition. For without a common understanding about what terrorism is, how can it be challenged and ultimately removed as a threat to modern civilisation? Despite the many definitions for terrorism, there does seem to be an emerging consensus on the definition of the term, according to Jenkins.[25] For instance, Enders and Sandler offer the following comprehensive definition of terrorism: â€Å"Terrorism is the premeditated use or threat of use of extranormal violence or brutality by subnational groups to obtain a political, religious, or ideological objective through intimidation of a huge audience, usually not directly involved with the policy making that terrorists seek to influence.†[26] Enders and Sandler’s definition will be used for the purpose of this essay not only because it is an example of a current consensus description, but also because it contains criteria suggested by other definitions surveyed in the literature review – violence or threats of violence; intimidation of large civilian audiences; desire to influence; subnational terrorist groupings; and political, religious, or ideological objectives. Historical Roots of Terrorism Colin Gray writes that terrorism â€Å"is as old as strategic history†.[27] The roots of terrorism can be traced back in time to ancient Greece, and terrorist acts have occurred throughout history since that time. The term terrorism, however, originated in the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror [28] and was popularised at that time.[29] Terrorism in this era carried a very positive connotation as it was undertaken in an effort to establish order during the anarchy that followed uprisings in France in 1789. It was considered to be an instrument of governance instituted to intimidate counter-revolutionaries, dissidents and subversives and was associated with the ideals of democracy and virtue. In fact, according to Hoffman, the revolutionary leader Maximillien Robespierre claimed that â€Å"virtue, without which terror is evil; terror, without which virtue is helpless† and that â€Å"[t]error is nothing but justice, prompt, severe and inflexible; it is therefore an emanation of virtue†.[30] Terrorism at the start of the twentieth century retained the revolutionary connotations it had acquired during the French Revolution as it took aim on the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires. In the 1930s, the meaning of terrorism mutated to describe activities of totalitarian governments and their leaders against their citizenry in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Stalinist Russia. For instance, in Germany and Italy, gangs of â€Å"brown shirts† or â€Å"black shirts† harassed and intimidated opponents, although leaders of these nations denied that this occurred. After World War II, the meaning of terrorism changed once again, returning to its revolutionary connotations where it remains today. Terrorist activities in the 1940s and 1950s primarily focused on revolts by indigenous nationalist groups opposing colonial rule in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, resulting in independence for many countries. Although terrorism retained its revolutionary connotation in the 1960s and 1970s, the focus shifted from anti-colonialist to separatist goals. Today, terrorism involves broader, less distinct goals.[31] The right-wing and left-wing terrorism that became widespread in recent times included acts by diverse groups such as the Italian Red Brigades; the Irish Republican Army; the Palestine Liberation Organisation; the Shining Path in Peru; the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka; the Weatherman in the United States; various â€Å"militia† organisations, also in the United States; radical Muslims through Hamas and Al Quaeda; radical Sikhs in India; and the Aum Shinrikyo in Japan.[32] Some governments, such as those in Iran, Iraq, Libya, and Syria, are also considered to be involved in terrorism as sponsors of terrorist activities.[33] Some people, such as American dissident Noam Chomsky, contend that the government of the United States is engaged in terrorism, as exemplified by the title of Chomsky’s 2001 article entitled â€Å"U.S.â₠¬â€A Leading Terrorist State†, which appeared in the Monthly Review[34]. Terrorism associated with the French Revolution had two important characteristics in common with terrorism today. Firstly, terrorism was, and is today, organised, deliberate, and systematic. Secondly, the goals of terrorism then and now were and are to create a new, better society.[35] But, terrorism today has changed in some very fundamental ways: (1) terrorist organisations have evolved into network forms and are less often organised in hierarchies; (2) the identities of transnational terrorist organisations are harder to identify because they claim responsibility for specific acts less often; (3) today’s terrorist groups do not make demands as often as in the past and their goals appear to be more hazy and vague; (4) motives have generally shifted from those that are more politically-oriented to those that are more religiously-oriented; (5) targets of terrorists are more dispersed around the globe; and (6) terrorist violence, today, is more indiscriminate, involving signifi cant collateral damage to the public.[36] With this historical foundation, particularly the description of the evolution of terrorism into its current form, the focus now shifts to possible solutions to dealing with the issue today. Possible Solutions to Terrorism To effectively meet the challenges of terrorism, one should consider the history of terrorism, but must also look to the future. Kress and colleagues contend that terrorism is increasing in â€Å"geographical scope, numerical frequency, and intensity† as well as in â€Å"ingenuity and subtlety†. They suggest that these trends could well translate into more varied threats and more powerful tools and weapons, adding that â€Å"bombs will get smaller and more powerful, poisons and mind-blowing drugs more insidious, psychological techniques for converting or brainwashing the victims more effective, and psychological tortures more agonizing.†[37] Ian Lesser offers a comprehensive approach for meeting the challenges of terrorism. His approach consists of a core strategy and supporting strategies aimed at targeting security threats posed by terrorists within a context of global security threats from all sources. Lesser’s core strategy consists of four components: (1) reducing systemic causes of terrorism, (2) deterring terrorists and their sponsors, (3) reducing risks associated with â€Å"superterrorism†, and (4) retaliating in instances where deterrence fails. In reducing system causes of terrorism, Lesser is referring to the long-term goal of addressing issues that give rise to terrorism such as social and economic problems, unresolved ethnic and nationalist conflicts, frustrated political ambitions, and personal experiences of individuals who may become future terrorists. In deterring terrorists and their sponsors, Lesser suggests taking â€Å"massive and personal† actions against terrorist leadership, although he concedes that this is becoming more and more difficult as terrorists and their sponsors become more diverse and diffuse. In reducing risks associated with â€Å"superterrorism†, Lesser calls for eliminating weapons of mass destruction that terrorists could use in inflicting destruction and suffering. And, finally, in retaliating when deterrence fails, Lesser suggests developing the means to retaliate quickly and specifically to terrorist activities.[38] One of Lesser’s strategies supporting his core strategy is â€Å"environmental shaping†, which involves exposing sponsors of terrorism to global scrutiny and isolation; shrinking the â€Å"zones of chaos and terrorist sanctuary; including counterterrorism as an integral component of strategic alliances; limiting global exposure; and targeting terrorist networks and funding. His â€Å"hedging strategy† involves hardening key policies and strategies to limit risks of terrorism, increasing ground and space-based surveillance of terrorist resources, and preparing to mitigate the effects of terrorism to limit negative effects.[39] Kress and associates reiterate the first component of Lesser’s core strategy in offering their proactive approach to dealing with terrorism; specifically, addressing â€Å"genuine political injustice† and resolving â€Å"supposed injustices†.[40] Chalk contends that a state response to terrorism must be â€Å"limited, well-defined and controlled† to avoid compromising â€Å"the political and civil traditions that are central to the liberal democratic way of life†. He suggests that â€Å"any liberal democratic response to terrorism has to rest on one overriding maxim: a commitment to uphold and maintain constitutional principles of law and order†.[41] Conclusion The long history of terrorism, dating as far back as ancient Greece, suggests that this phenomenon may never be eliminated as a tactic by those people or groups without sufficient formal legal power to achieve their goals. However, this does not imply that terrorism cannot be engaged proactively and reactively. Logically, it seems that the first step should be to agree on a universally-accepted definition for terrorism because, without a consensus on the meaning of the term, effectively addressing its causes and its effects may be difficult at best and impossible at worst. With a consensus definition in hand, the comprehensive strategy for dealing with terrorism proposed by Lesser – reduction in systemic causes, deterrence, â€Å"superterrorism† risk reduction, and retaliation – would appear to offer the most balanced, effective approach. Today’s leaders should realise that offensive and defensive military action, so typical of traditional warfare, is quite ineffective as a sole method for dealing with modern forms of terrorism as demonstrated by failures experienced by Israel in dealing with the Palestinian terrorist problem and the greater-than-expected difficulties experienced by the United States, the United Kingdom, and others in ridding the world of radical Islamic terrorists. These efforts may not only fail to ultimately deal effectively with preventing terrorist activities, but may also produce more terrorists who are offended by military actions. Alternatively, a holistic approach – one which includes proacti ve prevention and reactive punishment measures such as the approach advocated by Lesser – should be employed. In any solution to the global problem of terrorism, the cautionary advice offered by Peter Chalk should be considered; that is, political and civil liberties should not be sacrificed in responding to the terrorist threat. For the very way of life the governments of free societies are trying to protect in their attempts to combat terrorism could be compromised by actions that are not limited, well-defined and controlled. Interestingly, this thought was eloquently proffered more than two centuries ago by American inventor, journalist, printer, and statesman Benjamin Franklin in warning that â€Å"[t]hose who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.† The recommendation, then, is to deal with terrorism in a holistic, balanced manner stressing proactive and reactive measures whilst preserving political and civil liberties. References Bassiouni, M. â€Å"Terrorism, Law Enforcement and the Mass Media: Perspectives, Problems, Proposals†, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 72:1 (1981). Cited in Thackrah (2004). Bergesen, Albert J., and Han, Yi. â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). Bite, V. â€Å"International Terrorism†. Foreign Affairs Division, Library of Congress, Appendix of U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1975. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Chalk, Peter. â€Å"The Response to Terrorism as a Threat to Liberal Democracy†. The Australian Journal of Politics and History 44:3 (1998). Chomsky, N. â€Å"U.S. – A Leading Terrorist State†. Monthly Review 53 (2001): 10-19. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Enders, W., and Sandler, T. â€Å"Patterns of Transnational Terrorism, 1970 1999: Alternative Time-Series Estimates†. International Studies Quarterly 46 (2002): 145-65. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Fromkin, David. â€Å"The Strategy of Terrorism†. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Gray, Colin S. Modern Strategy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999. Heyman, P. B. Terrorism and America: A Commonsense Strategy for a Democratic Society. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Hoffman, Bruce. Inside Terrorism. New York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Jenkins, B. M. â€Å"Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st Century Perspective†. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 24 (2001): 321-27. Cited in Bergesen and Han. â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†. International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). Kress, Bruce, Livingston, Marius H., and Wanek, Marie G. International Terrorism in the Contemporary World. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978. Lesser, Ian. â€Å"Countering the New Terrorism: Implications for Strategy†. In Countering the New Terrorism, Hoffman et al., eds. Santa Monica, California: Rand, 1999. Mallin, Jay. â€Å"Terrorism as a Military Weapon†. In Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978. Cited in Oots (1986). Oots, Kent Layne. Political Organization Approach to Transnational Terrorism. New York: Greenwood Press, 1986. Ruby, C. L. â€Å"The Definition of Terrorism†. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 2(1) (2002): 9-14. Cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). Terrorism Research Center, What is the Definition of Terrorism? (n.d.) Available from: http://www.terrorism.com. Accessed: 29 November 2005. Thackrah, John Richard. Dictionary of Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 2004. The Columbia Encyclopaedia. â€Å"Terrorism† (2004). Townshend, Charles. Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002. Waciorsky, J. La Terrorisme Politique. Paris: A Pedone, 1939. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Whittaker, David J. Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World. New York: Routledge, 2004. Wilkinson, P. Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response. London: Frank Cass, 2000. Cited in Thackrah (2004). Wilkinson, P. â€Å"Three Questions on Terrorism†, Government and Opposition 8:3 (1973). Cited in Thackrah (2004). 1 Footnotes [1] Charles Townshend, Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002). [2] John Richard Thackrah, Dictionary of Terrorism (New York: Routledge, 2004). [3] Bruce Hoffman, Inside Terrorism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998), 14. [4] Kent Layne Oots, Political Organization Approach to Transnational Terrorism (New York: Greenwood Press, 1986). [5] Terrorism Research Center, â€Å"What is the Definition of Terrorism?† (n.d.), Available from: http://www.terrorism.com, Accessed: 29 November 2005. [6] Townshend (2002). [7] Hoffman (1998). [8] Hoffman (1998). [9] Terrorism Research Center (n.d.). [10] David J. Whittaker, Terrorists and Terrorism in the Contemporary World (New York: Routledge, 2004). [11] Townshend (2002). [12] Thackrah (2004). [13] David Fromkin, â€Å"The Strategy of Terrorism†, in Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. (Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978), cited in Oots (1986). [14] V. Bite, â€Å"International Terrorism†, Foreign Affairs Division, Library of Congress, Appendix of U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on the Judiciary (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1975), cited in Thackrah (2004). [15] P. B. Heyman, Terrorism and America: A Commonsense Strategy for a Democratic Society (Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1998), cited in Thackrah (2004). [16] M. Bassiouni, â€Å"Terrorism, Law Enforcement and the Mass Media: Perspectives, Problems, Proposals†, The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 72:1 (1981), cited in Thackrah (2004). [17] P. Wilkinson, â€Å"Three Questions on Terrorism†, Government and Opposition 8:3 (1973), cited in Thackrah (2004). [18] Jay Mallin, â€Å"Terrorism as a Military Weapon†, in Contemporary Terrorism: Selected Readings, John D. Elliot and Leslie K. Gibson, eds. (Gaithersburg, Maryland: International Association of Chiefs of Police, 1978), cited in Oots (1986). [19] J. Waciorsky, La Terrorisme Politique, (Paris: A Pedone, 1939), cited in Thackrah (2004). [20] P. Wilkinson, Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response (London: Frank Cass, 2000), cited in Thackrah (2004). [21] The Columbia Encyclopaedia, â€Å"Terrorism† (2004). [22] N. Chomsky, â€Å"U.S.A Leading Terrorist State†, Monthly Review 53 (2001): 10-19, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [23] C. L. Ruby, â€Å"The Definition of Terrorism†, Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 2(1) (2002): 9-14, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [24] Whittaker (2004). [25] B. M. Jenkins, â€Å"Terrorism and Beyond: A 21st Century Perspective†, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism 24 (2001): 321-27, cited in Bergesen and Han, â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†, International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). [26] W. Enders and T. Sandler, â€Å"Patterns of Transnational Terrorism, 1970 1999: Alternative Time-Series Estimates†, International Studies Quarterly 46 (2002): 145-65, cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [27] Colin S. Gray, Modern Strategy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999). [28] The Columbia Encyclopaedia (2004). [29] Hoffman (1998). [30] Hoffman (1998). [31] Hoffman (1998). [32] The Columbia Encyclopaedia (2004). [33] Hoffman (1998). [34] N. Chomsky, â€Å"U.S.A Leading Terrorist State†, Monthly Review 53 (2001), cited in Bergesen and Han (2005). [35] Hoffman (1998). [36] Albert J. Bergesen and Yi Han, â€Å"New Directions for Terrorism Research†, International Journal of Comparative Sociology 46:1-2 (2005). [37] Bruce Kress, Marius H. Livingston, and Marie G. Wanek, International Terrorism in the Contemporary World (Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1978). [38] Ian Lesser, â€Å"Countering the New Terrorism: Implications for Strategy†, in Hoffman et al., Countering the New Terrorism (Santa Monica, California: Rand, 1999). [39] Lesser (1999). [40] Kress, Livingston, and Wanek (1978). [41] Peter Chalk, â€Å"The Response to Terrorism as a Threat to Liberal Democracy†, The Australian Journal of Politics and History 44:3 (1998).

Music and Memory in D. H. Lawrence’s Piano Essay -- Literature

D. H. Lawrence’s poetry is said to often be of â€Å"great biographical interest† (Encyclopedia Britannica), and his poem â€Å"Piano,† written in 1918, eight years after the death of his mother, illustrates his attachment to his mother through the device of an unwilling memory evoked when he hears a woman singing. Though Lawrence’s relationship with his mother is said to have been â€Å"an intensely—often labeled abnormally—close relationship† (Pearson and Watson), it is also said that it was she who encouraged him to obtain an education and to write. His mother was a teacher, and according to Norton, it is her â€Å"delicacy and refinement† that he â€Å"allied† himself with rather than his less educated, coarse coal miner father (2248). It is she whom he sided with in the conflict-ridden relationship he witnessed between his parents. According to Wart, â€Å"Piano† expresses Lawrence’s personal response when a â€Å"song stirs memories of childhood and his mother,† involuntary as these memories may be. However, though it may be true that we should never assume that the speaker of a poem is, indeed, the poet, according to Semansky, â€Å"Lawrence's work invites us to, as he has always woven autobiographical material into his writing.† Lawrence’s â€Å"Piano† may thus be considered to be the recounting of unwanted and involuntary emotional memory brought about as a response to music. â€Å"Piano† begins by describing a setting conducive to reflection and remembrance, â€Å"Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me† (Line 1). Intimacy is implied in the setting: â€Å"the dusk,† the singing being â€Å"soft† and seemingly personally directed to one individual all lend themselves to an aura of intimacy. This encounter draws Lawrence back through the â€Å"vista of years† (Line 2). In fact,... ..., 1900 to Present. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= CBPNP235&SingleRecord=True (accessed April 4, 2012). Rexroth, Kenneth. "Introduction." D.H. Lawrence: Selected Poems. New Directions, 1947. 1-23. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. Saunders, Clifford. "Critical Essay on 'Piano'." Poetry for Students. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. Semansky, Chris. "Critical Essay on 'Piano'." Poetry for Students. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Apr. 2012. Wart, Alice Van. "Critical Essay on 'Piano'." Poetry for Students. Vol. 6. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999. Literature Resource Center. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.

Condoms vs Abstinence for Public School Children Essay

Rush Limbaugh’s article, â€Å"Condoms: The New Diploma,† berates the common practice of distributing condoms to school children. The iconic conservative talk show host, who is blessed with â€Å"talent on loan from God,† uses forceful, colloquial arguments and analogies to warn against the messages and possible dire consequences that public school condom distribution can impart on America’s children. He confidently and stridently argues that condom distribution in the schools is a dangerous, immoral policy that tends to minimize or ignore the many possible negative effects of sex. Whether a school-age child wears a condom or not, Limbaugh states that the child is potentially exposing himself and his partner to AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy. Rush’s arguments are sound and persuasive but some of his analogies are far-fetched and extreme, and his righteous tone and attitude may be annoying to those who disagree with him. Limbaugh passionately states his arguments using simple words, messages and analogies. His central premise, that â€Å"abstinence works every time it is tried,† is an irrefutable fact. That is, when a person engages in sexual abstinence she is certain to avoid the negative possible consequences of sex which include pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases including the deadly AIDS virus. On the other hand, Limbaugh minimizes the fact that many school children are going to engage in sexual activities regardless of what they are taught and regardless of whether they have easy access to condoms. Limbaugh attacks what he sees as the absurd policy of using public tax dollars to purchase and distribute condoms in public schools. To demonstrate that absurdity, he uses some extreme analogies that are far-fetched and absurd themselves. These plain-spoken, simplistic analogies include providing â€Å"safe, untainted drugs every morning in home room,† and â€Å"packs of low-tar cigarettes to the students for their after-sex smoke. † He goes farther to the extreme as he advocates that public schools should â€Å"convert study halls to Safe Sex Centers,† and that these schools should also â€Å"put disease-free hookers† in these centers. These suggestions are obviously facetious, but Mr. Limbaugh employs them to harshly illuminate and expose what he sees as the wrong-headed, immoral, dangerous policy of condom distribution within schools. He thinks that condom distribution serves to condone and legitimize sexual activity among minors just as providing free illicit drugs to children would legitimize that dangerous, immoral activity. Limbaugh hammers home his point simply and starkly when he asks, â€Å"Would you knowingly have sex with anyone who has AIDS with only a condom to protect you from getting the disease? † He believes the policy of public school condom distribution, funded by taxpayers like him, promotes and legitimizes that possibly deadly scenario for young, careless children who do not care about or comprehend the long-term consequences of their casual sexual activity. But, he fails to point out that these same careless children will be more at risk of contracting AIDS or getting pregnant if they do not use a condom during sexual intercourse. His absolute views and arguments are persuasive, but his presentation is unbalanced and he might be seen by some readers as pompous and arrogant. Whether you love him or hate him, Rush Limbaugh confidently and unapologetically conveys his conservative, moral opinions on the dangers of public school condom distribution programs. He believes that this policy is â€Å"symptomatic of the larger moral decline in our societal values,† and that â€Å"free condom distribution in public schools can be a matter of life and death. † Despite some of his extreme and ridiculous analogies, Rush persuasively and emotionally advocates that sexual abstinence is the right policy for school children and that condom distribution is simply wrong and immoral.

The Populist movement essays

The Populist movement essays The Failed Populist Movement of the 1890's Populism is best defined as the philosophy or movement that promotes the interests of the common people. The blue-collar workers, farmers, miners and other laborers headed the peoples' party. This philosophy or movements' flawed view of "producer" Ideology encouraged the failure of populism. Historian, Michael Kazin narrows the views of the populist down to: a language whose speakers conceive of ordinary people as a noble assemblage not bounded narrowly by class, view their elite opponents as self-serving and undemocratic, and seek to mobilize the former against the latter.... The Populist movement would ultimately cancel itself out because of views on the monopolizing wealth of many and equal rights for all including women and blacks. The idea that the populist government should have control of the railroads and banks. Progress and Proverty and Looking Backward were the idea that the elite people of society should be stopped from monopolizing finances in the nation and share the wealth. The financial views of the populist were demands of unlimited coinage both silver and gold, at the ratio of 16 to1. Also wanting the amount of circulation increased to $50 per person. This, in turn, would increase the rise of deflation. The populist also demanded a graduated income tax. Populist "producer" ideology led them to believe that if they could control the wealth and prosperity of the country that it would benefit all. There would be no social classes; everyone would be financially equal. Creditors and the wealthy would now have no binding over those who were in debt because of deflation. Credit and available money would contract. The general price level would fall causing recession. Railroads, telephones, and telegraphs were vital for communication and travel in the nation. Populist demanded the government to own and operate these systems like the postal system. Regulating all travel and comm...

The Minimum Wage Example

The Minimum Wage Example The Minimum Wage – Book Report/Review Example The Minimum Wage Reaction to Article I believe that the arguments are true, valid andfounded. This is because the author looks at both sides of the cognitive dissonance on minimum wages and maximum rents. The author, Garry Galles, has managed to paint a clear picture of how government has chosen to handle the problems of minimum wages and maximum rents (Galles). I agree with the author that government has acted in a manner that is contradictory to itself by employing countermeasures to its own measures. By introducing higher minimum wages, the government has driven the cost of employment higher and has therefore reduced the number of job opportunities in the market. This has increased employee compensation but has driven up prices and increased unemployment.I also agree with the fact that the rationale that government has employed has been distorted by cognitive dissonance in the fundamental theoretical framework employed in policy formulation. This fundamental flow creates a redunda nt loop in which the government takes measures to improve the economy and employs countermeasures against itself.Reaction to Student’s ResponseI believe the student has gained a good understanding of the fundamental theories engrained in the article. He student has supported their arguments with statistical information. They have however diverted from the course of the discussion by introducing a new aspect to the discussion. They have introduced the issue of job ranking or classification. By introducing this, the student fails to close their argument effectively leaving it open ended. However, I agree with the notion against minimum jobs realizing a 100% increase in compensation as this would reduce the number of jobs and increase unemployment rates within the economy.Galles, Gary. "Cognitive Dissonance on Minimum Wages and Maximum Rents." 15 April 2014. Ludwig von Mises Institute. Print. 15 May 2014. .

International Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example A key issue for the company is the positioning strategy for the products; whether it should sustain the luxury image line or give in to modern design trends in order to broaden its target markets. This paper critically analyzes the influence of cultural environmental changes on Wedgwood's international marketing strategy in UK, Japan and USA. In the end, the paper summarizes a range of proposed strategies for the Wedgwood brands. Traditionally the houseware and specialties market, including the tableware market, has been characterized by slow yet steady market growth (Morgan et al, 2005). The compound annual growth rate for the market between 2000 and 2004 is 5.1% (Datamonitor, 2005). The market performance, respectively Wedgwood's sales have been driven by some strong consumer shopping preferences and spending patterns in several of the world's developed economies (Datamonitor, 2005). Internationally, Wedgwood operates in eastern (Japan) and western (Europe and USA) markets that have different cultural characteristics in terms of language, religion, and context in communications, values and many other aspects. For a product category like tableware that is culture-dependent, the socio-cultural aspects in Japan, United Kingdom and USA exercise key influence on local demand. These factors determine local branding and positioning and should guide Wedgwood in developing local marketing and communications strategies. The cultural elements that shape demand are grouped by Geert Hofstede according to five large dimensions - power distance, individualism and collectivism, masculinity and femininity, uncertainty avoidance and long versus short term orientation (Wikipedia, Geert Hofstede, 2006). All the three markets are masculine cultures (Wikidedia, Geert Hofstede, 2006), which reflects in more assertive behaviour, and visible search for achievements and self-expression (Wikipedia, Masculine and Feminine Cultures, 2006). The US market is characterized to be the most individualistic culture, whereas Japan is characterized by Hofstede as a collectivistic culture of the so called "community man" (Wikipedia, Collectivist and Individualist cultures, 2006). Still, social and economic changes in the Japanese society, "the end of guaranteed lifetime employment, [] and the loss of confidence in Government and financial institutions []" have shifted the collectivistic behaviour towards greater expressed indiv iduality and customization. What this means to Wedgwood is that it is increasingly facing similar demographic and cultural patterns on a global scale. Cultural changes are reflected in the need for self-expression, uniqueness and independence (Wikipedia, Collectivism and Individualism Cultures, 2006). Consumers look for products that closely fit their lifestyle and express their individuality better. Casual dining, frequent eating out, the decrease in importance

Quantative critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Quantative critique - Essay Example The population sample is defined clearly from the title for multiple sclerosis patients. However, the length of the title is inappropriate; also, this study does not contain an abstract. The two researchers (Yeliz and Nuran) are both professors. Both work with the nursing department of the health science department from Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. This is enough evidence that they are both qualified as researchers as they come from reputable companies. The department of nursing from Hacettepe University is a well-established institution, and by them, researchers, associated with the nursing department in the faculty of health sciences, is a good explanation of the their qualification to undertake a research on nursing (Figved, et. al, 2007). The problem is indicated where the research paper indicates that the sufferers of multiple sclerosis have high co-morbidity, which relates to poor life quality and the high costs in health care. As a result, such patients cannot acces s the optimal homecare, and there is no any model for nurse-based home visiting. The problem stated has the significance in that it introduces the reader to the purposes and aims of the research study. As a result of the existence of the above problem, the study aims at determining the effects of the nursing interventions based on NANDA in order to determine the effects of home-based nursing interventions on issues that relate with Quality of Life (QOL) among patients with multiple sclerosis. The research variables are the intervention and control groups in the study sample. The participants in the intervention groups were 21, and those in the control group were 24 making a total of 45 participants (Carton, et. al., 2004). The hypothesis has been stated clearly whereby the author says that patients with MS live with their families, and they need homecare services just like other people with other diseases, which are chronic. This hypothesis acts as a basis in which the research focu ses on, seeking for the effectiveness of home-based nursing interventions. This natural flow from the theoretical framework and the research problem (whereby because of the problem of inappropriate home-based model, the patients live with their families where the homecare services) are inefficient. This provides the theoretical framework of the research in that when people suffering from multiple sclerosis lack sufficient home-based care, the effects can be chronic, and there should be an appropriate model, which aims at handling the resulting problems. The hypothesis contains two variables that are investigated; intervention and effectiveness of the homecare based nursing. These are clearly and objectively worded whereby from just the mention of the hypothesis, because of living with their families, the homecare based might be challenging since they require health professionals to administer the services. Through this, a reader can evaluate the effectiveness of the homecare-based n ursing (Karantay, 2002). This research used the pretest-posttest experimental group design where patients from the control group received the interventions from standard care that has to be given to patients with multiple sclerosis; the participants in the intervention group received the nurse-based home-visiting care. The appropriateness of the design to the research question is well defined, where due to the purpose of the research of establishing the effectiveness

Business Analytic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business Analytic - Essay Example These necessary requirements are as follows: a) Specific – the target must be specific including the number of customers that the organization has to collect annually or the forecasted revenue of a firm, the reduction in delivery time and so on. This target may be attained by carefully selecting relevant information from big data (Barton & Court, 2012). b) Measurable – the target must have the quality of measurement for it to be relevant. The figures must be tangible as it may be difficult to allocate costs and revenues to systems that need enhancement and accordingly measurable targets have to be established. One instance is if the firm is not sure about the number of customers it has, then it has to look for another particular target. c) Agreed – the targets have to be accepted by the organization. In other words, there is essential need for claiming ownership prior to strategy implementation. Without ownership, a strategy may be completely ignored or even coun teracted. Also when the targets are accepted by a firm, some individual are entrusted with the accountability of meeting the targets. d) Realistic – it is very essential that the firm sets realistic and attainable targets. In most firms, targets may be formulated without trying to determine whether they are achievable or not. This may be as an outcome of the corporate culture in the firm, no possible outcomes for meeting specific targets within given deadlines or the possibility for individuals to extend deadline by buying time. e) Time bound – it is extremely necessary for firms to set attainable targets within a specific period of time and it is imperative for the organization to emphasize on meeting deadlines. Also it is very important for firms to understand at an early stage the targets which may not be achievable and accordingly make modifications. Putting the initial letters of the first five words helps one to get the acronym SMART. There are certain reasons fo r the goals to be SMART. This is especially true in the context of business analytics so that they may be accurately defined and operational. Many times, it becomes difficult to implement technical processes in case of ambiguous information and this further complicates calculation and collection of data thereby leading to failure of meeting with the proposed goals. It is important to develop measurable goals as they need to be technically quantified. At the same time, these goals must be attained in a given amount of time for the data system to deliver messages to end users especially when significant values are exceeded. Broadly speaking, the above five needs help to ensure clear understanding of business initiatives. Ambiguous objectives may have diverse interpretations leading to diverse authentic versions. For facilitating efficient reporting, goals need to meet specific deadlines (Laurson & Thorlund, 2010). 2. What are the key competencies required by analysts in the business i ntelligence model? Depending on the organization, the functions of a business analyst may slightly differ, however the core roles of a business analyst remains the same provided the firm wants to smoothly operate the business analytics function. A business analyst should have the required business competencies. The analyst should have thorough understanding of the supporting business process and the manner in which information may be delivered to add to value on a strategic level. Hence the analyst should

Jail and Prison Essay Example for Free

Jail and Prison Essay Many people think jail and prison are the same. In the past, I honestly myself thought that the only difference between jail and prison was prison was a bigger building than the building for jail. In fact, there are many differences between prisons and jails. Both are different entities. Here are some of the differences that you’ll want to know about if a member of your family, a close friend, or yourself is facing the prospect of going to jail or to prison. There are about 3,600 jails in the United States. Jails located within the area of a town or city and every city/town has at least one. Most jails are run by sheriffs and/or local governments. People accused under federal, state, county and/or city laws will be held in jail. Jail is build to temporary lock-up people till their court appearance, serve time on local misdemeanor charge, or serve a sentence of less than one year. Any sentence over a year must be served in a prison. A jail was once only holding facility and prisons were reformatories. A prison is a place that inmates people who have been tried and convicted of crimes. A state or federal prison can be very far away from an inmate home. Prison can be located too far from family and friends to visit. There are only about 100 federal prisons, detention centers, and correctional institutions in the United States. The prisons are operated by under the jurisdiction of either Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) or state government. Jail plays an important part. Usually people that go to jail commit a local or small crime. Serving time in jail can scare offenders from committing future illegal acts. Jail time can be a big wake up call for many people. First small time offenders can realize they were lucky jail or prison is not a place they would want to be. Committed low offenders are face with consequences by giving probation, community service and sent to detention centers. Today many jails are considered reformatories (also known as correctional centers, state vocational institution, reform schools, houses of refuge, and industrial or training schools) in many parts of the United States. The courts hope to help the minors from committing future illegal acts by taking responsibility for his / her actions. Committed minors are face with consequences by giving them similar punishments as adults. The young adults are face with probation, community service and sent to detention centers. Jails operate work release programs, boot camps, and other services. The jail system tries to address education, substance abuse, and vocational needs while managing inmate behavior. Prisons are best described as Total Institution. In and only in prison, an inmate every aspect in life is controlled. Every detail of a prisoner is prescribed and managed by the prison. The state prison systems run halfway houses, work release centers, and community restitution centers. The programs are given to inmates because the inmates are reaching the end of their long sentences. There are many different types of prisons. Minimum security prisons look very much alike camps or college campuses and only hold about 20% of the inmates in the United States. The prisons usually have one or no fence perimeter. The inmates in minimum security prisons are convicted of non-violent crimes with clean criminal record. The crimes are usually forgery, cheating on taxes, and perjury. The prison also houses prisoners who have served most of their sentence from a higher security facility and improve their behavior. Low security prisons are surrounded by double-fenced perimeters. The inmates have dormitories or cubicle housing. Prisoners are provided with strong work and program components. A medium security prison has more restrictions the daily movements of an inmate. They hold about 45% of United States prisoners and the inmates are convicted of crimes such as assault and thefts. The prison has dormitories instead of cells but does have a razor-wire fence surrounding the area. Inmates are offered a wide variety of work and treatment programs. Maximum security prisons hold prisoners serving longer sentences. Only a quarter of all prisoners in the United States are housed in a maximum security facility.The prison holds about 35% Of Unites States prisoners. The inmates are convicted of crimes such as murder, kidnapping and other felonies. The prison was designed for violent offenders and/or inmates who have escaped (or tried to escape). Some inmates are also place in a maximum security prison because they can cause problems in lower security prisons. While an inmate is in prison, prisoners are to follow the rules set by prison officials. If a prisoner breaks any rules, he/she gets a hearing before the warden. If the warden finds the prisoner guilty of breaking a rule, penalties can be issued. There many of the punishments given to an inmate who break the prison rules. The consequences can be very high depending on what rule the inmate break. An inmate can be sent alone to time in solitary confinement. She/he can have a removal of accumulated good behavior time and transfer to a less desirable or paying prison job. Confiscation of items from prisoners can be taken such as TV’s, yard time, be sent to eat alone in your cell, phone calls, visitations from family and friends, and receiving letters. Violent crimes in prison can cause an inmate to be transfer to higher-security prison. When an inmate chooses to participate in violent acts towards a staff member, this may be due to the â€Å"friction points† prevalent throughout the social context and role within the prison system administration (Bottoms, 1999). Before the Truth in Sentencing Law pass, many offenders were only serving a short time in prison than the time they are sentenced to serve by the court. The role of the Truth in Sentencing Act was first enacted in 1984. The law required offenders to serve at least 85% the portion of their prison sentence imposed by the court. Theres been a nearly 18 percent drop in reported crime in Arizona since the state began requiring criminals to serve at least 85 percent of their prison sentences, a new study shows (Smith, 2012). The Act would also require any person convicted of a violent crime would have to serve no less than 100% of the sentence by the court. Truth in Sentencing also requires offenders to serve their entire minimum sentence in a prison before being eligible for parole. References Smith, K. (2012). New study says truth-in-sentencing in Arizona has made state safer . Retrieved from http://www.corrections.com/news/article/29977-new-study-says-truth-in-sentencing-in-arizona-has-made-state-safer Bottoms, A.E. (1999). Interpersonal violence and social order in prisons. Crime and Justice, 26, 205-281. The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved June 4, 2009, from http://www.jstor.org/pss/1147687.

Agamemnon :: essays research papers

After reading Agamemnon, I have come to the conclusion that Greek mythology can cause many debates. One of the debates that could be referenced from this story was rather or not Agamemnon deserved his fate. Some critics would say he did after he killed his innocent daughter, as a sacrifice. Some critics would say he was killed because he left his wife at home for ten years. Those ten years while they were apart, Clytaemestra had time to let all of her anger and hostility boil up inside of her. He was portrayed as an arrogant man. Another thing that condemned him was when he walked on the purple carpet. â€Å"She knew that by saying â€Å"If Priam had won as you have, what would he have done?†(935). Even though his wife coaxed him, his cowardliness in doing so shows his true side. He was very arrogant about the war, acting as if him alone won the war. All of his arrogance and betraying his family killing his daughter lead to his death. Another debate is what kind of women Clytaemestra is. Clytemnestra is portrayed as strong willed woman. This characteristic is not necessarily typical of women of her time. Her most important characteristic is like the watchman calls it, "male strength of heart." Later in the play after Clytemnestra murders her husband, Agamemnon, and his concubine, Cassandra, she reveals her driving force and was has spurned all of her actions until this point. The Chorus sees Clytemnestra as untrustworthy and although suspicious of her they still could not foresee the impending murders. Her words are plain but her meaning hidden to all those around her. She more or less alludes to her plan of murder without fear of being detected. Only the audience can seem to understand the double meaning in her words. One example of how Clytemnestra hides meanings in otherwise plain words is stated in her hope that Agamemnon and his soldiers do not commit any sacrilege in Troy that might offend the gods. Now must they pay due respect to the gods that inhabit the town, the gods of the conquered land, or their victory may end in their own destruction after all. Too soon for their safety, the soldiery, seized with greed, may yield to their covetousness and lay hands on forbidden spoil. They have still to bring themselves home, have still the backward arm of the double course to make.

Miracles and Science Essay

1. Introduction: Miracles as violations of the laws of nature Unbelievable, isn’t it, that there are still students at this university who believe in stories from the Bible, said Martin, an older colleague, at one of the formal dinners around which the traditional life of Oxford University revolves. But Martin, I answered, their faith probably doesn’t differ much from mine. I can still see his face go pale while he nearly choked on his glass of St. Emilion Grand Cru Classà ©: How can you believe in such things nowadays – Walking on water, a resurrection from the dead? Those are miracles, and aren’t you a scientist? Oh, how interesting, say John and Ruth, a couple that I have just met at the end of a church service. You are a scientist. They look a bit unsure of what to say next and John blurts out, I read recently that we still don’t understand how birds can fly so many miles to the south and yet return to exactly the same place each summer. Scientists can’t explain this; it is a miracle, don’t you think? I never quite know what to say next in such conversations. Perhaps nine years of living in Britain have made me too sensitive to that most cardinal of English social sins – causing embarrassment. But there is more to it than that. Behind these statements lies a tangle of complex intellectual issues related to the definition and scope of science, the nature of God’s action in the world, and the reliability and interpretation of the Bible. These have exercised many of greatest minds in history: The debate between atheism and religious belief has gone on for centuries, and just about every aspect of it has been explored to the point where even philosophers seem bored with it. The outcome is stalemate. 1 So says my Oxford colleague Alister McGrath. Although these subtleties are well known to philosophers and historians of  science, public discourse on science and religion often seems blissfully unaware of them. 2 Everyone brings a set of presuppositions to the table. To make progress, these should first be brought out into the open. Without time for an honest conversation in which we can listen to each other in depth, I won’t know exactly what Martin, John, or Ruth’s presuppositions are. But, for the sake of this essay, I will be a bit presumptuous and venture a guess. My guess would be that, although both seem to be on opposite sides of a vast divide, they are in fact influenced by a similar perspective on science and miracles, one first laid down by the great sceptical Scottish philosopher David Hume, who wrote: A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature, and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. This language of â€Å"miracles as violations of the laws of nature† has framed the debate ever since. Martin, John and Ruth, perhaps without realizing it, are living under the long shadow of David Hume. Martin may think that science is the only reliable route to gaining knowledge about the world, and that, since belief in miracles is obviously unscientific, such belief must ipso facto be false. John and Ruth may feel a similar tension between science and miracles, and are therefore encouraged by any natural process that seems inexplicable. Weakening the power of science would seem to strengthen the case for God acting in the world: If we know that today God miraculously steers a bird back to its original habitat after a long return flight to the south, then it is easier to believe that 2000 years ago he turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana. Now, as a Christian scientist who believes in the miracles of the Bible, I take issue with both of the views above. But to explain this better, I need to first take a step back and answer two critical questions: What do I mean by science, and what does  the Bible say about miracles? 2. Defining Science The problem of deciding where to draw the lines around science has vexed generations of philosophers. Like many unsolved issues, it has been given its own name—â€Å"the demarcation problem.† Although one can determine with some degree of consensus what the extremes of the science/non-science continuum are, exactly where the boundary lies is fuzzy. This doesn’t mean, however, that we cannot recognize science when we see it4, but rather that a watertight definition is difficult to create. The old fashioned idea (still taught in many schools) that scientific practice follows a well-defined linear process—first make an observation, then state a hypothesis, and then test that hypothesis—is certainly far too simple. Science as a tapestry Rather than attempt to come up with a careful and precise definition of science or scientific practice, I will instead resort to a favorite metaphor of mine. It originates with one of my former teachers at Cornell, the p hysicist David Mermin, who describes science as a â€Å"tapestry† woven together from many threads (experimental results, interpretations, explanations, etc.).5 It is only when one examines the tapestry as a whole that it will (or will not) make a convincing pattern. Creating scientific tapestries is a collective endeavor building on mutual trust and the communal experience of what kinds of arguments and evidence are likely to stand the test of time. In part because the skill of weaving reliable scientific tapestries relies on subtle judgements, a young scientist may work for years as an apprentice of older and more experienced practitioners before branching out on his own. In this process there are many parallels with the guilds of old. I am fond of this metaphor because it describes what I think I experience from the inside as a scientist. Moreover, it also emphasizes the importance of coherence and consistency when I weave together arguments and data to make an â€Å"inference to a best explanation.†6 The strong communal element inherent in scientific practice has at times been seized upon by sociologists of science to argue that s cientific knowledge is just one more type of human construct with no greater  claim on reality than any other form of knowledge. But scientists as a whole have reacted to this proposition in a negative way.7 Although they agree that all kinds of economic, historical and social factors do play a role in the formation of scientific theories, they would argue that, in the long run, the scientific process does lead to reliable knowledge about the world. The view of nature embraced by most scientists that I know could be described as critical realism. They are realists because they believe that there is a world out there that is independent of our making. The adjective â€Å"critical† is added because they recognize that extracting knowledge about that world is not always straightforward. Thus, the primary role of the collective nature of the scientific process is to provide a network of error-correcting mechanisms that prevent us from fooling ourselves. The continual testing against nature refines and filters out competing scientific theories, leading to advances in the strength and reliability of our scien tific knowledge tapestries. Although there are many commonalities in the ways that scientists in distinct fields assemble their tapestry arguments, there can also be subtle differences. These differences are foisted on us in part by the types of problems that each field attempts to address. For example, as a theoretical physicist I’ve been trained in a tradition of what the Nobel Laureate Eugene Wigner called â€Å"the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics:† The miracle of the appropriateness of the language of mathematics for the formulation of the laws of physics is a wonderful gift which we neither understand nor deserve. We should be grateful for it and hope that it will remain valid in future research and that it will extend, for better or for worse, to our pleasure, even though perhaps also to our bafflement, to wide branches of learning.8 We believe, based on a history of spectacular success, that mathematical consistency among threads is a key indicator of strong tapestries.9 These days, I spend much of my time interacting with biologists who tend to view my confidence  in the ability of theoretical models to extract knowledge about the physical world with great suspicion.10 I, on the other hand, am often instinctively sceptical of the huge error bars that can afflict their data.11 To a large degree, these cultural differences are forced on us by the kinds of questions we study. My reaction above arises because physics is self-limiting. As a community we simply don’t deal with problems of the same level of complexity that biology does. If an experiment is too messy we will often define it away by declaring â€Å"that isn’t physics,† and move on. Similarly, molecular biologists can afford to be more selective about their data than medical scientists or psychologists can.12 But, despite these cultural differences, which can lead to heated and sometimes frustrating discussion, we do agree on a number of ground rules for defining what makes a tapestry strong. For example, what we either predict or measure should be repeatable. If I claim to see an effect in an experiment, someone else in a different lab should be able to reliably measure the same effect.13 That simple requirement has many ramifications for the types of problems we are able to address The limits of science There are many questions that simply are not amenable to purely scientific analysis. A very lucid discussion of this issue can be found in the book The Limits of Science by Nobel Prize winner (and atheist) Sir Peter Medawar, who wrote: That there is indeed a limit upon science is made very likely by the existence of questions that science cannot answer and that no conceivable advance of science would empower it to answer†¦ It is not to science, therefore but to metaphysics, imaginative literature or religion that we must turn for answers to questions having to do with first and last things. and Science is a great and glorious enterprise – the most successful, I argue, that human beings have ever engaged in. To reproach it for its inability to answer all the questions we should like to put to it is no more sensible than to reproach a railway locomotive for not flying or, in general, not performing any other operation for which it was not designed.14 Science’s great power derives from its self-imposed limits. It is wrong to ask it to pronounce on issues outside its jurisdiction. In fact, the most important decisions in life cannot be addressed solely by the scientific method, nor do people really live as if they can. In the words of Sir John Polkinghorne, former professor of Mathematical Physics at Cambridge and Anglican priest: We are entitled to require a consistency between what people write in their studies and the way in which they live their lives. I submit that no-one lives as if science were enough. Our account of the world must be rich enough – have a thick enough texture and a sufficiently generous rationality – to contain the total spectrum of human meeting with reality. But just because we don’t live life by the scientific method doesn’t mean that the only alternative is irrationality. For example, if I were to decide to get married, a truly irrational approach would be to pick a random woman off the street. Instead, assuming I find a potentially willing partner, it is wise to go through a period of courtship during which we get to know each other. We may also ask for the opinion of wise friends. There are helpful counseling programs with compatibility lists, etc. that, in fact, often use knowledge that scientific techniques have extracted from our collective experience and wisdom. But at the end of the day I can’t demand scientific certainty before deciding to marry someone. Nor is it wise to perform repeatable experiments! I need to make a volitional step because there are aspects of marriage that I can only see from the inside.15 Another example of a method used to obtain knowledge is the legal process which, although it is a tightly organized system, is not strictly scientific. Similarly, a historian will use a combination of evidence (e.g. manuscripts) and understanding about the thinking patterns of a particular era to make informed judgements about what happened in the past. Clearly, this big question of how to extract reliable  information about the world, how to separate fact from mere opinion, is indeed a very difficult and important one. 3. Miracles and the Bible How can we then judge whether or not the miracles of the Bible are reliable? Since the word miracle has taken on so many different meanings, it is important to first examine the biblical language. The New Testament predominantly uses three words for miracle: ï‚ ·teras, a wonder ï‚ ·dunamis, an act of power ï‚ ·semeion, a sign Sometimes it combines all three, as in Acts 2:22: Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles (dunamis), wonders (teras) and signs (semeion), which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. The word teras (wonder) is almost always used together with one of the other words, emphasizing that the main point of biblical miracles is not to merely elicit amazement but rather to serve a higher theological purpose. For this reason, biblical miracles cannot be understood outside of the theological context within which they occur. They are not anomalous events. This principle provides a key to the proper assessment of their validity. Nature is what God does Miracles happen against a backdrop. In this context, it is illuminating to see how the Bible describes God’s action in the natural world. For example in Psalm 104, that great poem about nature, we read, He makes springs pour water into the ravines, it flows between the mountains The first part of this verse refers to God’s direct action while the second part suggests that water flows through its own natural properties. Read the Psalm for yourself and notice how fluidly the point of view changes back and forth between what we might call the laws of nature and the direct action of God. Such dual descriptions can be found throughout the Bible. The New Testament is even more explicit: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:3)  and He is before all things, and in him all th ings hold together (Col 1:17) In other words, if God were to stop sustaining all things by his powerful word, the world would stop existing. That is why, when describing nature, the Bible so easily switches perspectives depending on whether it is emphasizing the regular behavior of natural phenomena, or their origin in God’s providential sustenance. So, as St. Augustine might say, Nature is what [God] does.16 Augustine doesn’t mean that nature is the same as God (pantheism), for, as he also argued, God operates outside of space and time. Nevertheless, and this is a very subtle point, 17 a case can be made for ascribing some independent causal power to the laws of nature. On the other hand, there is no room within a robust biblical theism for the opposite deistic notion that God started the world and then left it to run on its own, completely independently, because descriptions of God’s continuous care for creation are found throughout Scripture: Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. (Matthew 10:29,30) As Christian thinkers throughout the Middle Ages wrestled with the questions of miracles and God’s action in the world, the following ideas emerged: if the regularities of nature are a manifestation of the sustenance of God then one would expect them to be trustworthy and consistent, rather than capricious. The regular behavior of nature could be viewed as the â€Å"customs of the Creator† as it were. Christians glorify God by studying these â€Å"laws of nature.† A strong case can be made that such theological realizations helped pave the way for the rise of modern science.18 By the time the Royal Society of London, the world’s first scientific society, was founded in 1660, Christian thinkers like the metaphysical poet John Donne, then dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, could write: the ordinary things in Nature, would be greater miracles than the extraordinary, which we  admire most, if they were done but once†¦ only the daily doing takes off the admiration.19 God of the gaps A similar sentiment lies behind a famous exchange between those old adversaries, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Sir Isaac Newton. The latter noticed that the orbits of the planets did not appear to be stable when calculated over long periods, and postulated that the solar system needed occasional â€Å"reformation† by God. Leibniz objected that,  if God had to remedy the defects of His creation, this was surely to demean his craftsmanship. 20 In other words, the regular sustaining activity of God, as evidenced by natural laws, should be sufficient t o explain the regular behaviour of the solar system, without the need for additional ad-hoc interventions. Making it right the first time is more glorious than having to fix it later. In the same context, Leibniz also emphasised the theological nature of miracles: And I hold, that when God works miracles, he does not do it in order to supply the wants of nature, but those of grace. Whoever thinks otherwise, must needs have a very mean notion of the wisdom and power of God.21 A more modern version of Leibniz’s general objection can be found in a famous statement by Charles Coulson, the first Oxford professor of Theoretical Chemistry who wrote, When we come to the scientifically unknown, our correct policy is not to rejoice because we have found God; it is to become better scientists.22 He popularized the phrase â€Å"God of the gaps† for those who, perhaps like John and Ruth, think that God is found primarily in the lacunas of our scientific understanding. Two sorts of miracles Science, as well as tools from historical disciplines, can be brought to bear on biblical miracles. For example they can be split into those that are examples of providential timing (type i miracles) and those that can only be viewed as directly violating physical cause-effect  relationships (type ii miracles). An example of a possible type i miracle would be the crossing of the river Jordan by the people of Israel: Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. (Joshua 3:15,16) Colin Humphreys, Cambridge professor of material science, has studied this miracle in great detail 23 and notes that the text supplies a number of unusual clues, including the fact that the water was blocked up a great distance away at a particular town. He has identified this with a location where the Jordan has been known to temporarily dam up when strong earthquakes cause mudslides (most recently in 1927). For many scientists, the fact that God is working through natural processes makes the miracle more palatable: The scientist, even when he is a believer, is bound to try as far as possible to reduce miracles to regularities: the believer, even when he is a scientist, discovers miracles in the most familiar things.24 Of course this doesn’t take away from the fact that there was remarkable timing involved. Perhaps the attraction of this description comes in part because there is a direct corollary with the very common experience of â€Å"providential timing† of events, which believers attribute to God’s working.25 There are also miracles in the Bible that defy description in terms of current science. Perhaps the most significant of these is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If anything, science has strengthened the case for this not being a type i miracle. For example, in John 19:34 we read: Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. Modern medicine suggests that this is clear evidence that the pericardium, a membrane around the heart, was pierced, confirming that he was in fact dead. The more we know about the processes of decay that set in after death, the less likely it appears that Jesus could have risen from the dead by any natural means. Rather, science strengthens the case that if Jesus did indeed rise from the dead, the event must have occurred through a direct injection of supernatural power into the web of cause and effect that undergirds our physical world – it was a type ii miracle. Of course the resurrection is central to Christian teaching: And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. (I Corinthians 15:14) Given that almost every great Christian thinker in history has emphasized the fact that miracles must be understood within the context of a theological purpose, perhaps one could invert this argument and say that it is not surprising that the central eve nt in history would be miraculous. 26 So where has this argument brought us? I have argued that the precise relationship between miracles and science has been the subject of a long and unresolved debate with strands reaching back to the early Church fathers. Theologians wrestle with questions that concern the differences between God’s regular sustaining action and His special non-repeating actions, i.e. miracles, and how these fit in with redemptive purpose. There is a link to the question of demarcation in science, since within a robust biblical theism the regular working of God’s action, the â€Å"customs of the Creator† (or natural laws) are, almost by design, amenable to scientific analysis. Biblical miracles, in contrast, are always linked to special theological purpose and are therefore, almost by definition, non-repeatable and a-scientific. 4. The decisive significance of worldviews If Martin and I would have time to get this far in conversation, I’m sure we would have swiftly passed th e red herring of natural science being the touchstone upon which to examine biblical miracles. But Martin could point out that Hume made a number of other arguments against miracles, namely: Witness testimony is often suspect. ï‚ ·Stories get exaggerated in the retelling. Miracles are chiefly seen among ignorant and barbarous people. ï‚ ·Rival religions also have miracle stories, so they cancel each other out. These arguments are substantial, and I refer to footnote 3 for an introduction to the voluminous literature they have inspired. However, we can take a little stab at the first two objections. It is true that witness testimony cannot always be trusted and that stories change with time. But these are the same problems that face legal systems and historians. Nonetheless, we can employ the tools of these professions to examine biblical miracles. Take, for example, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is significant extrabiblical historical evidence that he indeed lived. Much has been written about the general trustworthiness of the Gospels. For example, there is much internal evidence, in both the style and content of the narratives, that the writers themselve s were convinced that Jesus did indeed rise from the dead. Tradition holds that 11 of the 12 original apostles were martyred for this belief that turned a group of cowards into a people who â€Å"turned the world upside down.† Although it is well beyond the scope of this essay, a very strong case for the plausibility of the resurrection can be made.27 Similar analysis can be brought to bear on other miracle claims, including those of other religions. After all, every meaningful system of thought must be open to careful scrutiny. But I suspect that often, underneath the surface, it is really the third argument that carries the most persuasive force. In part because history is littered with claims for the miraculous that seem bizarre, or smack of superstition, and in part because the incredible advances of modern science and technology inspire awe, we can intensely feel the attraction of identifying with the latter and not the former. This disposition is exemplified in the following quote by the theologian Rudolph Bultmann, a man famous for his attempts to de-mythologize the New Testament: It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.28 By getting rid of the miracle stories in the Bible,  Bultmann and his followers hoped to make the Christian story more palatable to modern man. Although I recognize the emotional weight of this sentiment, I am not convinced that it is an intellectually coherent approach, mainly for reasons of self-consistency. If the New Testamentitself asserts, both directly and indirectly, that the historicity of the resurrection is foundational to Christianity, then it would seem to stand or fall by that fact. As a physicist, I have a natural penchant for wanting to see how an idea relates to more basic principles. And to analyze the validity of a quote like the one above, we must take a cold hard look at our fundamental presuppositions. In the words of John Polkinghorne: If we are to understand the nature of reality, we have only two possible starting points: either the brute fact of the physical world or the brute fact of a divine will and purpose behind that physical world.29 Where does each of those two fundamental starting points take us? When we use them to construct a worldview, what kind of sense does it make of experience, morality, truth, beauty, and our place in the world? These are not easy questions. There is so much mystery around us. Perhaps the best way to move forward would be to borrow Mermin’s tapestry analogy and carefully investigate whether the different threads of historical evidence, philosophical consistency, and personal knowledge can be woven together into a worldview that is robust. In particular, does our tapestry posses those qualities of coherence and (surprising) fruitfulness that characterise the best scientific tapestries? If I start from the brute facts of nature, I personally am unable to construct a tapestry that is both rigorous and rich enough to make sufficient sense of the world. By contrast, if I assume a divine will and purpose behind the world I believe that I can construct a much more compelling tapesty that incorporates all of the threads of human  existence. Within that purposeful world, the case for Christianity is much more persuasive. To use a famous quote from C.S. Lewis: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen-not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.30 It is the sum total of all those arguments that convinces me of the veracity of biblical miracles. Nevertheless, I recognize that no matter how cogent, say, the historical evidence for the resurrection is, if I start from a different worldview, as Martin and Rudolph Bultmann do, then it will be virtually impossible to accept the existence of biblical miracles. (In the end I think this is what Hume is really saying). Miracles cannot be interpreted independently from the theological context in which they function. They are part of a package deal. I don’t know what Martin would make of all that. We would surely need more than one glass of wine to complete this discussion (but wouldn’t it be fun?). 5. Conclusion Finally, what would I say to John and Ruth? If they are like many Christians I know, they might feel a slight uneasiness with science, a subconscious fear fed by the pontifications of some popularizers who seem keen to equate science with atheism.31 So perhaps I would first point out the obvious limits of science. But then I might tell the story of Leibniz and Newton’s exchange, and point out that Newton was a good enough theologian not to turn the alleged instability of the planets into a God of the gaps argument. Similarly, if it is true that we don’t yet understand how birds can navigate so accurately over large distances, then surely it would bring more glory to God to search for the mechanisms by which such remarkable feats are accomplished: It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2 Perhaps because evolution has been a particularly favorite bludgeon of the science = atheism cabal, a Christian mini-industry has sprung up to debunk it. Unfortunately, this only feeds the public misperception that the core of the conflict between science and faith concerns scientific mechanism (evolution did or did not occur) rather than one of the philosophy and interpretation of science. God could, of course, have regularly used miracles to create throughout the time-span of natural history. He is free. But whether he did so in natural history is fundamentally a question of Biblical interpretation. 32 Surely it is even more glorious if God could design a physical system that creates itself through the regularities of his sustaining action. Like many of my Christian scientific colleagues who hold to a high view of Scripture, I believe the biblical text allows itself to be interpreted in this way, that sentient beings arose primarily through the ordinary â€Å"customs of the Creato r,† and that moreover it glorifies God to seek to understand these patterns.33 John and Ruth might then ask: if I emphasize the integrity of the regular action of God in sustaining the universe, and even in creating us, then why should miracles occur at all? Can they occur today? Rather than answer that theological question directly, let me resort to a musical analogy borrowed from Colin Humphreys. Suppose you are watching a pianist play a classical piece. You will notice that there are certain notes that he plays, and certain ones that he never does. The choice of notes is constrained because the music is being played in a particular key signature. But then, occasionally he may break this rule and play an unusual note. Musicians call these accidentals, and a composer can put them in wherever she likes (although if there are too many the music would sound strange). As Humphreys puts it, If he is a great composer, the accidentals will never be used capriciously: they will always make better music. It is the accidentals which contribute to making the piece of music great. The analogy with how God operates is clear: God created and upholds the universe but, like the great composer, he is free to override his own rules. However, if he is a c onsistent God, it must make more sense than less for him to override his rules.34 Notes 1. 2. 3. Alister McGrath, Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes and the Meaning of Life, (Blackwell, Oxford 2005) p 92. A good example of this is Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, (Bantam, London 2006) David Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding and Concerning the Principles of Morals, (1748). Hume’s argument has often been criticized for being self-referential. He at first presupposes that no reasonable person can believe that the laws of nature can be violated, and then concludes that miracles cannot occur because he defines them as violations of the laws of nature. Note that this analysis is not accepted by all commentators. Colin Brown, Miracles and the Critical Mind, (Paternoster, Exeter, 1984) provides a lucid overview of the debate. See also John Earman, Hume’s Abject Failure. The Argument against Miracles (Oxford University Press, Oxford 2000) for a critical view, and Peter Harrison, â€Å"Miracles, Early Modern Science, and Rational Religion†, Church History 75 (3) pp. 493-511 (2006) for an interesting historical perspective. I am reminded of a famous quote by US Supreme Court judge Potter Stewart who, when asked to distinguish between art and pornography, noted that although it was hard to define: â€Å"I know it when I see it† (Jacobellis v. Ohio (1964)). N. David Mermin, â€Å"The Golemization of Relativity†, Physics Today 49, 11–13 (1996) Peter Lipton, Inference to the Best Explanation, (Routledge, London, 2004) In the 1990’s this tension between sociologists and the scientific community erupted into the so-called ‘Science Wars’. For a good overview, see e.g. J. A. Labinger and H. Collins (eds), The One Culture? A Conversation about Science, (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2001). Quote from Nobel Prize winner E. Wigner, â€Å"The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences†, Communications in Pure and Applied Mathematics, vol. 13, No. I (February 1960). An iconic example would be Paul Dirac’s 1928 prediction of anti-ma tter, which he showed to be necessary to satisfy the mathematical consistency constraints  imposed by combining quantum mechanics and special relativity for electrons. See P.A.M. Dirac, Proc. Roy. Soc. A, 117, 610 (1928). The cultural differences between more mathematically minded physical scientists and more empirically minded biological scientists are discussed by Evelyn Fox Keller, in a fascinating book: Making Sense of Life: Explaining Biological Development with Models, Metaphors, and Machines, Harvard University Press, Boston (2002). Such instinctive reactions are what make interdisciplinary research so difficult. Clearly biology has been incredibly successful despite its differences with my scientific culture. I also suggest that as the questions we ask become difficult (often the case for applied subjects like medicine), the tapestries, by necessity, become more fragile. I realize that this is more subtle for historical sciences like geology and cosmology (we have, for example, only observed one universe). Nevertheless, even in these fields, parallel concepts apply. P.B. Medawar, The Limits of Science, Oxford University Press, Oxford (1987) . There are interesting analogies here to making a religious commitment. Christians would argue that important aspects of the Christian life can only be understood and experienced from within a relationship with Christ. That is not to say that a step of faith is just a blind leap in the dark. It should be a decision that is informed by careful thinking and weighing of evidence. But it is more than just that. Augustine, Literal Commentary on Genesis, c AD 391 See e.g. C. J. Collins, Science and Faith: Friends or Foes? (Crossway, Wheaton, 2003) ch 11. See e.g. R. Hooykaas, Religion and the Rise of Modern Science, (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids,1972) John Donne (Eighty Sermons, #22 published in 1640) John Hedley Brooke, Science and Religion , CUP, Cambridge (1991), p147. Leibniz, as quoted by C. Brown, Miracles and the Critical Mind, (Paternoster, Exeter, 1984), p 75. Charles Coulson, Christianity in an Age of Science, 25th Riddell Memorial Lecture Series, Oxford University Press, Oxford, (1953). Colin Humphreys The Miracles of Exodus: A Scientist’s Discovery of the Extraordinary Natural Causes of the Biblical Stories, (Harper Collins, San Francisco, 2003). R. Hooykaas, op cit One could argue that God must nevertheless employ divine action to set up the conditions necessary for a type i miracle to occur at the right time. In that sense both kinds of miracles may involve violations of normal physical cause-effect relations, but in type i this is more hidden. Note that I am not arguing that miracles  break ultimate cause-effect relationships. Within a divine economy, they may make perfect causal sense. Language like â€Å"violation of physical cause-effect† reflects our limited access to the mind of God.